The Academy’s makeup category is one of two fields that calls for a whittling down of the contenders via a “bake-off.” Reels of the work from the seven finalists are screened, so an impressive assemblage is all you need. The work on the whole isn’t really being considered, so this can yield surprises in the field.

This year there were a couple of surprises to say the least. A little known foreign film pushed through while a costume drama that isn’t entirely memorable for its makeup (though perhaps is well-respected for hairstyling) also popped up. Meanwhile, the presumed frontrunner for the win — “District 9” — was snubbed outright, the general feeling being that CGI enhancement was its downfall.

The nominees are:

“Il Divo” (Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano)
“Star Trek” (Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow)
“The Young Victoria” (Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore)

The field is a fair representation of the kinds of work this branch is capable of. There’s prosthetics meant to transform and age, fantasy creations organic to a manifested future and period detail more nuanced than the rest (which rarely shows up here).

When “Il Divo” made it to the bake-off phase of voting, something went off in my head saying it had a pretty good chance to make it into Oscar’s final three. Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano have been to the dance before with “Apocalypto,” Signoretti also with “Moulin Rouge!,” and the film showcases heavy prosthetics on actor Toni Servillo to transform him into Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti. Speaking strictly for myself, I have to say the work didn’t stand out. Servillo seems constricted by the application, which doesn’t emulate the character as much as I thought it would have. Then there is the film itself, which, in my opinion, is a total mess. So it’s questionable whether most of the Academy at large have even seen it. In any case, it made for a nice surprise on nomination morning.

“Star Trek,” on the other hand, is a film we can assume most of the Academy has seen, and therefore, it is the frontrunner for the win. Nominees Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow have the snub of “District 9” to thank for that. But that shouldn’t take anything away from the work. As you read in a recent Tech Support interview with Hall, all of the makeup effects had to be very precise to allow for close-ups at director J.J. Abrams’s discretion. An array of lifeforms were created, some influenced by the classic television series, but most of them brand new manifestations from the imagination of Abrams and his makeup crew. There is even a moment of comedic punctuation for the work (Kirk’s allergic reaction), which can’t hurt. At the end of the day, this should be an easy get.

Probably more surprising than “Il Divo” was the nomination for “The Young Victoria” in this field, which did well for itself overall, also popping up in the art direction and costume design categories. But this had to be a triumph of hairstyling (also recognized somewhat by this branch) than actual makeup, because nothing about the work stands out otherwise. But then again, nominee Jenny Shircore has shown a level of skill with period dramas before. She won 12 years ago for her work on “Elizabeth.” She wasn’t facing up against a blockbuster like “Star Trek” at the time, though, so her and co-nominee Jon Henry Gordon will probably have to be satisfied with the win. Meanwhile, I can’t fight the urge to put the screener back in and see what exactly I missed, because all I could say was, “Really?”

Will win: “Star Trek”
Could win: “The Young Victoria”
Should win: “Star Trek”

Should have been here: “District 9”

What do you think deserves to win this year’s Oscar for Best Makeup? Have your say in the sidebar poll!

Related Posts

• Makeup bake-off leaves seven
• TECH SUPPORT: Best Makeup — Volume I
• Interviews with the winners
• Nut up or shut up: final predictions
• 2/22 Oscarweb Round-up
• WEEKLY WRAP: Top shots, Berlin coverage and more