The Biggys – A Kathryn Bigelow Retrospective
Now that I’ve made my way through Bigelow’s entire filmography, I felt like it would be fun to honor the tradition I started with M Night Shymalan and hold an award show celebrating the work of an iconic director. All opinions are my own.
We’re gonna start with a fun category.
Scene I Think About Most
The nominees are:
Keanu Reeves skydiving without a parachute – Point Break
Villain Defeat – Strange Days
Radiation poisoning – K-19: The Widowmaker
Hostage Taking – Detroit
And the winner is…
Keanu Reeves skydiving without a parachute – Point Break
If you know me, this isn’t a surprise. Keanu free jumping is as hilarious and iconic the fifth time you watch the film as it was the first. I constantly think about this moment.
Best Tension
The nominees are:
Blue Steel
The Hurt Locker
Zero Dark Thirty
Detroit
And the winner is…
Detroit
This was an easy win for Detroit. The film becomes a horror movie in act two, and the tension does not subside until the credits roll. It’s insane that it really happened like that, and I can’t imagine having to go through a situation anything near that. Bigelow is great at keeping tension throughout her films, but she perfected her art here.
Best Directing
The nominees are:
Point Break
Strange Days
The Hurt Locker
Zero Dark Thirty
And the winner is…
Strange Days
I bet you thought I’d give it to Point Break. I thought about it, but ultimately I think Bigelow went bigger and bolder here, managing her most ambitious project. She pulled it all together masterfully. She may have won the academy award for The Hurt Locker, but I’d of given it to her here.
Best Cinematography
The nominees are:
Strange Days
The Hurt Locker
Zero Dark Thirty
Detroit
And the winner is…
Strange Days
I mean, they invented a new type of camera rig to get some of the opening shots of this film. The camera was working overtime and it’s obvious from minute one. This was an easy pick for me.
Best Writing
The nominees are:
Near Dark
Point Break
Strange Days
The Hurt Locker
And the winner is…
Point Break
With a razor sharp story and enough subtext to fill an underground library, you gotta give it to Point Break. Plus, some of the best one liners in film history.
Best Supporting Actor/Actress
The nominees are:
Patrick Swayze, Point Break
Angela Bassett, Strange Days
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
Jason Clarke, Zero Dark Thirty
And the winner is…
Angela Bassett, Strange Days
Yet another win for Strange Days as the ever-talented Angela Bassett takes home this Biggy. It was a tough race, but I think she sells her character the best of this bunch. A well earned award.
Best Lead Actor/Actress
Keanu Reeves, Point Break
Ralph Fiennes, Strange Days
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
And the winner is…
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
I’ll admit, I didn’t understand or buy his character at all until the film ended. Once it clicked, I bought his performance completely and retroactively thought it to be brilliant. I think this is another well deserved Biggy.
Underrated Gem
The nominees are:
The Loveless
Near Dark
Blue Steel
K-19: The Widowmaker
And the winner is…
Blue Steel
I think Blue Steel is by far the least appreciated of Bigelow’s works. It has the second lowest rating on IMDB and absolutely deserves more credit. It wasn’t perfect, but it succeeds at being exactly what it wants to be.
Best Picture
The Nominees are:
Blue Steel
Point Break
Strange Days
Zero Dark Thirty
And the winner is…
Point Break
Was there ever any doubt? This is one of my favorite films of all time. An instant classic the moment I first watched it in college. I can’t even begin to say how much this film means to me on so many different levels. It perfectly blends humor, action, and great filmmaking. I will never not love this, and to award it Best Picture at the Biggys is a no-brainer for me.
That’s it! Thank you for attending the Biggys, I hope you had a good time. Be sure to take your gift bags on the way out.
Next week, I’ll be taking the day off to celebrate the holidays. However, in two weeks, on January 5th, I’ll be dropping my review of the feature film debut of a new filmmaker. I won’t say who, but I hear he’s a good fella…
