The Oscars

This time of year, the Academy Awards, rear their heads and the global superstar actors appear on their red carpets and smile in the hopes they’ll be nominated let alone, win the movie’s biggest award ceremony. Engaging with this topic can be a great PR or story hook for your business, especially if it lines with your expertise.

When you are looking to post or promote your business, the cultural touchstones of the day are something you can comment upon and then be part of a topical conversation – though it must make sense. Engage with the event in a way which revolves around your story or your business. For instance: if you’re a personal shopper, you could use this event to provide commentary on what colours work for the glammed celebs. There are so many options with this kind of world-wide televised moment.

If this doesn’t apply to you or your business, use this moment to talk about films. Share your favourite films over the last year and explain why – did any chime with your expertise? Were any missed out that you thought should not have been overlooked? Were some praised that you thought were a bit ‘meh’? With each film, share why they are special to you and your family. Here are some of the feature films at the Academy Awards that have caught my attention this year:

‘Conclave’ by Edward Berger (with Ralph Fiennes). I found it genius how the creators of this film took a subject that is very topical and coated it with a fantastic modern story about deeply held prejudice. It is after all a story of a bunch of old men in religious clothing fighting for a top spot in a closed room. On the face of it, utterly boring. After seeing this film, I was extremely moved. It reminded me of the emotional reverence of my favourite film, Spotlight, which won two Oscars in 2016 for Best Original Screenplay and the titular award, Best Picture. This year, Ralph Fiennes was nominated for Best Leading Actor and, in my view should have won. The film The Brutalist which was also highly acclaimed was, for me, a film which lasted more than three hours. Hours I’ll never get back.

‘A Real Pain’ by Jesse Eisenberg. Recently I talked about ‘A Real Pain’ in its engagement with the holocaust and the familial and generational pain that comes from the decimation of a generation of people. The writer, Jesse Eisenberg, was nominated for Best Screenplay. Kieran Culkin, who plays Benji, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and won. The performances by both Jesse and Keiran felt extremely real, and the quick and witty writing made this film really engaging. I came out of the cinema reeling about why it is called ‘A Real Pain’ and what pain means for different people. Between the first shot and last one, you are fully at the hands of the two main actors as they deal with their pains. Poland is captured in an honest and clear way and I would recommend this 90-minute film, not only because it doesn’t take up your whole evening but because it sparks conversation.

Lastly, I can’t ignore the phenomenon of Wicked (Part 1). I have not seen this film. But have my children told me so much about the film that I might as well have? YES! Cynthia Erivo was nominated for Best Lead Actress and Ariana Grande for Best Supporting Actress. As well as, Best Original Score, Costume, Production Design, Makeup, and Visual Effects. The acknowledgment for the crew that make a production is so important, especially when the crew is from the UK, as Wicked was filmed on our very island. Films wouldn’t exist without the crews, so for their hard work to be nodded at this global scale is great. I don’t know if I’ll ever watch this film, but don’t worry my children will give me a scene-by-scene breakdown, including the musical numbers.

When sharing your films or the creatives who inspire you, make a moment of it. Tag the creatives and people behind it, you never know who might respond…