The exposure of the Oscars is a double-edged sword, because it is going to subject the film of the day to a scrutiny that it would not have under normal conditions. Suddenly, you are no longer a movie. All your flaws and problems are going to stand out moreany controversial aspect will be treated as a matter of State and its qualities will try to be extrapolated to the state of current cinema (and, knowing how Best Film is voted and with what idea some academics vote, perhaps the latter would be just not what least we should do).
In other words, it’s good for certain small movies to have that showcase to have a bit of relevance, but they’re also going to be more horseplay than other movies, especially if they win.
The (Oscar-winning) Rossi family
More or less what has happened with the already somewhat forgotten ‘CODA: The sounds of silence’, a warm and effective film in what it is proposed to win the award for Best Film could be the worst thing that could happen.
Siân Heder’s film, already streaming through Movistar+, adapts the French comedy of the year (of its year) ‘La familia Beliér’ largely following all its keys. It follows the Rossis, a deaf family in a modest coastal community, with the peculiarity that the daughter is hearing. Not only that, but she has a particular talent for singing. She might have the potential to develop it, but your family needs your help to be able to function in a world that is not very adapted for them.
In other circumstances, ‘CODA: The Sounds of Silence’ would be treated for what it is. A film of good feelings and adolescent discovery which is very effective in its purposes. It’s funny when it’s funny, it’s dramatic without being melodramatic and it’s emotional where it needs to be, making good use of the emotional transmission power that music has even for those who can’t hear the notes.
It is also an average film of a lifetime, with ambitions to connect with the public and give a clear and legible message. It’s only independent because of its budget and because Hollywood has already forgotten about mid-budget movies. It is a film that warms your heart well if you go to it with a predisposition.
But that is not enough, because it is the winner of the Oscar for Best Picture and only that is very scarce. So Heder’s work is condemned not to be a nice film, but to be a strange paradox that has lost despite succeeding.