Roger Deakins and Blade Runner 2049
'Roger Deakins better win an Oscar this year' - raise your hand if you've heard someone make that statement before. I'm not saying that approval from the Academy is a necessity when judging one's filmmaking achievements, but with 13 nominations on the belt already, PLEASE just give the man a damn trophy. At this point, any nomination without a subsequent win would just seem like a cruel running joke. Mainly because Deakins is hands down one of the best cinematographers to have ever worked in the industry. And at age 68, it simply blows my mind that he continues to get even better at his job. Case in point, Blade Runner 2049. Not only did he shoot the shit out of this movie, he did it in a way that was so thoroughly submersive that you almost forget you're watching a film. And yes, I'm making this statement about a science fiction movie set in the year 2049. Every shot is just so beautiful and surreal, you could literally take any frame from the film and turn it into a poster. And of course, under the masterful hands of Denis Villeneuve, the film never risks feeling just like a fragmented collection of stunning compositions. From Prisoners to Sicario, and now Blade Runner, let's just hope that this working partnership continues. I know that the Oscars don't mean everything, but to snag a win for a film whose visual beauty belies the use of words, would be so perfect. Let's all cross our fingers for March 2018!