There've been a multitude of responses between when you asked this and now, but, to answer, directly: that presumably plays a part (and Sabin is right: how do you not expect that in our current environment?). But there are also people who seem to have a problem with how the storyline plays out in the film. Since I haven't seen it, I don't know what they're talking about, but I've heard the term "dangerous" thrown around. Which doesn't mean that's a rational response -- sometimes people use that word to mean "doesn't grease my prejudices" -- but it did lead me to think there'd be significant backlash (especially from trans critics, a number of whom who don't appear to like the film).Precious Doll wrote:Mister Tee,Mister Tee wrote: From what I've been reading, Girl would have been a Twitter war waiting to happen, so its omission from the foreign shortlist may be a blessing for the Academy. The list as is features far more prominent candidates than we usually see.
Is the issue to do with the gender of the actor playing the title role?
To other things:
In best song, I never bet against Diane Warren.
The effects in Black Panther don't that much impress me, either (from what I've seen, Ready Player One's effects are easily the most memorable), but it's hard to believe a movie that's being treated as an event would be left out of the one category even low-tier Marvel movies have managed to nail.
I do wonder if a certain circular reasoning is setting in with Black Panther: we think it'll get a lot of below-the-line nominations because a best picture nominee should, and it's going to be a best picture nominee because it can get a bunch of tech nods. I'm inclined to think the best picture nomination will happen because of all the hype and because it's a lackluster year, but it's not utterly impossible the film gets a few stray low-level nods and calls it a day.