The Academy Awards are less than a week away, so we thought it might be fitting to share our final thoughts about this year’s Makeup & Hairstyling category. The race is on, and yet again this year we see a lesser-known film up against 2 films of large proportion. Deep down, we all love an underdog but all 3 have earned their place in the top tier, whether it be due to elegant subtlety or overwhelming scope and imagination. Hell, we love the contrast and look forward to seeing who takes home the glory.
//1. Suicide Squad
Images: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Despite it’s lukewarm reception with critics earlier this year, there’s no denying the electric visual magic of this comic book film. Makeup designers for the film Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini, and Christopher Nelson were presented with a smorgasbord of characters to play with, and hence the film is rich in colour, layer and texture. There are a wide variety of techniques on show here, from Leto’s custom teeth and washes of paint to El Diablo’s head-to-toe tattoo makeup. They referenced the original comics, but Bertolazzi urges “We didn’t want to make an exact copy, but rather find something different, something real.”
//2. A Man Called Ove
Images via Music Box Films
A small foreign film which tugs at the heart strings, at first glance it doesn’t make clear the marvellous makeup design, but the fact that it is unrecognisable is what makes it so brilliant. Rolf Lassgård plays Ove, a cynical grumpy old man, much higher in age than the actor himself. Consequently, Eva von Bahr and Love Larson had to apply a prosthetic hair piece, contacts and subtle makeup to develop the beloved character. Credit to their small 4-person team and their subtle, realistic makeup with no fancy post tricks for digital cleanup. Larson explains, “On a film like this we cannot afford to do digital cleanup so what you see is what you get.”
//3. Star Trek: Beyond
Images via Paramount Pictures.
Joel Harlow and Richard Alonzo were the driving force behind the makeup looks in Star Trek’s latest adventure. Overall, they designed 59 different alien characters and races, which were created and applied. The detail and texture in some of the screen time proves the level of calibre that Harlow is now at. Along with a large dedicated team, this production may be some of the finest work seen in the Star Trek universe today. At the very least, the scope itself is enough to impress.
