Category: Awards Season

Posted in Awards Season, Film Feature, Oscars

95th Academy Awards: Final Predictions

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Another awards season is poised to come to a close, and so it is time to celebrate the best of the best that cinema had to offer with the 95th Academy Awards. All in all, 2022 was a solid year for cinema, especially given the struggles it has had to endure for these previous two years. After the mess of last year’s ceremony where some of the awards were inexcusably presented off the air, the Academy has thankfully not carried this nonsensical idea over to this year’s ceremony.

So, without further ado, with 23 of those prestigious trophies up for grabs, here are my predictions for who will be clutching one of those iconic golden statues at the end of the evening.

 

Best Supporting Actress

  • Angela Bassett – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 
  • Hong Chau – The Whale 
  • Kerry Condon – The Banshees of Inisherin 
  • Jamie Lee Curtis – Everything Everywhere All At Once 
  • Stephanie Hsu – Everything Everywhere All At Once 

We kick off with easily the most stacked acting category this year where there is a plethora of performances which could have been in the final five. But for now, let’s focus on those who were nominated. The nominations of both Hong Chau and Stephanie Hsu mark the first time two Asian actresses have scored nominations in this category in the same year, and apart from Bassett, everyone else is picking up their first nomination. It looked for a while as though Hsu might miss out but it’s a relief she made it as her performance is a crucial part of her film’s narrative. Meanwhile, Jamie Lee Curtis’s performance in the same film feels like a culmination of everything she has brought to the industry across a five-decade-long career, which could explain her win at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. She probably wouldn’t have made the top five given the fierce competition, but it is nonetheless fantastic to see a legend like her be given her first nomination.

The two front runners are by far and away Kerry Condon and Angela Bassett, the latter of whom’s nomination marks the first time an acting performance in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film has received an Oscar nomination. Like Curtis, Bassett is a legend of the industry and yet somehow this is only her second nomination following 1993’s What’s Love Got to do With It. Despite Condon’s win at BAFTA, this trophy should have Bassett’s name on it, which when you watch her performance, especially the throne room speech in Wakanda Forever, where her grief and pain over the loss of Chadwick Boseman is painfully felt, there should be only one clear winner.

It says a lot about the insane competition this year when the likes of Janelle Monae (Glass Onion), Samantha Morton (She Said), Dolly De Leon (Triangle of Sadness), Lashana Lynch and Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King) and Claire Foy and Jessie Buckley (Women Talking), all of whom would have been worthy of a nomination, can’t even get a look in.

Will Win: Angela Bassett 

Should Win: Angela Bassett

Could have been nominated: See all of the above

 

Best Supporting Actor

  • Brendan Gleeson  – The Banshees of Inisherin 
  • Brian Tyree Henry  – Causeway 
  • Judd Hirsch – The Fabelmans 
  • Barry Keoghan – The Banshees of Inisherin 
  • Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All At Once 

For the fourth year in a row, this category has two actors from the same film competing for the Best Supporting Actor trophy, with everyone apart from Judd Hirsch picking up their first nominations, which is wonderful to see.  It might have been a full set of first-timers had Paul Dano been nominated for The Fabelmans, as many had predicted. Sadly, for Dano, his wait for his first nomination goes on.

He might not have been on screen for very long, but Hirsch’s Uncle Boris certainly left an impression in The Fabelmans.  Brian Tyree Henry’s nomination came thoroughly out of the left field as he has been largely ignored throughout all of this awards season, but it is extremely satisfying to see him included as his performance in Causeway deserved recognition. The work of both Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan in The Banshees of Inisherin is some of the best work of their respective careers, both working effortlessly alongside Colin Farrell to great effect, However, out of all the acting categories, this one feels the closest to a lock as, despite Keoghan’s triumph at the BAFTAs, there is no scenario, in this universe or in any multiverses, where Ke Huy Quan does not walk away with the Oscar for his brilliant work as Waymond, the goofy, multiverse-travelling husband to Michelle Yeoh’s Evelyn.

Will Win: Ke Huy Quan

Should Win: Ke Huy Quan

Could have been nominated: Paul Dano for The Fabelmans 

 

 

Best Original Screenplay

  • The Banshees of Inisherin  – Written by Martin McDonagh 
  • Everything Everywhere All At Once  – Written by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert 
  • The Fabelmans  – Written by Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner 
  • Tár – Written by Todd Field 
  • Triangle of Sadness – Written by Ruben Ostlund 

A battle of the Best Picture contenders, which makes picking an immediate frontrunner at first glance seems difficult. Yet, with both The Banshees of Inisherin and Everything Everywhere All At Once having garnered the most nominations, it is likely this award will go to one of those two films. EEAAO is likely to dominate in some of the other big categories, including Best Director for The Daniels, so this could be the Academy’s chance to share the love, which is something they don’t always do. Three out of four of McDonagh’s films have been nominated for this award, so perhaps, given the Daniels seem to be odds on to win the Oscar for Best Director, this could be the moment to give McDonagh his dues.

Will Win: The Banshees of Inisherin 

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should have been nominated: Dana Stevens for The Woman King

Best Adapted Screenplay

  • All Quiet on the Western Front  – Screenplay by Edward Berger Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell 
  • Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery   – Screenplay by Rian Johnson
  • Living – Screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro 
  • Top Gun: Maverick – Screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie 
  • Women Talking – Screenplay by Sarah Polley 

All awards season long, this award really felt as though it only had Sarah Polley’s name on it for her excellent adaption of Miraim Tews’ novel. Although given the film was bafflingly snubbed by BAFTA, it could have completely lost its momentum, particularly as All Quiet on The Western Front conquered all before it at BAFTA. But, its presence in the Best Picture race shows there is a lot of support for the film, and a victory for Women Talking would see a woman win this category for three consecutive years, which would be wonderful to see.

Will Win: Women Talking 

Should Win: Women Talking 

Should have been nominated: Rebecca Lenkiewicz for She Said 

Best Animated Feature Film

  • Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio – Guillermo del Toro Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex 
  • Marcel the Shell with Shoes On  – Dean Fleischer Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan, and Paul Mezey
  • Puss in Boots: The Last Wish  – Joel Crawford and Mark Swift 
  • The Sea Beast – Chris Williams and Jed Schlanger
  • Turning Red – Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins 

Given it was released in March and inexcusably did not receive a cinema release, it is a relief to see Turning Red land a nomination, given it was easily the best-animated film Disney or Pixar released last year. However, with this being the only representative from the House of Mouse in this year’s crop of nominees, could Disney’s iron grip on this category be loosening?

Six of the 21 winners in this category have come from films produced either by Disney or its sister studio Pixar, but this year will make it the seventh non-Disney/Pixar winner. It will ultimately come down to the two films, with wishes at the heart of them. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is Dreamworks’ best film in years, and the cat has got my tongue and my vote. However, given the sheer labour of love in which Guillermo del Toro and his incredible team of artists brought one of the best interpretations of this classic tale to life, this is Pinocchio’s to lose.

Will Win: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Should Win: Puss In Boots: The Last Wish

Best International Feature Film

  • All Quiet on the Western Front  (Germany)  – directed by Edward Berger 
  • Argentina, 1985 (Argentina) – directed by Santiago Mitre 
  • Close (Belgium) – directed by Lukas Dhont
  • EO (Poland) – directed by Jerzy Skolimowski  
  • The Quiet Girl (Ireland) – directed by Colm Bairéad

There’s only one film here which is a Best Picture nominee, so it will be all quiet on the upset front.

Will Win: All Quiet on the Western Front 

Should Win: All Quiet on the Western Front 

Should have been nominated: Decision to Leave (South Korea)

Best Original Score

  • All Quiet on the Western Front  – Nicholas Volker Bertelmann 
  • Babylon – Justin Hurwitz
  • The Banshees of Inisherin – Carter Burwell
  • Everything Everywhere All at Once – Son Lux
  • The Fabelmans – John Williams

My head wants to say this award will be going to Justin Hurwitz for his insanely catchy score to Babylon. The film divided audiences, but no one can deny the irresistibly catchy nature of Hurwitz’s work, as whenever he collaborates with Damien Chazelle, the results are always spectacular. But, could Babylon’s divisive nature scupper a prospective win? With his staggering 53rd nomination at the age of 90, this makes the legendary John Williams the oldest nominee in Oscars history, and the second most nominated individual ever after a certain Walt Disney. The Fabelmans is probably unlikely to pick up any awards anywhere else, so this could be the time to bestow Williams with his sixth Oscar, but I’m going to say Babylon will prevail.

Will Win: Justin Hurwitz 

Should Win: Justin Hurwitz

Should have been nominated: Michael Giacchino for The Batman

Best Original Song

  • “Applause” from Tell it Like a Woman  – Music and lyrics by Dianne Warren
  • “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick – Music and lyrics by Lady Gaga and BloodPop
  • “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; Lyrics by Tems and Ryan Coogler
  • “Naatu Naatu” from RRR – Music by M. M. Keeravani; Lyrics by Chandrabose
  • “This is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All At Once  –  Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski; Lyrics by Ryan Lott and David Byrne

With every awards season that comes around, it is practically a given Dianne Warren will find herself nominated for Best Original Song, even if it is for a film few people have heard of. One of these days a nomination is going to turn into a win for her, but it will not be this year.

After her success in winning this award for A Star is Born, Lady Gaga could definitely claim her second trophy for her moving song from Top Gun: Maverick, while Rihanna’s long-awaited return to music brought us the deeply moving and powerful Lift Me Up, which feels borne out of the loss everyone felt when Chadwick Boseman passed away. However, RRR took the world by storm last year and given this is its sole nomination, it feels nailed on the Academy will recognise this accomplishment with an Oscar.

Will Win:  RRR

Should Win: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Best Sound

  • All Quiet on the Western Front – Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel, and Stefan Korte
  • Avatar: The Way of Water – Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, and Michael Hedges
  • The Batman – Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray, and Andy Nelson
  • Elvis – David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, and Michael Keller
  • Top Gun: Maverick – Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor

So often, this category and editing go hand-in-hand, yet given the likely winner of Best Editing is nowhere to be found here, this award is a choice between the brutal sounds of trench warfare, the musical sounds of the King of Rock and Roll or the thunderous sounds of military aircraft, with the aircraft taking the trophy.

Will Win: Top Gun: Maverick 

Should Win: Top Gun: Maverick

Best Production Design

  • All Quiet on the Western Front – Production Design: Christian M. Goldbeck; Set Decoration: Ernestine Hipper
  • Avatar: The Way of Water – Production Design: Dylan Cole and Ben Procter; Set Decoration: Vanessa Cole
  • Babylon – Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino
  • Elvis – Production Design: Catherine Martin and Karen Murphy; Set Decoration: Bev Dunn
  • The Fabelmans – Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara

The Academy usually loves films about Hollywood. While Babylon‘s divisiveness could scupper its chances of winning Original Score, it is unlikely to prevent it from taking this award given it has swept all before it this awards season.

Will Win: Babylon 

Should Win: Babylon 

Should have been nominated: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio 

Best Cinematography

  • All Quiet on the Western Front – James Friend
  • Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths – Darius Khondji
  • Elvis – Mandy Walker
  • Empire of Light – Roger Deakins
  • Tár – Florian Hoffmeister

When you consider some of the breathtaking cinematography we saw in 2022, this year’s selection of nominees is decidedly uninspiring and there are some major major snubs which boggle the mind as to why they weren’t included. Roger Deakins’s status as a legend is assured, and it is a given he will be nominated almost every time he shoots a film, there were more deserving nominations this year. Elvis’ Mandy Walker becomes the third woman to be nominated for this award and while it would be historic to see her win, yet my money is on another win for All Quiet on the Western Front.

Though the snub for Claudio Miranda for Top Gun: Maverick feels particularly baffling when you consider when filming the aerial combat sequences, they were reliant on natural lighting to shoot them, not to mention the extraordinary camerawork. Plus, last year’s winner of this award Greig Fraser’s work in The Batman to capture the murky underworld of Gotham City was equally deserving of a nomination.

Will Win: All Quiet on the Western Front

Should Win: All Quiet on the Western Front

Should have been nominated: Claudio Miranda for Top Gun: Maverick, Linus Sandgren for Babylon or Greig Fraser for The Batman 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Success in this category can often correlate with a win in one of the acting categories. This year, it could come down to whichever actor the Academy chooses to honour in Best Actor, which puts this as a coin flip between Elvis or The Whale. Given who I think will win Best Actor, my bet is going to give this one to The Whale.

  • All Quiet on the Western Front – Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová
  • The Batman – Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine 
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Camille Friend and Joel Harlow
  • Elvis  – Mark Coulier, Jason Baird, and Aldo Signoretti
  • The Whale – Adrien Morot, Judy Chin, and Anne Marie Bradley

Will Win:  The Whale 

Should Win: The Whale

Best Costume Design

  • Babylon – Mary Zophres 
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Ruth Carter 
  • Elvis – Catherine Martin 
  • Everything Everywhere All at Once – Shirley Kurata 
  • Mrs Harris Goes to Paris – Jenny Bevan 

Ruth Carter’s win for the first Black Panther film at the 91st Academy Awards was a historic win, and if she were to repeat her triumph, she would become the first black woman to win two Oscars in any category, which is just utterly mind-boggling. However, Catherine Martin’s work in Elvis to recreate so many of the King’s iconic costumes is some incredible work which would be worthy of a victory to add to her victories in this category for Baz Luhrmann’s previous films The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge!

Will Win: Elvis 

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should have been nominated: Gersha Phillips for The Woman King and Jenny Eagan for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 

Best Film Editing

  • The Banshees of Inisherin – Mikkel E. G. Nielsen
  • Elvis – Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond
  • Everything Everywhere All at Once – Paul Rogers
  • Tár – Monika Willi
  • Top Gun: Maverick – Eddie Hamilton

It is usually the case that editing and sound categories correlate. Yet, could this be the year which breaks that trend? Top Gun: Maverick had the unenviable task of editing through several hundred hours of footage they shot for the aerial combat sequences, which would have put it in a good position to fly home with the win. But, the editing in Everything Everywhere All At Once is equally impressive. While one assumes they did not have to edit through several hundred hours of footage, due to the nature of its plot and its ambition, the film could have very easily become a jumbled mess had the editing not been as on point as it was. Either would be a worthy winner, but the power of the multiverse should help EEAAO prevail.

Will Win:  Everything Everywhere All At Once 

Should Win: Top Gun: Maverick

Best Visual Effects

 

 

  • All Quiet on the Western Front – Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank, and Kamil Jafar
  • Avatar: The Way of Water – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett
  • The Batman – Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands, and Dominic Tuohy
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White, and Dan Sudick
  • Top Gun: Maverick – Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson, and Scott R. Fisher

The combination of the sheer visual majesty of Pandora and the pioneering technology developed for those breathtaking underwater scenes means there should only be one winner here.

Will Win: Avatar: The Way of Water

Should Win: Avatar: The Way of Water

Best Director

  • Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All At Once
  • Steven Spielberg – The Fabelmans 
  • Todd Field – Tár
  • Ruben Östlund – Triangle of Sadness 

For the last two years, we’ve seen women triumph in this category, which makes it all the more frustrating that women again find themselves shut out of this category, especially when you look at the quality of the films which were directed by women last year, there were certainly more than a few candidates who could have got in, such as Gina Prince-Bythewood, Sarah Polley, Maria Schrader or Chinoye Chukwu.

The Academy does have a tendency to nominate at least one international director, but had they nominated Edward Berger for All Quiet on The Western Front instead of Östlund, this might have been a very different race given the former’s success at BAFTA. Given his semi-autobiographical film may not triumph anywhere else, this could be the best chance to honour Steven Spielberg with his first Oscar since he won this very same award for Saving Private Ryan in 1999. However, with their triumph at the Directors Guild Awards, and the fact their film threw everything at the wall and somehow made it all work to wonderful effect, this is the Daniels’ to lose.

Will Win: The Daniels 

Should Win: The Daniels

Could have been nominated: Gina Prince-Bythewood for The Woman King, Sarah Polley for Women Talking or Maria Schrader for She Said

Best Actor in a Leading Role

  • Austin Butler – Elvis 
  • Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Brendan Fraser  – The Whale
  • Paul Mescal  – Aftersun
  • Bill Nighy  – Living

For the first time since the 7th Academy Awards in 1935, all the nominees in this category are receiving their first nominations. This is heartwarming to see particularly for an actor like Bill Nighy whose nomination is deserving but also feels like a culmination of his decades-long career. However, both Nighy’s and Paul Mescal’s chances of a win seem unlikely as throughout this awards season, this race has been dominated by the remaining three gentlemen in this category.

Austin Butler’s performance as The King of Rock and Roll was so transformative, he disappeared into the role and the Academy has had a tendency for rewarding transformative performances of that nature. Farrell had a superb 2022 with his work in After Yang, Thirteen Lives, his villainous turn in The Batman, and to top it all off his excellent work in Banshees. However, his unexpected loss at the BAFTAs to Butler means his hopes of Oscar glory now look to be remote at best, which puts this award in a straight fight between Butler and Fraser. Like Ke Huy Quan, Fraser has a comeback narrative on his side, and while The Whale has divided audiences, no one can deny Fraser’s performance was truly impactful and the six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival is a testament to this. Plus with his win at the SAG awards and the over-arching sentiment that everyone seems to have towards him, it could tip this award in Fraser’s favour but this feels too close to call.

Will Win: Brendan Fraser 

Should Win: Brendan Fraser 

Best Actress in a Leading Role

  • Cate Blanchett  – Tar
  • Ana de Armas  – Blonde 
  • Andrea Riseborough  – To Leslie 
  • Michelle Williams  – The Fabelmans 
  • Michelle Yeoh  – Everything Everywhere All At Once 

For the second year in a row, this is the acting category which is, by far and away, the most chaotic. Last year, all of the nominees starred in films which were not nominated for Best Picture, but this year the Academy chose chaos for a different reason.

Let’s start with the positives. It is fantastic to see Michelle Yeoh (somehow) bagging her first nomination for her truly incredible work in Everything Everywhere All At Once, a performance which encapsulates her extraordinary career. Her namesake Michelle Williams’s turn as a supportive mother to the on-screen representation of Steven Spielberg in The Fabelmans perfectly captured how the compassion and warmth of his mother encouraged him to want to pursue his passion for filmmaking. However, while she is great in the film, it does feel a bit of a mistake to have campaigned for her in lead, given the fierce competition from her namesake as well as Cate Blanchett’s excellent leading performance in Tar.

But, now onto the negatives, Ana De Armas is a phenomenal actress who I have admired ever since her performance in Blade Runner 2049. But, while her turn as Norma Jean/Marilyn Monroe is by far and away the best thing about Blonde, the film’s fictionalised treatment of Monroe left a very bad taste in my mouth. It was nearly three hours of relentless trauma and misery which had nothing meaningful to say and for that it should not have been bestowed with a nomination.

And lastly, Andrea Riseborough’s nomination for her work in To Leslie came as a massive surprise given she picked up none of the precursor nominations. Her campaign was by and large driven as a result of some of her peers campaigning on her behalf. This is so frustrating because it proves even when women of colour put in exemplary performances, such as Viola Davis in The Woman King or Danielle Deadwyler’s heart-breaking performance in Till, the odds are stacked against them. Just SIX black women have been nominated for this award since Halle Berry won in 2002, it is really not good enough. If people in the industry can mobilise to push for someone like Riseborough to get a nomination, it begs the question, where is this kind of energy for women of colour?  Both Davis and Deadwyler should have been nominated, with Deadwyler’s snub will go down as one of the most egregious and downright disgraceful snubs in recent memory.

But in terms of who is going to emerge victorious, it really is a coin flip between two industry veterans. Blanchett triumphed at BAFTA and Critic’s Choice, but with Yeoh’s victory at SAG, and EEAAO riding a wave of popularity which has put it in pole position to land the biggest prize of the night, it is fitting to honour the woman whose breathtaking performance is what made the film the wondrous experience it was. Yeoh deserves her dues and should become the first Asian woman, and only the second woman of colour to win this award. It is time.

Will Win: Michelle Yeoh

Should Win: Michelle Yeoh

Should have been nominated: Danielle Deadwyler for Till and Viola Davis for The Woman King or Carey Mulligan for She Said

And, last and certainly by no means least…

Best Picture

  • All Quiet on the Western Front  – Malte Grunert 
  • Avatar: The Way of Water  – James Cameron and Jon Landau 
  • The Banshees of Inisherin   – Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin, and Martin McDonagh
  • Elvis   – Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick, and Schuyler Weiss
  • Everything Everywhere All At Once   – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, and Jonathan Wang
  • The Fabelmans  – Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg, and Tony Kushner
  • Tár  – Todd Field, Alexandra Milchan, and Scott Lambert
  • Top Gun: Maverick  – Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison, and Jerry Bruckheimer
  • Triangle of Sadness  – Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober
  • Women Talking  – Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Frances McDormand 

Click here to see my ranking of the Best Picture contenders.

It is very satisfying to see in a year where he had 12 uninterrupted months of films on the big screen, this year’s crop of Best Picture nominees is pretty strong, with no film really sticking out like a sore thumb being included in this year’s list. Though it definitely could have been better, with Women Talking representing the only female-directed film on the list, despite the fact there were more than enough quality films directed by women which could have very easily made the list, such as She Said and The Woman King.

But alas, even if they had been nominated, their chances of a win probably wouldn’t have been high. Throughout this awards season, there has been one clear favourite which has by and large dominated and swept all before it and that film is the masterpiece from the Daniels. It says a lot about the sheer momentum and the positivity for Everything Everywhere that has carried it all the way to the awards season given it was released early last year and not in the usual Autumn/Winter awards season window and should it add the main prize to its likely slew of trophies, it would be the best Best Picture win since Parasite‘s triumph at the 92nd Oscars.

Will Win:  Everything Everywhere All At Once 

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once 

Should have been nominated: The Woman King and She Said 

————————————————–

Final counts

Will win:

  • Everything Everywhere All At Once – 5 (Picture, Actress, Director, Supporting Actor and Film Editing) 
  • All Quiet on the Western Front – 2 (International Feature and Cinematography) 
  • Babylon – 2 (Production Design and Score) 
  • The Whale – 2 (Actor and Makeup and Hairstyling)
  • Avatar: The Way of Water – 1 (Visual Effects) 
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever -1 (Supporting Actress) 
  • The Banshees of Inisherin – 1 (Original Screenplay) 
  • Elvis -1 (Costume Design) 
  • Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio – 1 (Animated Feature Film)
  • RRR – 1 (Original Song)
  • Top Gun: Maverick – 1 (Sound)
  • Women Talking – 1 (Adapted Screenplay)

Should win:

  • Everything Everywhere All At Once – 6 (Picture, Actress, Original Screenplay, Director, Supporting Actor, and Costume Design)
  • All Quiet on the Western Front – 2 (International Feature and Cinematography)
  • Babylon – 2 (Production Design and Score) 
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – 2 (Supporting Actress and Original Song) 
  • Top Gun: Maverick – 2 (Sound and Film Editing)
  • The Whale – 2 (Actor and Makeup and Hairstyling)
  • Avatar: The Way of Water – 1 (Visual Effects) 
  • Puss In Boots: The Last Wish – 1 (Animated Feature Film)
  • Women Talking – 1 (Adapted Screenplay)

 

Posted in 2020-2029, Awards Season, Oscars, Ranking

95th Academy Awards: Best Picture Nominees ranked

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Another awards season has come to a close and it is time to celebrate Hollywood’s biggest night with the 95th Academy Awards. After a full uninterrupted year of films on the big screen, ten films are competing for the top prize. They include a sharp social satire on the wealthy, a furious examination of the patriarchy, a biopic of one of the most iconic music artists of all time, a new interpretation of a classic anti-war novel, a couple of extremely successful sequels, and one of the most original films of the year.

An impressive crop of nominees, but as usual, only one film will emerge victorious. So, without any further ado, here’s my ranking of these films from worst to best. We start with…

10. Tár

I’ve always found every time awards season rolls around, there is always going to be one film that I struggle to connect with. This year, this film is Tár. For his first film in 16 years, director Todd Field brings the story of Lydia Tar, a fictional composer whose life begins to fall apart when a series of scandals come to light. There is a lot of depth to Fields’ screenplay, it is so rich and detailed, with a lot to say about cancel culture and the pedestal we often put celebrities on, you could almost be forgiven for thinking the film is based on a real-life figure, brought to the screen superbly by Cate Blanchett.

However, despite Blanchett’s incredible performance, the film sits at the bottom of this list because, while the film is impeccably crafted, I found it a bit of a slog to get through. Furthermore, the character of Lydia Tár was a difficult one to connect with and the film left me feeling quite cold as a result.

 

9. Elvis

Elvis Aaron Presley. The King of Rock and Roll and one of the most accomplished musicians to have ever lived. The popularity of musical biopics meant another film about the life of the singer was bound to happen sooner or later. In the hands of Baz Luhmann, a director whose previous films have certainly not been shy of extravagance and lavishness, he seemed like the ideal candidate to direct a film about the iconic singer.

Luhmann certainly goes all out for this depiction as he bids to capture Presley’s entire life, seen through the perspective of his controversial manager, Colonel Tom Parker (a severely miscast Tom Hanks). The film’s ambition cannot be denied, but even at 2 hours and 39 minutes, the attempt to capture Presley’s entire life feels too ambitious for its own good and drags the film down. However, what keeps it afloat is the extraordinary performance by Austin Butler whose dedication to bringing Elvis to the screen is so transformative, you could be forgiven for thinking it was the King himself on screen.

 

 

8. All Quiet on the Western Front

Throughout history, we have seen numerous examples of the horrors and brutality of war, and these horrors have often been captured in film in quite a brutal fashion. Indeed, those horrors have been brought into much sharper focus since the start of Russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine last year, which makes this new take on the 1930 novel by Erich Maria Remarque feel all the more relevant in light of the brutality of the scenes we’ve all seen in Ukraine over the last 12 months.

The film recaptures the brutality of trench warfare and the unimaginable horror the soldiers on both sides would have gone through on a day-to-day basis, with millions sent to their deaths to make minimal gains. The film is technically flawless, boasting immaculate production design and cinematography. However, while it serves its purpose as an anti-war film, it suffered due to a lack of development of its lead characters who merely exist to hammer the film’s main point home about the brutal and unforgiving nature of war.

 

7. Triangle of Sadness

Ever since the COVID pandemic hit and the wealth gap between the 1% in our society and everyone else grew even bigger, satires of the super-rich have been in plentiful supply as of late, which has been joyful to watch and necessary. However, none have done so in quite a scathing, and simultaneously hilarious manner as this Palme D’Or winner from Ruben Östlund.

Focusing on a young couple who are invited onto a cruise ship for the super-rich, the film is not afraid to take shots at numerous aspects of society, from wealthy oligarchs to social media influencers. This all culminates in a hilarious and slightly nauseating second act during a fateful night aboard the cruise, a scene which was an absolute riot to experience at a packed screening during London Film Festival. The film’s three distinct acts all have a unique feel to them, and while it does begin to run out of steam in the third act, it retains that stinging rebuke of the wealthy.

 

 

6. Women Talking

The only film of this year’s contenders to be directed by a woman (more on this later). The very fact Sarah Polley’s powerful and furious examination of the patriarchal nature of our society and analysis of an ongoing problem in said society was at very real risk of missing out on a nomination is shambolic, and some serious conversations would need to have been had if it had missed out.

Focusing on an isolated community of Mennonite women who have been repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted by the men in their community brings an urgent meeting where the women must decide whether to stay and fight or to leave. The film, as the title suggests, is very dialogue-driven. However, Sarah Polley’s screenplay, adapted from the novel of the same name by Miriam Toews, is so powerful and so tremendously performed by every member of its cast, especially Jessie Buckley and Claire Foy, that when these women are talking, everyone in the world should be listening to what they have to say.

 

5. The Fabelmans

Steven Spielberg, a director whose career has spanned over six decades, in which time he has provided audiences with killer sharks, killer dinosaurs, an extraterrestrial who wanted to phone home, an insanely cool archaeology professor who is arguably one of the best characters in cinema history, and so much more. Yet, as seems to be a trend among filmmakers in recent times, the legendary director has made his most personal film yet, about how he discovered his love of movie-making and the people in his life who played a key role in urging him to pursue his dreams of becoming a director.

Unlike some other films recently released this year which have tried to capture the magic of cinema only to completely miss the mark, Spielberg’s film captures the importance of family and how those around us can play a significant role in shaping the career we choose to pursue, as well as a passion for the art of cinema.

 

4. The Banshees of Inisherin

Full review here

There are not many directors who can combine a really (and I mean really) bleak situation and use that as a backdrop to provide utter hilarity quite like Martin McDonagh. On its surface, his latest film is the simple story of two men and the fallout when one of them abruptly decides he doesn’t want to be friends with the other one. Yet, there is so much more to McDonagh’s screenplay than this simple premise as it explores themes of toxic masculinity, nihilism, loneliness, and pursuing creativity over friendship all against the backdrop of the Irish Civil War.

The reunion (sort of) of In Bruges stars Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell, both of whom arguably give the best performances of their careers, is fantastic to see. Yet, the show belongs to Jenny (the donkey to whom Farrell’s character holds dear) and Kerry Condon’s scene-stealing performance as the sister to Colin Farrell’s character. A fecking brilliant motion picture!

 

 

3. Avatar: The Way of Water 

Full review here

The first of two films on this list which utterly dominated at the box office this year. It had been 13 long years since the first Avatar film came out, and after such a long wait, the question as to whether audiences would be interested in a return to Pandora raged. Several months, and nearly $2.3 billion dollars as of writing this later, it is fair to say audiences this debate has been settled. Audiences were interested and proved to the naysayers you should never ever bet against James Cameron.

With the visuals being a key selling point for the first film when it opened back in 2009, the question would have been how to surpass those this time around? And it would be fair to say they did just that, the use of pioneering new motion capture technology all while actually shooting these scenes underwater provided the film with some breathtaking visual majesty which is completely awe-inspiring to look at. Much can be said of the film’s script and how it is in many ways a retread of the first film, but when the last hour hits, it never lets up and reinforces Cameron’s talent for crafting terrifically compelling action.

 

2. Top Gun: Maverick 

Full review here

The second sequel among this year’s nominees and the film which, before The Way of Water came along, was the undisputed champion of the box office in 2022.  When it finally took to the skies last summer (after numerous delays), it was the film which as Steven Spielberg himself admitted to its star Tom Cruise might have just saved the cinematic experience as we know it.

Right from the very first moment when Kenny Loggins’s “Highway to the Danger Zone” blasts over scenes of jets taking off from a military warship, the film hits those nostalgic notes right off the bat runway. Yet, what this legacy sequel pulls off so successfully is it adds a real sense of emotional weight to the story, particularly for Cruise’s Maverick and certain decisions he has made across a 30-year career as a naval aviator. Furthermore, I cannot talk about this film without mentioning the aerial combat sequences, which were utterly exhilarating to watch. A perfect example of how to do a legacy sequel, and one that takes my breath away every time I rewatch it.

 

1. Everything Everywhere All At Once 

Full review here

What more is there to say about A24’s highest-grossing film of all time? Ever since it had its premiere in March last year at South by Southwest, the word of mouth for this film, and the insane level of hype surrounding it, was simply unprecedented. Was it actually going to live up to the hype when it finally opened on our shores in May? As you might have guessed from its position on this list, the answer is an emphatic yes.

I genuinely have no idea how writers/directors The Daniels concocted such a wacky, bonkers, insane and genius script which threw everything into the mix and somehow made it all work. The film had everything, multiversal travel, hotdog fingers, tremendous kung-fu-inspired fight scenes, googly eyes, and a genuinely very emotional scene with two rocks. But above all else, an impactful and moving family drama with one of, if not the best performances the legend that is Michelle Yeoh has given throughout her extraordinary career, as well as a wonderful performance from Ke Huy Quan, who will be one of the best Supporting Actor winners we’ve had in a long time. It was, for many people, the film which defined cinema in 2022 and it fully deserves its status as the best picture frontrunner, and will be one of the best victories of all time should it crown its phenomenal awards-season success.

 

Could/should have been nominated…

 

So there you have it, that is my ranking of the ten films up for Best Picture. However, I always like to hypothesise what could have been, because for me there are some films which really should have been included in this year’s race. Therefore, if I was an Oscar voter, my ballot for the ten films to be nominated would be to remove, Tar, Elvis and All Quiet on the Western Front, and replace them with:

She Said (review). In the same vein as last year when Ridley Scott’s powerful historical drama The Last Duel was snubbed entirely across the board last year, the absence of Maria Schrader’s tremendous film about how two reporters from The New York Times broke the story about Harvey Weinstein’s rampant sexual abuse led to the rise of the important #MeToo and Time’s Up movements is bemusing, to put it kindly. The film had an incredibly difficult job, given this is very recent history, to portray this story in a careful manner, and they did exactly that. Had it been nominated (as it should have done), it would have sent a real message of support to those who suffered at the hands of Weinstein. A real missed opportunity by the Academy.

The Woman King (review). Another brilliant film directed by a woman, and another which has been inexcusably overlooked by the Academy. So often, when a historical epic is brought to the big screen, it is from the perspective of men, such as Gladiator or Braveheart. This is precisely what made Gina Prince-Bythewood’s film so unique, that it centred on one of the few all-female armies in recorded history. Yes, it does take some liberties with the true story of the Agoije, this is not uncommon when bringing a true story to the big screen. Its extraordinary cast, led by an exceptional Viola Davis all shine, and it was just an epic time at the movies. Like with She Said, this is an incredible film which should have been nominated in all of the above-the-line categories, but the very fact it wasn’t nominated for anything at all feels particularly egregious.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (review). A snub which is not as egregious as the ones mentioned so far, given that the brilliant sequel to Knives Out, got the adapted screenplay nomination it deserved. But, given the aforementioned screenplay nod, I am surprised to see it didn’t crop up anywhere else because it was definitely deserving of multiple nominations, given it clearly must be liked by the Academy. Supporting Actress for Janelle Monae did feel like a long shot due to how crowded that category is, but a nomination for costumes at the very least seemed a sure bet. Perhaps, the Academy is holding everything back for when the third Benoit Blanc film is released? Let’s hope so.

Posted in 2020-2029, Awards Season, Oscars

94th Academy Awards: Final Predictions

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Well, it’s that time of year again. After the elongated awards season window of the 93rd Academy Awards due to the pandemic, the current awards season we’ve had feels somewhat shortened. But in that time, we’ve had the welcome return of cinemas, and there’s nothing better than seeing films where they belong, on the big screen. With that, a plethora of brilliant and exciting films have been recognised by the Academy this year and Hollywood’s biggest night is once again upon us.

Last year’s scaled-down ceremony was a controversy-free event, until the ending when a change-up of the presenting order meant it all went very badly wrong. This year, the controversy has almost been ever-present as the absolutely nonsensical idea of presenting some of the categories off-air has been resurrected. Spoiling the moment of glory for those prospective winners and denying them their moment in the spotlight. A ceremony that honours the craft of movies and movie-making should be giving every recipient of an Oscar a chance to have their moment in the spotlight and this decision does a disservice to all those nominees.

Despite this ridiculous decision, there are still 23 golden statues up for grabs, the question remains as to who will claim Oscar glory? Time to have a gaze at my metaphorical crystal ball and give my predictions, as well as give my thoughts on each category, minus the documentaries and the short films.

Best Supporting Actor

  • Ciarán Hinds – Belfast
  • Troy Kotsur – CODA
  • Jesse Plemons – The Power of the Dog
  • J. K. Simmons – Being the Ricardos
  • Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog

Kicking things off is a race that, for the third year in a row, has seen double nominees from the same film, after Judas and the Black Messiah and The Irishman. Apart from previous winner J.K. Simmons’s nomination, the rest of the pack are picking up their first nominations. Simmons’s nomination in Being the Ricardos is a sign that Aaron Sorkin’s latest film is well-loved by the Actors branch, but given that Ricardos is the only one without a Best Picture nomination, Simmons’s chances of a repeat win are extremely unlikely, especially as he’s very much bringing up the rear in this crop of performances. Plemons does great work, but he’s very much outshone by his co-stars. Ciarán Hinds’s beautiful turn as the cheeky Grandpa in Belfast would be a worthy winner, as would his co-star Jamie Dornan, who really should have been nominated ahead of Simmons for my money.

However, throughout this race, it’s very much been a battle between CODA‘s Troy Kotsur and Kodi Smit-McPhee’s layered work in The Power of the Dog. CODA‘s ensemble win at the SAG awards could tip the scales in Kotsur’s favour. He would make history as the first male deaf actor to win an Oscar, and his turn as the raunchy but heartfelt father in CODA was hilarious and emotional, he was able to break your heart with just one word.

Will Win: Troy Kotsur 

Should Win: Troy Kotsur

Could have been nominated: Jamie Dornan for Belfast

 

Best Supporting Actress

  • Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter
  • Ariana DeBose – West Side Story
  • Judi Dench – Belfast
  • Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog
  • Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard

As was the case with Supporting Actor, there’s one performance that can be discounted right out of the gate, as her film lacks a Best Picture nomination, which is a shame as Jessie Buckley’s work in The Lost Daughter outshines her co-stars. Kirsten Dunst has finally landed a nomination, and it’s quite fitting that she’s nominated the same year that her husband Jesse Plemons receives his first nomination. To go toe-to-toe with Will Smith is not an easy feat but Aunjanue Ellis’s performance manages exactly that. Judi Dench’s turn in Belfast was a welcome return to form for her after appearing in a couple of critical and commercial flops, but with eight nominations under her belt, she didn’t need another nomination, especially when her co-star Caitriona Balfe had the more emotionally impactful role which was much more deserving of a nomination.

However, there’s been one performance that has emerged as the clear favourite. Ever since West Side Story was finally opened to audiences, Ariana DeBose’s performance as Anita has swept all before her. It’s quite poetic that 60 years after Rita Moreno’s historic win in this very same category, playing the same character, that history will repeat itself. DeBose will also become the first openly queer actress to win this award. This is an exceedingly competitive category, but Ruth Negga’s brilliant and nuanced work in Passing being overlooked is a massive head-scratching snub.

Will Win:  Ariana DeBose

Should Win: Ariana DeBose

Could have been nominated: Catriona Balfe for Belfast or Ruth Negga for Passing

Best Original Screenplay

  • Belfast – Written by Kenneth Branagh
  • Don’t Look Up – Screenplay by Adam McKay; Story by Adam McKay and David Sirota
  • King Richard – Written by Zach Baylin
  • Licorice Pizza – Written by Paul Thomas Anderson
  • The Worst Person in the World – Written by Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier

Along with his nominations for Best Picture, and Best Director, Kenneth Branagh has written himself into Oscars history as the first person to be recognised in seven separate categories (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay and Live-Action Short). It’s an extraordinary achievement for Branagh and he deserves to crown that with an Oscar for his beautiful semi-autobiographical film, especially given that he’s unlikely to triumph in the Director or Picture category. Yet there’s a chance that Licorice Pizza could rain on Branagh’s parade and end Paul Thomas Anderson’s long wait for an Oscar. Plus, The Worst Person in the World is wildly popular and could be the dark horse of this year’s race.

Will Win: Belfast 

Should Win: Belfast

Should have been nominated: Fran Kanz for Mass

Best Adapted Screenplay

  • CODA – Screenplay by Sian Heder
  • Drive My Car – Screenplay by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe
  • Dune – Screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, and Eric Roth
  • The Lost Daughter – Screenplay by Maggie Gyllenhaal
  • The Power of the Dog – Screenplay by Jane Campion

The first of several races this year that represents a fight between the two films that are the heavy favourites to be picking up the biggest prize of the night. The Power of the Dog was for a long time the heavy favourite for this award, but at the 11th hour, CODA charmed its way into hearts and minds and is poised to snatch several awards out of the dog’s jaws, and steal the thunder from Campion’s film, and it potentially won’t be for the first time if it does. However, the support Drive My Car is very strong and it could yet gazump everyone else in this category, and drive away with the Oscar.

Will Win: CODA

Should Win: CODA

Should have been nominated: The Last Duel

Best Animated Feature Film

  • Encanto – Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino, and Clark Spencer
  • Flee – Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen, and Charlotte De La Gournerie
  • Luca – Enrico Casarosa and Andrea Warren
  • The Mitchells vs. the Machines – Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Kurt Albrecht
  • Raya and the Last Dragon – Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada, Osnat Shurer, and Peter Del Vecho

An impressively strong crop of nominees, and you could make a case for each of these films to triumph. Ever since this award was first introduced in 2001, a non-Disney film has only taken home the trophy six out of twenty times. With the House of Mouse representing three of the five nominees, another Disney success is on the cards as Encanto is the strong favourite to take home the statue. However, The Mitchells Vs The Machines is such an innovative and hilarious animated film about the perils of technology that is more than capable of extinguishing Encanto‘s miracle. It makes it all the more frustrating that it likely won’t, even though I do like Encanto.

But this crop could have been even stronger, as the exclusion of Mamoru Hosada’s magnificent Belle could and, maybe should have, taken the spot of one of the three Disney films.

Will Win: Encanto 

Should Win: The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Should have been nominated: Belle

Best International Feature Film

  • Drive My Car (Japan)  – directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi
  • Flee (Denmark) – directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen
  • The Hand of God (Italy) –  directed by Paolo Sorrentino
  • Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Bhutan) – directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji
  • The Worst Person in the World (Norway) – directed by Joachim Trier

Drive My Car‘s Best Picture nominee status makes this one a pretty foregone conclusion.

Will Win: Drive My Car

Should Win: Drive My Car 

Best Original Score

  • Don’t Look Up – Nicholas Britell
  • Dune – Hans Zimmer
  • Encanto – Germaine Franco
  • Parallel Mothers – Alberto Iglesias
  • The Power of the Dog – Jonny Greenwood

The power of a great score is that within just a few notes, it can transport you to the setting of that particular film in a heartbeat, and no score this year typifies that than Hans Zimmer’s masterful work in Dune. 2021 was a stellar year for the legendary composer as well as reuniting with Denis Villeneuve to bring the world of Arrakis to life, his work for Daniel Craig’s final bow as James Bond in No Time To Die was also worthy of praise and could have seen Zimmer get two nominations. In either case, Zimmer’s wait for that second Oscar is coming to an end.

Someone else who also could have got two nominations is Jonny Greenwood. He has been producing some truly stellar scores over the last few years, and could and have got in this category twice for his stunning work in Spencer. His score for The Power of The Dog is tremendous, but the Power of the Dog is no match for desert power.

Will Win: Hans Zimmer 

Should Win: Hans Zimmer

Could have been nominated: Harry Gregson-Williams for The Last Duel 

Best Original Song

  • “Be Alive” from King Richard – Music and lyrics by DIXSON and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
  • “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto – Music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
  • “Down to Joy” from Belfast – Music and lyrics by Van Morrison
  • “No Time to Die” from No Time to Die – Music and lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
  • “Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days – Music and lyrics by Diane Warren

Poor Diane Warren. Despite a staggering 13 nominations in this category, her wait for that first win is likely to go on, as this year’s race is looking like it will be a two-way fight between Lin-Manuel Miranda and Billie Eilish. The last two Bond films have both taken home this award, so the odds look good for Billie Eilish. However, if Miranda wins, he will become the youngest person in history to claim the EGOT. Miranda had a truly stellar 2021, and the EGOT would be the best way to reward his extraordinary achievements, especially as “Dos Oruguitas” is a heartbreakingly beautiful and emotional ballad. If it were to triumph, it would be a worthy winner to go with Encanto‘s likely Best Animated Feature Oscar.

It’s just a shame that they couldn’t nominate the irresistibly catchy and chart sensation “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” as well.

Will Win:  No Time To Die

Should Win: Encanto

Best Sound

  • Belfast – Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather, and Niv Adiri
  • Dune – Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill, and Ron Bartlett
  • No Time to Die – Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey, and Mark Taylor
  • The Power of the Dog – Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie, and Tara Webb
  • West Side Story – Tod A. Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson, and Shawn Murphy

Like so many technical aspects of Denis Villeneuve’s masterpiece, the sound is one of the aspects that made it such an enthralling experience on the biggest screen possible. The work of Dune’s sound team helped bring the world of Arrakis to life in such a spectacular way and so they will be richly deserved winners of this trophy.

That being said, the work of the sound teams in No Time to Die and West Side Story are very strong and could upset the spice cart.

Will Win: Dune 

Should Win: Dune

Should have been nominated: The Last Duel

Best Production Design

  • Dune – Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos
  • Nightmare Alley – Production Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
  • The Power of the Dog – Production Design: Grant Major; Set Decoration: Amber Richards
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth – Production Design: Stefan Dechant; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
  • West Side Story – Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Rena DeAngelo

As was the case with the Sound category, the Production Design played an integral role in bringing the visual majesty of Arrakis to life. Dune has got potential to completely sweep through these production/technical categories, and given it has picked up a couple of the precursors, I think it will do so. However, there could be some surprises and one such surprise could be here as Guillermo Del Toro’s Nightmare Alley. The fact it did get into the Best Picture race shows there is support for it out there among the voters and if the Academy wants to spread the love, then this could be the opportunity for them to do so.

Will Win: Dune

Should Win: Dune

Should have been nominated: The Last Duel

Best Cinematography

  • Dune – Greig Fraser
  • Nightmare Alley – Dan Laustsen
  • The Power of the Dog – Ari Wegner
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth – Bruno Delbonnel
  • West Side Story – Janusz Kaminski

Five absolutely immaculately shot films makes this an insanely hard category to predict, as any of these cinematographers would be worthy of winning this award. Ari Wegner makes history as the second woman to be nominated in this category following Rachel Morrison’s ground-breaking nomination for Mudbound at the 90th Academy Awards, but it could have been even better had Claire Mathon also been nominated for Spencer. A triumph for Wegner would be a welcome (and long overdue) victory. However, given that he’s recently captured plaudits for his magnificent work in The Batman, it could tip the scales in Greig Fraser’s favour.

Will Win: Dune 

Should Win:  Dune

Should have been nominated: Claire Mathon for Spencer or Linus Sandgren for No Time To Die

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

  • Coming 2 America – Mike Marino, Stacey Morris, and Carla Farmer
  • Cruella – Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne, and Julia Vernon
  • Dune – Donald Mowat, Love Larson, and Eva von Bahr
  • The Eyes of Tammy Faye – Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, and Justin Raleigh
  • House of Gucci – Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock, and Frederic Aspiras

As impressive as the make-up and hairstyling work in films like House of Gucci and The Eyes of Tammy Faye is, when you realise the amount of work that was required to transform Stellan Skarsgard into the villainous Baron Harkonnen in Dune, this should be a no-brainer, but if Best Actress goes in a certain direction (more on that later), this could go in a different direction.

Will Win:  The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Should Win: Dune

Should have been nominated: The Last Duel

Best Costume Design

  • Cruella – Jenny Beavan
  • Cyrano – Massimo Cantini Parrini
  • Dune – Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan
  • Nightmare Alley – Luis Sequeira
  • West Side Story – Paul Tazewell

There’s some really impressive work across this category, but Cruella has been sweeping this category and those flashy and colourful dresses will power Jenny Beaven to her third Oscar.

Will Win: Cruella

Should Win: Cruella

Should have been nominated: Janty Yates for The Last Duel

Best Film Editing

  • Don’t Look Up – Hank Corwin
  • Dune – Joe Walker
  • King Richard – Pamela Martin
  • The Power of the Dog – Peter Sciberras
  • tick, tick… BOOM! – Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum

Editing and the now lone sound categories often go hand-in-hand with each other, so with that in mind, Dune should be locked. Yet, Pamela Martin took home the American Cinema Editor Award in the Drama category for her work in King Richard. Meanwhile, tick, tick… BOOM! triumphed in the Comedy or Musical category, which puts it in contention. However, the lack of a Best Picture nom will probably count against the latter. Dune’s desert power will see it triumph in a number of technical categories, but the wonderful work of Pamela Martin with the tennis scenes in King Richard was absolutely pulsating to watch.

Game. Set, and the Oscar goes to King Richard.

Will Win:  King Richard 

Should Win: King Richard

Should have been nominated: The Last Duel

Best Visual Effects

  • Dune – Paul Lambert, Tristen Myles, Brian Connor, and Gerd Nefzer
  • Free Guy – Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis, and Dan Sudick
  • No Time to Die – Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner, and Chris Corbould
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker, and Dan Oliver
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home – Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein, and Dan Sudick

With its status as the lone Best Picture nominee here, and an enthralling combination of practical and visual effects, there’s nothing stopping Dune, not even an itsy bitsy Spider-Man.

Will Win: Dune 

Should Win: Dune

Should have been nominated: The Suicide Squad

Best Director

  • Kenneth Branagh – Belfast
  • Ryusuke Hamaguchi – Drive My Car
  • Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza
  • Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog
  • Steven Spielberg – West Side Story

At the 66th Academy Awards, Campion and Spielberg went head to head in this category for Schindler’s List and The Piano respectively, with Spielberg emerging victorious. Though this time, with The Power of The Dog emerging as this year’s frontrunner, Campion is the heavy favourite to triumph here, even with some controversy following her completely unnecessary remarks against Venus and Serena Williams at the Critics Choice. ‘

This is one category where CODA cannot stop The Power of the Dog. If Campion does triumph, it would make her the third woman to win this award, and the first time two women have won this award in consecutive years. However, the absurdity of nominating Dune for just about everything else, except for the guy whose vision made it all possible is absolute madness. Hopefully, the Academy is keeping this award safe for Villeneuve for when the time comes to honour Dune: Part Two.

Will Win: Jane Campion

Should Win: Jane Campion

Could have been nominated: Denis Villeneuve for Dune

Best Actor in a Leading Role

  • Javier Bardem – Being the Ricardos
  • Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog
  • Andrew Garfield – tick, tick… BOOM! 
  • Will Smith – King Richard
  • Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth

Throughout this awards season, there have been four names consistently cropping up in this race: Cumberbatch, Garfield, Smith and Washington. All of whom are thoroughly deserving of their nominations. Washington’s performance in Macbeth is strong, but it’s not the finest performance of his career. Whereas for Cumberbatch and Garfield, this is most definitely the case. Similarly, Smith’s turn as Richard Williams, also represents some of his finest ever work.

The question as to who that fifth nominee could be was the source of much speculation. Given that the aforementioned four gentlemen have all been nominated before, there was an opportunity to hand someone their first-time nomination. Newcomer Jude Hill’s sweet and impactful debut performance in Belfast or to give Peter Dinklage’s beautiful performance in Cyrano would both have been very well deserved recipients of that nomination. Performances from giant blockbusters seldom cross into the Oscars, but a nomination for Daniel Craig for his final bow as James Bond in No Time To Die would also have been a worthy nominee. Instead, it feels like the Academy would have been a more worthy nomination than Bardem’s turn in Being the Ricardos, a nomination that’s just so safe and boring, that it’s extremely unsatisfying.

Yet irrespective of who that fifth nominee was in the end, it matters not because it will be the third time’s the charm for Will Smith, as nothing will stop him from collecting his first Oscar for his magnificent work portraying Richard Williams in King Richard. 

Will Win: Will Smith

Should Win: Will Smith

Should have been nominated: Jude Hill for Belfast or Peter Dinklage for Cyrano 

Best Actress in a Leading Role

  • Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye
  • Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter
  • Penélope Cruz – Parallel Mothers
  • Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos
  • Kristen Stewart – Spencer

Last year, this award was one of the most exciting and unpredictable races, and it looks like history is repeating itself. This year’s race is proving to be equally chaotic. With no one having the advantage of their film being a Best Picture nominee, it’s an extremely open race. However, unlike last year, this particular race feels quite weak by comparison.

Ever since Spencer first screened, Stewart was widely seen as the frontrunner, and fully deservingly so for her mesmerising and transformative turn as Princess Diana. Yet that early momentum evaporated, and there were question marks as to whether she would even secure that nomination, which would have been one of the biggest snubs in Oscars history. Cruz’s work in Parallel Mothers was a deeply powerful performance that even without their films getting Best Picture nominations, and also without picking up any of the precursor nominations, these performances are thoroughly deserving of their nominations. Jessica Chastain certainly goes all in with her Eyes of Tammy Faye performance, but ultimately it feels like a performance that’s a bit too flashy and is a case of style over substance.

Kidman’s nomination is probably the most deserving out of the three Ricardos nominations, but likewise, with her two co-stars, her nomination feels so uninspiring due to the sheer blandness of the film around her. The Academy clearly loves Olivia Colman, and while she was good in The Lost Daughter, she has definitely put in better performances in her career. Ultimately, the nominations of Colman and Kidman feel like nominations that are based purely on their name, and that’s really disappointing as the Academy really should have recognised the work from some of the Best Picture nominees, like Rachel Zegler from West Side Story or Emilia Jones from CODA, both of whom were far more deserving of nominations than Colman or Kidman.

But, like Will Smith, this is Chastain’s third nomination. She’s picked up a couple of the precursor awards, and if Tammy Faye takes home the Hair and Makeup Oscar, this could align for the first Oscar for Chastain. But honestly, it’s anyone’s guess.

However, what also really stings is the lack of nominations for actresses Jodie Comer and Tessa Thompson, whose fierce and powerful performances in films like The Last Duel and Passing respectively both utterly blow the majority of the competition out of the water.

Will Win: Jessica Chastain

Should Win: Kristen Stewart

Should have been nominated: Jodie Comer for The Last Duel, Tessa Thompson for Passing or Emilia Jones for CODA

And, last and certainly by no means least…

Best Picture

  • Belfast – Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik, and Tamar Thomas
  • CODA – Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi, and Patrick Wachsberger
  • Don’t Look Up – Adam McKay and Kevin Messick
  • Drive My Car – Teruhisa Yamamoto
  • Dune – Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve, and Cale Boyter
  • King Richard – Tim White, Trevor White, and Will Smith
  • Licorice Pizza – Sara Murphy, Adam Somner, and Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Nightmare Alley – Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale, and Bradley Cooper
  • The Power of the Dog – Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, and Roger Frappier
  • West Side Story – Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger

Click here to see my ranking of the Best Picture contenders.

It’s so pleasing to see the Academy complete the full set by giving ten films their moment in the spotlight, though some are far less deserving than others in this regard. It’s a joy to see such a mainstream juggernaut like Dune be a fierce competitor, and while it would be my choice this year, one hopes that the Academy will bestow all the awards when the time comes to honour Dune: Part Two. Parasite’s victory two years ago has opened doors for international features, and so it’s a joy to see films like Drive My Car get in the Best Picture race, though it will be great when there’s more than one international film in the race.

Netflix has been fiercely competing for its first Best Picture win over these last few years, and despite making a plethora of amazing films to try and bag that elusive Best Picture Oscar, it has not yet happened. With the most nominees this year, it was looking likely for a while that The Power of the Dog would become the first Netflix film to take home the Best Picture statute. However, Apple TV’s CODA has emerged at what has felt like at the last minute to potentially rain on Netflix’s parade.  The fact that these two films are the front runners, and that they’re both directed by women, is worthy of celebration. This really could go either way.

Will Win:  CODA 

Should Win: Dune 

Should have been nominated: The Last Duel and Passing 

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Final counts

Will win:

  • Dune – 5
  • CODA – 3
  • Eyes of Tammy Faye – 2
  • King Richard – 2 
  • Belfast – 1
  • Cruella -1 
  • Drive My Car – 1
  • Encanto – 1
  • No Time To Die – 1
  • The Power of the Dog – 1
  • West Side Story -1

Should win:

  • Dune – 8
  • CODA – 2
  • King Richard – 2 
  • Belfast -1
  • Cruella – 1 
  • Drive My Car – 1
  • Encanto – 1
  • Mitchells vs The Machines -1
  • Spencer – 1
  • West Side Story – 1 
Posted in 2020-2029, Awards Season, Ranking

94th Academy Awards: Best Picture Nominees Ranked

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Another awards season has come and gone. While this year’s awards season has unfortunately been full of controversy, it has been extremely satisfying to see films back on the big screen where they belong in 2021, after the previous year’s awards season was much changed due to the pandemic. With so many films coming out in 2021, it also is extremely satisfying to see ten films being selected for the top prize this year. This year’s crop includes a new adaptation of a classic musical, part one of an enthralling adaptation of a beloved sci-fi novel, a heartfelt coming-of-age story, the inspiring story of the father of two of the best athletes of all time, a gothic-noir thriller, and a beautiful semi-autobiographical film of the significance of the place we call home.

A (mostly) impressive crop of nominees, but as usual, only one film will emerge victorious. So, without any further ado, here’s my ranking of these films worst to best, starting with…

10. Don’t Look Up

Full review here

I always say, that every year there’s going to be one Best Picture nominee potentially that you are not going to get the fuss about. However, it has been a few years since a film has appeared in this lineup that I’ve completely and totally LOATHED. Adam McKay’s latest attempt at a satire takes that title this year, and the last time it happened, was another McKay film, Vice.

There’s not been a single one of McKay’s satirical films that I’ve enjoyed. The Big Short had its moments, but I was not a fan of it for the most part. It’s been a recurring theme throughout each of these films, there’s an overbearing smugness and pomposity to them that just winds me up something fierce. I thought Vice was bad, but here, that smugness was dialled up to the maximum, and it was just an extremely unbearable and rage-inducing film to sit through. There is an important, urgent message at its centre which I begrudgingly give the film credit for. However, by attempting to portray that message with the most unsubtle and unfunny satire, which is at times is practically insulting its audience, it renders the whole thing utterly pointless. The Academy clearly has a love for Adam McKay’s satires that I don’t think I will ever have. This film won’t want to look up and see its position in this list.

9. Licorice Pizza

It is incredible to think that for a director as beloved as Paul Thomas Anderson, he has so far, failed to win an Oscar, despite his films often getting recognition. There was much hype about his latest film, and on paper, it ticked all the boxes. A sweet 1970s set coming-of-age story, drenched in nostalgia. It could be the one film to end his long wait for an Oscar, but I for one, find the love for this film completely baffling. While it’s not as infuriatingly offensive as the preceding film on this list, it’s not a million miles off.

The film is immaculately shot and the performances of its leads Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim are excellent. However, there’s so much about this film that just fell completely flat. Firstly, the plot (if you can call really call it that) meanders and is at times extremely tedious, and it all felt extremely aimless and unconnected. But the film commits a couple of massive indiscretions that are just completely baffling, and avoidable. The first of which is the age gap between the leads. As a 25-year-old woman falling in love with a 15-year-old boy, the age gap felt extremely icky, especially as the film wanted these two to find a way to be together. If the genders were reversed, there would be a justifiable furious outcry. There’s a fantastic piece on why this age gap is so problematic, which you can read on In Session Film. It was a problem that could have been so easily avoided, Hoffman’s character is perceived to be grown up because of how mature he is, so why not just make him an adult? As if that wasn’t problematic enough, there are also two scenes that feature instances of a deeply uncomfortable depiction of a racist stereotype that serve no purpose to this story, and could have very easily been taken out of the film.

 

8. Nightmare Alley

Now, we’re into the stuff that actually deserves to be here. The newest film from Guillermo del Toro since he scooped Best Picture and Best Director for The Shape of Water at the 90th Academy Awards. Whenever you think of the Mexican auteur’s films, chances are you might associate them with the mythical monster genre. There’s nothing quite like that in his newest film, but there’s still a distinctly noir vibe to this enchanting mystery that pulls you in and keeps you engaged. A fascinating thriller focusing on Bradley Cooper’s Stanton Carlisle, a con man who charms his way into working at a carnival. As usual with any GDT picture, the production values are all excellent, from the stunning production design, Dan Lausten’s cinematography, it’s all visually immaculate. The first half is a bit sluggish in its pacing, but from the moment Dr. Lilith Ritter (a riveting Cate Blanchett) enters the picture, the film pulls you into the mystery and never lets up.

 

7. West Side Story

In 1961, Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’s West Side Story won a grand total of 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. 50 years later, acclaimed director Steven Spielberg took on the challenge of bringing this musical to a brand new generation. Quite the daunting task, especially for a director even one as acclaimed as Spielberg, especially when you consider that he’d never done a musical before!

In the hands of Spielberg, there was never any doubt that the film would be visually tremendous, even though Spielberg got a bit too trigger happy with the lens flares. Rachel Zegler, in her first film role, proves that she is an absolute star in the making with an incredible debut performance as Maria. Alongside her, Ariana DeBose excels as Anita with a performance that will surely land her a history-making Supporting Actress Oscar win. The story of finding love and hostility between rival communities remains as painfully relevant now as it did back in the 1960s. However, the presence of Ansel Elgort here really drags the film down. He lacks the charisma to be a leading man, but furthermore as everyone else around him by comparison, is a much more talented singer/performer, he really sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

6. Drive My Car

Grief is something that all we go through whenever someone near and dear to us departs this world. How does one process this when that happens to them? While there’s no right answer to that question, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s moving film provides a meditative and thorough examination of this process and how we as humans cope with it. Clocking in at three hours, the film does its best to keep the audience engaged right throughout as it takes a thought-provoking look at melancholy, and how we process the grief that we experience when someone extremely close to us has passed away.

The film focuses on a renowned theatre director (an outstanding Hidetoshi Nishijima), who’s struggling to come to terms with the loss of his beloved wife. To that end, he is driven to work by a chauffeur hired by the production company. A film that touches on such a difficult subject matter, with that runtime could have very easily been a recipe for disaster. While it is extremely heavy to watch, and you do begin to feel the three-hour run time by the end, Hamaguchi’s nuanced screenplay packs a lot of layers into the film and is a thought-provoking look at how we come to terms with grief and loss.

 

 

5. The Power of the Dog

Full review here

To the first film that is one of the two favourites to be the film that takes home the big prize of the evening. Jane Campion’s return to the director’s chair after a 12-year wait was a layered Western that has much more than shootouts on its mind than Cowboys and shootouts. Focusing on the tense relationship between two brothers in 1925 Montana, one very unhospitable and unkind to pretty much everyone and every one, one very much the opposite. So when one brother gets married,  it becomes a great source of tension between the more cruel and inhospitable brother and his more gentle brother’s new family.

Brilliantly acted by its entire cast, especially Cumberbatch and Smit-McPhee, Campion’s layered and nuanced screenplay slow-burner is a fascinating exploration of the concepts of toxic masculinity and homosexuality at a time when it would have been extremely taboo to talk about both. It bides its time with its script, thoroughly exploring the characters and the internal conflicts that are raging in them,

4. CODA

Full review here

And now to the second film that’s heavily tipped to take home the top prize. Coming-of-age stories have been plentiful over the years, so it can be hard to distinguish yourself from the crowd, but this is exactly what CODA does, and it does it in a beautiful and emotional manner. Focusing on Emilia Jones’s Ruby, a child of deaf adults, as she pursues her dream of going to a prestigious musical college. A dream that her deaf family can’t understand as they’re unable to appreciate Ruby’s talent.

There are familiar narrative beats that you will see in plenty of coming-of-age stories, and while CODA doesn’t deviate from these, it provides crucial representation for the deaf community. This is a very sweet and sincere love letter to the warm embrace and the emotional support that comes with being surrounded by a loving family, with Troy Kotsur stealing the show as Ruby’s father. With just one word, he was able to break the audience’s emotions into a million pieces. Plus, the fact that the two films that are the favourites to win Best Picture are both directed by women is something to be celebrated.

 

 

3. Belfast

Full review here

No matter where we go in this crazy world we live in, you never truly forget where you come from. Those formative years can play a massive part in shaping you as a person and they may well define the later years of your life, particularly if you’re growing up at a time when your country is in the midst of political turmoil and the threat of political violence erupting at any given moment. In what is his most personal film to date, Kenneth Branagh frames all this from the perspective of young Buddy, who watches all this unfold while trying to enjoy his childhood surrounded by his beloved family.

Jude Hill excels in what is a fantastic breakthrough performance as Buddy. He leads an outstanding cast of exceptional performances. From Jamie Dornan and Catriona Balfe as his loving parents, to Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench as Buddy’s Grandparents. The mark of a quality performance is one where you see the character and not the actor, and this applies to every member of this cast.  Given when the film is set, it seems unlikely that there’d be much room for comedy, but Branagh’s screenplay expertly balances the political tensions with brilliant moments of humour.

2. King Richard

Full review here

Venus and Serena Wiliams: two of the most instantly recognisable names in any sport. Over the course of their careers, these fantastically gifted athletes have cemented themselves as two of the best athletes not just in the sport of tennis, but of all time. While you will undoubtedly know their name, someone whose name you might not know is their father: Richard Williams. This emotionally uplifting biopic provides a detailed look at the integral impact that Richard had on two of the best athletes of all time.

The film pays tribute to the parents who sacrifice so much so that their budding sports superstars can achieve their dreams of success. Will Smith’s likely Best Actor win will be so well deserved. He’s a man who’s committed to his plan to ensure his daughters achieve their superstar dreams, and will not suffer fools gladly. In a film that is the biopic of two of the biggest stars in the history of tennis, it might seem odd to frame it from Richard’s perspective, yet the film makes you understand just how much of an impact Richard had on his daughters’ early careers. Yet, crucially,  the film doesn’t lose sight of the women in this story. Aunjaune Ellis’s towering performance as Venus and Serena’s mother Brandy goes toe to toe with Richard, and Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton as the young versions Venus and Serena are all equally brilliant.

1. Dune

Full review here

In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of cinemas across the world meant that there was a distinct lack of the iconic cinematic blockbusters that audiences have enjoyed for decades. With the return of cinemas last year, it was extremely pleasing to see these blockbusters return to where they belong. No film typifies the wondrous experience of seeing films on the big screen in 2021 than the first half of this adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel from visionary director Denis Villeneuve.

Villeneuve’s passion for the source material shines through with every frame. The sheer scale of the world-building is awe-inspiring, in a manner that’s akin to Lord of the Rings, for example. It sweeps the audience up with its breath-taking visual majesty, perfectly accompanied by Hans Zimmer’s score that will transport you back to Arrakis in an instant. The stacked ensemble cast is all pitch-perfect in their roles, and Villeneuve’s direction is masterful in every respect. The novel was said to be unfilmable, but Villeneuve proved everyone wrong. I cannot wait to make the trip back to Arrakis in 2023 to witness Part Two.

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Could/should have been nominated…

 

This year, for the first time in what feels like a long time, we have a full set of ten films that are up for the biggest prize. But like I do every year, I like to have a look at what could have been, because there are some films that simply put should not be in this year’s race. So if I was an Oscar voter, here are three films that would make a perfect Best Picture lineup this year. So out go Don’t Look Up, Licorice Pizza, and Nightmare Alley and in their place, we have:

The Last Duel (review). I am at a complete loss as to how this has completely missed the mark for this year’s awards season. It really should be a contender in numerous categories and should be absolutely running away with Best Actress, as with the exceptions of Kristen Stewart and Tessa Thompson, no one came close to matching Jodie Comer’s brilliant leading actress performance in this enthralling historical epic. Directed by the legendary Sir Ridley Scott, the film’s poor box office probably didn’t help matters, but that shouldn’t have mattered. Its important and timely themes meant that it should have been a frontrunner, and the fact that it’s not is something I will forever be bitter about.

Spencer (review). Speaking of Stewart, the fact that hers is the only Oscar nomination for Pablo Lorrain’s biopic of Princess Diana is so baffling. While that nomination is thoroughly deserved, the film was an extremely unique biopic that took creative liberties with the troubled marriage between Diana and Prince Charles as it was clear that the marriage had broken down. It should have been a shoo-in for production design and costumes at the very least…

Passing. The subject of race has been a major talking point over these last few years, and in her directorial debut, Rebecca Hall takes a considered and thought-provoking approach to this topical issue, and gets awards-worthy performances out of Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga. Two more actors who, along with Comer should have been nominated this year at the very least. Like The Last Duel, Passing being completely shut out of this year’s awards season is just beyond baffling.

Posted in 2020-2029, Awards Season

93rd Academy Awards: Final Predictions

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

After the strangest year in living memory, we’ve reached the end of another (somewhat elongated) awards season cycle. To think that last year’s awards season was just a few weeks shy of the entire world being brought to a halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic is quite remarkable. While we were all celebrating that historic night, we all had no idea what was about to come our way. The world might have been brought to a halt for quite some time, and our cinemas might have been shut for the most part over the last 13 months or so. Yet even with that, that hasn’t stopped plenty of high quality films from being released, and now the time has come for Hollywood’s biggest night, although it will certainly be a very different ceremony, in comparison to previous years.

As the curtain comes down on another awards season, a controversy never seems to be too far away from occurring in one form or another. Yet, this year seems to have been remarkably (and thankfully) controversy free. Of course, there have been the usual discussions about blatant snubs, which we will certainly touch upon. But with this collection of nominations, history has most certainly been made. After last year’s ground-breaking moment that saw a film not in the English Language win Best Picture for the first time ever, it is looking extremely likely that more history will be made.

So once again, with 23 golden statues up for grabs, question remains as to who will claim Oscar glory? Time to have a gaze at my metaphorical crystal ball and give my predictions, as well as give my thoughts on each category, minus the documentaries and the short films.

Best Supporting Actor

  • Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7
  • Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Leslie Odom Jr. – One Night in Miami
  • Paul Raci – Sound of Metal
  • LaKeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah

Kicking off my predications with a category that has five absolutely perfect performances across the board.  I like each and every one of these performances, and all are worthy of being nominated. Baron Cohen’s work might have had him as an early front runner, but once Judas and the Black Messiah was given a wide release, there was only going to be one winner. Daniel Kaluuya’s extremely memorable turn as Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton has been sweeping all before him, and very deservedly so. Kaluuya’s output as an actor in the years since he got his first nomination for 2017’s Get Out has been flawless (Widows, Black Panther, Queen & Slim) and so it’s fitting that with what is perhaps his best performance of his career, that the Brit will win his first Oscar. Though it must be said, LaKeith Stanfield’s inclusion here is a massive head scratcher, when he’s very much the lead in Judas and the Black Messiah shrugs… 

Will Win: Daniel Kaluuya 

Should Win: Daniela Kaluuya

Could have been nominated: Alan Kim for Minari

 

Best Supporting Actress

  • Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
  • Glenn Close – Hillbilly Elegy
  • Olivia Colman – The Father
  • Amanda Seyfried – Mank
  • Youn Yuh-jung – Minari 

While it is mental to think that Glenn Close somehow hasn’t won an Oscar yet, the memories of the most unexpected shock a mere two years after Oliva Colman took the trophy ahead of Close in the Best Actress race will be fresh in many minds. It was the most unexpected, yet simultaneously delightful win. Now, these two are back competing against one another for the Supporting Actress gong. But this time there’s no chance of a repeat as both are unlikely to win. Close’s nomination is an indication of her being an Academy favourite even though, she was also nominated for a Razzie for this very same performance. Maria Bakalova’s performance was certainly the best part of Borat 2. But this time, it seems as though both Close and Colman will not emerge victorious, as Youn Yuh-Jung’s tender performance as the playful and charismatic grandmother in Minari should land her an Oscar, and if she wins, she will be the third oldest Best Supporting Actress winner in history.

Will Win:  Youn Yuh-Jung 

Should Win: Youn Yuh-Jung

Could have been nominated: Ellen Burstyn for Pieces of a Woman

Best Original Screenplay

  • Judas and the Black Messiah – Screenplay by Will Berson and Shaka King; Story by Will Berson, Shaka King, Keith Lucas, and Kenny Lucas
  • Minari – Lee Isaac Chung
  • Promising Young Woman – Emerald Fennell
  • Sound of Metal – Screenplay by Darius Marder and Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder and Derek Cianfrance
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Aaron Sorkin

Five very strong screenplays all round, and as all five of these films are Best Picture nominees, there’s no obvious weak link. Yet, it would appear that this is a straight fight between Chicago 7 and Promising Young Woman. Emerald Fennell’s screenplay has been taking home plenty of awards in this awards season, whereas Sorkin has only taken the Golden Globe. Promising Young Woman is definitely the more daring and bold of the two films, and has generated plenty of online discussion since it became available to watch in the UK. The last time a woman won this award was way back in 2007 with Juno, so it would be a just reward for Fennell’s bold and daring directorial debut to be rewarded with a screenplay win.

Will Win:  Emerald Fennell

Should Win: Emerald Fennell

Best Adapted Screenplay

  • Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman, and Lee Kern; Story by Baron Cohen, Hines, Swimer, and Nina Pedrad
  • The Father – Christopher Hampton & Florian Zeller
  • Nomadland – Chloé Zhao
  • One Night in Miami – Kemp Powers
  • The White Tiger – Ramin Bahrani

With two of these five being Best Picture nominees, it’s pretty much a straight fight between these two for the statue. Given that Chloe Zhao is almost certain to triumph in terms of Directing and Best Picture, she might just make it a hat-trick with another win for her screenplay to go along with those wins. Yet, given her certain triumphs in those aforementioned categories, it could stand to reason that the voters may want to use this a chance to reward other films. Therefore, The Father could sneak a win, due to its extremely innovative approach to how it tackles the depiction of dementia.

Yet, I’m backing Zhao to make it a hat-trick. Furthermore, to see the recipients of both the screenplay categories be awarded to women would be a truly historic moment.

Will Win: Chloé Zhao

Should Win: Chloé Zhao

Best Animated Feature Film

  • Onward – Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae
  • Over the Moon – Glen Keane, Gennie Rin, and Peilin Chou
  • A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon – Richard Phelan, Will Becher, and Paul Kewley
  • Soul – Pete Docter and Dana Murray
  • Wolfwalkers – Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young, and Stéphan Roelants

When it comes to this award, so often the recipient is a film made by Walt Disney Animation Studios or its sister studio Pixar. In the 2010s, only on two occasions was the winner not a film from either of those two studios. Going into the new decade, it looks likely that trend will continue with Soul surely expected to triumph. While Soul is undeniably beautiful and bold with the philosophical themes, in the age of fully computer generated animation, the art of hand drawn animation is one that deserves to be celebrated more. While I did enjoy Soul, I found Cartoon Saloon’s Wolfwalkers to be much the stronger film. It captures the majesty of the hand drawn animations style beautifully and combines that with a gorgeous, magical and emotional story. Yet, its howls are almost certainly going to fall on deaf ears.

Will Win: Soul

Should Win: Wolfwalkers

Best International Feature Film

  • Another Round (Denmark) – directed by Thomas Vinterberg
  • Better Days (Hong Kong) – directed by Derek Tsang
  • Collective (Romania) – directed by Alexander Nanau
  • The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia)  – directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
  • Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina)  – directed by Jasmila Žbanić

The fact that Thomas Vinterberg is nominated for Best Director is surely enough to tip the scales in Another Round’s favour. Bottom’s up!

Will Win: Another Round

Should Win: Another Round

Best Original Score

  • Da 5 Bloods – Terence Blanchard
  • Mank – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
  • Minari – Emile Mosseri
  • News of the World – James Newton Howard
  • Soul – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste

I’ll touch on this more a bit later on, but the fact that this is the only category in which Da 5 Bloods has scored a nomination is really disappointing. Yet, Terence Blanchard thoroughly deserves his nomination, and the same goes for Emile Mosseri’s soothing score for Minari perfectly captured the vibe of of the film. Yet in a year when Trent Raznor and Atticus Ross have been nominated for their excellent scores for Mank and Soul, it is their work on Pixar’s latest film that should see the duo pick up their second Oscar following their wins for The Social Network back in 2011.

Will Win: Soul 

Should Win: Soul

Could have been nominated: Ludwig Goransson for Tenet

Best Original Song

  • “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah – Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas
  • “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
  • “Husavik” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga – Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus, and Rickard Göransson
  • “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead – Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
  • “Speak Now” from One Night in Miami… – Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom Jr. and Sam Ashworth

It’s no wonder that in such a tumultuous year for humanity as a species, that a number of powerful songs have emerged. Fight for You and Hear My Voice would both be more than worthy winners. Yet, with Leslie Odom Jr’s nomination in Supporting Actor unlikely to transform into a win, this would be the best place to reward him for the powerful ballad that is “Speak Now”. The lyrics of this beautiful song are extremely emotive and timely, and Odom Jr’s vocals are extraordinary.

Will Win:  Speak Now from One Night in Miami 

Should Win: Speak Now from One Night in Miami 

Best Sound

  • Greyhound – Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders, and David Wyman
  • Mank – Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance, and Drew Kunin
  • News of the World – Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller, and John Pritchett
  • Soul – Ren Klyce, Coya Elliot, and David Parker
  • Sound of Metal – Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortes, and Philip Bladh

The conversion of the two sound categories into one seems to be a rather lazy move on the Academy’s part, and seems to have been done purely so members wouldn’t have to work out the difference between Sound Mixing and Sound Editing. Regardless, the fact one of these films has “Sound” in its title is a massive help. On top of which, the most extraordinary sound work is a fundamental part of what made Sound of Metal such a powerful and moving experience.

Will Win:  Sound of Metal 

Should Win: Sound of Metal

Best Production Design

  • The Father – Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara and Diana Sroughton
  • Mank – Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale
  • News of the World – Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan
  • Tenet – Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas

The first of three battles that seems to be a head to head between Ma Rainey and Mank. Given Mank is the only one with the Best Picture nomination, and added to the fact that it’s been sweeping most of the awards in this category all season long, it stands to reason that Mank will be victorious.

Will Win: Mank 

Should Win: Mank

Best Cinematography

  • Judas and the Black Messiah – Sean Bobbitt
  • Mank – Erik Messerschmidt
  • News of the World – Dariusz Wolski
  • Nomadland – Joshua James Richards
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Phedon Papamichael

While Erik Messerschmidt’s work on Mank is extraordinary, Nomadland has been taking the majority of the awards in this year’s awards season, and when you look at the sheer beauty of the film’s cinematography (see the above image), it is easy to see why.

Will Win: Nomadland 

Should Win: Nomadland

Should have been nominated: Lachlan Milne for Minari

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

  • Emma. – Marese Langan, Laura Allen, and Claudia Stolze
  • Hillbilly Elegy – Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney, and Matthew Mungle
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, and Jamika Wilson
  • Mank – Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri and Colleen LaBaff
  • Pinocchio – Dalia Colli, Mark Coulier, and Francesco Pegoretti

Ma Rainey Vs Mank, round 2. The victor will be Ma Rainey.

Will Win:  Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Should Win: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Best Costume Design

  • Emma. – Alexandra Byrne
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Ann Roth
  • Mank – Trish Summerville
  • Mulan – Bina Daigeler
  • Pinocchio – Massimo Cantini Parrini

The third and final battle between Ma Rainey and Mank, and I think in this decider, Mank will take it as it’s evident that a lot of work went into capturing the glamour of 1930s Hollywood.

Will Win: Mank 

Should Win: Mank

Best Film Editing

  • The Father – Yorgos Lamprinos
  • Nomadland – Chloé Zhao
  • Promising Young Woman – Frédéric Thoraval
  • Sound of Metal – Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Alan Baumgarten

It may well be the case that Chicago 7 could be this year’s The Irishman, in that it scoops lots of nominations but walks away empty handed. It looks that way, but perhaps this award could be its saving grace as the film was edited tremendously well. Yet so often film editing and the sound categories go hand-in-hand, as the last few years have seen this award go to a sound editing/mixing winner. Since that has now become one category, the odds could well be in favour of Sound of Metal.

Will Win:  Sound of Metal

Should Win: Sound of Metal

Best Visual Effects

  • Love and Monsters – Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camailleri, Matt Everitt, and Brian Cox
  • The Midnight Sky – Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawren, Max Solomon, and David Watkins
  • Mulan – Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury, and Steven Ingram
  • The One and Only Ivan – Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones, and Santiago Colomo Martinez
  • Tenet – Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher

So often this category is dominated with flagship blockbusters, but as most of those got pushed back, there seems to be little chance of anything stopping Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending, time-reversing/inversing shenanigans from collecting its only Oscar.

Will Win:  Tenet

Should Win: Tenet

Best Director

  • Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round
  • David Fincher – Mank
  • Lee Isaac Chung – Minari
  • Chloé Zhao – Nomadland
  • Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman

Prior to this year’s awards season, only five women had ever been nominated for Best Director, and never had two women been nominated in the same year. It is history in the making to see two women make up this year’s shortlist, and both these women are fully meriting of their spots in this year’s line up. The fact that Emerald Fennell directed Promising Young Woman whilst being heavily pregnant speaks volumes to her stamina and dedication. But to give credit where credit is due, Zhao wrote, directed, edited and co-produced Nomadland, which like with Fennell, speaks wonders to the level of commitment that Zhao put in to bring this project to life. Either of these women would be worthy winners. While my personal preference is for Fennell, in addition to her likely win for Best Picture, Chloe Zhao should be clutching two of those golden statues come the end of the evening, potentially three if she wins for her screenplay.

Although, as was the case at the Golden Globes, this category could have been three women had Regina King made the shortlist, and while there’s no real weak link in these category, I would have linked to have seen her be rewarded for her incredible directorial debut with a nomination here.

Will Win: Chloé Zhao

Should Win: Emerald Fennell

Could have been nominated: Regina King for One Night in Miami

Best Actress in a Leading Role

  • Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Andra Day – The United States vs. Billie Holiday
  • Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman
  • Frances McDormand – Nomadland
  • Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

Easily one of the most difficult categories in this entire awards season to predict. Unlike last year, there has been no consistent winner with each of these nominees winning in different awards ceremonies. Honestly the five performances here are all worthy of being bestowed with the award, but it is exceedingly difficult to predict who is gonna triumph. But I will try anyway, so here goes nothing.

Andra Day’s performance as Billie Holliday is easily the best thing about the film, and as last year showed, a good performance in a so-so biopic can still get you the win. Vanessa Kirby’s powerful performance could get her the win but the lack of nominations for her film anywhere else means her chances of a triumph are extremely slim. Viola Davis is a beloved actor, and she was extraordinary in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, but the argument could be made that her performance was more supporting than lead. Hence, this leaves the two women who appear in Best Picture nominees. Given that Nomadland is looking a certainty to win Best Picture, McDormand’s status as a producer of the film means that she would win an Oscar. Which leaves Carey Mulligan, who in my opinion gave the most layered performance that is the best of these five, and so I am predicting her for a win.

Although yet again, in another year that saw an absolutely stunning performance by an actress in a horror film go completely unnoticed, it really is baffling as to why the Academy seems to overlook these performances as Elisabeth Moss’s unforgettable performance in The Invisible Man could have got her a nomination.

Will Win: Carey Mulligan

Should Win: Carey Mulligan

Should have been nominated: Elisabeth Moss for the The Invisible Man

Best Actor in a Leading Role

  • Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal
  • Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • Anthony Hopkins – The Father
  • Gary Oldman – Mank
  • Steven Yeun – Minari

An extremely strong Best Actor line up this year, and it could have been even stronger.  At this moment it’s looking like a battle between Hopkins and Boseman. Hopkins’s devastating performance is his best work in years, and he could yet take the trophy following on from his BAFTA win. Riz Ahmed (the first Muslim to be nominated for Best Actor), could be a wildcard but I don’t think it is his year, although I am certain that Ahmed will win an Oscar one day. But this should be a posthumous win for Chadwick Boseman. Every time he’s on screen, you can feel the pain of a man who knows he’s giving one of his last ever performances, and he pours that passion into what is a moving final performance for Boseman, who tragically died last year. Even if Boseman was still with us, he would be a very strong contender and so this is the perfect opportunity to reward Boseman’s glittering, but tragically short career, with a well deserved posthumous win.

But the shameful fact that Delroy Lindo was snubbed for his brilliant performance in Da 5 Bloods is still a really disappointing snub, especially when you consider that he could have easily been nominated over Gary Oldman. The release of Spike Lee’s latest joint was extremely timely as it coincided with the horrific events that unfolded in the USA in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Yet at the same time, had it arrived much later in the year, it might have been more in contention for some of the top prizes.

Will Win: Chadwick Boseman 

Should Win: Chadwick Boseman

Should have been nominated: Delroy Lindo for Da 5 Bloods or Kingsley Ben-Adir for One Night in Miami…

And, last and certainly by no means least….

Best Picture

  • The Father – David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi, and Philippe Carcassonne
  • Judas and the Black Messiah – Shaka King, Charles D. King, and Ryan Coogler
  • Mank – Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth, and Douglas Urbanski
  • Minari – Christina Oh
  • Nomadland –Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, and Chloé Zhao
  • Promising Young Woman – Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell, and Josey McNamara
  • Sound of Metal – Bert Hamelinick and Sacha Ben Harroche
  • The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Marc Platt and Stuart Besser

Click here to see my ranking of the Best Picture contenders.

In this most strangest of years, and awards seasons, the big prize is looking like a lock for Chloe Zhao’s poignant film about the life of the modern day nomads. The Trial of the Chicago 7 might have been an early favourite, perhaps due to the passion that was surrounding it as it was release very close to last year’s US Presidential election. Had that election gone the other way, it might have maintained that momentum and turned it into a victory. Judas and the Black Messiah and Promising Young Woman both carry powerful and urgent messages that demand audiences to keep up the fights against racial injustice and sexual assault and rape respectively, and for my money these are the most important films that have emerged over the past year or so. Hence a victory for either of these two films would be more than worthy of the top prize. Yet, all the pointers point towards a Nomadland victory.

Will Win:  Nomadland

Should Win: Judas and the Black Messiah

Should have been nominated: One Night in Miami and Another Round

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Final counts

Will win:

  • Nomadland- 4
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – 2
  • Mank – 2
  • Promising Young Woman – 2
  • Soul – 2
  • Sound of Metal – 2
  • Another Round – 1
  • Judas and the Black Messiah – 1
  • Minari – 1
  • One Night in Miami – 1
  • Tenet – 1

Should win:

  • Promising Young Woman – 3
  • Judas and the Black Messiah – 2
  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – 2
  • Mank – 2
  • Nomadland – 2
  • Sound of Metal – 2
  • Another Round – 1
  • Minari – 1
  • One Night in Miami – 1
  • Soul – 1
  • Tenet – 1
  • Wolfwalkers -1
Posted in 2020-2029, Awards Season, Ranking

93rd Academy Awards: Best Picture Nominees Ranked

Posted on by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

After what is one of the longest awards seasons in living memory, it is finally time for Hollywood to pay tribute to the best cinematic offerings of 2020/21. It was certainly a strange year that forced cinemas to stay shut for many months, hence the slight delay to the main event this weekend. But that didn’t prevent a number of outstanding films from being released. With a total of eight films up for the big prize this year: including the behind the scenes of how one of the most iconic films of all time came to be, a couple of heart-warming tales about life in America (from two very different perspectives), a gripping and timely courtroom drama, a heart-breaking character study of a man suffering from a terrible disease, an urgent film about an overlooked figure of history, and a dark and thrilling tale of revenge.

There’s lots of quality cinema in this year’s crop, but only one scoop that Best Picture crown. So, without further ado, let us rank these from worst to best (as always per the opinion of yours truly), starting with….

8. Mank

It seems like every year there’s always one film, no matter who you are, that you just don’t get the fuss about, and this year Mank is that film. I never thought a film by David Fincher would be the bottom of this list, yet here we are. When you have get a maestro like Fincher directing a film, that covers how the script of one of the most influential films of all time Citizen Kane came to be, expectations are going to be set high. Having watched (and loved) Citizen Kane for the first time just before watching Mank, it raised my expectations even higher. Furthermore, with a cast that is packed with talent like Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried and Charles Dance, surely that’s a sure-fire hit for cinematic gold. Yet, sadly for me, this film just didn’t match those lofty expectations.

To give credit where credit is due, Fincher directs the film beautifully. The production design, costumes and cinematography are all absolutely stunning, and the performances across the board are all very good, with Amanda Seyfried being a particular highlight. What let the film down for me is the script, it had its moments, but I just wasn’t as intrigued by the film as I wanted/expected to be, and that is really disappointing.

7. Minari

Full review here

For generations and generations of people looking to migrate to the United States, the notion of the American Dream to achieve economic success has been the source of their desire to move to the country. Yet, that desire to achieve that dream is not always so straightforward, and in this semi-autobiographical film from Lee Isaac Chung, Minari captures one family’s trials and tribulations as they bid to achieve that dream by opening and running their own farm in 1980s Arkansas.

The cast is filled with impeccable performances, from Steven Yeun’s loving but stern portrayal as the family’s patriarch, to Youn Yuh-jung’s likely Oscar winning turn as the family’s Grandmother. The interaction between her and little David (Alan Kim) is extremely heart-warming, but also extremely amusing. While the film focuses on the lives of this one family, the themes about finding identity in what can be at times (especially right now), a very unforgiving world, is something that we can all relate to.

 

6. The Father

Full review coming soon

Sir Anthony Hopkins is an an actor whose career started all the way back in 1960. Over the years, he’s given us plenty of extraordinary performances. Yet, as his career reaches its seventh decade, it is quite the accomplishment to say that a film released in 2020/21, could arguably be the greatest performance that he has given across his glittering career. In this heart-breaking film from Florian Zeller, it might just have got the best ever performance out of this veteran actor, or at least his best performance since his memorable Oscar winning turn in Silence of the Lambs.

The way in which Zeller directs this film is extremely innovative, and it pays off as it is clearly to try and establish to the audience just how much of an effect a disease like dementia can have on the human brain. As well as Hopkins’s absolutely devastating performance, special mention must go to Olivia Colman’s tender performance as the daughter of Hopkin’s character. It cannot be easy to watch someone you love go through this terrible condition, and who is put in the most uncomfortable position of watching her father’s condition slowly deteriorate. The way the film is told from his perspective enables the audience to go into his mind as his grip on reality slowly begins to unravel, and it’s truly harrowing to watch, especially if someone you love has been affected by this terrible disease.

 

5. Nomadland

Full review coming soon

The Economic Crash of 2008 was undoubtedly an extremely tough time for lots of people. Countless jobs lost, lives and economic livelihoods shattered. For one woman, having lost everything that tied her to a town where she spent many happy years of her life, it leads her to selling most of her belongings and starting a new life as a modern day nomad, living in a caravan in the American West.

Written, directed, edited and produced by Chloe Zhao, Nomadland’s beauty lies in the depiction of the nomad lifestyle. It is a lifestyle that undoubtedly comes with its challenges, but due to the inspired casting of some real life nomads, it brings their lifestyle to life in a manner that is poignant and emotional. The beauty of the film shines through, in part thanks to the gorgeous cinematography, which makes it feel like a world away from the constant noise of the capitalist world that seemingly (at least pre the COVID-19 pandemic) never stops turning. At the centre of all of it, is a subdued, but wonderful performance from Frances McDormand. While it is not my favourite film of this year’s crop, it would be a very worthy winner if, as expected, it takes home the top prize on Oscar night.

 

4. Sound of Metal

Full review here

Imagine if you’re a musician, music is your passion and you live for the thrill of playing music to live crowds. But what if one day, you begin to realise that you are rapidly losing your hearing and your entire future career as a musician is in jeopardy? It’s a position that no one would want to be in, yet it is a position that Ruben (an extraordinary Riz Ahmed) finds himself in. Faced with an impossibly difficult decision, he must decide how to handle the devastating loss of one of his senses, and he seeks assistance from a centre for the deaf, led by a very compassionate recovering war veteran.

Directed beautifully by Darius Marder in a passionate directorial debut, the film shines a light on the deaf community in an extremely touching manner. Bolstered by some absolutely extraordinary sound work, the film’s heart comes from the time that Ruben spends with the deaf community. And most importantly of all, the film is a lesson about coming to term’s with one’s circumstances, whilst reminding the world that deafness is not a disability.

 

3. Trial of the Chicago 7

Full review here

There are certain names that automatically just capture attention whenever they’re brought up in discussions, and Aaron Sorkin is certainly one of those names. Having written a plethora of memorable screenplays over the years, he made a seamless transition to directing. for his second film, he writes and directs once again, to tremendous effect to tell the story of the Chicago 7, who were essentially put on trial in front of the whole world in the build up to the 1968 Democratic Convention.

The film draws a strong correlation between the protests that occurred in the 1960s over the Vietnam War to the protests that erupted across America in response to systemic racism, in a year that felt extremely politically charged due to the 2020 US Presidential Election, and the previous four years under an administration that sought to swiftly quash any dissent and protest. Filled to the brim with top performances, there’s so many that could have got nominations, but in the end it was Sacha Baron Cohen’s excellent turn as Abbie Hoffman that took the deserved plaudits. Once seen as perhaps the frontrunner, it might have lost a bit of steam since its release last October, but it still remains a powerful piece of filmmaking from Aaron Sorkin.

 

2. Promising Young Woman

Full review here

Rape and sexual assault are never comfortable subjects to talk about, but in the years since the Me Too Movement spoke out, it has forced the world to have an urgent conversation about these subjects, and how women are too often subjected to this kind of horrific abuse. In her bold and daring directorial debut, Emerald Fennell tackles these themes head on, and in so doing has created a film that holds a mirror to society in an extremely arresting manner.

At the centre of this thrilling tale of revenge is Carey Mulligan’s Cassie. A woman who once had a bright and promising future, but due to this traumatic incident, her once bright future has faded. Instead, she is focused purely on her revenge mission. Mulligan’s tour-de-force performances keeps you hooked from the get go as you watch her go about her mission to extract revenge against those who caused her that trauma all those years ago. The film keeps you guessing right until its ending, which has, and will undoubtedly continue to generate much discussion in the coming years.

1. Judas and the Black Messiah

Full review here

When you look back at how the Civil Rights movement is taught, there are certain powerful historical figures that are universally recognised all over the world. Names such as Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X to name but a few. Yet the name of Fred Hampton is not one that is nearly well known, probably because it is barely taught at all, and that is staggering. As when you watch this extraordinary film, it is incomprehensible to work out why this man’s name is not mentioned in the same breath as those other names.

What makes this film so relevant and so extremely powerful is the unmistakeable parallels between the time that Fred Hampton campaigned against injustice, and in the 21st century. To put it bluntly,  not a lot has happened in all those years as the systemic racism that Hampton rallied against is still very much present in our society, as demonstrated by the worldwide protests that took place in 2020, with people taking a stand. While LaKeith Stanfield does incredible work, it’s the absolutely scintillating performance from Daniel Kaluuya that drives the film forward as he imbues Fred Hampton with powerful leadership qualities. Every time Hampton is on screen talking, you’re listening to what he has to say.  “You can kill a revolutionary, but you can never kill the revolution.” Over fifty years later, and Hampton’s words are truer now than perhaps they’ve ever been.

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Could/should have been nominated…

Every time I come to write this list, I always ask myself why the Academy doesn’t fill take the opportunity to nominate the maximum number of 10 films for the top honour? While these eight do all (just about in the case of one film) deserve their spot for the biggest prize of the night, I always like to have a look at what could have joined their ranks to compete for the top honour. So, what could have joined their company? Well if I had my way, Mank drops out, and then I choose the following three films to make it a perfect ten:

One Night in Miami (review): Four influential figures of the Civil Rights Movement, one fictionalised evening, directed by Academy Award winner Regina King, I mean what more needs to be said? Adapted from the Kemp Power’s stage play of the same name, the film isn’t held back by its stage play roots, as the four performances of the men playing these historical figures are all extraordinary. Furthermore, the screenplay that goes deep in exploring powerful historical themes that very much related to today’s society.

Another Round (review): There’s an undeniable joy that comes when no matter what the occasion, we sit down and have a tipple or two to celebrate. Yet you’d think that no one would have a drink whilst working on their day job Yet that is exactly what a group of four schoolteachers do to try and bring a bit of excitement back in their lives. Thomas Vinterberg’s film expertly walks the line between comedy and tragedy, whilst getting one of the best performances out of Mads Mikkelsen in a long time.

Wolfwalkers (review): Seldom do animated films make the leap from the animated category to competing for the top prize. Yet in the case of Cartoon Saloon’s Wolfwalkers, this is a film that absolutely deserves to make that list. In an era where most animation studios are going for fully CGI animation, there’s something to be admired about a studio that creates hand drawn animation, and Wolfwalkers is a magically enchanting tale that continues to enhance Cartoon Saloon’s growing reputation as a powerhouse animation studio.