Awards Insights

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  • The Oscars Need to Reform the International Feature Category

    The Oscars Need to Reform the International Feature Category

    With the news on Tuesday that the Spanish Film Academy has picked the Javier Bardem-led comedy “The Good Boss” instead of Oscar-winner Pedro Almodovar’s “Parallel Mothers” as its submission for the Best International Feature Oscar, the need for the Academy to reform its system for this category is very apparent.

    If you are unaware about the Academy’s current rules for this category, here are three important points:

    1. Each country can only submit one film. Meaning that each year, a country’s representative film academy has to choose which film they want to represent them at this year’s Oscars.
    2. The film has to be non-American and must be mostly in a language other than English. While prior to the 2006 Academy Awards, a foreign country had to submit a film that was in one of their official languages, that rule is (thankfully) no longer in place and Canada submitted the Hindi-language film Water at the 2007 Oscars as a result of this shift in policy. As a result of the films having to be non-American, films that were primarily in a non-English language like Apocalypto and last year’s Minari were ineligible from competing in this category since they were both American-produced features.
    3. The director accepts the award on behalf of their producing country’s film academy. The filmmakers themselves do not receive Oscars, their countries do.

     

    The idea that a country can only submit one film for this category is ludicrous as it defeats the point of having this category. This rule is archaic and needs to be amended. In an era like the 1950s where the cinema of countries like France and Italy dominated the American cinephile’s perception of what international cinema was, it makes some sense that each country could only submit one film as the Academy members of the time likely had a limited knowledge and appreciation of cinema outside of the canon of the Western world. Of the 32 International Feature awards given from the late 40s through the 70s, only five were given to non-European countries (three were for Japan, likely due to the fact that the United States was highly involved in the politics of Japan at the time after World War II and thus the Americans had an especially strong access to Japanese art. The two other films were in French and directed by men who worked in France but produced by African countries specifically the Ivory Coast and Algeria.) But in an era where 5 of the last 10 winners in this category were from non-European countries (and when a Korean film can win Best Picture), this system has become obsolete. The fact that only one film can be submitted for each country is quite mind-boggling in today’s world where the Academy has a diverse array of members and access to the art of other countries has been amplified extensively.

    A country’s film Academy shouldn’t have to submit films at all and the wealth of choices that international cinema has to offer should not be restricted by the politics of a small closed off voting body. There has been speculation that Spain did not submit Parallel Mothers (whose director and lead actress are Oscar winners) as the film is critical of the Spanish government. While this may not be the reason why the Spanish Film Academy did not choose Almodovar’s film, this situation wouldn’t be an outlier. Take filmmaker Jafar Panahi, one of the most celebrated Middle Eastern filmmakers of the 21st century. None of his films have ever been selected by the Iranian Film Academy as Panahi is a vocal critic of the Iranian government and that is apparent in his work. In 2010, Panahi was arrested and placed under house arrest “for propaganda against the Islamic republic” as he was attempting to make a documentary about the 2009 election of Mahmoud Ahmedinejad which he believed to be fraudulent. He was subsequently banned from making films for 20 years. Panahi’s case is just a symptom of a larger problem. Oppressive countries around the world often suppress art that doesn’t conform to their leaders’ values and beliefs and the Academy is essentially supporting this suppression by creating a system that keeps Academy members from choosing fantastic cinema that may challenge the values of their home country. If the Oscars truly want to reflect the best of film today, they should not restrict International film to a small pool of cinema. With this system, the Academy will actually be able to award the best of International cinema (of course the bias of the Academy towards certain types of films will always be a factor but with the greater diversification of Academy membership, let’s hope that issue becomes less and less prevalent) without the whims of each country’s respective film academies getting in the way.

    The other problem with this category is that ridiculously the award is not given to the directors and/or producers of the films but instead to the films’ country. Federico Fellini one of the most celebrated filmmakers to walk the earth has 0 competitive Oscars to his name even though four of his films won in this category. While the directors do accept the award at the ceremony they are actually accepting it on behalf of the country that submitted their film. Ingmar Bergman would have 3 Oscars and Vittorio De Sica would have four (if Special Awards are taken into account) if filmmakers were given their due like they are at other prestigious awards, such as the BAFTAs. Essentially, some of the best directors who have ever lived never received Oscars due to a rule that doesn’t need to have been in place (why couldn’t the Oscar be awarded to both the country and the filmmaker?)

    Every year, the Academy seems to tease some sort of major change (like the addition of a Best Popular Film category a few years ago) but this is an advance the Academy actually needs to act upon if we want to get international film and filmmakers to be treated fairly by the Academy. Of course the fact that the Oscars, awards that are supposed to honor the best of cinema no matter where it comes from, have to have an International Feature award in the first place is an inherently faulty notion but the time when the Academy moves away from being so aggressively American-centric is far down the line. But before that time (which will sadly probably never come to fruition) arrives, it wouldn’t be asking for too much for the Academy to amend what is easily its most controversial category.

  • 2022 Oscars: Late September Oscar Predictions

    2022 Oscars: Late September Oscar Predictions

    We finally have sure things in this race. The Power of the Dog and Belfast are locks for Best Picture nominations after their success at TIFF. And Dune, which did not meet the high expectations for it in critics’ ratings (its 76 Metascore is pretty good but not fantastic) but it seems to be making up for that in box office success and popular acclaim. However, while the film is doing well overseas, if it ends up flopping stateside it will most likely end up like Blade Runner 2049: an underseen Villenueve gem that is limited to just tech nominations. Still, I doubt that it will flop too badly as it has had a strong performance internationally.

    Nightmare Alley’s trailer was released and this kind of noir-y psychological thriller needs stellar reviews to get into Best Picture. If it doesn’t have popular acclaim and/or critical acclaim (at least 85+ Metascore), then it might miss. But Guillermo del Toro and that all-star cast give me confidence to place it as high as I have it.

    The Tragedy of Macbeth premiered at New York around a week ago and has received stellar reviews from many critics (it has a 90 Metascore right now). Even though many say that it might not be exactly on the Academy’s wavelength, Denzel Washington, and Frances McDormand, and Joel Coen are too beloved in the industry and it’s hard for me to believe that a film with those three and fantastic reviews will not get into Picture.

    The trailer for Licorice Pizza came out (officially) yesterday and it looks like Paul Thomas Anderson’s most accessible film yet. PTA has still never won an Oscar even though he’s been nominated eight time and this coming-of-age period dramedy could be his ticket to finally getting some Oscar love.

    The most important section of fall festival season has come to a close and other than films that have been previously-mentioned, films like King Richard, Spencer, Parallel Mothers, and The Lost Daughter have definitely made an impact. Of these four films, King Richard has the best chance of a Best Picture nominations and looks to be the kind of crowdpleaser that receives support from both general audiences and critics. Spencer and Parallel Mothers also have received acclaim and I project both to receive Best Actress nominations (for Kristen Stewart and Penelope Cruz respectively). Both have 85 Metascores but have different struggles that could be obstacles on their way to the Oscars. Spencer may be too artsy and inaccessible for the Academy while Parallel Mothers, the more accessible film, might not be able to transcend its status as an International Feature and get the eyeballs it needs to be nominated. The Lost Daughter has an 88 Metascore and a pretty well-known cast yet the subject matter may be too edgy for the Academy at large, though I do think it can get an Adapted Screenplay nom.

    BEST PICTURE

    The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

    Belfast (Focus)

    Dune (Warner Bros.)

    Nightmare Alley (Searchlight)

    Don’t Look Up (Netflix)

    Licorice Pizza (MGM)

    West Side Story (20th Century)

    The Tragedy of Macbeth (A24/Apple TV+)

    King Richard (Warner Bros.)

    Spencer (NEON)

    Could Jump In: House of Gucci, Being the Ricardos, Parallel Mothers, The French Dispatch, Passing, The Hand of God, The Lost Daughter, C’mon C’mon, The Humans, CODA, A Hero, Tick, Tick…Boom!, Eternals, Mass, The Tender Bar

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog

    Denis Villeneuve – Dune

    Kenneth Branagh – Belfast

    Joel Coen – The Tragedy of Macbeth

    Guillermo del Toro – Nightmare Alley

    Could Jump In: Pedro Almodovar – Parallel Mothers, Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza, Steven Spielberg – West Side Story, Wes Anderson – The French Dispatch, Pablo Larrain – Spencer, Adam McKay – Don’t Look Up, Ridley Scott – House of Gucci, Paolo Sorrentino – The Hand of God, Chloe Zhao – Eternals, Reinaldo Marcus Green – King Richard

    BEST ACTOR

    Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog

    Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth

    Will Smith – King Richard

    Bradley Cooper – Nightmare Alley

    Leonardo Dicaprio – Don’t Look Up

    Could Jump In: Joaquin Phoenix – C’mon C’mon, Peter Dinklage – Cyrano, Adam Driver – House of Gucci, Jamie Dornan – Belfast, Andrew Garfield – Tick, Tick…Boom!, Clifton Collins Jr. – Jockey, Oscar Isaac – The Card Counter

    BEST ACTRESS

    Kristen Stewart – Spencer

    Frances McDormand – The Tragedy of Macbeth

    Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye

    Jennifer Hudson – Respect

    Penelope Cruz – Parallel Mothers

    Could Jump In: Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos (if it comes out this year she’s in), Lady Gaga – House of Gucci, Caitrona Balfe – Belfast, Cate Blanchett – Nightmare Alley, Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter, Tessa Thompson – Passing, Jennifer Lawrence – Don’t Look Up

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog

    Ruth Negga – Passing

    Judi Dench – Belfast (Or Caitrona Balfe if she is slotted in here)

    Toni Colette – Nightmare Alley (Or Cate Blanchett if she is slotted in here)

    Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard

    Could Jump In: Ann Dowd – Mass, Meryl Streep – Don’t Look Up, Jayne Houdyshell – The Humans, Marlee Matlin – CODA, Ariana DeBose – West Side Story, Rooney Mara – Nightmare Alley, Glenn Close – Swan Song

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Richard Jenkins – The Humans

    Bradley Cooper – Licorice Pizza

    Ciaran Hinds – Belfast

    Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog

    Corey Hawkins – The Tragedy of Macbeth

    Could Jump In: Jamie Dornan – Belfast, Jared Leto – House of Gucci, Jesse Plemons – The Power of the Dog, JK Simmons – Being the Ricardos, Jason Isaacs – Mass, Al Pacino – House of Gucci, Jon Bernthal – King Richard

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    Licorice Pizza

    Belfast

    Don’t Look Up

    King Richard

    The French Dispatch

    Could Jump In: Parallel Mothers, Being the Ricardos, Spencer, C’mon C’mon, Mass, The Hand of God, A Hero, The Worst Person in the World

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    The Power of the Dog

    Nightmare Alley

    The Lost Daughter

    Dune

    House of Gucci

    Could Jump In: Passing, The Tragedy of Macbeth, CODA, The Humans, The Tender Bar, West Side Story, The Last Duel

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

    Flee

    Luca

    The Mitchells vs. the Machines

    Encanto

    Belle

    Could Jump In: Raya and the Last Dragon, Where is Anne Frank?, Sing 2, Vivo, Cryptozoo

    BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

    The French Dispatch

    West Side Story

    Nightmare Alley

    Dune

    Belfast

    Could Jump In: Being the Ricardos (if it releases this year it’s in), Licorice Pizza, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Last Duel, Spencer, Passing, The Power of the Dog

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    Dune

    The Tragedy of Macbeth

    Belfast

    The Power of the Dog

    West Side Story

    Could Jump In: The French Dispatch, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Licorice Pizza, Passing

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN

    Spencer

    Nightmare Alley

    Dune

    The French Dispatch

    Belfast

    Could Jump In: Being the Ricardos (will be here if it’s released this year), Cruella, Respect, West Side Story, House of Gucci

    BEST EDITING

    Dune

    Don’t Look Up

    Belfast

    The Power of the Dog

    Nightmare Alley

    Could Jump In: King Richard, The French Dispatch, Licorice Pizza, Eternals, Being the Ricardos

    BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

    The Eyes of Tammy Faye

    House of Gucci

    Cruella

    Spencer

    Dune

    Could Jump In: Being the Ricardos (if it releases this year it’s in), The Suicide Squad, Respect, King Richard, The French Dispatch

    BEST SOUND

    Dune

    Eternals

    West Side Story

    No Time to Die

    Belfast

    Could Jump In: Don’t Look Up, Tick, Tick…Boom, A Quiet Place Part II, The Power of the Dog, The Matrix: Resurrections

    BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

    Dune

    Eternals

    The Matrix: Resurrections

    Spider-Man: No Way Home

    The Tomorrow War

    Could Jump In: Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings, Godzilla vs Kong, The Suicide Squad, No Time to Die, Black Widow

    Hans Zimmer (Dune and No Time to Die; Zimmer has a couple other scores from this year but hopefully nobody is seriously considering The Boss Baby 2 in this category), Alexandre Desplat Nightmare Alley and The French Dispatch), and Jonny Greenwood (The Power of the Dog and Spencer; Greenwood also has Licorice Pizza) all have at least two scores in contention this year. I am pretty sure at least one of them will be double-nominated

    BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

    Dune

    The Power of the Dog

    Nightmare Alley

    Spencer

    Don’t Look Up

    Could Jump In: The French Dispatch, Parallel Mothers, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Luca, Eternals

    BEST ORIGINAL SONG

    No Time to Die

    King Richard

    Encanto

    Respect

    Annette

    Could Jump In: Belfast, Cyrano, Dear Evan Hansen, The Starling, The Automat

    BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

    Parallel Mothers

    A Hero

    The Hand of God

    The Worst Person in the World

    Flee

    Could Jump In: Happening or Petite Maman (I don’t see France choosing Titane when these two are available but they might), Compartment No. 6, I’m Your Man, Drive My Car

  • 2021 Emmy Predictions

    2021 Emmy Predictions

    DRAMA

    BEST DRAMA SERIES

    This category is almost a sure thing though if anything will come close to beating the behemoth that is The Crown it’ll be…actually nothing’s going to beat it here.

    PREDICTED WINNER: The Crown

    POTENTIAL UPSET: N/A

    BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

    In the Comedy Lead Acting categories we see a lot of actors winning for repeat performances (I mean Julia Louis-Dreyfus won six years in a row for work on Veep), but that kind of repeat success is a lot less common in the Drama categories especially so many great new prestige dramas coming out every year. As a result, the last winner who had previously won for the same role was Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad in 2013 (he had previously won in 2010 for playing Walter White). I would look at the precursors but since Pose was a late breaker, Porter and O’Connor have never gone head to head so far. Billy Porter won in 2019 for Pose and while I think there’s a good chance the Academy will want to award him again, I’m going to give it to the first-time nominee O’Connor. The rule in this category is that you’ll win on either your first nomination for a role or on your last, which doesn’t really help as O’Connor has received his first nomination as Prince Charles and Porter is on his last nomination for Pray Tell.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Josh O’Connor – The Crown

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Billy Porter – Pose

    BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

    The Academy loves to award relative newcomers in this category and both Emma Corrin and MJ Rodriguez fit that bill. Corrin has been the frontrunner in this category for so long that I doubt Rodriguez could beat her. However, Pose’s last season was beloved my many and it seems like the Academy would want to award at least one of its stars. Colman and Corrin may also split votes and one of Rodriguez or Moss could jump in as a result. But I’m sticking with Corrin.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Emma Corrin – The Crown

    POTENTIAL UPSET: MJ Rodriguez – Pose, Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale, or Olivia Colman – The Crown

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

    RIP Michael K. Williams. Williams was already the frontrunner to win this category before his passing and I doubt that that frontrunner status will have changed. Maybe Tobias Menzies will get in if The Crown sweeps but I doubt it.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Michael K. Williams – Lovecraft Country

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Tobias Menzies – The Crown

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN DRAMA

    This is one of the more locked categories of the night and we will most likely see Gillian Anderson on stage Sunday night.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Gillian Anderson – The Crown

    POTENTIAL UPSET: N/A

    BEST DRAMA DIRECTING

    Though episodes from The Handmaid’s Tale or The Mandalorian may seem like more obvious picks for directing, The “Fairytale” episode is the one with Corrin’s now-famous dancing scene as Diana. It’s also the episode that won for cinematography and that award often goes hand in hand with directing (even though those two categories haven’t coincided since 2017).

    PREDICTED WINNER: The Crown (Fairytale)

    POTENTIAL UPSET: The Handmaid’s Tale (The Wilderness), The Mandalorian (Chapter 9: The Marshal), or The Crown (War)

    BEST DRAMA WRITING

    Peter Morgan is one of the most respected writers in the industry especially when it comes to the royals and I doubt anyone else can beat him here.

    PREDICTED WINNER: The Crown (War)

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Pose (Series Finale)

     

    COMEDY

    BEST COMEDY SERIES

    Ted Lasso has this one is in the bag, no question.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Ted Lasso

    POTENTIAL UPSET: N/A

    BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

    Another lock, Sudeikis will win.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso

    POTENTIAL UPSET: N/A

    BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

    Jean Smart has had a fantastic year (She’s nominated Limited Series Supporting Actress as well for Mare of Easttown) and I don’t see her not taking this win. Kaley Cuoco maybe could surprise but I don’t really see that happening.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Jean Smart – Hacks

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Kaley Cuoco – The Flight Attendant

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

    This one’s difficult. There are quite a few standouts from the Ted Lasso cast so there’s a possibility they can split votes. But there’s also a good chance that both Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang will split votes. I think Brett Goldstein will have the edge in the end but there are a few ways this category can go.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live or Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

    Even though Hacks has a lot more support in the industry than I think most people realize, Waddingham will not lose this.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Hannah Einbinder – Hacks

    BEST COMEDY DIRECTING

    The Ted Lasso episodes will definitely split votes here and I do think Hacks will have more support than The Flight Attendant.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Hacks (There is No Line)

    POTENTIAL UPSET: The Flight Attendant (In Case of Emergency), Ted Lasso (The Hope That Kills You), or Ted Lasso (Biscuits)

    BEST COMEDY WRITING

    The Emmys do prefer Pilot episodes in this category and while Make Rebecca Great Again might be the most popular episode of the show’s first season, I’m going to go with history and pick the pilot. Hacks also has a pilot episode in contention and it does seem like the kind of show that the writing branch would gravitate towards as it does deal with the process of writing comedy. However, Ted Lasso will most likely get very close to sweeping its nominations this year so I’m going to go with them.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Ted Lasso (Pilot)

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Hacks (There is No Line) or Ted Lasso (Make Rebecca Great Again)

     

    LIMITED SERIES AND TV MOVIE

    BEST LIMITED SERIES

    This one seems pretty obvious based on The Queen’s Gambit’s success at the Creative Arts Emmys.

    PREDICTED WINNER: The Queen’s Gambit

    POTENTIAL UPSET: I May Destroy You (maybe?)

    BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE

    This is really between Kate Winslet and Anya Taylor-Joy. Taylor-Joy is the face of The Queen’s Gambit which had a massive haul at the Creative Arts Emmys cementing its immense support in the Academy. However, Winslet is one of the most beloved and acclaimed actresses of her generation and she gives one of the best performances of her career in Mare of Easttown and even though The Queen’s Gambit has so much support across the board, Winslet’s performance seems like one that actors especially will gravitate towards. But then again, The Queen’s Gambit could sweep…

    PREDICTED WINNER: Kate Winslet – Mare of Easttown

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Anya Taylor-Joy – The Queen’s Gambit

    BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE

    While The Undoing underperformed when it came to nominations, I think the Academy could give it to Hugh Grant here. I don’t see Wandavision getting two acting wins and since I have Hahn winning in Supporting Actress, I‘ve got to put either Grant, McGregor, or Odom Jr. here. I think Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr. will split votes and McGregor’s Halston was underseen so that leaves Grant and while I’m not confident with him winning, I’ll just keep him in anyway.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Hugh Grant – The Undoing

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Paul Bettany – Wandavision, Ewan McGregor – Halston, or Leslie Odom Jr. – Hamilton

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE

    Though Hamilton has a lot of love in the Academy as shown by its nomination haul in these acting categories, I don’t think it’ll get any acting wins. I may be projecting my own bias into this but I think Hamilton fever may have died down a little bit. Daveed Diggs was my favorite performer in the cast yet I think Evan Peters will probably win this for his performance in Mare of Easttown

    PREDICTED WINNER: Evan Peters – Mare of Easttown

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Daveed Diggs – Hamilton

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE

    While I think Julianne Nicholson and Jean Smart’s performances are conventionally the kind of performances that the Academy likes to award, I also think that they will split votes and Kathryn Hahn will rise in the end. Still, I could easily see Nicholson winning this.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Kathryn Hahn – Wandavision

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Julianne Nicholson – Mare of Easttown or Jean Smart – Mare of Easttown

    BEST LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE DIRECTING

    With the nine Creative Arts Emmys that The Queen’s Gambit won I really don’t see it losing directing as that award often goes to the show that has the most success in the techs. Though Barry Jenkins is easily the most respected director in the bunch, I don’t think enough people saw The Underground Railroad to give him a win here.

    PREDICTED WINNER: The Queen’s Gambit

    POTENTIAL UPSET: The Underground Railroad (it is Barry Jenkins after all)

    BEST LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE WRITING

    The Queen’s Gambit has wide support and could take this easily but I don’t see I May Destroy You coming up empty-handed when it was easily one of the most-acclaimed shows of the season and this would be the easiest place for the Academy to award it.

    PREDICTED WINNER: I May Destroy You

    POTENTIAL UPSET: The Queen’s Gambit

     

    VARIETY

    BEST COMPETITION PROGRAM

    RuPaul’s Drag Race has won three years in a row and that streak shows no signs of stopping.

    PREDICTED WINNER: RuPaul’s Drag Race

    POTENTIAL UPSET: N/A

    BEST VARIETY TALK SERIES

    While they could give an award for Conan’s last season after over 25 years on the air, I doubt they will diverge from awarding John Oliver

    PREDICTED WINNER: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Conan

    BEST VARIETY SKETCH SERIES

    Saturday Night Live seems basically unbeatable here and even though it would be nice if A Black Lady Sketch Show was to prevail here that most likely won’t happen

    PREDICTED WINNER: Saturday Night Live

    POTENTIAL UPSET: A Black Lady Sketch Show

    BEST VARIETY SPECIAL (PRE-RECORDED)

    I want Bo Burnham to win this for Inside and it definitely tapped into the zeitgeist when it released. Still, Hamilton received 11 nominations (including 7 acting nominations) to Inside’s 6. Hamilton obviously had support during the nominations period but it’s also true that Inside already won Best Writing for a Variety Special and Best Directing for a Variety Special. But it’s also true that Inside didn’t go up against Hamilton in either of those categories as Hamilton was nominated in Limited Series/TV Movie Directing. I’m running myself in circles at this point but I’m going to choose Hamilton because of those seven acting nominations but I’ll likely be kicking myself come Sunday night.

    PREDICTED WINNER: Hamilton

    POTENTIAL UPSET: Bo Burnham: Inside

    BEST VARIETY SPECIAL (LIVE)

    PREDICTED WINNER: Celebrating America

    POTENTIAL UPSET: N/A

    BEST VARIETY SERIES WRITING

    PREDICTED WINNER: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

    POTENTIAL UPSET: N/A

     

    The 2021 Emmys take place on Sunday, Sept 19. at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET) on CBS.

  • Venice 2021: ‘Happening’, ‘The Power of the Dog’, ‘The Hand of God’ Win Big

    Venice 2021: ‘Happening’, ‘The Power of the Dog’, ‘The Hand of God’ Win Big

    VENICE FILM FESTIVAL JURY AWARDS

    Golden Lion for Best Film: “Happening,” Audrey Diwan
    Silver Lion (Grand Jury Prize): “The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino
    Silver Lion for Best Director: Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”
    Coppa Volpi for Best Actor: John Arcilla, “On the Job: The Missing 8”
    Coppa Volpi for Best Actress: Penelopé Cruz, “Parallel Mothers”
    Award for Best Screenplay: “The Lost Daughter,” Maggie Gyllenhaal
    Special Jury Prize: “Il Buco,” Michelangelo Frammartino
    Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress: Filippo Scotti, “The Hand of God”

    These are the main awards at the Venice Film Festival and as you can see the chances of films like ‘The Hand of God’, ‘The Power of the Dog’, ‘Parallel Mothers’, ‘The Lost Daughter’, and ‘Happening’ have increased as a result.

    Though I don’t see this year’s Golden Lion winner happening (pun fully intended) in Picture, four of the last five Golden Lion winners were nominated for Best Picture and two of those were Best Picture winners (Nomadland, The Shape of Water). It’s peak seems to be an International Feature nod (that is if the French academy even picks it which it might not). ‘The Hand of God’ seems like it is more accessible of a film and while it only has a 71% Rotten Tomatoes score right now the fact that it won what is essentially the second-place award at Venice shows that there definitely is support for it.

    Campion likely won the first award on her journey towards a Best Director win in March. The fact that ‘The Power of the Dog’ won a top-tier award at Venice continues to cement its place as the closest thing to a lock this race has.

    I’m also happy to report that Penelope Cruz increased her chances of receiving a Best Actress nomination with her win here. She was already in the Best Actress predictions of many but now her chances seem a lot more concrete. Almodovar’s film will probably not get any other nominations outside of Cruz and International Feature (though Original Screenplay and Director are not crazy possibilities).

    ‘The Lost Daughter’ winning in Screenplay is probably the biggest surprise of the awards. With this award, the film has definitely cemented its place as one of Netflix’s top four priorities this season. Netflix is poised to have 2-4 Best Picture nominees this year with the expanded slate so The Lost Daughter could be seeing a significant push. I definitely have it in my Adapted Screenplay nominations (I added it to my predictions after its Telluride premiere). The reviews are there (it has an 89 Metascore right now) so it could maybe hit Picture, Actress (Olivia Colman), and/or Supporting Actress (Jessie Buckley or Dakota Johnson) in addition to Screenplay if Netflix puts some focus on it.

    Here are the other awards from this year’s Venice Film Festival:

    Orizzonti Award for Best Film: “Pilgrims,” Laurynas Bareisa
    Orizzonti Award for Best Director: Eric Gravel, “A plein temps”
    Special Orizzonti Jury Prize: “El Gran Movimento,” Kiro Russo
    Orizzonti Award for Best Actor: Piseth Chhun, “White Building”
    Orizzonti Award for Best Actress: Laure Calamy, “A plein temps”
    Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay: “107 Mothers,” Peter Kerekes, Ivan Ostrochovsky
    Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film: “Los Huesos,” Cristobal Leon, Joaquin Cocina

    Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Award for a Debut Film: “Imaculat,” Monica Stan, George Chiper-Lillemark

    Grand Jury Prize for Best VR Work: “Goliath: Playing With Reality,” Barry Gene Murphy, May Abdalla
    Best VR Experience for Interactive Content: “Le bal de Paris de Blanca Li,” Blanca Li
    Best VR Story: “End of Night,” David Adler

    Source: The Wrap

  • Telluride 2021 Recap

    Telluride 2021 Recap

    As Telluride wraps up, let’s review the Oscar chances of some of the films exiting the festival.

    Belfast

    After The Power of the Dog, Belfast is the Telluride film that I believe has the best chance of receiving a Best Picture nomination. Kenneth Branagh’s newest is a sentimental autobiographical portrait of the Troubles and the director’s burgeoning love of cinema. The central actor Jude Hill who plays the young Buddy has probably been the most acclaimed of the cast, yet his status as a child actor will probably keep him from being nominated. Caitrona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, and Ciaran Hinds have all received positive notices but I think Balfe will be the one to rise above the pack and get a nomination. As it is a period film shot in mostly black and white so it’ll probably receive some tech nominations as well.

    The film does seem a little maudlin and oversentimental but I see it having a good chance of getting into the 10 film lineup at this point.

    Predicted nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress – Caitrona Balfe, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design

    Maybes: Best Director, Best Supporting Actress – Judi Dench, Best Editing, Best Costume Design

    C’mon C’mon

    Mike Mills has also come out with a black and white film centering around a child, yet his film couldn’t be more different. According to reviews, Joaquin Phoenix gives a subtle and poignant performance as a radio journalist talking to his nephew about the future. The film will probably be too indie for a Best Picture nomination and while I don’t think either is going to happen, both Phoenix and Mills could possibly receive nominations for their work on the film.

    Predicted Nominations: N/A

    Maybes: Best Actor – Joaquin Phoenix, Best Original Screenplay

    Cyrano

    This film coming from the director of Darkest Hour and Atonement, both Best Picture nominees in their respective years. However, Cyrano will likely not be his next. While the film has received mostly positive reviews, there doesn’t seem to be much passion for it. Peter Dinklage seems to be the obvious standout from the cast and the costume and production design of this musical have also been acclaimed. However, I really don’t see this getting near the Oscars outside of the below-the-line categories.

    Predicted Nominations: Best Production Design, Best Costume Design

    Maybes: Best Actor – Peter Dinklage, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling

    The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

    Like Cyrano, this Benedict Cumberbatch-led film is also a period piece that I don’t think will get good enough reviews to get into Best Picture. However, I can see it possibly getting a runner-up spot at the TIFF People’s Choice Awards and if it does watch out as it may be a major crowdpleaser that get into the slate based on audience support. However, until Toronto happens, I think this is restricted to a Costume Design nod and maybe a Production Design nomination as well.

    Predicted Nominations: Best Costume Design

    Maybes: Best Production Design

    The Hand of God

    This is a film that I was predicting in Best Picture just a few days prior to its premiere and while I think that it’s still in the top 15 in that category, the film’s 77% Rotten Tomatoes and 76 Metascore are not as great as I was expecting them to be. Still, the film has some very passionate supporters and the criticisms of it seem like aspects that might actually make it more accessible to AMPAS. Anyway, I definitely do think its essentially locked for an International Feature nod.

    Predicted Nominations: Best International Feature

    Maybes: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography

    A Hero

    A Hero might be one of the biggest question marks for me. It still has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes meaning that everybody believes it to be a good film but it doesn’t seem to be eliciting the kind of passion from critics that I hoped it would. I definitely still think it will be nominated in International Feature but my hopes for it to be nominated in any above-the-line categories like Original Screenplay, Director, or even Picture have to be put on hold until we know how strong Amazon’s campaign for it will be.

    Predicted Nominations: Best International Feature

    Maybes: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay

    King Richard

    Until, this film premiered I was very worried about Will Smith’s chances in Best Actor. Films like Concussion and Collateral Beauty were visibly made with an Oscar nomination in mind yet both were not very well-received and ended up forgotten by nomination morning. I hoped that King Richard would not end up in the same boat and if early reactions are any indication the film has actually exceeded the expectations of many. According to reviews, Will Smith has delivered one of the best performances of his career (‘Moonlight’ director Barry Jenkins said Smith’s performance is up there with his work in ‘Ali’) in a feel-good crowdpleaser that celebrates Black excellence. Some even have it penciled in for a Best Picture nod.

    Predicted Nominations: Best Actor – Will Smith

    Maybes: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress – Aunjanue Ellis, Best Original Screenplay

    The Lost Daughter

    This Maggie Gylenhaal-directed feature has a fantastic cast (Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, and Peter Sarsgaard) and has been received very positively so far so why hasn’t it garnered much buzz? Well, it is slightly edgier drama and one of the many films on Netflix’s slate this year. However, if the reviews for this film continue to be stellar then I do see Netflix making a push for the film for its actresses and for a screenplay nomination. Adapted Screenplay seems like the film’s best chance as the film might end up being too small in the actress categories if Netflix doesn’t promote it enough.

    Predicted Nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay

    Maybes: Best Actress – Olivia Colman, Best Supporting Actress – Jessie Buckley

    The Power of the Dog

    As I mentioned in my latest post, The Power of the Dog is easily this season’s closest thing to a surefire lock in the Best Picture nomination race. It’s received fantastic reviews and I would be surprised if it doesn’t rack up any Oscar wins in March. Unless something undeniable emerges later in the season, Jane Campion will likely become the third female Best Director winner. Maybe I’m getting really ahead of myself but I’m just happy that there is a film that I can have confidence in as there are a couple that I had a lot of expectations for and did not really meet those, admittedly high expectations review-wise (Dune, Last Night in Soho, and The Hand of God are some major examples).

    As I have said before, the reviews for this film are glowing. Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, and Kodi Smit-McPhee seem to be the standouts and Plemons might get in as well.

    Predicted Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor – Benedict Cumberbatch, Best Supporting Actress – Kirsten Dunst, Best Supporting Actor – Kodi Smit-McPhee, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Original Score

    Maybes: Best Supporting Actor – Jesse Plemons, Best Editing, Best Costume Design

    Spencer

    Another film with a seemingly-locked nomination, Spencer’s central performance has been lauded as the best of Kristen Stewart’s career. This Pablo Larrain film, even though it is supposed to be more accessible than the director’s previously-nominated feature ‘Jackie’, doesn’t seem like it will be accessible enough for a Best Picture nomination. It seems to be particularly alienating some British critics who may not be reacting well to the film’s depiction of the royal family (if anything that makes me more intrigued to watch it).

    Predicted Nominations: Best Actress – Kristen Stewart, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, Best Production Design

    Maybes: Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling

  • ‘The Power of the Dog’ Cements Itself as the First Real Best Picture Contender of the Season

    ‘The Power of the Dog’ Cements Itself as the First Real Best Picture Contender of the Season

    Jane Campion’s newest feature premiered at the Venice Film Festival and has garnered fantastic reactions from critics. At the time of publication, it as at an 89 on Metacritic and at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Kevin Maher of The Times wrote that the film is “the movie to beat for the festival’s prestigious Golden Lion award, and indeed the frontrunner at next year’s Oscars.” While the film does seem accessible enough to be a top 3 contender, I don’t think it’s the kind of film that will have the widespread support needed for a win. Anyway, I am even more excited for this film to release to Netflix in mid-November.

    The actors have been especially praised and the standouts seem to be Benedict Cumberbatch, the relative newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Kirsten Dunst. I am predicting nominations for all three and Cumberbatch may even be able to compete for a win. The ‘Doctor Strange’ actor’s performance has been called both “earth-shattering” and a “career-best”.

    Right now, I can see it getting a Best Picture nomination, a Best Director nod for Campion, a Best Actor nomination for Cumberbatch, a Supporting Actress nod for Dunst, a Supporting Actor nod for Kodi Smit-McPhee (Jesse Plemons’ performance has also been well-received I just doubt both of them will get in), an Adapted Screenplay nod for Campion, a Cinematography nod for Ari Wagner, and a Original Score nod for Jonny Greenwood.

    These reviews are the first real clue of what the Best Picture lineup will look like come next year and The Power of the Dog will likely be near the top of that pack.

  • Telluride Film Festival Lineup Released

    Telluride Film Festival Lineup Released

    The Telluride Film Festival starts tomorrow and per the usual, the festival’s lineup was released one day before the films started screening.

    Telluride has a great track record and seven of the last ten Best Picture winners (the exceptions being 12 Years a Slave, Argo, and Green Book) screened at Telluride.

    Jane Campion, Riz Ahmed, and Peter Dinklage are receiving Silver Medallions this year. In the last 5 years Casey Affleck, Alfonso Cuaron, Renee Zellweger, Chloe Zhao, and Anthony Hopkins all received Silver Medallions at Telluride and won Oscars a few months later so watch out for these three (especially Campion).

    Here’s the Telluride 2021 lineup:

    THE AUTOMAT (d. Lisa Hurwitz, U.S., 2021) In person: Lisa Hurwitz 

    BECOMING COUSTEAU (d. Liz Garbus, U.S., 2021) In person: Liz Garbus

    BELFAST (d. Kenneth Branagh, U.K., 2021) In person: Kenneth Branagh, Jamie Dornan

    BERGMAN ISLAND (d. Mia Hansen-Løve, France/Germany/Sweden, 2021) In person: Mia Hansen-Løve

    BITTERBRUSH (d. Emelie Mahdavian, U.S., 2021) In person: Emelie Mahdavian, Colie Moline

    C’MON C’MON (d. Mike Mills, U.S., 2021) In person: Mike Mills, Gaby Hoffman, Molly Webster

    CITIZEN ASHE (d. Sam Pollard, Rex Miller, U.S./U.K., 2021) In person: Sam Pollard, Rex Miller

    COW (d. Andrea Arnold, U.K., 2021) In person: Andrea Arnold

    CYRANO (d. Joe Wright, U.K., 2021) In person: Joe Wright, Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Erica Schmidt, Bryce Dessner, Aaron Dessner

    THE DUKE (d. Roger Michell, U.K., 2021) In person: Roger Michell, Helen Mirren

    THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN (d. Will Sharpe, U.K., 2021) In person: Will Sharpe, Benedict Cumberbatch

    ENCOUNTER (d. Michael Pearce, U.S., 2021) In person: Michael Pearce

    FAUCI (d. John Hoffman, Janet Tobias, U.S., 2021) In person: John Hoffman, Janet Tobias, Steven Wakefield, Peter Staley

    FLEE (d. Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Denmark, 2021) In person: Jonas Poher Rasmussen

    HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG (d. Dayna Goldfine, Dan Geller, U.S., 2021) In person: Dan Geller, Dayna Goldfine, Sharon Robinson,

    THE HAND OF GOD (d. Paolo Sorrentino, Italy, 2021) In person: Paolo Sorrentino, Teresa Saponangelo, Luisa Ranieri, Filippo Scotti

    A HERO (d. Asghar Farhadi, Iran/France, 2021) In person: Asghar Farhadi

    JULIA (d. Julie Cohen, Betsy West, U.S., 2021) In person: Julie Cohen, Betsy West

    KING RICHARD (d. Reinaldo Marcus Green, U.S., 2021) In person: Reinaldo Marcus Green

    THE LOST DAUGHTER (d. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Greece/U.S./U.K./Israel, 2021) In person: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, Ed Harris

    MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON (d. Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny Slate, U.S, 2021) In person: Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny Slate

    MUHAMMAD ALI (d. Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon, U.S., 2021) In person: Sarah Burns, David McMahon, Rasheda Ali, Michael Bentt 

    NUCLEAR FAMILY (d. Ry Russo-Young, U.S., 2021) In person: Ry Russo-Young, Sandra Russo, Robin Young

    PETITE MAMAN (d. Céline Sciamma, France, 2021) In person: Céline Sciamma

    THE POWER OF THE DOG (d. Jane Campion, Australia/New Zealand, 2021) In person: Jane Campion, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons

    PROCESSION (d. Robert Greene, U.S., 2021) In person: Robert Greene, Dan Laurine, Ed Gavagan, Mike Foreman, Michael Sandridge, Joe Eldred, Tom Viviano, Terrick Trobough

    THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN (d. James Spinney, Peter Middleton, U.S., 2021) In person: James Spinney, Peter Middleton

    RED ROCKET (d. Sean Baker, U.S., 2021) In person: Sean Baker, Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Ethan Darbone, Brittney Rodriguez, Suzanna Son

    THE RESCUE (d. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, U.S./U.K., 2021) In person: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Mitch Torrel, Thanet Natisri

    RIVER (d. Jennifer Peedom, Australia, 2021)

    THE SAME STORM (d. Peter Hedges, U.S., 2021) In person: Peter Hedges, Noma Dumezweni, Mary-Louise Parker

    SPEER GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (d. Vanessa Lapa, Israel/Austria/Germany, 2021) In person: Vanessa Lapa

    SPENCER (d. Pablo Larraín, U.K./Germany/Chile, 2021) In person: Pablo Larraín, Kristen Stewart

    TORN (d. Max Lowe, U.S., 2021) In person: Max Lowe, Conrad Anker, Jennifer Lowe-Anker, Isaac Lowe-Anker, Sam Lowe-Anker

    UNCLENCHING THE FISTS (d. Kira Kovalenko, Russia, 2021) In person: Kira Kovalenko

    THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (d. Todd Haynes, U.S., 2021) In person: Todd Haynes, Ed Lachman

    Source: The Film Stage

  • 2022 Oscars: Late July Oscar Predictions

    2022 Oscars: Late July Oscar Predictions

    The New York Film Festival has released their Opening Night and Centerpiece films. These films usually have a decent track record at the Oscars as 3 of the last 5 Centerpiece picks went on to becoming Best Picture nominees. This year The Power of the Dog is the pick and as that film has also been confirmed for both Venice and Toronto as well, I think it probably has the best chance for a Best Picture nomination out of any other film this year so far. It and Nightmare Alley seem like the only films that could be declared locks at this point. The New York Film Festival’s Opening Night pick has reached the Best Picture slate twice in the last five years and while that might not seem like a great track record, two of their picks (13th and Lovers Rock) were ineligible for a BP nomination. The Tragedy of Macbeth is this year’s Opening Night film and if it is well-received I think it could very well be a lock.

    Both The French Dispatch and A Hero went to Cannes and both received good-to-great reviews from critics. I would feel more confident about their chances if they had received universal acclaim but I still think that they can get in if they are campaigned well. If A Hero is campaigned well I think it is a film that will play well with both critics and audiences and I might even be more confident in its chances than I am for The French Dispatch. The French Dispatch is an anthology film and, as a result, reviews have said that it does not have the same emotional resonance of Wes Anderson’s other work. However, I think the technical aspects of the film will garner enough passion and will probably help it carve out spot in the Best Picture slate. Searchlight is also probably the best studio when it comes to campaigning their films for Oscar attention and I have confidence in them and in Anderson’s good will in the industry.

    Anyway, here are my predictions:

    BEST PICTURE

    Nightmare Alley (Searchlight)

    The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

    Soggy Bottom (MGM)

    House of Gucci (MGM)

    The French Dispatch (Searchlight)

    Dune (Warner Bros.)

    West Side Story (20th Century)

    The Tragedy of Macbeth (A24/Apple+)

    A Hero (Amazon)

    Don’t Look Up (Netflix)

    Could Jump In:

    Last Night in Soho (Focus)

    Being the Ricardos (Amazon, might be 2022)

    The Hand of God (Netflix)

    The Last Duel (20th Century)

    Tick, Tick…Boom! (Netflix)

    Parallel Mothers (Sony Classics)

    A Journal for Jordan (Sony)

    Belfast (Focus)

    In the Heights (Warner Bros.)

    The Humans (A24)

    CODA (Apple+)

    The Harder They Fall (Netflix)

    The Worst Person in the World (Neon)

    The Card Counter (Focus)

    Eternals (Disney/Marvel)

    Flee (Neon)

    Respect (MGM)

    The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (Amazon)

    The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Searchlight)

    King Richard (Warner Bros.)

    Blue Bayou (Focus)

    Red Rocket (A24)

    Passing (Netflix)

    Dear Evan Hansen (Universal)

    Cry Macho (Warner Bros.)

    Cyrano (MGM)

    Mass (Bleecker Street)

    Spencer (Neon)

    The Green Knight (A24)

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog

    Guillermo del Toro – Nightmare Alley

    Denis Villenueve – Dune

    Paul Thomas Anderson – Soggy Bottom

    Asghar Farhadi – A Hero

    Could Jump In: Ridley Scott – House of Gucci, Wes Anderson – The French Dispatch, Joel Coen – The Tragedy of Macbeth, Pedro Almodovar – Parallel Mothers, Steven Spielberg – West Side Story, Ridley Scott – The Last Duel, Paolo Sorrentino – The Hand of God, Edgar Wright – Last Night in Soho, Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth, Adam McKay – Don’t Look Up, Chloe Zhao – Eternals, Kenneth Branagh – Belfast, Joachim Trier – The Worst Person in the World, Paul Schrader – The Card Counter, Sian Heder – CODA

    BEST ACTOR

    Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog

    Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth

    Bradley Cooper – Nightmare Alley

    Adam Driver – House of Gucci

    Leonardo DiCaprio – Don’t Look Up

    Could Jump In: Will Smith – King Richard, Andrew Garfield – Tick, Tick…Boom, Michael B. Jordan – A Journal for Jordan, Brendan Fraser – The Whale, Joaquin Phoenix – C’mon C’mon, Adam Driver – Annette, Oscar Isaac – The Card Counter, Peter Dinklage – Cyrano, Steven Yeun – The Humans, Javier Bardem – Being the Ricardos, Mahershala Ali – Swan Song, Caleb Landry Jones – Nitram, Toni Servillo – The Hand of God, Antonio Banderas – Official Competition

    BEST ACTRESS

    Lady Gaga – House of Gucci

    Jennifer Hudson – Respect

    Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog

    Frances McDormand – The Tragedy of Macbeth

    Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye

    Could Jump In: Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos (if it comes out this year, she’s in), Cate Blanchett – Nightmare Alley, Jodie Comer – The Last Duel, Penelope Cruz – Parallel Mothers, Kristen Stewart – Spencer, Jennifer Lawrence – Don’t Look Up, Rachel Zegler – West Side Story, Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter, Emilia Jones – CODA, Tessa Thompson – Passing, Haley Bennett – Cyrano, Tilda Swinton – Memoria, Alicia Vikander – Blue Bayou

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Bradley Cooper – Soggy Bottom

    Richard Jenkins – The Humans

    Jesse Plemmons – The Power of the Dog

    Al Pacino – House of Gucci

    Corey Hawkins – The Tragedy of Macbeth

    Could Jump In: Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog, Adam Driver – The Last Duel, Bradley Whiford – Tick, Tick…Boom, Jason Isaacs – Mass, Richard Jenkins – Nightmare Alley, Mark Rylance – Don’t Look Up, Alessandro Nivola – The Many Saints of Newark, Benny Safdie – Soggy Bottom, Jared Leto – House of Gucci, Idris Elba – The Harder They Fall, Willem Dafoe – The Card Counter

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Cate Blanchett – Nightmare Alley (could go lead)

    Ruth Negga – Passing

    Ann Dowd – Mass

    Judi Dench – Belfast

    Anya Taylor-Joy – Last Night in Soho

    Could Jump In: Toni Colette – Nightmare Alley, Marlee Matlin – CODA, Ariana DeBose – West Side Story, Meryl Streep – Don’t Look Up, Audra McDonald – Respect, Alicia Vikander – Blue Bayou, Rooney Mara – Nightmare AlleyMartha Plimpton – Mass, Claire Foy – The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, Olga Merediz – In the Heights

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    Soggy Bottom

    The French Dispatch

    Don’t Look Up

    A Hero

    Last Night in Soho

    Could Jump In: The Whale, CODA, Red Rocket, The Card Counter, Mass, Spencer, The Worst Person in the World, King Richard

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    The Power of the Dog

    Nightmare Alley

    House of Gucci

    The Tragedy of Macbeth

    A Journal for Jordan

    Could Jump In: Dune, The Humans, The Last Duel, West Side Story, Tick, Tick…Boom, Cry Macho, Dear Evan Hansen, Zola

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

    Flee

    Luca

    Encanto

    Apollo 10 1/2

    The Mitchells vs. the Machines

    Could Jump In: Where is Anne Frank?, Vivo, Raya and the Last Dragon, Ron’s Gone Wrong, Belle

    BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

    Nightmare Alley

    The French Dispatch

    West Side Story

    House of Gucci

    Dune

    Could Jump In: The Last Duel, Cyrano, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Power of the Dog, Belfast

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    Dune

    The French Dispatch

    The Power of the Dog

    Nightmare Alley

    The Tragedy of Macbeth

    Could Jump In: The Last Duel, Last Night in Soho, West Side Story, Belfast, House of Gucci

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN

    Nightmare Alley

    House of Gucci

    The French Dispatch

    Cyrano

    Cruella

    Could Jump In: Last Night in Soho, West Side Story, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Belfast

    BEST EDITING

    Dune

    Don’t Look Up

    House of Gucci

    The French Dispatch

    Last Night in Soho

    Could Jump In: Nightmare Alley, West Side Story, Soggy Bottom, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, The tragedy of Macbeth

    BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

    House of Gucci

    Dune

    Cruella

    The Eyes of Tammy Faye

    Cyrano

    Could Jump In: Being the Ricardos, The French Dispatch, The Suicide Squad, Eternals, West Side Story

    BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

    Dune

    Eternals

    The Suicide Squad

    Spider-Man: No Way Home

    The Matrix 4

    Could Jump In: Godzilla vs Kong, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Tomorrow War, Black Widow, Top Gun: Maverick, No Time to Die

    BEST SOUND

    Dune

    West Side Story

    Don’t Look Up

    Eternals

    A Quiet Place Part II

    Could Jump In: Top Gun: Maverick, In The Heights, Tick, Tick…Boom, A Journal for Jordan, No Time to Die

    BEST SCORE

    The Power of the Dog

    Dune

    Nightmare Alley

    The French Dispatch

    Don’t Look Up

    Could Jump In: The Tragedy of Macbeth, Eternals, Luca, Spencer, No Time to Die

    BEST SONG

    No Time to Die

    Encanto

    Top Gun: Maverick

    Annette

    Respect

    Could Jump In: Dear Evan Hansen, Defying Gravity, Don’t Look Up

  • Venice Announces Their 2021 Lineup

    Venice Announces Their 2021 Lineup

    Venice, after Toronto of course, is the most important festival when it comes to the Oscar race. The last four winners there (The Shape of Water, Roma, Joker, and Nomadland) have all been top 4 Best Picture contenders in their respective years and this seems to be a streak that shows no sign of stopping. As a result, the winner at Venice (unless it’s a very out-there pick) will likely become the first movie that can legitimately claim frontrunner status in the Oscar race.

    At Venice, there are essentially two categories that can possibly hold a prospective Best Picture contender: In Competition and Out of Competition (Fiction).

    These are the films in those two categories:

    Opening Night

    “Parallel Mothers,” Pedro Almodóvar (in competition)

    Competition/Venezia 78

    “Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon,” Ana Lily Amirpour

    “Un Autre Monde,” Stephanie Brize

    “The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion

    “America Latina,” Damiano D’Innocenzo and Fabio D’Innocenzo

    “L’Evenement,” Audrey Diwan

    “Official Competition,” Gaston Duprat and Mariana Cohn

    “Il Buco,” Michelangelo Frammartino

    “Sundown,” Michel Franco

    “Illusions Perdues,” Xavier Giannoli

    “The Lost Daughter,” Maggie Gyllenhaal

    “Spencer,” Pablo Larrain

    “Freaks Out,” Gabrielle Mainetti

    “Qui Rido Io,” Mario Martone

    “On the Job: The Missing 8,” Erik Matti

    “Leave No Traces,” Jan P. Matuszynski

    “Captain Volkonogov Escaped,” Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov

    “The Card Counter,” Paul Schrader

    “The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino

    “Reflection,” Valentyn Vasyanovych

    “La Caja,” Lorenzo Vigas

    Out of Competition (Fiction)

    “Il Bambino Nascosto,” Roberto Ando (closing film of the festival)

    “Les Choses Humaines,” Yvan Attal

    “Ariaferma,” Leonardo di Costanzo

    “Halloween Kills,” David Gordon Green

    “La Scoula Cattolica,” Stefano Mordini

    “Old Henry,” Potsy Ponciroli

    “The Last Duel,” Ridley Scott

    “Dune,” Denis Villeneuve

    “Last Night in Soho,” Edgar Wright

    “Scenes From a Marriage” (Episodes 1-5), Hagai Levi

     

    Here are the Best Picture nominees that went to Venice from the past 5 years:

    2020 – In Competition: Nomadland (Golden Lion winner)

    2019 – In Competition: Joker (Golden Lion winner), Marriage Story

    2018 – In Competition: The Favourite, Roma (Golden Lion winner); Out of Competition: A Star is Born

    2017 – In Competition: The Shape of Water (Golden Lion winner), Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri

    2016 – In Competition: Arrival, La La Land; Out of Competition: Hacksaw Ridge

    So, according to this, I believe that there will probably be two films from Venice’s In Competition group and one from their Out of Competition group that will end up as Best Picture nominees.

    From the films in competition, I think those with the best chances at the Oscar are (in order of probability): The Power of the Dog, Parallel Mothers, The Hand of God, The Card Counter, Spencer, and The Lost Daughter.

    From the films out of competition, those with the best odds in my opinion for attaining a Best Picture nom are (in order of probability): Dune, The Last Duel, and Last Night in Soho.

    Here is the rest of Venice’s slate:

    Out of Competition (Non Fiction)

    “Life of Crime 1984-2020,” Jon Alpert

    “Tranchees,” Loup Bureau

    “Viaggio Nel Crepuscolo,” Augusto Contento

    “Republic of Silence,” Diana el Jeiroudi

    “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song,” Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine

    “Deandre#Deandre Storia Di Un Impiegato,” Roberta Lena

    “Django and Django,” Luca Rea

    “Ezio Bosso. Le Cose Che Restano,” Giorgio Verdelli

    Out of Competition (Special Screenings)

    “Le 7 Giornate di Bergamo,” Simona Ventura

    “Il Cinema Al Tempo del Covid,” Andrea Segre

    Out of Competition (Short Films)

    “Plastic Semiotic,” Radu Jude

    “The Night,” Tsai Ming-Liang

    “Sad Film,” Vasili (Pseudonym)

    Horizons/Orizzonti

    “Les Promesses,” Thomas Kruithof

    “Atlantide,” Yuri Ancarani

    “Miracle,” Bogdan George Apetri

    “Pilgrims,” Laurynas Bareisa

    “Il Paradiso Del Pavone,” Laura Bispuri

    “The Falls,” Chung Mong-Hong

    “El Hoyo en la Cerca,” Joaquin Del Paso

    “Amira,” Mohamed Diab

    “A Plein Temps,” Eric Gravel

    “107 Mothers,” Peter Kerekes

    “Vera Dreams of the Sea,” Kaltrina Krasniqi

    “White Building,” Kavich Neang

    “Anatomy of Time,” Jakrawal Nilthamrong

    “El Otro Tom,” Rodrigo Pla and Laura Santullo

    “El Gran Movimiento,” Kiro Russo

    “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta,” Aditya Vikram Sengupta

    “Rhino,” Oleg Sentsov

    “True Things,” Harry Wootliff

    “Inu-Oh,” Yuasa Masaaki

    Horizons/Orizzonti Extra

    “Land of Dreams,” Sherin Neshat and Shoja Azari

    “Costa Brava,” Mounia Akl

    “Mama, I’m Home,” Vladimir Bitokov

    “Ma Nuit,” Antoinette Boulat

    “La Ragazza Ha Volato,” Wilma Labate

    “7 Prisoners,” Alexandre Moratto

    “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic,” Teemu Nikki

    “La Macchina Delle Immagini di Alfredo C.,” Roland Sejko

    Source: IndieWire

  • 2022 Oscars: June Oscar Predictions

    2022 Oscars: June Oscar Predictions

    The Best Picture field will expand to 10 next year instead of the sliding scale that we’ve seen since 2009 and that benefits films that would have otherwise just missed out on a nomination in Picture (think Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and One Night in Miami from this past season and The Two Popes from the year before). As a result of this expansion and the Academy’s increased openness to international cinema in recent years, I believe that at least one international film will break into the lineup. It’s also apparent that for an international director to get in to the field, they must already be acclaimed in some way – either with a film that has received major critical acclaim in the United States or with a film that has won the Best International Film Oscar. Asghar Farhadi has achieved both milestones as his A Separation is one of the most acclaimed films of the 2010s and won the Foreign-Language Film Oscar. His 2016 effort The Salesman also won in this category as well. His next film A Hero which will be premiering at Cannes in July should already be seen as a major frontrunner due to the Academy’s affinity with his work. Paolo Sorrentino’s new film The Hand of God should also be in contention as his 2013 film The Great Beauty is considered by many to be a masterpiece and won best Foreign Language Film. Also watch out for Decision to Leave from Oldboy director Park Chan-Wook and Madres Paralelas from Talk to Her and Pain and Glory director Pedro Almodovar.

    Theaters are slowly moving back to normal this year and that means that we can probably expect 1-2 bonafide studio blockbusters in the slate this year. Dune, Eternals, or even West Side Story could be the films that achieve the juggling act of being both highly critically-acclaimed and popular among general audiences. Speaking of West Side Story, this year sees the return of major musicals as In the Heights, Tick, Tick…Boom, Annette, Cyrano, Dear Evan Hansen, Encanto, and Vivo are all set to be released this year. Of this group, In the Heights, Tick, Tick…Boom, and West Side Story seem like the ones with the best chance at breaking into the top 10. However, In the Heights underperformance at the box office definitely hurts its chances. If Tick, Tick…Boom ends up being critically-acclaimed, I could easily see it taking West Side Story’s place as this year’s musical nominee.

    There are also films from major auteurs and Oscar favorites this year. Films from Guillermo del Toro, Ridley Scott, Jane Campion, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Denis Villeneuve, Joel Coen, Steven Spielberg, Adam McKay, Denzel Washington, Aaron Sorkin, Chloe Zhao, David O. Russell, Edgar Wright, Darren Aronofsky, Clint Eastwood, Taika Waititi, Leos Carax, Pablo Larrain, and Paul Schrader are all set to come out this year and that is extremely exciting for me both as a Oscar prognosticator and as a movie fan.

    With that, here are my predictions for this month.

    BEST PICTURE

    Nightmare Alley (Searchlight) – December 3rd

    House of Gucci (MGM) – November 24th

    The Power of the Dog (Netflix) – 2021 (TBD)

    Soggy Bottom (MGM) – November 26th

    The French Dispatch (Searchlight) – October 22nd

    Dune (Warner Bros.) – October 1st

    The Last Duel (20th Century) – October 15th

    The Tragedy of Macbeth (Apple/A24) – 2021 (TBD)

    West Side Story (20th Century) – December 10th

    A Hero (Amazon) – July 2021 (Cannes)

    Could Jump In:

    Don’t Look Up (Netflix) – 2021 (TBD)

    The Hand of God (Netflix) – 2021 (TBD)

    A Journal for Jordan (Sony) – December 10th

    Being the Ricardos (Amazon) – TBD

    In the Heights (Warner Bros.) – June 11th

    CODA (Apple+) – August 13th

    Eternals (Disney/Marvel) – November 5th

    Blue Bayou (Focus) – September 17th

    Canterbury Glass (20th Century) – TBD

    The Many Saints of Newark (Warner Bros.) – September 24th

    Last Night in Soho (Focus) – October 22nd

    The Card Counter (Focus) – September 10th

    Tick, Tick…Boom (Netflix) – 2021 (TBD)

    Respect (MGM) – August 13th

    The Whale (A24) – TBD

    Next Goal Wins (Searchlight) – TBD

    Cry Macho (Warner Bros.) – October 22nd

    Blonde (Netflix) – 2021 (TBD)

    Spencer (Neon) – 2021 (TBD)

    Mass (Bleecker Street) – 2021 (TBD)

    Passing (Netflix) – 2021 (TBD)

    The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (Amazon) – 2021 (TBD)

    Decision to Leave – TBD

    Belfast (Focus) – November 12th

    The Humans (A24) – 2021 (TBD)

    Annette (Amazon) – July 7th (Cannes)

    C’mon C’mon (A24) – TBD

     

    As I mentioned previously there are many major filmmakers coming through with films this year and many, including all-time greats like Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, Asghar Farhadi, and Ridley Scott, are completely Oscarless. While that easily could be something that is rectified this year, I have a feeling that Jane Campion (who previously won Adapted Screenplay for The Piano) will become the second-ever female Best Director winner.

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog

    Guillermo del Toro – Nightmare Alley

    Wes Anderson – The French Dispatch

    Paul Thomas Anderson – Soggy Bottom

    Ridley Scott – The Last Duel or House of Gucci

    Could Jump In: Denis Villeneuve – Dune, Paolo Sorrentino – The Hand of God, Asghar Farhadi – A Hero, Joel Coen – The Tragedy of Macbeth, Adam McKay – Don’t Look Up, Steven Spielberg – West Side Story, Denzel Washington – A Journal for Jordan, Jon M. Chu – In The Heights, Chloe Zhao – Eternals, Edgar Wright – Last Night in Soho, Justin Chon – Blue Bayou, Sian Heder – CODA, Darren Aronofsky – The Whale, Rebecca Hall – Passing, Park Chan-Wook – Decision to Leave

     

    The amount of biopic performances here is crazy (Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin, Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball, and Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe to name a few) and I think that either a fictional character performance is going to end up surpassing all the biopic performances or one biopic performance is going to be from a top 4 Best Picture contender and end up prevailing. This category is also very deep and I think that the top 16 contenders I have listed all have a good chance of hitting the top 5.

    BEST ACTRESS

    Lady Gaga – House of Gucci

    Jennifer Hudson – Respect

    Kirsten Dunst – The Power of the Dog

    Kristen Stewart – Spencer

    Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos

    Could Jump In: Ana de Armas – Blonde, Frances McDormand – The Tragedy of Macbeth, Cate Blanchett – Nightmare Alley, Jessica Chastain – The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Jennifer Lawrence – Don’t Look Up, Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter, Amanda Seyfried – A Mouthful of Air, Margot Robbie – Canterbury Glass, Halle Berry – Bruised, Martha Plimpton – Mass, Rachel Zegler – West Side Story, Emilia Jones – CODA, Tessa Thompson – Passing, Melanie Laurent – The Mad Woman’s Ball

     

    While I could easily see Washington winning his thirs acting Oscar as Macbeth, Cumberbatch is playing a very menacing and unnerving character in The Power of the Dog and if the film becomes a top 4 Best Picture contender, he seems like he could definitely prevail. Like Best Actress, this category seems to be stacked as well and I think that the top 12 contenders I have listed here all have a great chance of receiving a nomination.

    BEST ACTOR

    Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog

    Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth

    Adam Driver – House of Gucci

    Will Smith – King Richard

    Bradley Cooper – Nightmare Alley

    Could Jump In: Michael B. Jordan – A Journal for Jordan, Oscar Isaac – The Card Counter, Brendan Fraser – The Whale, Leonardo DiCaprio – Don’t Look Up, Christian Bale – Canterbury Glass, Andrew Garfield – Tick, Tick…Boom, Javier Bardem – Being the Ricardos, Peter Dinklage – Cyrano, Michael Fassbender – Next Goal Wins, Adam Driver – Annette, Jason Isaacs – Mass, Joaquin Phoenix – C’mon C’mon, Matt Damon – Stillwater, Justin Chon – Blue Bayou, Toni Servillo – The Hand of God

     

    I have two actresses from Sundance indies in my predictions here and while that is unlikely to actually end up happening, both Negga and Dowd have generated lots of buzz for their respective performances. It remains to be seen if that buzz will be diminished by Oscar voting time. Jodie Comer has generated a lot of goodwill for her work on Killing Eve and that buzz could catapult her into an Oscar nomination and maybe even a win. Medieval-set movies don’t usually have very meaty roles for women but as Nicole Holofcener is credited as a writer (in addition to, of course, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck), I think Comer could have a lot to do.

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Jodie Comer – The Last Duel

    Cate Blanchett – Nightmare Alley

    Ruth Negga – Passing

    Ann Dowd – Mass

    Anya Taylor-Joy – Last Night in Soho

    Could Jump In: Toni Colette – Nightmare Alley, Marlee Matlin – CODA, Alicia Vikander – Blue Bayou, Olga Merediz – In the Heights, Ariana DeBose – West Side Story, Glenn Close – Swan Song, Thomasin McKenzie – The Power of the Dog, Rooney Mara – Nightmare Alley, Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter, Claire Foy – The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, Meryl Streep – Don’t Look Up, Judi Dench – Belfast, Julianne Moore – Dear Evan Hansen, Marion Cotillard – Annette, Regina King – The Harder They Fall, Zoe Saldana – Canterbury Glass, Jayne Houdyshell – The Humans

     

    Bradley Cooper is going to win an Oscar in the next 10 years as he’s been nominated for eight in the previous ten years. This year he has two performances in films from Guillermo del Toro and Paul Thomas Anderson in contention and I think his performance in the latter film could leave an impression if it is more than a glorified cameo. I am particularly curious about how John David Washington’s performance will end up performing as Canterbury Glass seems like a movie that will be catered to the tastes of the Academy yet due to the controversy surrounding director David O. Russell, the amount of nominations it will receive will most likely be limited. I have been very conservative about its chances in my predictions, but it could very well end up like Bohemian Rhapsody which did not receive a Director nomination (its director Bryan Singer had quite a few sexual assault allegations) but received both a Picture and acting noms. If Canterbury Glass wades through the cloud surrounding Russell and makes it into Picture, it most likely will also receive acting nominations for any of Bale, Robbie, Washington, or Saldana, a cinematography nomination, and a nomination in Score.

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Bradley Cooper – Soggy Bottom

    Richard Jenkins – Nightmare Alley

    Jesse Plemons – The Power of the Dog

    Adam Driver – The Last Duel

    Al Pacino – House of Gucci

    Could Jump In: Willem Dafoe – The Card Counter, Kodi Smit-McPhee – The Power of the Dog, Idris Elba – The Harder They Fall, Delroy Lindo – The Harder They Fall, John David Washington – Canterbury Glass, Corey Hawkins – The Tragedy of Macbeth, Bradley Whitford – Tick, Tick…Boom, J.K. Simmons – Being the Ricardos, Willem Dafoe – Nightmare Alley, Bill Murray – The French Dispatch, Colman Domingo – Zola, Mark Rylance – Don’t Look Up, Jason Isaacs – Mass, Jared Leto – House of Gucci, Richard Jenkins – The Humans

     

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    Soggy Bottom

    The French Dispatch

    Don’t Look Up

    Being the Ricardos

    A Hero

    Could Jump In: Last Night in Soho, The Card Counter, The Whale, Blue Bayou, The Hand of God, CODA, Mass, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, C’mon C’mon

     

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    The Power of the Dog

    House of Gucci

    Nightmare Alley

    The Last Duel

    A Journal for Jordan

    Could Jump In: Dune, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Passing, Next Goal Wins, The Lost Daughter, Tick, Tick…Boom, Cry Macho, West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen

     

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

    Flee

    Luca

    Encanto

    Apollo 10 1/2

    The Mitchells vs. the Machines

    Could Jump In: Where is Anne Frank?, Ron’s Gone Wrong, Vivo, The Boss Baby 2, Peter Rabbit 2, Sing 2

     

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN

    Nightmare Alley

    House of Gucci

    The French Dispatch

    Cyrano

    Being the Ricardos

    Could Jump In: Last Night in Soho, Cruella, West Side Story, Dune, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, Soggy Bottom, The Last Duel, Blonde, Canterbury Glass

     

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    Dune

    The French Dispatch

    The Power of the Dog

    Nightmare Alley

    The Tragedy of Macbeth

    Could Jump In: The Last Duel, Canterbury Glass, Last Night in Soho, West Side Story, House of Gucci, Annette, Blonde, Blue Bayou, The Hand of God

     

    BEST MAKEUP AND HAIR

    Being the Ricardos

    House of Gucci

    Dune

    Cruella

    The Eyes of Tammy Faye

    Could Jump In: The French Dispatch, Blonde, Cyrano, The Suicide Squad, Last Night in Soho, Eternals, Nightmare Alley, West Side Story, The Whale

     

    BEST EDITING

    Dune

    Don’t Look Up

    The French Dispatch

    House of Gucci

    Last Night in Soho

    Could Jump In: Nightmare Alley, West Side Story, The Power of the Dog, Soggy Bottom, The Last Duel, The Tragedy of Macbeth, A Journal for Jordan, The Card Counter, Cry Macho

     

    BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

    Nightmare Alley

    Dune

    The French Dispatch

    West Side Story

    House of Gucci

    Could Jump In: The Last Duel, Cyrano, Cruella, In the Heights, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, Last Night in Soho, The Power of the Dog, Being the Ricardos, Canterbury Glass

     

    BEST SCORE

    The Power of the Dog

    Dune

    Nightmare Alley

    The French Dispatch

    Don’t Look Up

    Could Jump In: Canterbury Glass, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Eternals, Spencer, Annette, Luca, No Time to Die, Zola

     

    BEST SONG

    No Time to Die

    Encanto

    Top Gun: Maverick

    Annette

    Respect

    Could Jump In: Dear Evan Hansen, Don’t Look Up, Defying Gravity, In the Heights, Tick, Tick…Boom, Cyrano, Vivo

     

    BEST SOUND

    Dune

    West Side Story

    Don’t Look Up

    Eternals

    A Quiet Place Part II

    Could Jump In: Top Gun: Maverick, In the Heights, Tick, Tick…Boom, A Journal for Jordan, Nightmare Alley, House of Gucci, No Time to Die, The Last Duel, The French Dispatch

     

    BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

    Dune

    Eternals

    The Suicide Squad

    Spider-Man: No Way Home

    The Matrix 4

    Could Jump In: Godzilla vs Kong, The Green Knight, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Jungle Cruise, The Tomorrow War, Black Widow, No Time to Die, Top Gun: Maverick