The 96th Annual Academy Awards - My Predictions

 

Another year of cinematic delights, and of varying degrees of entertainment and success. Some firm favourites have returned to our screens but not all have proved to be the box office gold as was expected. 

One thing is clear, a huge budget does not guarantee to have cinema seats filled time and time again. And something I have said for a while, is that a good proportion of the cinema going public are getting weary of Super-hero movies. At one stage, like a Bond film or a Tarantino film, it was event cinema, but since the floodgates opened, and we seem to have a new film pretty much every other month, it has become the norm, and we yearn for originality.

As always, I shall be looking at the main categories, and naming what I would like to see win and what I think shall win. Hopefully in some of the categories they will be the same.

And for the first time in recent memory, ahead of the Oscars ceremony, I have seen all 45 nominations in the main 8 categories.   So here, we go....

 

Best Actor in A Supporting Role 

I am really torn on this category. I know that I am in the minority in that I was not blown away by "Oppenheimer". But one thing that did strike me was the remarkable performance from Robert Downey Jr. I would say it is a career best performance from a man with a very varied cinema CV.

 There are some other great performances, though surprised at some of the nominations.

WHAT I THINK WILL WIN

Robert Downey Jr in "Oppenheimer"

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WIN

Ryan Gosling in "Barbie"

I have a huge soft spot for this movie and the phenomenal performance from Ryan Gosling, and if anyone can win against Downey Jr, then it is the very deserving Mr Gosling.

 

 Best Actress in A Supporting Role 

As above, there is at least one very questionable nomination, I am not going to name name's but you know who you are. It is always great to see a class act like Jodie Foster get another nomination. Hard to believe she has been on the Academy's nominee list for over 45 years.

Some very welcome first time nominees, including the wonderful Danielle Brooks in "The Color Purple", and in any other year, I think she would stand a good chance of taking home Oscar.

But I think it is safe to say that there is only name for this award, and it is.....

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WIN & WHAT I THINK WILL WIN

Da'Vine Joy Randolph in "The Holdovers"

 Best Original Screenplay

If some categories are pretty much set in stone, then this one is definitely wide open. I would straight away rule out "May December". Not sure if I even agree with its nomination, so for me it has little to no chance of winning.

But other than that, any of the other four could walk away with Oscar. Of the four, for me there is one clear outstanding piece of writing....

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WIN & WHAT I THINK WILL WIN

David Hemingson for "The Holdovers"

 Best Adapted Screenplay

Like Original Screenplay, this could provide some great surprises on Oscar night with most of the nominations standing a reasonable chance of bagging an Academy Award.

Some were surprised at the inclusion of "Barbie" in this category, rather than the more appropriate Original category, now going up against its 'Barbenheimer' partner. 

WHAT I THINK WILL WIN

Jonathan Glazer for "The Zone of Interest"

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WIN

Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach for "Barbie"

 

 

 

 

 Best Actor in A Leading Role

At one point Cillian Murphy more or less had the Oscar guaranteed for his title role in the Christopher Nolan epic "Oppenheimer". 

Many say now that the  ultimate test will be who bags the coveted SAG award. Both Murphy and his closest rival, Paul Giamatti have won several awards for their respective roles, both also having won a Golden Globe, but only one can be victorious on Oscar night, barring there being a tie, which is not impossible, it has happened before. 

All five lead actors are wonderful, and though much has been said why Leonardo DiCaprio has not been nominated for "Killers of the Flower Moon", but my answer is simple. See the actors who are nominated, all incredibly worthy, and on any given year, any could walk away with the award. I especially loved Colman Domingo in "Rustin", and yes it would be great to see the first openly gay actor take to the stage. 

I am going to make my prediction ahead of the SAG Awards, so here goes.....

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WIN & WHAT I THINK WILL WIN

At the end of the day, he is one of the most respected and beloved actors working in the business. So for me it has to be....

Paul Giamatti in "The Holdovers"

 Best Actress in A Leading Role

We have quite a group of amazing actresses here, from past nominees like Carey Mulligan and one of my all time favourites, Annette Bening, to first timers Sandra Huller and Lily Gladstone, and of course previous winner Emma Stone.

Like the chaps, we have a battle royale between Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone, both who took home a Golden Globe. Both are equally excellent in their roles and if there was any justice then history would repeat itself from the 1969 Oscars and we would have a tie. But if pushed, here are my thoughts....

WHAT I THINK WILL WIN

Lily Gladstone for "Killers of the Flower Moon"

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WIN

Carey Mulligan in "Maestro".

I talked about justice above, well for me the performance that I was wowed by the most would be that of this amazing actress, who has surely got to get Oscar recognition at some point.

 Best Director

Some have talked about surprises on Oscar night, but I think we are on safe ground here. Yes it is an absolute travesty that Greta Gerwig has NOT been nominated for "Barbie". The biggest film of the year, she got many first timers into the Cinema to watch her film, but does she get rewarded by the Academy with a nomination???  SHAME SHAME SHAME on you Academy.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WIN & WHAT I THINK WILL WIN

Christopher Nolan for "Oppenheimer"

I know that I am not a huge fan of the film, but I can wow at the spectacle at what he created, and the fact that he continues to champion the big screen experience

BEST PICTURE

Now the big one, and that of Best Picture. Given the way that this result is tabulated, and that there are upto 10 nominees, it can make for some interesting winner decisions. 

As I have mentioned, yes I have seen all ten films.For me, half of them have a question mark against being nominated.

Of the remaining five, four I really loved, and three were exceptional. They being.....

 

 

 

WHAT I THINK WILL WIN

Alas, as much as I loved these three wonderful films, all different in their own way, I think that the Nolan epic will prevail and take the top prize.

  

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WIN

In an ideal world, yes I would love to see this tale of the Mattel Classic doll take home the most respected film prize.

So there you have it. We now just have to wait til March 10th to find out who will be crowned Oscar winners at the 96th Annual Academy Awards. Best of luck to all the nominees....

"The 95th Annual Academy Awards" - My Predictions

 

Well, how the last year has gone by so quickly, and the whole Film Award season. It all comes to end tonight with the handing out of the most famous of all, the Academy Awards.

Over the years the Academy has garnered criticism that it does not respect more popularist films, box office favourites, and that they only reward art house movies, or films that the general public tend to stay away from. I think it is safe to say that this year changes that with nominations for box office smashes like "Top Gun:Maverick" esp in the Best Picture category.

But one other factor is that of late, the Oscars have certainly become memorable, but unfortunately for the Academy, for all the wrong reasons. Whether it be the wrong film named as Best Picture, or Presenters being physically attacked, the biggest talking point is anything other than what did win Best Picture.

At one point, it looked like the 95th Oscars was going to be one of those boring shows where you could safely predict who was going to win what. But after the Awards that have been handed out so far, and with some interesting curve balls, many of the Oscars could go in any number of different directions. And with the Best Picture list, and how the Academy score said category, it is not impossible for a crowd pleasing film like either "Elvis" or "Top Gun:Maverick" to walk away with that Award.

So, as usual I will be providing my list of the main categories, and I shall be listing what I think will win and what I would like to see win, and also some comments on the nominations

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

There are some excellent contenders in this category from the always excellent Brendan Gleeson in "The Banshees of Inisherin" to newcomers like Barry Keoghan, who likewise is excellent in the same film. Some home love saw him win the BAFTA, but I think we all know which way this Award is heading. I may not be a fan of the film, but I like so many of certain age, I grew up watching the brilliant performances of Ke Huy Quan, and given his backstory and how Hollywood turned its back on him, and he left acting for many years, it really would be a wonderful moment to see Ke top his Awards haul by bagging the Oscar.

WHAT WILL WIN - Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

WHAT I WANT TO SEE WIN - Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

 BEST PERFORMANCE BY ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

As above, again there are some strong performances in this category, and any given year they would be a strong contender. But for me this is a two horse race. I do have misgivings about the nomination for Angela Bassett. Yes she does bring gravitas to her role in "Black Panther Wakanda Forever", in what is a pretty bland film, and is a highpoint of the movie, but Oscar worthy??? Some feel it is as much a career win for her body of work, as much as for the film. But then if that is the case, then surely Jamie Lee Curtis should win hands down. Again though not a fan of the film, she is quite brilliant as the tax inspector from hell. And likewise she has been in the industry for almost 50 years, so if we are awarding longevity.....

 

WHAT WILL WIN - Angela Bassett (Black Panther  Wakanda Forever)
 

 

WHAT I WANT TO SEE WIN - Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

 

 

BEST WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

Quite a mixed bag here. We can pretty much rule out "Tar" and "Triangle of Sadness" (over-rated) from this category. I would love to see Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner win for "The Fabelmans" as of the remaining three films, it is the one I enjoyed the most. But its between the Daniels and Academy favourite Martin McDonagh. I think there is every chance that the Daniels will win another category, so this will be a good opportunity to reward McDonagh, especially when he lost out for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri".

                                                               

 

 

WHAT WILL WIN - Martin McDonagh (The Banshees Of Inisherin)

 

WHAT I WANT TO SEE WIN - Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner (The Fabelmans)

 

 

                                                                                             

 

 

 

BEST WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

I do not think this is a particularly strong for Screenplay adaptations. No disrespect but if "Top Gun: Maverick" is nominated, then clearly there is something lacking.  

Given some of the other nominees, there can only be one winner and it is an easy one to call...

WHAT WILL WIN - Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell (All Quiet on The Western Front)

WHAT I WANT TO SEE WIN - Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell (All Quiet on The Western Front)

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Prior to last weekends SAG Awards, you could have pretty much said that it was a given that Cate Blanchett would be walking home with her third Oscar. But has Michelle Yeoh thrown a spanner in the works?? I only hope that all the ballots are in, because her Instagram comments could end up costing her if not.  

Personally I do not think that Blanchett deserves the Oscar, it is a great performance in an average film, but for me just to name one other nominee, Ana de Amas is much better in "Blonde". I am a huge admirer of Michelle Yeoh, and would be delighted to see her win the Oscar. This is a tough one to call.

 

 

 WHAT WILL WIN - Cate Blanchett (Tár)

 

 

WHAT I WANT TO SEE WIN - Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

 

 

 

 

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

I question most strongly some of the performances in this category. Was there a lack of outstanding leading male performances this year? One in particular, having recently seen the film, any reasonable actor could have played the part as well, there is virtually nothing within the performance that makes it stand out, and definitely not Oscar worthy. I know a few have championed Colin Farrell, in what is a reasonably good performance, but ultimately it's between Brendan Fraser and Austin Butler. Both really do excel in their respectibe roles, and I would be delighted to see either win. But like with Ke Huy Quan, Hollywood loves a comeback story, and hopefully it will be enough to push Fraser to victory. Like many have said, the film as a whole is not the best, where as I loved "Elvis" but Fraser has that emotional range more so than Butler. As I have mentioned before, Fraser has done outstanding work in the past in great movies like "School Ties", "With Honors" and of course "Gods & Monsters", so his time is due.

WHAT WILL WIN - Brendan Fraser (The Whale)

WHAT I WANT TO SEE WIN - Brendan Fraser (The Whale)

BEST DIRECTOR

Like so many of this years categories, for me this is a two horse race, between the up and coming Daniels, and the old guard of Steven Spielberg. Much has been made that there are no female nominations this year, especially when there were so many to choose from. Personally I think it is crazy to nominate Ruben Östlund and Todd Field. I feel that neither deserved their nominations. One man who did deserve to be in this category was Edward Berger for his amazing work on the WWI epic "All Quiet On The Western Front".

But back to those who are nominated. One trend is to split Best Picture and Best Director, though onme would imagine that they go hand in hand, but for some reason this logic eludes the Academy. Because of the imaginitive style and scale of their film, I think the Award will go to EEAAO

 

 

 

WHAT WILL WIN - Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

 

WHAT I WANT TO SEE WIN - Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans)

BEST PICTURE

Since the Academy changed the number of films nominated in this category to a maximum of 10 it has created a situation where a left field film could easily win the top award. With a possible 10 nominees, like this year, it really splits the field, and with the way the scores are tabulated, anything is possible. 

For me you can rule out four of the nominated films straight away - they being "Tár", "Avatar: The Way of Water", "Triangle of Sadness" and "Women Talking".

All ten films are given a score, so whilst there is a lot of love for "Everything Everywhere All At Once", that may only score 10's from a die hard section of the Academy, and elsewhere scoring medium to low scores. Where as something like "All Quiet on The Western Front" or "The Fabelmans" or even "Top Gun: Maverick" might score consistent 7's and 8's from across the board. So this really is a tough one to call.

I am going to make an exception, and offer three nominees in this category....

WHAT I WANT TO SEE WIN (PURELY FOR FINANCIAL GAIN)

 

Yes I have had my obligatory bets on this years Oscars, and purely for profit I would be delighted to see this win Best Picture. 

Plus it would be the first film in Oscar history to win the same award twice, as "All Quiet On The Western Front" won Best Picture back in 1930

 

 

 

WHAT I WANT TO SEE WIN

 

 

 

If a win is based on entertainment, then the film that I enjoyed the most would have to be Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis".  It brilliantly told the story of The King, with a great central performance from Austin Butler. 

I know that it will not happen, but I would be equally delighted if  "Top Gun: Maverick" took home the top prize. It was a great romp and good fun was had by all. 

If we are talking social message, then as above I would be pleased to see "All Quiet on The Western Front" win, though given it will win Best Foreign Language Film, I doubt it will do a "Parasite" and win both.

 

 

WHAT I THINK WILL WIN

I know that this will be an unpopular choice, but then again so were my predictions for Sir Anthony Hopkins to beat Chadwick Boseman in the Best Actor category a few years ago, but I was proved right.

I just think that the old guard of the Academy, of which there are still high numbers will not vote for EEAAO in high numbers, so I am going to take a punt and go for the Spielberg film to take home the top prize.

So there you have it, signed, sealed and delivered. Delighted to see that Jimmy Kimmel is back as host. The list of presenters does not inspire but I am sure it will be a great show, and hopefully tomorrow we will all be talking about Who and What won, and not about some incident that occured during the show.

Happy 95th Oscars

"The Whale" (Preview Screening)

 

Like "Empire of Light", the trailer for this film had me hooked, and moved me every time I saw it. 

We are introduced to Charlie, an obese online teacher, who is spending his last few days on this mortal coil, and in those last few days he seeks to reconnect with his Daughter, who he has been estranged from since leaving both her and her Mother for one of his male Students some years earlier.

Given his size, he is housebound, and struggles to most everyday tasks for himself. He does have a Carer, who visits him daily, and she is the Sister of his former male Partner. She is doing her best to keep him alive, but clearly Charlie has a plan.

Ellie is  a very troubled teen, in fact that is beinbg polite. I would almost describe her as loathsome, and if I were Charlie, I would want to keep as far away from her a possible, but being the kind hearted soul that he is, he sees the good in everyone and everything. 

Also coming into the mix is Latter day Saint Thomas, who is trying to convey that a better World is going to be forthcoming, etc etc. Quite frankly I am not sure of what purpose his character serves, although well played by Ty Simpkins. Sadie Sink is equally as good as his repugnant Daughter.

The relationship between Charlie and his Carer Liz is well done, with great work from both Fraser and Hong Chau. You can clearly see the love between, and the love that she knows he still has for his former Partner and her Brother. I had expected to be an emotional wreck by the end of the film, and I wasn't. I would say it is a very good film, but not truly exceptional. But what is at the heart of the film is a phenomenal performance from Brendan Fraser as Charlie. People talk about this resurgence in his career, and that it is a once in a lifetime performance. But he has always had this level of performance in him. Go and check some of his earlier great work on films like "School Ties", "With Honors" and of course his role as the love interest of Sir Ian McKellen in "Gods And Monsters". 

The performance is truly amazing, as is the make-up used to bring Charlie and his obsesity to life. There is much talk of an Oscar, and yes I would be delighted to see him win. Whether he will do so is another matter, we shall see next month......8 out of 10

"M3gan"

 

Here we have the latest thriller from the Blumhouse team. A young girl is orphaned, and goes to live with her Aunt, who is a robotics genius. Struggling to cope with her grief, the Aunt creates a new play friend for her Niece, a piece of AI robotic wizardry, and called Megan. 

Given that her primary keeper is Cady (the Niece), Megan will do all it must to look after her, and more importantly to protect her. You can clearly see where this is going.

From the Neighbours dog, to a local bully, all become the target of Megan, as she engages on a psychotic journey from teacher and saviour to your worst nightmare. 

The plot is wafer thin, incredibly predictable, and with very little tension. And when all looks lost for Aunt and Niece, their rescuer is all too obvious. The Android itself looks and is rather creepy, but should have been used more effectively.

Despite my low praise, I clearly know very little, as the film has been a hit and a sequel has already been given the green light. Dull and predictable...............4 out of 10

"Empire of Light"

 

To say that I had been looking forward to this film for some time would be an understatement. From the first time I saw the trailer on the big screen, I was hooked, and could not wait. Thanks to those lovely people at Cineworld, there was a preview screening.

The film is Directed by Sam Mendes, the Award winning Director of such greats as "Skyfall" and "1917", and as in both those cases, this latest film is shot by Oscar winner Roger Deakins. It is a multi stranded story, dealing with mental illness, racism, a beautiful love story, and the wonder of Cinema. Set at the start of the 1980's we are in Margate, at a local Cinema, where the day to day showing of the latest films takes place. The love story between Hilary (Olivia Colman) and Stephen (Micheal Ward) is beautifully told, and her fall back into depression and dealing with her mental illness is so real and brilliantly done. We also see Stephen having to endure racist abuse. It is a powerful film, very well shot by Deakins. There is a wonderfully understated score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.       

Given the majority of the films location, there is an undeniable love to the Cinema, the big screen experience, and it is at the highpoint when projectionist Norman (Toby Jones) illuminates Stephen as to how the moving image is put on to the big screen. 

There has been much said of Cate Blanchett's performance in "Tár", and that she is nailed on to win the Best Lead Actress Oscar this year. Yes I have seen that performance, and whilst very good, it does not come close to the brilliance of Olivia Colman. The fact that she is not even nominated is a great crime. 

I have seen the film twice, so far. It has a compelling story, great performances, and if you love Cinema and the Big Screen, then there is no better film to see. 2023 gets off to the very best start....10 out of 10

"No Time To Die"

It seems like a lifetime ago since I last reviewed a film. Because of World events, we sadly saw Cinemas around the Globe close. But thankfully things are getting back to normal, well cinematically at the very least. Giving us all a much needed escape from every day life. And despite some success with films being streamed, there will only ever be one place to watch a film, especially for the first time and that is at the Cinema. The big screen experience. There is nothing like it. 

So after several false starts we have the release of Bond 25 or "No Time To Die". There is always a fanfare with the release of a Bond film but this latest Film was a whole different ball game. The arrival of a James Bond film is still a big cinema event, and that coupled with this being the final outing for Daniel Craig in the lead role makes it all the more anticipated. 

There have been so many stories in the Press from ankle injuries to quitting Directors, a possible female Bond to is Dr. No back. 

The main question is....

Is the film any good?

The answer is a resounding yes. But first let's discuss the film itself. The film opens with Bond and Madeleine Swann enjoying an idyllic life together, having driven off into the sunset at the end of "Spectre". 

Both are revisiting their past and it certainly comes back to haunt them. Bond felt betrayed by Vesper Lynd and is history repeating itself? 

An action packed sequence unfolds in the longest pre title sequence in the history of the franchise. It is brilliantly directed and contains some excellent action, very well shot and edited, a far cry from the horror that we had to endure in the opening of "Quantum of Solace". 

This then takes us to the title sequence and the theme from Billie Eillish. I have to admit that when I first heard it I was not at all impressed. I just felt it was a very non sounding Bond song. But given what unfolds at the start of the film, and the song lyrics, it is a perfect mix. As one watches the imagery of the title sequence, one is reminded of another classic Bond film. 

Then we jump forward five years, and the World has moved on. Bond has retired, living a relaxing life in Jamaica, MI6 are making the ultimate weapon to deal the World's bad guys, and naturally someone wants to get their hands on it, and of course does. With a little tinkering the said weapon can go from being the perfect assassination device to causing death on a huge scale. 

Bond is brought back into active service but by not by her Majesty's Secret Service. He comes to the aid of longtime CIA Allie Felix Letter, expressing concern that the powers that be are not playing nicely together. Besides during his retirement Bond has been replaced by Nomi, a new 00 Agent. And boy is she everything his equal. 

Bond, with the help of Paloma, crosses paths with Letter and Nomi in Cuba, trying to locate a missing Russian scientist who holds the key to Heracles, a stolen biological weapon. What follows is a brilliant action sequence, wonderfully choreographed, and features a scene stealing Ana de Amas who just lights up the screen. It is a crying shame that we see so little of her character. 

Loyalties get tested and not everyone is who they seem. 

With Christoph Waltz returning as Blofeld you would expect him to be our main villain, but he takes a side step to the real villain of the piece, Safin, who wants revenge for the death of his family by SPECTRE. But not only does he want to take Spectre suffer but lessen the World's population, with a plot not too dissimilar to "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". In fact there are quite a few nods to that great Bond film. 

As with 007 there are some excellent action sequences, Inc a great shootout in Norway. But all these events lead to the inevitable showdown and the big finale.  

Many diehard fans have been appalled by the ending, but I loved it. I think it brought the Craig Bond era to a fitting close. It was both moving and well executed. 

As ever Daniel Craig excels as Bond. He has made the role his own and is up there as a truly great 007. I felt a vast improvement by Lea Seydoux in her performance as Madeline Swann. All the usual crew (Fiennes, Harris Kinnear & Whishaw) were great. But as mentioned, the two new ladies (Lynch & de Amas) were really top notch and played string female characters in a male dominated World. 

I do think that Rami Malek as Safin didn't quite delivery a memorable performance. I thought he was more chilling in the pre-credit sequence than what followed afterwards. I loved what he planned to do as his masterplan, but just felt he lacked any real menace. 

At almost three hours it is the longest Bond film but the time flies by, there are quite a few surprises along the way, but all in all it will stand the test of time as a great Bond film....9 out of 10

"The 92nd Annual Academy Awards" - My Predictions

It does not seem five minutes since Olivia Colman stole the show at last years Oscars, but the last 12 months have flown by, and here we are with the 92nd Annual Academy Awards.
As always, when the nominations were announced, there was the usual argument, about lack of diversity and gender. I will not add my own personal opinions here, as I will be dealing with those that are nominated. For me, as a big fan of both film, and the Oscars, I do not think that I can ever recall a more star packed category than that of Best Supporting Actor. And the funniest thing is, that two heavy weight actors like Tom Hanks and Sir Anthony Hopkins are the outsiders lol.

As usual for each of the main 8 categories I shall name the nominee who I think will win, and also who I would like to see win, Sometimes they will be the same, and sometimes they will differ.
Of the main 8, which garner a total of 44 nominations, as of typing this, I have seen 42, which I think is the best I have ever managed, so definitely in a good position to pass comment.

As usual, my list will consist of the following:-

Best Original Screenplay
Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best Director
Best Picture

So...let's get started, and the first category is....

Best Original Screenplay

At one point this was set in stone, but more recently a possible contender to steal Tarantino's thunder is "Parasite". But there is a lot of love for Tarantino in the Academy, and I think it is highly unlikely that he will bag Best Director, so if there is one opportunity to award him with an Oscar for this movie, then this is it.
And of the five nominees this is also the one that I would like to see win, and that despite not being a huge fan of the film.








Best Screenplay Based on material Previously Produced or Published

Another category that I don't think is straight forward to call. Like the above, I think at one point it was Steven Zaillian all the way for "The Irishman", but now for me that is doubtful. "Joker" could possibly bag it, as could Greta Gerwig for "Little Women", but I think that there is a good chance that Taika Waititi will prevail, despite mixed reactions to the film. And I would also be equally happy if it wins.










Best Actress in a Supporting Role




Given that Laura Dern has won most of the Supporting Actress Awards going, it is a fairly safe bet that she will be adding an Academy Award to her Trophy cabinet.

Is it the best performance? No, there is better work out there. One has to look no further than the brilliant performance from Oscar Winner Kathy Bates in "Richard Jewell".
I think that in the case of Laura it is honouring not only this performance, which is an ok one, but also her career as a whole, and her parentage.





Best Actor in a Supporting Role

This is a true veterans category, with all five actors having been previously nominated for Academy Awards, and four of this years nominees have been past winners.
Whilst I do not necessarily think that Brad Pitt gives the best performance, I do think he will win, and to be honest, I would be equally pleased to see him win, as he has given some wonderful films and performances over a 30+ year career. I think that it is safe to say that it is his time.



Best Actress in a Leading Role

I think after last year, I have been a little twitchy with some predictions, especially as everyone thought that Glenn Close was a near certainty for Best Leading Actress, and we all know what followed, although if anyone was going to nab that Oscar last year, it was going to be Olivia Colman.
I think I can say that I am on safer ground by declaring that Renee Zellweger will take the honour for her amazing work as Judy Garland, and YES , she does deserve it. Truly oustanding.


Best Actor in a Leading Role

Much has been said of the film "Joker", whether you love it or hate, which does seem to be the extent of peoples emotion on this movie, most consensus is that Joaquin Phoenix gives a brilliant performance. And yes I do think it is very good....but Oscar worthy?  No, not for me, but it pains me to say that I think he will win.






Of all the categories that acting talent has been snubbed, for me this is the big one, as both Eddie Murphy and especially Paul Walter Hauser should both have been nominated. I do question whether Jonathan  Pryce should have been included, its a nice performance but not enough to warrant a win or a nomination. Similarly I think the same of Leonardo DiCaprio.
But as to who I would prefer to see win, well that is easy to answer. Antonio Banderas for his career best Performance in "Pain And Glory".


Best Director

Some time ago, it was safe to say that the one film that was going to dominate the Oscars was "The Irishman" including a 2nd Best Director Oscar for Martin Scorsese. I think it will be a 2nd Oscar but for Sam Mendes for his brilliant work on "1917".

I know I have already said that "Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood" is not my favourite Tarantino movie, but I would so love to see him awarded a Best Director Oscar, and he is long overdue, and given what we know, there may not be many more opportunities.




Best Picture

Again this year we have nine nominees, which certanly makes for a more interesting evening, as a film you would normally not expect to win could slip through, given that the votes are spread over a greater number of films. For me, that is the only way that "The Revenant" did not win Best Picture a few years ago, surely the biggest Oscar crime in recent memory. Yes, more so than "Brokeback Mountain".

For me, there are 3 films that I feel, whilst being good, do not deserve a Best Picture nomination.

For the technical achievement, and given what the story is about, I feel that "1917" will take the top prize. I would say that it is not set in stone, not like some of the acting awards, so we could certainly have an upset here. But I think it will win the top prize.
On a personal level I hope it does also, as I have a decent wager on it winning said prize.

Of all the nine films nominated, and I have been fortunate to see them all, the one that I felt that was the Best Picture, that told the best story, and from start to finish took me on the best journey... it is no contest. It has to be "Le Mans '66".













So just to recap, here are my thoughts on what I think WILL Win

Best Original Screenplay - "ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD"
Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published - "JOJO RABBIT"
Best Actress in a Supporting Role - "LAURA DERN"
Best Actor in a Supporting Role - "BRAD PITT"
Best Actress in a Leading Role - "RENEE ZELLWEGER"
Best Actor in a Leading Role - "JOAQUIN PHOENIX"
Best Director - "SAM MENDES"
Best Picture - "1917"

It was a pretty slick show last year without a host, though I have to say I do miss an opening monologue. When you look at the magic from the likes of Bob Hope, Johnny Carson and Billy Crystal, it is a shame we don't at the very least get to enjoy some choice words about Hollywood.

Well, here is to the 92nd Oscars....