Which actually means Best English film but most of the times the actual best film of the year is overlooked due to something known as a preferential ballot which results in a film that is more universally liked taking home the prize. This year will see many Best Picture rules broken no matter which film takes home the prize.
Perplexing stuff about this year is that 'Cold War' a film with direction and cinematography nods has been snubbed despite there being 2 spots available. This is a clear indication that the Academy is firmly in favour of another Black and white nom English film and didn't want to create a divide in the minds of voters who could have been swayed by the first time ever presence of 2 films in the Best Picture Category at a single ceremony.
Other shockers were the snub of Barry Jenkins 'If Beale Street could talk.' There is buzz around Regina King winning the supporting actress as a compensation for the films shocking snubs. It's a cascading effect as that compensation award results in a better performance getting snubbed and then that performer being rewarded years later under the guise of a career award over someone who was actually much better.
Other snubs: First Man, A Quiet Place, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
Those that made it in the order I think they would rank.
Bohemian Rhapsody
This film was shoddy and a concert film. It had a troubled production and is possibly here only due to its win at the Globes in Beat Drama which saw it beat out heavy favourites like A Star is Born and Green Book. This could have swayed voters into considering this concert film for a nomination for the Best Picture. It is up for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing and being a concert film it has a strong chance at taking home both the awards. The only award that Bohemian Rhapsody may take home is the Best Actor trophy for Rami Malek. Best Picture seems unlikely as ever since the introduction of a preferential ballot no film has won the Best Picture without a Screenplay nomination.
Black Panther
The movie has gotten the theme of opening up your borders. It has an A- list cast, though unfortunately none of them havw been nominated for any individual acting awards. The cast did win best ensemble in a motion picture at the Screen Actor Guild Awards, but the lack of solo nominations will cost it at the Dolby Theatre. It is also absent from Direction, Screenplay(Best Picture seems unlikely as ever since the introduction of a preferential ballot no film has won the Best Picture without a Screenplay nomination), Cinematography and Editing which are considered to be indicators of who will win Best Picture.
Superhero movies were never considered to be Oscar calibre and Black Panthers nomination itself was a remarkable achievement though it seems as though it'll have to consider this nomination as a win for many superhero films of the past and congratulated for opening the gates for superhero films to be considered for the Academy's top prize. (Avengers Endgame could stake a claim for it next year)
Vice
This movie is just here because of the sheer weight of performance from its leads. It is a solid film with good support from the Acting branch and has 3 acting nominations. Further nominations in the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay and Editing categories also show us that this film is a good enough contender, but it is divisive which is a bad thing in a category which sees the winner determined by a preferential ballot voting system. The film is a contender and possibly favourite in Best Makeup and Hairstyling (along side Mary Queen of Scots and Border)for the amazing work done on Christian Bale.
The Favourite
It is the joint most nominated film at this year's Oscars with 10 nods. This film focuses on Queen Anne and examines the efforts of 2 cousins as the vie to be her favourite. This is the sort of costume drama that is traditionally rewarded by the Academy but this year it looks as though a nomination is as good as it gets for the favourite in this category. Expect the film to take home Best Costume Design, Best Production Design. The Favourite is a serious contender to take home Best Original Screenplay where it is up against Green Book and Roma and in my opinion it has a much better script of the 2 (and this is a crucial category for Roma' s Best Picture chances). It's Lead and Supporting Actresses Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz are in with a shout in their respective categories and so is director Yorgos Lanthimos. The fact that this British movie couldn't beat awards juggernaut Roma at the British Academy Awards seem to show that it won't be a real threat at the Dolby Theatre in this category.
A Star is Born
This was the pre award swing favourite but the backlash of it being a remake hit it hard. The movie is a crowd pleaser has 3 acting nominations is an ode to a timeless story and one that focuses on the rise and fall of shobiz and what happens behind the scenes. So what happened? It lost out at the Globes to Bohemian Rhapsody. Bradley Cooper was snubbed for Director at the Oscars and also for Best Debut director at the DGA awards. From Awards favourite, this film is now looking likely to take home just Best Song(based on its downwards trajectory it could possibly lose out on that too)
This doesn't seem like that sort of Awards movie and despite it being about shobiz it doesn't show it in a good light an actually serves as a vehicle to push people away from the industry. Only 2 remakes have ever taken home Best Picture (Ben-hur and The Departed) and those are tough odds to overcome.
Green Book
Green Book is the story of a Jazz players journey through the deep south along with his driver and bodyguard. The movie has some serious awards momentum heading into the Dolby Theatre and could be a beneficiary of the preferential ballot as it is a feel good film. It won the Producers Guild Award which has seen 20 of its winners take home the Best Picture Oscar. It's factual inaccuracies which have emerged in the media in the lat few weeks could possibly alienate voters and the lack of director nomination (after he was there in the DGA nominations for Best Director) proves that voters are alienated against this film.
It has locked onto one acting nomination (for Viggo Mortensen) and it's supporting actor (Mahershala Ali) has been unchallenged at any of the precursors. The film has additional nominations in Original Screenplay (vs The Favourite and Roma) and Editing (crucial categories for a film to clinch Best Picture) but seems unlikely to take home the golden statuette right now unless...voters are divided between.....
BlackKklansman
Spike Lee's film based on a true story of a policeman infiltrating the Colarado Springs chapter of the Ku Klux Klan is a commentary which can be related to even almost 50 years after the movie was set. It combines sharp satire along with strong social commentary and leaves a mark on the minds of voters.
Lee has earned a career first nomination for Best Director and has also received a nod for and the favourite to win Best Adapted Screenplay. With nominations in Editing and Direction and an acting nomination Blackkklansman coupled with its subject matter and it's relevance in present days and the films message it should be an odds on favourite to take home the Best Picture. It's no show in Cinematography works against it but Roma and the other nominees have even greater odds to overcome.
It has lost out on awards at the Globes (which has a tendency to reward more popular films) and the BAFTA(which favours Brits) but if there is any award show at which BlackKklansman can potentially steal Rome's thunder it is The Oscars.
Roma
Roma is a tale by director Alfonso Cuaron about his life which focuses on a maid and the family who employs her. It's a simple story with exquisite cinematography.
A film that is to be considered a serious contender at the Oscars needs to have widespread support as members of all branches vote in this category. With 10 nominations and strong support from the largest branch (actors) a nomination for Marina de Tavira in the Supporting Actress and Yalitza Aparaicio in the Lead Actress category drives home that fact. Alfonso Cuaron looks set to take home the Best Director trophy as well in keeping with the Academy's pattern since 2012 of giving the award to the most visually pleasing film.
It seems like a sure shot winner for Cinematography as well for every single frame looks so fabulous on screen and has been nominated for Best Original Screenplay(where The Favourite is the favourite)
It has won the top award at the Directors Guild Awards(has matched with the winner of Best Picture at the Oscars for the last 6 years) the BAFTA's and the Critics Choice Awards and had a nomination in the top category at the Producers Guild Awards which seem to make it the top pick for many. But.....
The things against this film are it's distributor (Netflix) whom the Academy haven't been fond of. Another set of voters may be inclined to give Roma it's Best Foreign Language Oscar and consider their work done and reward one of their own English films with the top prize. The film was snubbed completely at the SAG Award (Ensemble and individual) and even though 2 films (Braveheart and The Shape of Water )were snubbed in the Ensemble category and went on to pick up Best Picture they had nods in the individual categories. Roma has also missed out on an editing nomination at the Oscars which historically goes against it. (Birdman did it, but it won Best Original Screenplay) voters may also want to go against the tide and not seem as though the 91st Academy Awards is the Roma Appreciation night as was predicted.
Will win: Roma
Should win: BlackKklansman
Dark Horse: Green Book/A Star is Born/ The Favourite/Vice
Perplexing stuff about this year is that 'Cold War' a film with direction and cinematography nods has been snubbed despite there being 2 spots available. This is a clear indication that the Academy is firmly in favour of another Black and white nom English film and didn't want to create a divide in the minds of voters who could have been swayed by the first time ever presence of 2 films in the Best Picture Category at a single ceremony.
Other shockers were the snub of Barry Jenkins 'If Beale Street could talk.' There is buzz around Regina King winning the supporting actress as a compensation for the films shocking snubs. It's a cascading effect as that compensation award results in a better performance getting snubbed and then that performer being rewarded years later under the guise of a career award over someone who was actually much better.
Other snubs: First Man, A Quiet Place, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
Those that made it in the order I think they would rank.
Bohemian Rhapsody
This film was shoddy and a concert film. It had a troubled production and is possibly here only due to its win at the Globes in Beat Drama which saw it beat out heavy favourites like A Star is Born and Green Book. This could have swayed voters into considering this concert film for a nomination for the Best Picture. It is up for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing and being a concert film it has a strong chance at taking home both the awards. The only award that Bohemian Rhapsody may take home is the Best Actor trophy for Rami Malek. Best Picture seems unlikely as ever since the introduction of a preferential ballot no film has won the Best Picture without a Screenplay nomination.
Black Panther
The movie has gotten the theme of opening up your borders. It has an A- list cast, though unfortunately none of them havw been nominated for any individual acting awards. The cast did win best ensemble in a motion picture at the Screen Actor Guild Awards, but the lack of solo nominations will cost it at the Dolby Theatre. It is also absent from Direction, Screenplay(Best Picture seems unlikely as ever since the introduction of a preferential ballot no film has won the Best Picture without a Screenplay nomination), Cinematography and Editing which are considered to be indicators of who will win Best Picture.
Superhero movies were never considered to be Oscar calibre and Black Panthers nomination itself was a remarkable achievement though it seems as though it'll have to consider this nomination as a win for many superhero films of the past and congratulated for opening the gates for superhero films to be considered for the Academy's top prize. (Avengers Endgame could stake a claim for it next year)
Vice
This movie is just here because of the sheer weight of performance from its leads. It is a solid film with good support from the Acting branch and has 3 acting nominations. Further nominations in the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay and Editing categories also show us that this film is a good enough contender, but it is divisive which is a bad thing in a category which sees the winner determined by a preferential ballot voting system. The film is a contender and possibly favourite in Best Makeup and Hairstyling (along side Mary Queen of Scots and Border)for the amazing work done on Christian Bale.
The Favourite
It is the joint most nominated film at this year's Oscars with 10 nods. This film focuses on Queen Anne and examines the efforts of 2 cousins as the vie to be her favourite. This is the sort of costume drama that is traditionally rewarded by the Academy but this year it looks as though a nomination is as good as it gets for the favourite in this category. Expect the film to take home Best Costume Design, Best Production Design. The Favourite is a serious contender to take home Best Original Screenplay where it is up against Green Book and Roma and in my opinion it has a much better script of the 2 (and this is a crucial category for Roma' s Best Picture chances). It's Lead and Supporting Actresses Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz are in with a shout in their respective categories and so is director Yorgos Lanthimos. The fact that this British movie couldn't beat awards juggernaut Roma at the British Academy Awards seem to show that it won't be a real threat at the Dolby Theatre in this category.
A Star is Born
This was the pre award swing favourite but the backlash of it being a remake hit it hard. The movie is a crowd pleaser has 3 acting nominations is an ode to a timeless story and one that focuses on the rise and fall of shobiz and what happens behind the scenes. So what happened? It lost out at the Globes to Bohemian Rhapsody. Bradley Cooper was snubbed for Director at the Oscars and also for Best Debut director at the DGA awards. From Awards favourite, this film is now looking likely to take home just Best Song(based on its downwards trajectory it could possibly lose out on that too)
This doesn't seem like that sort of Awards movie and despite it being about shobiz it doesn't show it in a good light an actually serves as a vehicle to push people away from the industry. Only 2 remakes have ever taken home Best Picture (Ben-hur and The Departed) and those are tough odds to overcome.
Green Book is the story of a Jazz players journey through the deep south along with his driver and bodyguard. The movie has some serious awards momentum heading into the Dolby Theatre and could be a beneficiary of the preferential ballot as it is a feel good film. It won the Producers Guild Award which has seen 20 of its winners take home the Best Picture Oscar. It's factual inaccuracies which have emerged in the media in the lat few weeks could possibly alienate voters and the lack of director nomination (after he was there in the DGA nominations for Best Director) proves that voters are alienated against this film.
It has locked onto one acting nomination (for Viggo Mortensen) and it's supporting actor (Mahershala Ali) has been unchallenged at any of the precursors. The film has additional nominations in Original Screenplay (vs The Favourite and Roma) and Editing (crucial categories for a film to clinch Best Picture) but seems unlikely to take home the golden statuette right now unless...voters are divided between.....
BlackKklansman
Spike Lee's film based on a true story of a policeman infiltrating the Colarado Springs chapter of the Ku Klux Klan is a commentary which can be related to even almost 50 years after the movie was set. It combines sharp satire along with strong social commentary and leaves a mark on the minds of voters.
Lee has earned a career first nomination for Best Director and has also received a nod for and the favourite to win Best Adapted Screenplay. With nominations in Editing and Direction and an acting nomination Blackkklansman coupled with its subject matter and it's relevance in present days and the films message it should be an odds on favourite to take home the Best Picture. It's no show in Cinematography works against it but Roma and the other nominees have even greater odds to overcome.
It has lost out on awards at the Globes (which has a tendency to reward more popular films) and the BAFTA(which favours Brits) but if there is any award show at which BlackKklansman can potentially steal Rome's thunder it is The Oscars.
Roma
Roma is a tale by director Alfonso Cuaron about his life which focuses on a maid and the family who employs her. It's a simple story with exquisite cinematography.
A film that is to be considered a serious contender at the Oscars needs to have widespread support as members of all branches vote in this category. With 10 nominations and strong support from the largest branch (actors) a nomination for Marina de Tavira in the Supporting Actress and Yalitza Aparaicio in the Lead Actress category drives home that fact. Alfonso Cuaron looks set to take home the Best Director trophy as well in keeping with the Academy's pattern since 2012 of giving the award to the most visually pleasing film.
It seems like a sure shot winner for Cinematography as well for every single frame looks so fabulous on screen and has been nominated for Best Original Screenplay(where The Favourite is the favourite)
It has won the top award at the Directors Guild Awards(has matched with the winner of Best Picture at the Oscars for the last 6 years) the BAFTA's and the Critics Choice Awards and had a nomination in the top category at the Producers Guild Awards which seem to make it the top pick for many. But.....
The things against this film are it's distributor (Netflix) whom the Academy haven't been fond of. Another set of voters may be inclined to give Roma it's Best Foreign Language Oscar and consider their work done and reward one of their own English films with the top prize. The film was snubbed completely at the SAG Award (Ensemble and individual) and even though 2 films (Braveheart and The Shape of Water )were snubbed in the Ensemble category and went on to pick up Best Picture they had nods in the individual categories. Roma has also missed out on an editing nomination at the Oscars which historically goes against it. (Birdman did it, but it won Best Original Screenplay) voters may also want to go against the tide and not seem as though the 91st Academy Awards is the Roma Appreciation night as was predicted.
Will win: Roma
Should win: BlackKklansman
Dark Horse: Green Book/A Star is Born/ The Favourite/Vice
No comments:
Post a Comment