The Cinemawala

Six months of “awards season” will come to an end this Sunday mercifully with the presentation of the Academy Awards, still the award in cinema that matters most (even if it no longer does). Though I love the films released during this time, from September to December, I have come to loathe the jockeying for position and ever changing frontrunners. I am tired of Oscar season, it wears me out.

And then come the nominations.

The race accusations where damned silly when Danielle Deadwyler and Viola Davis were not nominated in the largest field of Best Actress contenders in three decades. I guess Margot Robbie (‘Babylon’) and Olivia Coman (‘Empire of Light’) were snubbed because they are white and foreign?? Ater two consecutive years of the Best Director being a woman not a single lady was nominated, which for Sarah Polley and ‘Women Talking’ must sting a little. Snubbed also was Paul Dano, superb in ‘The Fabelmans’, the exquisite cinematography in ‘The Fabelmans’, ‘Top Gun – Maverick’ and ‘Women Talking’, Damien Chazelle’s dazzling direction of ‘Babylon’, and so many other snubs. Instead we focus on colour.

Stop, please stop.

Here are my choices for the winners, and then who should.

BEST PICTURE

Though I have hope ‘Everything Everywhere, All At Once’ will have worn out its welcome and NOT win, it likely will. If there are spoilers for the big prize, they are ‘The Fabelmans’ and the German made masterpiece ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’, whch could pull off an upset. The best film I saw last year was ‘The Fabelmans’ but I am fine with ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ winning.

BEST DIRECTOR

Steven Spielberg deserves to win his third Oscar and I think he will. 

BEST ACTOR

It really is a three man race between Austin Butler in ‘Elvis’, Colin Farrell in ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ and Bredan Fraser in ‘The Whale’. Any one of them is a deserving winner but I think the true best performance came from Colin Farrell. In the end whoever wins will be deserving of the award, but they might also slit the thing and see it go to Bill Nighy in ‘Living’. My call, and preference, Farrell for his beautiful, haunting performance.

BEST ACTRESS

For one of the greatest performances ever committed to film, Cate Blanchett deserves to win for ‘Tar’. Will she though? The fools doing the voting might decide to do a sentimental vote for Michelle Yeoh in guess what overrated film? Blanchett deserves to get ever vote. Cross your finger.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Former child star Ke Huy Kuan, in 1984 Short Round, in ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of doom’, makes a strong comeback in ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, and has collected many pre-Oscar awards. He is very good in the film and could be the winner. The best choice, however, is Barry Keough in ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ for his off kilter Dominick, mentally touched but often the wisest man on the island.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 

For the film I loathe, Jamie Lee Curtis could win her first Oscar on her first nomination, or Angela Bassett could be the sentimental choice in ‘Wakanda – Black Panther,’ both being popular choices. The best choice is Kerry Condon, brilliant in ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ as the sister who must leave home to find a life and herself. Superb.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Snubbed for a Best Director nomination, Sarah Polley should win this one for her literate powerful; screenplay in which this gifted artist demonstrates the power of words. A stunning adaptation.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Martin McDonough for ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’. Period.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 

Incredibly the years best cinematography n ‘Top Gun – Maverick’ was not even nominated, so I am going with the haunting work in ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’. Haunting, terrifying and startling in its realism it brought home the horrors of WWI brilliantly. A work of art.

BEST FILM EDITING

‘Top Gun – Maverick’ should win this award but it might go to ‘All Quiet on the Western front’ which is OK too.

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE (FORMERLY BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM)

‘All Quiet on the Western Front’. Easy.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

‘Babylon’ might win or it might go to ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’, either is worthy.

BEST SONG IN A FILM

Lady Gaga gets her second Oscar for songwriting for Hold My Hand from ‘Top Gun – Maverick’.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Should be ‘Avatar – Way Of Water’ unless the backlash against James Cameron spills into the awards. If not, ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ gets another.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Guillermo Del Toro’s magical ‘Pinocchio’, nothing else has a chance.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

‘Babylon’ is the likely winner.

BEST MUSICAL SCORE

‘Babylon’ again and rightfully so.

BEST MAKE-UP AND HAIR STYLE

Turning Brendan Fraser into an obese man was a remarkable feat, but they did it. ‘The Whale’ takes this.

BEST SOUND

‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ should take it though ‘Avatar – The Way Of Water’ might. ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ should be the one taking the award.

That is it for me, I did not include the docs or shorts because I did not see them all (for shame). Be back Monday to see how I did.

Enjoy the Oscars!