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As Oscar pundits, we try to be fair to everyone, but we also know who we’re rooting for and who we’re not rooting for.
Photo illustration: Vulture. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment, Disney, Pathé, Roadside Attractions, Universal Pictures,
As Oscar pundits, we’ve always preferred to observe the awards race rather than try to influence it. Following that path can lead to an insane sense of self-importance and, in some cases, to insanity. But we’re only human, and after spending so much mental energy on the Oscar race, it’s natural to have favorites. We try to be fair to everyone, but we also know who we’re rooting for and who we’re not rooting for.
Now that Phase 1 voting is over, we can tell the truth. Here are the Oscar nominations you won’t want to see on Thursday morning. It’s not because we think they’re unjust. (I mean, not because I think it’s all unfair.) But because it can have racial implications. Maybe they will break the atmosphere. Perhaps they will spark an argument in a very annoying way. Or it could set a bad precedent for the future. In any case, we hope that these names will not be read.
There are currently four solid candidates in the Best Actor race. Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), Timothée Chalamet (The Completely Unknown), Ralph Fiennes (The Conclave) and Colman Domingo (The Sing Sing) are competing for the fifth spot. SAG has hired Daniel Craig as Queer, and Queer appears to be a strong candidate to acquire him. But after his BAFTA nomination, the scenario of Sebastian Stan being nominated for The Apprentice is getting closer and closer. All things considered, Stan’s performance as Trump is pretty good. The problem is, he gave a much better performance in A Different Man. There, he plays a man with neurofibromatosis who undergoes experimental treatment and then has to adapt to the world as a new person. Stan does a good job of portraying the film’s complex characters, firmly anchoring the film’s ultimate comedic tone. That’s why he won awards at the Golden Globe and the Berlin Film Festival. But apart from the missed opportunity of not getting nominated for a great performance, if Stan gets nominated for playing Donald Trump in a movie that says bad things about Donald Trump, who the heck is he going to put his big, dirty, sweaty opinions into the Oscar race? I wonder if I’ll start doing it. ?Donald Trump. Imagine the most annoying, pseudo-informed Oscar critics we are already exposed to every year. They don’t nominate popular movies. The ceremony is too long! — filtered through Trump’s nightmare machine. Absolutely not. Please nominate someone else. — Joe Reed
I’m not here to criticize Selena Gomez. As a musician, she has some bangers. As a celebrity, she seems like a decent person who has been through a lot. However, I don’t think she has the power to convince Emilia Perez. In her defense, Gomez’s role would be difficult for most actors to pull off. Jessie, a gangster’s wife, is locked in a custody battle with a woman she doesn’t know who is her spouse (who has secretly changed her gender) and must navigate the proceedings she has taken on. a language she’s not fluent in, and some really wild plot developments in the film’s final act. Director Jacques Audiard likens the film to an opera, but Gomez has never been good at big productions. She is better when she can underplay and play dry. Additionally, neither Gomez nor her film seem to need this nomination all that much. Her acting career has already been well-recognized with “Only Murders”, and even if she misses out, Emilia Perez will probably end up leading the field in total Oscar nominations. . Worst of all, if Selena Gomez is nominated, it will continue the online stan wars over this season’s Best Supporting Actress race, which could be a legitimate bribery attempt from Ariana Grande fans. We will see a false flag operation by Selenator. Please call me Dido, because this is my white flag. End the fight – leave Serena behind. — Nate Jones
Gia Coppola’s film is clunky, full of frustrating pacing and repetitive story beats. But among its not-so-good films is a delicate, tired-worthy performance from Pamela Anderson. Unfortunately, this year’s Best Actress race is incredibly crowded, and Anderson’s story of a comeback from the ’90s was usurped by Demi Moore, who starred in far better films. Instead, Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays Annette, also a former prime showgirl, may be considered for acting. With nominations from SAG and BAFTA in recent weeks, and two years since winning for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Curtis feels ready for a halo nomination. This is the kind of nomination you get a year or two after you win an Oscar. Don’t do anything bad in the eyes of voters (think North Country for Charlize Theron or Vice for Sam Rockwell). Curtis is an excellent actress, capable of skilled comedy and well-tuned tone. But in recent years, she’s fallen into a rut of overly pervasive performances that nonetheless seem to attract the kind of awards voters who like to be hit over the head with capital-P performances. Worse, Curtis’ excesses in The Last Showgirl distract from Anderson’s quieter work. If Curtis were to be nominated at the expense of, say, Daniel Deadwyler for “The Piano Lesson,” who is also a great performer, he would be nominated with more clear justification. – of a business that would be as depressing as a long-running burlesque cabaret going out of business. — J.R.
For fans and haters alike, the cinematography of Wicked is the season’s biggest surprise highlight. An expert might point out that camera orientation, lighting, and color grading don’t work together meaningfully with each other. A layman may simply notice that despite the film’s other pleasures, the film’s visuals are often very poor. The desaturated sheen makes even practical effects look like CGI. Nevertheless, Wicked was nominated by the American Society of Cinematographers last week, putting it on track for Oscar recognition. Not only is this an unfortunate example of the Academy shoving a Best Picture nominee into a craft category where it doesn’t really belong, but the nod to Wicked goes to The Nickel Boys, a film of pure excellence in cinematography. This could have the ripple effect of hurting the economy. Push the medium forward. If “Wicked” were nominated here, it would be the most controversial film nominated since “Bohemian Rhapsody” won for best editing. — New Jersey
It’s been a very competitive year in the animated feature category, with “Inside Head 2” bombing at the summer box office, “Wild Robot” captivating audiences in the fall, and Latvian sensation “ Flow” won the Precursor Award. So what’s the harm in giving Disney the shine with a blockbuster sequel, Moana 2, and allowing them to occupy one of the remaining two slots? Well, first of all, it’s annoying that people think Disney should be nominated every year unless their film is a total bomb. For another, Moana 2 is a huge step back from the excellent 2016 original, especially when it comes to music. This time, it turns out that Lin-Manuel Miranda didn’t write it. But more importantly, Disney shouldn’t set a precedent by turning one of Disney+’s cash-in TV series into a feature film and getting an Oscar nomination. — J.R.
