Friday, January 27, 2023

Our 2023 Oscar Preferences

These aren’t our predictions, this is who we are rooting for in each category and why.  It could be a trivial as having cool hair or something as elaborate as being the best artist in the category they are nominated for.  Admittedly we haven’t seen all the films nominated on each category.  That’s why this is a preferred list and not a prediction list.  



Best Picture

All Quiet on the Western Front


Avatar: The Way of Water


The Banshees of Inisherin


Elvis


Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans


Tár


Top Gun: Maverick
- Why is Top Gun: Maverick our pick?  Because it never tries to be anything other than what it is.  A Hollywood action film.  It’s odds of winning are near impossible, especially since its almost completely ignored in every other category.  

Triangle of Sadness


Women Talking

 

Actor in a Leading Role

Austin Butler, Elvis 

Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin 

Brendan Fraser, The Whale  - Haven’t seen it but heard good things.  Also we love Brendan Fraser and want fourth Mummy film.  This is his comeback film.

Paul Mescal, Aftersun 

Bill Nighy, Living

 

Actress in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett, Tár

Ana de Armas, Blonde 

Andreah Riseborough, To Leslie

Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans – Having not seen any of the other films on the list. She’s a great actress.  We like Cate Blanchett better but Williams is due. Odds are Michelle Yeoh is going to win because no one will shut up about her damn movie.   

Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

 

Actor in a Supporting Role

Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin 

Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway

Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans – Not sure the last time was he was nominated for an Oscar but he lost out to his co-star Timothy Hutton for Ordinary People.  Here’s his second chance to get one. 

Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin

Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

 

Actress in a Supporting Role

Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Hong Chau, The Whale

Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin 

Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once – We loved her in Scream Queens. She always brings her A-Game to all performances.  And now that transgendered is the new trend, she still hasn’t answered questions about the rumors she was born with both male and female parts.  

Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once

 

Directing

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans – He’s the best director to ever exist.  He’s been snubbed by the Academy over and over again.  Anytime he’s nominated he deserves it for the numerous times he’s been ignored. 

Todd Field, Tár

Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness

 

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

All Quiet on the Western Front


Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery


Living


Top Gun: Maverick
- How is this an adapted screenplay and not an original screenplay? Either way, we’re rooting for it.

Women Talking

 

Writing (Original Screenplay)

The Banshees of Inisherin
- A story about two dudes who stop being friends.  Somehow they made it interesting.  The logic is bizarre but the story is compelling.

Everything Everywhere All at Once


The Fabelmans


Tár
Triangle of Sadness

 

Animated Feature Film

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio


Marcel the Shell with Shoes On


Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
The Sea Beast
- It’s based off a never ending franchise.  The best bet is always Disney or Pixar but Turning Red was too woke for out taste.  

Turning Red

 

Documentary (Feature)

All That Breathes


All the Beauty and the Bloodshed


Fire of Love


A House Made of Splinters
- No clue what it’s about, it has the most poetic name.  

Navalny

 

Documentary (Short Subject)

The Elephant Whisperers
- Who doesn’t love elephants?

Haulout


How Do You Measure a Year?


The Martha Mitchell Effect


Stranger at the Gate

 

International Feature Film

All Quiet on the Western Front, Germany

Argentina, 1985, Argentina

Close, Belgium

EO, Poland

The Quiet Girl, Ireland – Ireland seems to be a sub theme of this Oscars.  So the Banshees film might get overlooked, this is likely a consolation prize.  

 

Film Editing

The Banshees of Inisherin


Elvis


Everything Everywhere All at Once


Tár


Top Gun: Maverick – This basically translates to second place pick or best action movie.  This is anyone’s guess who will win but Top Gun is who we want to win.  

 

Cinematography

All Quiet on the Western Front
- Who doesn’t love a good anti-war film.  

Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths


Elvis


Empire of Light
Tár

 

Sound

All Quiet on the Western Front


Avatar: The Way of Water


The Batman


Elvis


Top Gun: Maverick – Sound editing always translates to Best Action film.  This is likely going to be the big winner and the one we are rooting for.  Don’t ignore Avatar as a true contender though.   

 

Music (Original Score)

All Quiet on the Western Front


Babylon


The Banshees of Inisherin
- We love bagpipes. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once


The Fabelmans

 

Music (Original Song)

"Applause," Tell It Like a Woman

"Hold My Hand," Top Gun: Maverick – I guess this…

"Lift Me Up," Black Panther: Wakanda

"Naatu Naatu," RRR

"This Is a Life," Everything Everywhere All at Once

 

Costume Design

Babylon

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever


Elvis
- This film was boring but the costumes were cool. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

 

Makeup and Hairstyling

All Quiet on the Western Front


The Batman
- We’re rooting for The Batman but it probably won’t win.  The more artsy The Whale seems like the bigger contender.  

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever


Elvis


The Whale

 

Production Design

All Quiet on the Western Front


Avatar: The Way of Water
- James Cameron has been working on this film for a long time.  It deserves some type of payoff.

Babylon

Elvis


The Fabelmans

 

Visual Effects

All Quiet on the Western Front


Avatar: The Way of Water


The Batman


Black Panther: Wakanda Forever


Top Gun: Maverick – It had awesome special effects.   

 

Short Film (Animated)

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse


The Flying Sailor
Ice Merchants


My Year of Dicks

An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
- It has a cool name.  My year of Dicks is a very close second. 

 

Short Film (Live Action)

An Irish Goodbye
- We love a good Irish goodbye.  

Ivalu
 Le Pupille


Night Ride


The Red Suitcase