Despite increasing backlash and decreasing viewership, the Academy Awards remains the premier ceremony for films vying to have their name next to cinema’s greatest.
This year’s nominees, while unsurprising, are somewhat of a breath of fresh air compared to years past. James Cameron makes his grand return as “Avatar: The Way of the Water”received four nominations to accompany its killer-whale sized box office gross.
Academy regular Martin McDonagh makes his return to both the awards and his Irish countryside home in “Banshees of Insherin.” Even the hip-thrusting, microphone gobbling Austin Butler is getting some love for his now notorious portrayal of Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic of the same name.
It was a big year for big movies, and thankfully that notion is one shared by the people sealing those Oscar envelopes.
With any sort of awards ceremony, it’s always fun to make predictions on winners, as well as discuss some of the films left out that felt like they earned their night on the red carpet. With that, let’s have a look at the categories and their nominees.
Supporting Actor
It’s hard to see anyone but Ke Huy Quan’s Waymond taking home this one. Despite “Banshees of Insherin” being a film highlighted by its male performances, Quan delivers a performance to tug at the heartstrings just as strongly as it does the fabric of the universe in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
Supporting Actress
Despite Jamie Lee Curtis being a fan favorite, Angela Bassett is most likely to walk away a winner for this category. The sole cast nominee for “Wakanda Forever,” her gut wrenching performance as a grieving mother in this quasi-posthumous sequel is sure to get the Academy’s attention.
Animated Feature
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is an almost guaranteed win after its financial and critical success late in the year, though it would be nice for an awards regular and hardcore animation advocate like Guilliermo Del Toro to get the spotlight for his rendition of “Pinocchio.”
Production Design
Despite its polarizing reception and less-than flattering box office gross, this one will undoubtedly go to Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino’s for their work on “Babylon.” Set in the golden era of Hollywood, this film feels as submerged in its time period as it is in its hedonism.
Costume Design
Again, “Babylon” makes its case for greatness in its design. While designer Mary Zophres will likely take the gold home here, there’s room for “Elvis”to pull off an upset, in all its bedazzled glory.
Cinematography
Maybe the most loaded of the categories mentioned thus far, there’s plenty of appetizing candidates for Best Cinematography. Even with Roger Deakins back in the nominee list and “All Quiet on the Western Front”being a spectacle of violence, there’s only one film that really cements itself as a work of visual prowess. Mandy Walker and the photography department for “Elvis”are sure to be saying “thank you, thank you very much” in their best impersonation of the late king of rock and roll on Oscar night.
Editing
Here again comes the king. “Elvis”editors Matt Villa and Jonathon Redmond are undoubtedly deserving of this win, with their impeccable work on this absolute trip of a biopic.
Makeup and Hairstyling
This category is again one that could easily see “Elvis” heralded as victorious thanks to the astonishing transformation of former Disney golden boy Austin Butler into several different iterations of Elvis Presley. Despite this, the Academy would be amiss if they didn’t acknowledge the makeover of sheepish Colin Farrell into Gotham’s largest and most scarred gangster as The Penguin in Matt Reeves’ “The Batman.”
Sound
The movie event of the summer, “Top Gun: Maverick” undoubtedly won over fans and critics alike, in large part thanks to its sound mixing adding to the immersion a summer popcorn flick like this wants to flaunt.
Visual Effects
Every nominee here has a reason to be included, don’t get me wrong, but “Avatar: The Way of Water” locked down this one as soon as the first trailer released on YouTube. An absolute spectacle of CGI and the boundaries still to be pushed in motion capture, James Cameron and his visual effects team can go ahead and pat themselves on the back for a job well done on this almost literal trip to Pandora.
Score
With its production and costumes already locking you in to the roaring 20s, “Babylon” keeps you there with Justin Hurwitz’s trumpet-filled score. The “La La Land” composer continues to flex his period piece muscles even further, this time in a booze-ridden fiasco whose soundtrack seems to encourage the on-screen debauchery.
Song
One of the weaker categories this year, most likely Rihanna and Ludwig Goransson will see the applause for their song “Lift Me Up” from “Wakanda Forever.”
Documentary
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”feels the most topical and most likely documentary to catch the Academy’s eye this year. Documenting two women creating a safe haven in war-torn Ukraine, something this poignant feels most likely to see its name in the winner’s envelope.
International Feature Film
A brutal reminder of wars past, “All Quiet on the Western Front” leaves the idea of warfare less sugarcoated than “Saving Private Ryan”did over 20 years ago. A remake of the 1930 film of the same name, German cinema now has a new jewel in its crown.
Animated Short
With its extremely distinct style of animation, “Ice Merchants”boasts an impressive visual story of grief with its use of color and lack of dialogue.
Documentary Short
A quaint documentary on parenting and all its quirks, “How Do You Measure a Year?” presents a grand idea in a mere 29 minutes. Its concept as well as its sentiment is likely to be appreciated by Academy voters.
Live Action Short
Another solemn reminder of a broken world (the Oscar’s favorite thing), “The Red Suitcase” will likely come out victorious.
Director
Even with a goliath like Spielberg back in the ring and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” being the favorite for a sweep, Irish native Martin McDonagh is the likely winner here. The director’s apparent passion project, “Banshees of Insherin” boasts all the filmmaker’s strengths back in the homestead in this comfortingly dreary drama.
Best Actor
Man, oh man. Austin Butler has loved boasting his process in press circuits to get in those two-tone shoes of Elvis Presley. Colin Farrell is perhaps the best he’s ever been back home with his directorial mentor in McDonagh in his performance of laughable misery. Nevertheless, the Academy should disband if the award isn’t presented to Brendan Fraser for his heartbreaking performance in Aronofsky’s “The Whale.” His first notable feature in over a decade, Fraser is seen here finally showing off his range and legitimacy in a film that centers itself on soul-crushing performances.
Best Actress
Again, a lot to unpack here. Michelle Yeoh could easily take this one home for her performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” a film whose nature almost requires multiple facets of the same performance to be given. Newcomer Ana de Armas wowed audiences with her depiction of Marylin Monroe in “Blonde.” But there’s one clear candidate that crescendos above the rest. Oscar regular Cate Blanchett is back for an encore in her new film “Tár.” A co-executive producer on the film, Blanchett brings a magnitude to this world-renowned composer role that will have her name in the mouths of Oscar voters long after this musical number has heard its last notes.
Original Screenplay
Even with McDonagh’s poignant yet humorous “Banshees of Insherin”sporting some incredible screenwriting, this winner could have been predicted in a hundred different universes. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” as a sci-fi epic and family drama not attached to the likes of Marvel or Lucasfilm will surely win over the Academy as it did moviegoers back in March of last year.
Adapted Screenplay
Here, wartime epics and millionaire murder mysteries are no match for Tom Cruise. “Top Gun: Maverick” is the clear choice for this year’s best adapted screenplay, with it redefining the legacy sequel and playing a major role in getting butts back in seats after the pandemic. While best picture is too daunting of a category for this joyride back into theaters, its recognition will still be seen as a good example of not only sequel-making, but moviemaking as a business.
Best Picture
This is the big one. We’ve looked at all the highlights in cinema this year, from grandiose orchestras to herding cattle in the countryside. Awards season has done a lot to highlight how great the movies can be in any capacity. This year’s nominees read like a love letter to the very nature of filmmaking, regardless of subjects tackled. It feels only right that the pioneer of the blockbuster and godfather of modern cinema should see his day on the stage for his own personal love letter to the art form he helped shape. Speilberg’s ‘The Fablemans” will likely hoist that golden mannequin high tonight, as a quintessential moment of adoration and admiration for the craft of moviemaking.
"Top Gun: Maverick," the $1.5 billion grossing summer hit is favored to win Oscars in several technical categories.
