My Picks for the 93rd Academy Awards

Well merely 2 months later than planned, the Oscars are back (yes they are still a thing). It’s safe to say hype for the event has never been this low, which could be due to the pandemic happening right outside our doors, with streaming of films offering a less impactful cinematic experience than we might get at an actual cinema. Further to this, many of this years films are ones that you would have had to go out of your way to find out about, none have had the pulling power at first sight we saw last year with a Leonardo DiCaprio or Martin Scorsese, or a character like The Joker or a war epic like 1917.

One might be forgiven for overlooking the ceremony in itself which shouldn’t be expected to run nearly as smoothly as previous editions, with many participants joining by live stream, a very brief red carpet and the academy continuing to pat itself on the back for the whole not-having-a-host-thing. Still, it would be wrong to overlook the current crop of films as they all make it on merit and offer some very competitive categories. The following are who I expect to come out as the winners of each category.

Writing (Original Screenplay): The Trial of the Chicago 7

Right off the bat this one was very hard to call. I narrowed it down to Chicago 7 and Minari. The latter portrays an uplifting story of a Korean family in their pursuit of ‘the American dream’, creating their own farm and drawing strength from every minor victory in the face of many adversities that come their way. I believe however this Oscar will go to Aaron Sorkin for Chicago 7, as his screenplay is event-packed, punchy with each line as ever, and covering a subject which strikes all the right notes, having been released at a point where the subject of police aggression was prominent in the news at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, and this prominence will have been revived in recent times throughout the response to Kill The Bill protests in the UK.

Another contender could be Promising Young Woman which actually won the equivalent category at this years Baftas. PYW tackles an important issue of rape and the lack of consequences that abusers often face. It builds on a strong premise with clever dialogue that reflects a mirror on the audience, capturing people’s uncomfortable nature when merely mentioning the subject, and specifically the behaviour of many self-perceived ‘nice guys.’ Where PYW falls short is in a very muddled and somewhat unsatisfying ending (at least in my opinion) that delivers very little of the revenge that it seems to be building towards for so long. I feel like this film makes a strong argument for giving the audience the ending they’re anticipating not necessarily being a bad thing.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Father

The Father is an incredibly sad film that depicts an ageing character attempting to navigate his world (more specifically his flat) amidst growing memory loss. With several minor inconsistencies from the get go, I suspected that these were the result of other characters playing some sort of scam on him, but as the film progressed the more I hoped this actually was the case, as it became evident that these were him slowly losing touch with his own family and the environment. This causes a mistrust of those around him, which makes for a harrowing watch as many of the characters ordinary routines become overwhelming for him.

I’ll be honest I was surprised to see Borat Subsequent Moviefilm nominated here. Worthy winner? Maybe. But I don’t know fully how writing credits work exactly, considering many of this films sequences were improvisation and off-the-cuff. If Rudy Giuliani contributed to the official dialogue in this film (by saying it on camera) would he gain a writing credit? And would Rudy Giuliani with an Oscar attached to his name be something the world needs or can handle?

Visual Effects: Tenet

Not exactly Tenet’s biggest fan but can appreciate that many of its strongest achievements came in technical categories. Seeing an actor move in real time in front of a car crashing in reverse left me confused story-wise but I couldn’t begin to imagine the choreography and effects that would go into something like that.

Sound: Sound of Metal

And not just because it’s in the films name. This film did a very good job of allowing the audience to experience the lead character’s deafness in a detailed way, as sounds of certain frequencies become duller and muffled as the film progresses, as opposed to merely tampering with the volume of sounds.

And it finally happened! The two categories have merged, and the curse of occasionally wondering what the difference between sound editing and sound mixing is and telling yourself you’re gonna google it has finally been lifted!

Short Film (Live Action): Two Distant Strangers

Short Film (Animated): If Anything Happens I Love You

Production Design: Mank

Likely to be between Mank and Tenet, but I’m leaning towards Mank as it’s tasked with capturing a whole time period with its setting, and does a strong job in capturing not only the nostalgia of Citizen Kane but also the glamour of Hollywood on the rise in the 1930’s.

Music (Original Song): Husavik - Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

That title is too long isn’t it? I’m still lost as to which part of the movie represented a fire saga. Though this particular category often leans in favour of some of the more high profile films involved on the night, I’ve chosen Husavik here because quite simply I think it’s the best song from the five nominees, in terms of its melody, anthemic feel and emotion behind it.

I will say, and this applies to most films in general, that most of them don’t make enough of their original songs. Husavik, and previous winners of this category such as Shallow and City of Stars had the benefit of being performed during the movie itself, but many original songs (and good songs at that) are only afforded the treatment of being played during the ending credits, meaning a good size of the audience have either already left by that point, or aren’t being made aware that they’re hearing a song made just for this movie.

Music (Original Score): Minari

Makeup and Hairstyling: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

This film displayed some very slick hairstyles across the entire cast and all this work was done to effect, with Chadwick Boseman’s parting helped reinforce the maverick nature of his character, while the glamorous hair and dramatic makeup on Viola Davis helped capture the larger than life presence of Ma Rainey.

International Feature Film: Another Round (Denmark)

Hard to call but it’s likely that the recognition of Thomas Vinterberg, also director of Festen (robbed of a nomination back in its day), in the best director category will propel this film ahead of its counterparts.

Film Editing: The Father

Gone for The Father here as I feel like the fast pace and often frantic sequencing of events were essential in helping the audience understand the stress, confusion, and helplessness that Anthony Hopkins’ character experiences throughout.

Documentary (Short Subject): A Love Song For Latasha

Documentary (Feature): My Octopus Teacher

The Netflix released documentary centres on South African filmmaker and naturalist Craig Foster who dives regularly in an underwater kelp forest near Cape Town, and one day encounters a common octopus. He decides to return to the same spot day-by-day hoping to win the animal’s trust and we see some very heartwarming sequences as the octopus gradually lets down its defences and allows Craig to follow them around and view into their lives. There are many eye-catching species deep below that we see the octopus interact with, but also many predators which make for some tense, and expertly captured, moments. Each of these though demonstrate one of the documentary’s main takeaways that an octopus’ intellect and improvisation in the face of adversity is in many ways far beyond that of a humans.

Please watch My Octopus Teacher, please.

Costume Design: Mank

Painfully difficult to choose between any of the five films in this category, so Mank wins it for me just based on the jazziness of some of the outfits on display.

Cinematography: Nomadland

For the films enriching storytelling, harrowing characterisation and backstory, and stellar performances throughout, what sets this film apart even further is that it is visually stunning. A mere google search of the film will leave you marvelling at some of the screenshots but in the film itself these environments, be it an Amazon warehouse or a vast national park, come to life.

Animated Feature Film: Soul

Soul I think is a clear frontrunner in this category, with an engaging story with many twists capped off with fine acting performances all round and a jazz score that keeps it ticking all the way through.

Now, not to take away from the merits of the film, but I do notice Pixar films getting a bit morbid lately. Films like The Good Dinosaur, Coco, Soul, and even Onward centre heavily on death and while usually this theme is incorporated seamlessly and to the story’s benefit, I just wonder how you’d go about explaining some of the concepts in Soul to a much younger viewer, such as the reasonably terrifying Great Beyond sequence.

Directing: Nomadland

For me, Nomadland represents the biggest directorial achievement in this category. Chloé Zhao (only her third film let’s not forget) pays enormous respect to the lifestyle being depicted as well as its real-life stars, while not just making it accessible but fully immersing the audience to a somewhat alien world existing right on their door step.

Actress in a Supporting Role: Youn Yuh-jung - Minari

Hillbilly Elegy didn’t half divide audiences this year, with the most clear example being the same Glenn Close performance receiving a Golden Raspberry nomination for Worst Supporting Actress and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Now that’s range.

As remarkable a feat as that would be for Glenn, I see Youn Yuh-jung taking this award for her portrayal of the grandmother in Minari. Her character brings a lot of humour to the film and she has sparkling chemistry with her on-screen grandson, but her character is fully realised, with inner insecurities of not being accepted in her daughter’s family and that she’s more of a burden to their farm than a help communicated with often a simple long stare. She won in the Bafta equivalent category and would make a 100% worthy winner here too.

Actor in a Supporting Role: Sacha Baron Cohen - Trial Of The Chicago 7

I really enjoyed this role and I’d say his was the standout performance in a star-studded cast. Everybody loves to root for a nuisance and Cohen, paired with Jeremy Strong, fills these boots perfectly, not letting his charisma or humour waver throughout the film at even its most tense moments and displaying an admirable disregard for the customs of the courthouse. He also has the majority of the film’s best lines and the largest presence in almost any scene he appears in across the entire movie.

Actress in a Leading Role: Frances McDormand - Nomadland

Prior to this movie if you’d have asked me to pick any actor, male or female, that I thought would be tough enough to handle the nomadic lifestyle, I probably would have said Frances McDormand, and yet I still notice her go above and beyond in her performance of this film. Grieving the loss of her husband as well as her many losses in the great recession, we see her still carrying these shackles through much of the film and its partly because of this that we become so immersed in her journey in this film to the point that her victories feel like our victories. For a character who never seems to have a lot to say, she is always, through the subtlest of motions, conveying something to the audience in every shot and in every scene, and this was a very powerful performance from Frances McDormand.

Actor in a Leading Role: Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

I very nearly wrote Anthony Hopkins there and I fully see this being a race between these two performances. In The Father, Hopkins shows a full range, with a quick wit and humour born out of a confidence in his own perception of events, to a frustration at the way he’s treated and undermined by carers and family members, to a melancholic hysteria as he becomes forced to confront his own dementia having ran out of other explanations for the inconsistencies occurring around him, to a grief for not only his mother but for the loss of his close family and the life he was formerly so accustomed to. Anthony Hopkins’ performance is heartbreaking and would make a worthy winner.

Despite all this I believe that the Academy will take the opportunity to celebrate the life and career of Chadwick Boseman, as well as a stellar acting performance as Ma Rainey’s trumpet player. He has a charming charisma that drives much of the story, but his character arc progresses in a way similar to Anthony Hopkins in The Father. His confidence is born in defiance of a life that hasn’t been kind to him, unloved by society, with a tumultuous relationship with his religion, unappreciated by his peers and taken advantage of by his employers, and through Chadwick Boseman’s performance we can visibly see these insecurities chip away at his defences over time leading up to a boiling point in the films final act. Boseman has a career worth celebrating, having portrayed groundbreaking black roles from Jackie Robinson and James Brown to T’Challa, and the role of Levee the trumpet player, perhaps his most tragic yet, would be a worthy performance to finally take the top prize.

Best Picture: Nomadland

From all the nominees, Nomadland is likely the picture that will stick with you the longest. The Oscars do love well-made films but they also like to recognise forgotten members of society or unrecognised heroes of times gone by. With Nomadland they have a movie propelled by strong performances, a strong script and stunning visuals, that works as a documentary as much as it does a feature film. It depicts a larger than you’d think culture of Americans without fixed residence and its characters will strike a chord with every viewer, many have rejected a laborious life under capitalism while many have been rejected by capitalism itself. With the wealth gap growing faster than ever and constant headlines in the news about the net worths of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, it’s important not only to see stories of those at the other end of the spectrum, but to admire the satisfaction many are able to derive from a life of such small means.

There are few films in this category I wouldn’t be happy to see take the top prize, but I feel the biggest challenger to Nomadland will be The Trial of the Chicago 7, with perhaps a leftfield charge coming from Promising Young Woman.

These have been my selections as I try and top my tally for last year of 17 correct out of 24, which I admit could be a challenge having lost a whole category. Hopefully as society reopens many of these films will be granted cinema releases as many of those on display would be suited to the large screen and theatre experience. Would always love to hear if any alternate takes or thoughts readers may have.

Stay safe, wear a mask, and stay classy,

Luke