2019 Oscar Nominations: Rankings and Thoughts, Surprises and Snubs

(P.S. if it seems like I've not gone fully in depth into some of the films, performances, direction, technical aspects of film etc. as I usually do here, it may be because I do plan to discuss some of them more in depth in my annual rundown of the Reel and Roll Awards 2018. Stay tuned!) 

Best Picture

Ranking the nominees (I've seen): 

1. Roma (Gabriela Rodriguez and Alfonso Cuaron)
2. The Favourite (Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday and Yorgos Lanthimos)
3. A Star Is Born (Bill Gerber, Bradley Cooper and Lynette Howell Taylor)
4. Black Panther (Kevin Feige)
5. BlacKkKlansman (Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Raymond Mansfield, Jordan Peele and Spike Lee)
6. Green Book (Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga)
7. Bohemian Rhapsody (Graham King)
8. Vice (Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adam McKay and Kevin Messick)

A lineup I'm not crazy about, given the wide variety of films they could've chosen with this awards season spreading the wealth quite a bit, the Academy could've afforded to be a bit more daring in its choices, but oh well. Roma and The Favourite are terrific choices, among my most beloved films of the year, the former one of the most transformative and the latter one of the most entertaining. A Star is Born is a great choice for a nomination too, and the best version of the story that's been adapted four times now; I feel like the love surrounding it is quickly dissipating though, it'll need some big wins somewhere to help regain momentum.

Even though I had more than a few problems with Black Panther I'm glad it got a nomination, since it is a good superhero film, and important to a lot of people, myself included. BlacKkKlansman is a bit overrated I think, I wouldn't consider it one of Spike Lee's greatest films, but it's certainly a an effective thriller-cum-social commentary.  Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody both hover around that 'okay-ish' to 'meh' to 'kinda bad' ground, the former is a well-acted buddy comedy for the most part and the latter really nails the Queen performing at Live-Aid sequence, but both are full of problems on various levels, particularly Bohemian Rhapsody.

Vice is just dreadful.

Surprises/Snubs: 

Eh, Black Panther kind of was a surprise, I guess, being a superhero film and all? But honestly I was predicting it would get in. Every other nominee had tons of precursors that indicated they'd have a good shot at getting in despite several apparent obstacles for some of them (Green Book and the controversy surrounding its director, one of the screenwriters, and its apparent re-working of Don Shirley's life, Bohemian Rhapsody's behind-the-scenes drama).

As for snubs, on a very personal level I was disappointed that out of the possible contenders, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and especially First Man, two of my absolute favourites this year, didn't get in, though it was always going to be a long shot given the relatively lukewarm reception to both this awards season. If Beale Street Could Talk probably was the film that just missed the cut, and other pseudo contenders like Crazy Rich Asians and Mary Poppins Returns might've hung around the margins, but frankly I think the above eight choices were pretty far and ahead the definitive Academy choices.

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Roma 

Best Director

Clockwise from top: Lanthimos, Cuarón, McKay, Pawlikowski, Lee

1. Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)
2. Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite)
3. Paweł Pawlikowski (Cold War)
4. Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman)
5. Adam McKay (Vice)

Alfonso Cuarón's work on Roma is powerful, mesmerising, all-round incredible stuff (just pile on all the adjectives you can think of), my favourite direction of 2018 which I'll discuss more at some point, and I hope he wins his second Oscar for it. Yorgos Lanthimos and Paweł Pawlikowski are both fantastic choices too for their very atypical, outstanding takes on the British royalty drama and the musical love story, The Favourite and Cold War. I didn't love Cold War, but I admired it a great deal and was very glad to see its best elements nominated here. 

As mentioned I don't think Spike Lee's work on BlacKkKlansman is anywhere near his best, but he does have more than a few brilliant scenes in there (anything directly related to infiltrating the Klan and the intensity of going undercover), I do think he's deserving, and happy that he's made something of a comeback. The only nominee out of these four whose work I wasn't a fan of at all was Adam McKay's work on Vice. It's a shame, I've really liked his studio comedies of the past like Anchorman, The Other Guys, I flat-out love Talldega Nights, but I've really disliked his last two attempts at making 'serious' films (though both this and The Big Short are comedies, kinda). Otherwise a very strong lineup. 

Surprises/Snubs: 

Bradley Cooper not being nominated for A Star is Born is perhaps the biggest surprise of all, and Pawlikowski being nominated in his place is perhaps equally surprising (especially since the latter's film wasn't nominated for Best Picture). I imagine this could be a similar case to Ben Affleck and Argo back in the day where it gained lots of awards traction and love, winning Best Picture, but Affleck's direction was ignored by the Academy, probably because lots of voters just assumed he'd get in and didn't vote for him. Some would say that maybe there's a bias towards actors-turned-directors but I wouldn't buy that since two were nominated last year (Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig),  and Peele was a debutant director like Cooper. I wouldn't take this as too much indication that A Star is Born and its Best Picture chances are gone, but this is certainly worth taking into account. 

As for snubs, I loved Damien Chazelle and Marielle Heller's work on First Man and Can You Ever Forgive Me? respectively, and it might've been nice to see Joel and Ethan Coen slide in since the Academy seemed to like The Ballad of Buster Scruggs a lot more than most awards organisations, but these were always long shots. I was predicting that one of Ryan Coogler for Black Panther, Barry Jenkins for If Beale Street Could Talk, and despite the recent controversies Peter Farrelly for Green Book might've gotten in, but I think the recent awards momentum gained by Cold War and Vice not really losing any put the odds against them.  

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Best Actor 

Clockwise from top left: Cooper, Malek, Bale, Dafoe, Mortensen

1. Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
2. Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)
3. Viggo Mortensen (Green Book)
4. Christian Bale (Vice)

Haven't seen Willem Dafoe (At Eternity's Gate) yet. 

Well this is both a somewhat expected, and rather unexpected lineup. Anyway, Bradley Cooper gives what I'd say is quite easily the best performance in this lineup (that I've seen) in A Star is Born, and I'm very glad that his passion project was awarded in this regard (and I imagine the director snub might actually aid his chances of contending for the win in this category). Rami Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody was very strong too, particularly in his 'performance' scenes, and actually managed to stand out from the mediocre-to-kinda bad quality of much of the rest of the film. 

I was expecting to hate Viggo Mortensen in Green Book but he surprised me by how entertaining he was in a kind of thinly written and somewhat problematic (though nowhere near his co-star in that regard) role, actually creating a genuine character rather than just an Italian-American stereotype. Christian Bale's portrayal of Dick Cheney in Vice isn't bad, he nails the impersonation, but that's about it, a good SNL impersonation. There's no depth to the portrayal of the ex-Vice President, more the script's fault than his, but it really is one of his least interesting performances. 

Surprises/Snubs: 

No real surprises on the awards front. I suppose I would have expected John David Washington for BlacKkKlansman or Ethan Hawke in First Reformed over Willem Dafoe, but I suppose never underestimate the power of veteran status to carry oneself to a nomination, despite the fact that Dafoe was the only nod from his film. Hawke has been carving a storm this awards season through the critics' awards for his performance in First Reformed and it's a damn shame he couldn't pull through in this final stretch - though his snubs at the Golden Globes, BAFTA, and SAG hurt his chances a great deal. Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly actually might've hurt one another's chances by being nominated at BAFTA and the Globes respectively but not together for/in separate categories for Stan & Ollie but again, never even close in all honesty.

There's a lot of other great performances this awards season which I'd have liked to have seen have more of a fighting chance, which I'll get onto at soon, but the complete shutout of Ryan Gosling  in First Man, my favourite performance of the year, stings in particular.

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) 

Best Actress

Clockwise from top left: Close, Gaga, Aparicio, Colman, McCarthy

1. Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
2. Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
3. Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born)
4. Yalitza Aparicio (Roma)
5. Glenn Close (The Wife)

Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a great performance in one of the best films of the year, kudos to the Academy for recognising her employing  best assets as a comedic actress while exploring astounding dramatic depths. I could say the same for Olivia Colman in The Favourite,  she's been one of the best actresses working for a while, both on television and film, and I'm so happy to see her nominated for her brilliant portrayal of Queen Anne, more on that later. Hopefully she wins.

Lady Gaga in A Star is Born and Yalitza Aparicio in Roma are two great choices for nominations too, both give terrific debut leading turns, without a hint of amateurishness in either performance. Unfortunately, I have to say that my least favourite performance out of this lot is perhaps the most likely to win, Glenn Close isn't bad in The Wife and her last 15 minutes or so of her performance is pretty good, but for the most part this is just one of the least interesting performances she's ever given, especially if you contrast it to say, Dangerous Liaisons. 

Surprises/Snubs:

Aparicio was definitely the big surprise for me out of this lineup, and I have to say her nomination helps Roma's chances at a Best Picture win a great deal. I expected Emily Blunt to get in for Mary Poppins Returns but once again, like so many other years, she's gone the route of nailing a great deal of the precursors but falling short at the last hurdle, I certainly hope she'll be nominated some point soon though as she's a real talent (and did Julie Andrews proud as Poppins). Viola Davis also had a very outside shot at the category with her BAFTA nomination for Widows, but that was quite the long shot, as did Toni Collette for her terrific performance in Hereditary, but that was an even longer shot.

No other lead actress performance that I really loved this year really had a chance, Thomas McKenzie in Leave No Trace was campaigned in the wrong category all season long and her film got absolutely no noise on the big awards front, Charlize Theron in Tully was never going to happen despite the critical acclaim, and Carey Mulligan's work in Wildlife was completely absent this awards season, I loved those performances but I suppose I should be happy enough with the lineup as it is.

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Glenn Close (The Wife) 

Best Supporting Actor

Clockwise from top left: Grant, Driver, Elliott, Rockwell, Ali

1. Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
2. Sam Elliott (A Star is Born)
3. Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman)
4. Mahershala Ali (Green Book)
5. Sam Rockwell (Vice)

My favourite performance of this lineup is EASILY Richard E. Grant in Can You Ever Forgive Me? Again I must state, EASILY, my favourite choice. He gives an equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious performance, breathing new life into the 'gay best friend' role, and who wouldn't love to see good ol' Withnail finally win the honour for his acting he so richly deserves? Sam Elliott in A Star is Born though, certainly is no slouch either and gives as great, if short, performance as Bradley Cooper's onscreen brother. A very well-deserved veteran nomination too. Adam Driver in BlackKkKlansman is an interesting choice, one of the least Oscar-y performances I've ever seen in this category in recent years, but Driver is certainly very good, frequently quite funny in his deadpan delivery, and admirably generous in the dramatic moments, in a pretty understated performance as an undercover cop.

Mahershala Ali has some REALLY iffy moments in Green Book, particularly in his drunken scenes, he's really a co-lead here with Mortensen, and the whole character as written is very lacking in its serious elements, but he does have excellent chemistry with Viggo Mortensen, and knocks it out of the park in his two big dramatic moments, but big step down from his phenomenal Oscar-winning work. Same could be said in that regard for Sam Rockwell, who is actually my favourite part of Vice, as he's quite funny as George W. Bush and gives a good impersonation, but is easily my fifth choice in this lineup. 

Surprises/Snubs:

This category was particularly annoying across awards season due to its predictability, though there was another prime contender in Timothée Chalamet for Beautiful Boy, though the lack of love shown to his film as a whole (rightfully so, it's not very good) is kind of telling in retrospect. I was betting on Michael B. Jordan to get in for Black Panther and he might've been somewhat close since it was nominated for Best Picture, but lack of precursors definitely hurt his chances. There are notable supporting performances in this category which deserved but never really had a chance here, I'll get onto them at a later point. 

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Best Supporting Actress

Clockwise from top left: Adams, Weisz and Stone, de Tavira, Adams

1. Rachel Weisz (The Favourite)
2. Emma Stone (The Favourite)
3. Marina de Tavira (Roma)
4. Amy Adams (Vice)

Haven't seen Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk) yet. 

Now here's some cases of even more egregious category fraud than Mahershala Ali, as Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone in The Favourite are undoubtedly co-leads alongside Olivia Colman, in fact you could make a far stronger argument for Colman in supporting. Having said that, I have nothing to complain about with regards to their nominations as they give two of the best performances of 2018 which I will discuss in further later on. I hope either of them wins, Regina King unseen, though they've both got Oscars already so perhaps unlikely.

Marina de Tavira is terrific in Roma and gives yet another great performance that helps to amplify Cuaron's vision, plus I do love seeing under-the-radar (relatively speaking) actresses get a boost from this category. Amy Adams, an actress I've frequently liked, often loved, in the past, unfortunately might win this time around for her underwhelming performance in Vice, not so much the performance itself which is fine, but it's just with such a boring and uninteresting 'supportive wife to president' character without much depth.

Surprises/Snubs:

I was banking on Michelle Yeoh making a dark horse entrance with Crazy Rich Asians, alas it was not to be, but I had my reasons. Would've liked to see Claire Foy for First Man here, I loved her like I love pretty much every element of the film. Can't think of any other performances that surprised me with them being snubbed, maybe Nicole Kidman in Boy Erased since she's an awards season darling, but that film got absolutely NO traction whatsoever this awards season. Emily Blunt had an outside chance earlier on in awards season with A Quiet Place and I wouldn't be surprised if she just missed out. Out of the nominees, Marina de Tavira is definitely the biggest surprise, I had no idea she was even in contention, and I'm sure even the most seasoned awards season expert was probably surprised. My favourite performance in this category comes in a film which was completely shut out, I hope to discuss it in greater depth in a future post.

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Best Original Screenplay

Clockwise from top left: Ethan Hawke (First Reformed) and Schrader, Cuaron, McKay,
Davis and McNamara; Vallelonga, Farrelly, Currie

1. The Favourite (Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara)
2. Roma (Alfonso Cuaron)
3. First Reformed (Paul Schrader)
4. Green Book (Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly)
5. Vice (Adam McKay)

Okay, this is definitely a surprising category. Easily my favourite of these is well, The Favourite which is a brilliantly written and meticulously crafted battle of the wits that manages to create three equally compelling journeys of three women who switch roles throughout in such unique ways (as well as being a bloody hilarious film).

Outside of The Favourite, I wouldn't say the screenplay either stands outs, or is a particularly praiseworthy aspect of the other four films. The screenplays to Roma and First Reformed are quality scripts, in particular Roma has a great sense of place and time and I thought absolutely managed to bring the story of its protagonist to pivotal emotionally powerful moments, though it is indeed Cuaron's direction which stands out the most. I would say that the direction stands out more than the screenplay in both films, again particularly with Roma, and in the case of First Reformed its weaknesses are greatly amplified by its central performance, like a few of Paul Schrader's other screenplays to be honest. 

Green Book is in my opinion a hit-and-miss screenplay, though emphasis on the 'miss' part. It does work as a buddy comedy in its purest form, I did like a lot of the more lighthearted banter, and Tony Lip's general characterisation does work. What I did dislike was when the film tries to take a turn for the serious. It just doesn't work when it tries to deal with issues of racism in Lip's character, and perhaps even worse Don Shirley's (apparently largely fictionalised) issues of self-identity crisis. At least it's not as downright awful as Vice though which is just a terrible screenplay, in that it provides absolutely no insight into Dick Cheney while simultaneously being so obnoxiously pretentious, and pseudo-intellectual in its ambitions and failures. It doesn't help that it doesn't even make its uninteresting ideas palatable through a digestible structure, as its haphazard blend of narration/fourth wall breaking and often ill-advised humour, with attempts at a 'serious' investigation into American politics, is largely a failure. 

Surprises/Snubs: 

I expected Eighth Grade to maybe make it in, but at the last minute switched to a prediction for First Reformed, which worked out rather nicely. Surprising that this is Paul Schrader's first nomination, good on him. THANK GOD neither Bohemian Rhapsody didn't make it in, now that would've been an unpleasant though not altogether unexpected surprise. Sorry to Bother You would've been a nice inclusion too, but I think it was definitely too weird for the Academy's taste.

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: The Favourite (Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Clockwise from the top: Can You Ever Forgive Me, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, BlacKkKlansman,
If Beale Street Could Talk, A Star is Born (1937, 1954, 1978)

1. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty)
2. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Joel Coen & Ethan Coen)
3. A Star Is Born (Eric Roth, Will Fetters & Bradley Cooper)
4. BlacKkKlansman (Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee)

Haven't seen If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) yet. On that note I'm currently reading the James Baldwin source material and it really is quite something. 

Anyway, I'm so glad to see the screenplay for Can You Ever Forgive Me? got a nomination, richly deserved and it is probably my favourite screenplay of the year, that creates such an honestly told depiction of dishonesty, a loving depiction of two misanthropists, funny yet fragile, oh I could go on and on but I'll stop...for now. Close behind is The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, which was such a delightful surprise in its nomination. It tells six stories of such varying tones in such rich detail that earns its motif of a storybook structure completely, taking some unconventional ideas and well-worn Western tropes creates tales like you've never heard before.  

A Star is Born is quite literally a tale you've heard before, three times before, but I do think it brings something new to the table, especially in its addition of the brother character, and its more playful depiction of the burgeoning romance. BlacKkKlansman's script is probably my least favourite of the lot I've seen, it's not bad at all, definitely works well in getting its passionate anger at racism across, masterful in contrast to Green Book, its villains particularly detestable, and the humour does work. It's not an amazing screenplay but it is a solid enough one. 

Surprises and snubs: 

I was predicting either The Death of Stalin or possibly even something like Crazy Rich Asians or Black Panther to sneak in here, that spot was taken by Buster Scruggs so honestly I couldn't be a happier little buzzing bee. No obvious snubs though in terms of actual contenders though I am still very confused as to how Leave No Trace and Boy Erased made absolutely no noise in this category. 

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: A Star Is Born (Eric Roth, Will Fetters & Bradley Cooper)

Best Animated Film

Clockwise from top: Mirai, Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse, Isle of Dogs,
Incredibles 2, Ralph Breaks the Internet

1. Isle of Dogs (Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson)
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller)
3. Incredibles 2 (Brad Bird, John Walker and Nicole Paradis Grindle)

Haven't seen Mirai (Mamoru Hosoda and Yuichiro Saito) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (Rich Moore, Phil Johnston and Clark Spencer) yet. 

Well I'll be quick on this category since I haven't seen much, and also there are no real surprises or snubs so to speak. Isle of Dogs is a great choice, peak Wes Anderson in many regards, I remember I used to not really be a fan of his but he's grown on me a lot, and is the most beautifully animated film of the year, though Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse certainly comes close particularly in its unique blend of different types of animation, and is a very moving, funny, occasionally even quite thought-provoking experience. I wasn't a fan of Incredibles 2, I know many are, I thought it was easily one of Pixar's worst thus far and a huge disappointment, but it was inevitably going to be nominated so meh, I guess.

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller)

Best Foreign Language Film

Clockwise from top left: Roma, Capernaum, Shoplifters,
Cold War, Never Look Away

1. Roma (Mexico)
2. Shoplifters (Japan)
3. Cold War (Poland)

Haven't seen Capernaum (Lebanon) and Never Look Away (Germany) yet. 

Again haven't seen enough to fully comment. I will say though that Roma is easily my favourite of these choices, though if it does end up winning Best Picture I hope they'll spread the wealth and let one of the other films win, as Shoplifters is excellent for the most part, Cold War is a fascinating and beautiful to look at. 

I would like to say Burning was snubbed since it was one of my favourite films of the year and it hurts to see Korea continually being ignored by the Academy, but I should really see the rest of the nominees first. 

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Cold War (Poland)

Best Documentary

Clockwise from top left: RBG, Fathers and Sons, Minding the Gap,
Hale County This Morning, This Evening; Free Solo

Haven't seen Free Solo (Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill), Hale County This Morning, This Evening (RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes and Su Kim), Minding the Gap (Bing Liu and Diane Quon), Of Fathers and Sons (Talal Derki, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme and Tobias N. Siebert). I've only seen RBG (Betsy West, Julie Cohen), which I thought was a more than decent look at Ruth Bader Ginsberg's life, and I'll be interested to compare it to the upcoming On the Basis of Sex. It doesn't reinvent the wheels of the documentary format, but I did find it inspiring and watchable enough. I do feel bad for missing out on this category altogether, so I'll definitely do a post when I get around to watching them all (as I have a LOT to catch up on in this category, not just the nominees). 

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: RBG (Betsy West, Julie Cohen)

Best Cinematography

Clockwise from top left: Never Look Away, Cold War, The Favourite,
A Star is Born,  Roma

1. Roma (Alfonso Cuaron)
2. Cold War (Lukasz Zal)
3. The Favourite (Robbie Ryan)
4. A Star Is Born (Matty Libatique)

Haven't seen Never Look Away (Caleb Deschanel) yet. 

Well here's a great category, I hope (and I do expect) Never Look Away to be beautifully shot so I'll catch it ASAP. Anyway, all four nominees I have seen are great choices. Roma particularly so, a black-and-white masterpiece in aesthetics from the very first shot of the plane in a puddle of water to that final beachside sequence, from Cuaron's brilliant use of tracking shots once again that brings you so vividly into the moment to the big 'money shots' that are too countless to mention. Also a feast for the eyes is Cold War, again black and white, which honestly lives up to the 'every frame a painting' phrase, and it finds a way of drawing you immediately into the various places and settings the characters come in and out of without a word. Both films are incredible examples of visual storytelling.

The Favourite is perhaps a little less reliant on the visuals for storytelling given how verbally compelling it is, but I digress as it is a beautifully shot film too, the fish eye lens use is interesting, and the very clean yet often atypical way it uses lighting in particular, I found absolutely breathtaking. A Star is Born is great too, both in the more 'showy' instances of literal showmanship by the titular lovers, but also in the more intimate sequences, it perhaps is not quite as spectacular as the other three nominees I've seen but it's amazing work all in itself. 

Surprises and snubs:

A very unpleasant surprise, and a shocking snub, of First Man. The cinematography in that film is faultless (in case you're wondering I'll have a LOT to talk about with regards to First Man in upcoming weeks). Also expected If Beale Street Could Talk to maybe get in here, but this just wasn't its year overall. If Widows had hit the mark more this awards season I think it'd have made a very strong case to be in here. Last but certainly not least, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Let me tell you Academy, there's a faster gun...(well I guess they did show a lot of love for the film in general, so I'll let it slide).  

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Roma (Alfonso Cuaron)

Best Editing

Clockwise from top left: Vice, Bohemian Rhapsody, Green Book,
The Favourite, Blackkklansman

1. The Favourite (Yorgos Mavropsaridis)
2. BlacKkKlansman (Barry Alexander Brown)
3. Green Book (Patrick J. Don Vito)
4. Bohemian Rhapsody (John Ottman)
5. Vice (Hank Corwin)

The art of editing is often considered an 'unseen' art, with that in mind it's often best discussed in terms of how it 'coheres' the various elements of a film together into a successful product. Well The Favourite is easily the best in this regard here, most notably in how it amplifies and spices up each scene of verbal combat by its perfect timing of reaction shots, and the way the visuals overlay offscreen dialogue in particular is excellent. Green Book is just a very standard well-paced road trip film, the montages in particular are well done; while BlacKkKlansman is hit-and-miss, its misses being in some of its extended comedy scenes and the final action sequence, but its hits are superb, particularly worthy of mention the Klu Klux Klan initiation scene, the 'Jew lie detector' scene. 

Bohemian Rhapsody is as serviceable as they come in terms of editing, I do like the editing in the final Live Aid sequence in particular and it moves along well enough in terms of the story, even if the script is more than lacking in several regards it tries to patch that up. Vice is a film that has editing which caused me headaches and not of the good sort (if there ever is a good sort of headache), and fails to make an already convoluted and confusing approach to the subject matter, even more excruciating. 

Surprises and snubs?

I'm going to sound like a broken record at this point, but First Man where art thou? Interesting that A Star is Born missed out here, that almost certainly hurts its chances at getting the big prize, although the fact that Roma missed out too might help its case. Honestly though this category was pretty surprising overall, I guess in a way that could have something to do with wanting to spread the wealth a bit in terms of the technical awards. Would've thought Black Panther could make it in here but I'm not surprised it didn't (though I wouldn't have been surprised if it did, either). 

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: BlacKkKlansman (Barry Alexander Brown)

Best Sound Mixing

Clockwise from top left: First Man, Roma, A Star is Born,
Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody

1. First Man (Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis)
2. Roma (Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and Jose Antonio Garcia)
3. A Star Is Born (Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow)
4. Black Panther (Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin)
5. Bohemian Rhapsody (Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali)

I have no problem with any of these nominations. Hey First Man nice to see you, and you too Roma. First Man is particularly extraordinary in how the sound design merges the extremes of space sound and soundlessness with the extraordinary soundtrack, and Roma does all this too in a more earthly yet no less impressive fashion. A Star is Born earns this completely just through its concert sequences, though I also have to give special mention to the sound mixing in the scenes where we are exposed to Jackson Maine's hearing condition. Black Panther is good action movie work in its integration of the soundtrack and the action sounds, and is one of the best-realised parts of the film on a technical level, while Bohemian Rhapsody achieves what A Star is Born does in a less impressive but still very solid fashion, again the Live-Aid sequence. 

Surprises and snubs? 

A Quiet Place is a big snub here in that the sound work in that film is not so much any particular 'sounds' so to speak, but in how it blends minimal sounds with silence, which is more difficult than it sounds. I thought Mary Poppins Returns might get in here too, not due to anything particularly exceptional with its sound mixing but just because its a musical and the category usually favours those, but the Academy ended up liking the film less than I expected. 

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: First Man (Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis)

Best Sound Editing

Clockwise from top left: First Man, A Quiet Place, Black Panther,
Bohemian Rhapsody, Roma

1. First Man (Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan)
2. Roma (Sergio Diaz and Skip Lievsay)
3. A Quiet Place (Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl)
4. Black Panther (Benjamin A. Burtt and Steve Boeddeker)
5. Bohemian Rhapsody (John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone)

Again, happy to see First Man again, regardless of your thoughts on the film its excellence on a sound design level is unquestioned. Where the sound mixing amplifies the emotions, I found the sound editing created the intensity of the film not just in the action sequences, but really even in the dialogue scenes. Roma is beautifully executed on this front just in terms of how you can pick up so many sounds besides the dialogue or the 'main' noises, while A Quiet Place manages to make each sound when it does 'appear' to really have the visceral effect the film requires. Black Panther is again very solid work, as is usual for Marvel, insofar as the sounds captured all bring you into the moment of the film, special mention to the way it helps to distract and prevent some of the lacklustre CGI from disrupting enjoyment of the film in key action scenes. Bohemian Rhapsody is fine standard musical work, would've probably preferred if A Star Is Born was the one double nominated in the sound department but I digresss.

Surprises and snubs?:

Mission Impossible: Fallout would've been a nice addition, and I guess they weren't fans of the film but the sound design in Hereditary is particularly great, but out of the likely contenders this is a decent lineup. 

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Roma (Sergio Diaz and Skip Lievsay)

Best Production Design

Clockwise from top left: Roma, Mary Poppins Returns, Black Panther,
First Man, The Favourite 

1. The Favourite (Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton)
2. First Man (Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas)
3. Roma (Eugenio Caballero and Barbara Enriquez)
4. Black Panther (Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart)
5. Mary Poppins Returns (John Myhre and Gordon Sim)

Beautiful work in all regards, and I would say that as per usual this is one of the strongest categories. As a prestige British drama The Favourite was a lock to begin with, but the production design takes several steps forwards from just being pristine and elegant to look and becomes almost a fourth main character in itself. Same can be said for First Man, of a different sort of set design as this is mainly in the design of the spacecraft and its interiors which, like the film itself, feels sort of insular and minimalist while also rather grand, and of course the moon itself, which Kubrick himself would be proud of (I jest!!). 

Roma makes use of real-life settings and locations to create my constantly re-iterated point of a striking sense of place and time, and shows that sometimes just the subtlest changes in details of a place and setting can create such an impact. Black Panther and Mary Poppins Returns are no slouches either, the former creating the world of Wakanda in such vivid, striking detail, though my favourite set design is probably the 'afterlife' setting, and Mary Poppins Returns presents just the right amount of tribute to the original in yet another wondrous and picturesque depiction of London that while no Paddington 2, is great work in itself. 

Surprises and snubs?: 

This lineup pretty much panned out exactly as I'd expected, I did think that Isle of Dogs had a bit of a possibility getting in here, and if A Star is Born had dominated more I could see it getting in for its admittedly solid work, but on the whole I think this is a good lineup representative of the year's strengths. 

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: The Favourite (Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton)

Best Costume Design

Clockwise from top left: Black Panther, The Favourite, Mary Queen of Scots,
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Mary Poppins Returns

1. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Mary Zophres)
2. The Favourite (Sandy Powell)
3. Black Panther (Ruth E. Carter)
4. Mary Poppins Returns (Sandy Powell)
5. Mary Queen of Scots (Alexandra Byrne)

Perhaps spoke too soon as I believe this is the strongest lineup of them all. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is very easily my pick of the lot, it may well be the best costumed Coen Brothers film ever by the great Mary Zophres, which is really saying something, as she takes the Western genre and makes it all her own, particularly in the garments of its main character, a bundle of pots, and manages to make a perfect costume incarnation of death. The Favourite is also just outstanding in every where each costume gives you a complete picture of who, what, why, everything about them, from the Queen to the members of parliament to the lowliest servant, and of course the warring 'favourites'.  

Black Panther is superb in its contrast between the tribal outfits of the Wakandans and the much grimier outfits of the outsiders, in particular Killmonger's costume makes for a particularly great aesthetic dynamic that suits Michael B. Jordan perfectly, while Mary Poppins Returns last since Mary Poppins, the chimney sweeper, Dick Van Dyke, even the kids, are all just dressed perfectly in the way which just seems right for the universe of Mary Poppins, the greatest nanny of all would be very proud. Hate to rank Mary Queen of Scots last, it really captures that very particular historical period while bringing just enough character of its own, in many way it's very typically good work of a British prestige drama, but that's nothing to sniff at. I hate to rank  

Surprises and snubs?: 

Buster Scruggs was quite the surprise, and a most welcome one again. I would have thought maybe the second Fantastic Beasts would make a return, maybe something like Suspria if they wanted to step outside the box, if they'd wanted to give Dafoe more support At Eternity's Gate looks like it has nice costumes, but honestly I think these five choices are the best five choices they could have made barring some completely out-of-the-blue selection like Bad Times at the El Royale.

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Black Panther (Ruth E. Carter)

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Clockwise from top left: Border, Vice, Mary Queen of Scots

1. Mary Queen of Scots (Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks)
2. Vice (Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney) 

Haven't seen Border (Goran Lundstrom and Pamela Goldammer) yet. 

Pretty good (if typically small) lineup. Mary Queen of Scots is good in just the most basic sense of lovely hairstyles, and pretty good recreations of what Queen Elizabeth must've looked like in her stages of pox infection and actually managed to 'uglify' Margot Robbie. As for Vice I have to admit I didn't really notice much makeup work done at all. I mean Christian Bale didn't need a fat suit or anything because he actually gained all that weight for Cheney, but besides that I suppose the work on the gradual ageing makeup for all the characters involved is good enough.

Surprises and snubs?: 

I'm aware Mandy wasn't in contention, and neither was Suspria, but both would've seemed like likely choices, again Border was quite the surprise. Bohemian Rhapsody was also in contention, I liked the moustache, thought the overbite looked weird, and Mike Meyers' makeup was outright awful, so it all balances out to 'nah'. Stan & Ollie should've gotten in here, John C. Reilly's makeup as Oliver Hardy is pretty great outside of a few shots, and Stan Laurel ain't too badly done either in terms of the makeup trying to redefine Coogan's very distinct features into that of the softer Stan. 

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: Vice (Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney) 

Best Visual Effects

Clockwise from top left: Solo: A Star Wars Story, Ready Player One, Christopher Robin, 

1. First Man (Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm)
2. Solo: A Star Wars Story (Rob Bredow, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Dominic Tuohy)
3. Avengers: Infinity War (Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl and Dan Sudick)
4. Christopher Robin (Christopher Lawrence, Michael Eames, Theo Jones and Chris Corbould)
5. Ready Player One (Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew E. Butler and David Shirk)

All five films are at the very least well done in the special effects department, but I have to say that First Man is once again, easily my choice. The fact that you don't notice the special effects in it are special effects is in itself testament to the brilliant work done. Avengers: Infinity War has some bad special effects in scenes like Mark Ruffalo's head popping out of the Iron Man suit, and the dusting. It makes up for all of that with its terrific work on Thanos though, so overall well done. Solo: A Star Wars Story is interesting in that as far as Star Wars films go, it's not among the worst nor among the best, in many ways both the film and the SFX are as 'average' as the galaxy far, far away goes. Having said that, average Star Wars SFX is still great SFX.

Christopher Robin avoids uncanny valley in its live-action recreation of the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Woods, some might not like the designs of them, well I did, in particular Tigger and Eyeore. Ready Player One is no Close Encounters of the Third Kind nor is it a Kingdom of the Crystal Dull with regards to its visual effects, it is serviceable video game-esque work for the most part that does work well for the film. I wasn't as huge a fan of that The Shining homage as most, but it was certainly well executed. 

Surprises and snubs?:

Some might be surprised to see Black Panther missing from the list, I'm not really since it was arguably the weakest link of the film. If Welcome to Marwen had done well critically or even financially it would've gotten in here since they do like Robert Zemeckis films in this category, the Jurassic World sequel probably came somewhat close to the spot taken up by Christopher Robin, but I'm kind of grateful it didn't so I don't have to try and watch that film. 

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: First Man (Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm)

Best Original Score

Clockwise from top let: If Beale Street Could Talk, Black Panther,
BlacKkKlansman, Isle of Dogs, Mary Poppins Returns 

1. Black Panther (Ludwig Goransson)
2. Isle of Dogs (Alexandre Desplat)
3. BlacKkKlansman (Terence Blanchard)
4. Mary Poppins Returns (Marc Shaiman)

Haven't seen If Beale Street Could Talk (Nicholas Britell) yet (though I've been listening to the score on Spotify and it. Is. Sublime. Remains to be seen how it's used in the film). 

buT WhERe iS FiRSt MaN ThOUgh?

Having got that out of the way...this is a fine set of nominees. Black Panther in particular I really love the score, as it breaks from the usual mould of Marvel scores to create what is rather impressively almost a whole culture of music within the Wakandan community. I have particular affection for the music used in Killmonger's ascension to the throne. Isle of Dogs' highlight in terms of its score is its re-use of Kurosawa themes, most notably that of Drunken Angel, but the Alexandre Desplat tunes are appropriate and fitting to the vibrant tone of the film, though not quite on the level of say The Grand Budapest Hotel.

I need a re-watch for BlacKkKlansman's score, though I could easily switch it around with Isle of Dogs since I found the blaxploitation/thriller touches particularly effective, even if the best use of music in the film was taken from Inside Man. And Mary Poppins Returns is a good score, if not particularly memorable, that doesn't quite hit the heights of the original, but is a fitting enough tribute, and I did like its brief but nice homages to the original tunes (though teasing me with 'Let's Go Fly a Kite' is never a good idea).

Surprises and snubs?:

Again, where on earth is First Man? Best music not only of the year, but rivalling the likes of Phantom Thread, True Grit, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Mad Max: Fury Road as the best of the decade. Besides that, no real notable omissions, I was thinking Carter Burwell might get his third nomination for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs or something like Annihilation or A Quiet Place especially could've sneaked in. I can't wait to talk about some of these in my upcoming 'Film Music in 2018' post.

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: If Beale Street Could Talk (Nicholas Britell)

Best Original Song 

CLockwise from top left: "I'll Fight", "All the Stars", "Shallow",
"The Place Where Lost Things Go", 'When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings"

1. "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings" (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs)- Music and Lyric by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch
2. "Shallow" (A Star Is Born)- Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt
3. "The Place Where Lost Things Go" (Mary Poppins Returns)- Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyric by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
4. "All the Stars" (Black Panther) - Music by Mark Spears, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth and Anthony Tiffith; Lyric by Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Anthony Tiffith and Solana Rowe
5. "I'll Fight" (RBG) - Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

Okay then. I'll hold off talking about the top 2 for my 'Film Music in 2018' post. Having said that, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs features beautiful music in every regard and I'm glad it was (surprisingly) nominated for this tune, and the nomination for A Star is Born is a great choice, though it's not my favourite song from the film (which is again nothing against the quality of the song itself, just of the general excellence of the film). "All the Stars" is a good enough choice from Black Panther though I'd have personally gone for "Pray for Me" featuring The Weeknd instead. Same goes for "The Place Where Lost Things Go" from Mary Poppins, "Trip a Little Light Fantastic" would have been my preferred choice on account of how it's used within the film. "I'll Fight" from RBG is a good ballad, and really this is a good lineup, not the best possible lineup, but a good one. 

Surprises and snubs?:

Out of the shortlist, I'm very disappointed that Troye Sivan and Jónsi's "Revelation" from Boy Erased didn't end up being nominated, and it would've been nice to see Sorry to Bother You get some attention in this category. I can't complain, overall though.

My prediction for the winner (for now)?: "Shallow" (A Star Is Born)- Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt

Other categories: 

Out of the 'Shorts' category (Animated, Live-Action, Documentary) I've only seen Bao (Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb) which I absolutely loved. I'll try to catch up on the rest. 

20 Best Films of 2018

Honourable Mentions: Crazy Rich Asians, Black Panther, The Rider, BlacKkKlansman, Cold War, A Quiet Place, Game Night

20. Sorry to Bother You

L - R : Tessa Thompson and LaKeith Stanfield in Sorry to Bother You

What's it about? 
Cassius 'Cash' Green (Lakeith Stanfield), with the help of a newly adopted 'white voice', finds himself ascending up the ranks of telemarketing to the top of RegalView company, thrust into the odd, wacky and rather precarious environment of corporate greed.

What's to like? 
As my attempt at a synopsis shows, there's a LOT to unpack in Boots Riley's directorial debut - and while it might be a bit messy and doesn't come together perfectly, there's a whole lot to like with regards to the thematically intriguing and entertaining screenplay, a couple of strong performances from an eclectic cast, and a great soundtrack.

Direction: B
Acting: B +
Screenplay: B +
Cinematography: B  
Editing: B +
Music: A

19. Thoroughbreds

L - R : Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin, Olivia Cooke

What's it about? 
Two highschoolers, sociopathic posh girl Amanda (Olivia Cooke) and academically-inclined and naive Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) make plans to kill the latter's stepfather (Paul Sparks).

What's to like? 
A sort of deconstruction of grungy 80s teen dark comedy fare like Heathers, the blunt, often darkly comic approach to the characters here gives first-time director Cory Finley a unique stamp on the 'genre'. Bolstered by two fantastic lead performances, and the late Anton Yelchin in an entertaining supporting turn, it's not the most accessible film and I wouldn't say I loved it, but it definitely makes for a compelling watch.  

Direction: B
Acting: A -
Screenplay: B +
Cinematography: B  
Editing: B
Music: A -

18. Mandy

L - R : Nicolas Cage and director Panos Cosmatos

What's it about? 
The idyllic countryside lifestyle of Red (Nicolas Cage) and Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) is shattered by some nutcase hippies. Cue madness and revenge.

What's to like? 
I'll get my reservations out of the way first. The weakest elements of the film I'd say are its pacing, and its screenplay, which do make it feel like a bit of a slog at times, and the story is simplistic to the point where I'd say it felt a bit thematically inert at points. Having said that, it is visually engaging throughout, packs quite the emotional punch at specific moments, is filled with excellent performances - special mention to a particularly unnerving Linus Roache as the cult leader - and has a great swansong score by the late Jóhann Jóhannsson. Honestly with a re-watch, this could go up the list.

Direction: B +
Acting: A
Screenplay: C
Cinematography: A +
Editing: C +
Music: A 

17.  First Reformed

L - R : Ethan Hawke, Victoria Hill

What's it about? 
Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke), still haunted by the loss of his son in the Iraq war, finds himself musing over questions of faith and morality, as he finds himself drawn into the life of a couple (Amanda Seyfried and Philip Ettinger), environmentalist radicalism, and the management of his dwindling church.

What's to like? 
Paul Schrader's direction may be a bit heavyhanded, in its approach to merging big themes with an intimate character study, but for the most part it does work as essentially Taxi Driver with a priest at its centre, and the environment as its preoccupation. It largely succeeds on that front, with a none too subtle yet rather compelling screenplay, and most notably a downright brilliant performance by Ethan Hawke whose performance is worthy of the hype.

Direction: B -
Acting: A +
Screenplay: B +
Cinematography: B -   
Editing: B -
Music: B -

16. Avengers: Infinity War 

L - R : Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Wong, Mark Ruffalo

What's it about? 
You know the drill by now - Thanos (Josh Brolin) needs his infinity stones, the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy must team up to stop him.

What's to like? 
The sheer scope of such big personalities teaming up with one another is in itself worth the price of admission. I will say that while there are flaws, some of the humour doesn't really work this time around, it takes a while to get going, and not every character gets the right amount to do, I still thoroughly enjoyed this as the blockbuster event of 2018. It does wear the Marvel Comic Universe formula on its sleeves, but the execution is impeccable, many of the cast step up their A-game, the CGI the best it's been in quite some time (Thanos is a fantastic visual creation), and the ending does pack quite a punch despite the nature of the Disney marketing machine meaning that none of the deaths really mean that much in the long run...yet.

Direction: B
Acting: B +
Screenplay: B
Cinematography: B +   
Editing: A -
Music: B +

15. Widows 

L - R : Michelle Rodriguez, director Steve McQueen, Elizabeth Debicki, Viola Davis

What's it about? 
Three widows (Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez) and another recruit (Cynthia Erivo) team up to finish off a heist left behind by their late husbands to pay off crime boss Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry).

What's to like? 
One of those films which strives for greatness yet doesn't quite attain it, this is at once both a very entertaining and somewhat frustrating film, as you see the hints of a masterpiece it doesn't fully realize, in part due to its screenplay, where many of its ideas and characters are at once compelling and underdeveloped. Having said that, the main thematic thrust of the film - a sort of artsy crime thriller merged with social commentary on the social divide in South Side Chicago - does work very well, Steve McQueen's direction is daring and often rather great, and the uniformly strong performances of an unfortunately SAG-snubbed ensemble are all excellent, with particular mention to a chilling Daniel Kaluuya as a mob enforcer, and Debicki as the widow with the most compelling arc. 

Direction: A -
Acting: A +
Screenplay: B -
Cinematography: B +  
Editing: B -
Music: C +

14. Shoplifters

L - R : Lily Franky, Shota Shibata

What's it about? 
An impoverished family in Tokyo, who rely on shoplifting to help make ends meet, take in a young girl they find on the streets.

What's to like? 

The first half of this film is a masterful, as Hirokazu Koreeda and his cast strike such a brilliant balance between comedy and drama, serenity and pathos in depicting this very particular sort of family, and in such an understated fashion that works so well. He presents this fascinating dynamic and allows us to learn, experience, and engage with them in such an organic fashion, creating great moments throughout. Unfortunately, the second half of the film descends into overly convoluted and somewhat melodramatic territory, which is a shame, though that's not to say it ever becomes truly bad, just never does attain the heights of its first half.

Direction: B +
Acting: A -
Screenplay: B
Cinematography: B
Editing: B +
Music: B

13. Deadpool 2 

L - R : Ryan Reynolds, Karan Soni

What's it about? 

The return of the titular Merc with a Mouth (Ryan Reynolds), this time going up against the no-nonsense Cable (Josh Brolin) who's come from the future to settle some business with a young mutant (Julian Dennison).

What's to like? I liked the first Deadpool film, but here's a sequel which I actually felt improved upon its existing foundations, to the point I actually quite loved it. It's as haphazard, random, self-referential and caustic as you'd expect, throwing in a series of superhero gags and pop-culture references that range from fairly funny to gut-busting hilarity, with special mention to any time Reynolds' own career is brought up. What really makes this particular superhero film stick with me rather well, however, is the heart at its center, and I must say the scene in the film that's stuck with me the most is almost entirely dramatic in its intentions.

Direction: B
Acting: B +
Screenplay: A -
Cinematography: B
Editing: B +
Music: A -

12. Blindspotting

L - R : Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs 

What's it about? 
Collin (Daveed Diggs), approaching the end of his probation, tries to get his life in order, but is continually beset by the racial tensions of the bay area and the problematic tendencies of his volatile best friend Miles (Rafael Casal) (not putting the trailer for this one here because it is very spoiler-y).

What's to like? 
Another impressive directorial debut (by Carlos López Estrada), this relentlessly entertaining, thoughtful study of race relations through the initial lens of a buddy comedy, manages to combine these elements into an excellent film. Though a few plot points might feel a bit contrived, I didn't really care as I ended up really tuning in to the unique visual aesthetic, the stylized dialogue including its excellent use of rap music, and its compelling central relationship which doesn't simplify the friendship into just a 'white man, black man' dynamic, and finds something quite special in its examination of prejudice, the issue of white privilege, and crime.   

Direction: B +
Acting: B +
Screenplay: A -
Cinematography: B +
Editing: B +
Music: B +

11. The Old Man & the Gun

L - R : Sissy Spacek, Robert Redford

What's it about?
The real-life story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), (in) famously cordial and gentlemanly bank robber and career-criminal whose string of heists become a sensation with the public, and befuddle the authorities, most prominently police detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck).

What's to like?
The most easygoing film on this list and probably the most low-key film involving crime you'll ever see. David Lowrey creates sort of this soothing lullaby tribute to this man for whom a life is crime is what energizes and drives him, granting a real old-school charm aided by Redford in a role he was born to play. It's a very cheeky and lovely film, and while it doesn't focus on the more brute truths of Tucker's lifestyle it doesn't shy away from them either. Everything about the film is rather 'nice', in the best possible way, and though it is indeed rather slight, it is rather remarkable in that slightness.

Direction: B +
Acting: A
Screenplay: B +
Cinematography: B +
Editing: B
Music: A +

10. Creed II

L - R : Florian Munteanu, Michael B. Jordan

What's it about? 
A continuation of Adonis Creed's (Michael B. Jordan) story as he continues to carve his own boxing legacy with the help of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), facing off against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the formidable son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) who killed his father Apollo in the ring.

What's to like? 
The film manages to hit all the beats of the crowd-pleasing Rocky series formula, with variations here and there in execution to create something fresh, and the expansion of the Dragos this time round is particularly great. The fight choreography and cinematography, while not on the level of the first Creed, remains impeccable. In many ways it follows the formula of the original series sequels but in an effective manner, continuing to make you care about the characters, and packing quite the punch (no pun intended) when it needs to on an emotional and entertainment level.

Direction: B +
Acting: A
Screenplay: B
Cinematography: B +
Editing: A -
Music: A -

9. Isle of Dogs 

Doggos (voiced by Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Bryan Cranston)

What's it about?
A pack of stray dogs, living on an island where canines have been banished to in dystopian future Japan, help a young boy search for his lost dog Spots.

What's to like?
One of the most stunning films of the year in terms of production design, visuals, colours, this is quite the feast for the eyes as is to be expected for a Wes Anderson film. The story takes on a weird combination of childlike idealism and deadpan humour with pretty dark, even violent, sequences, but it straddles this fine line pretty well. It features an all-star cast of voices, which are largely very effective (particular mention to a perfectly cast Bryan Cranston), and makes for another very pleasaurable entry in Wes Anderson's filmography.

Direction: A +
Acting: B +
Screenplay: B +
Cinematography: A -
Editing: B +
Music: A

8. Burning

L - R : Yoo Ah-in, Jun Jeong-seo, Steven Yeun

What's it about?
Childhood friends Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) and Hae-mi (Jun Jeong-seo) cross paths and reconnect briefly before the latter goes on a trip to Africa; she brings back a mysterious new friend, Ben (Steven Yeun), from her travels, and soon ensues a strange (not quite romantic) triangle of sorts.

What's to like?
A slow-burningly tense atmosphere created by Lee Chang-dong makes for quite the cinematic experience. This is certainly no crowd-pleaser, and will test the patience of many a cinemagoer, yet give it time to seep in and absorb what it has to offer, and you'll find that it has much to offer beyond just technically immaculate filmmaking. It's a very subtle, nuanced film that never raises its voice, so to speak, but rather creates this unsettling sense of mystery, brought to life brilliantly by a trio of pitch-perfect performances, with particular mention going to Steven Yeun for a particularly chilling turn.

Direction: A
Acting: A +
Screenplay: A -
Cinematography: A -
Editing: B +
Music: B +

7. A Star is Born

L - R : Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga

What's it about? 
A tale as old as time (well, 1937 technically), this third remake updates the romance of veteran/ingenue to country singer Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) taking the titular star being born, Ally (Lady Gaga), under his wing. Sparks immediately fly but tragedy isn't far off...

What's to like?
Very much in the vein of an old-fashioned 1970s/80s melodrama romance, I dug this despite the inherent predictability of the plot, and this might be my favourite version of the story so far. Cooper proves himself a very adept director, particularly in the musical sequences, and gives a career-best performance, and his leading lady ain't no slouch either. Again, though, it's all about the music, and the film delivers this in spades, from the viscreal power of 'Shallow' to the gentle lyricism of 'Maybe It's Time' and the devastating 'I'll Never Love Again'.

Direction: A -
Acting: A +
Screenplay: A -
Cinematography: B +
Editing: B
Music: A +

6. Mission Impossible - Fallout

L - R : Henry Cavill, Tom Cruise

What's it about?
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and co. are on the run again, having chosen to accept a mission, and dealing with the fallout of its results.

What's to like?
I should note that my rankings of #6 to #3 could change around at any point. The Mission Impossible series has made quite the incredible turn from a somewhat outdated franchise relying on nostalgia and old tropes, to a rejuvenated beast under the tutelage of Christopher McQuarrie. Rogue Nation was a blast, this one takes it up several notches for one of the most entertaining and flat-out awesome action films of recent years. Who cares if the general gist of the villain's schemes and revelations is a general copy + paste staple of the genre? It's all about watching Tom going on full-on Cruise with ridiculous stunt after ridiculous stunt, from bathroom brawls to Paris heists to helicopter hijinks, all to save the day. Probably up there already with some of my favourite action films of all-time.

Direction: A +
Acting: B
Screenplay: B 
Cinematography: A +
Editing: A +
Music: A -

5. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

L - R : Director Marielle Heller, Melissa McCarthy

What's it about? 
Biographer Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy), whose irascible attitude and resistance to change to the current times leaves her struggling to make ends meet, turns her talents towards the art of deception through forging letters under the names of prominent literary figures.

What's to like? 
Don't be fooled by my somewhat bland description of the plot - this is one of the most entertaining films of the year, all the more remarkable since it focuses on two misanthropic individuals - Israel and her friend Jack Hock (Richard E. Grant) - , who go out of their way to make life unpleasant for others. It's frequently very funny, with most of the best comic lines going to Grant's delightful, lively turn as an dashingly uncouth gay man, and who plays brilliantly off Melissa McCarthy's performance of a lifetime as the most blunt, abrasive, pretty horrible person you nevertheless utterly sympathize with. You watch, witness, and almost root for Israel's long trail of deceptions, thanks to Marielle Heller's excellent direction and a phenomenal screenplay.

Direction: A +
Acting: A +
Screenplay: A +
Cinematography: B +
Editing: B +
Music: A

4. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

L - R : Zoe Kazan, Bill Heck

What's it about? 
A six story anthology of stories set on the American frontier, brought to you by the Coen brothers -

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - the titular amiable singing gunslinger (Tim Blake Nelson) makes his mark on a small town

Near Algodones - an increasingly befuddled cowboy (James Franco) gets through a rough day

Meal Ticket - an ageing impresario (Liam Neeson) and his artist (Harry Melling) make their way from town to town

All Gold Canyon - a prospector (Tom Waits) mines gold

The Gal Who Got Rattled - a young lady (Zoe Kazan) travels west with a wagon train.

The Mortal Remains - five passengers (Tyne Daly, Brendan Gleeson, Jonjo O'Neill, Saul Rubinek, Chelcie Ross) travel to some unknown place on a coach.

What's to like? 
Might as well go story by story with this -

• The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - Looney Tunes-esque violence merged with the characteristic wit of the Coens makes for quite the scrumptious concoction. Plus some delightful Western songs, my favourite being 'When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings'. 
• Near Algodones - short but enjoyable take on the Western bandit story, also funny in a more low-key fashion, with just the slightest hint of poignancy.
• Meal Ticket - the most divisive short story, it has a great atmosphere though the story and characters itself are minimalist to the point of discomfort, and it does feel the most inert dramatically speaking.
• All Gold Canyon - a brilliant one-man show by Tom Waits, featuring some downright astounding cinematography. My favourite of the segments.
• The Gal Who Got Rattled - another fantastic story, this time handled with a great deal of earnestness in its tragic tale.
• The Mortal Remains - the most obtuse and mysterious of the stories, with a great sense of place and time and an unnerving, yet strangely serene, sense of being.

Each segment within the anthology has their own place and merits, all excellently directed by the Coens, beautifully shot by Bruno Delbonnel (some of the most exquisite shots of the year) and Carter Burwell delivering one of his best scores in years. Honestly the only real thing I could nitpick is that I've never been a fan of anthology structures in the first place, I wouldn't have minded a framing device, but regardless of my preferences, the Coen brothers pulled this off beautifully and frankly I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Direction: A +
Acting: A +
Screenplay: A +
Cinematography: A +
Editing: B +
Music: A +

3. Leave No Trace

L - R : Thomasin McKenzie, director Debra Granik

What's it about? 
Will (Ben Foster), a war veteran, and his thirteen year-old daughter Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) live happily together in the wilderness of Portland, Oregon. After they are discovered and placed in social services, their lives will never be the same again.

What's to like? 
Debra Granik captures the same sort of grit and the beauty of the backwoods she evoked in Winter's Bone through the sense of time, place and the organic, natural way in which she allows the narrative to play out, and really embracing both the beauty and the problematic qualities of the living situation of the father and daughter. The two central performances are astounding, and there is a real poignancy to be found despite the extremely quiet tone of the film, yet it is never preachy or didactic, letting the audience make their own judgement. It's perhaps the most underseen film in my top 20, and hopefully more will watch it in due course.

Direction: A +
Acting: A +
Screenplay: A +
Cinematography: B +
Editing: A
Music: A

2. Roma

L - R : Director Alfonso Cuarón, Yalitza Aparicio

What's it about? 
A year in the life of a middle-class family's maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.

What's to like? 
Alfonso Cuarón is undoubtedly one of the finest directors working today, but Roma is the first film of his I've flat out loved (though I have a great admiration for Y Tu Mama Tambien, Gravity, The Prisoner of Azkaban and especially Children of Men). The nature of the material seems to lend itself to smaller-scale storytelling, and Cuarón certainly adheres to this in depicting the main character Cleo (an excellent debut performance from Yalitza Aparicio) and the day-to-day interactions with the family she works for with a great deal of intimacy and understanding, keying us into this 'slice of life', yet what is special is Cuaron makes even the most mundane so cinematic and engaging, from the parking of a car. to a leisurely stroll to the cinema, to scrubbing the floors, is all rendered with incredible sound design, cinematography, and a real sense of 'being there'. And when Cuarón turns his hand to the big setpieces, and equally the big emotional moments, he really nails it to perfection; one particular sequence in a department store will stay with me for a long, long time.

Direction: A +
Acting: A
Screenplay: A
Cinematography: A +
Editing: A +
Music: A

1. First Man 

L - R : Ryan Gosling

What's it about? 
Focusing on the life of NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong between 1961 to 1969 as he undergoes the journey to become the first man to walk on the moon.

What's to like? 
Mark Kermode perhaps put it best when he described the film as looking to outer space in order to examine inner space. The trailers may have led many (myself included) to expect a thrilling action film-esque take on the Apollo missions with loud, dramatic beats mixed in - what we get instead is something altogether more insular (therefore instead of a trailer I have put a video of the beautiful Justin Hurwitz score). Damien Chazelle and screenwriter Josh Singer, rather than focusing on the grand scale of the space race, choose to hone in on Neil Armstrong the individual and his journey to the moon throughout the years of toil. Some have criticized this choice, deeming it slow and unengaging - I couldn't disagree more, I absolutely loved it, and which unfortunately seems to have put many off from the film, as shown by its underperformance at the box office and somewhat muted critical reception in contrast to Chazelle's previous works, the decidedly more audience-friendly Whiplash and La La Land. Which isn't to say there isn't grand crowd-pleasing spectacle here - the grandeur of space travel and outer space is conveyed beautifully through the breathtaking cinematography not just of space, but also creates such tension within the interiors of the aircraft, and even more importantly the sound design which really puts you into the position of Armstrong and his fellow astronauts.

Yet where the film really makes itself distinct is in its depiction of the inner maelstrom of Armstrong's life, and the emotional journey he takes towards setting foot on the moon with the family tragedy that opens the film. I'm a huge fan of Whiplash and I liked La La Land (though I have more than a few reservations), but a weakness of those films (in my opinion) was that I never really connected with them on an emotional level, with the more 'dramatic' scenes in the latter in particular falling a bit flat for me. No such problem here as I thought every sequence of Armstrong's personal plights, particularly the scenes where Armstrong deals with the fatalities of the space race, and the astonishing family dinner table scene where Armstrong is 'interrogated' by his family, builds up to a finale that made its impact in a way that I couldn't have foreseen. I haven't even mentioned the acting, which is just uniformly superb, with Ryan Gosling in particular giving what might be my new favourite performance of his.

Direction: A +
Acting: A +
Screenplay: A +
Cinematography: A +
Editing: A +
Music: A +


Other great 'films' - 

Pixar's short film 'Bao' was quite the charmer, and Westworld's episode 8, 'Kiksuya' was phenomenal too (there was lots of good television on this year, and still much more I need to catch up on - but that episode was almost a cinematic masterpiece in itself).

I should note that there's still a LOT of films I need to catch up on - including many foreign language, documentaries, etc. Feel free to leave any suggestions!

Top 10 Performances: Ethan Hawke

10. The Magnificent Seven
A remake of a remake that was better than it had any right to be, aside from a rather lousy villain and a somewhat disappointing third act. Hawke is arguably the best part of the film, giving a real sense of pathos and empathy to the role of the gunslinger haunted by the demons of his violent past, and has excellent chemistry with co-stars Denzel Washington (in a far friendlier capacity than another performance here), and especially Lee Byung-hun.

9. Gattaca

He might be just a tad bit overshadowed by Jude Law giving one of his best performances, and the sheer scope of the film which attempts (and largely succeeds) at covering some very interesting ethical debates, but Hawke gives a rock-solid leading man turn as a 'genetically inferior' man who goes to great lengths to become one of the 'valids' who can travel to space. He makes for an appropriately sympathetic hero to the story, and works particularly well as a sort of everyman's view into the unique sci-fi world created by Andrew Niccol.

8. Born to Be Blue

Hawke's portrayal of jazz musician Chet Baker's life went largely under the radar when it came out, and I will say that it's not terribly inspired so far as musical biopics go, but Hawke is very strong in his portayal of essentially a cinematic re-imagining of the man. He hits the expected beats with quite the aplomb without falling into Walk Hard parody territory, and his performance in the actual musical scenes is quite something to behold. While I don't love the film, this is certainly another very strong performance from Hawke.

7. Dead Poet's Society

One of my favourite tearjerkers (all the more so in wake of Robin Williams' passing), Hawke is the closest the film comes to a 'lead' character, so to speak, as the most soft-spoken and shy of Mr Keating's pupils. His character's arc is beautifully portrayed throughout and he's an essential, perhaps the most essential element, of some of the film's most famous moments like his outburst of poetry, his emotional breakdown in the snow, and that brilliant ending.

6. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

It's testament to Hawke's talent that he doesn't get overshadowed by the likes of Philip Seymour Hoffman and Albert Finney giving magnificent performances. As the deadbeat brother of the former and son of the latter, he is part of the fascinating family dynamic at the centre of the film, creating a unique sort of earnestness to his character's far less manipulative nature in contrast his 'good' brother, and making it rather heartwrenching as he and his family's life spirals out of control.

5. The Before trilogy

Technically cheating as it's three films, but it's all about the consistency of approach and most importantly, his onscreen chemistry with Julie Delpy in their portrayal of the vividly realized romance between Jesse and Celine. The trilogy, spanning over nearly two decades, is organically and beautifully crafted, with director Richard Linklater and his leads working together on the screenplay over the years to create a very realistic, low-key yet memorable dynamic between these indivdiuals. This is a series where I'd say that all three films are pretty much on par with one another, though I will say that Hawke, as well as Delpy, arguably shine the most in Before Midnight.

4. Training Day

Not to be forgotten opposite Denzel Washington's over-the-top yet incredibly memorable portrayal of dirty cop Alonzo Harris, is Hawke's portrayal of Officer Jake Hoyt, the boyish, somewhat naive rookie cop Alonzo takes under his wing for an evaluation. He provides the perfect counterpoint to Washington's performance with his largely reactionary performance, never trying to overshadow the veteran, but quietly making his impact through developing his character's arc into a wiser and more assertive cop, and knocks his key scenes out of the park, like the brilliant 'bathtub scene' and that oh so cathartic finale.

3. Boyhood

While J.K. Simmons was a great winner, I do kind of wish that Hawke would have won the Oscar for his portrayal of Mason Evans Sr.. Boyhood as a film hasn't stayed with me as much as I thought I would on first watching it, but one aspect that has continued to linger on is Hawke's portrayal of an initially rather deadbeat dad, with whom the 12-year gimmick of the film really works as he develops Mason Sr. so naturally into a more responsible figure. It's one of Hawke's most endearing, charismatic and subtly complex performances where, as per usual, he manages to create a character you could just imagine running into in everyday life, while making quite the impact.

2. Maudie

Perhaps the most underrated performance last year, as the film itself, a biopic of Canadian artist Maud Lewis, was largely unseen, and all praise that went to the film was for Sally Hawkins' brilliant portrayal of the titular character. Now Hawkins is great, but Hawke is just as amazing in the role of her gruff, initially rather cruel husband. Fashioning an accent and disposition that conveys his none-too-bright state, and just the sheer physicality he brings to his character's rough demeanour without being a carciature, he delivers such a convincing portrayal that is amplified by his brilliant chemistry with Hawkins, and makes the gradual loss of this gruffness so realistic and ultimately rather heartbreaking. 

1. First Reformed 

I'll talk more about this performance at a later date - and the film itself I will say, check it out, it must be seen to be believed - but this is his greatest performance to date, in a rather unexpected way as Hawke knocks it out as per usual, but brings something a little extra that even a huge fan of him like myself, will admit is rather unprecedented.

(Somewhat Early) Predictions for the Oscar 2019 Nominations

bold indicates my prediction for the winner; * indicates films I've already seen.

Best Picture

BlacKkKlansman* 
The Favourite 
First Man*
Green Book
If Beale Street Could Talk  
Roma  
A Star is Born*
Widows 

At this point in time it seems like the latest remake of A Star is Born may well be the film to beat, given that the previous versions have all been fairly successful with the Academy, it's received critical acclaim and mounds of box-office success, and is directed by an Academy darling. It also seems like the very type of film that's primed for a backlash of sorts in the near future. It's been awhile since Spike Lee's come back into the awards fray and his latest, BlacKkKLansman, looks like it could just about make the cut. Chazelle v.s. Jenkins seems to be in play with First Man receiving strong reviews, albeit not quite on La La Land levels, and If Beale Street Could Talk getting raves, that should propel both films to something of a lock on a nomination (though anything could happen). For the more 'unconventional' choices that Academy seem to be increasingly open towards in recent years, the heist thriller Widows and arthouse darling Yorgos Lanthimos's take on period drama The Favourite seem like strong contenders based on initial response, while on the more classic side of things the crowd-pleasing Green Book looks like it could end up as a strong contender. Finally, with the Mexican Foreign Language film entry Roma Netflix may finally make it into the big dog category with the help of awards success, and almost universal raves.

Thoughts on what I've seen thus far: 

I liked BlacKkKlansman and definitely wouldn't mind seeing it get some awards love, and really liked A Star is Born which hit me in all the right sweet spots, so to speak, as a very much 'my type' sort of film. First Man is easily my favourite of the top contenders I've seen so far, and it's a shame that Chazelle's low-key approach, which I found even more compelling than his established sort of style with Whiplash (which I quite love) and La La Land (which I liked but have issues with), has not resulted in box-office dividends and doesn't seem to be gaining quite the amount of traction I'd expected.

Dark Horse: The Mule

Never overlook a Clint Eastwood motion picture. Regardless of quality, and this looks like it could potentially be a real gem.

Watch out for: Vice; Can You Ever Forgive Me?; Leave No Trace; The Hate U Give; Eighth Grade

Best Director

Damien Chazelle, First Man*
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born* 
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk 
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma 

I'd say that Cuaron is pretty much a lock at this point, and if he hadn't previously won for Gravity I'd almost consider him a lock to win, given that almost all of the universal praise for Roma has been centered on his work. Instead I'm predicting Jenkins to go all the way to the win, in a sense 'rewarding' him as director after awarding Moonlight Best Picture back in 2016. Though by all accounts his direction is great in itself. Chazelle seems like a lock unless the backlash really becomes that severe, Lanthimos looks to be their 'out-of-the-box' choice this year given that his films have also gained quite a bit of awards traction over the years, and Cooper's directorial debut is sure to garner him some love in this category, if the film continues to steam ahead.

Thoughts on what I've seen thus far: 

Chazelle's work is a career-best and easily my win for Direction this year so far, and Cooper makes a very strong impression for a first-time director. Both would be deserving, though of course I still have many of the auteurs in contention to see.

Dark Horse: Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman*

Lee's no stranger to antagonizing people on the awards circuit but who knows. The timely nature of his film and the 'comeback' narrative could work well in his favour.

Watch out for: Steve McQueen, Widows; Adam McKay, Vice; Marielle Heller, Can You Ever Forgive Me?; Debra Granik, Leave No Trace; Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade; Clint Eastwood, The Mule  

Best Actor

Christian Bale, Vice 
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born*
Ryan Gosling, First Man*
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody 
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book 

The very nature of Gosling's performance, even more low-key and understated than usual, means that while he's pretty much a lock for a nomination, there's virtually no chance of him winning despite ticking the boxes of playing a real-life figure, Neil Armstrong, and having a very emotionally potent role (though not in the typical sense). Cooper, on the other hand, is playing a very Oscar-y character, alcoholic and musician, and with the acclaim he's garnered seems like the closest we have to a prospective winner. Looking to possibly upset is Rami Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury and Viggo Mortensen's meaty role as an Italian American bouncer in a beloved film that's looking to make quite a splash, both looking to make quite a big impression on the circuit. Then there's Bale, something of an unknown quantity, but given he's playing a real-life figure, and based on the trailer giving quite the transformation, BIG sort of performance, seems like he'll be a shoo-in if the reviews are at the very least positive.

Thoughts on what I've seen thus far: 

Gosling here actually gives my favourite performance out of his recent, very excellent post-2015 output, and it's a shame that it will possibly be strangely 'underrated' for a nominated performance. Cooper is phenomenal too, breathing new life into a role we've all seen before and giving possibly his best performance to date.

Dark Horse: Ethan Hawke, First Reformed*

They may well have shot his chances down with the early, early release date, but if A24 campaign hard enough we may well see the criminally underrated Hawke and his brilliant portrayal of a conflicted priest gain enough traction to slide into a nomination.

Watch out for: Christian Bale, Vice; Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased; John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman; Robert Redford, The Old Man and the Gun; Ben Foster, Leave No Trace*; Clint Eastwood, The Mule

Best Actress

Olivia Colman, The Favourite 
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Viola Davis, Widows 
Glenn Close, The Wife*
Lady Gaga, A Star is Born*  

Even though she has the 'overdue' factor hanging over her head, I'm not so sure that Close is a lock for a nomination, let alone a win. Critical response to The Wife and her performance seemed rather muted and like Albert Nobbs a few years back, I could see the passion behind her campaign being more of a respectful nod towards her career, but without the win. Instead, Lady Gaga in her first major film role is my prediction, though I'm also banking on the Academy paying it love in dividends. The Academy love Viola Davis and reviews seem to put a guarantor on this, McCarthy seems to be going through the 'comedians going serious' route which they absolutely love, and as for Olivia Colman, I think she could most possibly win given her status as a respected veteran actress, and the huge acclaim she's received for her performance across awards groups and critics.

Thoughts on what I've seen so far: 

I thought Glenn Close was pretty decent and Lady Gaga was terrific. Honestly been a really strong year thus far for the category, though, and one of the performances I hope might sneak in would be...

Dark Horse: Toni Colette, Hereditary* 

How fitting would it be for Colette to return to Oscar contention with another film that's kinda about seeing dead people, but not quite exactly. Though I find the film itself rather flawed in many regards, notably its ending, Colette is extraordinary in it, giving a heartbreaking, viscreal and incredibly powerful performance worthy of any hard-hitting family drama, while also granting the horror elements of the film such pathos through her no-holes-barred, daring performance.

Watch out for: Yalitz Aparico, Roma; Julia Roberts, Ben is Back; Felicity Jones, On the Basis of Sex; Saoirse Ronan, Mary, Queen of Scots; Kiki Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk; Carey Mulligan, Wildlife; Nicole Kidman, Destroyer 

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Sam Elliott, A Star is Born* 
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Daniel Kaluuya, Widows  
Sam Rockwell, Vice

So by (I assume) category frauding Ali into supporting, Universal have opened up two potential winners in the acting categories for their awards season darling. Now Ali won just two years ago in the same category so I doubt they'll hand it over to him again, though who knows. Sam Elliott I think will get in despite the relatively small nature of his role in a huge awards player, Sam Rockwell I think will be basking in the afterglow of his last win, as will Daniel Kaluuya in his last nomination with many critics praising his villainous performance as one of Widows' highlights. It's veteran British character actor Grant who I'm pegging for the win though, with critics citing his turn as one of the highlights of a widely praised film.

Thoughts on what I've seen so far: 

I've only seen Elliott, who indeed has a very limited role, but every one of his scenes are some of my favourites in the film, including some heartbreakingly delivered lines and one particularly impactful reaction shot.

Dark Horse: Russell Hornsby, The Hate U Give

Horsnby I've heard is one of the most unanimously praised parts of a film that while somewhat going under the radar, has found much praise, and even the less enthusiastic reviews seem to be ravishing him with acclaim. Look to him to potentially spoil the party.

Watch out for: Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther*; Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman*; Russell Crowe, Boy Erased; Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy; Nicholas Hoult, The Favourite

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, Vice 
Claire Foy, First Man* 
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

I think we're looking at a double nomination for The Favourite ladies given that critics seem to be tending towards praising both rather than highlighting one over the other. Claire Foy's found a great deal of praise, is in a huge awards contender and also a pretty awards-friendly role as the concerned housewife, and if all goes well expect to see Amy Adams back in the awards season fray again. My prediction for winner is King, who's been cited as a standout from Beale Street, and who also has that 'respected character actress' narrative that always works super well in the supporting categories.

My thoughts on what I've seen thus far: 

I was surprised how much I liked Foy in First Man despite the trailers making me feel somewhat uneasy about how it would pan out, and how little actual focus she gets within the film. I'd love for her to win, competition unseen thus far.

Dark Horse: Elizabeth Debicki, Widows

Again, banking on a lot of Widows love, but since I've heard barely any negative comments about it, and the fact that Debicki, perhaps equally to Kaluuya and even more so than Davis, has been frequently thrown around as one of the main highlights of the film in terms of her performance and character arc, we could see a surprise nomination for the young Aussie actress.

Watch out for: Nicole Kidman, Boy Erased; Sissy Spacek, The Old Man and the Gun; Margot Robbie, Mary, Queen of Scots; Michelle Yeoh, Crazy Rich Asians*; Dianne Wiest, The Mule; Kathy Bates, On the Basis of Sex

Best Adapted Screenplay

If Beale Street Could Talk 
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
First Man*
Widows
A Star is Born*

Best Original Screenplay

Eighth Grade
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma 
Sorry to Bother You 

Here I'm just banking on the big awards player, and the crowd-pleaser, as garnering the share of plaudits. It's usually a bit harder to predict these categories at this early stage; brb with more when the season begins to really kick in.