I did pretty good last year, so if you want to make a quick buck, I’m your go to guy for this.
The Oscars are this Sunday, so it’s time for some predictions! Who got snubbed? Who’s going to take home the most gold? Who’s getting a little more attention then they should? All of these are valid questions that I will try to answer below. I’m going to run down all the nominees for each category and then pick who I think will take home the award! I’m going to have a lot to say for certain categories and awards and very little about others.
Sound Mixing
Everyone’s favourite award of the evening! Sound mixing. Actually a pretty big toss up, not going sit here and lie and pretend I know anything to do with sound mixing. I do however know how movies sound inside the theatre and for me, the movie that sounded the best was Dunkirk.
Winner: Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker & Gary A. Rizzo – Dunkirk.
Sound Editing.
You know, these things kind of go hand in hand. One wins mixing, why not just give them both. Listen Dunkirk was an extraordinary technical movie. So I’m giving it both of the sound awards. You felt as you were in the battle during it, you were transported back to the beach. The gun fire sounded so real, everything to do with sound was quite spectacular.
Winner: Richard King & Alex Gibson – Dunkirk.
Original Song.
I’ve heard mixed reviews on The Greatest Showman, but one thing everyone can all agree on is the music, and the soundtrack. It’s catchy, it’s the best part of the movie, and apparently that’s why people have been going to see the film. But Coco was a mega hit, with great cultural music and it’s Pixar, they own the award season when they are nominated. So it’s a toss up between This Is Me and Remember Me from Coco. I’ll give credit to Mystery of Love in Call Me By Your Name is a beautifully haunting song, really closes out the movie in spectacular fashion.
Winner: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez – Coco
Original Score
You have to go with the GOAT in this situation. Hans Zimmer and his epic score from Dunkirk will surely bring home another Oscar for himself. He won back in 1994 for The Lion King. Like I said, Dunkirk in terms of technical achievement and sound is incredible. They should take home at least 3 Oscars. Hans Zimmer also just has a really cool and awesome name to say.
Winner: Hans Zimmer – Dunkirk.
Film Editing
Editing, the most strenuous part of any movie. Now when I watch a movie, one thing that bothers me to no other, is god awful editing. It’s such a vital part to what makes a successful movie. Baby Driver, had such fantastic editing throughout the entire film. Considering some of the sequences that involved music, and car chases, and all around craziness, but was pull off to such perfection, it would be difficult to give this award to anyone else.
Winner: Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos – Baby Driver
Production Design
The vast open world, or the beauty of a small lavish space? I would say there are three front runners to this category; The Shape of Water, Dunkirk and Blade Runner 2049. I personally think that Blade Runner 2049 is going to take home the award for production design. Not enough people went to see this movie, and the landscapes and set pieces are quite remarkable. It deserves recognition come awards night. Shape of Water is a beautiful movie, but the first time seeing each movie, I was taken aback by the production and the sights of Blade Runner 2049 much more than Shape of Water. That is why it is my winner here.
Winner: Sarah Greenwood & Katie Spencer – Blade Runner 2049
Costume Design
In a category for costume design, I think it’s pretty obvious that the movie based on an obsessed craftsmen would win. Phantom Thread the movie about costumes, about designing costumes is nominated for best costume design, it’s a little too much on the nose isn’t it?
Winner: Mark Bridges – Phantom Thread
Animated Short
A pretty tough category to choose a winner for, considering I never got around to seeing any of these animated shorts. So I will just go with my Mamba mentality and pick Dear Basketball, because KOBEEEEE!
Winner: Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant
Live Action Short
I drew names out of a hat!
Winner: Kevin Wilson, Jr – My Nephew Emmett
All of these movies are worthy of this award. I saw every single one of these in IMAX, the biggest screen I could find, and they didn’t disappoint. But these days when it comes to visual effects, ones mind tends to lean towards one man, Andy Serkis. You know the guy who was in all the Lord of The Rings movies, King Kong, the Hobbit movies and now played Caesar in the new Planet of The Apes trilogy. The guy is a legend when it comes to motion capture, he has changed the game. Most of those movies won for this such category and they have mostly Andy to thank for that. So why should this be any different? War For The Planet of The Apes was the best visual effects I saw all year at the movies. Each new installment got better, and they need to be recognized on the grandest stage. I’ll be shocked if they don’t win. This isn’t taking away anything from any of the other nominees, they all had incredible effects, Kong: Skull Island actually blew me away with how gorgeous it looked on the big screen.
Winner: Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon and Joel Whist – War For The Planet of The Apes
Makeup & Hairstyling
Listen, you don’t have someone wake up at ungodly hours in the morning, and make them sit in chair for hours and hours to do their hair and makeup and not get the recognition you deserve. On top of that Gary Oldman got into a fat-suit everyday during the production of the Darkest Hour, and this will no question be taking home the gold. They managed to quite literally transform him into Winston Churchill, and that really is a feat on its own.
Winner: Kazuhiro Tsui, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick – Darkest Hour
Again, I don’t want to sit here and pretend I know anything about foreign films. So I’m taking my best guess here, and did a quick little google search. A Fantastic Woman was well received and appears to be the front runner.
Winner: Chile – A Fantastic Woman
Documentary Short
If there’s one thing the Academy loves, it is the city of Los Angeles. Take last year for instance, yes La La Land didn’t end up winning best picture, but it took home some awards and the Academy loved it to pieces. Remember that’s their town they are talking about here, so Traffic Stop is a shoe in for this award. Based on the 405 highway in LA, I won’t be surprised when it walks away with the Oscar.
Winner: Kate Davis and David Heilbroner – Traffic Stop
Documentary Feature
I don’t watch nearly enough Documentaries, so with that being said, I have no idea what any of these are about. Icarus once flew to close to the sun and well his wings burned up and he died. Poor guy, the universe has a funny way of showing karma.
Winner: Bryan Fogel and Dan Cogan – Icarus
Adapted Screenplay
This is a difficult category. Master writer Aaron Sorkin vs. Tommy Wiseau. I’ll say congrats to Logan for being nominated for such a prestige Oscar, writing it a big deal when it comes to the big night, so James Mangold should be proud of himself. But for me, the winner shall be James Ivory for Call Me By Your Name. If not only for the last scene of the movie, which is so damn beautiful and well written that it probably won the award right in that very moment.
Winner: James Ivory – Call Me By Your Name
Animated Feature
The odds of Coco winning are -5000. That means if you bet 5000 bucks on Coco to win, you would only get 100 in return. It’s the lock of the century
YOU GO GLEN COCO!!!!
Winner: Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson – Coco
Original Screenplay
One of the toughest categories of the evening right here. I feel three films have a chance here. Three Billboards, the dark comedy highlighting racism, police brutality and the abuse of women. Really caught the eye of movie goers, and was revered for it’s sharp and serious real world problems writing. Get Out also highlighted racism but from a much different perspective and angel, and was done so brilliantly that people at first didn’t get it. I think Lady Bird also has a chance to walk away a winner here. The coming go age tale and the importance of a mother/daughter relationship.
Winner: Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird
Cinematography
There is one winner and one winner only for this award. Fun fact, Roger Deakin’s has never won an Oscar before. 14 nominations, Shawshank, True Great, Assassination of Jesse James, Jarhead, No Country For Old Men. All of these movies, done by this man. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Now he comes along and does Blade Runner 2049, without question, the most beautiful looking movie of 2017. The visuals were stunning, sharp, vast and out of this world. It is finally time to recognize this marvellous man and all the incredible work he has done over the years. This one award simply won’t make up for it, but it will be a good start.
Winner: Roger Deakins – Blade Runner 2049
Supporting Actor
Let’s just all agree that yes, Sam Rockwell’s character in Three Billboards was a racist, no good son of a bitch. But it’s a movie, and he acted the hell out of that role. He’s been sweeping the award season and it’s not going to change come Sunday. I thought he gave a unnerving and chilling performance. One that stuck with me for a few days after I watched Three Billboards, always a good sign. One huge snub though, Michael Stuhlbarg for Call Me By Your Name, actually it’s more than a snub, it’s down right rude.
Winner: Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards.
Supporting Actress
It’s a cage fight between two of these lovely ladies. We have uptight mother, who just wants what’s best for her daughter. The type of Mother who does everything for her family but her daughter still is a little shit about it, well meet Laurie Metcalfe’s character in Lady Bird. In the other corner, we have another Mother, one who loves to curse, throw kitchen knives at their daughter and loves her pet bird. It’s Allison Janney from I, Tonya. I keep going back and forth between these two women, who give just remarkable performances. On the one hand Janney has more comedy in her role, where as Metcalf is the person we feel sorry for. I want Metcalf to win, but Janney is the lady who will win.
Winner: Allison Janney – I, Tonya
Leading Actor
Daniel Day Lewis, the freight train of acting. Stopped by a guy in a fat-suit in his last ever acting performance. Who would have seen this coming? First Churchill stops Hitler, now he stops Daniel Day Lewis. What a legacy that man has achieved. In all seriousness, again the male acting category kind is a known commodity at this point. Gary Oldman will win, because, well he gave the best performance of the year, no questions asked. Would it be cool if the new kid of the block Timothee Chalamet won? Yeah totally, the kid is 22 years young and would be the youngest winner ever for this category.
Winner: Gary Oldman – Darkest Hour
Leading Actress
If the supporting actress category was a cage fight, then this is an all out war. I have no idea who I want to win this award. All these ladies gave such inspiring and beautiful performances. The Skater Girl, The Shit Talker, The Fish Fucker (sorry for cursing), The Lady Bird and well Meryl Streep. They all give their own unique and mesmerizing performance, each sticking with you in a different fashion. Cross of Streep, because she’s won enough and actually for once is the weakest member of the group. Next people will say cross off Margot Robbie, which is unfair, because that’s who I think SHOULD win this award, but she won’t. Sally Hawkins speaks about 30 words in the entire movie, but does more acting in her face, then most people do in a lifetime. Now it’s down to new school vs. old school and much like the other acting nominees who have been winning at every award show, Frances McDormand was a powerhouse in Three Billboards. She’s earned it, and I think gives speech of the night.
Winner: Frances McDormand – Three Billboards.
Directing
Another stacked category! I think it’s between Greta Gerwig and Guillermo Del Toro. Del Toro, that man loves his monsters, probably more than anyone in Hollywood. What he made was simply breathtaking and such a beautiful story. It’s a shame, that it’s being known as the “fish fucking movie” but hey, beats not being known at all. Greta Gerwig made one of the most refreshing movies I saw all year. They made such polar opposite movies, that is hard to choose one over the other. I feel like Del Toro has paid his dues, and he’s been around, and sometimes the Academy repays you for that kind of thing. So with that being said, it’s going to the man responsible for the greatest love story since Romeo and Juliette.
Winner: Guillermo Del Toro – Shape of Water
Best Picture
Blade Runner 2049, it would not have won, but they are allowed 10 nominees and it should have been included. That’s all I have to say about that. What an incredible year for movies. I saw every single best picture nominee except The Post (Sorry Tom, Sorry Meryl). All 8 films I saw were remarkable in their own way, and deserve a shot at the biggest prize of the night.
Seriously, I can’t believe Get Out came out almost a year ago, and PEOPLE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT! I think it would be one of the best moments, if not the best moment in Oscars history if Get Out took home best picture, but it just can’t. People fell in love with this movie, and rightfully so, but I just think having came out almost a year ago, hurt it in the long run. If you asked me in the summer, I would have said Dunkirk wins best picture, but I feel like the campaign push for Dunkirk was really weak. It’s a great film, and was fascinating to see in IMAX, but the buzz around it going into Sunday is pretty much dead. Toss out, Phantom Thread, not enough buzz and all around isn’t getting the acclaim of some the other movies. Now, rope in Darkest Hour, Call Me By Your Name, and The Post. Thanks for coming, but we will see you later. It’s a three woman race, Lady Bird, Three Billboards and Shape of Water. Like most of the night, these movies will battle it out for soul survivor of the evening. Culminating in once last award that decides who is the best. All centered around strong female leads (that’s a wonderful thing!!), all different visually, style wise, tone and all around the way each movie was made. I legit have zero idea who will win, they all deserve it in some manner. But two of the acting winners will be from Three Billboards, it’s feels like an important movie, during a time when we need important movies like this, and movies like Get Out. I want Get Out to win, it just isn’t humanly possible. Three Billboards is my winner, and I’m not happy about my choice
Winner: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
