Jan. 23 – Oscar nominations to be announced
Mar 10 – Academy Awards – Oscars
The Hollywood Oscar, the Academy Awards, is an annual award ceremony that honors outstanding achievements in filmmaking. It is presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is a symbol of excellence in the film industry. The voters for the Oscars are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences include distinguished professionals in the film industry, such as actors, directors, producers, writers, and other industry professionals. The voting process is designed to ensure that the Oscars represent the consensus of the industry’s most accomplished and respected individuals.
The 2023 Oscar nominations will be announced Jan 23rd.
Here is a list of some of the contenders:
OPPENHEIMER
The blockbuster biopic about the development of the atomic bomb. The actors in this movie are getting rave reviews and will likely win a number of Oscars but OPPENHEIMER is not likely to win Best Picture based on the Director’s past bad luck but this movie deserves the top award.
The HOLDOVERS
This is a boarding-school dramedy starring Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. Besides being a good funny film, the movie’s claim to fame harks back to the movie-making of the 1970s and many Oscar voters might cast ballots based on “they-don’t-make-’em-like-this-anymore.” This movie could be the sleeper contender for Best Picture.
BARBIE
Barbie should not be dismissed as a silly fluff as it stars legitimate actors and stands as a well-done plastic-fantastic comedy. Barbie may not attain Best Picture acclaim but its high level of craftsmanship cannot be ignored. Barbie will win some awards, just not Best Picture.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Martin Scorsese never disappoints and this three-hour historical drama about the systematic killings of Osage Native Americans. The native American star, Lily Gladstone will be odds on favourite for best actress. Scorsese, 81 years old, has won the Oscar once and he is overdue but Oppenheimer is a heavy-weight contender and odds-on favourite based on its over a billion dollars in worldwide box office revenue.
The BOY AND THE HERON
This animated feature is about the coming of age in the World War II Japan. It’s a real sleeper and no animated feature has ever won Oscar recognition.
POOR THINGS
“Poor Things,” won the Golden Lion at Venice this year and established itself as a major contender, able to compete for up to three acting nominations (for Stone and her supporting actors Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe) and a huge haul of below-the-line nods for its stunning costumes, cinematography, production design and visual effects. There’s no doubt it’ll be a best-picture player, but is there a narrative to push the film and Stone over the top in a very crowded year?
PAST LIVES
“Past Lives” begins this awards season in strong shape, earning the best-film trophy at the Gotham Awards, five nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards, and a key nomination for best drama at the Golden Globes. Like “The Holdovers,” it’s a smaller-scale film that some voters simply adore, and that passion will count for a lot in this field.
AMERICAN FICTION
This contemporary comedy scored big at the Toronto International Film Festival and other past stars of TIFF, Green Book and Nomadland, gone on to the bigger award victories. Another small movie that is a noted sleeper.
MAESTRO
Bradly Cooper deserves recognition for this directorial debut. He stars as American conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story) and buried himself five years into preparing and filming the movie. [ See my post –> MAESTRO ] Cooper delivers the perfect makeup-aided, transformative real-person performance Oscar voters love but will the directors voters allow Cooper to break into their elite club of acclaimed directors? An excellent picture, worthy of acclaim but up against many too-powerful competitors.
The COLOR PURPLE
Hollywood loves musicals and this film, based on the Alice Walker novel, is no less of a contender if the past such wins are any indication of possibility. However, as it came out late in the year, the movie missed out on awards such as the Golden Globes and Screen Actos Guild nomination that would have pushed up its ranking in the Oscar run. Not likely.
SOCIETY OF THE SNOW
This Spanish-language planc-crash drama has already started murmurs of Oscar possibilities as past victor, Netflix’s “All Quiet on the Western Front:” 9 nominations and 4 wins. This movie will get recognition if not awards for visual effects, score, makeup and hairstyling the Oscar voters will not give it the big prize.
