This morning sure was something, right? While some things that felt inevitable were deemed so other beautiful films were ignored and there were even some surprises that…ahem…confused me. It has become a tradition around here to talk about the nominees, the snubs, and even the weird moments during the announcements (thank goodness the hosts practiced how to pronounce some of the names because Leslie Jordon was STRUGGLING last year). 2022 was wild and wonderful, with films taking off that no one would have predicted and two of the biggest blockbuster sequels in history stepping up to outdo their predecessors. My heart was stolen by an anthropomorphic shell, Justin Hurwitz took my breathe away while an elephant sprayed shit onscreen, and Batman became so emo that I spent several scenes eyeing his mansion for My Chemical Romance records. The magic of the movies is something quite special to me but the real craziness is the awards season. Ranking and attempting to objectively list things as the best is a complicated thing to do (and one that I do every year, including this one) but the Academy is always a huge clusterfuck when it comes to showcasing these films. Last year’s nominees were a great group and the ceremony was a wild misfire, leading me to hope this year would be better. We’ll see when it comes time for the actual show (I’m quivering at the knowledge that we’re going to get a live performance of “Naatu Naatu”), but the noms are more of a mixed bag.
Looks like the Letterboxd kids are taking the lead this year. That’s not so bad, could have been worse. My picks are in bold and snubs WILL be commented on.
Best Original Score
- All Quiet on the Western Front – Volker Bertelmann
- Babylon – Justin Hurwitz
- The Banshees of Inisherin – Carter Burwell
- Everything, Everywhere, All at Once – Son Lux
- The Fabelmans – John Williams
- Snub: Nope – Michael Abels (seriously, wtf)
Michael Abels was robbed. There, I said it. The snubbing of Nope across the board is an issue as it ignores some of the wonderful craft that went into creating that highly successful and highly entertaining film. I was overjoyed to see Babylon included in the nominees and hold out hope it can win but including Son Lux and John Williams (I love Williams but this isn’t his best work) is a joke.
Best Original Song
- Hold My Hand – Lady Gaga, TOP GUN: MAVERICK
- Lift Me Up – Rhianna, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
- Naatu Naatu – Kaala Bhairava, M.M. Keeravani, and Rahul Sipligunj, RRR
- Applause – Diane Warren, TELL IT LIKE A WOMAN
- This is Life – David Byrne, Ryan Lott, and Mitski, EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE
- Snub: Ciao Papa – Alexandre Desplat, Guillermo del Toro, and Roeban Katz, GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO
I don’t think “Naatu Naatu” is going to win but I’m overjoyed that it has been nominated. We’ll get a live performance and that’ll be enough for me. I honestly think “Hold My Hand” is a shoe-in but hold out hope for a more interesting outcome. And hey, can we all acknowledge that “Ciao Papa” being left off the list is a bummer?
Best Animated Short
- The Flying Sailor
- Ice Merchants
- The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse
- My Year of Dicks
- An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It
Best Live Action Short
- An Irish Goodbye
- Ivalu
- Le Pupille
- Night Ride
- The Red Suitcase
Best Documentary Short Subject
- The Elephant Whisperers
- Haulout
- How Do You Measure a Year?
- The Martha Mitchell Effect
- Stranger at the Gate
Best Documentary Feature
- Fire of Love
- All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
- Navalny
- A House Made of Splinters
- All That Breathes
Best Sound
- Top Gun: Maverick
- Elvis
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- The Batman
This is CLEARLY Al Nelson’s to lose. His work on Top Gun: Maverick is truly incredible, leaving some of the wildest design ever brought to the big screen beautifully rendered for a perfect theatrical experience.
Best Costume Design
- Elvis
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Babylon
- Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
- Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
While I adore Ruth Carter’s work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever I wasn’t wholly sold on calling it for the win. Revisiting the film has changed my mind and brought it to the forefront. It’s a truly beautiful series of pieces that make the film feel lived in and fantastical at the same time. Sure, Mrs. Harris went the HELL to Paris but this is more in-depth and lovely.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
- The Whale
- The Batman
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Elvis
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
I want this accepted in Elvis-voice by Catherine Martin when she wins.
Best Production Design
- Elvis
- The Fabelmans
- Babylon
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- All Quiet on the Western Front
I will hear no argument on this one. You heard me, I think that Babylon did a better job with its production design than Jimmy C’s team.
Best Editing
- Elvis
- Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
- TÁR
- The Banshees of Inisherin
- Top Gun: Maverick
Modern film fans (read – the people who are TOO on Letterboxd) have begun to mistake “the most editing” for “great editing.” Paul Rogers did some really notable work on Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, and while I think he’ll win this is an egregious error. There’s a stunning history associated with the editing of Top Gun: Maverick that involves sifting through thousands of hours of footage to find perfect shots, angles, and stunts while stitching them together. The camera crew in the F-18s was none other than the cast, having been taught how to operate multiple cameras while acting and switching them out. This created a unique film shoot that required pitch-perfect editing and while it’s not as flashy as the Daniels’ smash hit it’s certainly more impressive to me.
Best Visual Effects
- The Batman
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Top Gun: Maverick
Look the guy changes cinema every time he makes one of these. He did it again. I will hear no argument.
Best Animated Feature
- Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio
- Turning Red
- Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
- Puss in Boots
- The Sea Beast
- Snub: Wendell & Wild
I get that Henry Sellick’s first film in over a decade might not have been everyone’s cup of tea but it was a stop-motion triumph.
Best Original Screenplay
- Todd Field – TÁR
- Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
- Tony Kushner and Steven Spielberg – The Fabelmans
- Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Ruben Östlund – Triangle of Sadness
Another one that will go to the Daniels despite Todd Field’s film being tight, vicious, and perfect in its depiction of the title character. This is another category where people will mistake “the most” for “the best.”
Best Adapted Screenplay
- Edward Berger, Ian Stokell, and Lesley Paterson – All Quiet on the Western Front
- Rian Johnson – Glass Onion: A Benoit Blanc Mystery
- Kazuo Ishiguro – Living
- Ehren Kruger, Christopher McQuarrie, and Eric Warren Singer – Top Gun: Maverick
- Sarah Polley – Women Talking
Kazuo Ishiguro just rules so hard and I’d like to see him win an Oscar. I think it’ll probably go to Women Talking but a fella can dream.
Best Cinematography
- James Friend – All Quiet on the Western Front
- Darius Khondji – Bardo, a False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
- Mandy Walker – Elvis
- Roger Deakins – Empire of Light
- Florian Hoffmeister – TÁR
- Snub: Hoyte Van Hoytema – Nope
Okay, this is where I get openly pissed off. There is currently an entire IndieWire article discussing what Hoyte Van Hoytema accomplished with the visuals in Jordan Peele’s Nope and it’s just idiotic that it was left off this list. I hope this goes to Florian Hoffmeister but MY GOD can we not just give credit where it is due?
Best International Film
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Argentina, 1985
- Close
- EO
- The Quiet Girl
- Snub: Athena
- Snub: Decision to Leave
The sexiest onscreen moment of 2022 is a woman casually reaching into a man’s pocket to borrow his chapstick. That is all.
Best Supporting Actress
- Angela Bassett – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Hong Chau – The Whale
- Kerry Condon – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Stephanie Hsu – Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
- Jamie Lee Curtis – Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
I will actually be irritated if Jamie Lee Curtis wins this one. Her work is arch and fun but there’s nothing to compare with what Stephanie Hsu is doing. She’s absolutely wonderful and really owns a multitude of roles wrapped up in one. I hope she wins.
Best Supporting Actor
- Brian Tyree Henry – Causeway
- Ke Huy Quan – Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
- Barry Keoghan – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Judd Hirsch – The Fabelmans
- Brendan Gleeson – The Banshees of Inisherin
Favorite in this category is Ke Huy Quan and I’d be overjoyed to see him win but the real performance I can’t get out of my mind is Brian Tyree Henry in Causeway. It’s a moving performance that involves a lot of discomforts, sensitivity, and quiet emotion onscreen. This is the most stacked category at the 95th Academy Awards and I’m honestly just happy some good decisions were made here.
Best Actor
- Austin Butler – Elvis
- Colin Farrell -The Banshees of Inisherin
- Paul Mescal – Aftersun
- Brendan Fraser – The Whale
- Bill Nighy – Living
- Snub: Paul Dano – The Fabelmans
I’ll get over Dano not being nominated and I’m sure Colin Farrell will enjoy his win (though hearing Butler accept his award in Elvis-voice would be incredible). That said…I’m here for the Brendanaissance and I think giving him a win here would cement it. The Whale is a film that took me two viewings to really grapple with and I wish all of the love on this sweet, wonderful man during the comeback of a career. We’ll be talking about this moment for decades if they give it to him.
Best Actress
- Ana de Armas – Blonde
- Cate Blanchett – TÁR
- Michelle Williams – The Fabelmans
- Andrea Riseborough – To Leslie
- Michelle Yeoh – Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
- Snub: Viola Davis – The Woman King
Ditching Viola Davis is a choice, one that I think is a huge mistake on the part of the Academy. The Woman King was a smash hit, a critical darling, and contains the actress’s best performance to date. I know this is going to Michelle Yeoh (and couldn’t be happier) but part of me would also be happy to see Blanchett take it. She turned in the performance of a lifetime and I think it should be celebrated. I would also like to see Ana de Armas win an Oscar one day but…not for this. Andrew Dominik’s Blonde is a hateful film with no respect for its main character, relegating her to a punching bag designed to suffer and leaving Armas to do nothing but giggle, scream, and stumble around in the dark. Also what the hell is up with Riseborough’s nomination? That came out of nowhere, huh?
Best Director
- Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin
- Todd Field – TÁR
- Steven Spielberg – The Fabelmans
- Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
- Ruben Östlund – Triangle of Sadness
I’d like to see Field win this one but I wouldn’t be mad if they gave it to Spielberg. Giving it to the Daniels would once again be mistaking “the most” for “the best.”
Best Picture
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- Elvis
- The Banshees of Inisherin
- TÁR
- Triangle of Sadness
- Top Gun: Maverick
- Women Talking
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
- The Fabelmans
Look, TÁR is the best film on the list and it would be hard to see anything else take it. That said…I think this is going to go to Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. And you know what? Sure, let’s have a fun win. That WOULD be a charming win and would allow them to go on to bigger and better things. I like that movie quite a bit but it didn’t even make my top ten. I still think it’d be a silly win that I’d be overjoyed with but I’d quietly be frustrated at some of the other things on the list being left in the dust.
That’s everything! What do you think of the nominees this year? If you’d like to read more about these films and some of the snubs check out my reviews below!
Elvis
Avatar: The Way of Water
Top Gun: Maverick
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
The Fabelmans
Glass Onion
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio
TÁR
The Whale
The Woman King
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Nope
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Turning Red
The Batman
Babylon
Source link