Oscars Nominations: Thoughts and Predictions

The Oscars nominations have just been released and of course there are some safe nominations and some obvious snubs. “Joker” did very well with 11 nominations, the most for any film this year. “1917”, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, and “The Irishman” all got the second most nominations with 10 nominations each. Other films that did well include “Parasite”, “Jojo Rabbit” and “Marriage Story”.

But unfortunately, there were some obvious snubs as well. “The Farewell” and “Dolemite Is My Name” received zero nominations and that came as a surprise as those two films were getting a fair share of nominations in the past awards show. Other snubs include “Frozen 2” for Best Animated Feature, no female directors getting any nominations, and no nomination for Jennifer Lopez for “Hustlers”.

With that being said, here are the nominations for the Oscars and my thoughts and predicted winners on the top categories.

Best Picture
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood
Parasite

Who will win- “1917”. “1917” was on no one’s radar at the beginning of awards season and then last Sunday the Golden Globes shocked us all by naming “1917” as Best Motion Picture Drama. Ad “1917” certainly fits the bill as a Best Picture winner. Consider the fact that almost 20 years ago, the Academy infamously snubbed “Saving Private Ryan” in favor for “Shakespeare in Love”. I think the Academy will want to redeem themselves by awarding “1917” as Best Picture, in a year where other films certainly deserve the top prize.

Who should win- “Parasite”. “Parasite” has been named as the best film by numerous critics and its a film that takes storytelling to another level. “Parasite” would be the obvious choice for the top prize but consider the fact that last year’s front runner, “Roma”, another forgeign language film, lost the top prize in favor to another safe film, “Green Book”. Yes, “Parasite” should win but the Academy doesn’t have the guts to take a risk and give the prize to a foreign language film.

Potential upset: “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. The Academy loves films about Hollywood. In the past ten years, films such as “Argo”, “The Artist”, and “Birdman” were all about the film industry and won the top prize. A case can certainly be made for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, a film about Hollywood and has 10 nominations under its belt. Those two factors alone make this film a contender to watch out for.

Best Director

Bong Joon Ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Todd Phillips, Joker
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Who will win- Sam Mendes for “1917”. Once again, “1917” was on no one’s radar before last Sunday’s Golden Globes and now its the film to beat. Mendes is certainly a safe bet and as a past Oscar winner, he can get enough votes to get the prize. While Mendes did a tremendous job with his direction, there are certainly other directors that deserve the award.

Who should win and the potential upset- Bong Joon Ho for “Parasite”. Bong Joon Ho should win and can be the shocker of the night. A South Korean filmmaker schooled these veteran directors on how to tell a story that takes the audience along for a ride. For his efforts, Bong Joon Ho could win the award and of course he should. Keep an eye out for the Director’s Guild Award, as the winner of that award will certainly be the bellwether for the Oscars.

Best Actor

Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory)
Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes)

Who will win- Joaquin Phoenix for “Joker”. The moment we saw the trailer for “Joker”, we all knew Phoenix was going to win the Oscar. The release of the film only further proved our point that Phoenix was going to win. And now that he has been winning numerous awards for the role as the Joker, its Phoenix’s award to win. But hey, we all thought Glenn Close was going to win this time last year, yet the Oscars pulled a surprise and gave the win to Olivia Coleman. Who’s to say that something like that won’t happen this year.

Who should win and the potential upset- Adam Driver for “Marriage Story”. We all know that Phoenix deserves the win but instead I am going to make the case for Adam Driver in “Marriage Story”. Driver delivers a strong performance as a New York director having to fly out to LA constantly to win a divorce battle. The film almost resembles another well known divorce film, “Kramer vs Kramer”, which won Dustin Hoffman an Oscar. Driver could walk away with an award, if Academy voters feel like the billion dollar box office is prize already for “Joker”.

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo (Harriet)
Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)
Saoirse Ronan (Little Women)
Charlize Theron (Bombshell)
Renée Zellweger (Judy)

Who will win- Renee Zellweger for “Judy”. As mentioned before, the Academy loves films about Hollywood and they love actors playing real life people. “Judy” is no exception and considering her wins in the past awards show, having Zellweger win is a safe bet.

Who should win- Scarelett Johansson for “Marriage Story”. Johansson makes Oscars history as being one of the few actors to get double nominations in a single year. And rightfully so, as not only did she star in two highly acclaimed films that received both received Best Picture nominations, but also starred in the highest grossing film of all time, “Avengers: Endgame”. Walking away with an Oscar on Oscar Sunday would be a cherry on top for an amazing year she’s had.

Potential upset- Saoirse Ronan for “Little Woman”. At only 25 years old, Ronan has already 4 Oscar nominations under her belt. That’s an impressive feat for a young actor. The Academy likes to reward actors with multiple nominations and zero wins and Ronan can make the case for that. But Ronan has a long career ahead of her and a win is certainly in her future.

Best Supporting Actor

Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Al Pacino (The Irishman)
Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)
Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes)

Who will win- Brad Pitt for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. This is an interesting category. All the actors in this category have technically won an Oscar before, whether it be for acting or producing. The last time all actors in a category were past winners was in 2012 in this same category. Now with that being said, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” was not my favorite film of 2019, but Brad Pitt stole the show, especially the last 10 minutes of the film. Pitt does have an Oscar for producing, but its time he has one for acting.

Who should win- Tom Hanks for “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”. Hanks as always gives a strong performance and “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” is no exception. He excellently becomes Fred Rogers and should win an award for doing so. But Hanks is already a two time Oscar winner and its rare for actors to win three or more Oscars.

Potential upset: Joe Pesci for “The Irishman”. Pesci was in retirement and came out of it for legendary director Martin Scorsese. A story line like that can be relate able to the Academy voters who are usually older.

Best Supporting Actress

Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell)
Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit)
Florence Pugh (Little Women)
Margot Robbie (Bombshell)

Who will win and should win- Laura Dern for “Marriage Story”. Dern has been winning all the awards and having Dern win is the obvious win. Dern plays a lawyer who fights tough and would say anything to win a case. While I enjoyed Adam Driver and Scarlett Johnansson’s performance more than Laura Dern, this probably the only win for the film.

Potential upset- Florence Pugh for “Little Women”. Florence Pugh has had a big year with releases of “Fighting With My Family” and “Midsommar”. Just like Johansson, who is also nominated in this category, Pugh winning an Oscar would make this Pugh’s year.

Best Original Screenplay

1917, Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Knives Out, Rian Johnson
Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino
Parasite, Bong Joon Ho & Jin Won Han

Who will win- Quentin Tarantino for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. Tarantino has proved to be one of the greatest screenwriters of his generation and probably of all time. Tarantino not only won the Golden Globe, but also won the Critics Choice Award in this category. This is Tarantino’s award to lose.

Who should win- Bong Joon Ho and Jin Won Han for “Parasite”. It’s no secret that I love “Parasite” and it should win at every chance it has. As I have mentioned before “Parasite” takes its story telling to another level. What other film starts off in a light and funny mood and ends in a dark and depressing mood? Bong Joon Ho and Jin Won Han’s screenplay was the best of the year and should win this award.

Potential upset- Noah Baumbach for “Marriage Story”. Baumbach’s screenplay shows the raw emotions a couple goes through. “Marriage Story” is a actor’s film and the screenplay is the foundation for the strong acting.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Irishman, Steven Zaillian
Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi
Joker, Todd Phillips & Scott Silver
Little Women, Greta Gerwig
The Two Popes, Anthony McCarten

Who will win- Steven Zaillian for “The Irishman”. This category could be the only win for “The Irishman”, a film with 10 nominations. The Academy likes to spread out their wins and “The Irishman” has a strong screenplay that features some of the best actors working today.

Who should win- Todd Phillips and Scott Silver for “Joker”. “Joker” is not your typical comic book film, but instead a character study on how several terrible days make for a villain in the making. Who ever thought that the “Joker” a character who commits murder, would be a sympathetic character?

Potential upset- Greta Gerwig for “Little Women”. After being snubbed for Best Director, this could be Gerwig’s only win this year. But “Little Women” has been adapted numerous times over the years, so having Gerwig win for a screenplay that has been adapted already could turn voters away.

Best International Feature Film

Corpus Christi (Poland)
Honeyland (North Macedonia)
Les Misérables (France)
Pain and Glory (Spain)
Parasite (South Korea)

Who will win and should win- “Parasite”. It has the Best Picture nomination and its one of the best of 2019. It’s going to win this category, no doubt about it.

Best Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4

Who will and should win- “Toy Story 4”. Pixar is no stranger to winning this category and “Toy Story 4” could win this year. Was it the best film in the series, of course not but still had beautiful animation.

Potential upset- “Missing Link”. The film that won the Golden Globe, “Missing Link” has momentum going into the Oscars.

Golden Globes Nominations: Thoughts and Predictions

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We are in full swing into award season and we have the Golden Globes nominations. The Golden Globes are known to be the precursor to the Oscars, as the winners of the Golden Globes are more than likely to win an Oscar. Netflix has big nominations as “Marriage Story” leads the nominations with 6 nods, with “The Irishman” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” following suit with 5 nods. “Marriage Story” and “The Irishman” getting the most nominations are no surprise, but “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” getting 5 nominations is a shock. I certainly expected a couple nominations, but not 5. Films that are released in the summer are almost forgotten in awards seasons.

“Joker” also did very well with 4 nominations, which is more than I expected. Unfortunately, “The Peanut Butter Falcon” received 0 nominations, and “Booksmart” has only 1 nomination. Also, only 1 nominations for “Cats”. I have yet to see that film, but considering the HFPA loves to nominate any film that comes their way, (e.g. “The Tourist”), that certainly does not look good for the upcoming film. And “The Lion King” got a nomination for Best Animated Feature, which is just appalling. “The Lion King” is probably one of the worst films of 2019, but more of that on a different day. To a But without further ado, here are the nominations and my predictions.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
“1917”
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“Marriage Story”
“The Two Popes”

Predicted winner: “Marriage Story”. It’s hard to ignore a film with powerhouse acting that tackles a difficult subject matter. “Marriage Story” pulls enough emotion from the viewers and it is certainly a contender to win the top prize.

Upsets: Although “Joker” and “The Irishman” certainly are trailing behind “Marriage Story”, but “Joker” has already earned a billion dollars at the box office, giving itself a prize already, and “The Irishman” is a three and a half hour crime drama epic that will bore most voters. Also Robert de Niro was snubbed for “The Irishman”, so that’s not a good sign.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
“Dolemite is My Name”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Knives Out”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Rocketman”

Predicted winner: “Jojo Rabbit”. If only “Booksmart” was nominated. Nonetheless, this is an excellent set of nominees. But of course only one film can win and “Jojo Rabbit” is the film that did have the momentum for a while. Although the humorous tone of the Nazis has turned people off from the film, I can certainly understand why “Jojo Rabbit” may not get a win.

Upsets: “Dolemite is My Name” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” are both films that show the behind the scenes of how a film is made. The HFPA love these types of films and a case could certainly be made for both films winning the top prize.

BEST DIRECTOR
Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
Sam Mendes, “1917”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Todd Phillips, “Joker

Predicted winner: Martin Scorsese for “The Irishman”. Scorsese is a legendary filmmaker who has been honored by the HFPA three times. Although his direction is excellent, having three awards can possibly go against him.

Upsets: Todd Philips went from directing fun comedies to a dark origin of a villain. It’s hard to ignore the director who successfully made a villain’s origin story that had the whole nation talking. Also, although Quentin Tarantino has won two Golden Globes for writing, he has yet to win one for directing. It is possible the HFPA could finally reward Tarantino for his directing.

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA
Christian Bale, “Ford v. Ferrari”
Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”

Predicted winner: Joaquin Phoenix for “Joker”. Fans and audiences certainly want Phoenix to win an award for his role as Arthur Fleck. We can only hope that the HFPA would listen to what the audiences think.

Upsets: Adam Driver in “Marriage Story” is the definition of acting. I can certainly see Driver pulling an upset for his strong performance in the emotional filled film.

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA
Cynthio Erivo, “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
Renee Zellweger, “Judy”

Predicted winner: Scarlett Johansson for “Marriage Story”. Not only does Johansson make a case for why she should win for her work in “Marriage Story”, but she has yet to actually win a Golden Globe. It’s about time she gets recognized for her strong acting.

Upset: Biopics are certainly beloved by the HFPA and having a biopic about legendary actress Judy Garland can certainly help Renee Zellweger win the award.

BEST ACTOR – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Daniel Craig, “Knives Out”
Roman Griffin Davis, “Jojo Rabbit”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Taron Egerton, “Rocketman”
Eddie Murphy, “Dolemite Is My Name”

Predicted winner: Eddie Murphy in “Dolemite is My Name”. Who doesn’t like a good comeback? Murphy steals the show as real life Rudy Ray Moore who tries to make it big on the big screen, the HFPA should reward Murphy for his stellar acting.

Upsets: I can certainly see Leonardo DiCaprio taking a win in this category, as the role of actor Rick Dalton. DiCaprio certainly does an excellent job in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, but he is already three Golden Globes, the HFPA would want to reward someone who has yet to win.

BEST ACTRESS – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Awkwafina, “The Farewell”
Ana de Armas, “Knives Out”
Beanie Feldstein, “Booksmart”
Emma Thompson, “Late Night”
Cate Blanchett, “Where’d You Go Bernadette”

Predicted winner: Awkwafina in “The Farewell”. As much as I would love Beanie Feldstein win for “Booksmart”, I have to give the win to Awkwafina. This role doesn’t feel as a comedic role since it does tackle a serious topic. Nonetheless, Awkwafina does stand out in “The Farewell”.

Upsets: The only possible upset I could see here is Ana de Armas in “Knives Out”. She makes the film her own and is certainly an upcoming talent that will stick out for years to come.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTON PICTURE
Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”

Predicted winner: Tom Hanks in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”. Hanks beautifully gets into the role of Fred Rogers and almost feels like Mr. Rogers is actually on the screen.

Upsets: It has been years since Joe Pesci has been in a feature film and “The Irishman” serves as a comeback for the the actor. There is a chance that the HFPA could feel nostalgic for “The Irishman” and give it any award it can. Also, Brad Pitt steals the show in the last act of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, so a case could certainly be made for the actor winning the award.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTON PICTURE
Annette Benning, “The Report”
Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”
Jennifer Lopez, “Hustlers”
Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”

Predicted winner: Laura Dern in “Marriage Story”. It is possible that the HFPA could go full “La La Land” and give every award to “Marriage Story”. Laura Dern does an excellent as a lawyer who uses dirty tactics to win a case.

Upsets: Jennifer Lopez in “Hustlers” gives Dern a run for her money and I would not be shocked if she came out as a winner. Lopez certainly has buzz going for her and could keep up the momentum going in awards season.

BEST SCREENPLAY
“Marriage Story”
“Parasite”
“The Two Popes”
“Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
“The Irishman”

Predicted winner: Quentin Tarantino for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. Hollywood loves films about itself and Tarantino’s smart screenplay feels tailor made for Hollywood insiders.

Upsets: “The Irishman” can make the voters feel nostalgic for past Scorsese films, I can see the screenplay having a win in this category. Plus since “Parasite” has been getting so much traction lately, I could see this film pulling an upset in this category.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“The Farewell”
“Les Misérables”
“Pain and Glory”
“Parasite”
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”

Predicted winner: It’s a tie between “The Farewell” and “Parasite”. Both films certainly have a 50/50 chance of winning this category, both films have critics falling in love with each film. This category has no clear winner, in my honest opinion, it is a toss up.

Upset: Any film that is not “The Farewell” and “Parasite” sadly have a little chance of winning this award.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Frozen 2”
“The Lion King”
“Missing Link”
“Toy Story 4”
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”

Predicted winner: “Frozen 2”. Frozen 2 is a box office hit and its previous film proves that they have this award in the bag.

Upset: Pixar used to be on a winning streak, but slowly they began to lose awards in their respective category. But this year “Toy Story 4” could win for its beautiful animated, even if the film feels unnecessary.

The Irishman Film Review

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci

Rated R for pervasive language and strong violence

“I Heard You Paint Houses”. Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro are one of the greatest director/actor duos in the history of film. Films such as “Taxi Driver”, “Raging Bull”, and “Goodfellas” are excellent films that still hold up. The last feature film the pair made was in 1995 with “Casino”. So another collaboration between Scorsese and De Niro was overdue 24 years after “Casino”. “The Irishman” is the result of the new Scorsese and De Niro film, but is “The Irishman” as good as previous Scorsese and De Niro collaborations?

“The Irishman” is stars Robert De Niro, as Frank Sheeran, as truck driver gets involved with the mob with the help of Russell Buffalino (played by Joe Pesci). As his time in the mob, Sheeran is also involved with union leader, Jimmy Hoffa (played by Al Pacino), who infamously disappeared.

“The Irishman” has a excellent cast. Of course Robert De Niro is a legendary actor who works well with director Martin Scorsese. De Niro plays the usual character who is involved with the mob, such as “Goodfellas”. But Scorsese regular Joe Pesci is also excellent in the film, but is vastly different from we are used to seeing him. Pesci in Scorsese film is usually a mobster who is prone to anger. But in “The Irishman”, Pesci is a calm and collective mobster who doesn’t burst in anger. It was quite refreshing to see Pesci not play his usual character, but a different one who is quiet the opposite. In addition to De Niro and Pesci, Al Pacino is also quite well in the film, but there are some instances where Pacino plays his usual self. These days, the joke is how Pacino always yells in his films. This film does have Pacino yell at scenes, but it feels like a comedian doing a Pacino impersonation. Although his character was likable, scenes having Pacino yell feel like skits. Not that this is Pacino’s fault, but it feels like a tired trope.

Anyone who has seen Scorsese films know the usual tropes he likes to do. Having the long take, playing music over narration, the violence, etc. are all present in the film. I enjoyed these tropes and makes a film like this different and stand out from other films. But Scorsese films are known to be long as well, which does not bother me at all. But “The Irishman” is a very long film, clocking in around 3 and a half hours. This is a film that cannot be played in the background, it needs to be viewed without distractions. But since this film is so long, it is best viewed in two viewings. I watched the first half of the film one evening and finished the film the following day. Having the film over three hours does not mean the “The Irishman” is less of a film or should be ignored, but this is something that should be in mind when viewing the film.

“The Irishman” is also known for having a large budget, mostly due to de-aging technology used in the film for De Niro and Pesci. Unfortunately, the de-aging does yield mix results. Very early in the film, De Niro’s character is supposed to be a young man fixing a car. Pesci’s character approaches him and calls him “kid”. But De Niro looks like he was in his 50’s, so I am not sure if Pesci’s characters call everyone “kid” or if De Niro’s character was supposed to be in his 20’s or 30’s in this scene. If he was supposed to be in his 20’s or 30’s, then the film did a terrible job showing this. This technology is fairly new and I expect the technology to advance over the years, but in this instance it does not work at times.

Director Martin Scorsese returns to form by bringing back Scorsese regulars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in “The Irishman”. The film is filled with exceptional actors who, of course, deliver strong performances. As much as their is enjoyment in the film, the film is very long film that features de-aging technology that works well and not so well at times. “The Irishman” is a film that as good as previous Scorsese/ De Niro collaborations that is worth a watch on Netflix.

3.5/4