Once again, it is time to celebrate a year of film watching. Here are my choices for the following award nominees, along with thoughts about the selections and non-selections the Academy made.
Actor in a Leading Role – The nominees are: Antonio Banderas, (Pain and Glory); Leonardo DiCaprio, (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood); Adam Driver, (Marriage Story); Joaquin Phoenix, (Joker); and Jonathan Pryce, (The Two Popes).
Who else could be on this list? Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems) gave a fantastic performance as an obsessed gambler. You may not like the character, but it is a dead-on performance of obsession and addiction. Also, Paul Walter Hauser (Richard Jewell) was mesmerizing as a hero, turned villain, and finally exonerated hero. There are scenes where the subtly of his inner pressure to be something other than what he was, boarded on sublime. Lastly, Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari), as the focused race car driver, mechanical puzzle solver, father, husband, and friend, was fully captured. He was the soul of this story.
Given the nominees, I’d have to say Joaquin Phoenix stood out, although Jonathan Pryce was equally fabulous in a far more subtle role.
Actress in a Leading Role – The nominees are: Cynthia Erivo, (Harriet); Scarlett Johansson, (Marriage Story); Saoirse Ronan, (Little Women); Charlize Theron, (Bombshell); and Renee Zellweger, (Judy).
Who else could be on this list? For my money, Cate Blanchett’s riveting performance as the trapped inside her mind, edgy adventurer, and mother in “Where’d You Go Bernadette” belonged here. I also liked Halldora Geirharosdottir in “Woman at War,” a story about a woman committed to resisting the destruction of her home country, Iceland. Lastly, I thought Awkwafina in “The Farewell” deserves a look as well. Her dance between living with tradition and wanting to change how her family deals with death were excellent.
Given the nominees, it is a difficult choice between Cynthia Erivo in “Harriet” and Renee Zellweger in “Judy.” Both of these women are portraying influential people, one in changing our racist history and the other in the field of entertainment.
Supporting Actress – The nominees are: Kathy Bates, (Richard Jewell); Laura Dern, (Marriage Story); Scarlett Johansson, (Jojo Rabbit); Florence Pugh, (Little Women); and Margot Robbie, (Bombshell).
Who else could be on this list? There are two actresses in Parasite that belong on this list: First is Park So-Dam, who was the conniving daughter that plays art therapist to the son of Park Yeon-Kyo. The swagger and know-it-all confidence So-dam brings to this role is perfect. Second is Yeon-Kyo, who plays the extremely gullible mother of two children being taught and tutored by the children in the Kim family. Her looks of innocence and lack of thought were spot-on.
Of the nominees, I think Dern’s performance in “Little Women” was stronger than the nominated performance in “Marriage Story,” and therefore, she eliminates herself. I also thought that Pugh in “Midsommar” was at least equal to her performance in “Little Women.” Given the list, Robbie delivered the best of the group with Johansson a close second.
Supporting Actor – The nominees are: Tom Hanks, (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood); Anthony Hopkins, (The Two Popes); Brad Pitt, (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood); Joe Pesci, (The Irishman); and Al Pacino, (The Irishman).
This is a solid field, and their performances in their films are noteworthy. I would have exchanged Anthony Hopkins with Jamie Foxx in “Just Mercy,” but I can’t argue with the Academy’s list.
Hanks and Pitt give incredible performances, but I do like Pitt’s performance as the stunt double better.
Best Cinematography – The nominees are: Rodrigo Prieto, (The Irishman); Lawrence Sher, (Joker); Jarin Blaschke, (The Lighthouse); Roger Deakins, (1917); and Robert Richardson, (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).
What is missing in this list is the cinematography in the documentary film “Aqualera.” I was blown away by the power of the pictures in that film, especially of the ocean in all its raging glory.
Of the nominees, it is difficult to choose favorite or best. However, given the list, I’d select Roger Deakins for “1917.”
Best Writing of an Adapted Screenplay – The nominees are: Steven Zaillian, (The Irishman); Taika Waititi, (Jojo Rabbit); Todd Phillips and Scott Silver, (Joker); Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Lanham (Just Mercy); Greta Gerwig, (Little Women); and Anthony McCarten, (The Two Popes).
Of this list, I’d have to select Taika Waititi for “Jojo Rabbit.” It presented the most creative and complex questions of any of the nominees. However, I also think that Anthony McCarten did a terrific job with “The Two Popes” because of the thorny issues it brought to bear around tradition and religion and how these two humans dealt with them.
Best Writing of an Original Screenplay – The nominees are: Rian Johnson, (Knives Out); Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story); Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917); Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood); and Bong Joon Ho and Jin Won Han (Parasite).
Quentin Tarantino wrote a wonderfully inventive version of events that transpired in 1969. His use of an aging star and his committed friendship with his stunt double as the basis for slightly altering history was superb. However, I fell in love with Bong Joon Ho and Jin Won Han’s “Parasite.” It is one of the very few films I saw more than one time and would watch it again.
Best Film Editing – The nominees are: “Ford v Ferrari,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “The Irishman,” “Joker,” and “Parasite.”
In this category, I have to select “Ford v Ferrari.” The quick cuts between the pit and race scenes were terrifically executed.
Best International Film: The nominees are: “Corpus Christi,” Poland; “Honeyland,” North Macedonia; “Les Miserables,” France; “Pain and Glory,” Spain; “Parasite,” South Korea.
This is a difficult choice for me because of my choice for the overall Best Picture award is “Parasite.” However, I don’t think the Academy will select this excellent film as Best Picture. Therefore, my first choice here is “Parasite,” closely followed by “Pain and Glory.”
Best Director – The nominees are: Bong Joon Ho, (Parasite); Sam Mendes, (1917); Todd Phillips, (Joker); Martin Scorsese, (The Irishman); Quentin Tarantino, (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).
All of these directors gave us excellent films. Each movie is different from each other in unique ways. However, there is only one film I fell in love with, and that is “Parasite.” I thought the power of showing the disparity of income, what people are pushed to do to live, and the twist into darkness was truly engaging. Therefore, Bong Joon Ho gets my vote.
However, I think Tarantino will probably get the nod here.
Best Picture – The nominees are: “Ford v Ferrari,” “The Irishman,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Joker,” “Little Women,” “Marriage Story,” “1917,” Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and “Parasite.”
I like films that move me, take me on a journey, or challenge me intellectually. Most of the nominees did one or more of these things. However, “Little Women,” despite excellent performances by Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Laura Dern, lacked a depth that would make it a best picture candidate. I think “Just Mercy” would have been a strong candidate as would have “Last Black Man in San Francisco.” I also liked “Waves,” “Uncut Gems,” and “Dolemite is My Name.”
Given the nominees, my favorite film and choice would be “Parasite,” and sensing that the academy will give this film the “Best International Film” award, it probably won’t win. Then it comes down to the rank voting procedures here. There will be a large number of votes split among “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “The Irishmen,” and “1917.” Therefore it’s challenging to know what film will rise above the fray, but of these three, I liked “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” best.