Oscars Nominations: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Another year with some significant positives, head-scratchers, and omissions from the Academy.
Discussion and debate ensued last month when the Oscar nominations were released. With the ceremony fast approaching, I'm going to introduce you to my thoughts on some of the snubs and surprises from the 95th Oscar nominations before I start predicting the winner of each category.
THE GOOD :
Comeback stories are in fashion!
We can talk about narratives all we want, but Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan made the cut primarily because of their performances' excellence.
The Whale is a bona fide tearjerker, with emotions brought to the fore by Charlie's interactions with those closest to him. Fraser conveys the film's central themes of redemption and forgiveness by portraying the 600-pound man's eventful week.
Within the Everything Everywhere at Once multiverse, Quan is forced to don the full range of emotions. He also does his stunts and delivers the line of the year to many observers, "In another life, I really would have liked to do laundry and taxes with you."
Only after we see how well they performed can we harness the joy of highlighting such great returns and amazing men!
Actors vying for first-time nominations are compensated!
The 2022 window saw the entry of a record 16 new actors in the history of Oscar nominations. In context, 80% of the possible actor nominations went to this new group of actors.
In the Lead Actor category, all five nominated actors are first-timers. Austin Butler embodies the personality of the King of Rock' n' Roll and his flamboyance on stage. After the Golden Globes and BAFTAs, Butler seems to be the favorite for the Oscar. Paul Mescal and Colin Farrell are worthy of the accolades and are a positive step towards growing into more subtle performances. Having started his career in 1976, Bill Nighy received his first nomination at age 73. As detailed above, Fraser's role in The Whale earned him the honor.
The Leading Actress division has three new nominees who join Cate Blanchett and Michelle Williams. Precisely 40 years after her first role, Michelle Yeoh finally received her first sign of recognition. Her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once features a woman's quest to transform her crumbling life. Ana de Armas, all controversy aside, plays Marilyn Monroe in Blonde. Andrea Riseborough gets the nom on the shoulders of her Hollywood buddies.
The Supporting Actor bracket is similar to the lead actors, with five newcomers. Ke Huy Quan, for "Everything Everywhere All at Once," leads the pack of actors. BAFTA winner Barry Keoghan delivers the line of the cycle in my eyes in "There Goes That Dream." Brendan Gleeson rivals Colin Farrell in the film's context and his acting quality. Brian Tyree Henry is a solid constant in one of the most underrated films of 2022, Causeway. Judd Hirsch overcomes his limited screen time to set a new Oscar nomination gap record (42 years).
Finally, four Supporting Actress contenders are first-year students in Academy Award history. The only repeat nominee is Angela Bassett, who received the distinction for What's Love Got to Do with It in 1993 as the Lead. She hopes to win the award for the first time 30 years later. BAFTA winner Kerry Condon was a genuine spirit and scene stealer in Banshees. Jamie Lee Curtis scores her first-ever nomination after a long career in Hollywood. Her co-star, Stephanie Hsu, also enters the race because her character was written so that she could show the full extent of her abilities. Hong Chau ends her incredible 2022 run with The Menu and The Whale.
Everything Everywhere All at Once involvement could indicate significant changes are on the horizon
The leading nomination count of Everything Everywhere All at Once is an encouraging step towards diversity and neglecting a late or fall release strategy. The fan support and industry passion carried it to the top. Studios may skip previous release methods and release great films throughout the year.
Babylon, Empire of Light, and The Fabelmans represent films about cinema and Hollywood that are known to be Academy favorites. Despite my love for the movies mentioned, being an open-minded voter is always beneficial.
THE BAD :
Dolly De Leon misses Supporting Actress
Many film buffs thought Dolly De Leon would automatically follow if Triangle of Sadness were to overperform or land the Best Picture nomination. Well, it turns out we were wrong. The Neon film picked up a nomination for Picture, Director, and Screenplay.
I would have swapped De Leon with Jamie Lee Curtis. Nonetheless, some Academy members value the body of work and the narrative. Fingers crossed that the Triangle of Sadness breakout star has the opportunity to return to the awards race shortly.
Paul Dano misses Supporting Actor
Another year, another snub, another Academy failure.
What will Paul Dano have to do to secure a nomination? Judd Hirsch was excellent, but he only had 8–10 minutes of screen time. The fact that he could keep Dano out of the running shocked me.
His character based on Spielberg's father is more understated and less showy, which might explain why the Academy decided to pass.
Alexandre Desplat and Hildur Guðnadóttir miss Original Score
When it comes to Desplat, it seems the Academy's taste is changing. He has consistently missed the last few Oscar nomination ceremonies. His omission was part of the disappointing haul for Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio.
As for Hildur Guðnadóttir, I am baffled and shocked by her exclusion. Women Talking managed to get nominations for Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay, and somehow Hildur was not selected in this package. Her score is an overnight classic that will live long in the future!
THE UGLY :
Andrea Riseborough and Ana de Armas over Deadwyler and Davis
Kudos to Hollywood and the Academy for ignoring Danielle Deadwyler and Viola Davis in favor of someone with industry connections, Andrea Riseborough. The excuse seems to be that voters prefer not to invest in "traumatic" films. Yet, Ana de Armas was a shoo-in after the various guilds. It’s a head-scratcher on both counts.
No nominations for The Woman King or Till, for that matter.
Decision to Leave misses International Feature Film
Many experts believed that 2023 might be the year the Academy would reward Park Chan-Wook with a directing nomination. Instead, it chose not to include his film in the list of international features, leaving us to wonder what movie the members have seen.
Decision to Leave is a complex romantic thriller about a twisted love story with Park Chan-wook at the top of his game and two fabulous lead performances!
Top Gun: Maverick's cinematography achievement fails to be recognized…
Top Gun: Maverick is my favorite film of 2022. It received many nominations, which indicates that the Academy liked the picture. The cinematography seemed almost guaranteed to win and missed. The snub caught us all by surprise.
There are various beautiful shots to match the never before seen camera in the planes. Claudio Miranda deserved better!
