© Searchlight Pictures and Film 4
But it's not far off.
Love them or loathe them, we are all fascinated by the Oscars.
Those who take their cinema seriously may poo poo the notion that you can crown a movie as the Best Picture but they're still fixated by the competition - no matter how vigorously they protest.
Part of the fun about following the Oscars is you can celebrate the wisdom of the Academy in some categories while dissing their choices in others.
© A24And 2023's crop of nominees is no exception.
So what are we to make of this year's shortlists?
With 11 nominations including Best Picture, Best Director and four acting nods, Daniels Kwan and Scheinert's 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once' has gone from being an unlikely awards contender to the Academy frontrunner.
The island of Ireland had 14 good reasons to celebrate too as its talent amassed a staggering haul of nominations across various categories - including a quarter of the acting nominations (four of which went to 'The Banshees of Inisherin'), the country's first ever Best Foreign Language Film nod for 'An Cailin Ciuin/The Quiet Girl' and Best Live Action Short Film nomination for 'An Irish Goodbye' from north of the border.
The love for 'All Quiet On The Western Front,' with nine Oscar nods including Best Picture, is another example of the positive legacy of 'Roma' and especially 'Parasite' for foreign language films figuring in the main Oscar categories.
The nominations in major categories for 'Avatar: The Way of Water,' 'Top Gun: Maverick' and 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' also show the Academy is very grateful for those movies that have put bums back on seats after a difficult few years for cinemas.
Let's take a closer look, though, at the main categories.
BEST PICTURE
© NetflixThe Oscars have in recent years been accused of taking too elitist an approach and ignoring the movies that actually draw the bulk of audiences.
That charge cannot be levelled this year with a shortlist for Best Picture that rewards James Cameron's 'Avatar: The Way of Water' and Joseph Kosinski's 'Top Gun: Maverick'.
But are both these sequels really deserving of their place?
Or is it just a slap on the back for reaping handsome profits for the studios?
Is anyone in their right mind seriously going to argue that Cameron or Kosinski's films are better than Charlotte Wells' 'Aftersun,' Maria Schrader's 'She Said,' Lila Neugebauer's 'Causeway' or Kogonada's 'After Yang' - none of which made it to the final shortlist?
Sarah Polley's 'Women Talking,' Steven Spielberg's 'The Fablemans,' Todd Field's 'Tar,' Reuben Ostund's Cannes Palme d'Or winner 'Triangle of Sadness' and Baz Luhrman's 'Elvis' did make it through.
However the frontrunners must be Daniels Kwan and and Scheinert's madcap multiverse adventure 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once' and Martin McDonagh's 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' with Edward Berger's 'All Quiet On The Western Front' emerging as a dark horse.
At this stage, the momentum appears to be with Kwan and Scheinert's fantasy but it is early days.
The Screen Actors Guild, Directors Guild, Producers Guild and BAFTAs will be a strong indicator of who will be strongly fancied on Oscars night.
BEST DIRECTOR
.jpeg)
© Universal PicturesDaniels Kwan and Scheinert, Steven Spielberg, Todd Field and Martin McDonagh had all been expected to nab nominations in this category.
And so it proved.
However Reuben Ostlund's shortlisting for 'Triangle of Sadness' is a vindication of that film's Cannes Film Festival triumph and its shortlisting in the Best Picture category.
Ostlund's nomination came at the expense of Baz Luhrman whose hopes must have been high for the opulent but massively overrated 'Elvis'.
Charlotte Wells was always an outside bet for what would have been a deserved nod for 'Aftersun,' while Sarah Polley, Maria Schrader and Edward Berger also had decent claims that went ignored for 'Women Talking,' 'She Said' and 'All Quiet On The Western Front'.
Oddly, Berger's snub in this category may actually boost that film's hopes in the Best Picture race if it starts to gain traction at other award ceremonies.
However the race for now appears to be between Spielberg and the Daniels, with McDonagh in with a shout of taking the prize if momentum builds behind his movie.
BEST ACTRESS
© Focus Features & Universal PicturesThis looks like being a straight fight between two times Oscar winner Cate Blanchett for her performance in 'Tar' as a celebrated conductor and first time nominee Michelle Yeoh for playing an unlikely multiverse saviour in the quirky 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once'.
On the day she was nominated for a Worst Actress Razzie for playing Marilyn Monroe in 'Blonde,' Cuban actress Ana de Armas deservedly landed a nod for Best Actress for the same role, while Michelle Williams also sneaked in for her part as a mum in Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical 'The Fablemans'.
The big surprise was Andrea Riseborough's nomination for the little seen 'To Leslie' which was carried in by strong word of mouth.
It should not be discounted over the next six weeks.
Danielle Deadwyler and Viola Davis will feel disappointed not to make the shortlist for their performances for 'Till' and 'The Woman King' after landing Golden Globe, SAG, Critics Choice and BAFTA nods.
Jennifer Lawrence, Zoe Kazan and Florence Pugh also had decent cases for inclusion for their performances in 'Causeway,' 'She Said' and 'The Wonder' but it was not to be.
Blanchett is probably the favourite but don't rule out Yeoh.
BEST ACTOR
© A24This has looked for some time like a three horse race and after today little has changed.
At this stage, Critics Choice winner Brendan Fraser's performance as a massively overweight man in Darren Aronofsky's 'The Whale' and Golden Globe winner Colin Farrell as a spurned friend in 'The Banshees of Inisherin' are looking pretty neck and neck.
However Golden Globe winner Austin Butler cannot be ruled out for his impersonation as 'Elvis'.
British screen veteran Bill Nighy is recognised for playing a dying civil servant in 'Living'.
But the nicest surprise in this category was the deserved nod for Paul Mescal for his poignant performance as a fragile young father in 'Aftersun'.
His nomination probably came at the expense of Tom Cruise for 'Top Gun: Maverick,' Hugh Jackman for 'The Son' or rank outsider Adam Sandler for the basketball drama 'Hustle' but it was the right decision.
With all five nominees celebrating their first ever Oscar nomination, this is one of the toughest categories to predict.
Watch the SAG and BAFTA results closely for clues as to where the Oscar statuette may go.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
© Apple TV+After three decades of superb supporting and lead performances, Brendan Gleeson at last has an Academy Award nomination to his name.
Yet despite another excellent performance in Martin McDonagh's west of Ireland fable 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' he is very much the underdog in this category.
Ke Huy Quan looks like the firm favourite for his many performances in 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once' with the Golden Globes and Critics Choice seduced by his Hollywood comeback tale.
But Judd Hirsch could be a shock winner for 'The Fablemans' in a category he was last nominated in in 1980 for Robert Redford's 'Ordinary People'.
Brian Tyree Henry was a surprise nominee for his role as a haunted New Orleans mechanic in 'Causeway' and Barry Keoghan is a deserved nominee for his touching performance as Dominic in 'The Banshees of Inisherin'.
Henry's nomination probably came at the expense of Brad Pitt for 'Babylon'.
Woody Harrelson, Eddie Redmayne and Ben Whishaw may feel they had a genuine chance for their performances in 'Triangle of Sadness,' 'The Good Nurse' and 'Women Talking'.
But this category looks like Ke Huy Quan's to lose, with Gleeson and Hirsch his biggest threats but, if there were any justice, the award would actually go to Keoghan.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
© Marvel & DisneyLike the race for Supporting Actor, there is a runaway favourite in this category.
After triumphing at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice, Angela Bassett is expected to win for her performance as the Sovereign Queen Ramonda in the Marvel film 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'.
Jamie Lee Curtis would be a decent bet for 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once' if her colleague Stephanie Hsu weren't nominated too.
Irish actress Kerry Condon would be a deserved winner too for her role as the smartest person on the island in 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' while Hong Chau has done well to land a nomination for 'The Whale'.
Jessie Buckley and Dolly De Leon will be disappointed not to make the shortlist for 'Women Talking' and 'Triangle of Sadness'.
Carey Mulligan and Samantha Morton also had strong cases for inclusion for 'She Said,' as did Nina Hoss for 'Tar'.
However their cases fell on deaf ears.
Expect Bassett to coast to victory unless Condon or the 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once' duo can spring a surprise at the SAGs or BAFTAs.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
© NetflixDomee Shi's 'Turning Red' spared Disney's blushes in a category it has dominated over the years after the studio's more high profile releases 'Lightyear' and 'Strange World' were shut out of this category.
However the favourite for this gong appears to Netflix's inventive 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' which put Robert Zemeckis' Disney live action version into the shade.
Dean Fleischer Camp's cute 'Marcel the Shell With Shoes On' offers the best hope of an upset in this category.
Joel Crawford's 'Puss In Boots: Last Wish' and Chris Williams' nautical adventure 'The Sea Beast' should simply be content they are in the race.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FEATURE
© Breakout Pictures & TG4While Colm Bairead's delightful 'An Cailin Ciuin/The Quiet Girl' broke new ground for an Irish language feature in this category, all eyes are on Edward Berger's 'All Quiet On The Western Front' which is bound to be the strong favourite in this category.
Europe accounts for four of the five nominations with Lukas Dhont's Belgian Cannes Grand Prix winner 'Close' and Polish veteran Jerzy Skolimowski's donkey tale 'EO' also nominated.
Santiago Mitre's 'Argentina 1985' will be flying the flag for South American cinema.
However many will be surprised not to see Park Chan-wook's acclaimed South Korean tale not on the final shortlist.
There will be a lot of sentiment for Bairead's movie but it's hard to see it upsetting 'All Quiet on The Western Front'.
OTHER NOTABLE RACES
© NetflixIn the screenplay categories, Original Screenplay looks like being a fiercely contested affair between Martin McDonagh for 'The Banshees of Inisherin' and the Daniels' 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once'.
Although don't rule out Todd Field for 'Tar'.
Adapted screenplay offers up a mouthwatering clash involving Kazuro Ishiguro for 'Living,' Rian Johnson for 'Knives Out: Glass Onion,' Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell for 'All Quiet On The Western Front' and Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie 'Top Gun: Maverick'.
But keep an eye on Sarah Polley and Miriam Toews for 'Women Talking'.
'All Quiet On The Western Front' may be the favourite but an upset is possible.
Lady GaGa notched up the fourth Oscar nomination of her career and a third for Best Original Song for the 'Top Gun: Maverick' song 'Hold My Hand'.
© Paramount PicturesShe faces competition from Rihanna for the 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' song 'Lift Me Up' which earned the movie's director Ryan Coogler a nod in this category too and David Byrne for 'This Is A Life' from 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once'.
However the clear favourite is 'Naatu Naatu' by Kala Bairava, MM Keeravani and Rahul Sipligunj from the Indian adventure movie 'RRR'.
'All Quiet On The Western Fromt' looks to have a strong shout in the Best Cinematography category for James Friend.
Although Mandy Walker could make his history by becoming the first woman to win for her work on 'Elvis'.
Northern Ireland Screen will be undoubtedly delighted that its Best Short Film nominee, Tom Berkeley and Ross White's BAFTA nominated 'An Irish Goodbye' is the early frontrunner.
On a stunning day for Irish talent, film editor Jonathan Redmond picked up a nomination for best editing for his work on 'Elvis,' while Richard Baneham was nominated for best visual effects for 'Avatar: The Way of Water'.
There are six weeks to go in the various contests, though, before all is revealed at the Oscars.
But even at this early stage, maybe we should call this year's event "the O'scars" given all the Irish talent in contention?
THE NOMINEES
© 20th Century StudiosBEST PICTURE
All Quiet On The Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
The Fablemans
Tar
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Women Talking
BEST DIRECTOR
Todd Field (Tar)
Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert (Everything, Everywhere, All At Once)
Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin)
Reuben Ostund (Triangle of Sadness)
Steven Spielberg (The Fablemans)
BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett (Tar)
Ana de Armas (Blonde)
Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie)
Michelle Williams (The Fablemans)
Michelle Yeoh (Everything, Everywhere, All At Once)
BEST ACTOR
Austin Butler (Elvis)
Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin)
Brendan Fraser (The Whale)
Paul Mescal (Aftersun)
Bill Nighy (Living)
© BBC Film, British Film Institute and A24
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin)
Judd Hirsch (The Fablemans)
Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin)
Ke Huy Quan (Everything, Everywhere, All At Once)
Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
Hong Chau (The Whale)
Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin)
Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything, Everywhere, All At Once)
Stephanie Hsu (Everything, Everywhere, All At Once)
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Marcel, the Shell with Shoes On
Puss In Boots: Last Wish
The Sea Beast
Turning Red
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FEATURE
All Quiet On The Western Front (Edward Berger - Germany)
Argentina 1985 (Santiago Mitre - Argentina)
Close (Lukas Dhont - Belgium)
EO (Jerzy Skolimowski - Poland)
The Quiet Girl/An Cailin Ciuin (Colm Baireaid - Ireland)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen)
All The Beauty and The Bloodshed (Laura Poitras)
Fire of Love (Sara Dosa)
A House Made of Splinters (Simon Lereng Wilmont)
Navalny (Daniel Roher)
© Lionsgate UKBEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Todd Field (Tar)
Tony Kushner and Steven Spielberg (The Fablemans)
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything, Everywhere, All At Once)
Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin)
Reuben Ostund (Triangle of Sadness)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell (All Quiet On The Western Front)
Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie (Top Gun: Maverick)
Kazuro Ishiguro (Living)
Rian Johnson (Knives Out: Glass Onion)
Sarah Polley and Miriam Toews (Women Talking)
BEST ORIGINAL MUSICAL SCORE
Volker Bertelmann ('All Quiet On The Western Front')
Carter Burwell ('The Banshees of Inisherin')
Justin Hurwitz ('Babylon')
Son Lux ('Everything, Everywhere, All At Once')
John Williams ('The Fablemans')
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
'Applause' (Diane Warren - 'Tell It Like A Woman')
'Hold My Hand' (Lady GaGa and Bloodpop - 'Top Gun: Maverick')
'Lift Me Up' (Ludwig Goransson, Robyn Fenty, Rihanna and Ryan Coogler - 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever')
'Naatu Naatu' (Kala Bairava, MM Keeravani and Rahul Sipligunj - 'RRR')
'This Is A Life' (Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski - 'Everything, Everywhere, All At Once')
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins ('Empire of the Light')
James Friend ('All Quiet On The Western Front')
Florian Hoffmeister ('The Son')
Darius Khondji ('Bardo, False Chronicle of A Handful of Truths)
Mandy Walker ('Elvis')
BEST FILM EDITING
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
Tar
Top Gun: Maverick
© Warner BrosBEST SOUND
All Quiet On The Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Batman
Elvis
Top Gun: Maverick
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Top Gun: Maverick
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Babylon
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
Mrs Harris Goes To Paris
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
All Quiet On The Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
Babylon
Elvis
The Fablemans
BEST HAIR STYLING AND MAKE UP
All Quiet On The Western Front
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
The Whale
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
An Irish Goodbye (Tom Berkeley and Ross White)
Ivalu (Anders Walter and Rebecca Pruzan)
Le Pupile (Alice Rohrwacher and Alfonso Cuaron)
Night Ride (Ereik Tveiten and Gaute Lid Larssen)
The Red Suitcase (Cyrus Neshved)
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse
The Flying Sailor
Ice Merchants
My Year of Dicks
An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Elephant Whisperers
Haulout
How Do You Measure A Year?
The Martha Mitchell Effect
Stranger at the Gate
Comments
Post a Comment