Yes, it’s that time of year again for the Academy Awards (the 95th!!) on Channel 7, Sunday, March 23rd and hopefully, this year’s host, Jimmy Kimmel, won’t be assaulted on stage by anyone. . . but you never can tell, right? With theatrically released films competing with films shown on Netflix, Prime, Apple+, and other streaming services, this should be an exciting year! I hope. Here are my picks for the best of the best of the best films from 2022. Do you agree/disagree with any of my choices? Let’s dig in, shall we!? Here are the nominees. . .
BEST PICTURE
Nominees: All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All At Once (EEAAO), The Fabelmans, TÁR, Top Gun: Maverick, Triangle of Sadness, and Women Talking. All great movies this year, huh? But let’s get rid of All Quiet on the Western Front, Women Talking, Triangle of Sadness, Banshees, Top Gun, and EEAO. That leaves the top contenders, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Fabelmans, Elvis, and TÁR. I shed a tear that The Whale was snubbed for Best Picture! I think it’ll be a horse race between Elvis and The Fablemans. Look for The Fablemans to win, but Avatar might be a dark horse winner.
BEST DIRECTOR
Nominees: Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin), Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert (EEAAO), Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans), Todd Field (TÁR), and Ruben Östlund (Triangle of Sadness). They’re all great directors but let’s face it, if you put Spielberg into the mix there’s no contest. He’s earned it. However, that being said, Todd Field has a chance to usurp the crown from his majesty this year.
BEST ACTOR
Nominees: Austin Butler (Elvis), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Brendan Fraser (The Whale), Paul Mescal (Aftersun), Bill Nighy (Living). This is going to come down to the wire with two powerful performances that deserve the Oscar. Farrell, Mescal, and Nighy may be good and all, but it’ll be between Fraser & Butler, no doubt about it. I’m leaning towards Fraser who’s paid his dues in Hollywood and deserves it more.
BEST ACTRESS
Nominees: Cate Blanchett (TÁR), Ana de Armas (Blonde) Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie), Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans), Michelle Yeoh (EEAAO). This is a tough one. . . a real tough one. Remove Riseborough and you have four excellent actors in four (okay, three) terrific films. All should win as their performances are incredible, so this going to come down to politics. Blanchett is the easy win but I see Yeoh scoring the gold for her years of service.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Nominees: Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin), Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway), Judd Hirsch (The Fabelmans), Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin), and Ke Huy Quan (EEAAO). I have a soft spot for this one. I (as well as many others) grew up with Ke Huy Quan (Short Round in Indiana Jones/Temple of Doom), and he was SO awesome in EEAAO that, naturally, I want to see him win here. That’s it. He’s the sentimental vote and I’m sticking with it.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Nominees: Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Hong Chau (The Whale), Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), Jamie Lee Curtis (EEAAO), and Stephanie Hsu (EEAAO). Another incredibly tough one to choose. Each one was amazing in their role and each one deserves to win, so politics will again no doubt play into this one. Look for either Bassett or Chau to grab that Oscar. My money’s on Bassett.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Nominees: Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin), Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert (EEAAO), Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner (The Fabelmans), Todd Field (TÁR), and Ruben Östlund (Triangle of Sadness). I love a good screenplay and, with the exception of Triangle of Sadness, these are some truly great ones. If I had to choose (and I do!), I think it’ll be between Todd Field and Martin McDonagh. I’m thinking Field for his amazing dialogue.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Nominees: Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell for All Quiet on the Western Front, Rian Johnson for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Kazuo Ishiguro for Living, screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks for Top Gun: Maverick, and Sarah Polley for Women Talking. Wow, tough choice, but I can see the Academy choosing Sarah Polley for her adaptation.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nominees: James Friend (All Quiet on the Western Front), Darius Khondji (Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths), Mandy Walker (Elvis), Roger Deakins (Empire of Light), and Florian Hoffmeister (TÁR). I confess that I’m a little behind in this category as I have not seen Empire or Bardo, so my visual palate can only go with either Elvis or TÁR, which were both jaw-dropping. I say Elvis will take home the gold. However, look for All Quiet to be a dark horse winner. It was stunning!
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Nominees: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Sea Beast, and Turning Red. In what has to be a first, the all-powerful House of Mouse mega-beast does not have a stake in this race! Turning Red, the Disney/Pixar film will most likely fall under the animated axe of del Toro’s beautiful and haunting stop-motion Pinocchio, which is ironic when you realize that Disney came out with their own CGI/live-action Pinocchio the same year and it bombed hard! So, look for an easy win for Guillermo in this category. It’s a lock.
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