The 90th annual Academy Awards are almost upon us!

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and emanating from the Dolby Theatre in LA, this might be the first Academy Awards in a long time not to have shrinking ratings as I suspect there will be some curious onlookers tuning in to see what a post-#MeToo awards show will look like.

The 90th iteration of the Academy Awards also features one of the most diverse and colourful collection of films to be nominated in recent memory.  The favourite to win the most awards is a horror story about a woman who falls in love with a fish.  Some of the other Best Picture contenders include a film where someone has sex with a peach and a horror film about a black man trying to escape a white neighbourhood.

Of course not everything is topsy-turvy and turned inside out.  Meryl Streep still has a Best Actress nomination and Roger Deakins will probably get snubbed again for Cinematography.

In all honesty, its fantastic to see a much more diverse and interesting selection of films getting nominated.  Get Out and The Shape of Water are some of my favourite films of the last twelve months so its fantastic to see both in the running for Best Picture despite their genres typically getting overlooked during awards season.  It’s also great to see a female director (Greta Gerwig) and cinematographer (Rachael Morrison) in the running too.

If anything, I’d love to see Academy be even bolder with their choices in future.  When they expanded the number of Best Picture noms from five to ‘up to ten’, I really felt it should’ve opened the door to both foreign language films and animated films getting a chance to shine.  I also think Andy Serkis deserved a nod for his motion capture performance as Caesar in Matt Reeve’s Planet of the Apes trilogy.  One step at a time I guess.

Anyway, with that said, here are my reviews of the major films nominated for awards as well as my predictions for the winners of the 2018 Academy Awards.

Reviews

Predictions

 BEST PICTURE 

Nominees:  Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Phantom Thread, The Post, The Shape of Water, Dunkirk, Darkest Hour, Get Out

Who Should Win

One of my favourite line up of Best Picture nominees in years.  There’s a great variety of genres represented here and honestly only Phantom Thread and Call Me By Your Name really fit the bill of ‘Oscar bait’ films.  There’s not a bad film in the bunch and no major ommissions I can think of either.

Two of these films I’m absolutely torn between – Jordan Peele’s fantastic contemporary horror Get Out (I still can’t believe it was nominated) and Martin McDonagh’s comedy drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.

When it comes down to it, I think Three Billboards is best recognised with an Oscar going to Frances McDormand.  There’s no way in a million years Get Out wins this but it should.  It’s such an inventive and ferocious film and there’s nothing that feels more timely.

Get Out

Who Will Win

If you look at the trends of who’s been scooping up the awards at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes and every other show in the lead up to the Oscars, it seems pretty clear that The Shape of Water is going to win.  It’s pretty remarkable really.  The fantasy horror film about a woman/fish romance is the favourite.  Who would’ve thought.

Whilst The Shape of Water isn’t my favourite film by Guillermo Del Toro, I’d admired his work for years and would be happy to see him land the Oscar.  The best outcome I’m hoping for is that Del Toro wins and we get a collection of his works released on DVD or one of the streaming services.  It’s been ages since I’ve seen The Devil’s Backbone, Hellboy I & II and Cronos and they’re relatively hard to track down now.

The Shape of Water

 BEST DIRECTOR 

Nominees:  Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk), Jordan Peele (Get Out), Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread), Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water)

Who Should Win

This is a tough category to pick.  Again, I think the Academy have just about got it right with their nominations.  I know some people would’ve liked to see Denis Villeneuve on the list for Blade Runner 2049 but I think Villeneuve himself has gone on record since the film’s release saying that he wasn’t totally happy with the final product.

It stands to reason that if I picked Get Out for my favourite film then Jordan Peele would be right up there as my choice for favourite director.  It’s hard to imagine another director having a more impactful debut feature film.

Having said that, one of the other great films of last year was Dunkirk and I think the magic of that film comes from the way Christopher Nolan crafts the story, skillfully interweaving multiple characters and timelines together.

I could flip a coin on this one but at the end of the day, I think I’ll go with Nolan as my favourite.

Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)

Who Will Win

Where the Best Picture award goes, the Best Director award follows.  I stand by my pick.  The Shape of Water for Best Picture and Guillermo Del Toro takes home Best Director.

It’ll be a richly deserved Oscar for the director and continues a modern day trend at the Academy Awards of Mexicans shining brightly with this accolade.  In recent years both Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu and Alfonso Cuaron have also won this prize.

Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water)

 BEST ACTOR 

Nominees:  Timothée Chalamet, (Call Me by Your Name), Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour), Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)

Who Should Win

Man, has anyone seen Denzel Washington in Roman J Israel?  I haven’t heard anything about that movie and have absolutely no idea if it has screened in Australia or is on the way in the coming months.

I think it would be great to see Gary Oldman win this one.  He’s been a popular character actor for decades and is a veritable chameleon, transforming himself into a crazy variety of different personas over the years.  Oldman winning would feel like a Thank You from the Academy for his entire career.

Gary Oldman (The Darkest Hour)

Who Will Win

It feels hard to write off Daniel Day-Lewis as he is an incredible 3 for 3 in the Best Actor category.  But Oldman has all the momentum in the award season circuit.

I think it’s his time.

Gary Oldman (The Darkest Hour)

 BEST ACTRESS 

Nominees:  Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Margot Robbie (I, Tonya), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), Meryl Streep (The Post)

Who Should Win

Another super tough category for me to choose between.  I am a huge fan of Sally Hawkins, Frances McDormand and Saoirse Ronan and would be totally happy for any of those three to win.

I think if it comes down to which actress stands to benefit the most from the win, I guess it would be Hawkins who has been in a lot of great films but is seldom granted the leading role.  Saoirse Ronan and Frances McDormand on the other hand, both seem to do pretty well finding great roles.

Having said that I loved McDormand’s performance as Mildred in Three Billboards From Ebbing Missouri.  Absolutely loved it.  I don’t think I can go past her winning this one.  She totally nailed it.

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri)

Who Will Win

I have absolutely no idea who they’ll go with for this one.  I think Sally Hawkins has won more plaudits for her performance in The Shape of Water but fewer people will know who she is and I think that still counts for something when it comes to the voting.

I think this is one of the rare categories where the Academy and I will align with our choices.

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri)

 BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE 

Nominees:  

Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project), Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water), Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World), Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Who Should Win

How good was Woody Harrelson in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri?  His role in that film was not what I thought it would be at all.  When you look at it, he’s really had a pretty great career for himself and Three Billboards is some of his best work yet.

I’ve been a massive fan of Richard Jenkins ever since I saw him in The Visitor but this is definitely not his strongest role.  I’m not entirely sure his inclusion in this category is deserved.

Plummer winning here would be bizarre considering the circumstances leading up to his involvement in All the Money in the World.

I think my pick of this bunch would be Woody.

Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri)

Who Will Win

In years past, I would’ve gone with Sam Rockwell winning this one but it seems kinda dicey to me for the Academy to pick an overtly racist cop character to win their Best Supporting Actor award when Get Out won’t win Best Picture.

I’m going to go with Willem Dafoe for his performance in The Florida Project.  A well liked actor, a well received movie and a less controversial choice than Rockwell.

Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project).

 BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE 

Mary J. Blige (Mudbound), Allison Janney (I, Tonya), Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread), Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird), Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)

Who Should Win

My pick is definitely Laurie Metcalf in Lady Bird.  Metcalf really helps elevate the film and without her performance as a foil to Saoirse Ronan, the film doesn’t work nearly as well.  She’s my pick for sure.

Laurie Metcalf (Ladybird)

Who Will Win

I’d totally be down with Allison Janney winning because who doesn’t love her.  Maybe we’d get an impromptu performance of The Jackal.  And I’m pretty sure it’s going to happen (Janney winning, not the Jackal).

Alison Janney (I, Tonya)

 QUICK PICKS 

Best Original Screenplay

“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh

Best Adapted Screenplay

“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Best Foreign Film

“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul” (Hungary)
“The Square” (Sweden)

Best Documentary Feature

“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
“Faces Places,” JR, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda
“Icarus,” Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan
“Last Men in Aleppo,” Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
“Strong Island,” Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes

Best Animated Feature

“The Boss Baby,” Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito
“The Breadwinner,” Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo
“Coco,” Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson
“Ferdinand,” Carlos Saldanha
“Loving Vincent,” Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman

Best Film Editing

“Baby Driver,” Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
“Dunkirk,” Lee Smith
“I, Tonya,” Tatiana S. Riegel
“The Shape of Water,” Sidney Wolinsky
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Jon Gregory

Best Original Score

“Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer
“Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood
“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell

Best Visual Effects

“Blade Runner 2049,” John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick
“Kong: Skull Island,” Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,”  Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlan
“War for the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel Whist

Best Cinematography

“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins
“Darkest Hour,” Bruno Delbonnel
“Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema
“Mudbound,” Rachel Morrison
“The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen

Best Costume Design

“Beauty and the Beast,” Jacqueline Durran
“Darkest Hour,” Jacqueline Durran
“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges
“The Shape of Water,” Luis Sequeira
“Victoria and Abdul,” Consolata Boyle

Archives

89th Academy Awards (2017) | 88th Academy Awards (2016) |  87th  Academy Awards (2015) |  86th Academy Awards (2014) |  85th Academy Awards  (2013) | 84th Academy Awards (2012) | 83rd Academy Awards (2011)