From Best Actress to Best Picture, here are our 2018 Oscar picks

This year’s movie award season is in full swing and on Tuesday, Jan. 24, the nominations were finally released for what is arguably the most anticipated movie award ceremony of the year, the 90th annual Academy Awards. Last year contained plenty of unforgettable moments for cinema, and it is great to see the academy honor those achievements.

But which films are sure to walk away with the gold, and which snubs stuck out from the crowd? Let’s take a look at the categories for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Picture to predict who will be the big winners.

Best Actor in a Leading Role

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.”

There were a number of power-packed performances thanks in no small part to these standout leading actors. From Kaluuya’s  realistic approach in “Get Out” to Washington’s commanding presence in “Roman J.,” there was no shortage of charismatic star power this year.

However, out of these nominees, it looks like it will be coming down to Chalamet, whose nuanced performance in “Call Me By Your Name” has killed it in the award season and Oldman, who has received similar praise for “Darkest Hour.” Oldman has already won a Golden Globe for his captivating performance as Winston Churchill. Likewise, we wouldn’t be surprised if Lewis walked away with an Oscar for his work in “Phantom Thread” reportedly being the acclaimed actor’s final role before retirement.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

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”

This year’s list of nominated leading ladies may not hold many surprises (all but Robbie have been nominated for or won Oscars in the past), but it’s safe to say they deserve to be here regardless. While newcomer Robbie and Oscar veteran Streep worked hard to make it here, it is likely that the gold will be going to either Hawkins, McDormand or Ronan. These women have had great impact this year thanks to their varied performances, from Hawkins’ subtle, yet captivating work in “The Shape of Water” to McDormand’s brutally hilarious performance in “Three Billboards,” to Ronan’s relatable portrayal in “Lady Bird.”

Best Director

Christopher Nolan – “Dunkirk”

Jordan Peele – “Get Out”

Greta Gerwig – “Lady Bird”

Paul Thomas Anderson – “Phantom Thread”

Guillermo del Toro – “The Shape of Water”

By far, one of the most interesting categories this year for a number of reasons has to be the directing category with some intriguing entries, to say the least. Every nominee, other than Anderson, has never been nominated for directing before. For the fans of the well-established Nolan and Del Toro, this news is a long time coming. These two well-known names have been nominated for other Oscars before, but surprisingly never for directing. What certainly deserves major recognition is seeing first-time director Peele nominated alongside such names, and rightfully so, as his comedic edge never overshadowed the thought-provoking themes presented in “Get Out.”

There is a chance that Gerwig could end up dominating this category, as her nuanced direction for “Lady Bird” has helped sweep up the award season more than any of the other directors nominated. However, we can still put our money on del Toro or Nolan, whose films are both the most nominated of the evening.

Best Picture

“Call Me By Your Name”

“Darkest Hour”

“Dunkirk”

“Get Out”

“Lady Bird”

“Phantom Thread”

“The Post”

“Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Finally, we reach the big one. While it may be easy for some to pick a more “Oscar-friendly” film from the selection as the winner, let’s not forget about last year’s winner, “Moonlight.” Mixed up envelopes aside, the film’s win was a surprise over the more likely winner, “La La Land.” Could this be a sign of new things to come for this category?

“Get Out,” again, deserves some mention as Peele is now the third person, and first African American, in Oscar history to be nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay for a debut film. This is even more impressive given the Academy’s general dislike for horror films in the past. Similarly, “Call Me By Your Name” has a chance, not only because of the massive amount of awards the film has already won, but also for containing similar themes as last year’s winner, “Moonlight.”

In the end, this category is likely going to “The Shape of Water,” “Dunkirk” or “Call Me By Your Name,” but we wouldn’t be surprised if “Get Out,” “Three Billboards” or “Lady Bird” got the award, especially with the latter two receiving Golden Globes for Best Picture in their respective categories.

 

Other Nominees

In the Supporting Actor categories, Willem Dafoe (“The Florida Project”) is a good bet for the Supporting Actor and Laurie Metcalfe (“Lady Bird”) for Supporting Actress given their praise this award season.

The award for Best Cinematography is also worth some discussion as Roger Deakins’s work in “Blade Runner 2049” has been given mass acclaim. Fourth-year animation student Kieran Quinn was “delighted to see Rachel Morrison become the first woman ever nominated for cinematography for her work on Mudbound” but would also be “disappointed if Roger Deakins doesn’t win Best Cinematography for Blade Runner, seeing as not only is it gorgeously shot, but it’s Deakins’ 14th nomination without having ever won.”

The animation categories this year have also received some conflicted thoughts from our students. Even though it seems obvious that Pixar’s “Coco” will be the winner this year, it is the other entries that have caused some confusion. Second-year film student Helet Van Staden said, “The best animation category was a joke with the inclusion of Boss Baby and the exclusion of any anime films.”  Similarly, Quinn said, “The biggest glaring upset is probably animation — though I can’t say either Boss Baby or Ferdinand are absolutely atrocious, I think there are more inspired choices out there, especially having glanced at the list of eligible films.”

 

Snubs

One of the most controversial snubs of the year has been “The Disaster Artist.” While the film has received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, many believe that Franco’s outstanding performance as the legendary Tommy Wiseau should have garnered a nomination, especially after his win at the Golden Globes. However, with allegations of sexual abuse against Franco having popped up since then, it is obvious why the Academy would be nervous about nominating the actor.

The foreign film category has also caused some stir. Van Staden said, “This year’s foreign language submissions were notably missing any African submissions. Two of note being ‘The Wound’ and ‘Sheik Jackson.'”

Some other notable snubs include:

“Jane” – Best Documentary

Martin McDonagh (“Three Billboards”) – Best Director

Steven Spielberg (“The Post”) – Best Director

Tom Hanks (“The Post”) – Best Actor

“The LEGO Batman Movie” – Best Animated Feature

“The Florida Project” – Best Picture

“Mudbound” – Best Picture

Regardless of any snubs, this is sure to be an exciting ceremony with plenty of surprises in store. Be sure to check out this year’s Academy Awards on Sunday, March 4.