On Tuesday, Jan. 22, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released their much anticipated list of nominations for this year’s Academy Awards. As usual, there’s a lot to say about their selections. So, let’s not waste any more time and see who is likely to win in the big categories and who got snubbed.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Christian Bale — “Vice”
Bradley Cooper — “A Star is Born”
Willem Dafoe — “At Eternity’s Gate”
Rami Malek — “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Viggo Mortensen — “Green Book”
This year’s acting nominees provides some stiff competition. From Cooper’s down-to-earth portrayal in “A Star is Born” to Dafoe’s nuanced ways in “Gate,” 2018 was a year of memorable, star-studded roles.
When it comes to winners, it will likely come down to either Christian Bale or, more likely, Rami Malek. There’s a chance for Mortensen to snag the award after his gripping work in “Green Book,” but the actor has fared surprisingly poor this award season, so the odds are not in his favor. Malek’s Golden Globe winning performance as Freddie Mercury, on the other hand, has received mass acclaim and has been dominating the award season, so it’s likely that he will have this award in the bag. Bale has also received his fair share of accolades for his realistic portrayal of former Vice President Dick Cheney, but not quite the level of recognition as Malek.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Yaritza Aparicio — “Roma”
Glenn Close — “The Wife”
Olivia Colman — “The Favourite”
Lady Gaga — “A Star is Born”
Melissa McCarthy — “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
The Best Actress category is full to the brim with knockout choices. All of these performances spectacular in their own right, and each actress is practically neck-on-neck in the award season. Lady Gaga surprised many with her inspiring work in “A Star is Born,” Close’s work in “The Wife” has been cited as some of her best work in years and Aparicio killed it with her grounded portrayal in “Roma.”
We can see this win going in any direction. To narrow things down, the award is most likely going to Colman. The actress’ breathtaking work in “The Favourite” was one of the most acclaimed elements of the feature. However, we wouldn’t be surprised if Close or McCarthy win the prize — they have also been racking up the accolades this award season.
Best Director
Spike Lee — “BlacKkKlansman”
Paweł Pawlikowski — “Cold War”
Yorgos Lanthimos — “The Favourite”
Alfonso Cuaron — “Roma”
Adam McKay — “Vice”
This year’s competitors in the director’s chair aren’t new to Oscar fame. All of the names have received Oscar nominations in the past. Though each director chosen produced quality films in 2018, the lack of gender diversity on the list is disappointing. Third-year film and television student Katie King said, “While I get the best director nominees, it’s disappointing that not a single woman was recognized — such as Betsy West and Julie Cohen for ‘RBG’.”
From the selection presented, it’s almost a guarantee that Cuaron will come out with the win. The famed director’s intense style lent itself well to “Roma,” earning multiple wins during this award season. Lanthimos and Lee also have a shot, but chances are slim.
Best Picture
“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“The Favourite”
“Green Book”
“Roma”
“A Star is Born”
“Vice”
The biggest award of the night, the reaction to “Black Panther” receiving a nomination has been mixed, with third year film student Ivy Buford commenting, “I do find the amount of nominations ‘Black Panther’ has been getting very interesting. It was a good movie, but I’ve seen better. If it wasn’t for black communities hyping things up, we probably wouldn’t have seen it on the list.”
Similarly, King says, “For Best Picture, I feel ‘Black Panther’ and ‘A Star is Born’ only got nominated because of the hype. They’re both good films but if one of them wins over ‘Roma’ or ‘BlacKkKlansman’ then the Oscars have really lost it.”
With that said, this is a category that could go many ways. Once again, “Roma” is most likely earning the win. This powerful piece of cinema has inspired many, including second-year film and television student Mariana Gomez. Gomez stated, “As a Mexican woman, I feel incredibly inspired to keep pushing myself. Cuaron took the risks and now they are finally paying off. Even if he does not win, the fact that he has gotten this far means a lot to a new generation of Mexican filmmakers.”
Other Nominees
In the category for supporting actors, we feel the award is likely to go to Mahershala Ali for his Golden Globe winning performance in “Green Book” or Richard E. Grant for “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” but Sam Elliott in “A Star is Born” also has a shot. For supporting actress, it’s between Regina King for “If Beale Street Could Talk” or Amy Adams for “Vice,” as both have received numerous accolades, with the former having won a Golden Globe for her work.
In some of the technical categories, “Roma” may be taking the lead once again. With nominations for cinematography, sound editing and sound mixing, there is a high chance of the film knocking out all three categories with ease. In production and costume design, it seems to be a close call between “Black Panther,” “The Favourite,” and “Mary Poppins Returns” for their detailed work. Visual effects provided a somewhat underwhelming selection this year. “Christopher Robin” and “Ready Player One” won’t win, and the Academy feels almost mandated to throw a “Star Wars” movie on the list, regardless of quality. With that said, “Avengers: Infinity War” or “First Man” are the two most likely contestants to win.
The music categories also present some intriguing choices. For Best Original Score, we see the award either going to the jazzy symphonies of “If Beale Street Could Talk” or the Japanese-inspired musical style of “Isle of Dogs.” We’re leaning more towards the former for the winner. In Best Original Song, while it’s rather refreshing to see “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” get nominated for “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings,” it’s a sure bet that “A Star is Born” has this category in the bag for “Shallow.”
The Best Animated Feature category has caused worry for many, as animation fans are all crossing their fingers that the groundbreaking “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse” will win over Pixar’s “Incredibles 2.” The Academy’s history of choosing Disney and Pixar, as opposed to other arguably more deserving titles, over the years has become an expected trope at this point — such as with “The LEGO Movie” and “Kubo and the Two Strings.” However, with the mass acclaim of “Spiderverse” from both audiences and industry professionals and a solid Golden Globe win behind backing it, there’s a good chance that this marvelous feat of animation will be swiping home the gold.
Snubs
As with every Oscar season, snubs are abound. Probably the most perplexing question on many film goers minds is regarding “If Beale Street Could Talk.” The film, nominated in three categories this year — Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Score — was surprisingly looked over for Best Picture. This is bizarre, especially considering the Academy is allowed to nominate 10 films, yet chose only eight. “Bohemian,” “Panther,” and “Vice” received far less acclaim, yet still made the cut.
Other notable snubs from this year include:
“Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse” — Best Visual Effects, Best Picture
“Eighth Grade” — Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress (Elise Fisher)
“Blindspotting” — Best Picture, Best Director (Carlos Lopez Estrada), Best Film Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography
“A Star is Born” — Best Director (Bradley Cooper)
“The Hate U Give” — Best Supporting Actor (Russell Hornsby)
“First Reformed” — Best Actor (Ethan Hawke)
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor” —Best Documentary Feature
“First Man” — Best Original Score
“Mary Poppins Returns” — Best Visual Effects
While this year’s list of nominees was easier to predict than the outcome of pouring water on a lit candle, we’re still excited to see the outcome of the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 24.
