The Academy Awards are fast approaching with the anticipated ceremony taking place in less than a month on March 10. Knowing the history of the Oscars there’s bound to be some snubs and surprises, so with that in mind lets go through the main categories and see who the academy is likely to give the statues to, but also who they should go to.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Will win: Oppenheimer
Should win: Oppenheimer
Following Memento and Inception, this is Christopher Nolan’s third writing nomination. This is just one of many expected awards for the writer-director’s 12th feature film, and deservedly so. Oppenheimer is certainly a highlight of Nolan’s writing; it is not an easy thing to write a gripping story about the father of the atomic bomb that doesn’t waste one minute of its three-hour runtime.
Best Original Screenplay
Will win: Anatomy of a Fall
Should win: The Holdovers
Justine Triet’s courtroom drama is certainly a magnificent work that will likely tickle the fancy of the Academy, but it is not as wonderful as The Holdovers, a story that speaks on the bonds that can form between damaged people. The greatness of the writing shines the most through the film’s characters, each of which is crafted so carefully and realistically.
Best Supporting Actress
Will win: Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Should win: Da’vine Joy Randolph
It seems that almost every year there is at least one category that can be easily predicted. This year it’s Best Supporting Actress. Da’vine Joy Randolph’s performance as a head cook who has just lost her son in The Holdovers is one that will leave an impression on you. She plays a character that shows so much heart and compassion, even in the face of tragedy, and thankfully her victory seems definite.
Best Supporting Actor
Will win: Robert Downey Jr.
Should win: Mark Ruffalo
The momentum is certainly behind Robert Downey Jr. for his powerful portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, with a Golden Globe and a Critic’s Choice Award already under his belt. However, Mark Ruffalo’s performance as Bella Baxter’s deplorable partner in Poor Things is one that deserves much more praise than it is getting.
Best Actress
Will win: Emma Stone
Should win: Lily Gladstone
Along with Best Supporting Actress, another definite this year is that someone with the word “stone” in their name is going to win Best Actress. It seems like the Academy’s favourite is Emma Stone for her performance in Poor Things. Stone did something brilliantly unique with her character Bella Baxter, but Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon is a truly heartbreaking and commanding work.
Best Actor
Will win: Cillian Murphy
Should win: Cillian Murphy
Other than the slight risk of Paul Giamatti beating him, Cillian Murphy seems well placed to win his first Oscar for portraying the titular nuclear physicist in Oppenheimer. In Murphy’s sixth collaboration with director Christopher Nolan, he gives a tour-de-force performance. Oppenheimer has many highlights, but Murphy’s acting is among the top; a captivating performance that is likely to make the Academy drool.
Best Director
Will win: Christopher Nolan
Should win: Yorgos Lanthimos
Nolan seems well poised to scoop his first Best Director Oscar, following on from a heap of awards he has already won for his 12th feature. While Nolan’s directing is astonishing and a feat that deserves all the praise it is getting, Yorgos Lanthimos constructed a truly weird and wonderful world with Poor Things but doesn’t seem likely to take home the statue.
Best Picture
Will win: Oppenheimer
Should win: Killers of the Flower Moon
It seems like the 96th Academy Awards are going to be an Oppenheimer sweep. It is certainly a brilliant film, well received by critics and audiences alike, in fact, if it wins Best Picture it will be one of the highest ever grossing movies to do so. However, Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese’s powerful 26th film, is more deserving than any other nominee of the award.
Overall, it has been an incredible year for movies, with many films nominated being more than worthy of the biggest awards of the night.