ALONG CAME A SPIDER...& IT WAS GOD...& HE WANTS SEX: The Best Films of 1961

Bouncing around from decade to decade without a care in the world, I decide to venture into the fascinating decade for cinema that was the 1960s. What I find fascinating about the 1960s is how much international cinema still continues to dominate much like it was in the 1950s.

By comparison, Hollywood cinema was suffering. I say that there were obviously some amazing exceptions going against the rule, but the early 60s were still embracing the tired and archaic boundaries of the Hays Code. Once we get to the late 60s and the advent of the MPAA rating system...which is still problematic in its own way...we begin to see a dramatic shift in the kinds of films we will see come out from Hollywood as the seeds are planted for the glorious renaissance of the 1970s.

I wrote about 1960 a couple of years ago, which you can read about here. I have yet to tackle the rest of the decade, so we shall start with 1961 and proceed.

I do want to make one comment about a film that I am leaving off this list which will likely surprise a lot of you. I am not including West Side Story, and I will say that as a fan of musicals, I have a bit of a rocky history with this one. I do acknowledge its groundbreaking legacy for how certain stories could be told in a musical, but I do think the film suffers GREATLY thanks to its leads. Richard Beymer gives such a wooden and lifeless performance as Tony that it is hard to even connect with him. Natalie Wood fares a little bit better as Maria, but of course...she is acting in brownface. 

The Hays Code did say that different races could not appear onscreen in a romantic capacity, which would lead to some rather heinous casting decisions in those first 30-40 years of Hollywood. 

With that said, we shall begin the list with...not surprisingly...a non-English-language film. 

==========

 #10 - A DIFFICULT LIFE

Directed by Dino Risi

Written by Rodolfo Sonego

A somewhat forgotten Italian film that got lost in the shuffle next to works by the likes of Fellini and Antonioni, A Difficult Life is one of the pinnacles of Commedia all'italiana.  

Dino Risi is a filmmaker who reveled in this style, and he is able to make a story surrounding a rather serious topic and give it a lot of levity.

Silvio (Alberto Sordi) is a journalist who had fought during WWII and is facing the changes in Italy's political arena, but when he writes some vitriolic articles against the fascist regime, he ends up facing jail time. The story is told from the ending of WWII up to 1960 and it is remarkable how the film is able to accomplish telling so much from that span of time. 

It manages to be such a strong and biting satire while having this amazing mix of melancholy at the same time. It manages to tell so much while not sacrificing a lot of our emotional well-being...not that a film that drives us to tears is a bad thing, but it is always the mark of a strong filmmaker when he can mold comedy and tragedy together and not make it seem jarring in any way.

_____________________________

#9 - THE END OF SUMMER 

Written & Directed by Yasujiro Ozu

Co-written by Kogo Noda

While not as discussed as some of his other works, The End of Summer is yet another strong effort from the master that was Yosujiro Ozu, a filmmaker I have raved about many a time on this blog and one that I feel had one of the most consistent streaks of any filmmaker in history.

The End of Summer would also be his penultimate film (spoiler alert: we will be seeing his final film on the 1962 list), as he passed away in 1963 at only 60 years old.

As is the case with many of his works, the story revolves around family dynamics within the confines of Japanese cultures and society. An older man by the name of Manbei (Nakamura Ganijiro) is the proprietor of a small sake factory, but his family becomes concerned as finances seem to be dwindling fast. They soon discover that he has been visiting with an old mistress from his past and that he may be giving her a lot of his money.

As expected, some of Ozu's regulars are here, such as the ever-lovely Setsuko Hara...but this is also one of the very few films that Ozu made in color. For some reason, I always felt him working in color was a bit jarring...but I will admit that the images of this film are quite lovely and it might be where the color cinematography works best.

Ozu was so adept at making these bittersweet stories that could be described as tragicomic and this is one of his strongest in that regard. It is essentially a look at the idea of death and the changing of Japan...which still seems particularly fitting with Ozu nearing the end of his own life.

__________________________________

#8 - LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD

Directed by Alain Renais

Written by Alain Robbe-Grillet

Combing the feeling of the French New Wave mixed with the flourishes of Italian masters like Fellini and Antonioni, Alain Renais and his collaborator were able to achieve something so surreal with Last Year at Marienbad. In fact, Renais wanted the film to feel like it was a relic of the silent era of cinema and even asked Eastman Kodak to help him recreate the sort of mildly warped look old film often had...and in the process, wanted his performers to wear makeup more appropriate for the 1920s. The filmmaking effect was not fully achieved, but it still very much comes off as a fascinating aesthetic.

The image above is very well known as we see long shadows of the people, but the trees don't give off a shadow. This is because there was no sun that day, so the shadows of the people were painted on the ground. Oh, the magic of filmmaking...

Set at a luxury hotel with a ornate park accompanying it on the property, we meet two people who are only credited as "The Man" and "The Woman", these would be Giorgio Albertazzi and Delphine Seyrig (yes, Jeanne Dielman herself!). Everything about them, and a second man who appears (Sacha Pitoeff) are more or less a mystery.

We think that the man and the woman may have met before and it is possible they may have had an affair. The second man's identity also seems to be in question, but it is also possible he is the husband to the woman. 

A lot of the reason why I wanted to include Last Year at Marienbad here is that it feels like one of the most unsung achievements of arthouse cinema. It is so surreal and unusual in its approach but made with such style and care and detail that I can't help but admire it. 

It isn't necessarily a film I have a desire to revisit often, but it is one that I do think deserves more attention for how successful it is at setting out such an alluring and mysterious story that challenges its audience to not fully grasp what is happening and even if it may be real.

________________________________

#7 - A TASTE OF HONEY

Directed by Tony Richardson

Written by Shelagh Delaney w/Richardson

We are right in the heart of the era of British entertainment where the "social realist" style became quite popular, or as it became to be known: "kitchen sink dramas".

Usually these plays/films were mostly connected to that of writer Harold Pinter but another writer (and a female at that) who received a lot of attention for that genre was Shelagh Delaney.

In 1958, her play A Taste of Honey premiered to great success at the Theatre Royal Stratford East which was considered a fringe socialist theatre and one of the only outlets that would take it on as it was deemed a bit too radical for the relatively stuffy British society at the time. Delaney's goal was to revitalize British theatre and address social issues that weren't being discussed. That production happened to star two legends: Angela Lansbury and Joan Plowright. 

Our lead is Jo (Rita Tushingham), who is 17 going on 18 and living with her other Helen (Dora Bryan), a loud- and foul-mouthed woman who is unable to pay the rent and frequently takes in gentleman callers (and apparently not the kind that send jonquils...I guess Helen isn't like Amanda Wingfield...).

Helen ends up going off with Pere, a much younger man while Jo takes a similar path by meeting a younger black sailor named Jimmy (Paul Danquah). When it seems as though they may get married upon Jo turning 18, he goes back out to sea and Jo discovers she is pregnant by him.

Once she gives birth to the child, she takes up lodging with an acquaintance named Geoffrey (Murray Melvin) who just so happens to be gay...although he becomes something of a surrogate father.

I think A Taste of Honey is the kind of film that was very important for its time...and it is no surprise that it began its life as a play. While some of the storylines might scream like something you'd see on a soap opera, the dynamics and the grittier smokestack surroundings of North England ground you.

I may have mentioned this in a previous post, but I once had a coworker who claimed that the Brits don't make good films...and shockingly, I understood what he meant when he said it. And yet...now I think about it, and I realize how terribly wrong he was.

____________________________

#6 - THE HUSTLER

Written & Directed by Robert Rossen

Co-written by Sidney Carroll

When I think of actors who exuded some kind of charisma that could be seen as "off the charts" with a screen presence that felt cool even as they entered old age, I wouldn't object if that list began and ended with Paul Newman. 

In one of the defining roles of his illustrious career, the titular hustler known as Fast Eddie Felson is one cocky son of a bitch and he is out to prove something. His goal is to challenge a legendary pool shark known as Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) and strengthen his reputation, but in reality, his own self-destructive tendencies get the better of him.

Hmmm...could someone revamp this into a modern-day story for Timothee Chalamet????

It's not just Newman or Gleason who give strong performances here. You also have the great George C. Scott and Piper Laurie, both also nominated for Oscars as well. Laurie, in particular, is captivating here and its also interesting how she stopped working for 15 years after this film only to get an Oscar nomination for her first film upon her return: Carrie...a dramatic horror film no less. 

Perhaps the film does falter a bit in the middle. In fact, that was one of the major reasons I never thought much of the film when I first saw it, but it is hard to deny how slick and stylish The Hustler is. Black & White cinema was seen by some as archaic as people viewed silent films in the 30s, but the truth is that B&W can be so glorious. It also lends itself perfectly to films like The Hustler to the point where I don't think its vibe would've exceeded as well in color.

Newman would go on to win his long overdue Oscar for the film's defacto sequel The Color of Money, which certainly isn't a bad performance, but it is the prime example of how the Academy has the history of finally giving a legend an Oscar for lesser work. Newman could've won for The Hustler (although the person who did win that year is in the next film on this list and he was very deserving), but I do think Newman was truly win worthy for Cool Hand Luke and especially The Verdict. He did always seem to compete against people who always edged him out, but if he had won for any of those films, it would've been well deserved.

__________________________________

#5 - JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG

Directed by Stanley Kramer 

Written by Abby Mann

The highest of the Hollywood films to make the list for this year, Judgement at Nuremberg is a fictionalized depiction of the legendary Nuremberg trials that saw four judges and prosecutors (in reality, it was 16 total) facing charges for crimes against humanity as they had been part of the judicial system during the Nazi Occupation in Germany.

Even if the film is fictionalized, I do think that Mann's script handles the subject matter with a lot of dignity and vitality. Considering how pulpy or melodramatic films in the same vain as this could often get at that time, I feel like the emotional power was earned here.

The ensemble here is stellar. Spencer Tracy doing sterling work alongside Maximillian Schell in his Oscar winning performance as the German defense attorney Hans Rolfe; he especially is such a fascinating screen presence. He would even go on to have a lot of power in such a minimal role in 1977's Julia that he'd get an Oscar nomination for it. Nowadays, it actually feels like a surprise when these awards bodies actually give their trophies to legit supporting performances rather than co-leading ones. But I digress...

Lancaster, Dietrich, Widmark, and Montgomery Clift (in what may be his best work) give their all...it makes me feel like this may have been the film to win the SAG Best Ensemble award had it existed in the 60s. Although, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the lady of prowess that is Judy Garland.

In a smaller role as Irene Hoffman, Garland gives one of the finest performances of her career. It doesn't require any of her musical talents whatsoever but proves just how capable she was as a dramatic actress. Her scene on the stand when she feels as though she may indirectly end up helping the prosecution despite the horrors she faced during the Holocaust is so captivating. Aside from A Star is Born, this is easily the finest achievement of her career. She was expected to finally win an Oscar for it but lost in what was considered an upset to Rita Moreno for West Side Story. Unlike her loss to Grace Kelly when she was up for A Star is Born, it is hard to begrudge Moreno's win as she was far and away the best thing about West Side Story. 

Sorry, I went off on a tangent there. Nevertheless, Judgment at Nuremberg is a strong achievement from this era of Hollywood. A very bold and intense look at such a horrific time in human history. 

___________________________

#4 - THE HUMAN CONDITION 3: A SOLDIER'S PRAYER

Written & Directed by Masaki Kobayashi

It's a shame that I have been writing a blog for almost a decade, and I don't believe I have ever talked about the work of Masaki Kobyayashi.

The first two installments of The Human Condition trilogy came out in 1959, which is a year I have not discussed on this blog. Those films are both great, but it is the final installment of A Soldier's Prayer that is the grandest. However, Kobayashi's best work will be featured on my 1962 list so stay tuned for that.

My history with the whole trilogy is not exactly positive, but I think part of that was due to how horribly these films were presented when they were released on DVD in the late 90s. I had been compelled to check them out after having seen and loved Kurosawa's work, so it only made since to give Kobayashi a try. The visual and audio quality of those DVDs were horrendous to the point I couldn't even finish the films in full. 

In 2009, The Criterion Collection stepped in and worked their magic. I am fully convinced that a lot of people had a similar experience as me because in the past 15 years, the passionate raves this trilogy has received are undeniable. As of this writing (though it is subject to change very fast, and I didn't even realize it was THIS high), A Soldier's Prayer is ranked as the #2 film of all time! Part 1 is 9, and Part 2 is at 25. Yet another spoiler alert: the current #1 on Letterboxd just so happens to be the next Kobayashi film that I said will be on my 1962 list.

I do eventually want to talk about the first two installments once I make my way through the 50s to 1959, but the main storyline of the film follows Kaji (Tatsuka Nakadai) leading his soldiers behind enemy lines after Japan had lost their battle with Russia. 

This is not a film with a happy ending, but it stays with you: that image of Kaji walking through the bitter winter landscapes desperate for aid. I get the idea of not wanting to watch depressing films all the time, but I am of the belief that I don't always want something to end on a positive note. Life doesn't work that way, and I feel like films need to take on that approach. It all depends on how you frame it, and in the case of something like A Soldier's Prayer, it is first class.

__________________________

#3 - THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY

Written & Directed by Ingmar Bergman

For the second year in a row, Ingmar Bergman took home the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar following The Virgin Spring. Of the two, I actually think I prefer the former even though this one is ranking higher on this list. 

As is his won't, Bergman is ready to delve in headfirst to tell the tale of a family in crisis amped up to 11. One of his earlier mainstays, Harriet Andersson, plays a young wife with schizophrenia named Karin. She is married to Martin (another Bergman regular, Max von Sydow) and they are traveling to a remote island (the first of many films shot on the island of Faro) along with Karin's novelist father David (yet another Bergman regular, Gunnar Bjornstrand), and her youngest brother Minus (Lars Passgard...in his film debut and wouldn't work with Bergman again). 

This was a period of Bergman's career where he was heavily focused on faith in God whether that be in relation to questioning his existence, his motives, if he is love or if he is hate.

Andersson gives quite possibly her finest performance in this, and it is easily one of the greatest Bergman ever captured. It is to be expected that if you were to watch the majority of Bergman's biggest successes, you aren't in for the easiest of rides.

Through a Glass Darkly is beautiful, but also very haunting and you're left with a near-constant sense of unease. You could even go as far to say that the film is essentially us witnessing pure mental torment for nearly 90 minutes...but by golly, if there is a filmmaker who is going to make me willing to go along for that ride, it is Ingmar Bergman.

I will add that one thing that greatly hurts this film is its ending, which is something Bergman himself has regretted as he felt as though the idea of "God is Love" was mainly disingenuous and that it felt as though he was trying to "smear a diffuse veneer of love" to be more positive and reassuring.

Also - if you want shock value, you get some incest and talk of God as a spider trying to rape you so there's that. ;-)

__________________________

#2 - YOJIMBO

Written & Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Co-written by Ryuzo Kikushima & Hideo Uguni

Another iconic and influential film from the master known as Akira Kurosawa.

What is so hilarious about Yojimbo is that despite its high pedigree, it might be his 4th or 5th best film when it would likely be the best film for pretty much any other director. The themes of the film would go on to inspire Sergio Leone to make his spaghetti westerns, such as A Fistful of Dollars...although, Leone essentially plagiarized Yojimbo which led to a lawsuit.

Our protagonist is a nameless ronin (a forerunner to Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name in the previously mentioned Leone films). A ronin essentially means a samurai without a master, and not surprisingly, he is played by Kurosawa's muse Toshiro Mifune. This is likely one of his absolute best performances he ever gave which is sure saying a whole hell of a lot.

He takes on the name of Sanjuro Kuwabatake and gets involved with crime lords who are seeking for full authority of their small village. His "in" with the lords are that they both want to hire him as a bodyguard.

This might also be the funniest of Kurosawa's works as it is dripping with satire and farcical elements, and with how it takes on the brackets of the class system, I do think of it as having elements that would also go on to describe how Bong Joon-ho would tackle class in Parasite...although that was with far bleaker results. 

I do have to say one of my favorite stories about this film is how it had a screening in Maryland back in 1968 and that the hosts of the event hid away in the bathroom as attendees were freaking out at the violence. My how the times have changed...

___________________________

#1 - LA NOTTE

Written & Directed by Michaelangelo Antonioni

Co-written by Ennio Flaiano & Tonino Guerra

La Notte was a film that bored me to tears when I first saw it, and then when I watched it a second time, it was as if the world went from black & white to technicolor...even though the film IS in black & white.

Antonioni was, perhaps, the true definition of an arthouse filmmaker. I don't typically put him on the same level as someone like Ingmar Bergman, but if we are talking about a filmmaker who is able to drive a lot of his films based on mood/vibe and making it compelling, I would put money down on Antonioni being a master at that. 

La Notte was the second film of a trilogy that began with 1960's L'Avventura (which was featured on my list for that year) and was followed by 1962's L'Eclisse (spoiler alert: that will be on that year's list)...and I might be inclined to say it's my favorite of the trilogy even though I am not even sure why that is the case.

La Notte tells the story of a couple going through a difficult time in their marriage: Giovani (Marcello Mastroianni) and Lidia (Jeanne Moreau). Giovanni and Lidia visit the hospital of a dying friend named Tommaso (Bernhard Wicki) and despite his ailment, they all drink champagne to celebrate the release of Giovanni's latest novel, which translates to The Season.

However, Tommaso's pain becomes too severe which causes Lidia to leave the room and to wait outside the hospital. Once Giovanni leaves his friend, he is accosted by a sick younger woman who tries to seduce him. He agrees to do it until nurses interrupt them. Once he returns to Lidia and go to return home, he realizes Lidia is already onto him after he tries to pass off the encounter as "sleazy" and thus sets off the disintegration of a marriage over the course of a single day.

La Notte is paced to perfection. Antonioni always had a knack for allowing his stories to flow in rather subtle manner and before you would even realize what was happening, the character beats have drastically moved forward which leads to a truly remarkable ending.

Considering Antonini was a peer to Federico Fellini, I would say that he managed to find something of a middle ground between the glitzier and sumptuous style of Fellini and the grittier feeling of the Neorealist age that mostly had its time in the 40s and 50s. I do think Antonioni's work has a glitzier style compared to the neorealist works, but there was always something more grounded about his work if you were to put it next to something like La Dolce Vita or 8 1/2. 

====================

FINAL THOUGHTS:

As I mentioned in my intro, the first half of the 60s was mainly dominated by international films...but perhaps what I find really interesting about the first part of the decade is how erratic it becomes year by year. I really love 1960 as a year for film, but 1961 wasn't as strong in comparison. 1962 is often considered one of the great years of cinema, while 1963 is one of my least favorites off the top of my head...despite there being a couple of masterpieces. That trend continues as I recall 1964 being better and then 1965 taking a bit of a dip. 

Things start to turn with 1966...and while I would argue the decade ends on a mild whimper with 1969, I do consider this to be such a fascinating decade in so many facets beyond just cinema.

Stay tuned for 1962!

ONE ONLINE DISCOURSE AFTER ANOTHER: My Reactions to the 98th Oscars

I read a comment online that claimed that One Battle After Another would become known as this decade's Crash. I know art is supposed to be objective, but this comment is preposterous in my eyes. This person further claimed that a similar enough robbery occurred when Oppenheimer beat Barbie. 

I am not expecting everyone who watches these awards to follow the season like a lot of crazy people do...such as myself...but there was no way in hell Barbie was winning Best Picture that year. That would've been the biggest Best Picture upset of all time.

Having said that, Sinners really did have the means to pull off a surprise.

We will get to that, though. 

===========

THE CEREMONY ITSELF:

There was something very kitschy but classy about the set this year. It felt like a relic of the past, but in a refreshing way. On top of that, Conan O'Brien was back and managed to impress me as the host yet again. I do say that as someone who has been a huge fan of his since childhood, so I am pretty die hard when it comes to him. 

I recall last year when he made the very pointed joke about Karla Sofia Gascon and her infamous Tweets, and I thought before the show that I hope he calls out Timothee Chalamet and his misguided comments about ballet and opera...and he did. Oh, and also him calling out how England arrested their pedophile, but God forbid if we arrest any of ours in power. I also really loved his joke about Jessie Buckley giving birth alone in the woods in Hamnet as being a great example of affordable health care by American standards...the truth hurts. 

The actual opening with him being chased by kids a la Amy Madigan's Aunt Gladys was truly a lot of fun, and it does signal how iconic that character has become in such a short amount of time. 

I do think they got VERY picky and choosy about which speeches to cut off, and at times, it just felt rude. I also see why some might bemoan the fact that they let "Golden" and "I Lied to You" be the only Best Song nominees to perform as it shows a certain disrespect to the other nominees...including perennial nominee Diane Warren. However, it is clear that the two songs that got to be featured were the far and away strongest contenders. I also love that we didn't get any extraneous film bits or random homages, such as the James Bond one from last year. Those are often filler and even with them being very tight with cutting speeches, the show still ran over by 40 or so minutes.... not that this is anything new.

The fact the show starts at 7 now is a godsend. I can still remember how they would start at 8:30 and run past midnight...which was completely unnecessary and brutal. Considering some of us have day jobs that make us want to slap people on a daily basis and have us wake up at 5am, I do love the idea of being able to get to bed before 11.

==========

THE TECH CATEGORIES:

I don't have much to say about these. The fact that Frankenstein won Production Design, Costumes, and Makeup/Hairstyling was pretty expected, as was Avatar: Fire & Ash taking Visual Effects.

I do think it was interesting to see the results of both Cinematography and the brand-new category of Casting. Most of us suspected that OBAA would win the former while Sinners would win the latter...and then both films swapped. It did signal early on that OBAA was likely going to be the big victor, even if the Cinematography win for Sinners proved it was not out of it yet.

We also got ourselves a rare tie, this time in the Live Action Short Film category. We've only had, what, 3 true ties in Academy history? (1931 Best Actor was technically not a legit tie).

I will say that part of me is still bummed that Jonny Greenwood has yet to win an Oscar for one of his scores. The crazy thing was I left other films thinking about their score more than Sinners, even the snubbed Marty Supreme. In the end though, Ludwig Goransson is such a great composer, so it is hard to begrudge him getting more flowers.

Even with that swap between Sinners and OBAA, I wouldn't the results in these categories are that surprising.

=========

THE ELITE 8:

Best Adapted Screenplay - Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Even if Sinners had taken off with a surprise Best Director win and a Best Picture victory that would've felt similar in its path to films like Parasite, we at least had the guarantee that PTA was going to finally win his first Oscar. 

This was simply a long time coming. I would argue that in his career up to this point, I would've given maybe 5-6 Oscars for a mix of Directing and Screenwriting. He was so overdue that it was insane. If I am being honest though, I am not sure if I felt a win for him here was as necessary. If we are talking strictly from a dialogue standpoint, I was more impressed with Will Tracy's work on Bugonia. 

--------

Best Original Screenplay - Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Another foregone conclusion and we can now claim Ryan Coogler as an Oscar winner. I feel like this category was very stacked compared to Adapted. Despite getting unfairly snubbed for Best Picture, I did really love seeing It Was Just an Accident on this list. Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value, and Blue Moon all had such strong scripts, and all felt so different from each other that it is hard to determine which I liked more.

--------

Best Supporting Actor - Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

I was one of the people who wanted to go out on a limb and predict Delroy Lindo even though that was a crazy gamble. Sean Penn won both of the two major industry precursors and that is hard to deny when it comes to predicting...BUT...he basically did no campaigning, didn't even show up to give a speech at either of the two previous award shows, has a bit of a bad reputation, and has two Oscars to his name already.

In the end, his performance was rather strong and that was what carried the day. What a chaotic race that became! Early on, he was seen as the frontrunner and then we kept getting thrown curveballs with his co-star Del Toro sweeping critics' prizes, Elordi winning CC, and Skarsgard winning the Globe. 

--------

Best Supporting Actress - Amy Madigan, Weapons

To be clear, I really thought highly of all these nominees...but Amy Madigan winning this feels like such an awesome and truly remarkable selection because not only is it a horror movie villain performance, but she was the sole nominee for her film.

Not even Demi Moore could win for The Substance despite winning multiple precursors and being in a Best Picture nominee...but it just seems like this was a year where too much buzz and passion for Madigan's narrative and work carried the day. It also helps that she is just so quirky and delightful and eccentric which only adds to the joy of seeing her get to give a speech.

When I saw Weapons back in August, I walked out of that film saying that I wanted her to get an awards campaign, but I wasn't confident that it would happen. I thought, like many, that at best she would be a filler nominee that would get people buzzing but the fact that critics embraced her and then her buzz took off was extraordinary.  

--------

Best Actor - Michael B. Jordan, Sinners

It is crazy to think that even just a month ago, most of us felt that Timothee Chalamet's first Oscar win was going to happen. He won the CC and the Globe, and even when many suspected he would lose at SAG as they've never given anyone back-to-back awards for Lead Acting, the expectation was that he'd win BAFTA and that would solidify him as the true frontrunner.

Then, BAFTA gave their prize to Robert Aramayo for I Swear, a film that has not been released in the States yet. I did believe there was a world where Jordan could take SAG but that it likely wouldn't translate to an Oscar. However, once he won AFTER Chalamet lost at BAFTA, I decided to predict him here...even though someone winning an Oscar with just SAG doesn't really happen. There was still a path for Chalamet...and his comments about the ballet/opera only went viral the day after voting closed so it was likely just his snobby/cocky demeanor for months on end that helped cost him.

Plus, they made DiCaprio wait over 20 years for his first and he gave far superior performances to anything Chalamet has done...and I say that as someone who really did love his work in Marty Supreme.

Jordan winning here was a moment and considering I can still recall watching him on The Wire way back when, I love seeing him get this kind of moment.

--------

Best Actress - Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

One of the true locks of the night and the only acting performance to sweep the season of televised precursors awards (although Rose Byrne did do very well with critics).

Buckley is such a wonderful actress, and it has been such a joy to watch her give all of these amazing and passionate speeches. Her work in Hamnet was powerful and I will always have the image of her wailing at her son's death seared into my brain. 

--------

Best Director - Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

There was certainly a part of me who was a tad pensive with this one. Was there a world where Ryan Coogler could pull off an upset here similar to that of Bong Joon ho beating Sam Mendes?

I did think it was possible, but the big difference is that 1917 didn't seem like a passionate favorite in the same vein as not just OBAA but Sinners as well. Sam Mendes also already had an Oscar to his name while PTA was immensely overdue. 

I do think it is a shame we have still yet to have a black person win in Best Director. It feels even more jarring to think that we've had films like 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight win the top prize, but McQueen and Jenkins didn't get a Directing prize.

In the end, PTA winning his first Directing Oscar is about as gratifying for me as when Scorsese finally got his...except I admittedly feel this was an even better win. 

--------

Best Picture - One Battle After Another

I can understand why some would take issue with the film, or at least the first act as Teyana Taylor's character is a bit much and hard to connect with. I know that I admittedly struggled with the film and didn't begin to truly love it until it moved on to the portion where Chase Infiniti came into the picture. 

I say this as a cis white man, so I guess take that as you will, but I think the reason the film worked for me was that in the end, I love the absolutely ridiculous take it had on white supremacy. I almost get the sense from some of the online discourse that people feel like the film somehow glorified the racism. 

One could argue that the black fetishism was a bit uncomfortable to say the least, but also...that felt like the point to me. Sean Penn's character is evil and unrepentant...and the people he is eager to impress are just as vile. 

DiCaprio's character of Bob, while a hero of sorts, is bumbling and is buoyed up by immigrants, like Benicio Del Toro's immortal Sensei, and the help of such women of color like Regina Hall's character of Deandra. 

To me, I took the film as an example of two big themes: we need to rely on the youth and that immigrants/POC need to be embraced. Oh, and the third theme: White Supremacists are certainly dangerous, but it is fun to belittle them.

And with that, we end this very long and rather bizarre award season.

I will need to look more into the films that are due to come out in 2026 as some of the offerings do seem to be very up my alley, not to mention the return of some really wonderful filmmakers.

ONE PREDICTION POST AFTER ANOTHER: What I Predict to Win at the 2026 Oscars

It is time for my final predictions for this year's Academy Awards. 

I would say of the top 8 categories, I am mostly predicting what is considered to take the prize. Maybe one of the categories is a tad risky, but I do only have one prediction I would call a big gamble.

We still have another two weeks until Oscar night, but I think this is what I intend to stick with.

====================

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

#1 - One Battle After Another

#2 - Hamnet

#3 - Bugonia

#4 - Frankenstein

#5 - Train Dreams

Every year, there always seems to be one film that I suspect will take a Screenplay award as a consolation prize, but instead we get a sweeper with the film expected to win the top prize.

I was part of the group early on that thought Chloe Zhao and Maggie O'Farrell had a shot to win here for Hamnet. It seems that even if somehow PTA ends up losing Best Director (which I really don't think will happen), this category is locked up for him. 

If I were being completely honest though, I LOVED Will Tracy's Bugonia script, but I feel like any year that a Yorgos Lanthimos film is in the running, its Screenplay is always overlooked despite being my favorite in the category. 

I really don't think Train Dreams or Frankenstein should be here. I know I am in a bit of a minority on Train Dreams, but I just didn't find that script to be the least bit compelling. I also think its use of the narration trope was unnecessary and intrusive. 

----------

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

#1 - Sinners

#2 - Sentimental Value

#3 - Marty Supreme

#4 - It Was Just an Accident

#5 - Blue Moon

I would say this category is stronger than Adapted Screenplay...but much like PTA, I would say Ryan Coogler is a lock to win here for Sinners. I think that Sinners is such a far and away winner here that I also want to single out the other contenders here as they are quite stellar in their own ways.

Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt gave us Sentimental Value, which I will admit is not as strong as their previous effort The Worst Person in the World, but the film has managed to stay with and grow on me in the months since seeing it. However, I do think what makes the film sing is its acting quartet at the helm.

I know there are some who frankly cannot stand the film or the lead character (and its performer) that is its primary focus, but I personally loved Marty Supreme and considered its script to be very vibrant and propulsive. 

Then you have the two non-Best Picture nominees, which is a shame to say considering one of them is It Was Just an Accident. It is crazy to think that early in the season it seemed as though Jafar Panahi was being touted as the biggest competition in Best Director against PTA and now, the film barely squeaked by with this nod. I still think it deserved a lot more, including a couple of acting bids, and I am still glad Panahi got SOME kind of recognition.

Blue Moon was a mild surprise to sneak in here, and while some of the dialogue and bits might come off as a bit twee or old-fashioned, the script overall is rather fanciful and effective. It gives Ethan Hawke so much to work with, and the result is his best performance in film after First Reformed...but more on that later. 

----------

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

#1 - Delroy Lindo, Sinners

#2 - Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

#3 - Stellan Skarsgard, Sentimental Value

#4 - Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein

#5 - Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another

No Guts-No Glory. This is the big swing I will be predicting.

What an insane category and it is also proof how chaotic award season can be, especially when there is a gap between the major awards. 

Before the season even began, Sean Penn was seen as the frontrunner but some suspected that his reputation and the fact that he already won 2 Oscars would not make him viable. 

Then the critics awards started pouring in which were heavily tipping towards his co-star Del Toro...but then CC went for Elordi in an upset and GG went for Skarsgard.

Only for Penn to bounce back to win both industry awards.

The logical answer is that Penn will likely win thanks to the power of his performance and the fact that OBAA is such a steamroller...but then again, Lindo's surprise nod and narrative and his campaigning mixed with the love of Sinners does make me wonder if he could somehow pull this off.

I decided to say yes. I would've felt a tad more confident if someone like Del Toro had won at SAG...but it's not like I am going to lose money on this so whatever I guess...

----------

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

#1 - Amy Madigan, Weapons

#2 - Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

#3 - Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

#4 - Inga Ibsdotter Lileaas, Sentimental Value 

#5 - Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value

Where to even begin here? This category has been a bit all over the place; despite winning at CC and SAG, I don't think Madigan is a sure thing. It's not unheard of but considering Madigan is the sole nominee for her film, I do think the odds are a little stacked against her...not to mention she is playing a scary almost cartoonish villain of a horror film. Not even Demi Moore could win for a body horror film after winning GG, CC, and SAG and having her film in Picture, Director, and Screenplay. 

I am going to predict her though if only for the fact that she does seem to have a lot of goodwill and it's such a delicious performance. Mosaku may make a tad more sense on paper considering she won BAFTA and is in one of the major frontrunners.

Taylor may have won GG and had been seen as an early frontrunner, but I still don't think she will have the strength to make a major comeback. I'd admittedly be a bit shocked, and if I am also being honest, I don't think she would deserve it. I get why Warner Bros did it, but I think Chase Infiniti should've been campaigned in Supporting and she would've been very worthy to be on this list.

It's a shame the Sentimental Value ladies didn't take off because I really loved both of them...especially Lileaas. I also really hate that Odessa A'zion isn't here for Marty Supreme, because while watching that film, all I kept thinking was that I was floored she wasn't getting nominated everywhere.

----------

BEST ACTOR:

#1 - Michael B. Jordan, Sinners

#2 - Timothee Chalamet, Marty Supreme

#3 - Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

#4 - Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another

#5 - Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon 

This has been a very interesting category in that Timothee Chalamet was expected to waltz his way through the season and win the award. However, the one bump in the road that some warned about was him losing at SAG due to the fact he won last year for A Complete Unknown and no one had ever won back-to-back SAG awards except for one instance: Renee Zellweger winning Lead for Chicago and then the next year in Supporting for Cold Mountain. Considering that SAG does tend to run a bit more populist, I did think Jordan had a shot to pull it off...and he did. 

Now the question is...will he win the Oscar too?

What's crazy is that there was a time that someone just winning GG and CC would be far more viable for a win. In fact, Sean Penn's first win for Mystic River was won with these precursors. 

In recent years, I do think winning SAG and BAFTA has been far more viable because those voting bodies have overlap with the Academy. The big twist this year is that BAFTA went for a hometown selection: Robert Aramayo in I Swear, a film that has not yet been released over here.

The path to Chalamet's Oscar was expected to be GG, CC, BAFTA but here is where the mental math begins: if it weren't for Aramayo, would Chalamet have won BAFTA? Could that end up causing him to bounce back if those voters would prefer him without Aramayo in the picture?

Or - will Jordan's last minute surge in a potential Best Picture spoiler that got a huge swath of recognition be the one that carries day?

OR - could Wagner Moura somehow benefit from vote splitting?

As you can see, I decided to go for Jordan. I will openly admit that while I do find him to be a bit insufferable as a person in interviews, I preferred Chalamet to Jordan. I also really loved all these nominees honestly...but I do wish Jesse Plemons were here for Bugonia.

Hawke is more of a traditional pic in terms of it being a biopic with a transformative performance that he could sink his teeth into. I do wish he had played more of a role in this season because it was some of the best work of his career.

DiCaprio is an interesting case because he is in the frontrunner, but he is also not the sole focus of that film as it is more of an ensemble piece. I am not sure it was the kind of performance that felt undeniable in the end, but I did really love his work...especially the comedic edges. 

In the end, Jordan is my final prediction, but I do see a world where Chalamet could somehow sneak in...or even Maura pulling off a major upset.

----------

BEST ACTRESS:

#1 - Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

 

#2 - Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

#3 - Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value

#4 - Emma Stone, Bugonia

#5 - Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue

Easily the only true acting lock of the night, Jessie Buckley will coast to this win with ease...and deservedly so. However, I can't deny the brilliance of Rose Byrne, whose performance in If I Had Legs is essentially an exposed nerve the entire time. 

Reinsve getting this nod is splendid, especially considering she deserved to be in WINNING contention for The Worst Person in the World and wiped the floor with basically every contender nominated that year. 

Emma Stone has become a true Academy darling, and she is certainly very strong in Bugonia...certainly better than in her first Oscar winning role in La La Land.

Then you have Kate Hudson in Song Sung Blue...a performance that has divided people down the middle saying she is the worst of any of the 20 acting nominees this year and others saying she is actually worthy to win. 

But all that matters is that Buckley gave an emotionally raw performance and deserves the sweep of wins that she received.

----------

BEST DIRECTOR:

#1 - Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

#2 - Ryan Coogler, Sinners

#3 - Chloe Zhao, Hamnet

#4 - Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value 

#5 - Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme 

PTA should be leaving the Oscars this year with, at least, his first two wins yet. It is still insane to me that with the career and quality of work he has done that this will be his very first time. 

The only person here that I think could pull off an upset would be Ryan Coogler, and that would be if they go all in for Sinners almost like they did when they gave Director to Bong Joon ho for Parasite over Sam Mendes for 1917...and thank God for that. 

I personally would give this to PTA...and I do think it would be an upset if he did lose. However, I think the upset of sorts could happen in our final category.

-----------

BEST PICTURE:

#1 - One Battle After Another

#2 - Sinners

#3 - Hamnet

#4 - Sentimental Value

#5 - Frankenstein

#6 - Marty Supreme

#7 - Bugonia

#8 - The Secret Agent 

#9 - Train Dreams 

#10 - F1

I knew it was a possibility after its PGA nod, but I really didn't think F1 would sneak in. I had predicted It Was Just an Accident but felt that if any populist film would make it in, it would be fellow PGA nominee Weapons since it had the exposure of Amy Madigan and was seen as a potential candidate in categories like Original Screenplay and Casting. 

I do think in terms of Best Picture nominations, F1 has got to be one of the most laughable. Maybe not as bad as something like The Blind Side or Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, but it just seems like a cheap choice. 

One Battle After Another has won basically every major prize it could EXCEPT for the SAG/Actor Ensemble award which went to Sinners. To be honest, I am not surprised it won...and it isn't like OBAA needed it. Anora certainly didn't need that extra boost.

HOWEVER - there is a path for Sinners to sneak in and take the prize.

It may be true that OBAA has had an epic sweep, but we've seen films win Best Picture simply by winning SAG/Actor Ensemble and a Screenplay win at the WGA. Both Spotlight and Parasite come to mind, and I do think the passion and widespread appeal and financial success of Sinners would make it a viable possibility. It used to be very common for the film with the most nominations to be the contender most likely to win...and potentially sweep. Lately, that hasn't been much of a factor. If that were the case, Emilia Perez would've won more than two awards last year...which I shudder at the thought of that universe.

Sinners breaking the all-time record with 16 nominations is not nothing. OBAA also got 13 nominations which is certainly a pretty strong haul. Had it gotten an Actress nod for Chase Infiniti, it would've tied the old record of 14 nominations. 

I am going to stick with OBAA, but Sinners really could sneak in. It wouldn't shock me in the least. As for the rest of these nominees, they are just happy to be here. 

====================

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I am honestly ready for the 2026 films to start rolling out. I am not saying 2025 was necessarily a bad year, but I don't have many films I feel truly passionate about...especially of the contenders. Early signs of 2026 make me feel a bit more excited but that doesn't necessarily mean anything because I felt that about 2022 and that turned out to be one of my least favorite years for film in recent memory. 

So yeah...that's all I wrote. 

THE JESSIE BUCKLEY SHOW - My Quick Review of Chloe Zhao's HAMNET

*While this is a fictionalized story in many ways and there are certain elements that did occur in a historical sense, I will just warn you that I will discuss key plot points freely, so consider this something of a spoiler warning* 

When it comes to filmmakers working today, there is something that is quietly alluring about the work of Chloe Zhao. She is able to create works that feel so inherently human and vulnerable and that flirt with feeling very naturalistic.

Having said that, I am not sure she has yet to truly blow me away with a film.

Her best work was the little 2018 indie called The Rider, about a rodeo rider who had suffered brain damage in an accident during one of his shows. It was her 2020 film Nomadland that made her only the 2nd woman to win a Best Directing Oscar and the 1st woman of color to do so: plus, the film netted wins for Best Picture and Best Actress for Frances McDormand. 

I was not overly enamored with Nomadland. I admired it a great deal and it was clear that Zhao and her cinematographer/life partner Joshua James Richards have mastery skills at bringing out a sense of scope in small intimate settings. It just didn't pull me in that much...plus it did rub me the wrong way how it almost seemed to praise Amazon as a wonderful company to work for. 

When it comes to Hamnet, I would argue that it is likely her most accessible and easiest watch...which is saying a whole hell of a lot considering its key plot point as the film progresses is the death of a young boy. 

2025 as a year of film is rather all over the place in terms of quality. I would argue maybe it was a tad better than 2024, but there were many films that didn't quite live up to the reputation I kept hearing about. I say this not to say that I hated Hamnet...far from it actually. I wouldn't say I loved it either. I would say it is once again a film that I greatly admired and even found moments that were truly beautiful or remarkable...but at best, I would say I really liked it. 

Based on a 2020 novel by Maggie O'Farrell, Hamnet tells a fictionalized account of how legendary playwright William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) met his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley), their budding relationship/marriage, the birth of their children, and the eventual death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe). 

You could say there is a subgenre of films that delve into grief, but even more so within that, you have the films that deal with grief and the artistic process. Some of my favorite examples of these include Three Colours: Blue and Drive My Car...but I don't think that Hamnet reaches the level of those two. 

Although, I will say it is the final act that pushes Hamnet to a whole other level. As a means to work through the grief of Hamnet's death, he writes what will become one of his most defining works: Hamlet. It was while watching the work right at the apron of the Globe that Agnes is able to more easily come to terms with her son's death...just like how Yusuke uses his production of Uncle Vanya to cope with the death of his wife in Drive My Car or how Julie manages to help complete a musical piece of her husband's after he and their daughter perish in a car accident in Three Colours: Blue. 

If there is anything that I can say sells this with any grandeur, it is that of Jessie Buckley. 

Buckley has been doing such good work for the last several years, such as being a standout in the mawkish Judy or being able to navigate the bizarre trappings of Charlie Kaufman's worst effort in, I'm Thinking of Ending Things. She also did such a great job in The Lost Daughter as the younger version of Olivia Colman's Leda. 

Unless there is some kind of crazy last-minute surge for someone else, I would make the claim right now that the only true lock of an acting Oscar win as of now is Buckley.

While she does face strong competition from Rose Byrne's anxiety attack of a performance in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, there is no denying that Buckley's portrayal of Agnes will be talked about for years to come. While in her quieter moments, she comes off as very strong-willed with an ethereal quality...but it is when she throws herself into the dramatic that she shines. Her birthing scenes are intense in how realistic they are, but when we get to the scene where Hamnet perishes from the plague, Zhao/Richards leave the camera fastened on Buckley's face as she wails with absolute grief. It is rather unsettling in moments because it feels uncomfortable to witness such a private moment, and even visually as at one moment, Buckley's eyes seem to roll in the back of her head.

Paul Mescal was seen as something of the big Oscar snub on nomination morning, although some did predict he could be the one to surprisingly miss. I do think he did a lovely job, but I also didn't find myself as engaged with him as this was clearly The Jessie Buckley Show. 

I do want to single out Jacobi Jupe as the titular Hamnet. 

I feel like in recent years we've been seeing an uptick in stronger performances by children, and I do think Jupe does such a magnificent job with his crying scenes and also his death scene. It doesn't feel like a performance that had a director meddling too much with obvious coaching...but then again, I still feel like the Brits just seem to pick up on acting a lot better than most. I suspect we will see great things from him...much like his older brother Noah Jupe, who just so happens to be the young actor playing Hamlet at the end. 

Hamnet is a handsomely made film that does take an eviscerating look at grief and the means of art healing oneself after the fact. I am just not sure I got hit as strongly by the wave of emotions as others did despite acknowledging how well Buckley navigated such a taxing role.

I am not part of the group that calls this a masterpiece, but if you were to see it for any reason, I would say Jessie Buckley is more than enough to do so.

HAMNET Rating: 7.5/10

A VAMPIRE RECORD - My Reactions to the 98th Oscar Nominations

In the entire nearly 100-year history of the Academy Awards, we have had 3 films manage to reach 14 Oscar nominations: All About Eve, La La Land, and Titanic. That record has finally been beaten today not by one nomination, but two.

Ryan Coogler's Sinners received SIXTEEN nominations as it managed to be a film to not only get widespread recognition across the Big 8 categories, but all of the crafts as well. Of course, this was the first year with the new Best Casting category which Sinners also made it into but even if that category didn't exist, it still would've made a new all-time record thanks to it securing a surprise acting nod which I will discuss here soon.

I do want to say that I am definitely a bit surprised that Wicked: For Good got shut out COMPLETELY. I was predicting Ariana Grande to get snubbed so that didn't surprise me, but I did expect it would get in for stuff like Production Design, Costume Design, and Makeup/Hairstyling. Even though both of Stephen Schwartz's new songs were kind of ho-hum, I thought "Girl in the Bubble" would get in by default. I suppose, aside from the fact the film's reception was less than stellar, there was a clear sense of Wicked fatigue and "been there, done that". One has to wonder if they released it as one longer movie if it would've ended up getting a better reception.

Also - it seems very telling that the Academy was willing to vote for freaking Avatar for a costume nod over Wicked: For Good. Maybe I am not a super expert on Avatar and its process, but they actually had real-life costumes that weren't digitized?

One more quick comment before diving in:

What on earth does Park Chan-wook have to do to get recognized?!?! I know that the International category was a bit of a bloodbath this year but even back in 2022 when he had Decision to Leave, a film that easily was the best of that category (I even called it the best film of that year), he still got snubbed. He wasn't going to get into Director and Picture, but there was a good chance of him slipping into Adapted Screenplay.

Alas, that didn't happen...but let's start with that category.

==========

 BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Will Tracy, Bugonia

Guillermo del Toro, Frankenstein

Chloe Zhao & Maggie O'Farrell, Hamnet

Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar, Train Dreams

Despite loving their previous film Sing Sing which was one of my favorite films of 2024, I can't say that I extend that same love to their follow-up: Train Dreams.

I am fully aware that I am in the minority with that opinion, but I just didn't respond to that film at all. It was shot beautifully, Joel Edgerton did a very nice job, but the script felt very...sparse. Plus, I wasn't a fan of the narration trope used in it.

I am also not overly sold on Guillermo del Toro being here for Frankenstein, but I can see what others saw in it. 

I do think as of right now, PTA will be winning this despite formidable competition from Hamnet. I will say that while Bugonia doesn't have a prayer, it is yet another Yorgos Lanthimos-directed film that will get the shaft in this category despite having a truly stellar script. 

I do think it is a shame that Park Chan-wook couldn't slip in here over Frankenstein and especially Train Dreams. It also seems clear that sequel fatigue deeply affected Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, but I also think it would've made a solid nominee here.

----------

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Robert Kaplow, Blue Moon

Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident

Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme

Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value

Ryan Coogler, Sinners

While floated as an outside possibility, the big surprise here is Blue Moon. However, I personally love seeing it included as I felt the dialogue for it was very rich and vibrant. It's nod also signaled early on that Ethan Hawke would make it in as well.

Thankfully, Jafar Panahi made it in here. He seemed like such a sure thing early on only to fade more in recent weeks, but he deserves to be here.

Marty Supreme and Sentimental Value are definitely expected nods, and both are richly deserved. 

In the end though, Ryan Coogler will have this one in the bag. It seems like the major place to reward Sinners unless the tide drastically changes and the industry goes hog wild for Sinners.

What got snubbed? I believe I predicted The Secret Agent to get in here for the pesky 5th slot but honestly that could've gone to something like Weapons or even Sorry, Baby. I would've loved to see Sorry, Baby get a nod for sure.

----------

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another

Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein

Delroy Lindo, Sinners

Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

Stellan Skarsgard, Sentimental Value

While not something that was super out of left field, the nomination for Delroy Lindo was not widely predicted. He didn't get in at CC, GG, or SAG...although he is on the BAFTA longlist (those nominations haven't been announced yet) and considering his home turf advantage, he could very well be on that list when it comes out next week.

When I saw Sinners last April, I came out of the film wondering if Lindo could pull it off. His lack of a presence during the 2021 award season for Da 5 Bloods really rubbed people the wrong way and he has been doing great work for decades. In this case, I am very happy the veteran got in, because it was his younger co-star Miles Caton who had gotten in at SAG.

People had been floating the idea of Paul Mescal being the big snub for Hamnet which is kind of crazy it happened considering how well he and his film have been received. Plus, he had been pushed to Supporting likely because it would be easier to get in (typical co-lead/semi-category fraud), so it does seem shocking he was the one to get the axe.

It's a strong category though. I don't dislike any of these performances, and I actually love that Elordi got in because he was quite the pleasant surprise as The Monster in Frankenstein.

At the moment, it'll be interesting to see what happens. I could see a world where Elordi wins SAG, where Skarsgard got snubbed, but then Skarsgard comes back to win BAFTA and the Oscar. 

I suppose Elordi COULD go all the way, but my hunch is still going for Skarsgard.

Aside from Mescal (and Miles Caton), I suppose the only other person here who had an outside shot was Adam Sandler for Jay Kelly, but that film is deservedly DOA. He did a nice job but not enough that I think he deserved to make it onto this list. 

----------

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleas, Sentimental Value

Amy Madigan, Weapons

Wunmi Mosku, Sinners

Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another 

I knew it was still a possibility, but I just felt that the sinking ship that was Wicked: For Good meant that Ariana Grande was likely to be one contender who got recognized by previous precursors that ends up getting snubbed in the end.

The truth is that while I do think she did a great job in that role, I also feel like she simply shouldn't have been campaigned in this category. If anything, she was even MORE of a lead in this part than in Part 1...and she was clearly a Lead in that too!

Beyond that, this is a great group!

The only one that I am truly bummed to not see here is Odessa A'Zion, who was an absolute dynamo in Marty Supreme. My immediate reaction to her upon seeing it was "How is this girl not more of a serious contender?!" but I was hoping she'd get a Hail Mary reprieve after getting the SAG nod...much like Timothee Chalamet's co-star from last year's A Complete Unknown, Monica Barbaro...and not to be too catty but A'zion's work impressed me more in comparison.

I do think the other lady from Marty Supreme, Gwyneth Paltrow, was less expected to make an appearance here but I really liked her in that. I still preferred A'zion, though.

As for who will win, I actually think Teyana Taylor is in the best position to do so. While Amy Madigan was seen as potential frontrunner after all the buzz and her win at CC, Taylor took the Globe and considering she is in the film that is the Best Picture frontrunner, I do think that could tip the scales in her favor.

I think if Madigan were to win at SAG(Actor Awards...I just realized I have been calling it SAG the whole time), I think she would still lose the Oscar to whomever wins at BAFTA. I do see a world where she does take SAG, but I would be floored if BAFTA went for her. 

I could even see Sinners passion surging to a point where Wunmi Mosaku may sweep in from behind and take the Actor and even BAFTA (being British doesn't hurt)...but I could also see a world where someone like Lilleas wins at BAFTA.

Who is my personal preference? I actually don't know. They are all so great in varying ways. I do love that Elle Fanning had such a come from behind victory to get this nomination because I was truly very pleased with her work in Sentimental Value, but I sort of feel like Lilleas is my favorite here if I had to choose one.

----------

BEST ACTOR:

Timothee Chalamet, Marty Supreme 

Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another

Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon

Michael B. Jordan, Sinners

Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

No surprises here. Some wondered if Hawke might barely miss as Blue Moon hasn't been playing super strong this season beyond his performance, but that Screenplay nod did signal he was safe.

I know some might've felt Wagner Moura was vulnerable after missing at Actor and not making the BAFTA longlist, but the sad truth is that him missing at the Actors wasn't a shocker, they RARELY go for foreign performances. BAFTA is a bit more surprising, but even they seem to favor foreign films from Europe rather than elsewhere. I just feel like his path to the nod was similar to that of fellow Brazilian Fernanda Torres, who won the Globe last year for I'm Still Here which solidified her chance at a nomination.

Chalamet seems on track to win his first Oscar, which I do think he is worthy to do so for this role...but I kind of wish Hawke could surprise at Actor. No performer has ever won back-to-back Actor awards in Lead so there is a possibility they will opt for someone else. If they don't, I think Chalamet would clearly be stronger than ever.

DiCaprio could surprise I suppose. Him being in the frontrunner helps, but I also really loved his work in OBAA. I do think there is world where he could sneak in and win over Chalamet at Actor and then be a bit more formidable.

As for the missing contenders, the only one I think had the best shot to slip in was Jesse Plemons and frankly, it is a shame he isn't here. I personally think that was his best work to date and that he stole the film from Emma Stone. Joel Edgerton had an outside shot, especially since Train Dreams was well received and he was easily the best thing about it.

It's a shame that Lee Byun-hun didn't gain more traction for No Other Choice, but according to Academy voters, the films of Park Chan-wook don't exist.

----------

BEST ACTRESS:

Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You

Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue

Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value

Emma Stone, Bugonia

This is the only acting category I am feeling confident in calling a complete lock, even though Lead Actor more or less is at the moment, too.

Jessie Buckley has this in the bag.

The only real surprise here is Kate Hudson but that is not totally unexpected. That 5th slot was also expected to potentially go to Chase Infiniti for OBAA, but I did suspect if her youth (it was her first film role) and the fact that she is truly more of a Supporting player would cause her to miss.

I just thought the passion for OBAA would be enough over Hudson. Full disclosure though - I have yet to see Song Sung Blue so I can't comment on Hudson.

Justice has been served as Renate Reinsve is finally an Oscar nominated actress! I wish she had gotten in for The Worst Person in the World back in 2021, but that didn't seem to be in the cards.

Despite what I said about Emma Stone in relation to Jesse Plemons' work in Bugonia, she is still very good, and I certainly don't object to this nomination.

A lot of people are certainly mourning the snub for Amanda Seyfried, whom many felt would be the true competition to Jessie Buckley, but Searchlight certainly fumbled the bag when it came to promoting and releasing The Testament of Ann Lee. 

Lastly, Rose Byrne's nomination is richly deserved and I do think it is the kind of performance that I would truly Oscar-worthy.

----------

BEST DIRECTOR:

Chloe Zhao, Hamnet

Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme

Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value

Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Normally the Directing branch likes to throw a curveball by nominating an international director who hadn't made much of an appearance throughout award season, so my big swing prediction was Kleber Mendonca Filho for The Secret Agent since his film was surging, and he had even won Directing at Cannes.

Instead, they did stick with Trier as the international nominee that seems to get in nearly every year. I am fine with that, because while it wasn't a film with a lot of flashy flair, he did get incredible performances out of the ensemble.

Frankly, it's a great lineup!

Safdie wasn't a sure thing, so his name popping up made me very happy as I thought he did a marvelous job. Some even wondered if Zhao could miss, but that seemed unlikely to me.

I do think that if anyone would overtake PTA, it would be Coogler...but my god, PTA is so freaking overdue for an Oscar and his work on OBAA would make for a worthy selection.

Some of the snubbed contenders include Guillermo del Toro, whom I honestly wasn't predicting but I just feel like him being left off was the right call. It is a shame that Jafar Panahi's surge died down and that he couldn't make it in here...but it does seem like aside from its Screenplay nod, the early buzz of that film never sustained.

----------

BEST PICTURE:

Bugonia

F1

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

The Secret Agent

Sentimental Value 

Sinners

Train Dreams

I really didn't think F1 would pull it off. It just seemed like a typical populist PGA nomination, but I guess it slipped in by way of a similar fanbase of voters who put in a film like Ford v. Ferrari. 

I thought that if a populist film from PGA would make the lineup here, it would be Weapons. I didn't predict it, but I did see a world where it could slip in here and in Screenplay...only further bolstering a path for Madigan to win in Supporting.

I predicted It Was Just an Accident in F1's spot and it's a shame it missed as I think it absolutely deserved to be here. 

I guess the big question is whether or not we will see a new surge of love for Sinners or if One Battle will indeed be the long-overdue coronation for PTA?

Personally - I am still very much on the PTA train this year.

I will leave you with that for now. Hopefully I will be able to have a top 10 list up sometime before the Oscars. I still need to catch up on a few films before I feel I can make a definitive list.