Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Best Films of the Decade- 2010s



Hey everyone, I used to write best-of year-end lists but fell out of the habit. With the ending of the decade, I had a sudden burst of inspiration and wanted to create the ultimate list of the best films of the 2010s. Hope you enjoy!
A couple notes: I tried to stick to just 10 films, but found I could not. Since no one is grading me, I decided to cheat and combine multiple films into groups where necessary.
And, I’m not doing the worst films of the decade. Other people are writing those lists; no need for me to jump on that bandwagon.

10. Pixar Films
The animation studio of the golden goose took a few tumbles this decade (Cars 2 being the worst of their sins), but the studio did put out two masterpieces: Toy Story 3, the heart-breaking conclusion (or so we thought) that sent our heroes on their greatest adventure yet; and Inside Out, an examination into an adolescent girl’s emotions that turned a fun romp through an animated brain into an existential study in losing one’s innocence. Both films were powerful enough to make adults cry, while staying intelligent and funny enough to entertain their target audience of children.
Other strong showings from the studio this decade include Brave, Cars 3, and Coco.

9. Get Out and A Quiet Place
This decade brought the debuts of two new voices in the horror genre, and from surprising sources: Jordan Peele’s Get Out, a Twilight Zone-esque metaphor for race relations in America, and John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place, that took a bold idea (a horror film with no dialogue!) and turned it into a believably scary post-apocalyptic tale of a struggling family. Get Out’s strengths lie in it subverting clichés- no white savior, the fast-talking best friend/comic relief is actually right all along- and somehow making the film funny as well. Even if some of the laughs are nervous. And A Quiet Place was a strong showcase for its star, Krasinski’s real-life wife Emily Blunt, a pregnant/terrified mom comfortable with sign language, allowing her to survive in this silent world.

8. Gravity
“Sandra Bullock in space” isn’t a great pitch for a movie, but Alfonso Cuarón’s science-fact thriller was something new: utilizing long takes and immersive special effects, and never letting up from the suspense, the audience is made to feel like we’re floating in the void with our heroine. Not just the most visually spectacular movie of the decade (save for maybe one or two films further up this list), but one hell of a roller coaster ride.

7. Skyfall
This decade brought the best James Bond movie ever made. Yeah, I’m confident saying that.
Daniel Craig’s third outing (and the franchise’s 23rd) opens with him getting shot through the shoulder and left for dead. Physically, he’s not the same after that. But his difficulties don’t stop there. His beloved M has been fired and is being replaced by a bureaucrat. The new bad guy is high-tech and is playing a game where he’s several steps ahead of everyone else. And, all this combined with a plot that forces Bond to return to his childhood home is the perfect metaphor for facing one’s mortality. Even though he’s at his worst, 007 has never been better.

6. Spotlight
In an era of fake news and the government’s insistence that the media cannot be trusted, we really needed a movie like Spotlight, about an investigative journalism team committed to telling the truth, telling it right, and getting justice for victims abused by people in positions of power. The real-life story can be hard to watch at times, as it describes Catholic priests molesting children, but that just emphasizes the tough, thankless job that these people have, and why it was so necessary that they keep digging for the truth.

5. The Social Network
Ten years ago, something described as “the Facebook movie” wouldn’t have been considered to be anything worth watching. So it was truly staggering to see the movie that resulted, a high-art, high-entertainment, true-life story of young geniuses, greed, and betrayal. The collaboration of David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin, two geniuses with very different backgrounds, proved to be the masterstroke that elevated the movie to the next level. Legal depositions have never been so engrossing.

4. Boyhood
My vote for the most underrated movie of the decade. Richard Linklater made a small, quiet movie about a boy moving through childhood, but in a way that has never been done before. He used the same cast and filmed for over 12 years! Deeply moving performances from Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke help paint the picture, as there is very little story or plot here. It’s more like a memory-play: the most defining few moments from each year, age 6 to 18. By the end, you feel like you’ve grown up with this boy, that he’s your friend. And that even an average person’s normal life is a story worth telling.

3. The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t deny the impact Marvel Studios has had on pop culture over the last decade. The studio, now owned by Disney, churned out an astonishing 21 movies this decade (!), all superhero movies taking place in one shared universe, and most of them were actually pretty good. Some even turned out to be great.
In 2012, a movie like The Avengers seemed impossible. Four different superheroes from different franchises coming together in a cross-over movie to save the world? And they were B-level heroes, not the usual box-office draws like Spider-Man or the X-Men. But Joss Whedon managed to bring them together in a way that accentuated their differences for comedy, and used the natural tension between them for drama. This is one of the best superhero movies ever made.
Iron Man 3 took the bold move of giving its swaggering hero PTSD. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was an homage to political thrillers of the ‘70s, and brought a new level of paranoia to its super-straight-edge hero. Guardians of the Galaxy was a giddy adrenaline rush of fast humor, weird characters, and exciting action that shouldn’t have worked (A talking raccoon? A walking tree?), but somehow did. Captain America: Civil War drove a wedge between our group of heroes, and eerily predicted America’s own real-life political divides, as the movie was released a few months before the 2016 election. Thor: Ragnarok brought the fun and threw everything at the wall, including the kitchen sink.
And then there’s Black Panther. What started as Marvel’s token black superhero became a sensation, a socially-conscious tribute to black excellence in a world that always underestimates them. It was worthy enough to become the first superhero movie nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Wakanda forever!
The event movie Avengers: Infinity War made the unprecedented choice of having a devastating ending: the heroes actually lost. But its follow-up Avengers: Endgame gave a supremely satisfying ending to the 12-year-long story, confirming that the 2010s were the decade of the superhero.

2. 12 Years a Slave
The Schindler’s List of this decade.
Hollywood has always been shy about depicting American slavery on screen, but it was inevitable that someone would be brave enough to do it. The true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from New York, who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South, is devastating but essential. Steve McQueen (no, not that one) directed this moving film with unblinking courage and heart. Also features career-best performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor as the lead and Lupita Nyong’o in her breakout role as a fellow slave determined to keep her dignity.

1. The Films of Christopher Nolan
A new titan of cinema rose this decade. After seeming to peak with The Dark Knight in 2008, still one of the most significant movies made in the last 25 years, he directed four movies in the 2010s… and all four are masterpieces, a track record unmatched by anyone else in the industry.
Inception was his exploration of dreams and the possibilities of people sharing dreams and pulling off heists using sleep technology. Head-trippiness and Joseph Gordon-Levitt crawling on the walls and ceiling commenced.
The Dark Knight Rises was his epic conclusion to the Batman trilogy, introducing the unstoppable force that is Bane, and having the city of Gotham save itself in a huge final showdown.
Interstellar was the most intelligent and moving science-fiction movie of the decade. Matthew McConaughey’s struggles to relate to his kids are just as interesting as his adventures on other planets and in black holes.
And then he made Dunkirk, his version of a World War II movie. The true story of British soldiers trapped on the beach, and their countrymen’s efforts to rescue them, is done not just with suspense and patriotism, but with terror. It somehow manages to be both realistic and cinematic at the same time.

And, because there were so many good films this decade, here are a few more shout-outs that couldn’t fit into the top 10!

- The Irishman. I was too hesitant to put a recent film on this list, but Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece of the gangster genre will stand the test of time. Honestly, I think it’s just as good as The Godfather.
- Documentaries! From feel-good movies like Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and RBG to the deep-dive of O.J.: Made in America and the visual awe of Free Solo, to films that actually helped make history, like Citizenfour and Icarus, documentaries shined in the last decade.
- Whiplash and A Star Is Born. Two similar movies about trying to make it in the world of music, with mixed results. Excellent looks into the sacrifices artists make to reach their dreams.
- Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens. While none of the other Disney-Star Wars movies lived up to this film, the first return to the galaxy far, far away brought the nostalgia along with a bunch of new ideas, making for a fun, emotional, old-fashioned ride.
- Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln. The best performance by an actor in a movie this decade.
- BlacKkKlansman. The stranger-than-fiction true story of a black cop who infiltrated the KKK earned Spike Lee his first competitive Oscar.
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The best Spider-Man movie didn’t come from Marvel Studios. It was this animated gem that proved anyone can be behind the mask.
- Wonder Woman. ‘Nuff said.
- Deadpool. Again, ‘nuff said.
- Cloud Atlas. This movie wasn’t embraced by the masses, but I think it’s amazing.
- The Cabin in the Woods. The other great horror movie this decade.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, both parts. The end of an era!
- Bridesmaids and Trainwreck. Funny women!
- Lady Bird. Greta Gerwig’s little gem of a film.
- X-Men: Days of Future Past. When in doubt, travel through time.
- Logan. Who knew the world needed an R-rated Wolverine movie?
- Argo. See, Ben Affleck is good for something.
- The Martian. See, Matt Damon is good for something.
- Selma. Why did it take so long to make a movie about Martin Luther King, Jr.?

That’s all I got. Hopefully I’ll see you again before it’s been 10 more years. Happy moviegoing!

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Oscar Winners Predictions 2019


Well, we come to it at last, ladies and gents! I've made my predictions for who will win, and it wasn't easy. So many beloved and critically-acclaimed films are up for awards this year that the night really could go anyone's way. The general rule of thumb with the Oscars is, expect the unexpected.
That doesn't work for predicting the winners though, so I've made some concrete picks, which you can find below.
As always, I've included what I think will win, and my personal opinion of what I think should win, for those who care about such things.

Best Picture


BlacKkKlansman

Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star Is Born
Vice

What will win: Roma


I don't make this prediction lightly. A win for Roma would be the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture at the Oscars- and this is the 91st year! But it makes sense to me. The early favorite (ironically, not The Favourite) was A Star Is Born, but that film's fall release seems to be working against it. The next favorite (nope, still not that one) was Green Book, but that film has been stewing in some awkward controversy on the publicity circuit. It's a movie about racism, guys, talk about it with a little tact! Also, both of those films failed to garner a Best Director nomination, which makes a win here highly unlikely. I'd like to pick Black Panther, but that's just wishful thinking.

Roma is both the most critically-acclaimed, and the most beloved film of the year. (By the industry, not necessarily by American audiences.) But its Netflix distribution model is working hard for it- anyone can see the movie, there's no excuses for missing it. While I'm nervous about my choice, I believe the little movie by the big director is the one to beat.

What should win: Black Panther


It'll never happen in a million years, but if I could choose, I would pick the most thought-provoking (and badass!) superhero movie in years. Marvel Studios is a game-changer in Hollywood, but despite its billions of dollars and millions of fans, it has yet to win an Oscar in any category. This would be the best consolation prize ever.

I also really enjoyed BlacKkKlansman, but its competition is fierce.

Best Director


Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman

Paweł Pawlikowski, Cold War
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Adam McKay, Vice

Who will win: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma


Cuarón is the clear choice here. A past winner who turned in a deeply personal film (he claims it's auto-biographical, based on his own childhood caretaker) that somehow manages to feel both huge and tiny depending on the scene. It's also great to have a film these days centered on a person that most of society does not bother to think about.

Spike Lee got his first Director nomination here, but sadly, this is not his year.

Who should win: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma


I almost voted for Spike Lee, but Cuarón's film is a singularly unique vision. (The same could be said for The Favourite, but that film just made me laugh, while Roma made me cry.) I'm a fan of Adam McKay too, but this is not his year.


Best Actor


Christian Bale, Vice

Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity's Gate
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Who will win: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody


This race is super-close between Christian Bale and Rami Malek. Bale is the traditional choice, with the past Oscar win (for Supporting), his total transformation and dedication to playing the real-life person Dick Cheney, and his bravery for gaining weight and playing a deeply unlikable person. But Malek's performance as Freddie Mercury really surprised audiences. It was really good, and fun to watch- mostly because it looks like he's having so much fun! Bale gives the better performance, but the mood of watching the supremely talented Malek play the supremely talented Queen frontman is going to win him the Oscar. (Sorry, Bradley...)


Who should win: Christian Bale, Vice


Batman plays Dick Cheney... what else do I have to say? Bale is unrecognizable as the former Vice President (even nailing his breathing!) and has proved once again he's one of the best actors working in Hollywood. He deserves this, in my humble opinion.


Best Actress


Yalitza Aparicio, Roma

Glenn Close, The Wife
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Who will win: Glenn Close, The Wife


Glenn Close is probably the favorite to win- this is her seventh nomination in a career spanning back decades. She gives a startling and remarkable performance as a jilted wife to a genius writer, and has been inspiring people with her acceptance speeches all season.

Hot on her heels is Lady Gaga, a pop star who, with her first lead role, showed the world she's a fantastic actress. The early favorite to win here, she was overshadowed later in the season by Close. An upset by Gaga is still a real possibility, though.
Olivia Colman is brilliant as Queen Anne, but comedic roles rarely win here. Yalitza Aparicio deserves credit for her screen debut (she wasn't a professional actress when she was cast!) that broke all our hearts. And in regards to Melissa McCarthy, the Academy likes to see traditionally funny actors switch to dramatic stuff (see Steve Carell's latest work). Any one of them could have won in other years, but I think it's Glenn Close's turn.

Who should win: Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born


With all due respect to Glenn Close... hell, with all due respect to all the nominees, they're all terrific; but Lady Gaga was phenomenal in A Star Is Born. It's actually a morbid tradition of Star Is Born movies to get nominated and not win at the Oscars, and this one will sadly carry on that pattern. But I wish it wasn't so.


Best Supporting Actor


Mahershala Ali, Green Book

Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell, Vice

Who will win: Mahershala Ali, Green Book


The winner here is clear: Ali has won every pre-Oscar award and is the clear front-runner as the real-life concert pianist traveling through the Deep South in the 1960s. He may have won this award just two years ago (for Moonlight), but that shouldn't stop him.


Who should win: Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born


My pick is for the industry veteran getting his first nomination, who gave the most emotional performance in an already powerful film.

I also thought Sam Rockwell was a hoot as George W. Bush, but he just won this award last year, and his performance leans a little on the parody side.

Best Supporting Actress


Amy Adams, Vice

Marina de Tavira, Roma
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Who will win: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk


King is the clear front-runner to win here. Both Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz were great as ladies-in-waiting trying desperately to win the Queen's affections; the only problem is, they were equally good! Thus they split the vote, allowing Regina King to win her first Oscar.


Who should win: Amy Adams, Vice


It bums me out that Adams won't win. This is her sixth nomination, but can never seem to clinch it. Her performance as Lynne Cheney (depicted as a kind of modern-day Lady Macbeth) was both funny and scary.


Best Original Screenplay


The Favourite

First Reformed
Green Book
Roma
Vice

What will win: The Favourite


A difficult category to predict. If I'm guessing Roma to win Best Picture, it would make sense to win here as well, but foreign films rarely win for their writing. Green Book could win for being the feel-good movie of the year, or Vice for its meticulously researched real-world political intrigue. But I think this is the major category in which The Favourite stands the best chance, as it is a truly original film. And it's damn funny to boot.


What should win: Vice


I was very impressed with how Vice took a story no one knew existed and made it accessible to anyone. Dark comedies are difficult to get right, and it works great.

I was also very impressed with First Reformed, but it would probably be more at home with an Actor nomination for Ethan Hawke.

Best Adapted Screenplay


The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

BlacKkKlansman
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
If Beale Street Could Talk
A Star Is Born

What will win: Can You Ever Forgive Me?


Another difficult category to pick. Best Picture nominees BlacKkKlansman or A Star Is Born could take it, but I feel like neither one has the support. The littler film Can You Ever Forgive Me?, a true story, is interesting enough to justify its win here. Plus it'd be great to see a woman win it.


What should win: BlacKkKlansman


I choose the stranger-than-fiction true story of the black police officer who somehow managed to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan and saved lives by preventing an attack. Both suspenseful and funny, and painfully relevant to our times, this film is what America needs today.

I also liked Buster Scruggs, but not every sequence in the anthology film worked very well, and an anthology film is a strange choice to receive a writing Oscar nomination anyway.

Best Original Song


"When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings", The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

"All the Stars", Black Panther
"The Place Where Lost Things Go", Mary Poppins Returns
"I'll Fight", RBG
"Shallow", A Star Is Born

What will win: "Shallow", A Star Is Born


This race is between "All the Stars" and "Shallow", and while it could go either way, my bet is that Star Is Born has this in the bag. It's impossible to listen to without being transported back to the moment you first heard it in the film, when Lady Gaga's Ally embraces her destiny and belts her heart out in front of a stadium full of people.


What should win: "Shallow", A Star Is Born


And I believe it deserves it, although it's only narrowly beating out "All the Stars", the capper to Marvel's superhero flick. I also enjoyed "I'll Fight", basically Ruth Bader Ginsburg's personal power ballad.


Best Original Score


BlacKkKlansman

Black Panther
If Beale Street Could Talk
Isle of Dogs
Mary Poppins Returns

What will win: BlacKkKlansman


This is BlacKkKlansman's best shot at a win, for its 70's-tinged score, perfectly matching the main character. Mary Poppins Returns is also a contender here for effortlessly weaving both old and new songs into the background music. It's got history on its side too: the original Mary Poppins won this award decades ago.


What should win: Black Panther


Many of the nominees have lovely music, but in my humble opinion, Black Panther has the best. It somehow blends traditional African music with techno and exciting action tunes, perfectly blending past with future.


Best Film Editing


BlacKkKlansman

Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Vice

What will win: Vice


This category generally matches whatever wins Best Picture, but since Roma isn't nominated, it's kind of up for grabs. (I am, of course, assuming my predictions are correct. Perhaps foolishly.) Vice is the one with the most noticeable editing, since it's edited in a very specific style, which can simply be described as "Adam McKay tells this bizarre story the only way it makes sense in his mind."


What should win: Vice


Ditto for the reasons listed above. BlacKkKlansman has some effective editing tools, such as juxtaposing two very different scenes together to make a point about people's similarities. The editing for Vice just stands out more.


Best Cinematography


Cold War

The Favourite
Never Look Away
Roma
A Star Is Born

What will win: Roma


Roma likely has this in the bag, since Alfonso Cuarón has proved once again he's the master of the film camera. (He's his own director of photography on this film.) The black and white element holds the film back a little, but probably not enough for the award to go to someone else.


What should win: A Star Is Born


I'm not sure why Roma is in black and white. If it was in color, I would have voted for it here. Instead I choose A Star Is Born, for accomplishing the difficult task of making celebrities relatable by letting us know them intimately, as only a film camera can.


Best Makeup and Hairstyling


Border

Mary Queen of Scots
Vice

What will win: Vice


This one is easy. Christian Bale's transformation into Dick Cheney wasn't all acting- makeup helped complete the picture. For that feat alone, it will win this award. It's also the film with the most support.


What should win: Black Panther...but since it's not nominated, Vice


Ditto for above. Christian Bale into Dick Cheney, Sam Rockwell into George W. Bush, the makeup people went above and beyond for this task.

Why wasn't Black Panther nominated? Did they see that movie??

Best Costume Design


The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Black Panther
The Favourite
Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Queen of Scots

What will win: The Favourite


This award generally goes to the biggest, showiest costumes, which would be either The Favourite or Mary Queen of Scots. As the more beloved of the two films, I give the edge to the former.

Of course, this category is also a major test of the support for Black Panther. It has a decent shot at a win here, although it would be unprecedented. And a win in this category could mean a domino effect which would put these predictions to shame...

What should win: Black Panther


With that in mind, I pick the African superhero movie to win here. The rare film that combines history with fantasy required unique costumes that can't be bought in a store. (But they can be glimpsed in a comic book!)


Best Production Design


Black Panther

The Favourite
First Man
Mary Poppins Returns
Roma

What will win: The Favourite


A twofer for The Favourite would make a lot of sense, for this big, splashy, fun period piece. Roma could take it, but I feel like the production design was not what made the movie great.


What should win: Black Panther


I want to give a shout-out to Mary Poppins Returns for mixing reality with fantasy (and live action and animation!) so effectively, but I can't resist choosing Black Panther again. Wakanda feels like a real place because the filmmakers brought it so vividly to life.


Best Visual Effects


Avengers: Infinity War

Christopher Robin
First Man
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story

What will win: First Man


A very difficult category to predict. If we're objectively going on which film has the best effects, it's either Avengers or Ready Player One for their immersive worlds and breathtakingly realistic motion-capture performances that help advance film as an art form. But First Man is the only non-blockbuster on this list, and the Academy likes giving this award to films that aren't huge summer tentpoles, ie. films you wouldn't expect to have great CGI.


What should win: Avengers: Infinity War


I choose the other Marvel movie nominated this year. I think the visual effects for Avengers and Ready Player One are equally good, but the former is the better film.

The live-action Winnie the Pooh characters in Christopher Robin look very real, but in making them look real, the filmmakers also made them somewhat ugly. And Solo's nomination proves that every Star Wars movie, no matter how bad, has to get at least one token Oscar nomination.

Best Sound Mixing


Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
Roma
A Star Is Born

What will win: Roma


I pick Roma to win here for its larger scenes of Mexico City, which perfectly evoke the time and place. Music-based films do tend to win here, which would be either Bohemian Rhapsody or A Star Is Born, but I suspect those two will split the vote, allowing the favorite film of the year to sneak in and win.


What should win: First Man


With all due respect to Black Panther (its sound helped to establish the world of Wakanda and enhance the action scenes), my pick here is First Man for its viscerally real spaceflight sequences. The Gemini 8 takeoff sequence alone is worthy of an Oscar; the camera stays inside the cockpit, allowing the audience to see and hear everything Neil Armstrong experienced, moment to moment.


Best Sound Editing


Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
A Quiet Place
Roma

What will win: A Quiet Place


While its sole nomination will hold it back some, it's difficult to imagine any other film but A Quiet Place winning here. How many other films are so much about sound? It could be described as a nearly silent film, but that's just for those not listening. Sound is woven so much into the storytelling that dialogue is unnecessary. The thrills- and the emotions- come through largely through what is heard.


What should win: A Quiet Place


Again, I apologize to Black Panther, which I wish could win all the awards. But A Quiet Place was one of the best movies of the year, and a win here is the least I can do to honor it.


Best Animated Feature


Incredibles 2

Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

What will win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse


Typically Disney or Pixar films will win here. But both the Disney and Pixar films nominated are sequels! And the stronger of the two, Incredibles 2, is nowhere near as beloved as the original The Incredibles (which won this award years ago). Although it's a strange choice, Spider-Man is one of the best movies of the year, animated or otherwise. It's totally original, wildly visually inventive, very funny, and has a diverse cast to boot. This will become the first animated Sony film to win in this category.


What should win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse


Incredibles 2 was well-made and Ralph 2 was fun, but it's Spider-Man that delivered the thrills, the laughs, and the psychedelic visuals. I groaned when I first heard there was going to be an animated Spider-Man film. Boy, was I wrong! More, please!


Best Foreign Language Film


Capernaum

Cold War
Never Look Away
Roma
Shoplifters

What will win: Roma


Shoplifters won the Palme d'Or, and Cold War has established itself as a force to be reckoned with, but this is still Roma's award to lose. The general consensus is that Alfonso Cuarón has made his masterpiece. The fact that the Mexican film has been on Netflix for months has certainly helped it get seen; the other films on this list are hard to find. An upset by Cold War is very possible, but I stick with my choice.


What should win: ?


I haven't seen enough of the nominees to make an informed choice.


Best Documentary Feature


Free Solo

Hale County This Morning This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
RBG

What will win: Free Solo


This category is a close race between Free Solo and RBG. The first person to climb El Capitan without a rope, or a feel-good biography of everyone's favorite Supreme Court justice? While many would feel the urge to vote for RBG in these politically turbulent times, Free Solo is a movie which lends itself particularly well to the big screen. (Vertigo sufferers, beware!) It's a pulse-pounding experience, even though the ending is not in question. People remember that feeling long after watching the movie, so I bet it will get the votes.


What should win: Free Solo


I'm still reeling from Won't You Be My Neighbor? getting snubbed. What do you people have against Mr. Rogers?! In leiu of that film, I pick Free Solo, although I did also enjoy RBG very much.


Best Live Action Short


Detainment

Fauve
Marguerite
Mother
Skin

What will win: Skin


Skin is the only English-language American film of the bunch, and thus will win. Yes, the Academy is that fickle.


What should win: ?


I haven't seen enough of the nominees to make an informed choice.


Best Animated Short


Animal Behaviour

Bao
Late Afternoon
One Small Step
Weekends

What will win: Bao


Typically this award doesn't go to the big studio film unless it's something special. The Pixar short Bao (it ran theatrically with Incredibles 2) is something special. It's worth noting that both Bao and One Small Step are visually stunning heartstring-tuggers about relationships between parents and children. So it's very possible One Small Step will win, but Bao has been around for months and has a much larger fan base.


What should win: Bao


How to make your audience cry in less than ten minutes: watch Bao, one of Pixar's best short films. And that's saying something coming from the studio that's made at least five short masterpieces.


Best Documentary Short


Black Sheep

End Game
Lifeboat
A Night at the Garden
Period. End of Sentence.

What will win: Period. End of Sentence.


No, it's not about grammar. This feel-good Netflix doc about women taking control of their periods, and thus their lives, is the one to beat here. The best of the "important" docs is Lifeboat, but this category typically goes for feel-good over important.


What should win: Lifeboat


I enjoyed Period, but I'm going for the important film. It's about a volunteer group who rescues refugees from the ocean. Tough to watch at times, but vitally important for those concerned with what's happening in the world. (That should be all of you.)

Ironically, A Night at the Garden, while powerful, is actually too short to be satisfying as a short documentary!

That's it, all 24 categories. We can rest assured that all the awards will be presented live instead of given away during the commercial breaks. This year's nominees are all over the place, so it's possible I got all of these wrong. We'll all find out together this Sunday, February 24th, on ABC. 

See you at the movies!