Listen, this should be a fun old time the Academy Awards, yet, somehow utter dross has risen to the top and we have films that are nominated and likely to win (and have been winning) that should not even be on the shortlist never mind nominated. Its an utter shambles in my opinion. Its so bad that the Academy are even letting a horror film into a lot of these categories.
What films should not be in you ask? Well let be roll up these little sleeves and tell you, and for some of you out there, you will vehemently disagree and that’s fine, art is subjective and all that jazz, but these films are not great, I am not sure I have seen a larger list of three star films that are vying for awards in my life.
Anora, isn’t as good as it has been hyped, in fact its actually quite boring and a rather tone deaf endeavour of a film. A Complete Unknown is as basic as a biopic can get. Dune: Part Two should only be in for technical awards, but Best Picture? Get the hell out of it. Emilia Pérez, the less said about that embarrassment of a film the better for everyone involved. A Real Pain is an indie flick with named actors and an actor in the directors seat that was a dime a dozen 5 years ago and now suddenly its awards worthy? Come on now kids, lets not play silly games, its not that good a film. Wicked looks like someone threw up in it and is bland a musical as you will see. Another that if it wasn’t for the machine behind it, wouldn’t touch the sides of awards season.
Whereas shock horror, the brilliant films have been excluded or will get one little nom as a pat on the back. But this is our lot and I guess we get what we deserve.
Best Picture
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
The Substance
Wicked
Kind of said everything up top there and almost specifically about this category, it don’t matter too much as it’s a battle between The Brutalist and Conclave.
Best International Picture
Emilia Pérez
Flow
I’M Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Giant sigh lads, we know whats winning, it shouldn’t, but we know. I feel this isn’t as competitive as it should be. Vermiglio might get in for Sacred Fig, but it seems a fairly structured group.
Best Documentary
Daughters
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
Only really the last slot (Mine was Porcelain War) looks like the one that could miss out for Black Box Diaries or Will and Harper. The last spots are usually the ones that cause the chaos, so who knows how that one will go!
Best Animated Feature
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
I am not sure this five will change in anyones predictions, it seems so certain. Moana 2 won’t get in and it was the only other true contender.
Best Actor
Adrien Brody “The Brutalist”
Timothée Chalamet “A Complete Unknown”
Daniel Craig “Queer”
Ralph Fiennes “Conclave”
Colmon Domingo “Sing Sing”
Pretty easy category to work out Domingo is the one in danger, but the top four will be certs, with it either being Brody or Fiennes for the win (it all depends on how much that AI enhancement debacle affects Brody)
Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo “Wicked”
Marianne Jean-Baptiste “Hard Truths”
Mikey Madison “Anora”
Demi Moore “The Substance”
Fernanda Torres “I’m Still Here”
Going to be bold and say that Karla Sofía Gascón isn’t going to get the nom and that Marianne Jean-Baptiste gets her spot. Doesn’t much matter as Demi Moore is winning this one.
Best Supporting Actress
Felicity Jones “The Brutalist”
Jamie Lee Curtis “The Last Showgirl”
Ariana Grande “Wicked”
Isabella Rossellini “Conclave”
Zoe Saldaña “Emilia Pérez”
I am going for Jones to get in on this one. Though this category is already in a shambles in my opinion with Granda, Curtis and Saldaña not deserving to be anywhere near a nomination, but as I said at the beginning, a weak year where bad films get the glory is kind of perfect for the shambles of 2024.
Best Supporting Actor
Yura Borisov “Anora”
Kieran Culkin “A Real Pain”
Clarence Maclin “Sing Sing”
Edward Norton “A Complete Unknown”
Guy Pearce “The Brutalist”
Speaking of shambles, Culkin has this sadly wrapped up in a category he shouldn’t even be in, but there isn’t much we can do about that level of category fraud. It’s really between Maclin and Strong for that final spot and I hope Maclin gets it as his performance was stronger and well Sing Sing is just the better film.
Best Director
Jacques Audiard “Emilia Pérez”
Sean Baker “Anora”
Edward Berger “Conclave”
Brady Corbet “The Brutalist”
Coralie Fargeat “The Substance”
Pretty simple category to pick as this group have been following each other around all season. Two shouldn’t be in there, I will let you guess which.
Best Editing
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
A cheeky ABCDE for this one, another where you just think its going to be an easy one to predict.
Best Original Screenplay
Anora
The Brutalist
Hard Truths
A Real Pain
The Substance
Going with Hard Truths is bold, but it bloody deserves something. Though in the end I expect September 5 to get in ahead of it, I just didn’t have the heart not to include it.
Best Adapted Screenplay
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Sing Sing
Wicked
Another pretty simple one to work out, and I can’t see anything getting past Conclave.
Best Sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Gladiator II
Wicked
It’s a fight between Dune: Part Two and Wicked for this one, but as with the rest, this seems like a surefire five.
Best Cinematography
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickle Boys
Nosferatu
I think Emilia Pérez gets in over Nickle Boys, but I can’t allow such a good film not to get a nomination in a category it deserves instead of that trash bag of a film. Everything else is pretty set already, with The Brutalist the certain winner.
Best Production Design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked
Gladiator II could get in, but I doubt it as Nosferatu will have pushed it out this time around.
Best Costume Design
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked
Another simple one if you look how things have been going and while Wicked probably has the win, Dune: Part Two is the real toss up with Maria, but everyone seems to be allergic to Maria, so a wipe out is coming its way.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked
Don’t be surprised to see Dune: Part Two taken out by Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but with so many genre films already in this category I imagine they will go the safer route with Dune.
Best Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
Kick Deadpool & Wolverine out the fuck and lets revel in our chimp overlords. Dune has this sewn up I feel, but this is the five unless Twisters makes an blustery inclusion.
Best Live-Action Short
Anuja
I’m Not a Robot
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
The Masterpiece
An Orange from Jaffa
Always difficult to judge but I can’t but see past Anuja, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent as the definites, the rest could go either way. Anuja for the win I think.
Best Animated Short
A Bear Named Wojtek
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!
Another free for all and one that a would be shocked if anyone got 100% right, A Bear Named Wojtek is the strongest for a nomination, the rest? Who knows. I love it.
Best Documentary Short
Death by Numbers
I am Ready, Warden
Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World
Once Upon a Time in Ukraine
A Swim Lesson
The toughest out of all of the categories in my opinion, other than Once Upon a Time in Ukraine and I am Ready, Warden, it really is an open field nomination wise. I am ready to be horribly wrong on this one!
Best Score
The Brutalist
Challengers
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
The Wild Robot
The last truly set group, this is the only nom Challengers deserves, so hopefully it gets that over Wicked.
Best Original Song
Who gives a fuck.
I mean it, what a terrible award.
