Mike's Fearless Oscar Picks

As with past years I am picking who I think will win, not who I want to win.  I will also give you a possible winner if I feel that the category isn’t a lock.  Actual winners highlighted in green.

Best Picture:  Nomadland

Best Achievement in Directing:  Chloé Zhao - Nomadland

Best Actor:  Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom   Could win:  Anthony Hopkins - The Father

Best Actress:  Viola Davis - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom    Could win:  Frances McDormand - Nomadland

Best Supporting Actor:  Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah    Could win:  Sacha Baron Cohen - The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Supporting Actress:  Yuh-Jung Youn - Minari   Could win:  Olivia Coleman - The Father

Best Original Screenplay:  Promising Young Woman - Emerald Fennell    Could win:  Aaron Sorkin - The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Father - Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller

  Could win:  Nomadland - Chloé Zhao 

Best Animated Feature:  Soul    Could win:  Wolfwalkers

Best Production Design:   Mank - Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale

Best Cinematography:  Nomadland - Joshua James Richards   Could win:  Mank - Erik Messerschmidt

Best Costume Design:  Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom - Ann Roth   Could Win: Mank - Trish Summerville

Best Film Editing:   Sound of Metal - Mikkell E. G. Nielsen

Best Makeup and Hair:  Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – Mia Neal, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Jamika Wilson

Best Sound:  Sound of Metal – Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés, Phillip Bladh    Could win:  Soul – Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker

Best Visual Effects:  Tenet – Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley, Santiago Colomo Martinez

Best Original Score:  Soul – Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Best Original Song:  Speak Now from One Night in Miami – Leslie Odom Jr., Sam Ashworth  Could win:  Húsavík from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga - Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson  (Fight For You - Judas and the Black Messiah)

Best Documentary Feature:  My Octopus Teacher  Could win:  Collective

Best International Feature:  Another Round    Could win:  Quo Vadis, Aida 

Best Live Action Short:  Two Distant Strangers   Could win:  Feeling Through

Best Animated Short:  If Anything Happens I Love You   Could win:  Opera

Best Documentary Short:  A Concerto Is a Conversation   Could win: Colette

Get Out

My View:  Get Out  (2017)  R  College students Rose (Allison Williams) and Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) have been dating for awhile, and now it’s time for Chris to meet Rose’s parents.  Rose hasn’t told her parents (Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford) about Chris. Rose talks Chris into a visit but doesn’t tell him about the dark secret about her town - that the area has a history of young black men disappearing. This is one of the most unconventional horror films that I have ever seen. It’s a creative film that flips the conventional horror film on its head. The audience I saw this film with ate it up, and yes, it does contain some funny moments, but most of those moments are there to relieve the tension. This is one film that you will not forget. Think The Stepford Wives meets Misery.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   Get Out Website

Family Faire:  Rock Dog  (2017)  PG  Bodi (Luke Wilson) has always known that he was a little different from his father, Khampa  (J.K. Simmons), who feels his son should follow in his own footsteps and protect the flock. Instead, Bodi decides to go to the big city and try and become a rock star like his hero Angus (Eddie Izzard). Combine ugly looking animation with unmemorable original songs and a storyline that is predictable, and you get this film. The film is boring and only very small kids will enjoy this movie.  The only redeemable aspect is J.K. Simmons who does his best to bring some life to this film, but even his efforts aren’t enough to make this movie watchable.   My Rating:  You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Rock Dog Website

Indiefest:  The Red Turtle  (2016)  PG  A man is shipwrecked on a deserted island.  After the man tries numerous attempts to leave the island, a red turtle crawls onto the beach and turns into a woman. The pair eventually form a relationship. The dazzling and exquisite animation make this film a joy to watch. Other than a couple of shouts, there isn’t any dialogue, but the marvelous storyline doesn’t need any. This enchanting and extraordinary film is one that you do not want to miss.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again   The Red Turtle Website

Indiefest:  Bitter Harvest  (2017)  R  Set in the time of the Soviet famine of 1932, a young artist (Max Irons) fights to survive starvation, detainment, and torture to protect his childhood sweetheart (Samantha Barks). Yuri escapes from a Soviet prison and battles to free Ukraine from Stalin’s reign. I wish this was a better film because this is a story that needs to be told, but, sadly, it fails on almost every level. It’s an earnest attempt, but it’s strong in neither the romance nor the drama department. The action sequences are sloppily done, and the dialogue is choppy. The film seems like one of the old made-for-TV movies of the 70s.   My Rating:  Cable   Bitter Harvest Website   

Forgotten Film:  The Thomas Crown Affair  (1968)  R  A playboy bank executive (Steve McQueen) believes he has pulled off the greatest multi-million dollar heist. He might have gotten away with it, but an insurance investigator (Faye Dunaway) is hot on his heels.  McQueen and Dunaway were at their best in this film, and the cinematography by Academy-Award-winning Haskell Wexler is gorgeous. It’s fun to watch the two main characters match wits in this movie, and there are some impressive twists and turns in the plot. The 1999 remake with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo is probably a better film, but it’s a treat to watch McQueen and Dunaway do their magic on the screen.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   The Thomas Crowne Affair Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Bitter Harvest:  Art Tuition

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Table 19  (2017)  PG-13  Ex-maid of honor Eloise (Anna Kendrick), after being dumped by the best man.  She decides to attend the wedding anyway and is assigned to the losers table, table 19. You had me at Anna Kendrick.   Table 19 Website

Until Next Time!