Tonight is the 92nd annual Academy Awards and for the 12th year in a row I’ve completed Operation Oscar -- watching all the films nominated in the major categories. Here is my yearly recap of the movies along with my predictions.
Best Picture Unlike the rest of the categories where Academy members vote for one winner, the Best Picture category is determined by a preferential ballot where each choice is ranked. Here is my personal ranking of each of the nominees with a brief review. 1. Parasite I really loved the tone shifts in this movie. It managed to be humorous, sad, and suspenseful at different times, and sometimes all at once. It was original and wasn’t predictable. I hate that the actors were overlooked in the acting categories, but I’m glad the film has done so well this award season. 2. Jojo Rabbit This movie surprised me -- I didn’t think I was going to like it when I started it. It was definitely weird, but it had a good message and was a well made film. Scarlett Johannson did a wonderful job and I think Roman Griffin Davis absolutely should have received an acting nomination. 3. Little Women This is the movie I’m most likely to watch multiple times. Greta Gerwig did a wonderful job writing a fresh script for a story that has been told so many times. The star-studded cast all did a fantastic job with their roles. 4. 1917 At my best estimation, there have been 15+ war movies in the 12 years I’ve been doing Operation Oscar. So, did we need another one? It wasn’t particularly good or bad to me, but it was a beautifully shot film. I thought George MacKay did a wonderful job, and Sam Mendes makes great movies. 5. Ford v Ferrari I would’ve liked this movie more if it hadn’t totally glossed over a major plot point near the ending. There was a lot of hype and then a bit of a flat ending. Christian Bale is a great actor and gives a stellar performance. 6. Marriage Story The writing was a bit overwrought and came across as pretentious at times. Laura Dern absolutely makes this movie. 7. The Irishman Jimmy Hoffa and his disappearance are fascinating subjects -- so I’m not sure how Martin Scorsese managed to make a mostly boring film. It was way too long and needed more action. 8. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood I’m not a Tarantino fan, but this movie wasn’t terrible. The story was a bit weird, but the acting was good. 9. Joker I didn’t expect to like this movie, but I didn’t like it for different reasons than I imagined. I mostly just didn’t get the point and thought it wasn’t a well made movie. There are good things about it -- good acting, good cinematography -- but for me overall it just wasn’t Best Picture worthy. Prediction: 1917 I’m pretty confident in my pick, but I wouldn’t be stunned if Parasite or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood pull off an upset. Best Director Prediction: Sam Mendes, 1917 My pick: Bong Joon-ho, Parasite Greta Gerwig should’ve been nominated for Little Women. Best Actor Prediction: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker My pick: Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes Pryce was transformative as Pope Francis and I enjoyed that film much more than I was expecting. Best Actress Prediction: Renée Zellweger, Judy My pick: Charlize Theron, Bombshell Best Supporting Actor Prediction: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood My pick: Al Pacino, The Irishman Pacino is one of the best actors of our time and he was by far the best part of The Irishman to me. Best Supporting Actress Prediction: Laura Dern, Marriage Story My pick: Margot Robbie, Bombshell I will be thrilled when Dern wins her first Oscar tonight and she was my favorite part of Marriage Story. She did a great job in the role, but for me I give Robbie a slight edge. I liked the depth and range she brought to her performance in Bombshell. This category is the toughest for me this year because all of these performances were good. Best Adapted Screenplay Prediction: Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit My pick: Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit Best Original Screenplay Prediction: Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite My pick: Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite It’s possible 1917 or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood walk away with this award, but I’m banking on Parasite. I thought Knives Out was a good film and a well written screenplay, but there were a few parts in the movie where I didn’t like the way the story was told instead of shown. Check out my full picks: https://www.goldderby.com/my-predictions/jordan_pittman/oscars-2020/
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