Five Oscar Picks for 2023

With the Oscars coming up on March 12th, the official nominations and predictions for the winners have been popping up everywhere so I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring.

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once – Best Acting and VFX

11 total nominations 

Given the recent wins from other awards such as the Golden Globes and SAG, it might not be surprising that this movie is my top pick for any and all acting categories. These actors had to portray emotions from all over the spectrum, sometimes simultaneously. Along with visuals (which they were not actually nominated for), the acting for EEAAO is arguably the best of the 2022 releases. Following a weary Chinese-American immigrant who has to complete her taxes, the movie transports the viewers through the multiverse of life and asks the question of what makes our particular life and world special. Let’s not forget Sarah Finn, the casting director, who has also been a part of the Marvel and Star Wars casting process. It’s safe to say that she deserves her own award for helping to cast this movie. I also have to give a special shout-out to Stephanie Hsu who, fun fact, was supposed to be in Crazy Rich Asians instead of Awkwafina. Thankfully, she was able to take this role and bless us with her portrayal of Joy.

Tár – Best Director and Best Cinematography

6 total nominations

While Cate Blanchett shines in this role, director Todd Field and cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister create some of the best moments of the film that you don’t think about till after seeing the film. It’s the subtlety of everyone around Tár, including the camera, that allows her downward spiral to feel all the more intense. We follow Tár, a renowned conductor, and the self-inflicted downfall of her career and personal life. While the character believes that life revolves around music, the viewer revolves around her instead. There’s one shot where Tár stands teaching a lesson at Julliard which actually has her placed farther back than the students to make her seem small. Instead, however, we’re still focused on her because of the line of sight Field has set up. No matter what, there’s no shifting focus from Tár and her story.

The Banshees of Inisherin – Best Screenplay

9 total nominations

For screenplays, I decided to focus specifically on originals not adapted since I haven’t been able to look into the works that the movies were adapted from. 

While promoted as a comedy, this movie follows the tone of other Martin McDonagh’s works. It’s a very dark comedy that paints the story of lifelong two friends who suddenly separate. It’s about grudges and the impact they will have on a community, the Irish Civil War standing in as the backdrop. If you couldn’t tell yet, it’s a very Irish movie. There’s a very heavy sense of metaphor on the whole, but even without that McDonagh is able to create a simple story with effective character arcs. The emotional connection between the entire town keeps events moving forward on this tiny island of Inisherin and the dry humor in the dialogue allows a sense of relief to contrast with some of the darker moments. I am also a sucker for scripts that read like plays, with dialogue-heavy pages and action lines that are short and to the point.

Avatar: The Way of Water; Devotion – Best Soundtracks

4 total nominations for Avatar: WOW and 0 for Devotion

Soundtracks create the atmosphere for the movie. Analyzing the ones on the Oscars Shortlist, I thought about how the music both added to the movie and created the theme separately. Avatar: TWOW and Devotion were tied for me so I put both down. James Horner, who composed the first movie’s soundtrack, was able to create a beautiful fantasy world and Simon Franglen continues that for this movie (note that Horner died in 2015 which was why he did not compose for this film). Fantasy compositions are a difficult genre, as the composer has to make it feel “otherworldly” and as a sequel, it has to add something new to the original soundtrack. Franglen is able to check both boxes by creating brand new instruments for the movie and continuing themes from the original to allow a sense of familiarity for the listeners.

Chanda Dancy, the composer for Devotion, takes a different approach and older approach. Her classic orchestral score takes you back to the big blockbuster movie you’d see over the summer. For a movie about pilots, her composition is very grounded and comforting to those who are casual listeners of movie soundtracks, which makes it all the more appealing for multiple listens. Dancy is able to paint a picture using the 109-piece orchestra that, on its own, creates a story filled with love. Note, she was not nominated for this category.

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio – Best Animated Film

1 total nomination

In a stop-motion style movie, Guillermo del Toro once again is able to create magic and a whole new world for the viewers. The team of 375 artists painstakingly moved and shot the puppets, each with multiple facial expressions and movements. Even taking out the animation style, as it differs from the rest of the potential nominations, del Toro takes the story of Pinocchio and goes deeper, many times darker, than the original and Disney’s version. This story of the puppet-turned-boy takes place during fascist Italy in the 1930s. There’s not really much magic in this version, keeping with the realistic tone del Toro is known for and instead of a circus, Pinocchio is drafted into the war. The most startling change however is the theme. Del Toro takes the idea of obedience and flips it on its head, having Pinocchio be disobedient while everyone else followed the crowd. This theme expands on the government’s influence throughout the film and gives a unique spin on the classic tale. 

Who do you think will win Best Picture? Was anyone or any film “snubbed” this year?