Best Picture – The Brutalist
I understand that Anora is getting a lot of buzz, and generally, the campaigns leading into the big night are important for the legacy footprint of the films in question, but they surely can’t – can they?
For those who haven’t seen Anora, please do not watch it with your parents.
It would be challenging to do a supercut or even a montage of this film without total x-rated raunch, and I don’t see a world in which they can roll soft porn out and damage the miraged self-righteousness of the Academy.
The only other film on this list worth a nod is The Brutalist. And I can’t help but feel if it were an hour shorter, it would be the odds-on favourite, too.
Best Director – Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)
But, Andrew, how can we say the film is an hour too long and then give Best Director to the chap who directed it? Well, editing is a separate category.
Does The Brutalist look, feel, and appear grandiose? Absolutely. Corbet’s tone is the only thing that gives this film a chance—but what a chance.
And the thing about Anora? The performances and the screenplay are certainly what makes it tick. In terms of direction? Not quite. This is a reminder that Best Director and Best Picture have only been split six times since 2005.
Best Actor – Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
I swear this is the last Oscar on this piece for this film. But Brody holds the aces in a market where the Academy know they can’t do an anti-DiCaprio by giving Chalamet too many awards this early in his career.
He was nominated for Best Actor at 21 for Call Me By Your Name, and he’s clearly becoming the go-to for high-end directors. That, and the fact he steers clear of Marvel, means he could win ten of these if the Academy aren’t careful.
Biopics are way down the priority list.
Brody could have gone on to greater things after winning this award for the Pianist all those years ago, but being too loyal to Wes Anderson and becoming notoriously picky with scripts has landed him here.
Call it a pseudo career achievement award for a man over 50 who took the road less travelled if you like, but he’s taking this.
Best Actress – Mikey Madison (Anora)
Incredibly, she accomplished what she did in this film at her age and with limited experience.
The entire film revolves around her, and the physical and emotional demands of the role should see her pip Demi Moore.
I say that for two reasons – body horror is a sickness in Hollywood, and I’m not sure The Substance being applauded for highlighting the misgivings is welcomed.
On top of that, totally maligning Anora for its content is silly.
It’s a film carried by one person, and an easy out for the Academy is to highlight her emergence as a star rather than give two thumbs up to a film that’s impossible to market.
Best Supporting Actress – Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez)
Emilia Perez is the most confusing Oscar film I’ve ever seen. It might be a weird ‘tweener film, but it got thirteen nominations despite being neither musical nor drama.
But that’s not the point. The message was poignant, the film was done entirely on a soundstage—an unheard-of feat and a real throwback—and trans actress Karla Sofia Gascon was impeccable.
And then she took to Twitter, and as we all know – that’s usually the end of all things positive. It plummeted.
You could argue that Saldana plays an equally important role, given that the success of the plot centres around her ability to act.
With her being pushed into the spotlight for the film following the social media mishap, I expect them to give her a grace award in spite of Gascon’s antics.
Tough gig.
Best Supporting Actor – Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)
This is one of the best acting performances full-stop.
I understand the parameters of the award and that, in theory, Jesse Eisenberg’s presence means he couldn’t be put up for the Best Actor gong, but he might have justified it.
It’s increasingly difficult to display human indifference to a horrible world, particularly as Hollywood is entrenched in facilitating division.
But Culkin’s performance in this gives a glimpse of what raw, emotional acting can produce in a film that’s not shoving it down your throat for clout.
Nobody else on the list comes close.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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