“As it turns out, I’m capable of much unpleasantness.”
Tonight’s the night. After one of the more scattershot awards circuits in recent memory, we’ve finally arrived at Oscar Sunday. How this year’s ceremony plays out is anybody’s guess, as it features no host, categories that have been removed and then re-added to the televised proceedings, and a truly unpredictable Best Picture race. As is becoming tradition, in this walk-through I offer nothing in the form of substantive predictions, opting instead to opine about the successes and shortcomings within each field of nominees before landing on my personal choices to win.
When in doubt, “First Reformed” was robbed. Let’s begin.
DIRECTING
- “BlacKkKlansman” – Spike Lee
- “Cold War” – Paweł Pawlikowski
- “The Favourite” – Yorgos Lanthimos
- “Roma” – Alfonso Cuarón
- “Vice” – Adam McKay
Before saying anything about the actual nominees here, it’s important to note that every once and while you come across a category which proves that the Academy at-large just didn’t see a certain movie. Nowhere is that truer this year than with this category and Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here.” What’s worse is that this isn’t simply the byproduct of a cluttered awards season, seeing as the film was an early release that has been streaming on Prime Video for months.
Fortunately, the Academy has left a few routes open to redemption, as Spike Lee, Paweł Pawlikowski, and Alfonso Cuarón are all brilliant selections. I’ve talked about “BlacKkKlansman” at length, and I still believe that it’s the one of the strongest examples of clearly articulated and immaculately executed directorial intent that’s out there. Lanthimos is nominated a year too late, although I suppose if I squint my eyes I can pretend that this nomination is actually for 2017’s “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and all of its inscrutable, labyrinthine horrors (see here for my review of the modern classic). As for “Vice,” I’d argue that I’m more bullish on McKay’s direction than most, but even I don’t think it belongs amid this discussion given how much of the movie fell peculiarly flat.
Also, and I say this with the utmost sincerity, J.A. Bayona’s work on “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” is one of the most inventive ways I’ve ever seen a director wrestle with and ultimately harness the hidden power of an unambiguously terrible script; in my world, that warrants a nomination. Someday people will come around to this movie, and I’ll be waiting on the bandwagon with open arms.
My Pick: “BlacKkKlansman” – Spike Lee
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
- “The Favourite” – Deborah Davis & Tony McNamara
- “First Reformed” – Paul Schrader
- “Green Book” – Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, & Peter Farrelly
- “Roma” – Alfonso Cuarón
- “Vice” – Adam McKay
In any other year, I’d try to be a good sport here and acknowledge that Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara’s barbed, hilarious writing of “The Favourite” would be a terrific winner. However—
This is Paul Schrader’s first Oscar nomination.
Normally I’d concede that Alfonso Cuarón’s staggeringly impressive command of seemingly every facet of filmmaking in creating “Roma” is beyond-worthy of the gold. But—
Paul Schrader, the writer of “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull,” has just now received his first Oscar nomination.
Honestly, I’m too tired to talk about “Green Book’s” nomination for writing. Suffice it to say that that a movie about racism in the 1950s might not be the best work in which to shoehorn a “Didn’t We All Learn Something From Each Other Today?” message.
“Vice” is also nominated, which is like… sure.
Just give Paul Schrader his damn Oscar!
My favorite quote of his is from an excellent Vox interview concerning the faith-based nature of his work, and it’s one that returns to me single time “First Reformed” enters my mind: “That’s a great thing for an artist to accomplish: cleave a crevice in the viewer’s skull that they have to somehow close.”
My Pick: “First Reformed” – Paul Schrader
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
- “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” – Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
- “BlacKkKlansman” – Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, & Spike Lee
- “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” – Nicole Holofcener & Jeff Whitty
- “If Beale Street Could Talk” – Barry Jenkins
- “A Star Is Born” – Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, & Will Fetters
This line-up flat-out rules. Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty’s unassuming screenplay for “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” effectively distills a vast range of emotional complexity into something impressively conjunct and immensely palatable. Joel and Ethan Coen remain at the top of their game; “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” is comprised of a series of well-written vignettes, though the strongest aspect of the screenplay is how it effectively ties them all together in a thematically elevating manner. The stirring words of “BlacKkKlansman” speak loudly the uncomfortable truths which still today moor American society to its racist traditions. Barry Jenkins’ screenplay for “If Beale Street Could Talk” rolls like long-form poetry that reflects a profound love for its characters and a reverence for James Baldwin’s original work. “A Star Is Born’s” writing is the weakest of the group, but it still manages to revive a storytelling sensibility that evokes a classic Hollywood style.
My Pick: “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” – Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
- “Black Panther” – Ludwig Goransson
- “BlacKkKlansman” – Terence Blanchard
- “If Beale Street Could Talk” – Nicholas Britell
- “Isle of Dogs” – Alexandre Desplat
- “Mary Poppins Returns” – Marc Shaiman
This year the Academy was able to continue its streak of strong Original Score line-ups. Terence Blanchard’s thematic work in “BlacKkKlansman” teems with an adamant verve, and “Photo Opps” (an overhauled version of his track, “Photo Ops,” from Spike Lee’s “Inside Man”) somehow manages to tether the film to its bold, nightmarish, and strikingly effective epilogue. The “Black Panther” soundtrack is stellar from top to bottom, but, even if it were not, Ludwig Goransson would have earned this nomination solely for a fifteen second stretch in the track “Burn it All.” The “Isle of Dogs” and “Mary Poppins Returns” scores were, indeed, lovely, although I can’t say I’ve felt compelled to return to either since their screenings.
Like last year, one nominee towers above the rest. Nicholas Britell’s music for “If Beale Street Could Talk” somehow rises to meet the irrepressible richness of James Laxton’s cinematography. Taken together, the visual and auditory components of the film overwhelm the senses, evoking in viewers a type of wondrous awe which serves the love at the story’s heart. It’s pure magic.
My Pick: “If Beale Street Could Talk” – Nicholas Britell
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
- “Detainment” – Vincent Lambe & Darren Mahon
- “Fauve” – Jeremy Comte & Maria Gracia Turgeon
- “Marguerite” – Marianne Farley & Marie-Hélène Panisset
- “Madre” – Rodrigo Sorogoyen & María del Puy Alvarado
- “Skin” – Guy Nattiv & Jaime Ray Newman
Short films are tight, focused concentrations of craftsmanship that serve as cornerstones of development for many an aspiring feature-length director, and it’s fantastic that the Academy honors them. That being said—this is a relentlessly upsetting bunch of short films and I would heartily advise against watching them all in one go.
Bookended by a haunting vision and driven by Marta Nieto’s phenomenal lead performance, “Madre” centers on a conversation between a mother on the phone with her young son, lost and alone on a faraway beach after being left by his father. In “Fauve,” viewers watch as two boys play recklessly in an industrial area; its edge grows ever-sharper as they take turns unknowingly pushing each other towards increasingly greater peril. “Marguerite” is an aching portrait of a forbidden love and its lifelong repercussions. You can search for details about “Detainment” if you so choose, but I promise you that you’re happier right now than you will be if you do, so maybe don’t. Lastly, “Skin” is a study of racist violence, its perpetrators, its enablers, and how irrational hate is passed down through generations.
My Pick: “Madre” – Rodrigo Sorogoyen & María del Puy Alvarado
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
- “Animal Behaviour” – Alison Snowden & David Fine
- “Bao” – Domee Shi & Becky Neiman-Cobb
- “Late Afternoon” – Louise Bagnall & Nuria González Blanco
- “One Small Step” – Andrew Chesworth & Bobby Pontillas
- “Weekends” – Trevor Jimenez
I went to see this group of shorts immediately after the Live Action round, telling myself that I’d just walk out of the theater if the first one made me sad. Fortunately, the opening selection was “Bao,” the charming Pixar short with gorgeous animation and a touching story. “Late Afternoon” is a portrayal of dementia which manages to be elusively sad and sweetly heartening in equal measure. “Animal Behavior” is a comedy about anthropomorphic creatures in therapy whose jokes didn’t land for me, but I can see its appeal. “Weekends” serves up imagery both youthfully imaginative and haunting (often simultaneously) as it follows a child who splits time living with separated parents. “One Small Step” is a straightforward, emotionally impactful work that traces the childhood of an astronaut and the ever-present influence of her supportive father.
My Pick: “Weekends” – Trevor Jimenez
FILM EDITING
- “BlacKkKlansman” – Barry Alexander Brown
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” – John Ottman
- “The Favourite” – Yorgos Mavropsaridis
- “Green Book” – Patrick J. Don Vito
- “Vice” – Hank Corwin
So… Huh, okay. Alright, fine.
“Green Book’s” inclusion in this category is a predictable consequence of it being a technically proficient Best Picture front-runner, but “Bohemian Rhapsody’s” nomination might be the singularly most confounding choice across the entire slate. Not only are the cuts in the movie not “the best,” they’re often actively distracting, sometimes comically so. In any given scene, the film’s camera seems to be motivated primarily by making sure viewers don’t forget that certain characters are, in fact, still present and listening to the conversation at hand.
Anyway, that leaves “BlacKkKlansman,” “The Favourite,” and “Vice,” and all are worthy options. At the risk of being suckered by the film with the “most” editing, I was impressed by Hank Corwin’s largely successful effort to wring coherence from “Vice’s” disjunct components. The picture could have easily unraveled into a pile of incoherent threads were it not for a sure hand in the cutting room (although I’m sure some would say that it did so nonetheless). Missing in a fairly glaring way are Walter Fasano’s work on “Suspiria” and Joe Bini’s on “You Were Never Really Here,” either of which I’d take over the rest of the field, but what can you do (besides not nominating “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Green Book,” I guess)?
My Pick: “Vice” – Hank Corwin
CINEMATOGRAPHY
- “Cold War” – Łukasz Żal
- “The Favourite” – Robbie Ryan
- “Never Look Away” – Caleb Deschanel
- “Roma” – Alfonso Cuarón
- “A Star Is Born” – Matthew Libatique
Presented in the “Academy ratio” and captured in a chilled grey scale coloration, “Cold War” is a gorgeous, serene spectacle of inevitable love. Alongside “Roma,” it’s curious to see that two black-and-white movies are nominated for their photography. Both are period pieces, and the decision for each evokes a uniquely nuanced timelessness. I think that the palette feels slightly more essential to Łukasz Żal’s cinematography which flirts with a noir-esque aesthetic, but both films have forged beautifully iconic looks.
My Pick: “Cold War” – Łukasz Żal
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
- Mahershala Ali – “Green Book”
- Adam Driver – “BlacKkKlansman”
- Sam Elliott – “A Star Is Born”
- Richard E. Grant – “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
- Sam Rockwell – “Vice”
Richard E. Grant delivers a poignant, radiant performance as Jack Hock, Lee Israel’s friend and accomplice in her letter-falsifying scheme. Grant celebrates the film’s humanity and deftly helps to guide its tone as it navigates the story’s (largely) true events.
My Pick: Richard E. Grant – “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
- Amy Adams – “Vice”
- Marina de Tavira – “Roma”
- Regina King – “If Beale Street Could Talk”
- Emma Stone – “The Favourite”
- Rachel Weisz – “The Favourite”
Everything about “If Beale Street Could Talk” overflows with love and empathy for the film’s characters, and Regina King’s brilliant turn as Sharon Rivers is no exception. The unwavering, lyrical nature of her performance weaves seamlessly into the film’s tapestry, uplifting the entire work.
My Pick: Regina King – “If Beale Street Could Talk”
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
- Christian Bale – “Vice”
- Bradley Cooper – “A Star Is Born”
- Willem Dafoe – “At Eternity’s Gate”
- Rami Malek – “Bohemian Rhapsody”
- Viggo Mortensen – “Green Book”
It is very good that the Academy nominated Ethan Hawke for his work in “First Reformed.” His turn as Reverend Toller is introspective and captivating, and voting to include him in this group must have been an absolute no-brainer. I am very glad and I look forward to seeing him win the statue of the golden man.
Hooray for Ethan Hawke!
My Pick: Bradley Cooper – “A Star Is Born”
My Pick: Ethan Hawke – “First Reformed”
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
- Yalitza Aparicio – “Roma”
- Glenn Close – “The Wife”
- Olivia Colman – “The Favourite”
- Lady Gaga – “A Star Is Born”
- Melissa McCarthy – “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
In “The Wife,” Glenn Close’s performance as Joan Castleman reflects a lifelong struggle with structural inequity that reaches its zenith as her husband is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. To say much more would be to risk treading on the film’s expertly mounted layers of tension, but Close is extraordinary.
My Pick: Glenn Close – “The Wife”
BEST PICTURE
- “Black Panther”
- “BlacKkKlansman”
- “Bohemian Rhapsody”
- “The Favourite”
- “Green Book”
- “Roma”
- “A Star Is Born”
- “Vice”
To provide a bit more context for my thoughts than I usually do, I’ve published the complete rankings of every movie I watched in 2018. It’s safe to say that this isn’t quite the field I would have selected, but if “Roma” or “BlacKkKlansman” are able to win the top prize then everything is awesome.
My Pick: “Roma”
On the Image 
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