With the Oscars a few days away and the excitement of seeing the results for the year 2023, here are my predictions on who the winners will be in select categories.
The voting is done by over 1,000 Academy members.
Best picture is the only category that all members can vote to nominate. After the nominations are in, every academy member is allowed to vote for every category.
- Best Picture
- “The Zone of Interest”
- “Barbie”
- “Anatomy of a Fall”
- “Poor Things”
- “American Fiction”
- “Maestro”
- “The Holdovers”
- “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- “Past Lives”
- “Oppenheimer”
“Oppenheimer” has dominated the awards season, taking home Best Picture at the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs. Christopher Nolan’s 12th feature film follows J. Robert Oppenheimer and the development of the atomic bomb. The film is very deserving as it demonstrates mastery in each element of cinema. The film also came at the right time as society deals with major advances in technology. The film serves as a warning that ego and ambition can delude us to the reality of consequences. “Oppenheimer” takes its time with its pacing and script to make you think deeply and challenge your beliefs.
2. Best Sound
- “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning”
- “Maestro”
- “The Creator”
- “Oppenheimer”
- “The Zone of Interest”
“The Zone of Interest” expertly uses sound to create the intended feeling of dread and sickness for the audience. The background noise and the forefront noise contrast to highlight the themes of the film. After leaving the theater I couldn’t get the sounds that would play behind the blank black screen out of my head.
3. Best Actor
- Jeffrey Wright – “American Fiction”
- Bradley Cooper – “Maestro”
- Colman Domingo – “Rustin”
- Paul Giamatti – “The Holdovers”
- Cillian Murphy – “Oppenheimer”
Murphy embodies the role of a genius who has the power to destroy the world. But rather he is quite naive and his ego gets ahead of him. Murphy’s ability to make you feel the conflict within him drives the conflict in you.
4. Best Actress
- Annette Bening – “Nyad”
- Carey Mulligan – “Maestro”
- Sandra Hüller – “Anatomy of a Fall”
- Emma Stone – “Poor Things”
- Lily Gladstone – “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Gladstone’s performance and range was stunning and stole every scene she was in as Mollie Burkhart. Her performance kept just enough information away from you to keep you curious and gave you just enough information to highlight and strengthen the emotional moments.
5. Best Cinematography
- Rodrigo Preito – “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- Ed Lachman – “El Conde”
- Robbie Ryan – “Poor Things”
- Matthew Libatique – “Maestro”
- Hoyte van Hoytema – “Oppenheimer”
Hoyte van Hoytema is known for his stunning work with Christopher Nolan and other directors. He really brought together the two countering worlds of the story that Nolan wanted to show. Hoytema’s choices brought you into the world and emphasized the conflict you felt in yourself.
6. Best Supporting Actor
- Sterling K. Brown – “American Fiction”
- Robert D. Niro – “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- Mark Ruffalo – “Poor Things”
- Ryan Gosling – “Barbie”
- Robert Downey Jr. – “Oppenheimer”
Downey Jr. played the countering force to Murphy’s Oppenheimer. He is always an excellent actor but really went ahead of himself in “Oppenheimer,” demonstrating his range and ability to fall deep into a character.
7. Best Supporting Actress
- America Ferrara – “Barbie”
- Danielle Brooks – “The Color Purple”
- Jodie Foster – “Nyad”
- Emily Blunt – “Oppenheimer”
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph – “The Holdovers”
Randolph’s performance in the Holdovers really brought the jolly spirit to everyone, not just people who were confined somewhere for the holidays.
8. Best Animated Feature
- “Elemental”
- “Nimona”
- “Robot Dreams”
- “Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse”
- “The Boy and the Heron”
“The Boy and the Heron” has been widely appreciated across the world. The film came out much later than many of the others but cemented itself as part of the conversation the moment it premiered.
9. Best Editing
- “Anatomy of a Fall”
- “The Holdovers”
- “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- “Poor Things”
- “Oppenheimer”
“Oppenheimer’s” editing allowed for a three-hour movie to feel like a rollercoaster from start to finish. The pacing was on point and every moment felt perfectly accounted for.
10. Best Adapted Screenplay
- “Barbie”
- “Poor Things”
- “Oppenheimer”
- “The Zone of Interest”
- “American Fiction”
“American Fiction” had a well thought out structure with sharp, well-placed comedic dialogue. It had a lot to say and didn’t hold back from saying it loudly.
11. Best Screenplay
- “May December”
- “Maestro”
- “The Holdovers”
- “Past Lives”
- “Anatomy of a Fall”
“Anatomy of a Fall,” a French courtroom drama, is uplifted by an excellent script with thought-provoking dialogue. The story unfolds a brilliant and engaging way that carries you along.
12. Best Director
- Jonathan Glazer – “The Zone of Interest”
- Yorgos Lanthimos – “Poor Things”
- Martin Scorsese – “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- Justine Triet – “Anatomy of a Fall”
- Christopher Nolan – “Oppenheimer”
Christopher Nolan’s care and dedication to his projects is unmatched. Whether it’s blowing up a plane or hospital, or building an entire city from scratch he has always given everything he does the utmost care and attention to detail. With “Oppenheimer” that hasn’t changed.
13. Best International Feature
- “Lo Capitano” – Italy
- “Perfect Days” – Japan
- “Society of the Snow” – Spain
- “The Teachers’ Lounge” – Germany
- “The Zone of Interest” – United Kingdom
This movie will never leave me. It will make you feel terrible, disgusted, sick and reflective of a dark past and a passion to prevent anything like it from happening again. It is subtle and not subtle, cloaked behind an illusion where everything is understood and not spoken. In my opinion, it is deserving of Best Picture.
