NOMINATIONS ARE IN!!

By mumofthreedevils on January 23, 2018 • ( 1 Comment )

So! The nominations are in.
The next 2 months will be filled with BAFTAs and Oscars.
The BAFTAs will be handed out on Sunday, February 18th while we will then have to wait until Sunday, March 4th for the Oscar winners.

I’ve already given my predictions, or more specifically ‘hopes’ for the BAFTAs, so here are my ‘hopes’ for the Oscars.
I have only listed nominations that really mean anything to me personally.
I’m not a huge animated fan and I don’t watch foreign language films so it would be wrong for me to predict anything, that kind of thing.
So here goes.

Best Picture Nominations.

“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

I have, so far, seen 6 of the 9 nominated movies and as it stands, I would absolutely love to see “Call Me by Your Name” win the title.
Unfortunately, I think it will be overshadowed by “The Shape of Water”
I’ve seen both films and I just don’t get the facination with “The Shape of Water”
I’m hoping that with the current wave of ‘inclusion’ with academy voting, that the LGBT themed “Call Me by Your Name” will win favour.
The fact that it is undoubtedly the better of the two films all round, will hopefully mean it brings home the prize on it’s own merits.

Lead Actor:

Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Timothee is the undoubted winner of this one in my books!!

He gives the bravest performance of the year and his career is going to sky rocket because of it. Look out for this young man.
I don’t doubt that he is in for some strong competition with Gary Oldman in “Darkest Hour” but at the end of the day, we already know Gary Oldman is an incredible actor and this is his 2nd Oscar nomination, he deserves to win…….
BUT
Timothee Chalamet gives a heart wrenching and totally open and honest performance in “Call Me by Your Name” and only at the age of 21 (Whilst filming). I cannot wait to see where his career takes him. If he doesn’t win this year then there will undoubtedly be Oscars in his future.

Lead Actress:

Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

WOW, what a lineup!!
I have seen “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and Frances MxDormand gives a wonderful performance but she is up against Meryl Streep in “The Post”, a film I have yet to see. Saoirse is brilliant in “Lady Bird” but I think Frances and Meryl will be battling this one out.

Supporting Actor:

Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Sam Rockwell!! without a doubt! Brilliant performance.
Such a versatile actor. I’ve loved him in everything I’ve seen him in, especially “Galaxy Quest”! but “Moon” is something else. How he didn’t win an Oscar for that part I’ll never know.
He’s already won a Golden Globe for “Three Billboards” so this could be his year.

Supporting Actress:

Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

I’ve only see 2 of the nominations so I can’t really give an honest opinion but if I was forced to choose, it would be between Octavia Spencer and Laurie Metcalf. Both amazing actresses.

Director:

“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro

Here is my first disappointment.
I am so disappointed that Luca Guadagnino didn’t get a nomination at least for “Call Me by Your Name”.
Out of the nominees, this one will either go to Christopher Nolan or Guillermo del Toro.

Adapted Screenplay:

“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

I have just read the book and the screenplay for “Call Me by Your Name” is amazing.
It captures the essence of the story perfectly.

Original Screenplay:

“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh

“The Big Sick” is a wonderful film. I originally saw it way back in August 2017 and honestly didn’t expect it to crop up in the Oscars at all. This would be well deserved.

Cinematography:

“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins
“Darkest Hour,” Bruno Delbonnel
“Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema
“Mudbound,” Rachel Morrison
“The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen

This is a tough one.
There are some stunning visuals on offer in this category but I’m hoping “Dunkirk” will be enough of an impact to win.

Film Editing:

“Baby Driver,” Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
“Dunkirk,” Lee Smith
“I, Tonya,” Tatiana S. Riegel
“The Shape of Water,” Sidney Wolinsky
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Jon Gregory

The editing in “Baby Driver” was exceptional. The suspence that was built up through exceptional editing is well worth this Oscar.

Sound Editing:

“Baby Driver,” Julian Slater
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mark Mangini, Theo Green
“Dunkirk,” Alex Gibson, Richard King
“The Shape of Water,” Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood

OK, “Star Wars”. What’s not to love, but the sound editing in this one is amazing, particularly in the scene where ‘Holdo’ sacrifices herself and takes out half the First Order fleet and there is about 10 seconds of complete silence that gives ‘major impact’ when the sound returns again.
That, and the fact I want to see “Star Wars” win as much as possible!!
P.S I love the story that some Americans actually complained that the film was ruined by a breakdown in the sound because of this scene and demanded their money back!!
They just ‘didn’t’ get it.
Almost as bad as having to call the first Harry Potter movie, “The Sorcerer’s Stone” because the film-makers didn’t think the American audience would know what a Philosopher was.
And we wonder how Trump became President!!

Anyway, I digress.

Sound Mixing:

“Baby Driver,” Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill
“Dunkirk,” Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo
“The Shape of Water,” Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick

“STAR WARS”!!! Obvs

Production Design:

“Beauty and the Beast,” Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer
“Blade Runner 2049,” Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola
“Darkest Hour,” Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
“Dunkirk,” Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis
“The Shape of Water,” Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau

As much as I didn’t ‘get’ “The Shape of Water”, I can see why it has got this nomination.

Original Score:

“Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer
“Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood
“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell

John Williams, the undoubted KING of movie scores just HAS to win.

Original Song:

“Mighty River” from “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige
“Mystery of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name,” Sufjan Stevens
“Remember Me” from “Coco,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall,” Diane Warren, Common
“This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Here is where I am being torn in two!!
I think that there is no doubt that “This Is Me” will win this one for it’s feel good vibe alone, however, it will be overshadowing a really pretty song, “Mystery of Love”. A song that in any other year would have won, I have no doubt.