Tag: academy awards

Oscar Nominations: The Case of Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another

As we do every year on the blog, Oscar nominations lead to my Case Of series. What are they? Glad you asked. These are 35 posts covering the nominees for Picture, Director, and the four acting contests. For each one, I give you the case for the movie/director/actor winning and the case against it with a verdict tidying it up. It’s like a trial, but no one goes to prison.

It began with the ten Best Picture contenders and now alternates alphabetically between the hopefuls in the other five races. The BP posts are readily available for your perusing pleasure. A mostly unknown chap that goes by Leonardo DiCaprio is our second contender in Best Actor for One Battle After Another. If you missed my post on Timothée Chalamet as Marty Supreme, you can peruse it here:

Oscar Nominations: The Case of Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme

Previous Acting Nominations:

1993 – Supporting Actor (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape) – lost to Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive; 2004 – Actor (The Aviator) – lost to Jamie Foxx for Ray; 2006 – Actor (Blood Diamond) – lost to Forest Whitaker from The Last King of Scotland; 2013 – Actor (The Wolf of Wall Street) – lost to Matthew McConaughey from Dallas Buyers Club); 2015 – Actor (The Revenant) – WON); 2019 – Actor (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) – lost to Joaquin Phoenix from Joker

The Case for Leonardo DiCaprio:

Arguably being the biggest movie star on the planet helps. It doesn’t hurt that Battle is the frontrunner or easily co-frontrunner for Best Picture. As former revolutionary turned forgetful dad Bob Ferguson, DiCaprio has racked up all the precursors nominations including the Globes, Critics Choice, BAFTA, and SAG Actor.

The Case Against Leonardo DiCaprio:

He is up against arguably the biggest movie star on the planet Timothée Chalamet and his work as Marty Supreme has already won him the Globe and Critics Choice prize. Leo’s overdue narrative ended ten years ago with his Revenant victory.

The Verdict:

A SAG Actor or BAFTA trophy would be needed for DiCaprio to pose any real threat to a Chalamet sweep. He might be #2 among the Best Actor five, but there’s some considerable distance between 1st and 2nd.

My Case Of posts will continue with the second nominee in Supporting Actress and that’s Inga Ibsdotter Lilleass in Sentimental Value…

Oscar Nominations: The Case of Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

As we do every year on the blog, Oscar nominations lead to my Case Of series. What are they? Glad you asked. These are 35 posts covering the nominees for Picture, Director, and the four acting contests. For each one, I give you the case for the movie/director/actor winning and the case against it with a verdict tidying it up. It’s like a trial, but no one goes to prison.

It began with the ten Best Picture contenders and now alternates alphabetically between the hopefuls in the other five races. The BP posts are readily available for your perusing pleasure. We have arrived at our second contestant in Best Actress and that’s Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. If you missed my post covering Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, you can find it here:

Oscar Nominations: The Case of Jessie Buckley in Hamnet

Previous Acting Nominations:

None

The Case for Rose Byrne:

Despite an impressive career mixing comedies (Bridesmaids, Neighbors, Spy), superhero sagas in the X-Men franchise, and horror (the Insidious series), Mary Bronson’s anxiety inducing dramedy marks the Aussie performer’s first big screen awards vehicle. The buzz started after she took the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin festival. She has landed precursor noms at BAFTA, SAG Actor, Critics Choice, and took home the Golden Globe for lead in a Musical or Comedy.

The Cast Against Rose Byrne:

The recipient for lead actress in a drama at the Globes is Hamnet‘s Jessie Buckley. She also received the Critics Choice prize and is rightfully seen as the frontrunner. Byrne’s inclusion in the actress quintet marks the sole nomination for Legs. You have to go back to 2014 and Julianne Moore (Still Alice) to find the last winner whose movie only nabbed the one mention.

The Verdict:

While she’s yet to miss any precursors and it could be argued that Byrne is #2, Buckley is a formidable favorite.

My Case Of posts will continue will the second Best Actor nominee and that’s Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another…

Oscar Nominations: The Case of Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another

As we do every year on the blog, Oscar nominations lead to my Case Of series. What are they? Glad you asked. These are 35 posts covering the nominees for Picture, Director, and the four acting contests. For each one, I give you the case for the movie/director/actor winning and the case against it with a verdict tidying it up. It’s like a trial, but no one goes to prison.

It began with the ten Best Picture contenders and now alternates alphabetically between the hopefuls in the other five races. The BP posts are readily available for your perusing pleasure. Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) is our first director to be considered in that category.

Previous Directing Nominations:

2007: There Will Be Blood (lost to Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men); 2017: Phantom Thread (lost to Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water); 2021: Licorice Pizza (lost to Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog)

The Case for Paul Thomas Anderson:

Plenty! PTA has won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice for his behind the camera work and is nominated at BAFTA. Most notably, he won the Director’s Guild of America (DGA) prize and that correlates with the Oscar winner the vast majority of the time (including five cycles in a row). This is Anderson’s fourth try at the direction award, but his contributions as a producer, director, and writer for his three-decade old career mark his 12th, 13th, and 14th overall Academy mentions. He’s yet to get a trophy. Those nods are spread out over the aforementioned Blood, Thread, and Pizza but also Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Inherent Vice. To say there might be voting members who think he’s overdue is an understatement. Battle is the BP frontrunner or at least shares that title with Sinners.

The Cast Against Paul Thomas Anderson:

Sinners. After receiving a record 16 nominations, the chances for the vampire tale to win BP has increased. If the Academy fills their ballots down the line, Ryan Coogler could be the beneficiary of that love.

The Verdict:

DGA makes PTA the heavy favorite even if Sinners (or something else) takes BP.

My Case Of posts will continue with the second Best Actress contender – Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You…

Oscar Predictions: Goat

Sony is looking for Goat to bring in herds of families to multiplexes this weekend. The animated sports comedy from director Tyree Dillihay features an all-star voice cast including Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Aaron Pierre, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour, Nick Kroll, Jenifer Lewis, Patton Oswalt, Jelly Roll, Jennifer Hudson, Sherry Cola, Eduardo Franco, Andrew Santino, Bobby Lee, and actual all-star Stephen Curry.

While reviews aren’t great, they certainly aren’t baaaaaad (I’m sorry). Rotten Tomatoes is at 82% while Metacritic (as it often is) shows a more telling 59 number. In my estimation, Best Animated Feature could be a stretch. However, we don’t know at this early juncture how strong the race will be. Kris Bowers, an Original Score nominee for The Wild Robot, is behind the music here. Early critical reaction doesn’t indicate he’ll get a second nod. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Nominations: The Case of Benicio del Toro in One Battle After Another

As we do every year on the blog, Oscar nominations lead to my Case Of series. What are they? Glad you asked. These are 35 posts covering the nominees for Picture, Director, and the four acting contests. For each one, I give you the case for the movie/director/actor winning and the case against it with a verdict tidying it up. It’s like a trial, but no one goes to prison.

It began with the ten Best Picture contenders and now alternates alphabetically between the hopefuls in the other five races. The BP posts are readily available for your perusing pleasure. Our first contender in the quintet of Supporting Actor nominees is Benicio del Toro for One Battle After Another.

Previous Acting Nominations:

2000: Supporting Actor (Traffic) – WON; 2003: Supporting Actor (21 Grams) – lost to Tim Robbins for Mystic River

The Case for Benicio del Toro:

As sensei Sergio in Paul Thomas Anderson’s multi-nominated pic, del Toro would certainly win if this competition were based on internet memes. Outside of that, his third appearance in this category has been preceded with noms everywhere else including the Golden Globes, BAFTA, Critics Choice, and SAG Actor and several wins from regional critics groups. If Another takes BP (where it’s the frontrunner), an acting victory seems likely to come with it. del Toro is coming off an impressive 2025 with his work here and as lead in Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme.

The Case Against Benicio del Toro:

Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein) took Critics Choice and Stellan Skasgård (Sentimental Value) got the Globe while we await SAG Actor and BAFTA. He could vote split with his costar Sean Penn. Teyana Taylor, his cast mate contending in Supporting Actress, appears best poised for a Battle acting win.

The Verdict:

Of the four acting derbies, this might be the most unsettled. I still think Benicio needs SAG or BAFTA (that one seems more out of reach) to have a better shot at Oscar.

My Case Of posts will continue with our first directing nominee and that’s del Toro’s auteur Paul Thomas Anderson…

Oscar Nominations: The Case of Elle Fanning in Sentimental Value

As we do every year on the blog, Oscar nominations lead to my Case Of series. What are they? Glad you asked. These are 35 posts covering the nominees for Picture, Director, and the four acting contests. For each one, I give you the case for the movie/director/actor winning and the case against it with a verdict tidying it up. It’s like a trial, but no one goes to prison.

It began with the ten Best Picture contenders and now alternates alphabetically between the hopefuls in the other five races. The BP posts are readily available for your perusing pleasure. Our first contender among the Supporting Actress nominees is Elle Fanning for Sentimental Value.

Previous Acting Nominations:

None

The Case for Elle Fanning:

The 27-year-old has amassed numerous nods for her TV work on The Great, but her appearance in Joachim Trier’s Norwegian drama is her first Oscar at bat. She was nominated at Critics Choice and by several regional critics groups. Value also had a slight overperformance with nine mentions from the Academy.

The Case Against Elle Fanning:

She is likely to vote split with her costar Inga Ibsdotter Lilleass. Fanning did not receive nominations from the Golden Globes, SAG Actor, and wasn’t even shortlisted at BAFTA. Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another) and Amy Madigan (Weapons) have taken the Globe and Critics Choice, respectively. The best shot at a victory for this cast is in Supporting Actor with Stellan Skarsgård.

The Verdict:

Most prognosticators did not have Fanning in their quintet. I will give myself a pat on the back for predicting her, but I’m under no illusions that she is a threat to win.

My Case Of posts will continue with our first Supporting Actor write-up and that’s Benicio del Toro from One Battle After Another…

Oscar Predictions: Wuthering Heights

Emerald Fennell’s loose interpretation of Emily Brontë’s nearly 180-year-old romance Wuthering Heights is out Friday and expected to do brisk business at the box office. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi (currently up for Supporting Actor in Frankenstein) headline with Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, and Ewan Mitchell costarring.

Critical reaction is of the mixed variety with 72% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 61 Metacritic. In 2020, Fennell’s debut Promising Young Woman landed five Oscar nominations – Picture, Director, Actress (Carey Mulligan), and Film Editing with a victory for the auteur in Original Screenplay. 2023 follow-up Saltburn drew reviews more in line with Heights and landed zero mentions by the Academy.

Fennell’s third feature might split the difference. I do not anticipate nods in the major races considering the more divisive word-of-mouth. It could, however, show up in down-the-line competitions like Costume Design (where inclusion seems likely), Production Design, or one of the original songs from Charli XCX. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Nominations: The Case of Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme

As we do every year on the blog, Oscar nominations lead to my Case Of series. What are they? Glad you asked. These are 35 posts covering the nominees for Picture, Director, and the four acting contests. For each one, I give you the case for the movie/director/actor winning and the case against it with a verdict tidying it up. It’s like a trial, but no one goes to prison.

It began with the ten Best Picture contenders and now alternates alphabetically between the hopefuls in the other five races. The BP posts are readily available for your perusing pleasure. Our first contender in the Best Actor five is on the table and it’s Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme.

Previous Acting Nominations:

2017 – Actor (Call Me by Your Name) – lost to Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour; 2024 – Actor (A Complete Unknown) – lost to Adrien Brody for The Brutalist

The Case for Timothée Chalamet:

After likely being runner-up last year, Chalamet has drawn career best reviews as the singularly focused ping pong player in Josh Safdie’s sports drama. Precursor appreciation has followed with victories at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice while he awaits the BAFTAs and SAG Actor. While he’s only 30, Chalamet’s body of work in recent years is seen as worthy of recognition and Marty is a supreme vehicle for it.

The Case Against Timothée Chalamet:

The Academy left his costars out of contention including Odessa A’Zion (who I predicted for inclusion). A domino effect for either One Battle After Another or Sinners could create an opening for Leonardo DiCaprio or Michael B. Jordan, respectively.

The Verdict:

Unless one of the upcoming precursors provides an upset, it appears the third time is probably going to be the charm for Chalamet.

My Case Of posts will continue with the first hopeful in Supporting Actress and that’s Elle Fanning in Sentimental Value…

Oscar Nominations: The Case of Jessie Buckley in Hamnet

As we do every year on the blog, Oscar nominations lead to my Case Of series. What are they? Glad you asked. These are 35 posts covering the nominees for Picture, Director, and the four acting contests. For each one, I give you the case for the movie/director/actor winning and the case against it with a verdict tidying it up. It’s like a trial, but no one goes to prison.

It began with the ten Best Picture contenders and now alternates alphabetically between the hopefuls in the other five races. The BP posts are readily available for your perusing pleasure. Our first contender in the Best Actress quintet is up for consideration and that’s Jessie Buckley in Hamnet.

Previous Acting Nominations:

2021 – Supporting Actress (The Lost Daughter) – lost to Ariana DeBose for West Side Story

The Case for Jessie Buckley:

As Agnes, the grief stricken spouse of William Shakespeare, Buckley’s weighty role has been seen as a major contender since the project was announced. The buzz intensified after its Telluride premiere in early fall. Buckley has already picked up hardware at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice and is awaiting word on potential victories at BAFTA and SAG Actor.

The Case Against Jessie Buckley:

Hamnet had a couple of unexpected misses on Oscar nomination morning including the omission of her costar Paul Mescal in Supporting Actor. Sentimental Value did slightly better than expected and its potential momentum could benefit Renate Reinsve.

The Verdict:

Of the four acting competitions, a Buckley win might be the easiest to call. Four years ago, she was a surprise nominee in supporting for The Lost Daughter. A loss for her first shot in lead would also be surprising unless there’s an upset at SAG or BAFTA.

My Case Of posts will continue with the first hopeful in Best Actor and that’s Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme…

Oscar Nominations: The Case of Train Dreams

As we do every year on the blog, Oscar nominations lead to my Case Of series. What are they? Glad you asked. These are 35 posts covering the nominees for Picture, Director, and the four acting contests. For each one, I give you the case for the movie/director/actor winning and the case against it with a verdict tidying it up. It’s like a trial, but no one goes to prison.

It begins with the ten Best Picture contenders and then alternates alphabetically between the hopefuls in the other five races. We have arrived at the final film in BP and that’s Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams. If you missed my posts covering the previous nominees, you can find them here:

Oscar Nominations: The Case of Bugonia
Oscar Nominations: The Case of F1
Oscar Nominations: The Case of Frankenstein
Oscar Nominations: The Case of Hamnet
Oscar Nominations: The Case of Marty Supreme
Oscar Nominations: The Case of One Battle After Another
Oscar Nominations: The Case of The Secret Agent
Oscar Nominations: The Case of Sentimental Value
Oscar Nominations: The Case of Sinners

The Case for Train Dreams:

Since premiering at Sundance over a year ago, the period drama has been seen an awards player. In addition to the BP nod, it’s up for Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, and Original Song. Precursor BP nominations for the Netflix release include the Globes and PGA.

The Case Against Train Dreams:

Note the noms it didn’t get including directing and or any mentions for its cast (Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, or William H. Macy). BAFTA almost completely ignored it where it received a sole cinematography nom and it was blanked at SAG Actor.

The Verdict:

Of the two Netflix entries up in the biggest race, Dreams is below Frankenstein as far as victory chances and Frankenstein is definitely not going to win.

My Case Of posts will continue with the first Best Actress write-up and that’s Jessie Buckley in Hamnet…