Tag: Critics Choice Awards

Oscars: The Case of Hong Chau in The Whale

Hong Chau’s performance as the blunt and compassionate caretaker to Brendan Fraser in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale is next up in my Case Of posts for the Supporting Actress hopefuls.

The Case for Hong Chau:

After being surprisingly left out of this race five years ago for Downsizing, Chau nabs her first nomination. It caps off a 2022 that includes an acclaimed role in The Menu. Significant precursor mentions include BAFTA and SAG.

The Case Against Hong Chau:

Significant precursor omissions include the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards. If voters honor The Whale, a victory for Brendan Fraser (who won at Critics Choice) is a far likelier. Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) is a frontrunner due to previous podium trips.

Previous Nominations:

None

The Verdict:

Chau was certainly on the bubble for even making this quintet. Supporting Actress has seen a couple of upsets in the 21st century, but Chau would need BAFTA or SAG to realistically put a win on the menu. I wouldn’t count on it.

My Case Of posts will continue with Brian Tyree Henry in Causeway!

For the other posts covering Supporting Actress, click here:

Oscars: The Case of Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Oscars: The Case of Kerry Condon in The Banshees of Inisherin
Oscars: The Case of Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All at Once
Oscars: The Case of Stephanie Hsu in Everything Everywhere All at Once

Oscars: The Case of Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin

Colin Farrell’s first Oscar nomination as an Irish lad with a donkey and a drinking buddy who ghosts him in Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin is next up in my Case Of posts for the Best Actor contenders.

The Case for Colin Farrell:

After two decades in roles both lead and supporting, Farrell had his most acclaimed role with Banshees. It caps off an impressive 2022 that included praised performances in After Yang, The Batman, and Thirteen Lives. For Banshees, he’s won a slew of critics groups honors in addition to the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy (which he also took home for his previous collaboration with McDonagh In Bruges). If Banshees takes Best Picture, Farrell could be swept in with it.

The Case Against Colin Farrell:

At the Globes, he didn’t have to compete against Austin Butler (Elvis) and Brendan Fraser (The Whale) since they were in the Drama quintet. They are the other two hopefuls in an Actor race where any of the three could realistically take gold. At Critics Choice, it was Fraser who emerged victorious. Of the three, Farrell’s role is the least showy.

Previous Nominations:

None

The Verdict:

Figuring out whether Butler, Farrell, or Fraser end up as the victor should come down to the wire. The upcoming BAFTA and SAG Awards could be key in determining the soft frontrunner. It may also make it even more confusing if the groups go with different recipients.

My Case Of posts will continue with Supporting Actress hopeful Hong Chau in The Whale!

If you missed my other Best Actor write-ups, you can find them here:

Oscars: The Case of Austin Butler in Elvis
Oscars: The Case of Brendan Fraser in The Whale
Oscars: The Case of Paul Mescal in Aftersun
Oscars: The Case of Bill Nighy in Living

Oscars: The Case of Todd Field for Tár

Actor turned lauded filmmaker Todd Field is the second director on deck for My Case Of posts covering that competition at the 95th Academy Awards.

The Case for Todd Field:

Tár, Field’s third behind the camera feature, is perhaps the critics darling of awards season and voters may wish to honor it somewhere. It helps that there’s no slam dunk pick in this quintet for the victory. He has shown up in precursors including Critics Choice, DGA, and BAFTA. The Academy has nominated him multiple times as a producer and writer (though this is his first directing nod).

The Case Against Todd Field:

Critics Choice went for the Daniels (Everything Everywhere All at Once) while the Globes didn’t nominate him at all. The best chance for a win probably lies with its lead Cate Blanchett. With Everything as a soft frontrunner for Picture and the possibility of Globe recipient Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans) taking the prize, that puts the rest of the hopefuls at a competitive disadvantage.

Previous Nominations:

None in Director (he has been nominated as a producer and writer for In the Bedroom and Little Children). He also picked up an original screenplay mention for this.

The Verdict:

The uncertainty of this contest could pave the way for a surprise winner. However, Best Director is not usually a race where that occurs. Field would need to take BAFTA or DGA for me to think he has a legit shot.

My Case Of posts will continue with Ana de Armas in Blonde!

If you missed my other posts on the nominees for Director, you can access them here:

Oscars: The Case of the Daniels for Everything Everywhere All at Once
Oscars: The Case of Martin McDonagh for The Banshees of Inisherin
Oscars: The Case of Ruben Östlund for Triangle of Sadness
Oscars: The Case of Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans

Oscars: The Case of Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

As the grieving mother of an iconic Marvel superhero, Angela Bassett is first up in my Case Of posts for the Supporting Actress quintet.

The Case for Angela Bassett:

Nearly thirty years after receiving a Best Actress nomination as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It, Bassett becomes the first performer to land a mention for an MCU pic (in its 30th feature). Her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has already given her Golden Globe and Critics Choice statues. BAFTA and SAG could follow suit as she hasn’t missed any of the significant precursors. She’s also a highly respected thespian and voters may feel it’s time to honor her.

The Case Against Angela Bassett:

This would be the only performance from a comic book tale to win where the actor isn’t playing the Joker. In other words, despite the prevalence of the genre in the 21st century, this is a rare occurrence. While she’s run the table thus far, a SAG or BAFTA victory for another contestant (say Kerry Condon in The Banshees of Inisherin) would interrupt the sweep chatter.

Previous Nominations:

What’s Love Got to Do with It (Actress, 1993)

The Verdict:

In the supporting fields, I’m not not quite as confident in Bassett’s coronation as I am with Ke Huy Quan in Supporting Actor. That said, she is definitely in the best position for the crown.

My Case Of posts will continue with the first Supporting Actor write-up and that’s Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin!

For post covering the other Supporting Actress hopefuls, click here:

Oscars: The Case of Hong Chau in The Whale
Oscars: The Case of Kerry Condon in The Banshees of Inisherin
Oscars: The Case of Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All at Once
Oscars: The Case of Stephanie Hsu in Everything Everywhere All at Once

Oscars: The Case of Austin Butler in Elvis

Austin Butler is the first performer up for the Best Actor quintet in My Case Of posts for the 95th Academy Awards. Will his performance as Elvis nab the 31-year-old a statue? Let’s break it down.

The Case for Austin Butler:

In a star making role as the iconic musician, Butler looks to follow a Best Actor winning path we’ve seen before. It includes Jamie Foxx in Ray and Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody. He’s picked up some hardware already at the Golden Globes where he took Best Actor in a Drama over Brendan Fraser in The Whale.

The Case Against Austin Butler:

This is a close three-man contest and voters may feel that the time is right for veterans Fraser or Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin). The former took the Critics Choice prize while the latter received the Globe in Actor (Musical or Comedy).

Previous Nominations:

None

The Verdict:

Butler is as viable as his more seasoned nominees. He’s got a real shot, but SAG (which has matched Oscar 8 for 10 in the past decade) and BAFTA (9 for 10 match) could make him rise or fall.

My Case Of posts will continue with our first Supporting Actress nominee – Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever!

The Case Of posts covering the other Actor hopefuls can be found here:

Oscars: The Case of Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin
Oscars: The Case of Brendan Fraser in The Whale
Oscars: The Case of Paul Mescal in Aftersun
Oscars: The Case of Bill Nighy in Living

Oscars: The Case of Cate Blanchett in Tár

Cate Blanchett’s character in Todd Field’s Tár is an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) recipient. Can she nab a third O in her acclaimed filmography? She’s the first Best Actress hopeful up in my Case Of posts.

The Case for Cate Blanchett:

In 2004, Blanchett won Supporting Actress for The Aviator. Nine years later, it was a lead victory for Blue Jasmine. Nine years after that, Tár gave her plenty of career best notices. Rewards have been many from regional critics groups and the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globe in the Drama category.

The Case Against Cate Blanchett:

Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once. She’s picked up a few regional mentions as well and was the Globes recipient among the Musical or Comedy quintet. If Everything is the big winner on Oscar night (and it certainly could be), Yeoh could be swept in.

Previous Nominations (*denotes WON):

Elizabeth (Actress, 1998); *The Aviator (Supporting Actress, 2004); Notes on a Scandal (Supporting Actress, 2006); Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Actress, 2007); I’m Not There (Supporting Actress, 2007); *Blue Jasmine (Actress, 2013); Carol (Actress, 2015)

The Verdict:

Yeoh is a serious competitor and this sure looks like a two-person race. I have Blanchett slightly out front, but not by much.

My Case Of posts will continue with the first Best Actor entry. That’s Austin Butler as Elvis!

Case of posts for the other Actress contenders can be accessed here:

Oscars: The Case of Ana de Armas in Blonde
Oscars: The Case of Andrea Riseborough in To Leslie
Oscars: The Case of Michelle Williams in The Fabelmans
Oscars: The Case of Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once

Oscars: The Case of the Daniels for Everything Everywhere All at Once

Now that I’ve gotten through my Case Of posts for the 10 Best Picture nominees, it’s time to move to the directors and performers vying for statues in their respective categories. I will alternate alphabetically between the hopefuls in Director, Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Supporting Actor over the next couple of weeks. That’s 25 posts coming your way in short order and it begins with Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known as the Daniels) and their behind the camera work for Everything Everywhere All at Once.

The Case for the Daniels:

For starters, it helps to be the directors of the Best Picture frontrunner and Everything fits that description in my view. In just their second feature (following 2016’s Swiss Army Man), they broke through to the mainstream in a major way with the acclaimed multi-genre experience. The reward so far has been numerous Best Director honors from regional critics groups and at the Critics Choice Awards.

The Case Against the Daniels:

The duo started out making music videos. One of their best known is 2013’s “Turn Down for What” from DJ Snake and Lil Jon. Voters may turn them down for Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans). Even if Fabelmans doesn’t take BP, the Academy could opt to recognize its maker’s legendary career with a third prize. That’s what happened at the Golden Globes.

Previous Nominations:

None

The Verdict:

The Spielberg threat is real, but the Daniels could be benefactors of a big night in both Original Screenplay and this competition.

My Case Of posts will continue with Cate Blanchett in Tár!

For my posts covering the other directorial contenders, click here:

Oscars: The Case of Todd Field for Tár
Oscars: The Case of Martin McDonagh for The Banshees of Inisherin
Oscars: The Case of Ruben Östlund for Triangle of Sadness
Oscars: The Case of Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans

Oscars: The Case of Women Talking

Women Talking is the final Case Of post for the Best Picture nominees at the 95th Academy Awards. Will we be talking about Women gathering Oscars come March 12th? Let’s get into it.

The Case for Women Talking:

Sarah Polley’s adaptation of the 2018 Miriam Toews novel generated awards buzz out of the gate when it premiered at Toronto. At the Critics Choice Awards, it had a respectable showing with six mentions including BP and Director with a victory in Adapted Screenplay.

The Case Against Women Talking:

There’s a lot. For starters, its total of two nominations is the lowest of the candidates (it’s rare for a BP contender to have only one other nom). Women was ignored in Director, Original Score, and for any of its performances and it was once thought to be in contention for all. BAFTA totally ignored it. The Golden Globes only put it up in two races (Screenplay and Score) and it lost both. Its SAG count is one category. That was in Ensemble with individual players like Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, and Ben Whishaw left out. Box office grosses have been subpar.

Other Nominations:

Adapted Screenplay

The Verdict:

Women Talking does stand a chance of becoming the Adapted Screenplay recipient. Perhaps this can cling to the hope that CODA took BP last year and it tied for the least numbers of nominations among the ten. Realistically there is just about zero chance of this becoming Best Picture.

While my Case Of posts for BP have concluded, I will now move to the filmmakers and thespians in Director and the four acting derbies. That will begin with the Daniels and their direction of Everything Everywhere All at Once!

If you missed my Case Of posts for the other BP nominees, you can access them here:

Oscars: The Case of All Quiet on the Western Front
Oscars – The Case of Avatar: The Way of Water
Oscars: The Case of The Banshees of Inisherin
Oscars: The Case of Elvis
Oscars: The Case of Everything Everywhere All at Once
Oscars: The Case of The Fabelmans
Oscars: The Case of Tár
Oscars – The Case of Top Gun: Maverick
Oscars: The Case of Triangle of Sadness

Oscars: The Case of Tár

Todd Field’s Tár is next up in my Case Of posts for the ten Best Picture nominees. Time to weigh the pros and cons…

The Case for Tár:

Auteur Field has a knack for attracting the Academy’s attention with his trilogy of pictures. In 2001, In the Bedroom received five nods (including BP and Field’s Adapted Screenplay). Five years later, Little Children nabbed three and that once again included its maker’s adapted screenplay. Tár, with a towering lead performance from Globes and Critics Choice victor Cate Blanchett, saw him emerge from a long break and it received six Oscar mentions (including directing and original screenplay for Field).

The Case Against Tár:

Despite Blanchett being at least a co-frontrunner in Actress, she marked the only Globes win. At Critics Choice, its additional award was for Original Score. While this is a critical darling that generated some regional groups victories, the box office office was quiet at $10 million. Both Bedroom and Children went home empty-handed on Oscar night.

Other Nominations:

Director (Field), Actress (Blanchett), Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing

The Verdict:

As with the aforementioned precursors, Tár‘s strongest shot at gold is with Blanchett and not Best Picture.

My Case Of posts will continue with Top Gun: Maverick!

To access my previous Case Of posts, click here:

Oscars: The Case of All Quiet on the Western Front
Oscars – The Case of Avatar: The Way of Water
Oscars: The Case of The Banshees of Inisherin
Oscars: The Case of Elvis
Oscars: The Case of Everything Everywhere All at Once
Oscars: The Case of The Fabelmans
Oscars – The Case of Top Gun: Maverick
Oscars: The Case of Triangle of Sadness
Oscars: The Case of Women Talking

Oscars: The Case of The Fabelmans

My Case Of posts will for the ten Best Picture hopefuls is past the halfway point as we consider the pros and cons of our sixth competitor The Fabelmans.

The Case for The Fabelmans:

Steven Spielberg’s 13th movie to be nominated for BP (only Schindler’s List won) is his most personal as arguably today’s most iconic director gets autobiographical. It was first seen at the Toronto Film Festival where it took the People’s Choice Award. That’s a prize shared by later Oscar winners such as The King’s Speech, 12 Years a Slave, Green Book, and Nomadland. At the Golden Globes, it had a big night as it was bestowed Best Motion Picture (Drama) and Spielberg nabbed the directorial trophy. A victory here could be seen as a genuine thank you for its maker’s cinematic contributions.

The Case Against The Fabelmans:

That genuine thank you could just as easily come with Spielberg being Best Director and BP going to something else. Despite the Globes love, BAFTA was shockingly dismissive as its sole nomination is for screenplay. At Critics Choice, it went a mere 1/11 with Gabriel LaBelle as Best Young Actor (a non-existent Academy race). While the seven nominations are decent, there were notable omissions including Film Editing and Cinematography. It’s also undeniably a box office dud with $16 million at press time.

Other Nominations:

Director (Spielberg), Actress (Michelle Williams), Supporting Actor (Judd Hirsch), Original Screenplay, Original Score, Production Design

The Verdict:

There is a universe in which The Fabelmans gets BP and Director, but I would put it behind Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Banshees of Inisherin right now. An Ensemble win at SAG could help momentum. It may be behind the aforementioned at that ceremony too.

My Case Of posts will continue with Tár!

If you missed my previous posts in the series, you can access them here:

Oscars: The Case of All Quiet on the Western Front
Oscars – The Case of Avatar: The Way of Water
Oscars: The Case of The Banshees of Inisherin
Oscars: The Case of Elvis
Oscars: The Case of Everything Everywhere All at Once
Oscars: The Case of Tár
Oscars – The Case of Top Gun: Maverick
Oscars: The Case of Triangle of Sadness
Oscars: The Case of Women Talking