Tag: Critics Choice Awards

Oscars 2021: The Case of Nicole Kidman

Playing TV legend Lucille Ball, Nicole Kidman’s performance in Being the Ricardos is next up in my Case Of posts for the Best Actress nominees. If you didn’t catch the first three entries, they’re here:

Oscars 2021: The Case of Jessica Chastain

Oscars 2021: The Case of Olivia Colman

Oscars 2021: The Case of Penelope Cruz

The Case for Nicole Kidman:

It actually seems like Kidman should have more than five nominations and she hasn’t won in 19 years. Ricardos is a golden opportunity for the Academy to make her a two-time winner. The Golden Globes made a victory here more possible when she took the top Drama prize at that ceremony. Oscar voters were clearly impressed with the cast as Javier Bardem and J.K. Simmons also received nods.

The Case Against Nicole Kidman:

A SAG award might’ve made her the heavy frontrunner, but Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) won it. Ricardos itself received mixed critical reaction and missed major categories like Picture and Original Screenplay.

Previous Nominations: 4

Moulin Rouge! (2001 – Actress); The Hours (2002 – Actress, WON); Rabbit Hole (2010 – Actress); Lion (2016 – Supporting Actress)

The Verdict:

As has been discussed many times on the blog, Best Actress is wide open (just like last year). I’d say Kidman and Chastain (based on their early hardware) probably stand the best chance, but nobody is an overwhelming favorite by any means.

My Case OF posts will continue with Best Actor hopefuls and Will Smith in King Richard…

Oscars 2021: The Case of Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s behind the camera work for Drive My Car is the fourth Case Of post for the five director nominees. If you missed the others, you can find them here:

Oscars 2021: The Case of Paul Thomas Anderson

Oscars 2021: The Case of Kenneth Branagh

Oscars 2021: The Case of Jane Campion

The Case for Ryusuke Hamaguchi:

The 43-year-old filmmaker has been acclaimed in his native Japan for years. Car, his three hour epic, is his stateside breakthrough and it performed better than expected on nominations morning with four nods in Picture, Adapted Screenplay, International Feature Film, and here. Voters may want to honor it somewhere…

The Case Against Ryusuke Hamaguchi:

And that category is almost certain to be International Feature Film where it’s the surefire favorite. It’s a long shot in the other three races with Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) in the driver’s seat for this one. Hamaguchi also failed to place for the Golden Globes or Critics Choice Awards.

Previous Nominations:

None

The Verdict:

He’ll be onstage in the foreign competition, but not for Best Director.

My Case Of posts will continue with the Best Actress hopefuls and Nicole Kidman in Being the Ricardos…

Oscars 2021: The Case of Jesse Plemons

My Case Of posts arrive at the third Supporting Actor contender and it’s Jesse Plemons in The Power of the Dog. The first two write-ups can be found here:

Oscars 2021: The Case of Ciaran Hinds

Oscars 2021: The Case of Troy Kotsur

The Case for Jesse Plemons:

Having appeared in acclaimed TV and cinematic works including Breaking Bad and Fargo on the small screen and The Master, The Irishman, and Judas and the Black Messiah on the big one, Plemons scores his first Academy nod. Dog led all nominees with 13 and that includes Kirsten Dunst (the actor’s real life love interest).

The Case Against Jesse Plemons:

It also includes his costar Kodi Smit-McPhee, who’s nominated in the same category and won the Golden Globe. Despite a BAFTA mention, Plemons didn’t make the SAG, Globe, or Critics Choice shortlists. Smit-McPhee and Troy Kotsur (CODA) are looked at as the potential victors. Woody Harrelson in 2017 lost to his costar Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri as did Lakeith Stranfield last year to Daniel Kaluuya for the aforementioned Judas. Plemons could play that role this time around.

Previous Nominations: 

None

The Verdict:

Plemons might be back again next year with Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Don’t look for an Oscar delivery here.

My Case Of posts will continue with Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s direction of Drive My Car…

Oscars 2021: The Case of Judi Dench

Judi Dench’s role as Granny in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast is the third Case Of post for the Supporting Actress nominees. If you didn’t catch the first two, they can be accessed here:

Oscars 2021: The Case of Jessie Buckley

Oscars 2021: The Case of Ariana DeBose

The Case for Judi Dench:

The legendary veteran scored her 8th nomination and that’s 8 more than her four competitors have received… combined. She’s actually won just once for Shakespeare in Love and that was 23 years ago. The Academy could feel it’s time to honor her again and the fact that she surprisingly got in over costar Caitriona Balfe could be proof of that.

The Case of Judi Dench:

As mentioned, it was certainly a surprise nomination (perhaps more so than any other of the 16 acting hopefuls). Dench didn’t make the cut for the Golden Globes, SAG, Critics Choice, or even BAFTA.

Previous Nominations: 7

Mrs. Brown (1997 – Actress); Shakespeare in Love (1998 – Supporting Actress, WON); Chocolat (2000 – Supporting Actress); Iris (2001 – Actress); Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005 – Actress); Notes on a Scandal (2006 – Actress); Philomena (2013 – Actress)

The Verdict:

The tally should continue to be one victory for Dench as Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) is the overwhelming favorite.

My Case Of posts will continue in Supporting Actor with Jesse Plemons in The Power of the Dog…

Oscars 2021: The Case of Penelope Cruz

Penelope Cruz’s performance in Parallel Mothers is the third Best Actress entry in my Case Of posts. If you missed the ones covering the other C’s (Jessica Chastain and Olivia Colman), they’re here:

Oscars 2021: The Case of Jessica Chastain

Oscars 2021: The Case of Olivia Colman

The Case for Penelope Cruz:

More than any other high profile race, Best Actress looks wide open. Spain inexplicably didn’t name Mothers as its International Feature Film selection (it probably would’ve been nominated). Instead it settled for this nod and Original Score. This could provide a way for the Academy to honor it.

The Case Against Penelope Cruz:

If Cruz were to take this, she would do so without mentions from the Globes, SAG, BAFTA, or Critics Choice. That just doesn’t happen.

Previous Nominations: 3

Volver (2006 – Actress); Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008 – Supporting Actress, WON); Nine (2009 – Supporting Actress)

The Verdict:

When Cruz won Supporting Actress 13 years ago for Vicky Christina Barcelona, she was the favorite. For her other two nominations in 2006 and 2009, she was a major long shot. That is once again the case and of the five women up, I believe she’s got the lowest chance to emerge victorious.

My Case Of posts will continue with the third Best Actor competitor – Andrew Garfield in Tick Tick… Boom!

Oscars 2021: The Case of Ariana DeBose

Ariana DeBose’s performance in West Side Story is next up with my Case Of posts for Supporting Actress. If you missed the first covering Jessie Buckley in The Lost Daughter, you can find it here:

Oscars 2021: The Case of Jessie Buckley

The Case for Ariana DeBose:

Her performance as Anita has been consistently called the highlight among the cast. There’s Oscar history to be had as Rita Moreno won the same award 60 years ago in the same role. Even before its release, DeBose was correctly looked at as a strong contender and she’s already got a Golden Globe to show for it (in addition to SAG and Critics Choice nods and plenty of trophies from critics groups).

The Case Against Ariana DeBose:

The film itself was a box office disappointment and perhaps the Academy will honor a more seasoned competitor like Kirsten Dunst in The Power of the Dog (especially if that pic begins to run the table at the ceremony).

Previous Nominations:

None

The Verdict:

DeBose is unquestionably the frontrunner here and I’d say this is the easiest of the four acting derbies to forecast. That said, there’s been upsets in this race before.

My Case Of posts will continue with the supporting work of Troy Kotsur in CODA…

Oscars 2021: The Case of Olivia Colman

Olivia Colman’s turn in Netflix’s The Lost Daughter is the second Case Of post for the five women competing for Best Actress. If you missed the first on Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, you can find it here:

Oscars 2021: The Case of Jessica Chastain

The Case for Olivia Colman:

It’s another hailed performance from the Oscar winner who surprisingly took to the podium three years back for The Favourite (upsetting frontrunner Glenn Close in The Wife). Colman gets her third nod in four years. In addition to the victory from 2018, she was nominated last year in supporting for The Father. She nabbed precursor attention at the Globes, SAG, and Critics Choice. Daughter performed decently with the Academy with Jessie Buckley receiving an unexpected spot in Supporting Actress and director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s being recognized for her adapted screenplay. Furthermore, Best Actress looks wide open and anything could happen.

The Case Against Olivia Colman:

Had Daughter managed a Best Picture slot, I might feel more confident in calling for a potential second trophy for Colman. That said, none of the five Actress’s films are in the big dance. Critics liked this better than general audiences judging from Rotten Tomatoes. In an unexpected twist, BAFTA did not include Colman. What gives me the most pause is that Colman is the most recent recipient – Jessica Chastain and Kristen Stewart (Spencer) have never won, Penelope Cruz (Parallel Mothers) is a supporting winner from 13 years ago, and Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos) took Actress 19 years ago.

Previous Nominations: 2

The Favourite (2018 – Actress, WON); The Father (2020 – Supporting Actress)

The Verdict:

This is a tricky one and good luck figuring out Best Actress in 2021. The counterargument to the recency bias is that it didn’t hurt Frances McDormand (Nomadland) last year. However, that was a frontrunner for BP and that narrative doesn’t exist this time around. If Colman can get a win at SAG this weekend or Critics Choice later on, it increases her viability with the Academy. If not, I doubt she gets her second Oscar.

My Case Of posts will continue with Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power of the Dog…

Oscars 2021: The Case of Ciaran Hinds

The work of Ciaran Hinds as Pop in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast is the first Case Of post for the Supporting Actor contenders.

The Case for Ciaran Hinds:

The Irish thespian nabs his inaugural Oscar nod after a long career of popping up in lots of movies you’ve seen. He won the Belfast nod sweepstakes over his costar Jamie Dornan while wife Granny (Judi Dench) got a mention in Supporting Actress instead of Caitriona Balfe. That could indicate strength for the veteran performers from the coming-of-age drama. He’s scored mentions at the Globes, SAG, and Critic’s Choice.

The Case Against Ciaran Hinds:

The real strength is this race may be with Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Power of the Dog or perhaps an emotional favorite like Troy Kotsur in CODA. Hinds’s inclusion was expected with the precursors, but he’s not forecasted to win any of them (and he already lost to Smit-McPhee at the Globes).

Previous Nominations:

None

The Verdict:

Belfast missing some key categories (including no love for his younger costars) makes Hinds a long shot to make it 1 for 1 at the big show.

My Case Of posts will continue with Kenneth Branagh’s direction for Belfast…

Oscars 2021: The Case of Jessie Buckley

My Case Of posts for the upcoming Oscars brings us to our first contestant in Supporting Actress and that’s Jessie Buckley in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Netflix drama The Lost Daughter.

The Case for Jessie Buckley:

She’s been an actress on the upswing especially since 2019’s Wild Rose earned her a BAFTA nod and some Academy chatter that never materialized.  With recent appearances in other buzzy projects like I’m Thinking of Ending Things, HBO’s Chernobyl, and FX’s Fargo – Buckley could be exactly the kind of rising performer that the voters would honor.

The Case Against Jessie Buckley:

Buckley’s inclusion in the race was definitely a surprise and she got here without precursors like SAG, the Globes, and Critics Choice. Of the four acting derbies, this might be the easiest to predict and that’s for Ariana DeBose in West Side Story. 

Previous Nominations:

None

The Verdict:

The glaring lack of precursors makes Buckley a major outsider with this first nomination. Luckily for her, it might not be her last.

The Case Of posts will continue with our first hopeful in Supporting Actor – Ciaran Hinds in Belfast…

Oscars 2021: The Case of Jessica Chastain

The first hopeful in a very interesting Best Actress competition is up next in my Case Of posts for the 94th Academy Awards and that’s Jessica Chastain for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. 

The Case for Jessica Chastain:

Of the five nominees in Actress, only Kristen Stewart (Spencer) and Chastain have yet to win an Oscar. Somewhat surprisingly, she’s only been nominated twice and the last time was nine years ago. There could already be a feeling that she’s overdue and Olivia Colman, Penelope Cruz, and Nicole Kidman have already won. Her embodiment of evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker (with its nominated makeup team) drew raves from critics and she received nods at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and Critics Choice Awards.

The Case Against Jessica Chastain:

The film itself did not draw raves with a middling 69% Rotten Tomatoes score. Furthermore, it was a bust at the box office with just over $2 million domestically.

Previous Nominations: 2

The Help (2011 – Supporting Actress); Zero Dark Thirty (2012 – Actress)

The Verdict:

Best Actress is wide open at this juncture. So-so reviews for the picture itself didn’t hurt Renee Zellweger in 2019 with Judy and it may not hurt Chastain. She’s a possibility to win, but then again, so are the others.

My Case of posts will continue with our first Best Actor nominee – Javier Bardem in Being the Ricardos…