Tag: Everything Everywhere All at Once

Oscars: The Case of Ana de Armas in Blonde

Ana de Armas is Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik’s Blonde and she’s the second Best Actress hopeful in my Case Of Posts.

The Case for Ana de Armas:

Despite the film itself garnering mixed reactions (more on that below), de Armas was widely praised. This resulted in nods at the Globes, SAG, and BAFTAs.

The Case Against Ana de Armas:

I’m talking really mixed reactions for the film. Blonde received the most Razzie nominations (8) of any 2022 title. Some critics and viewers outright despised the Netflix effort as evidenced by the 42% Rotten Tomatoes score and even lower 32% audience rating. She has yet to win anywhere.

Previous Nominations:

None

The Verdict:

The fact that so many had their knives out for Blonde makes her a non-factor in this competition (unless we see a shocking SAG or BAFTA victory). We should see the Academy’s ladies and gentlemen prefer Cate Blanchett (Tár) or Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once).

My Case Of posts will continue with Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin!

If you missed my other write-ups for the Actress nominees, you can find them here:

Oscars: The Case of Cate Blanchett in Tár
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 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 Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin

My Case Of posts have reached the first contender in Supporting Actor and that’s Brendan Gleeson for The Banshees of Inisherin!

The Case for Brendan Gleeson:

Despite an acclaimed filmography with lead and supporting roles from Braveheart to The General to the Harry Potter franchise to In Bruges and The Tragedy of Macbeth, the veteran thespian nabbed his first Oscar nod here. Playing Colin Farrell’s fair-weather friend in Martin McDonagh’s tragicomedy, Gleeson landed nominations in all the key precursors thus far.

The Case Against Brendan Gleeson:

In addition to internal competition from his costar Barry Keoghan, anyone not named Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) is at a disadvantage as he has won all the major ceremonies so far.

Previous Nominations:

None

The Verdict:

Gleeson might be runner-up to strong frontrunner Quan, but it’s doubtful his fingers will be gripping an Oscar on March 12th.

My Case Of posts will continue with Todd Field and his direction of Tár!

My write-ups for the other Supporting Actor contenders can be found here:

Oscars: The Case of Brian Tyree Henry in Causeway
Oscars: The Case of Judd Hirsch in The Fabelmans
Oscars: The Case of Barry Keoghan in The Banshees of Inisherin
Oscars: The Case of Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All at Once

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 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 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

Oscars: The Case of Everything Everywhere All at Once

Everything Everywhere All at Once is fifth on the docket in my Case Of posts for the 10 Best Picture nominees. Let’s plead the case for and against it!

The Case for Everything Everywhere All at Once:

The sophomore feature from Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known collectively as the Daniels) debuted at South by Southwest on March 11th and will have been a legit contender for over a year when the Oscars air March 12th. A critical darling with a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating, it has been nominated in every major precursor. This includes 10 BAFTA nominations, 14 Critics Choice mentions with 5 wins (including Picture, Director and Screenplay), 6 Golden Globe nods with two wins for Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, and 5 pending SAG noms. While some have griped that recent BP recipients didn’t break through with mass audiences, Everything was a box office success with $71 million domestically. Its 11 Academy nods are the most of any picture and that includes four for its ensemble (Yeoh, Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu).

The Case Against Everything Everywhere All at Once:

In the last 10 ceremonies, only two films that led or tied in total nominations (Birdman and The Shape of Water) ended up winning BP. One could argue Everything is the frontrunner. In recent years, ask how that worked out for La La Land, Roma, and 1917. The Academy could follow the Globes suit and skew toward The Banshees of Inisherin. There are some prognosticators who feel it’s too strange for the Academy.

Other Nominations:

Director (the Daniels), Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), Supporting Actress (Stephanie Hsu), Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), Original Screenplay, Costume Design, Film Editing, Original Score, Original Song

The Verdict:

I’ve never bought the “too weird for the Academy” or not traditional enough argument. You could say the same for Birdman or The Shape of Water and Everything is looking to model them on the road to victory. It is risky to be out front, but I do feel this is the odds on favorite. A SAG Ensemble loss on February 26th (especially if it’s to Banshees or The Fabelmans) could cause more intrigue. If it wins, look for this to enter March 12th as even more of a probable BP.

My Case Of posts will continue with The Fabelmans!

If you missed my other posts in this series, you can find 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 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 Women Talking

Oscars: The Case of The Banshees of Inisherin

My Case Of posts explaining the merits and demerits for the ten Best Picture nominees arrives at our third contender and that’s The Banshees of Inisherin from Martin McDonagh. Let’s get right into it!

The Case for The Banshees of Inisherin:

On nominations morning, the nine nominations were at or even slightly above expectations. Banshees is tied with All Quiet on the Western Front for the second most nods after the 11 received by Everything Everywhere All at Once. Its quartet of main performers (Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, Kerry Condon) are all up. That matches the four acting mentions garnered by, yep, Everything Everywhere. At the Golden Globes, Banshees was a big winner in three contests: Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy), Actor in a Musical or Comedy (Farrell), and Screenplay. The precursor run, beyond the Globes, has been impressive. There’s a case to be made that it could win around half of its noms, including Picture, Actor, and Original Screenplay.

The Case Against The Banshees of Inisherin:

There’s also a case to be made that it could go 0 for 9. Despite the Globes love, it was Everything Everywhere that dominated the Critics Choice Awards. At that ceremony, this did go for 0 for 9. In the history of Critics Choice, which began in 1995, exactly zero films that won none of their awards ended up winning Best Picture at the Oscars.

Other Nominations:

Director (Martin McDonagh), Actor (Colin Farrell), Supporting Actress (Kerry Condon), Supporting Actor (Brendan Gleeson), Supporting Actor (Barry Keoghan), Original Screenplay, Film Editing, Original Score

The Verdict:

If the Academy isn’t all in on Everything Everywhere, it could be a very good evening for Banshees. If they are, it could go home empty-handed. This logic certainly applies to the Best Picture race.

My Case Of posts will continue with Elvis!

If you missed posts covering the other BP hopefuls, you can peruse 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 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 All Quiet on the Western Front

As is tradition every Oscar season on the blog, it’s time to dig a bit deeper into the nominees for Best Picture, Director, and the four acting derbies. These are my Case Of posts where I lay out the merits for and against the 35 contenders in the aforementioned competitions. Yes, that’s 35 individual posts and we start with the 10 hopefuls in BP.

This will occur alphabetically so All Quiet on the Western Front is on deck!

The Case for All Quiet on the Western Front:

Edward Berger’s antiwar epic is the only title that’s won Best Picture before. The 1929-30 ceremony (the 3rd ever Oscars) bestowed best in show to the 1930 version of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel. If we believe BAFTA is a reliable precursor to Academy glory, Front is loaded with a leading 14 nominations. Tied with The Banshees of Inisherin with 9 nods, the pair is second only to Everything Everywhere All at Once‘s 11. This is Netflix’s one and only contender so the streamer has and will be campaigning hard.

The Case Against All Quiet on the Western Front:

The nine mentions are impressive and more than anticipated. However, a couple of misses are key. Not many films end up winning BP that are omitted in Editing and that applies here. Most importantly, Berger did not make the quintet in Director. While there have been recent examples of the directors of BP recipients not making that cut (Ben Affleck for Argo, Peter Farrelly for Green Book, Sian Heder last year with CODA), this seems like the type of project where the filmmaker needed in to have much hope of taking the biggest prize. That’s not the only chink in the armor. Quiet was widely expected to take the Golden Globe statue for foreign feature and lost in an upset to Argentina, 1985. Netflix hasn’t won a BP yet.

Other Nominations:

Adapted Screenplay, International Feature Film, Cinematography, Makeup & Hairstyling, Original Score, Production Design, Sound, Visual Effects

The Verdict:

Quiet appears close to a lock to make noise in International Feature Film (I wouldn’t bet on an Argentina upset on Oscar night). While its haul of nine is laudable, its chances in BP are low-key.

My Case Of posts will continue with Avatar: The Way of Water!

For the other BP Case Of posts, you can find them here:

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