It looks like I missed out on my review last year for some reason or other, but hey, I\u2019m happy to continue the tradition now. Did they deserve the award, or was someone snubbed? No one was slapped, at least, so that\u2019s something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Best Picture<\/strong> \u2013 One Battle After Another<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nice. I did really enjoy a lot of the other candidates on here (not you, F1. How did you even get on the shortlist, by the way?), but I\u2019m happy with this win. The chances of foreign films like The Secret Agent and Sentimental Value getting the gong were pretty darn low, but it was nice that they featured here nonetheless. Oh yeah, and in a pretty rare Nancy first, I\u2019ve actually watched every single film on the nominees list for once. Hooray for me. But again, I still can\u2019t fathom what kind of lobbying\/campaigning\/chicanery took place to get F1 on this list. It\u2019s the Pok\u00e9mon equivalent of putting Magikarp on your elite four team. And then putting it in prime place for battle. You know that fool of a Took\u2019s going to get slaughtered\/\u2019fainted\u2019, no matter how much you\u2019ve levelled it up. It\u2019s just like they\u2019ve put F1 there for the memes. Anyway, OBAA is a deserved win here. (\u0e51 > \u1d17 < \u0e51)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Actress<\/strong> \u2013 Jessie Buckley<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, I\u2019ll take this. She was definitely the strongest element of the film. Apparently Rose Byrne was really good too, but I couldn\u2019t find the time to see If I Had Legs I\u2019d Kick You (goshdarn you, antisocial Curzon showing times). I also didn\u2019t get round to seeing Kate Hudson in Song Sung Blue, as that film didn\u2019t feel like my vibe. My personal choice would\u2019ve been Renate Reinsve in Sentimental Value, but the Oscars rarely go for the quiet performances. I mean, Jessie Buckley\u2019s role was fairly quiet, apart from the grieving scene, which is rather loud and probably played a big part in getting her the Oscar. But I\u2019m still maintaining that Arrival has the best use of On The Nature of Daylight, and that Amy Adams got done dirty with her lack of awards attention for that inspiring masterpiece. ( \u2022\u0300_\u2022\u0301 )<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Actor<\/strong> \u2013 Michael B Jordan<\/p>\n\n\n\n YES. I was really expecting the jury to cave and hand the Oscar to Chalamet (no offence Timoth\u00e9e, you were great too), but they\u2019ve pleasantly surprised me by giving it to Jordan instead. I thought Wagna Moura was rather awesome in The Secret Agent, but I\u2019m still super happy with this choice. I didn\u2019t see Blue Moon anywhere in cinemas, but hey, I\u2019ve watched all the other big players. And I\u2019m glad to see that nobody tried to shoehorn Brad Pitt into here from F1 (no offence, Brad Pitt, you\u2019re great, but F1 one was, uh, to put it lightly\u2026not great). Leo was great in OBAA too, but I\u2019m happier to see Jordan get his first Best Actor Oscar. Weird to think that I first saw this guy as Wallace all the way back in The Wire. But yeah, his double performance in Sinners is pretty damn good, and he\u2019s well deserving of the big prize. \u2727\uff61\u25dd(\u1d54\u15dc\u1d54)\u25dc\u2727*\uff61<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Supporting Actress<\/strong> \u2013 Amy Madigan<\/p>\n\n\n\n YAAAS QUEEN. \u273a\u25df(\uff3e\u2207\uff3e)\u25de\u273a I genuinely never thought they\u2019d go for Amy Madigan, what with the Oscar\u2019s traditional aversion to anything horror related. But I\u2019m glad they\u2019ve seen sense for once and given Madigan the recognition she deserves. Sure, all the other candidates in this category are great too, but it\u2019s just so darn refreshing to see the Oscars be a bit different for once. This is a win for creepy mystical life-absorbing witches across the globe. \u0669(^\u15dc^ )\u0648\u00b4-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Supporting Actor<\/strong> \u2013 Sean Penn<\/p>\n\n\n\n It would\u2019ve been cool to see to see Benicio get the win for OBAA, since this is one of his best performances, but I also can\u2019t deny that this was one of Sean Penn\u2019s best performances, so I\u2019ll take that. It\u2019s weird to think that Penn got the Best Actor gong for his portrayal of gay activist Harvey Milk over 15 years ago and considering how Penn\u2019s crazed gunslinger in OBAA would\u2019ve despised everything Milk stood for. Anyhoo, it\u2019s just evidence that Penn\u2019s got range. And it\u2019s great that the Oscars have recognised that. It was a lot a fun to see how unhinged Penn could go in OBAA, and he\u2019s well deserving of the prize. \u0d26\u0d4d\u0d26\u0d3f(\u02f5 \u2022\u0300 \u1d17 – \u02f5 ) \u2727<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best director<\/strong> \u2013 Paul Thomas Anderson<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cool. It would\u2019ve been nice to see Ryan Coogler get this one, but PTA\u2019s well-deserving of the win nonetheless. OBAA\u2019s a chaotic odyssey that\u2019s well worth the ride, and it takes plenty of unexpected turns along the way. Every candidate on here\u2019s deserving of the prize, except Chlo\u00e9 Zhao. While Hamnet did have a couple of strong lead performances going for it, the whole film wasn\u2019t worthy of this category. Too much emotional manipulation for my liking, even despite its strengths. Anyway, I think Kleber Mendon\u00e7a Filho should\u2019ve got that spot for The Secret Agent, even though it wouldn\u2019t have won the Oscar anyway. Just \u2018avin my say, y\u2019know. \u02d7\u02cf\u02cb \u2605 \u02ce\u02ca\u02d7<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Animated Feature<\/strong> \u2013 Kpop Demon Hunters<\/p>\n\n\n\n I managed to watch pretty much all of the nominations here, which is nice. I personally would\u2019ve gone for Zootopia 2 here, but hey, I know KDH was a big one for a lot of folks, so I\u2019m willing to take the L here. \u0d26\u0d4d\u0d26\u0d3f\u25dd \u2a4a \u25dc.\u141f<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best International Feature<\/strong> \u2013 Sentimental Value<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Secret Agent would\u2019ve just inched it for me here, but Sentimental Value is a very well-deserving second place choice, a gorgeous film that deals with trauma in a refined and refreshingly subtle way. I wish more US\/UK films could produce weighty original stuff like this, but we\u2019re mostly still stuck in our superhero\/sequel ways. Anyway, Sentimental Value\u2019s a great film with a lot of heart. -`\u2661\u00b4-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Documentary Feature<\/strong> \u2013 Mr Nobody Against Putin<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll level with you here, I\u2019ve seen precisely none of the nominees. To quote my spiritual successor Johnny Tightlips, I ain\u2019t seen nothing. So I have nothing to contribute here. Hooray. \u1559( \u2022\u0300 \u15dc \u2022\u0301)\u1557<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Original Screenplay<\/strong> \u2013 Sinners<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a fine choice. Sinners just felt like something new and unseen when I went to see it for the first time, and I\u2019m glad the Oscar panel have acknowledged its rare originality. Marty Supreme and Sentimental Value would also have made strong winners, but hey, it\u2019s nice just to just celebrate flicks that aren\u2019t processed sequels or dull superhero joints. Sinners is super without needing to follow all of that commercial haze, and it\u2019s all the better for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u239d \ud80c\udda9\u0f3a\u2727\u0f3b\ud80c\uddaa \u23a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Adapted Screenplay<\/strong> – One Battle After Another<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well deserved. A great narrative with a whole lot of interesting stuff going on. On a different tangent, I\u2019m glad to see Bugonia getting snubbed here there and everywhere. I hate that film. Bleugh. Anyway. It\u2019s a shame to see Train Dreams getting ignored; it\u2019s the kind of film that might have performed better in a different year, but there are too many strong candidates in the competition for it to make much of an impact, I suppose. \u25dd(\u1d54\u1d55\u1d54)\u25dc<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Original Song<\/strong> \u2013 Kpop Demon Hunters<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would\u2019ve liked to see Nick Cave get the win for Train Dreams here but hey, I\u2019ll allow it. KDH made a pretty big impact. Yeah. (\u0e51\u1d54\u2919\u1d54\u0e51)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Original Score<\/strong> \u2013 Sinners<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah, Ludwig Goransson\u2019s at it again, this time jumping the Christopher Nolan ship and working for Ryan Coogler. It\u2019s all good. And, in typical Goransson fashion, the soundtrack\u2019s great. OBAA definitely would\u2019ve been my runner up, because Jonny Greenwood also knows how to compose a damn good soundtrack. But hey, it\u2019s all good. Bugonia got snubbed again and so the world is in balance. ( \u0e51 \u02c3\u0335\u1d17\u02c2\u0335)\u0648 \u2661<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Cinematography<\/strong> \u2013 Sinners<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yep, this would\u2019ve got my vote too. Shout out to Autumn Durald Arkapaw for crafting some major league aesthetics that contributed to a damn good film. I do remember Frankenstein having some good visuals too, but I also remember those visuals being at the expense of narrative, so that\u2019s a Neddy no-no. Train Dreams would\u2019ve been a strong runner up for me, but hey, there\u2019s no denying the amazing work that Arkapaw\u2019s created. \u2661\u301c\u0669( \u02c3\u25bf\u02c2 )\u06f6\u301c\u2661<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Film Editing<\/strong> \u2013 One Battle After Another<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good stuff. Editing an essential guy in the whole rigmarole of the emotive response and all that (see: my book ^_^), and Michael P Shawver does some fine work. The scene where Leo jumps out of a car and rolls pathetically on the ground after Benicio\u2019s Tom Cruise comparison is a great bit of slapstick, but those moments are always created by a fine attention to detail in terms of the editing process. Bravo. And fuck you F1, get outta this category. Get outta this whole awards ceremony, for that matter. You and your Magikarp splashing. Goddamn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (\u2565\ufe4f\u2565)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Sound<\/strong> \u2013 F1<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ew. EWWWW. Any of the other nominees were more worthy of this award than you, F1. How much did you pay to get this gong? BEGONE. Imma\u2019 hit you dead with a weak ass Pikachu thunder shock. Because that\u2019s how weak you are, Magikarp. I\u2019m sending your feeble body straight to Giovanni. \u2018Cause that\u2019s what you get, weakling. \u1566(\u00f2_\u00f3\u02c7)\u1564<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Visual Effects<\/strong> \u2013 Avatar: Fire and Ash<\/p>\n\n\n\n Really? Nah, this should have gone straight to Sinners. This feels like a pity vote. On the plus side, though, at least this didn\u2019t go to F1. That\u2019s a positive, I suppose. (\u02f6\u02c3 \u2207 \u02c2\u02f6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Production Design<\/strong> \u2013 Frankenstein<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hmm, yeah, I guess it was good, but it doesn\u2019t feel right handing this over when the rest of the film was so shoddy. Sinners, OBAA and Marty Supreme would\u2019ve been more worthy winners. Heck, even Hamnet. Come on, now, this is an insult. (\u0e07 \u2022\u0300_\u2022\u0301)\u0e07<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Casting<\/strong> \u2013 One Battle After Another<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good choice. Everyone in this film was pretty stellar, whether they were playing big roles or smaller ones. And it\u2019s nice to see Cassandra Kulukundis win out over BNOC (Big Name on Campus, for those not in the know) heavyweight Nina Gold. Sinners would be my strong runner up, but hey, it\u2019s all good. (\u0e51>\u25e1<\u0e51)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Make-up and Styling<\/strong> \u2013 Frankenstein<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meh, I would\u2019ve gone for Sinners over this. That\u2019s my final word on the matter. \u1559( \u2022\u0300 \u15dc \u2022\u0301 )\u1557<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Costume Design<\/strong> \u2013 Frankenstein <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah, come on now. Down with this sorta\u2019 thing. Sinners is the superior candidate. \u30fe(\u2310\u25a0_\u25a0)\u30ce\u266a<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Animated Short<\/strong> \u2013 The Girl Who Cried Pearls<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, I\u2019ve watched none of these lads. Soz. \ud80c\udd9d \ud80c\udd9f \ud80c\udd9e \ud80c\udd9d \ud80c\udd9f<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Live Action Short<\/strong> \u2013 The Singers AND Two People Exchanging Saliva (TIED)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Same as above. Hmm, interesting to see a tie, though. I\u2019ve never heard of that in the Oscars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ( \u0d26\u0d4d\u0d26\u0d3f \u02d9\u15dc\u02d9 )<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best Documentary Short<\/strong> \u2013 All the Empty Rooms<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, I can\u2019t help ya here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022\u1d17\u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n All in all, a very satisfying result. Good good. If you want to check out any of my previous Oscar thoughts, see the articles below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n