|
|
 (031326) The 98th Annual Academy
Awards (aka: Oscars) will be held on Sunday, March 15th at
the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, and
will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu. The Awards
will honor the best films released between January 1 and
December 31, 2025. Conan O'Brien is returning to a host the
show for his second consecutive year. This year the Academy
unveils a brand new ongoing category: Best Casting. An
addition to the telecast which I am are sure will not extend the shows
run time one
iota.
After taking a few years off our Oscar picks return for this,
our 17th year of crystal ball gazing (see the links above
for our previous 16). Below are listed all the categories
and nominees for this year. I was not able to tackle every
single category because there were some in which I saw few
or no films, so I skipped them. "None picked" means I chose
to opt out of commenting on that category for whatever
reason. I made a total of twenty-two predictions this year.
With the dozens of streaming channels currently available,
we are long past the days in which anyone can see all the
nominated films without spending a small fortune. So if you
are already spending a fortune on streaming platforms,
here's where to stream the Oscar-nominated films.
Sinners
and One Battle After Another
are on HBO Max. Frankenstein,
K-Pop
Demon Hunters,
and
Train Dreams
are on Netflix. Hulu/Disney has The Secret Agent,
Apple TV has F1, and Marty Supreme
is on Prime. Sentimental Value
will become available on Apple after the Oscars on March 23.
As far as the shorts are concerned, Anuja, which was
nominated for Best Live Action Short, and The Perfect
Neighbor, which was nominated for Best Documentary, as well
as Sinners,
are all on Netflix. All the linked film titles below are
reviewed on the site where the film is cited.
The big news is that this year’s show has more international
films nominated than usual. The Secret Agent
from Brazil received nominations for Best Picture, Best
International Film, and Best Actor. Sentimental Value
from Norway, which was an art film hit and my favorite among
the films nominated for best picture, got a whopping 9
nominations, which is an unusually high amount for a foreign
film. It Was Just an accident that France got a nomination
for Best Original Screenplay. The shockingly successful
Asian film
K-Pop
Demon Hunters
received the expected nominations for Best Animated Film and
Original Song. Kokihi, the little-seen Japanese historical
drama that was beloved at Cannes, received one nomination.
This all shows that the breakthrough foreign film
Parasite
had a tremendous influence that may last beyond a few years.
It just may have permanently changed the awards landscape
and made voters more aware of global cinema.
The front-runners with the most nominations include One Battle After Another
with 13 nominations, and
Sinners,
which did extraordinarily well for a horror film and got a
record-breaking 16 nominations. Other films popular with the
Academy this year include Hamnet,
with 8 nominations; Frankenstein
and Marty Supreme,
both with 9 nominations; and
Train Dreams
and
Bugonia,
each with 4.
Warner Bros. led the pack with 27 nominations, essentially
competing with itself for both One Battle After Another
and Sinners.
Its closest competitor, Neon, had 18; Netflix had 16,
slightly fewer than in previous years; A24 had 11; and Apple
had 6.
This is the second recent year in which an actor has
jeopardized his or her chances to win because of social
media. In 2024, Karla Sofia Gascon, who was nominated for
Emilia Perez,
was cut from all the Oscar promotion after a series of
tweets that were seen as racist surfaced, including one in
which she said that while she was watching the Oscars, she
felt like she was watching an “Afro Korean Festival or Black
Lives Matter demonstration.” She could have been the first
trans person to win best actress, but I felt she was both
nominated and cancelled for political reasons, with nothing
to do with the merit of her performance.
Now, Timothy Chalamet, whose mom was a ballet dancer, said,
“I don’t want to work in the ballet or opera where it’s
like, hey, let’s keep this thing alive even though no one
cares about this anymore.” Although he was commenting on the
popularity of the medium rather than its merit, there was an
immediate, extreme negative reaction, with his former high
school principal criticizing him and some theatres offering
him free tickets to change his mind. Unless someone says
something really heinous online, I don’t think an ill-chosen
Twitter comment should affect whether someone wins a major
award.
An expected nominee,
Wicked for Good, experienced backlash due to both the film's
lackluster quality and its box office performance, which was
much lower than the first, so it came up empty. Another
surprising development is that Richard Linklater, a 90’s
director whose work arguably is up there with Paul Thomas
Anderson, directed two fine films this year, Nouvelle Vague,
which I had on my top 10 list (see) and Blue Moon, But
between them only earned two nominations for Ethan Hawke’s
performance and the screenplay, Now on with my selections.
|
|
|
|
|
THIS YEAR'S PREDICTIONS... |
|
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet-Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio-One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke-Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan-Sinners
Wagner Moura-The Secret Agent
|
Will win:
Michael B. Jordan-Sinners
Should win:
Timothée Chalamet-Marty Supreme
It was mostly a two-way race between Chalamet and Di Caprio
with the nod going to Timothy because he is in nearly every
frame, and he more completely dominates his film whereas Di
Caprio is part of an ensemble and he is terrific playing a
laid back 60s survivor that could be a long last relative of
the dude from The Big Lebowski. Hawke is the possible
spoiler, and he is very well respected. I did not pick
Jordan, because despite Silence of the Lambs performances in
horror movies do not usually win Oscars in the major
categories even though Michael B Jordan was excellent
playing dual characters in Sinners.
But then the whole apple cart was overturned and Jordan won
Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Actor Awards. Moura who
also played drug dealer Pablo Escobar in a mini-series has
no chance because in all likelihood that American voters
never heard of him
|
|
|
|
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Jessie Buckley-Hamnet
Rose Byrne-If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Kate Hudson-Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve-Sentimental Value
Emma Stone-Bugonia
|
Will win: Jessie Buckley-Hamnet
Should win: Jessie Buckley-Hamnet
Jessie Buckley from Hamnet
and the current The Bride film has the best chance in this
tight race, but Rose Byrne also has a very slight shot
unlike Kate Hudson whose nomination was the biggest surprise
in the category. Emma Stone has already two Oscar wins and
though she is a wonderful actress three seems like overkill.
|
|
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Elle Fanning-Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas-Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan-Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku-Sinners
Teyana Taylor-One Battle After Another
|
Should win: Elle Fanning-Sentimental Value
Will win:
Wunmi Mosaku-Sinners
Fanning who also was great in Predator Badlands as well as
the show, The Great just might score here but this is an
almost equal three- or four-person race. Teyana Taylor won a
Golden Globe, Wommi Mosaku won the BAFTA, and Amy Madigan
won the Critics’ Choice and SAG award. Inga excelled in a
film that was packed with strong female Performances and
Mozaki only has a shot if Elle and Inga split the art house
vote. But if there is a One Battle After Another sweep which
is only somewhat likely Mosaku will take it.
|
|
Best Animated Feature Film
Arco-Ugo Bienvenu, Félix de Givry, Sophie Mas and Natalie
Portman
Elio-Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina and Mary
Alice Drumm
K-Pop
Demon Hunters-Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle L.M.
Wong
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain-Maïlys Vallade,
Liane-Cho Han, Nidia Santiago and Henri Magalon
Zootopia 2-Jared Bush, Byron Howard and Yvett Merino
|
Will and should win:
K-Pop
Demon Hunters-Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans and Michelle L.M.
Wong
To be honest, the only animated film I saw that was
nominated was the delicious K Pop Demon Hunters. But since
it swept the all-animated Annie awards with ten wins this is
a good indicator, and it was the most streamed Netflix film
it should win.
|
|
|
|
Best Cinematography
Frankenstein-Dan Laustsen
Marty Supreme-Darius
Khondji
One Battle After Another-Michael
Bauman
Sinners-Autumn
Durald Arkapaw
Train Dreams-Adolpho Veloso
|
Will win:
Sinners-Autumn
Durald Arkapaw
Should win:
Train Dreams-Adolpho Veloso
Train Dreams has excellent, simple cinematography that goes
with the film, but few saw it, but the look of Sinners is
almost as striking. Plus, if Autumn Cheyenne Durald Arkapaw
wins she will be the first woman of color to get the
distinction so the academy will get brownie points.
|
|
|
|
Best Director
Hamnet-Chloé
Zhao
Marty Supreme-Josh
Safdie
One Battle After Another-Paul
Thomas Anderson
Sentimental Value-Joachim
Trier
Sinners-Ryan
Coogler |
Will and should win:
One Battle After Another-Paul
Thomas Anderson
Although it’s not his best film, Paul Thomas Anderson of
Battle after another is way way overdue for a win here. If
Ryan Coogler his closest competitor wins, he will be the
first African American director to get that honor. The
others are all less likely to win.
|
|
Best Documentary Feature Film
The Alabama Solution-Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman
Come See Me in the Good Light-Ryan White, Jessica Hargrave,
Tig Notaro and Stef Willen
Cutting through Rocks-Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni
Mr. Nobody against Putin-David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin,
Helle Faber and Alžběta Karásková
The Perfect Neighbor-Geeta Gandbhir, Alisa Payne, Nikon
Kwantu and Sam Bisbee |
Should and will win: The Perfect Neighbor
The Perfect Neighbor which is easy to see on Netflix, is the
most readily available and most touted film on the list so
it should win.
|
|
Best Documentary Short Film
All the Empty Rooms-Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud-Craig
Renaud and Juan Arredondo
Children No More: "Were and Are Gone"-Hilla Medalia and Sheila Nevins
The Devil Is Busy-Christalyn Hampton and Geeta Gandbhir
Perfectly a Strangeness-Alison McAlpine
|
All the Empty Rooms, is the devastatingly poignant film
about a father who relives parts of his daughter’s life who
died in a school shooting. It is as good as some of the
year’s feature films.
Will and should win: All the Empty Rooms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Live Action Short Film
Butcher's Stain-Meyer Levinson-Blount and Oron Caspi
A Friend of Dorothy-Lee Knight and James Dean
Jane Austen's Period Drama-Julia Aks and Steve Pinder
The Singers-Sam A. Davis and Jack Piatt
Two People Exchanging Saliva-Alexandre Singh and Natalie
Musteata |
Should and will win: Two People Sharing Saliva
|
|
Best Make Up & Hair Style
Frankenstein-Mike
Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey
Kokuho-Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino and Tadashi Nishimatsu
Sinners-Ken
Diaz, Mike Fontaine and Shunika Terry
The Smashing Machine-Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin and Bjoern
Rehbein
The Ugly Stepsister-Thomas Foldberg and Anne Cathrine
Sauerberg |
Should and will win:
Frankenstein-Mike
Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey
Elizabeth Frankenstein (Horror icon Mia Goth in one of her
less memorable performances) has the finest look of any
female character this year.
|
|
Best Music (Original
Score)
Bugonia-Jerskin Fendrix
Frankenstein-Alexandre Desplat
Hamnet-Max Richter
One Battle After Another-Jonny Greenwood
Sinners-Ludwig Goransson |
Anything touched by a Radiohead member is touched by genius.
Will win:
Sinners-Ludwig Goransson, music is
such an important part of Sinners that I think the film has
this sewn up.
Should win:
One Battle After Another-Jonny Greenwood, but
the music by The Idles for Caught Stealing which was not
nominated was my favorite soundtrack of the year.
|
|
Best Music (Original Song)
Dear Me from Diane Warren: Relentless; Music and Lyric by
Diane Warren
Golden from
K-Pop
Demon Hunters; Music and
Lyric by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee,
Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park
I Lied To You from
Sinners;
Music and Lyric by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Goransson
Sweet Dreams Of Joy from Viva Verdi!; Music and Lyric by
Nicholas Pike
Train Dreams from
Train Dreams-Music
by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner; Lyric by Nick Cave |
Nick Cave’s wonderfully evocative score for Train Dreams is
the best song that was nominated here and it fits perfectly
into the film. Bu the overwhelming popularity of Golden
should earn it the Award.
Should win: Train Dreams from
Train Dreams-Music
by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner; Lyric by Nick Cave
Will win:
Golden from
K-Pop
Demon Hunters; Music and
Lyric by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee,
Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park
|
|
Best Picture
Bugonia-Ed
Guiney & Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone and Lars
Knudsen, Producers
F1-Chad Oman, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner,
Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer, Producers
Frankenstein-Guillermo
del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Scott Stuber, Producers
Hamnet-Liza
Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Steven Spielberg and
Sam Mendes, Producers
Marty Supreme-Eli
Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Anthony Katagas and
Timothée Chalamet, Producers
One Battle After Another-Adam
Somner, Sara Murphy and Paul Thomas Anderson, Producers
The Secret Agent-Emilie
Lesclaux, Producer
Sentimental Value-Maria
Ekerhovd and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar, Producers
Sinners-Zinzi
Coogler, Sev Ohanian and Ryan Coogler, Producers
Train Dreams-Marissa
McMahon, Teddy Schwarzman, Will Janowitz, Ashley Schlaifer
and Michael Heimler, Producers
|
This is among the surest categories.
One Battle After Another
will win. Not only is it one of the best films, but it will
be payback for Anderson who is considered one of the best
American film makers for losing all the other times. The
only other film that has a chance is Sinners, but the upset
is unlikely. On one hand it is socially conscious with
political overtones which should help it, but it is also
mostly a horror film which should hurt it. F1 is the one
film that deserves it least and it is only superior in terms
of its popularity and box office. But
Sentimental Value
for me was the deepest and most profoundly moving film on
the list is only likely to pick up the Best International
Film Award.
Will
win-One Battle After Another
Should win-Sentimental Value
|
|
Best Production Design
Frankenstein-Production
Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
Hamnet-Production
Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
Marty Supreme-Production
Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis
One Battle After Another-Production
Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino
Sinners-Production
Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Monique Champagne |
Despite my dislike of the story the film excels visually and
should pick up most of the technical awards
Should and will win:
Frankenstein-Production
Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
|
|
Best Sound
F1-Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A.
Rizzo and Juan Peralta
Frankenstein-Greg
Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke
and Brad Zoern
One Battle After Another-José
Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio and Tony Villaflor
Sinners-Chris
Welcker, Benjamin A. Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor
and Steve Boeddeker
Sirāt-Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas and Yasmina Praderas |
Should and will win: The sound of the cars racing was
one of the biggest things I will remember from the pleasant
but most forgettable F1.
|
|
|
|
Best Writing (Original
Screenplay)
Blue Moon, Written by Robert Kaplow
It Was Just an Accident, Written by Jafar Panahi; Script
collaborators - Nader Saïvar, Shadmehr Rastin, Mehdi
Mahmoudian
Marty Supreme,
Written by Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie
Sentimental Value,
Written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
Sinners,
Written by Ryan Coogler |
Sinners has an extraordinary screenplay and story that
succeeds at the very difficult proposition of jumping from
African American historical drama to horror and it even
incorporates Irish music. This should be enough to get the
prize even though I read that Janar Panahi’s script is
great.
Will and should win:
Sinners,
Written by Ryan Coogler
|
|
Best Animated Short Film
Butterfly-Florence Miailhe and Ron Dyens
Forevergreen-Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears
The Girl Who Cried Pearls-Chris Lavis and Maciek
Szczerbowski
Retirement Plan-John Kelly and Andrew Freedman
The Three Sisters-Konstantin Bronzit |
Retirement Plan is ok but short even for a short, and it
does not make a great impression but Butterfly about a woman
coming to terms with her plant loving mom’s passing is
charming and lovely.
Should and will win: Butterfly
|
|
Best Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash-Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric
Saindon and Daniel Barrett
F1-Ryan Tudhope, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington and
Keith Dawson
Jurassic World Rebirth-David Vickery, Stephen Aplin,
Charmaine Chan and Neil Corbould
The Lost Bus-Charlie Noble, David Zaretti, Russell Bowen and
Brandon K. McLaughlin
Sinners-Michael
Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter and Donnie Dean |
None Picked |
|
|
|
For more writings by Vittorio Carli go to
www.artinterviews.org and
www.chicagopoetry.org.
His latest book "Tape Worm Salad with Olive Oil for Extra Flavor" is also
available.
Email
carlivit@gmail.com
See the film trailer of the Lee Groban movie
directed by Nancy Bechtol featuring Vittorio Carli.
See
https://youtu.be/tWQf-UruQw
Upcoming features at the New Poetry Show:
Come to the New Poetry Show on the first Saturday of every month at Tangible
Books in
Bridgeport from 7-9 at 3324 South Halsted.
April 4-Criage Lynette Althage, Clair Fluff Llewelyn and Kaytee Thurn
This is now a monthly show featuring Poetry/Spoken Word, some Music, Stand Up
and Performance Art and hosted by Mister Carli.
For more information e-mail:
carlivit@gmail.com for details.
|
|
|
Review © 2026 Alternate Reality, Inc. |
|
|
|
|
|
