BEST PICTURE
Will Win: 1917
Should Win: JOKER
*As many of you noticed, I stopped posting movie reviews this year (it complicated some important work relationships), but I do want to comment on BEST PICTURE: I have a lot of mixed feelings about JOKER, but I feel it is the movie that best captured the zeitgeist of 2020. Despite my opinion that Todd Philip’s movie is somewhat socially irresponsibly, it is impossible to not be affected by this well-crafted film and stellar performance from Phoenix. It’s also a very strange movie: it’s a “comic book” movie that got mediocre reviews (68% on RT), but did over a billion dollars at the box office, then 11 Academy Award nominations (including BEST PICTURE). It is not my favorite movie of the year (that would be JOJO RABBIT), and I can’t say I ever want to see JOKER again (it’s disturbing), but it does feel like the stand-out film of the year, love it or hate it.
DIRECTOR
Will Win: Sam Mendes, 1917
Should Win: Sam Mendes, 1917
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Will Win: Joaquin Phoenix, JOKER
Should Win: Joaquin Phoenix, JOKER
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Will Win: Renée Zellweger, JUDY
Should Win: Renée Zellweger, JUDY
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Will Win: Brad Pitt, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Should Win: Brad Pitt, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Will Win: Laura Dern, MARRIAGE STORY
Should Win: Laura Dern, MARRIAGE STORY
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Will Win: PARASITE
Should Win: KNIVES OUT
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Will Win: JOJO RABBIT
Should Win: JOJO RABBIT
ANIMATED FEATURE
Will Win: TOY STORY 4
Should Win: KLAUS
DOCUMENTARY, FEATURE
Will Win: AMERICAN FACTORY
Should Win: AMERICAN FACTORY
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Will Win: PARASITE
Should Win: PARASITE
ORIGINAL SCORE
Will Win: JOKER
Should Win: 1917
ORIGINAL SONG
Will Win: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again", ROCKETMAN
Should Win: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again", ROCKETMAN
SOUND EDITING
Will Win: 1917
Should Win: FORD vs FERRARI
SOUND MIXING
Will Win: 1917
Should Win: FORD vs FERRARI
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Will Win: BOMBSHELL
Should Win: BOMBSHELL
COSTUME DESIGN
Will Win: LITTLE WOMEN
Should Win: LITTLE WOMEN
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Will Win: Roger Deakins, 1917
Should Win: Roger Deakins, 1917
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Will Win: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Should Win: 1917
FILM EDITING
Will Win: FORD vs FERRARI
Should Win: FORD vs FERRARI
VISUAL EFFECTS
Will Win: 1917
Should Win: 1917
DOCUMENTARY, SHORT SUBJECT
Will Win: NA
Should Win: NA
SHORT FILM, LIVE ACTION
Will Win: NA
Should Win: NA
SHORT FILM, ANIMATED
Will Win: HAIR LOVE
Should Win: HAIR LOVE