Alas! The weirdest Awards Season in recent history is finally coming to a close with the Academy Awards on April 25th. As usual, I will be breaking down the top categories of the season based on my candid thoughts about who will win and who should win the coveted Oscar.
So, let’s get down to business.
Best Supporting Actor
Who Should Win:
From Paul Raci to Sascha Baron Cohen, this category has some truly notable performances from fantastic actors, but none were as riveting as Daniel Kaluuya’s performance as Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah.
I have said it before and I will say it again, Kaluuya is one of the finest actors of our generation. His charisma and dedication to authetnically portraying Hampton is astounding.
If you haven’t had a chance to watch the film, I encourage you to at least watch his big speech where he proclaims, “I am a revolutionary”. Within those ten minutes, you (and your inevitable goosebumps) will agree that no one else in this category is more deserving or more..dare I say it..revolutionary.
Who Will Win:
Out of all four main acting categories this year, the best supporting actor category has consistently awarded Daniel Kaluuya, making him the clear choice for Oscar night.
Best Supporting Actress
Who Should Win:
One of the more exciting races of this season has been for “best supporting actress”.
I have been very vocal about admiring Maria Bakalova’s comedic brilliance and courage in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Not only was she able to outshine the titular character, but Bakalolva was in actual danger while filming on set with Rudolph Giuliani. For that along, she deserves all of the awards.
However, when it comes down to it, the heart and joy of Yuh-jung Youn’s performance as the grandmother in Minari is unparalleled. Not to mention, this would be a historic win as the first Korean actress to receive an Oscar. This moment would be monumental.
I would also take a moment to add that although I am very pro-just-give-Glenn-Close-a-damn-Oscar-already, I do NOT want it to be for the hot mess that is Hillbilly Elegy. She deserves better. Her legacy deserves better. And we all know once Sunset Boulevard is released, she will get her moment. So we’re just going to have to wait for it, folks. If Glenn can, so can we.
Who Will Win:
By scoring the SAG and BAFTA in this category, I think history has its eyes on you, Yuh-jung Youn.
Best Actor
Who Should Win:
Ahmed. Boseman. Hopkins. Oldman. Yeun.
Five breathtaking performances that took their films to the next level.
However, the late Chadwick Boseman is a complete tour de force in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. His command over the script is remarkable, showcasing ferocity and rawness with a surreal type of power.
Knowing that this was his final performance and knowing all that he was going through behind the scenes, makes his delivery even more formidable. Boseman is so missed in the community and it breaks my heart to know that we won’t get to see more of his undeniable talent and watch him grow more as an actor.
Who Will Win:
There is no contest here. Grab your tissues. There will not be a dry eye in the room when Chadwick Boseman wins this award. I’m getting choked up thinking about it.
Best Actress
Who Should Win:
Nothing has caused more chaos in the film community than the race for “best actress”.
All nominees are not only INSANELY deserving of this award, but for once, I would be happy if any of them won. In fact, I would prefer if we could go full Mean Girls, and break the Oscar in five pieces to give it to Davis, Day, Kirby, McDormand and Mulligan. Then we can all live with rainbows, and butterflies and be happy!
But sadly. That’s not what is going to happen on Sunday.
All actresses give gripping performances from the bold theatricality of Viola Davis in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom to the sensitive care of Frances McDormand in Nomadland.
However, if you ask me for a performance that truly stuck with me and is unlike anything else we’ve seen this season, it is none other than Carey Mulligan’s ruthless portrayal of Cassie in Promising Young Woman. She is a FORCE in a rainbow wig, a fan-favorite of the season, and one of the most empowered performances of the season.
Who Will Win:
To be honest, this is the category I have spent the longest trying to decide a pick for.
With each actress snagging only ONE of the pivotal precursors that determine Oscar winners (except sweet Vanessa Kirby. We still love you, girl!), it’s extremely difficult to make a logical decision on who WILL WIN.
There is a large part of me that sees the prize going to l Davis or McDormand based on reading early reports on voting.
But. You know what. Hell with it.
I’m going with the chaos of the season and rooting for my girl, Carey Mulligan to win. XO.
Best Director
Who Should Win:
For starters, I am thrilled to see two women nominated in this category – especially since they both helmed my favorite films of the season.
When it comes to crafting something special, no one successfully executed this task as brilliantly as Chloé Zhao’s gorgeous vision of Nomadland.
The film is delicately directed between its quiet moments of contemplation and solitude to its heartwarming inclusiveness of the nomadic community. You don’t know these people but you feel so connected to them and their lifestyle. You learn to understand their journey. Zhao has captured a unique part of the American Dream like no other, and has done it respectively.
No one is doing it like Zhao and I am looking forward to seeing more from this impressive director (ESPECIALLY Eternals).
Who Will Win:
IT’S YOUR YEAR AND YOUR TIME, CHLOE! SEE YOU DOWN THE ROAD!
Best Picture:
Who Should Win:
Although I have spent most of this season praising Emerald Fennell’s daring and conversation-making Promising Young Woman, I sadly do not think it will win the top prize (too many male voters and too much female rage, but I am REALLY PULLING for it to win “Best Original Screenplay”).
If I am to pick the picture that is the most deserving and expertly crafted, it is none other than Nomadland.
Between Zhao’s masterful direction, its unforgettable cinematography, McDormand’s profound performance and the ensemble of real-life individuals to create an authentic portrait of nomadic America, it basically dominates every box of “Best Picture” BINGO.
Who Will Win:
LE SIGH. So every year, we get down to the big category, and I have been wrong about who will win.
Last year, I WANTED Parasite to sweep SO BADLY, but feared the Academy would play it safe with 1917, so that’s what I chose as “will win”. The year before that, I thought they’d be daring and pick critically beloved Roma, but they sucked and chose *gags* Green Book.
So. This year. I am sticking to my guns and choosing the same film for should-win and will-win: Nomadland.
See you down the road on Oscars night.
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