Tag: Oppenheimer

Awards Season Recap: Who actually won the Statues?

Hello Readers,

With Awards Season drawing to a close, I am looking back on this year’s most popular films in nominations to see what awards they actually walked away with from the big ceremonies. There were a few surprises this year including Emma Stone winning Best Actress for her role in Poor Things at the Academy Awards and I’m Just Ken from Barbie winning over Billie’s song at the Critics Choice Awards.

Unfortunately, many of the winners this season are from films featuring straight white characters in English. I have chosen the main American/British ceremonies as my markers but the films with POC/queer characters or not in English did not do as well in these categories. Napoleon is the exception, I believe it was widely panned due to its historical inaccuracies and confusing story line.

Oppenheimer (2023)

Oscars: 13 nominations and 7 wins

BAFTAs: 13 nominations and 7 wins

Critics Choice Awards: 13 nominations and 8 wins

Golden Globes: 8 nominations and 5 wins

SAG Awards: 4 nominations and 3 wins

Oppenheimer did about as well as expected winning over half its nominations at all the ceremonies. It is an America-centric film with the cast, crew and funding coming from the US featuring an important American event and invention. Christoper Nolan is a well-respected director in the film industry and along with his production team, has been responsible for some of the most visually interesting and complex films of recent years including Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014) and Tenet (2020). Robert Downey Jr won all of his nominations for the film along with the editing, score and director nominees sweeping their categories. Personally, I think there were other films that deserved some of these awards but I am pleased for the team particularly Emma Thomas winning the Oscar alongside Nolan for Best Picture.

Barbie (2023)

Oscars: 8 nominations and 1 win

BAFTAs: 5 nominations and 0 wins

Critics Choice Awards: 18 nominations and 6 wins

Golden Globes: 9 nominations and 2 wins

SAG Awards: 4 nominations and 0 wins

Unfortunately Barbie was largely panned at most of the awards. It managed to secure decent nominations and a whopping 18 at the Critics Choice Awards but did not deliver in terms of wins. I believe where Critics were concerned, it was a hit but with such a strong year, other films appealed to a wider range of voters. I believe this to be the case at the Oscars and Globes. Barbie was a well-produced film with so many details but with being marketed towards women and starring a toy doll that was mostly successful in the US, I don’t think this film quite had the reach. Ironically, Oppenheimer with an American plot, largely white cast and upsetting plot details did rather well. Take that as you will about the state of the country.

The Holdovers (2023)

Oscars: 5 nominations and 1 win

BAFTAs: 7 nominations and 2 wins

Critics Choice Awards: 8 nominations and 3 wins

Golden Globes: 3 nominations and 2 wins

SAG Awards: 2 nominations and 1 win

This film did well in chosen areas such as acting but was largely ignored in others. The core cast really brought the humour and raw emotion of the film to life. This film was also set in an elite part of American society on the East Coast with mainly white characters but perhaps the boarding school element was just not as much of a hit among the voters. The inclusion of Mary as a main character despite her lower status as the school cook was a well-meaning attempt to connect with other elements of society but I am not sure it 100% worked. I did enjoy the film and the story but I think it appealed more to my demographic. In another weaker year, I think this film could have taken home more. It certainly would have done well in a less diverse voting pool.

American Fiction (2023)

Oscars: 5 nominations and 1 win

BAFTAs: 1 nomination and 1 win

Critics Choice Awards: 5 nominations and 1 win

Golden Globes: 2 nominations and 0 wins

SAG Awards: 3 nominations and 0 wins

Many people have declared this film an important piece of cinema due to the themes of the plot. Perhaps white and non-black voters just could not relate to the concepts that this film was trying to portray. It was certainly punchier in its themes of blackness and racial divide than the Holdovers but brought humour to it. The film was very interesting and although the book/film featured was over the top it was trying to demonstrate how people want to hear black voices. It was maybe this metaphor that people did not pick up on and took the film at face value. To me, this film was one of the biggest snubs on the list due to its important ideas and complex characters. I am glad its wins were for the script as that is what made the film shine.

Poor Things (2023)

Oscars: 11 nominations and 4 wins

BAFTAs: 11 nominations and 5 wins

Critics Choice Awards: 13 nominations and 1 win

Golden Globes: 7 nominations and 2 wins

SAG Awards: 2 nominations and 0 wins

I still have yet to watch Poor Things despite it being available on streaming and its award record can possibly show why. It made a big splash in nominations but has lacked in terms of wins. Most awards have been for Emma Stone’s portrayal of Bella Baxter and the design teams (costumes, production, hair and makeup and VFX). The plot or film overall has not had much success. Without having seen it myself, I cannot judge too much but the strong and graphic sex scenes may have something to do with it. I believe Americans to still be prudish when it comes to sex on screen, never rewarding films with an R rating highly at awards shows. Brits maybe equally as so with the BAFTAs all being for the design teams. It had good reviews when it came out but only winning one award at the Critics Choice Awards demonstrates its reception among the experts.

Past Lives (2023)

Oscars: 2 nominations and 0 wins

BAFTAs: 3 nominations and 0 wins

Critics Choice Awards: 3 nominations and 0 wins

Golden Globes: 5 nominations and 0 wins

SAG Awards: 0 nominations/wins

This film did not manage to pick up an award in the award shows I have chosen to highlight but was successful at others. This film was very much about relationships and characters rather than visually stunning VFX or exciting action sequences. It was also told in a mix of Korean and English which may have put some people off. I personally liked the film but I wouldn’t be voting it over others in its categories. Again, being such a strong year especially for foreign language cinema was a downfall of this film. It was great to see female stories be told with Celine Song directing and Greta Lee starring.

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

Oscars: 5 nominations and 1 win

BAFTAs: 7 nominations and 1 win

Critics Choice Awards: 3 nominations and 1 win

Golden Globes: 4 nominations and 2 wins

SAG Awards: 0 nominations/wins

I have recently watched this film and I did enjoy it. The plot was pacy with the court room scenes framing the relationship between Sandra and her husband. Being mostly in French and again with no big action scenes/VFX, the film was largely panned. It was awarded for its screenplay though and being written by a husband and wife duo was probably the reason. Sandra Hüller in the lead was a very strong choice but she did not show emotions in the traditional ways which was one of the arguments she had with her husband before his death. The film was left open ended in terms of whether he died by suicide or other means but it was right to show that this was not important at the end of the day.

The Zone of Interest (2023)

Oscars: 5 nominations and 2 wins

BAFTAs: 9 nominations and 3 wins

Critics Choice Awards: 1 nomination and 0 wins

Golden Globes: 3 nominations and 0 wins

SAG Awards: 0 nominations/wins

This film was also largely ignored at this years awards picking up awards for its sound and best foreign language film. The fact that it was filmed in Poland in German with the Nazis at the centre probably had a lot to do with it. There are a lot of Jewish Americans in Hollywood but whether the film was a painful reminder or simply didn’t appeal to other voters, I am not sure. With the Israel/Palestine conflict going on at the moment, a film showing the oppression of Jewish people maybe didn’t hit the mark. It has to be said that the director and producers of the film are Jewish and gave a very strong speech about war at the Oscars. I have not yet seen the film and I would not say that I am particularly excited to, given its content.

Napoleon (2023)

Oscars: 3 nominations and 0 wins

BAFTAs: 4 nominations and 0 wins

Critics Choice Awards: 1 nomination and 0 wins

Golden Globes: 0 nominations/wins

SAG Awards: 0 nominations/wins

As mentioned above, this was the most surprising pan of the awards given its director and historical story. Ridley Scott is not usually an awards director but many of his films have been critically acclaimed and hailed by audiences as great cinema. Napoleon did not manage to do this. It angered the French with its British/American cast and great historical inaccuracies. I also found the plot confusing, jumping around different dates like it had somewhere to be. The relationship between Napoleon and Josephine was meant to be a strong point but they spent most of the film hating each other and all the sex scenes were rough and abusive. I think Vanessa Kirby did what she could with the script but I did not feel any warmth from Napoleon towards her even when he hadn’t left her for a younger, fertile woman. The scant nominations were for the costumes, production and VFX all of which looked great but unfortunately the plot/acting could not support it.

Maestro (2023)

Oscars: 7 nominations and 0 wins

BAFTAs: 7 nominations and 0 wins

Critics Choice Awards: 8 nominations and 0 wins

Golden Globes: 4 nominations and 0 wins

SAG Awards: 2 nominations and 0 wins

In nominations, Maestro did respectably well but did not manage to pick up an award. It was a very strong year but I think that Leonard Bernstein being bisexual/into men and women was not well received with voters and particularly cheating on his wife in their later years. There was a controversy about the prosthetic used to give Bradley Cooper a more Jewish looking nose but it was approved by the family. Personally I think Bradley looked more like Leonard with his own nose. The film was a good watch, I saw it at the London Film Festival last year and while an enjoyable film, I have not reached to watch it again on streaming. Carey Mulligan was strong as always but she got drowned out by other stronger performances in her categories from Da’Vine Joy Randolph and America Ferrera. An enjoyable film but it couldn’t hold its own this year.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Oscars: 10 nominations and 0 wins

BAFTAs: 9 nominations and 0 wins

Critics Choice Awards: 12 nominations and 0 wins

Golden Globes: 7 nominations and 1 win

SAG Awards: 3 nominations and 1 win

I am almost surprised at the panning that this film received given its powerhouse combo of Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. In the past this trio would have swept prizes but with the topic of the murder of Native Americans, they couldn’t make the leap. The only awards came for Lily Gladstone as Best Actress. While she was good, I am not sure her performance in the film was actually enough to secure the win. There may have been white guilt at play for the treatment of Native Americans or just an inability to relate to the culture. The film itself could have been done better in my eyes with too many characters to keep track of and most of the focus being on the few white male characters. If this film had been directed by a female Native American with Scorsese producing, I think there could have been a different result. It would have also made more sense as a limited series.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

My Oscars Predictions 2024

Hi Readers,

I am going to talk through my 2024 Academy Awards Predictions for every category. I have tried my best to watch as many films that are available to me and at least one from each category. Unfortunately most of the short animated films and documentary features I have not been able to watch so I will have to use previous award ceremonies/critics voices to make my prediction.

Blue highlight means I have seen the film that the nominee worked on.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

BRADLEY COOPER – Maestro
COLMAN DOMINGO – Rustin
PAUL GIAMATTI – The Holdovers
CILLIAN MURPHY – Oppenheimer
JEFFREY WRIGHT – American Fiction

I think this category is a tie between Paul Giamatti and Cillian Murphy looking at the BAFTA and Golden Globes wins. Colman Domingo has made history with his nomination as the first Afro-Latino in the category but unfortunately has not managed to secure a win yet for his outstanding performance in Rustin. Bradley Cooper was good as Leonard Bernstein but I think his directing made the film what it was. Personally I think either Domingo or Giamatti deserve it the most for their performances.

My prediction is Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

STERLING K. BROWN – American Fiction
ROBERT DE NIRO – Killers of the Flower Moon
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. – Oppenheimer
RYAN GOSLING – Barbie
MARK RUFFALO – Poor Things

There is a strong contrast in this category between the serious historical tales of Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer and then Barbie. Both Robert De Niro and Robert Downey Jr. gave dramatic performances but with no room in the plot for comedy. On the other hand, Ryan Gosling’s Ken in Barbie was a comedy character used to portray male ideals about patriarchy and so on. From how Awards Season has been unfolding, this award is looking like a shoe-in for Robert Downey Jr. but you never know what can happen.

My prediction is Robert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

ANNETTE BENING – Nyad
LILY GLADSTONE – Killers of the Flower Moon
SANDRA HÜLLER – Anatomy of a Fall
CAREY MULLIGAN – Maestro
EMMA STONE – Poor Things

In my own opinion, I think Annette Bening had a very strong performance in Nyad. The award has been a hand-off between Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone so far. I personally wasn’t sure Lily gave an Oscar winning performance. Carey Mulligan also gave a very strong performance but she is in a very strong year.

My prediction is Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

EMILY BLUNT – Oppenheimer
DANIELLE BROOKS – The Color Purple
AMERICA FERRERA – Barbie
JODIE FOSTER – Nyad
DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH – The Holdovers

I would love America to win for Barbie but with other strong performances in this category I am not sure she can secure it. Jodie Foster gave a very strong performance while Emily’s was nothing noteworthy to me. Da’Vine Joy Randolph has been sweeping the awards but after seeing the Holdovers, I am not sure what she did was more award-worthy than her fellow nominees.

My prediction is Da’Vine Joy Randolph for the Holdovers.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

THE BOY AND THE HERON – Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki
ELEMENTAL – Peter Sohn and Denise Ream
NIMONA – Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary
ROBOT DREAMS – Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE – Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal

I think animation is an often underappreciated category because every shot in the film has to be crafted by people and can take weeks if not months of back and forth. Out of the films I saw, each had a very different animation style so it is hard to compare them with each other. All of them had shots full of detail. I did love Spider-Man but if we’re going off original stories that do not already have a fan base, then I think Nimona and Elemental did well to create whole new worlds. Of course Elemental has had the budget and backing from Disney and their film is an allegory about immigration to the United States which I am sure many people voting in the Academy can relate. Nimona took a leap from the classic medieval tales we know and brought it into a new era with a diverse range of characters. This was based on a graphic novel but is not as well known as Marvel/Disney.

From what I have heard, the Boy and the Heron is a great film. Studio Ghibli always produce high quality work and it is thought this is to be Director Hayao Miyazaki’s last film so I think this one is a very strong contender for best animated feature film.

My prediction is The Boy and the Heron -Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki

CINEMATOGRAPHY

EL CONDE – Edward Lachman
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Rodrigo Prieto
MAESTRO – Matthew Libatique
OPPENHEIMER – Hoyte van Hoytema
POOR THINGS – Robbie Ryan

I must say when watching the films in this category, the cinematography was not my main focus. Looking back I think the cinematography from Maestro and Oppenheimer stood out from the others. El Conde, the plot was very confusing so even though there were some interesting shots, I couldn’t fully appreciate them. For me, Killers of the Flower Moon was more about the actors and the story line. It was a very long film so my main focus became the plot towards the end. The nominations also match those of the American Society of Cinematography where Oppenheimer prevailed this year.

My prediction is Hoyte van Hoytema for Oppenheimer.

COSTUME DESIGN

BARBIE – Jacqueline Durran
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Jacqueline West
NAPOLEON – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
OPPENHEIMER – Ellen Mirojnick
POOR THINGS – Holly Waddington

I personally thought that the costumes in Barbie were amazing and for such a large cast with a huge number of outfits, the costume team made everyone look impeccable. All of the other films are period pieces so the costumes differ from the bright colours of Barbie. I don’t think Oppenheimer’s costumes were very imaginative or impressive bar Florence Pugh’s looks but nothing had to be made for purpose. The outfits in Napoleon were very intricate and there were a lot of extras that had to be fitted in period dress as well as the many outfits for Josephine. Both Barbie and Poor Things won big at their industry awards but with Poor Things being awarded the BAFTA, they might have closed the deal.

My prediction is Poor Things – Holly Waddington

DIRECTING

ANATOMY OF A FALL – Justine Triet
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Martin Scorsese
OPPENHEIMER – Christopher Nolan
POOR THINGS – Yorgos Lanthimos
THE ZONE OF INTEREST – Jonathan Glazer

I’ve only seen two of the nominees from this category. It’s great to see a woman and two films in foreign languages nominated. Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan are both very accomplished and Academy praised directors so I think the award is well within their reaches.

My prediction is Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT – Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp and John Battsek
THE ETERNAL MEMORY
FOUR DAUGHTERS-Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha
TO KILL A TIGER-Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL- Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath

I have only been able to watch one of the nominees in this category as many have not yet been released in the UK. I am pleased that all the films are non-American this year as there are so many events/topics around the world that do not get the promotion or airtime that they need. From chatter online and watching the BAFTA awards, 20 Days in Mariupol is the favourite this year. I did enjoy the Bobi Wine documentary as much as one could given the topic but with the stance that he has taken on gay rights in the past, I don’t think this film is a strong contender in this climate. I don’t support his or Uganda’s views in general but seeing the way the population are treated, I think he has been brave to go against the regime.

My prediction is 20 Days in Mariupol – Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

THE ABCS OF BOOK BANNING – Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic
THE BARBER OF LITTLE ROCK – John Hoffman and Christine Turner
ISLAND IN BETWEEN – S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien
THE LAST REPAIR SHOP – Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
NǍI NAI & WÀI PÓ – Sean Wang and Sam Davis

There are surprisingly two films made in Taiwan in this category: Island in Between about Taiwan and China’s relationship and Kinmen Islands caught in the middle and Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó about the filmmaker’s two grandmothers and their feelings about life. I thought Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó was very sweet filled with joy about dancing but also discussing the hardships of life and death. Island in Between took on a more serious tone but was still interesting and the footage captured really painted a picture. The Barber of Little Rock showed one man’s effort towards helping his community and how it really made a difference but ultimately my favourite out of the ones I saw was the Last Repair Shop. It was very emotional showing the group of people fixing the instruments for over 80,000 children and helping to provide them with a better life away from crime and their personal obstacles. The pacing and interviews with the employees were very well done and brilliantly tapped into human emotion. The buzz online is talking about The Last Repair Shop and Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó due to the directors’ other works being the front-runners in this category.

My prediction is Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó – Sean Wang and Sam Davis

FILM EDITING

ANATOMY OF A FALL – Laurent Sénéchal
THE HOLDOVERS – Kevin Tent
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Thelma Schoonmaker
OPPENHEIMER – Jennifer Lame
POOR THINGS – Yorgos Mavropsaridis

Editing is often an unsung hero of the film world with a good cut often making or breaking the reception of a film. From the films I have seen, The Holdovers had good pacing and was also more digestible at just over 2 hours as opposed to 3 hours plus for the other two. It had great scenery shots cut with the actors and the look and feel of the film including the colour made it feel of the times. I know Nolan likes to shoot on film but the quality of Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon was sharp but did not blend with the story in the same way as the Holdovers.

My prediction is Jennifer Lame for Oppenheimer

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

IO CAPITANO – Italy
PERFECT DAYS – Japan
SOCIETY OF THE SNOW – Spain
THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE – Germany
THE ZONE OF INTEREST – United Kingdom

I have not seen as much discourse for this category online with many award shows not even having a best International Film category. Given its nomination for Best Picture, The Zone of Interest is a high contender for the win but I really enjoyed Society of the Snow and have written a blog post on it. It was an incredible true story about humanity and survival and I barely noticed it was in Spanish as the emotions and subtitles linked together in my mind. This film has the benefit of being the only one available on streaming so that could help secure it the win.

My prediction is The Zone of Interest

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

GOLDA – Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashra Kelly-Blue
MAESTRO – Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell
OPPENHEIMER – Luisa Abel
POOR THINGS – Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston
SOCIETY OF THE SNOW – Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé

Again Society of the Snow did a great job in this category, transforming the actors into survivalists with sunburn and wild hair growth. There are stronger contenders in this category and while Maestro has some great prosthetics on Bradley Cooper and won in its industry awards, I think Poor Things winning the BAFTA is more influential.

My prediction is Poor Things – Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

AMERICAN FICTION – Laura Karpman
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY – John Williams
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Robbie Robertson
OPPENHEIMER – Ludwig Göransson
POOR THINGS – Jerskin Fendrix

It is great to see 92 year old John Williams nominated for the final Indiana Jones film which is one of the franchises that he is most known for. Ludwig Göransson has won the BAFTA and Golden Globe and is generally well known in the music and film score circles. He has had previous nominations in the music categories at the Oscars as well.

My prediction is Ludwig Göransson for Oppenheimer

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

THE FIRE INSIDE – from Flamin’ Hot; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
I’M JUST KEN – from Barbie; Music and Lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
IT NEVER WENT AWAY – from American Symphony; Music and Lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson
WAHZHAZHE (A SONG FOR MY PEOPLE) – from Killers of the Flower Moon; Music and Lyric by Scott George
WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? – from Barbie; Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

I am not a big music person but I just re-listened to all the songs and they all have their own strengths. Dianne Warren who composed The Fire Inside is a seasoned nominee in this category having been nominated the last 8 years in a row. Jon Batiste’s song was very emotionally powerful; after watching the documentary, I can understand what he has been going through. Both the songs from Barbie have different tones, I’m Just Ken is playful and a metaphor for the reverse sexism in Barbieland. Billie Eilish’s song has so much heart and when you listen the lyrics it relates to how Barbie feels but also how everyone can feel non-existent and without a purpose. The song from Killers of the Flower Moon is important to the story but as its in a different language it personally didn’t impact me as much as the others. It has a steady rhythm but nothing stands out.

My prediction is Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell with What Was I Made For? from Barbie

BEST PICTURE

AMERICAN FICTION – Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson and Jermaine Johnson, Producers
ANATOMY OF A FALL – Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion, Producers
BARBIE – David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, Producers
THE HOLDOVERS – Mark Johnson, Producer
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese and Daniel Lupi, Producers
MAESTRO – Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers
OPPENHEIMER – Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, Producers
PAST LIVES – David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, Producers
POOR THINGS – Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, Producers
THE ZONE OF INTEREST – James Wilson, Producer

This is the most sought after prize in Hollywood. With Asian led films winning in the last few years (Parasite, Everything Everywhere All At Once) along with Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland and then a deaf cast leading CODA last year, it seems this category is awarding diversity and ambition. American Fiction and Past Lives fit this mould with diverse casts along with Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest being non-English. This category is not really represented in the same way at other award shows. The BAFTAs have best British/International film, the Globes split by genre so there is always a lot of discourse around who will receive the prize this year. Personally I think Barbie, The Holdovers and Maestro were produced very well creating a real world for the characters and telling interesting stories. These films did all have white protagonists and were in English so it would be great to see something more diverse lead the way.

My prediction is Oppenheimer as it has been a well-loved film this year and Christopher Nolan is a very well-respected director.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

BARBIE – Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON – Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis
NAPOLEON – Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Elli Griff
OPPENHEIMER – Production Design: Ruth De Jong; Set Decoration: Claire Kaufman
POOR THINGS – Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek

With the same nominees for Production Design as Costume, its clear that these films made an impact visually on audiences. Barbie famously created a giant Barbieland set, causing a global pink paint shortage along the way. I think the scale and locations of Napoleon have been underestimated as its currently predicted last to win. Poor Things once again won the BAFTA and is the top prediction. Oppenheimer built a lot of its sets including a quickly put together Oval Office and a desert town.

My prediction is Poor Things – Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

LETTER TO A PIG – Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter
NINETY-FIVE SENSES – Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess
OUR UNIFORM – Yegane Moghaddam
PACHYDERME – Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius
WAR IS OVER! INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF JOHN & YOKO – Dave Mullins and Brad Booker

Unfortunately I was only able to find one of these films to watch so I can’t use my own thoughts too much here. From what I have read online War is Over! has the biggest backing being produced by Yoko and Sean Ono Lennon and the animation being done by Weta FX, known for Avatar. Many people, myself included still mourn John Lennon and he was especially well loved in America so I think this has a good chance. The theme of the film I saw, Ninety-Five Senses was powerful but it was not a relatable story with the main character having committed a crime out of frustration.

My prediction is War is Over! Inspired by the music of John & Yoko – Dave Mullins and Brad Booker

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

THE AFTER – Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham
INVINCIBLE – Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron
KNIGHT OF FORTUNE – Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk
RED, WHITE AND BLUE – Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane
THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR – Wes Anderson and Steven Rales

I have seen most of these short films and all have interesting stories. I thought The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar was entertaining and Wes Anderson is certainly a great storyteller but its message was not as powerful or emotive as the other films. I think The After was very well-produced and has the power of Netflix behind it; Red White and Blue had the most evocative story I think and was a topic that is being hotly debated in America right now. Invincible wasn’t in English and seemed like a personal story rather than one that will appeal to everyone.

My prediction is The After – Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham

SOUND

THE CREATOR – Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
MAESTRO – Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE – Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor
OPPENHEIMER – Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell
THE ZONE OF INTEREST – Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn

From what I have read Oppenheimer is leading the charge for the Sound category. It has won awards at its own industry ceremonies and the people involved have all been highly commended in past projects. I personally thought The Creator had great sound in the film and combined with the VFX and other elements it truly expressed the vastness yet familial intimacy of the film. Top Gun featuring Tom Cruise was a winner last year so his involvement in Mission Impossible could secure another win.

My prediction is Oppenheimer – Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell

VISUAL EFFECTS

THE CREATOR – Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould
GODZILLA MINUS ONE – Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 – Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE – Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould
NAPOLEON – Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould

From what I have read online, the award could go to either The Creator or Godzilla Minus One. The Creator won big at the VES Awards taking home five prizes but Godzilla Minus One with just a team of 35 artists (allegedly) and the director acting as VFX Supervisor managed to make the most popular box office hit of the Godzilla franchise and the third-highest grossing foreign language film in the US. Poor Things won the BAFTA but with no Oscar nomination, anything could happen. Mission: Impossible had some great Visual Effects combined with the stunts to create some never before seen shots – memorably the motorbike-parachuting off the cliff. Guardians of the Galaxy had a lot of CGI characters including Rocket the Raccoon who had a bigger role this film in addition with all the green screens to create outer space.

I personally think The Creator deserves the award as after learning what their budget was, the film was such high quality and it featured some very exceptional futuristic technology that blended seamlessly with the Asian scenery.

My prediction is Godzilla Minus One – Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

AMERICAN FICTION – Written for the screen by Cord Jefferson
BARBIE – Written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach
OPPENHEIMER – Written for the screen by Christopher Nolan
POOR THINGS – Screenplay by Tony McNamara
THE ZONE OF INTEREST – Written by Jonathan Glazer

Personally I am not sure what existing story the Barbie screenplay was nominated for is but it looks like the two butting heads are American Fiction and Oppenheimer. American Fiction has won at the BAFTAs and Critics Choice Awards so far with Oppenheimer winning at lesser ceremonies but sweeping the board in other categories. With the Oscars splitting into two categories, Globe winner Anatomy of a Fall has been taken out of the running here. Personally I think the Barbie script was great and encompassed all the different parts of being a woman whilst also funny and serious.

My prediction is American Fiction – Cord Jefferson

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

ANATOMY OF A FALL – Screenplay – Justine Triet and Arthur Harari
THE HOLDOVERS – Written by David Hemingson
MAESTRO – Written by Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer
MAY DECEMBER – Screenplay by Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik
PAST LIVES – Written by Celine Song

I was only able to watch three of the films this year but the chatter I have seen and based on previous awards, the top contenders are Anatomy of a Fall and May December. Anatomy of a Fall has won big at the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes, both shows big indicators for who will take home the Academy Award. Whilst watching The Holdovers, I think the words were chosen carefully to curate the tone and emotion that the film wanted to portray whereas in Past Lives, the words were almost secondary to the emotions and were more regular. Maestro was a good script with many phrases referring to life but to me this film was brought alive by the acting and the music.

My prediction is Anatomy of a Fall – Justine Triet and Arthur Harari

That concludes my predictions for the Academy Awards 2024. I am planning to do a round up of which films were honoured this Awards Season so I will talk through the winners there.

Happy Watching,

Robyn

2023: Summer of Cinema: Oppenheimer

In some of his films that are set in reality, Nolan claims to use no CGI. VFX is used to touch up the shots and are not always used to create computer generated elements but in this case, over 100 visual effects artists (about 80%) were not credited for working on Oppenheimer. As someone working in VFX, I see this often enough but to not credit people is to not support fellow workers in the industry.

Hello readers,

The day has come and gone for ‘Barbenheimer’ to hit the screens and according to Rotten Tomatoes, Oppenheimer is currently pulling ahead in terms of reviews, however Barbie is winning in terms of box office. This could be because Barbie is a 12A meaning children under 12 can attend with an adult and Oppenheimer is a 15 but there are also huge differences in runtimes, directorial style and plot.

I chose to see Oppenheimer second on the Monday and I did see it at an IMAX screening as the director Christopher Nolan intended it. I didn’t quite stretch to a 70mm screening as to tell the truth, it was sold out. I am glad that I did not see both Barbie and Oppenheimer on one day as the 3 hour long film did send me to sleep a little.

Oppenheimer (2023)

I will start off the review by saying that the film was objectively good. The story was something not many people know in depth; the cast were Hollywood A-List: Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh and even the supporting cast of lesser knowns were great. The overall look with the costumes, production design and the inclusion of physics really helped set the stage and the use of lighting, composition and colour made the film look visually appealing.

As a former film student, these facts are all clear to me but personally I did not enjoy the film as much as I had hoped. I found it too long and it did not keep my interest after about one and a half hours. The female characters were only there to serve the male plotlines and even Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty (Emily Blunt) who was featured in a lot of scenes did not really say or do much apart from seem mentally unstable or supportive of her husband. Along with Jean (Florence Pugh) having a mental breakdown and Oppenheimer’s sister-in-law, Jackie (Emma Dumont) being blacklisted as a communist, there were not any positive depictions of the women in the story.

For a female audience or even a younger audience who have grown up with men and women being more equally represented on screen to enjoy the film, there should have been more depth to the only two leading female characters: Kitty and Jean. Florence was severely underused and every scene she appeared in involved sex. The sex scenes themselves were weirdly portrayed as a conversation and sex was a secondary element which to me shows that no one needed to be naked for the scene to happen. There was a lot of pointless female nudity that was not replicated for the male counterpart.

There was also a lack of female scientists. The only speaking woman who was involved in the Manhattan Project was relegated to secretary and only got that position as a biologist. In real life, there were more women assisting Oppenheimer and his team with creating the Atomic Bomb and that just wasn’t shown in the film which was a shame. Similar stories such as the space race in Hidden Figures (2016) or the building of the Enigma machine in The Imitation Game (2014) did not shy away from including the stories of real women that helped with these scientific/mathematic projects.

In some of his films that are set in reality, Nolan claims to use no CGI. VFX is used to touch up the shots and are not always used to create computer generated elements but in this case, over 100 visual effects artists (about 80%) were not credited for working on Oppenheimer. As someone working in VFX, I see this often enough but to not credit people is to not support fellow workers in the industry.

I will say that for me, Robert Downey Jr was the standout performance of the film and for his first big role since Iron Man’s story ended, he really embodied his character: Admiral Strauss. I liked the beginning of the film where we saw Oppenheimer’s background and how he got selected for the Manhattan Project but I think the film loosened after the actual explosion happened. Moving backwards and forwards through time was also a little confusing as black and white was used for present day and colour used for flashbacks.

The general tone of the film, particularly after the bomb was not of regret for making the bomb and using it on innocent civilians but rather Americans trying to excuse themselves for making and using the bomb. Oppenheimer himself was barely affected with two weak aftermath images and no one else seemed that bothered. There was a whole scene of people cheering after hearing of the bombing which felt like patriotic propaganda. Many American people would not have agreed with its use or war in general; when the Vietnam War started there were a lot of protests.

Part of what held my interest was the appearance of many actors in small cameo roles such as Gary Oldman as President Truman; Casey Affleck; Rami Malek; Jack Quaid; Josh Peck; Devon Bostick and Alex Wolff.

Overall, I think I was not the right audience of the film but I have seen other film critics agree with my thoughts so not everyone enjoyed it. I think Nolan is a good director, I have enjoyed other films of his: Interstellar, Inception, The Prestige, Dunkirk and Memento but on this occasion, the film just didn’t grab me. As always these are just my opinions and I would encourage everyone to see the film for themselves and form their own opinions. I give the film 3/5.

Happy Watching,
Robyn