As per Leo’s annual tradition, here is my complete list on who will & should win the Academy Awards in the big six categories. This list is purely based on my subjective thoughts and opinions, so if we were not on the same frequency, then that would be OK. Life must go on.
Roll the drum, please.
Best Picture
Wow it’s really hard actually. I had a good time watching indies / smaller films like Sound of Metal and Promising Young Woman. And honestly I don’t really care for the rest (The Father, Minari, and Judas and the Black Messiah). So, let’s talk about “the big three”. For me, Mank is a kind of movie that old Hollywood fanatics like me will appreciate, but not for all people. Don’t get me wrong, I like the aesthetics of this movie, its dialogue, its score and how Fincher’s paying tribute to one of the debatable Hollywood legends based on his father’s script; but I think general audiences are not buying to a history lesson wrapped in a 2 hour movie. As for The Trial of the Chicago 7, I like the ensemble casts (I think they’re pretty solid), the emotions, that Sorkin dialogue (of course); and not to mention it’s strange timely similarity with the current social issue and political climate in the US. Having said that though, I’ve got a very soft spot for Nomadland. It’s meditative, warm and filled with vastly beautiful landscapes as artistic poetry. What Zhao manages to captivate me is her capability to turn the protagonist’s journey into something that is relatable, philosophical and kinda meta-cinematic to the audiences even though we do not share the same journey in the real life. The film’s blend of documentary and fiction is surely worth-watching, and that’s why I think that it will win the Best Picture category.
Best Director
Vinterberg and Chung probably don’t have a chance here, and while I personally like Fincher’s film best (as I mentioned it earlier before) as well as Fennell’s confident direction in familiar subject matter post MeToo movement; Zhao for Best Director is a safe bet. I think Nomadland is Zhao at the height of her artistry. She had full control on it, precise and subtle. Not to mention its documentary-like quality that showcases her expertise in capturing sentimentalized relationship between non professional actors (real nomads) and the professional ones that feels entirely genuine and unique.
Best Actor
With all due respect for the other nominees, let me get this straight.
It’s Chadwick Boseman. Period.
Don’t question it, don’t think about it. Just go and watch Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and you’ll get it.
Best Actress
I didn’t watch The United States vs. Billie Holiday, so I don’t think I am qualified enough to talk about Andra Day’s performance; and I only watched that breathtaking first 30 mins or so of Pieces of a Woman where Vanessa Kirby truly shines in it. I think this is tough for me because personally, I like Viola Davis’ performance as Ma Rainey better than Frances McDormand’s. It’s like, at the first glance I even don’t recognize that it’s her. She’s a true chameleon in this film and commanding her acting with such charisma and power to that role, which I really love. Every scene she’s in, I feel her grief, anger and paranoia, but also at the same time I understand her character’s fragility and sadness for what makes a black person living in America. So, it really strikes my emotion. However, I think Frances McDormand will win this race, because, yeah, she also gives a fine performance and not to mention her active role both on and off-screen for this film. She invites us for a journey where showcases a part of Americans’ life that we’ve never seen before; and her acting throughout this film makes me convinced that she’s a real nomad despite being a professional actor (this is something I will talk again later for Paul Raci in the Best Supporting Actor category). Carey Mulligan, I appreciate her , I like her, and I think she’s wonderful in Promising Young Woman, but I don’t think she will win. It’s unfortunate to see her competing with such powerhouse like Davis and McDormand, but Mulligan really gives a great performance in it. Worth check it out.
Best Supporting Actor
This is much easier for me, because it’s either Daniel Kaluuya or Paul Raci. Actually Kaluuya will win because based on the facts alone, he had already won many awards before this (BAFTA, SAG, Golden Globe) and clearly audiences (including me) like his performance in every frame. It’s pure charisma, depth and emotion to that character. It’s a shame he’s not in the Best Actor category, but it’s also fine. I think he’ll win for this. For the rest, Cohen, Odom Jr., and Stanfield whom I think also gave a great performance in Judas and the Black Messiah, do not really have a good chance in winning this category. And lastly, let’s talk about Paul Raci, whom I’d personally say he should be winning this. The first time Raci appears in Sound of Metal, I’m immediately hooked and think he’s a real deaf person from the community. He’s really convincing in this role and has such aura in which he plays this character with such calm and precise. I personally hoped to see him win.
Best Supporting Actress
It’s the same like Best Supporting Actor category; Bakalova, Colman and Seyfried I think probably have a small chance of winning the award, and it’s either between these two grandmas: Glenn Close in Hillbilly Elegy and Youn Yuh-jung in Minari. Yuh-jung, a veteran actress, had swept both BAFTA & SAG awards like Kaluuya did; where her performance is universally acclaimed. She gives warmth to the film, and I think she’s like the best representation of “the” Asian grandmas you’d probably encounter in most of Asian countries, including here in Indonesia. So, I really can relate to her performance as it is comforting and resonating through me. However, even though the odds are saying that Yuh-jung will probably win, I really wanted for Glenn Close to win this time. Glenn Close has been in almost everything, playing different kind of characters; and when I saw her performance in Hillbilly, she reminded me with Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream. Give her the Oscars!
Hopefully it sums up my thoughts for the 2021 Oscars. Be sure to make your own Oscar predictions and share it with me! Stay safe and take care.
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