The 98th Academy Awards dropped their highly anticipated nominations Thursday morning. Records were broken with “Sinners” garnering 16 nominations, the most a film has ever received. “Sentimental Value” and “One Battle After Another” also collected hefty nominations.
What are The Daily’s thoughts on the Academy’s choices? Two of The Daily’s film critics, Newsletter Editor Dalton Hanna and Copy Chief Bianca Dishmon, share who they believe will take home the coveted gold statues.
Best Picture (Bianca)
“Bugonia”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle After Another”
“The Secret Agent”
“Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”
“Train Dreams”
The competition for Best Picture has remained consistent throughout awards season, but Joseph Kosinski’s “F1” has been introduced as a new contender for the award. The clear frontrunners are “Hamnet” and “One Battle After Another,” which received the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture Drama and Comedy, respectively. However, despite failing to nab the Best Picture award so far, “Sinners” cannot be counted out. In the Academy’s history, a horror film has won Best Picture once, with “The Silence of the Lambs” winning in 1992. A “Sinners” win would be historic for both the Oscars and the genre of horror. However, the likelihood of this occurring seems to be overly optimistic. While I am partial to “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another” seems poised to have a clean sweep after its wins at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards.
Best Director (Dalton):
Paul Thomas Anderson, “One Battle After Another”
Ryan Coogler, “Sinners”
Josh Safdie, “Marty Supreme”
Joachim Trier, “Sentimental Value”
Chloé Zhao, “Hamnet”
Some of the biggest names in directing and newer filmmakers alike were given their flowers in the Best Director nominations. The Safdies had a massive year, with both brothers releasing films with A24. Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme” was a huge undertaking, with ping-pong scenes that felt like an action movie and also an incredibly heartfelt ending. Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” was also beautifully directed, particularly in its powerful, quiet, naturalistic moments. However, the clear frontrunner and my personal pick is Paul Thomas Anderson’s directing in “One Battle After Another.” Anderson took home both the Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe for directing this epic, nearly three-hour film. The movie built suspense perfectly, keeping me engaged the entire time, and the final chase sequence was easily my favorite movie scene this year. Anderson deserves all the acclaim for his directing in this movie.
Best Actor (Dalton)
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”
Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon”
Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent”
The Best Actor category is one of the most stacked this year, with incredible performances from some of the best in the business. Leonardo DiCaprio gave an all-star performance in “One Battle After Another,” yet I didn’t leave the theater thinking his performance was the film’s defining feature. The main contenders for this award come down to Timothée Chalamet in “Marty Supreme” and Michael B. Jordan in “Sinners.” Jordan’s performance as both Stack and Smoke was a true masterclass in character work. He was equally terrifying and alluring, completely carrying the entire film. “Sinners” wouldn’t be the same without Jordan. Chalamet’s work in “Marty Supreme” was spellbinding. He commanded the screen and became utterly hateable, yet I was still glued to watching his “dream” chaotically unravel. While I’m personally crossing my fingers that Jordan will take home the Oscar, my prediction is that Chalamet will receive the award. He won both the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice award and is the strongest contender for the Oscar.
Best Actress (Bianca)
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”
It was shocking to see that Chase Infiniti, breakout star of “One Battle After Another,” was snubbed from this category. The majority of the actresses nominated are seasoned, but Infiniti, who is new to Hollywood, gave a performance on the same level as her more experienced peers. Nonetheless, there was one actress’ performance that stuck with me the most: Jessie Buckley in “Hamnet.” From start to finish, Buckley, who plays Agnes Shakespeare, captivates the audience with her emotional performance that peaks in the second act. The distraughtness and confusion she displays in one of the film’s most pivotal scenes, the opening night of “Hamlet,” was unmatched by any other actress performance that I had seen this year and in recent history. While the other nominees are deserving, Buckley is the obvious choice.
The Oscars air March 15, and hopefully, our predictions are correct. If not, blame the Academy.
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