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Mladen

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  • Birthday December 27

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  1. True. Voting body is significantly different from 10 years ago. They added circa 4-5 thousand members and significantly changed the demographics (IIRC, in 2014. 97% of Academy was white, aged 65+). There is a reason why we call them dinosaurs. Yeah, it seems the old "spread the wealth" doesn't work. That said. it should be noted that 8 out of 10 Best Picture nominees got at least one Oscar. Five movies divided 8 above-the-line categories. We have three foreign-language movies, three movies directed by women in Best Picture ten. Another thing - it's a generational thing. "Oscar movie" as we define it these days was coined during 2000s and 2010s, as well as "Oscar bait". However, we see Oscar bait failing - best example: Maestro. Simply, the new generation, the new Academy and by default - the new Oscar movie. Yeah, OPPENHEIMER didn't win anything they weren't 100% predicted to win. Which means that even love for Oppy had its limits. Oppy wasn't as big as EEAAO in terms of award hype, despite two movies accumulating rather similar tally of awards. As for BAFTA, no precursor, despite its name, serves to tell us who will win the Oscar. That's not their mission, despite public, peers and critics looking at them that way. I would argue that every award-giving body wants to have great overlap with the Oscars as it makes it "the most important". BAFTA was a separate universe last year, but this year it's like they made a point to prove their relevance. That said, it should be noted that Nolan is British, Murphy is Irish, POOR THINGS and THE ZONE OF INTEREST are British movies and ANATOMY OF A FALL is French movie, and those always bode well at BAFTA. So, this year may be that BAFTA members were more connected with movies in contention. We'll see the next one. But BAFTA is known to do its own thing from time to time.
  2. Well, EEAAO is a Second Coming in terms of awards, as it is the most-awarded movie in history. I will argue that Lily is a heart and soul of Killers of the Flower Moon. She may not be in it for the most part, but her scenes, her narrative makes such impression that this movie feels undoubtedly hers. But, that's just my impression of it. I mean, throughout his career, Scorsese directed five Oscar-winning performances. Three male, two female. Yes, he makes male-centric movies, but he also knows how to direct a female actor into an Oscar winning role. Lily had multiple handicaps, that is undeniable. For the reasons I stated, I don't think she belonged in Supporting Category. When we talk about category fraud, it is moving from more difficult to less difficult field. Like Alicia Vikander did in 2015. You can't claim Lily/the production committed category fraud because she entered the race from a disadvantaged position. That is true. However, I wouldn't call either Emma, Lily or even Sandra undeserving, each being absolutely brilliant in their respective movies. The meritocracy argument is a code word for "that's my favorite performance". And these things are profoundly subjective so we can't speak in exact terms here. Career Oscar narratives is the oldest trick in the game. That's how we god Julianne Moore over Rosamund Pike in 2014, Laura Dern, Jamie Lee Curtis and yes... Robert Downey Jr. This year was disastrous in Supporting acting categories. I can easily make two lineups with completely different actors and actresses that would be superior to the ones we got. The one that hurts me the most is Charles Melton, as he managed to be in a movie with Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, doing all that ACTING, and he managed to steal the show. For me, the best Supporting performance of the year. She was against Isabelle Huppert in "Elle" and Natalie Portman in "Jackie". Not mentioning not-nominated Amy Adams for "Arrival". Yeah, there is no doubt that one can make "she was the best" across the field, even if we expand it to make performers. Cillian won because he carried our such difficult movie and turned it into a glorious success. But Emma did something far riskier, far unconventional... This was potentially career-ending performance, and she nailed i, beyond any doubt. I am really not saying she is undeserving. Not at all. True... I mean, I am just sad a bit today... Will be fine tomorrow But, yeah... At least Lily didn't lose to something like JLC or RDJ.
  3. Infused myself with some coffee and now I have a break... Time to recapitulate So, 17/23. Not great, not terrible. Allowed myself into thinking too much about Academy and how they vote and opted for Spiderverse instead of "The Boy and the Heron". Expected to see some spreading the wealth in Costume, Production and MakeUp and POOR THINGS just swept like they did in BAFTA. And the one that really stings is Sound when I went with OPPENHEIMER instead of rightful winner and probably the most inspiring choice of the night - THE ZONE OF INTEREST. Last mistake was Gladstone over Stone, but that was a tossup. So... OPPENHEIMER did a bare minimum. This is not exactly a sweep, given they won 7 Oscars out of 13 nominations. POOR THINGS was obviously second, given Actress + tech combo. OPPENHEIMER didn't win anything it wasn't supposed to win, like Screenplay and Sound, which really shows that even that love had its limits. ANATOMY OF A FALL won big - Original Screenplay. Justine Triet certainly took her vengeance on French Oscar committee - she has won trifecta (movie, directing, screenplay) at European Film Awards, Cesar Awards and won in screenplay categories at both BAFTA and Oscars. This will be one of the greatest embarrassments of French Oscar committee for quite some time. Inspiring wins for Miyazaki's "The Boy and the Heron" and Sound for "The Zone of Interest". Probably international bloc had a huge impact here and I am thrilled about it. Despite being wrong in my prediction It really seems that Academy spread the wealth rater nicely this year, unlike the last year. Eight out of ten nominated movies went with at least one award, with PAST LIVES and MAESTRO going home empty-handed. Huge departure from last year when EEAAO went 6/8 above-the-line and Women Talking winning Adaoted Screenplay. This year, we had 5 movies winning in eight above-the-line categories. Honestly, this year's set of winners - far superior than last year's. And now acting categories... No surprises with Randolph, Downey and Murphy. Not a hater of RDJ, but I think it's good we'll finally stop seeing him for some time. As for Best Lead Actress, can't say Emma was undeserving but this really reinstate the idea that POC actress needs a Second Coming of Christ to win an Oscar in this category. And please spare me the speech of meritocracy as I can easily name 10 white women who undeservedly won, including Emma (her first Oscar). And that is just in the last 15 years. Undoubtedly, Emma is worthy winner, she was absolutely brilliant. And yes, she was rather courageous in doing Bella, so one can't complain here. And I am not, just being sad for Lily, who really had absolutely amazing performance. Never mind me, just licking my wounds... Even I know Emma is more than deserving winner. As for ceremony, my god was Kimmel awful. Some of the bits were funny - like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton and Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling. Not sure about John Cena. And "I'm Just Ken" was absolutely smashing. That was probably one of the best Oscar performances in recent history. Scorsese went 0 out of 10 for the third time. Truly unbelievable. Another one bites the dust And forgot... In terms of relevance for Oscar predicting, BAFTA returned with a vengeance. After going 0 out of 8 in above-the-line categories, this year the overlap between BAFTA and Oscars is almost 100%. I think they only differ in Visual Effects - BAFTA giving it to POOR THINGS, Oscars to GODZILLA MINUS ONE. BAFTA matters people. Never doubt the Brits.
  4. Best Picture American Fiction Anatomy of a Fall Barbie The Holdovers Killers of the Flower Moon Maestro Oppenheimer Past Lives Poor Things The Zone of Interest
  5. Best Lead Actor Bradley Cooper, “Maestro” Colman Domingo, “Rustin” Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers” Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer” Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction” Best Director Justine Triet, “Anatomy of a Fall” Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon” Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer” Yorgos Lanthimos, “Poor Things” Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest” Best Lead Actress Annette Bening, “Nyad” Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon” Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall” Carey Mulligan, “Maestro” Emma Stone, “Poor Things”
  6. Best Sound “The Creator” “Maestro” “Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One” “Oppenheimer” “The Zone of Interest” Best Original Score “American Fiction” “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” “Killers of the Flower Moon” “Oppenheimer” “Poor Things” Best Original Song “The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot” “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie” “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony” “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” “Killers of the Flower Moon” “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie”
  7. Best Documentary Short “The ABCs of Book Banning” “The Barber of Little Rock” “Island In Between” “The Last Repair Shop” “Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó” Best Documentary Feature “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” “The Eternal Memory” “Four Daughters” “To Kill a Tiger” “20 Days in Mariupol” Best Cinematography “El Conde” “Killers of the Flower Moon” “Maestro” “Oppenheimer” “Poor Things” Best Live-Action Short “The After” “Invincible” “Knight of Fortune” “Red, White and Blue” “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”
  8. Best Supporting Actor Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction” Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon” Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer” Ryan Gosling, “Barbie” Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things” Best Visual Effects “The Creator” “Godzilla Minus One” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” “Napoleon” Best Film Editing “Anatomy of a Fall” “The Holdovers” “Killers of the Flower Moon” “Oppenheimer” “Poor Things”
  9. Best International Feature “The Teachers’ Lounge,” Germany “Io Capitano,” Italy “Perfect Days,” Japan “Society of the Snow,” Spain “The Zone of Interest,” United Kingdom
  10. Best Makeup & Hairstyling “Golda” “Maestro” “Oppenheimer” “Poor Things” “Society of the Snow” Best Production Design “Barbie” “Killers of the Flower Moon” “Napoleon” “Oppenheimer” “Poor Things” Best Costume Design “Barbie” “Killers of the Flower Moon” “Napoleon” “Oppenheimer” “Poor Things”
  11. Best Original Screenplay “Anatomy of a Fall” “The Holdovers” “Maestro” “May December” "Past Lives" Best Adapted Screenplay “American Fiction” “Barbie” “Oppenheimer” “Poor Things” “The Zone of Interest”
  12. Best Animated Short “Letter to a Pig” “Ninety-Five Senses” “Our Uniform” “Pachyderme” “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko” Best Animated Feature “The Boy and the Heron” “Elemental” “Nimona” “Robot Dreams” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
  13. Best Supporting Actress Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer” Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple” America Ferrera, “Barbie” Jodie Foster, “Nyad” Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”
  14. Current running order for tonight’s Oscars
  15. There is no prerequisite in terms of language to be in Best Picture category. Only to have screened in American cinemas.
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