Oscar Nominations 2017: My Predictions
By Ross
To say that I’m unprepared for this task this year is by no means an understatement. Of the nominated best pictures i can honestly say that I’ve only seen four, and I liked them all. The four are all very worthy although I do have my favorites. I do want to see a few more although I doubt I will have the time before the Oscars on Sunday night. Life as Mr. Frontmezzjunkies.com has gotten crazy busy,which I feel completely blessed, but it has been challenging to squeeze in a movie here and there. With that confession out there to you all, Im going to do my best and give my opinion on the main races and my best guess on all categories. And I’d love to hear your thoughts. Especially when you disagree.
Here’s my predictions:
👈 I think will win
👏 I want to win
✅ winner (posting Sunday night)
BEST PICTUREAs said, I’ve only seen four of these films, Lion, Manchester, La LaLand, and Moonlight. Of those four, my favorite was Manchester. On an emotional level, it was beautifully quiet and intense. Shockingly non- traditional but ever so authentic. Tied for my second favorite of the four, Lion and Moonlight are both just as deserving although both had some problems with pace and maintaining connection, in my mind. La La Land was fun and joyful, and surprisingly deeper then I even expected, but I don’t think it comes close to what the other three made me feel. I want to see Fences, Arrival, Hidden Figures, and Hell or High Water, in that order, but, as said, it is doubtful that will happen before Sunday.
That being said, La La Land will probably win. Hollywood loves to pat itself on the back in more ways than one. It probably speaks to the Academy on a different level than those of us not in that world. Moonlight winning would be grand, and also a pat on the back for Hollywood in a very different way, but I think it’s doubtful at this point of time that it would go that way. Manchester winning would make me very happy for this sad melancholy film, but it is just too much of just that to make it a winner, especially compared to the happy distracting La La. and to be honest, maybe we need that feeling more than ever right now.
La La Land 👈 what just happened, Warren?
👏 Manchester by the Sea👏 (click here for my review)
=============================
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLEI think this is a race between Affleck and Washington. And I’m hoping it’s Casey. His portrait of a destroyed man is detailed and intense, and basically blew me away. Haven’t seen Washington though. Not my favorite actor in general as it always feels like I’m watching Washington ACT. Maybe Wilson’s play turned-movie settled him down into a more grounded space. It is my next film to see. After seeing Jitney on Broadway last month, I thought the writing is so spectacular and grounded in reality while not losing its theatricality. So maybe Washington is great but I don’t think he’ll win in the end.
👏Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea👏 👈 ✅
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences
=============================
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLEEveryone is saying that Emma Stone will win this, although a month ago, everyone was thinking Natalie Portman had it in the bag. Then along came the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild giving the award to the much deserving Isabelle Huppert. That film was crazy interesting, and a bit bizarre, and if she doesn’t win, it’s because of that and the language, but in the end, I think she should and will. Stone is lovely, but for a musical her singing and dancing, though charming, was just not that good. Her acting saved her and made her engaging, but that doesn’t mean Oscar winning to me.
👏Isabelle Huppert, Elle 👏 👈
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land ✅
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins
=============================
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE👏Mahershala Ali, Moonlight 👏 👈✅
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel, Lion
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals
=============================
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE👏Viola Davis, Fences 👏 👈✅
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
=============================
I’m going to stop here and just take a guess for each and every category beyond. It’s time I go to my Oscar party. Enjoy and cross your fingers for my favorite, Manchester by the Sea. 🙂
Zootopia 👈✅
=============================
CINEMATOGRAPHYArrival
La La Land 👈 ✅
👏Lion 👏
Moonlight
Silence
=============================
Allied
👏Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 👏✅
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land 👈
=============================
DIRECTINGArrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land 👈✅
👏Manchester by the Sea 👏
Moonlight
=============================
Fire at Sea
I Am Not Your Negro
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made in America 👈✅
13th
=============================
Extremis
4.1 Miles
Joe’s Violin 👈
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets ✅
=============================
FILM EDITINGArrival
Hacksaw Ridge ✅
Hell or High Water
La La Land 👈
👏Moonlight👏
=============================
Land of Mine
A Man Called Ove
👏The Salesman 👏✅
Tanna
Toni Erdmann 👈
=============================
A Man Called Ove
Star Trek Beyond 👈
Suicide Squad✅
=============================
Jackie
👏La La Land 👏 👈 ✅
Lion
Moonlight
Passengers
=============================
“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from La La Land
Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
“Can’t Stop The Feeling” from Trolls
Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster
👏”City Of Stars” from La La Land👏 👈 ✅
Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
“The Empty Chair” from Jim: The James Foley Story
Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting
“How Far I’ll Go” from Moana
Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda
=============================
Arrival
👏Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 👏
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land 👈✅
Passengers
=============================
Blind Vaysha
Borrowed Time
Pear Cider and Cigarettes
Pearl
Piper 👈✅
=============================
Ennemis Intérieurs 👈
La Femme et le TGV
Silent Nights
Sing ✅
Timecode
=============================
Arrival ✅
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land 👈
Sully
=============================
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge ✅
La La Land 👈
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
=============================
Deepwater Horizon
Doctor Strange
👏The Jungle Book 👏 👈✅
Kubo and the Two Strings
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
=============================
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)Arrival
👏Fences 👏
Hidden Figures
Lion
Moonlight 👈✅
=============================
Hell or High Water
La La Land
The Lobster
👏Manchester by the Sea 👏 👈 ✅
20th Century Women
front mezz junkies 
[…] as I don’t think of myself as a film reviewer. I’ve written a few last year about the Oscar nominated films, and films that moved me when I saw them at the New York Film Festival (Patterson, Manchester […]
LikeLike