Luke Randall, Bobby Sweeney, Reagan Feld
This year marks the 91st Academy Awards, and with this prestigious title comes many talented films and actors.
Best Picture
Nominees: Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book, A Star Is Born, Vice, Roma
Our Winner: Roma
Roma’s compelling storytelling, captivating performances, and stellar camerawork win our pick for Best Picture. The pace is slow. The action is minimal. However, Roma never fails to capture the hearts and minds of the audience. The superb writing and gorgeous performances are what truly convey Cuaron’s personal memoir of boyhood. Aesthetically, Roma is second to none. Every scene is meticulously planned, every prop is carefully placed. This attention to detail is really what drives the film ahead of its contenders. The brilliant acting from the cast only further the strength of the story and truly make Roma the best picture to watch on the big screen in 2018.
Best Director
Nominees: Alfonso Cuaron (Roma), Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite), Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman),Adam McKay (Vice),Pawel Pawlikowski (Cold War)
Our Pick: Alfonsa Cuarón (Roma)
Alfonso Cuaron’s long takes and sweeping camera shots will surely win him Best Director. Cuaron’s ability to mix engaging storytelling with heart-stopping camerawork shines through Roma. Flowing shots turn the viewer’s attention to the time period in which the movie takes place and the tension that accompanied it. Cuaron paints Mexico in the 1970’s through a nostalgic black and white lens, as Cuaron calls back to his childhood in Mexico in the ‘70s. Roma paints a colorful story through a black-and-white lens, allowing the film’s color to shine bright.
Best Lead Actor
Nominees: Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born), Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Viggo Mortensen (Green Book), Christian Bale (Vice)
Our Pick: Christian Bale (Vice)
Christian Bale gives a stunning performance as former Vice President Dick Cheney using his signature method acting to emulate the former VP. Bale had the strongest performance in the entire category, so he will be taking home the gold statue. He personified the difficulty of running a nation, amid criticism and hatred from opposing sides. Bale is able to utilize prosthetics very well to go from a young, handsome actor, to an aging, overweight vice president. Bale is no stranger to providing captivating characters with his method acting. Movies such as American Hustle, American Psycho, and the Machinist show just how flexible Bale can be as an actor.
Best Lead Actress
Nominees: Glenn Close (The Wife), Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born), Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Yalitza Aparicio (Roma)
Our Pick: Yalitza Aparicio (Roma)
Although this category is full of talent, we choose Aparicio. Her heartfelt performance as Cleo is surprising for someone as young as 25, but holds up with the older women in her category (Lady Gaga is the second youngest at 32). She is also aided by the excellent screenplay and directorship of Alfonso Cuaron. In film and acting debut, Aparicio’s natural acting ability is amazingly evident.
Best Supporting Actor
Nominees: Mahershala Ali (Green Book),Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman),Sam Elliott (A Star Is Born),Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Sam Rockwell (Vice)
Our Pick: Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman)
Adam Driver delivers one of his most solid performances yet in “BlacKkKlansman.” Driver enhances his colleagues’ performances with his own, never stealing the entire screen for himself. Driver perfectly captures the tension and high-stakes that the actual undercover operation with Flip Zimmerman initially had. Additionally, Driver’s personal experience with the Ku Klux Klan in his hometown of Mishawaka, Indiana, allows Driver to deliver a much more realistic and truthful performance.
Best Animated Feature
Nominees: Ralph Breaks the Internet, Isle of Dogs, Incredibles 2, Mirai, Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse
Our Pick: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the clear winner for the Best Animated Feature. This new addition to the long list of Spider-Man movies portrays a new version of Spider-Man with the introduction of Miles Morales, voiced by Shamiek Moore, a teen who gains powers and seeks to learn from an older Peter Parker, voiced by Jake Johnson. However, where this movie really shines is the animation itself. The film embraces its comic book roots throwing out classic “POW”s or “THWAP”s in between the smooth, fast-paced action sequences to make the audience feel as if they are inside a comic book themselves. The strong animation paired with the amazing performances of the cast leave the audience with great anticipation for the sequel.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominees: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara’s The Favourite,Paul Schrader’s First Reformed,Nick Vallelonga & Brian Hayes Currie & Peter Farrelly’s Green Book,Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma, Adam McKay’s Vice, Joel Coen & Ethan Coen’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Our Pick: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Our pick for best Adapted Screenplay is The Ballad of Buster Scruggs directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a film that perfectly captures traditional storytelling nostalgia through its vignettes of each tale centered around a storybook. Each story presents itself as a tale of the Old West, touching on multiple lifestyles and events in that time period. From shootouts in saloons to treks along the Oregon Trail, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs leaps from tale to tale in the Old West, each presented with a different style to fit its setting and tone. The Coen brothers’ ability to switch stories and tones along the backdrop of the Old West will surely win them best Adapted Screenplay.
Best Original Song
Nominees: “All the Stars” Black Panther Music by Mark Spears, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth and Anthony Tiffith. Lyric by Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Anthony Tiffith and Solana Rowe; “I’ll Fight” RBG Music and Lyric by Diane Warren; “The Place Where Lost Things Go” Mary Poppins Returns Music by Marc Shaiman. Lyric by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman; “Shallow” A Star Is Born Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt; “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.Music and Lyric by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch
Our Pick: “All the Stars” from Black Panther by Kenrick Lamar, SZA
Our pick for best Original Song is “All the Stars” from “Black Panther”. Sung by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, this track highlights both artists strengths with Kendrick slowing down and rapping introspecktively on his beliefs on love, fame and how fame ruins relationships. SZA follows up delivering beautiful vocals on how both artists are getting closer to reaching the dream lives they wished for when they were younger.
