Sam’s Oscar Outlook

Sam’s Oscar Outlook: Best Picture

We’ve reached the big category. Best picture winners of the past have rarely aligned with my tastes, but I’m fairly confident that my favorite film of the year will match up with the Academy’s choice. One thing I love is a list, so I’ve decided to talk about this year’s best picture nominees in the reverse order of my preference. However, let’s keep it positive. Every movie on this year’s list has merit.

Sam’s Oscar Outlook: Best Director

Many moons ago, in 1929, the first best director prize was handed out to Frank Borzage. He directed the best picture nominee “7th Heaven” that year. A few years later, he won the same award for directing “Bad Girl,” another best picture nominee.

Sam’s Oscar Outlook: Best Actress

I think the best actress category is the one I have the most opinions about this year, but I’ll try to keep myself composed. It’s a pretty strong group of performances, where two nominees stand tall above the rest. Even those I am less enthused about are really good. Anyway, here’s why Emma Stone should win and why.

Sam’s Oscar Outlook: Best Supporting Actor

In one week from now, these writings might already be a little outdated, but the people and films we’re discussing in them will still be relevant. This Oscar week, let’s remember that the point of this isn’t the horse race and the competition. What we’re attempting to do is celebrate films in an organized format. That being said, when someone becomes an Oscar nominee or winner, their title and reputation change forever. Four of the best supporting actor nominees this year will have the chance to change their title from “nominee” to “winner,” while the fifth guns for their third career trophy.

Sam’s Oscar Outlook: Best Supporting Actress

One of the most difficult categories to predict going into the Oscar nominations was best supporting actress. There appeared to be two or three safe slots, and then a basket of other options that could break a seemingly infinite number of ways. I think the Academy could have gone with some edgier choices, but these five make up an interesting collection. Four first-timers and a two-time winner make up the nomination list this year. Let’s meet the contestants.

Sam’s Oscar Outlook: Best International Film

Here’s a fun little factoid: This year is the first year that multiple best picture nominees are international films. “Anatomy of a Fall” and “The Zone of Interest” found their own, distinct fans in the Academy and made history together. Oddly, you won’t see “Anatomy of a Fall” on the nominee list for best international film. That’s because “Anatomy” director Justine Triet is just a little too cool for the French nominating committee. But as it goes with other snubs discussed, our main focus should be on the films that are nominated.

Sam’s Oscar Outlook: Best Animated Feature

Animation isn’t just for kids! The winners this decade have dealt with topics like pre-existence, transgenerational trauma and the frailty of our free will. These movies mean more to 27-year-old me than they would have to 7-year-old me. While this year’s nominated films could probably be enjoyed by most children, I feel they were probably made with a wider audience in mind.

Sam’s Oscar Outlook: Best Documentary Feature

We’ve made it to the “above-the-line” categories, folks. I’m happy for us. Our Oscar journey is ramping up in the form of the best documentary feature category. For the first time in this series, we’re talking about the entirety of feature length films, rather than discussing just one piece of the production or a short film.

Sam’s Oscar Outlook: Best Cinematography

Cinematography is cinema. It separates the artform from music, photography and theater. It puts imagery to sound. It portrays the world as a moving, dynamic place. It’s art we can basically return to whenever we want. When a film is literally lost, meaning that no copy of it exists, it means the treasured work of a cinematographer has died, and there is no more upsetting fate for a film. But the Oscars in the year 2023 do a decent job of hyping up their own nominated movies, meaning that the cinematographers nominated this year have likely reached a place of immortality.

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