Oscar Predix

For the past few Oscars seasons, I've made it a point to see as many of the nominees as possible including documentaries, foreign films, animated and shorts. Since I was in Ecuador for two weeks, I was not able to see as many Oscar contenders as usual. I wasn't as enthused about this year's crop anyway. The front runner, One Battle After Another did not particularly impress me. Paul Thomas Anderson will undoubtedly win for his direction and adapted screenplay (from Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland). His long, tracking shots and suspenseful chase scenes are indeed riveting, but I didn't really care about the cardboard characters and their nutty conspiracies. Sinners which shattered the record for most nominations seems to be surging and I enjoyed it more than Battle. Michael B. Jordan who triumphed over early favorite Timothee Chalamet at the SAG Awards could benefit from the Marty Supreme star's oafish comments on nobody caring about ballet or opera. Chalamet is seen as arrogant and too eager for his first Oscar at age 30. The reasoning seems to be let him win one when he's older and more humble. 

Anyway here are my predictions in all categories for the Oscars on this coming Sunday:

Picture: One Battle After Another

Actor: Michael B. Jordan, Sinners

Actress: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

Supporting Actor: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan, Weapons

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Casting, Cinematography, Original Score: Sinners

Costume Design, Production Design, Make-Up and Hairstyling: Frankenstein

Sound: F1

Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash

Editing: One Battle After Another

Documentary: The Perfect Neighbor

International Film: Sentimental Value

Animated Film: K-Pop Demon Hunters

Song: "Golden," K-Pop Demon Hunters

Doc. Short: The Devil Finds Work

Animated Short: Butterfly

Live-Action Short: The Singers

Oscar contenders seen:
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Nuremberg (Kaufman-Astoria)
Blue Moon (Kew Gardens Cinema)
One Battle After Another (Amazon Prime)
Train Dreams (Netflix)
Wicked: For Good (Regal Union Square in 3D, 4DX)
Hamnet (Kew Gardens Cinema)
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (Amazon Prime)
Sentimental Value (Angelika Cinema)
Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Sinners (HBO Max)
Familiar Touch (Amazon Prime)
Marty Supreme (Kew Gardens Cinema)
Bugonia (Apple TV)
Weapons (HBO Max)
Come See Me in the Good Light (Apple TV)
It Was Just an Accident (Amazon Prime)
The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
The Alabama Solution (Delta Flight from Atlanta to Quito)

Short Film Docs
All the Empty Rooms (Netflix)
Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud (HBO Max)
The Devil Is Busy (HBO Max)