95th Oscar Nominees Review
The Academy Awards: a night of anticipation, excitement, and of course, the occasional contentious moment. Love it or hate it, there's no denying the fact that it's the most significant evening in the movie industry. It's a night of drama, as fans eagerly await the announcement on if their favorite film, director, score, etc, will take home the Oscar. With several nominees from our favorite films making the list this year (see Top Movies Of 2022 blog post), we decided to delve into several of the highly-anticipated 95th Academy Award categories.
Best Cinematography Nominees:
All Quiet on the Western Front – James Friend
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths – Darius Khondji
The Best Cinematography category is the perfect place to begin our discussion of the 95th Academy Awards. After all, a movie just wouldn't be complete without expertly crafted lighting, magnificent camera movements (or the choice to remain static), carefully chosen lenses, and stunning compositions. It's the heart of the art form, taking on various forms and styles. From the grand-scale war epic, "All Quiet on the Western Front," to the sweeping shots of "Bardo," to the stripped back work of Roger Deakins in "Empire of Light," the Best Cinematography nominees are full of memorable moments.
However the biggest talk for the best cinematography category is it’s biggest snub. (every year has someone who somehow left out of the fun). While I don't believe that bigger always means better, sometimes the best cinematography is in the smallest moments, making it a shame that Claudio Miranda's work in "Top Gun: Maverick" was overlooked. He pushed the boundaries of technology by incorporating IMAX cameras in fighter jets and leaned into the small moments of what a GOOD close up can do
As for the predicted winner, James Friend's work in "All Quiet on the Western Front" is the talk of the town. The film's cinematography was truly breathtaking, but we can't count out a potential win from Roger Deakins, a personal favorite. The stage is set, and we can't wait to see who takes home the award.
Best Actor Nominees:
Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin as Pádraic Súilleabháin
Brendan Fraser – The Whale as Charlie
Paul Mescal – Aftersun as Calum Paterson
Bill Nighy – Living as Mr. Rodney Williams
It was a big year with some impressive performances, and the competition for Best Actor is going to be fierce. One of the most intriguing aspects of this year's Best Actor nominees is that they're all first-time nominees, which is surprising given Bill Nighy's numerous powerhouse performances in the last several decades. Nevertheless, it's great to see him finally receive recognition in America for his performance in the Ikiru-inspired "Living". Many people are also thrilled to see newcomer Paul Mescal nominated for his performance in "Aftersun", especially after the film was snubbed for a Best Picture nomination.
Depending on what gossip or insider article you read, Colin Farrall, Austin Butler, or Brendan Fraser are suspected to take home the prize. "The Banshees of Inisherin" was one of my favorite films last year, in part because of Colin Farrall's performance. I've never seen him play a character like that before, and I was so invested in his character's sweetness that I almost forgot it was Farrall playing him. However, I must admit my bias, I'm all aboard the Brendan Fraser hype train. There's a reason why Fraser received a six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. It's clear he brought a lot of personal pain to the role, and I, for one, have missed him during his absence from the silver screen.
Best Actress Nominees:
Cate Blanchett – Tár as Lydia Tár
Ana de Armas – Blonde as Norma Jeane Mortensen / Marilyn Monroe
Andrea Riseborough – To Leslie as Leslie Rowlands
Michelle Williams – The Fabelmans as Mitzi Schildkraut-Fabelman
Michelle Yeoh – Everything Everywhere All at Once as Evelyn Quan Wang
The Best Actress nominations have been as intense as the movies these five talented actresses absolutely shined in. Whether it’s Ana de Armas performance as Marilyn Monroe for the polarizing as it was controversial Blonde, or Andrea Riseborough almost having her nomination rescinded (there were rumors that the team behind her campaign had some iffy social media and outreach campaigning tactics, but it was cleared on January 31st) for her performance in To Leslie, the drama is palpable. No matter who wins, all five of these films were defined by the women who played these parts.
I was captivated by Michelle Williams' performance in The Fabelmans, especially during the scenes where she danced during the camping adventure and when her son confronted her about her secret. Watching Cate Blachett go in and out different persona’s depending on who was in the room with her character Lydia Tár all while maintaining the intensity and respect of a maestro, was incredible to watch. However Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn in Everything Everywhere All at Once was heartbreaking, inspiring, and constantly hilarious during her reflective and nihilistic journey. It’s been 23 years since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was released and it’s been 23 years since she was denied an Oscar Nomination for her outstanding performance as Yu Shu Lien. It’s great to see her get the nomination and a lot of industry insiders think she’s going to take home the statue.
Best Picture Nominees:
All Quiet on the Western Front – Malte Grunert
The Banshees of Inisherin – Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin, and Martin McDonagh
Elvis – Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick, and Schuyler Weiss
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, and Jonathan Wang
The Fabelmans – Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg, and Tony Kushner
Tár – Todd Field, Alexandra Milchan, and Scott Lambert
Top Gun: Maverick – Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison, and Jerry Bruckheimer
Triangle of Sadness – Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober
Women Talking – Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Frances McDormand
I wanted to keep this blog pretty concise. I could go on about all of the categories (Every year I’m pretty excited over the directing, both screenwriting, editing, and production design categories) but much like a poorly paced movie, I don’t want this article to outstay its welcome. So naturally, I had to end the piece with the Best Picture Nominees.
This year there are ten nominated films. I could write about why I think they should be (and if you know me, a couple that I think should not be anywhere near this list) but instead I want to write about why this list as a whole gets me excited. The Fabelmans is as much like Triangle Of Sadness as Tár is like Avatar, but at its core this year is the first year cinema has felt like it’s been back since before Covid, and people showed up. Yes, there were some great films nominated for Best Picture in the last two years (I’m looking at you Licorice Pizza, Dune, Sound Of Metal and Minari) but if you really think about it, have people been this excited for Best Picture nominations since Parasite? Everything Everywhere All at Once was the talk all spring and summer and Maverick made almost a billion dollars. I’ll never be one to think that just because a movie makes a billion dollars, it’s any good.
But what I will say is I love going to the movies, I love making movies, and seeing the numbers of people going to theaters and seeing some Best Picture nominees that are actually inspired and great cinema, it has me feeling hopeful for the future cinema again.
I hope you enjoyed the article and we would love to see who you want to win the Best Picture in the comment sections. One category I didn’t get to talk about was the Best Original Score, so with that said I will officially end the article with a playlist of songs from the five nominees.
For the love of movies,
Jonathan Austin