It’s award season! Honestly, there are so many different award shows, sometimes it’s hard to keep track. I’m a pretty big movie fan, though, so the Academy Awards are usually on my radar. With only a week left, movie fans everywhere are debating on which one of their favorites will take home that coveted Oscar. I don’t know much about how the winners are chosen, or even that much about this year’s nominees, but I figured I’d join the conversation and name some of my Oscars picks.
Best Animated Feature
Let’s start off with an easy one. The experts–*COUGH, COUGH* the Internet–tell me it’s likely going to go to Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. The movie explores our friendly neighborhood spider from several different neighborhoods coming together to, I assume, save the world? Okay, confession, I haven’t seen it yet… But, I do hear the unique animation is beautifully done. And who doesn’t love a quirky superhero movie?
Best Foreign-Language Film
Roma has been winning awards right and left for its beautiful cinematography and heart-warming story. Cleo, a domestic worker in Mexico City, helps take care of and connects with Sofía and her four children–especially after Antonio, Sofía’s husband, runs away with his mistress. Another one I haven’t seen–oops–but if it’s already award-winning, surely it’ll take an Oscar as well.
Best Original Song
Another no-brainer. A Star is Born gave us the motivational, yet gut-wrenching story of Jackson and Ally. And if that wasn’t enough, the original music from the movie made this one of the most memorable movies of 2018. “Shallow” is a top contender for Best Original Song, and after hundreds of repeat listens, I can see why.
Lead Actor
We have a lot of great and diverse actors up for this role. Equivalents for this award have previously gone to either Rami Malek for his role as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody or Christian Bale as Dick Cheney in Vice. I haven’t seen Vice, but Rami Malek knocked it out of the park for me in Bohemian Rhapsody. But, Christian Bale did win a Golden Globe for his work in Vice. It’s anyone’s game. Willem Dafoe could steal it for all we know.
Lead Actress
While I don’t normally keep up with any nominations for the Oscars, I can usually pick out the actors and actresses who have been selected. However, this year, I honestly don’t know much about the women on the ballot. My advisors tell me it’ll probably go down to Olivia Colman–for her work as Anne, Queen of Great Britain in The Favourite–and Glenn Close–as Joan Castleman in The Wife.
Best Picture
Of course this is the most anticipated category. I would dare to say it’s also the most debated one. Everyone has their opinions on why a certain movie should win–whether it has the most character development or believable storyline. Personally, I haven’t seen a lot of the Best Picture nominees, and I don’t think we’ve had that many to write home about either. I want to say Roma is going to win Best Foreign-Language Film, so I don’t think it’ll get Best Picture. Black Panther is for sure a crowd favorite, but I don’t know that it has what it takes to follow the masterful movies that came before–which is also why I’m counting Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born out. I kind of want it to go to The Favourite. Not for any particular reason–it’s another one I haven’t actually seen. But it looks and feels like a movie that would fit well in the Best Picture category.
Those are just a few of my select picks for the Oscars this coming Sunday. I’m no expert and I’m definitely more one to watch the lovable “popcorn movie” than the critically acclaimed film. But I hope this was just the right amount of spice for those of you that are excited about the Oscars and for those of you who might just have the show on in the background. Don’t forget to share what some of your predictions are in the comments section below!
samanthasabio 