It's hard to believe that the 2018 Academy Awards are almost upon us, it feels like only yesterday since Moonlight-gate after all (I hope poor Warren Beatty has recovered). Tonight however, Hollywood's finest will congregate once again for the 90th Academy Awards. This is an exciting year as there are a number of really strong contenders nominated in each category. From expected nominees such as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, to some truly surprising ones such as Jordan Peele's racially-charged horror Get Out, it's hard not to feel this years Oscar-hype. It's always difficult to speculate who will win what, especially after Moonlight's surprise victory last year, but when it comes to the Oscars one simply can't help but speculate. These are just my predictions for how the awards will fare, and to be honest they'll probably be far off, but regardless I thought I'd share them nonetheless. I'll have to leave out categories such as Best Documentary and Best Foreign Language Film, simply because I haven't seen any of the films in those categories, so if you don't see any categories here then that's why. So without further ado, here are my predictions for the 2018 Academy Awards.
Best Actor in A Leading Role.
Judging by his success throughout this awards season, it looks as though Gary Oldman is highly likely to take home this years award for best actor for his role as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. From his wins at the BAFTAs and Golden Globes, to his all round critical acclaim, Oldman winning wouldn't come as much of a surprise. However, if anyone could come close to beating him for the award my money's on Timothéé Chalamet for Call Me by Your Name. As he is the youngest ever nominee in this category many people seem to take view this as a disadvantage, however, Chalamet gave such a nuanced performance as Elio which gives him just as much a chance as his fellow nominees. It would be phenomenal to see his talents be acknowledged tonight.
Best Actress in A Leading Role.
As an Irishman I would obviously be delighted for Saoirse Ronan to win best actress, especially considering how strong her performance in Lady Bird was. However, it doesn't take a genius to spot how Frances McDormand is absolutely dominating the awards season. After her powerfully layered performance in Three Billboards it's no surprise that she's doing so well and I think that she is truly deservant of her respective award. Although if anyone was to overtake her my money would be on Sally Hawkins for her portrayal as mute custodian Elisa in The Shape of Water. Being able to express that much emotion with no dialogue whatsoever is no easy feat, but Hawkins pulled it off so well that I think she deserves the sort of recognition that comes with a Best Actress award.
Best Actor in A Supporting Role.
I still think about Sam Rockwell's performance in Three Billboards a lot. Not only was he able to bring to life the truly nasty character of Dixon, but somehow Rockwell managed to convey this characters surprising developments in a natural, and almost sympathetic way. He was capable of showing us more dimensions to such a mean-spirited character, and I feel like he'll be the one to take home this particular award tonight.
Best Actress in A Supporting Role.
Allison Janney was by far the highlight of I, Tonya, portraying domineering mother LaVona Harding. Her razor-sharp delivery of each line of dialogue, as well as her ability to convincingly portray this character at different stages of her life make her the strongest contender in my opinion. However, Laurie Metcalf could just beat her to it for her portrayal of Ms. McPherson in Lady Bird, we shall see tonight.
Best Adapted Screenplay.
While I would obviously love to see The Disaster Artist win considering this marks its only nomination, I have a feeling that James Ivory will be the one holding this particular award for Call Me By Your Name. Ivory's screenplay based on André Aciman's novel of the same name has been lauded by critics since the films release, and I'll be really surprised if it doesn't win in this category.
Best Original Screenplay.
Get Out has only been nominated in 4 categories, and I feel like this is the one that could garner it an Academy Award. Jordan Peele's script is incredibly clever, full of sharp dialogue and careful foreshadowing, and I feel like this makes it a really strong contender. However, with Martin McDonagh and Greta Gerwig also nominated for Three Billboards and Lady Bird, it's tough to determine who will reign supreme in this category. Personally though, I think Peele really deserves this one and has a really strong chance of overcoming his competitors.
Best Animated Feature Film.
Although 'The Oscar-winning Boss Baby' has a certain ring to it, I've got a hunch that Disney Pixar's Coco is set to win. With its bright colors, fantastic world-building, and strong emotional resonance, Coco is a sure fire winner in my eyes.
Best Cinematography.
Right, this is it, this will FINALLY be the year that Roger Deakins takes home the best cinematography award for Blade Runner 2049. This marks the acclaimed cinematographers 14th nomination so far, and after 13 snubs I feel like it would be criminal if he didn't win this year. His cinematography is what truly brought the world of Blade Runner 2049 to life and became instantly iconic, if he doesn't win this time then there truly is no justice in the world.
Best Original Score.
After his ridiculous disqualification for There Will Be Blood 10 years ago, it looks like Johnny Greenwood will finally have his day. His score for Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread is nothing short of beautiful and adds an another layer of elegance to an already sophisticated film. This will be Johnny Greenwood's comeback for sure.
Best Original Song.
This is a tough one, and I feel like it's neck-and-neck between "Remember Me" from Coco, and "Mystery of Love" from Call Me By Your Name. Both hold a very different sense of emotional resonance that made their respective films all the more compelling, or in short, they could both make you bawl into your pillow for about a week. Sufjan Stevens and his original songs have been some of the most praised aspects of Call Me By Your Name, so if he does manage to beat Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, it wouldn't come as a surprise.
Best Director.
This is by far the closest category yet. It's tough to determine who will win in this category as each nominee is equally talented in their own respect. While I would personally love to see Jordan Peele win for Get Out, I'm not getting my hopes up too high. Realistically I think it'll come down to Guillermo Del Toro or Greta Gerwig. Del Toro was awarded best director at both the BAFTA's and Golden Globes, and being a huge fan of his I feel like it's about time he got an Oscar already. Gerwig on the other hand has been a bit of an underdog this awards season. While she has rightfully gained an immense amount of acclaim for Lady Bird, she hasn't been nominated for much at all, which is a real shame. Being the only female nominee in this category it would be really inspiring if she took home the award, and she's definitely got the directoral skill to back up her victory. May the best filmmaker win.
Best Picture.
With 13 nominations it's easy to assume that The Shape of Water has this one in the bag, however, as we learned from last years ceremony anything could happen. I have a feeling that if Del Toro doesn't win best director, he'll win best picture for sure. However, if last years ceremony has taught us anything it's that anything could happen, so I wouldn't say Del Toro has this in the bag just yet. I have a strong gut feeling that Lady Bird or Call Me by Your Name could take home Best Picture tomorrow night. Last year the coming of age drama Moonlight won, which makes both of these films strong contenders to follow in its footsteps. It's a tough call, but something tells me that it will come down to those three tonight.
Best Sound Editing: Dunkirk.
Best Production Design: Blade Runner 2049.
Best Costume Design: Phantom Thread.
Best Film Editing: Baby Driver (it is an Edgar Wright film after all).
Best Visual Effects: Blade Runner 2049 OR War For the Planet of the Apes.
Now watch as all of these predictions turn out to be horribly wrong. Best of luck to all of the nominees tonight, and I mean it when I say that this is a really close year so the competition will be tough. One thing is certain however, this will be one hell of an Oscars.
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