“Sinners” and “Wicked” lead the Oscar shortlists

by Cláudio Alves

Despite poor reviews WICKED: FOR GOOD is beloved by the industry. | © Universal Pictures

The Oscar shortlists announcement is an occasion that many a pundit anticipates, sometimes fears. Because it’s a day when narratives change, some consolidate, some emerge, while others crumble into nothingness. Three years ago, the shortlists were the first hint of just how big All Quiet on the Western Front was about to become, for example. For the 98th Academy Awards, there is no surprise champion, as Sinners and Wicked: For Good earn the most categories in a year when Casting and Cinematography are also among the shortlisted races. More surprisingly is Sirât’s surge, a cinematography selection full of antithetical picks and a Best International Film race where ten out of fifteen finalists arrive from outside of Europe, a rarity that should be celebrated.

Without further ado, here are the Oscar shortlists with some commentary…

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Oscar Volleys: Let’s wrap this up!

The Oscars are TONIGHT. To end the volleys, Cláudio Alves and Nathaniel Rogers are here to cover all the categories the team hadn't yet discussed…

THE BRUTALIST | © A24

CLÁUDIO: As much as we try to cover every Oscar race at The Film Experience, it isn't always easy to get conversations going for all of them. So, here we are, Nathaniel, dealing with the last slew of races before the big night. Since last time, we focused so much on the eye candy trifecta, we could give the place of privilege to the aural achievements now. Or Best Editing since that's so strongly correlated to Best Picture. And let me tell you, I am quite lost when it comes to that particular lineup. I could see all five of the nominees winning. Though I presume The Brutalist has the least chance since it is my favorite, and I've learned, over the years, to predict pessimistically to avoid disappointments. It's a good method - everyone should try it.

NATHANIEL: Predicting pessimistically has cost me at times for overall punditry scores (not that I care to much about those stats) but the amount of emotional armor it provides is helpful…

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Split Decision: “Dune: Part Two”

In the Split Decision series, two of our writers face off on an Oscar-nominated movie one loves and the other doesn't. Today, Cláudio Alves and Lynn Lee discuss Dune: Part Two...

CLÁUDIO ALVES: As far as the Best Picture Oscar race is concerned, sequels are quite the rarity. Early year releases are even rarer. Yet, Dune: Part Two made it into the Academy's top ten, scoring four additional nominations - Cinematography, Production Design, Visual Effects, and Sound. Sure, by this metric, it pales in comparison to Part One, with its double-digit nods and six wins. But it's still a remarkable achievement. To be honest, I had a much better time with the sequel than with its predecessor. Part of it concerns a better grasp of what Villeneuve is doing in his adaptation of Frank Herbert's magnum opus, observing people as grains of sand in the winds of an imagined history rather than as characters. It's about the tragedy of going beyond personhood and the labor of building mythos and monuments, which results in a cold, mural-like cinematic experience that feels more coherent than its first chapter made it seem. In its alienation, I saw a purpose I didn't find in 2021.

I gather you had a different experience, Lynn. How does Dune: Part Two compare to Part One in your book?

LYNN LEE: It's funny, Cláudio - I completely agree with your assessment of what Part Two is doing, only to have the exact opposite response! To be clear, I don't hate or even dislike the film.  Quite the contrary.  I admire Villeneuve's craftsmanship and commitment to his (and I think Herbert's, though I haven't read the books) vision of Dune as ur-myth.  However, its coldness...what can I say?...left me cold.  Its alienation alienated me…

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"Dune: Part Two" does well with the WGA and VES

by Cláudio Alves

DUNE: PART TWO | © Warner Bros.

Due to understandable circumstances, the awards season calendar has been thrown into disarray. Last week was supposed to be dominated by the Hollywood guilds announcing their nominees, but many chose to postpone such fanfare in the face of the LA wildfires. Still, there are two more guilds to account for now, as the VES and the WGA have issued press releases with their members' best-of-the-year picks. For those trying to predict the Oscars, the re-emergence of Dune: Part Two as a contender is a notable development, especially since Denis Villeneuve just received a Best Director BAFTA nomination. Then again, when discussing the Writers Guild, the sheer number of illegible contenders makes their precursor status a bit iffy…

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Final Oscar Predictions!

by Nathaniel R

It's that time again. The Oscars are Sunday night so it's time to make those final calls. Oppenheimer is poised to win big but HOW big exactly? Clean sweeps have gone out of fashion in the past 25 years. The only "clean sweep" this century -- aka a movie nominated for a lot of Oscars that won ALL of them on Hollywood's High Holy night -- was 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Even more interesting than Hollywood's turn away from sweeps is that it's become common the Best Picture winner to NOT win the most Oscars. We like it when they spread the wealth but the overperformance last year of Everything Everywhere All At Once suggests that Hollywood may be entering sweep-mindset again.

We expect that Chris Nolan's atomic biopic Oppenheimer will have the biggest Oscar haul since Return of the King on Sunday though it won't break any records...

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