Smackdown '21: Ariana, Aunjanue, Jessie, Judi, and Kirsten

Welcome back to the Supporting Actress Smackdown. Each month we pick an Oscar vintage to explore through the lens of actressing at the edges. This episode, kicking off a new season takes us back to... well, not back at all but to the current Oscar race which will be decided, officially, on March 27th. 

THE NOMINEES  Dame Judi Dench returns for an incredible 8th nomination while the rest of the field are first timers whether they're near the beginning of their film career (triple threat Ariana DeBose and dramatic powerhouse Jessie Buckley), deep inside it (character actress extraordinare Aunjanue Ellis) or, long past overdue for their first "shrimp" (movie star Kirsten Dunst).

THE PANELISTS: Here to talk about these five performances are (in alpha order) critics Rebecca Alter (Vulture), Cláudio Alves (The Film Experience) Sophia Ciminello (Oscar Wild), Ryan McQuade (Awards Watch / In Session Film),  and your host Nathaniel R.

 SUPPORTING ACTRESS SMACKDOWN + PODCAST  

LET'S BEGIN...

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Oscar Volley: Best Picture in the final days...

Team Experience is discussing the various Oscar categories. Here's Baby Clyde, Elisa Giudici, Abe Friedtanzer and  Eric Blume to discuss Best Picture. We're not saving it for last. This conversation began BEFORE the PGA went to CODA but ends afterwards...

the five films with the most nominations this year.

ABE FRIEDTANZER: I'm thrilled to be talking the top Oscar prize with my esteemed colleagues Eric, Elisa, and Baby Clyde. I do think there's plenty to discuss here, but I believe that one film is very far out in front. That's The Power of the Dog, of course, which some may doubt after it missed out on an ensemble nomination from SAG. There is absolutely momentum for CODA after its win there and its triumph the night after that with the Hollywood Critics Association. But Dog also underperformed with nominations from the latter group, so the comparison isn't all that helpful. There just isn't enough going against Jane Campion's western for it to lose, in my opinion. But there are nine other nominees, and at least a few of those will siphon votes. Aside from CODA, King Richard gets a boost from its ACE Eddie win, and Drive My Car is worth considering since it hasn't been in competition with many other groups. What films do you think are still in the mix?

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Best Picture, Black-and-White Edition

by Cláudio Alves

Ever since NEON released a black-and-white version of Parasite during the awards season's peak, we've begun a tradition here at The Film Experience of looking the Best Picture nominees each year, and trying to imagine what they'd look like devoid of color. Naturally, we'll never know that since making a black-and-white movie is much more complex than simply turning the saturation to zero. Matters of design and lighting are involved, as are other elements of pre and post-production. Still, it's fun to peruse movies in search of striking imagery. But of course, beyond personal amusement, there's another component to this exercise…

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Best Film Editing Oscar Volley

Team Experience is discussing the various Oscar categories. Here's a particularly volatile race given that BAFTA, CCA, and ACE Eddie Awards all chose different winners.

ERIC BLUME: Tim and Carlos, we're the lucky gang to discuss the Oscar nominees in the Best Film Editing category.  This year our five nominated films are: 

• Don't Look Up
• Dune
• King Richard
• The Power of the Dog
• tick, tick...Boom!

Last year's win for The Sound of Metal was uniquely exciting as it was an out-of-the-box winner in terms of its smallness (this award often goes to "big" movies). Maybe that means people are thinking a bit more carefully about this category?  I bring this up in hopes there might be some genuine support for my  favorite pick of this bunch, which is the editing duo for tick, tick...Boom...

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Best of the Critics Choice Awards: Will Smith, Melanie Lynskey and more...

by Nathaniel R 

Lady Gaga literally watching the CCAs from London. Did you watch and if so where from?

Just hours after BAFTA had wrapped last night, the Critics Choice Awards were held. That means we've reached the end of the televised precursor awards; there are still a couple of non-televised precursors next weekend (the Producers and Writers Guild) but we're now in the home stretch. So let's discuss the highs of the CCA ceremony as well as what it all means (and doesn't) for Oscar, category by category...

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