Oscar Volley: Will there be any surprises in Best Cinematography?

Team Experience is discussing each Oscar category before the nominations are announced. Here's Eric Blume and Lynn Lee to talk Best Cinematography...

ERIC:  We have the pleasure of discussing the insanely talented cinematography candidates this year.  It seems like this year's two big awards players, Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon, will certainly make the slate here...so, can I say, why I am not particularly excited about the work of either Hoyte van Hoytema and Rodrigo Prieto for these two films?  Don't get me wrong, both are beautifully lensed films and these men are brilliantly talented, but their work seemed more standard than inspired. 

Neither world, neither Oppenheimer's labs and offices nor Moon's flat plains, are the most visually exciting terrains, and while both men work with their respective directors to build a few lovely frames, I was definitely more knocked out by the imagery in some other films this year...

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Oscar Volley - Best Actor

For today's Oscar volley, Lynn Lee and Glenn Dunks discuss the Best Actor race.

LYNN: Glenn, it’s been a while since I’ve felt this strongly about the Best Actor race, so I’ll just lay my cards on the table: I really, really want both Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) and Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction) to be nominated, would love Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers) to join them --though I think he’s a long shot-- and really DON’T want Leonardo DiCaprio to get in for Killers of the Flower Moon.

It’s extra personal for me because I saw American Fiction, All of Us Strangers, and The Holdovers back to back at the Middleburg Film Festival earlier this year and loved all of them. More to the point, while all three films have their flaws, each one worked like gangbusters largely because of the fantastic acting --especially the outstanding male lead performance...

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Oscar Volley: Is There Room for Surprise in Best Original Screenplay?

Team Experience is discussing each Oscar category as we head into the precursors. Here's Eric Blume and Nick Taylor to talk Best Original Screenplay...

Portrait of Nick and Eric discussing the Best Original Screenplay race

ERIC:  Hi Nick, we have some great options in the Original Screenplay category this year.  It feels like there's two guarantees for a nomination:  Greta Gerwig's Barbie (unless it changes categories and is nominated for Adapted instead) and David Hemingson's The Holdovers.  I like both of those pictures enormously, and both films succeed largely on the words and structure of their screenplays.  The Holdovers is essentially out of a Screenwriting 101 class, in the best way possible, in that it has all the classic elements (inciting incident, minute 30 turn, minute 60 turn, etc.) that scripts are built upon, but Hemingson executes everything very artfully so it feels satisfying rather than him hitting points...

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Oscar Volley: Who's Really Safe in Best Actress?

Team Experience is discussing each Oscar category as we head into the precursors. Here's Eurocheese and Nick Taylor to talk Best Actress . . . .

Lily Gladstone is coming on strong for KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON . . . .

EUROCHEESE: Hi Nick! So excited to discuss the award we all care about most here at The Film Experience - Best Actress. This year has given us a deep bench of competitors, making this feel like a category where we could see a curve ball or two.

Maybe it's best to get the obvious out of the way first - Lily Gladstone's subtle, moving work in Killers of the Flower Moon steals the film from her veteran costars, and Emma Stone's risky, inventive performance is the heart of Poor Things. I don't see the Actress field without them, and I expect one of them will most likely run away with the Oscar. Which one of them takes it? I don't think that's clear yet. I don't put any stock in LA Critics' Supporting mention for Gladstone though - these are our sure things.

NICK: Hi Euro! I’m so excited to discuss this category with you again. I remember we did the pre-nomination volley for last year’s Best Actress contenders. There were so many fun performances to talk about, and in the end I got maybe 3/5 of my predicted lineup right. This year looks similarly crowded, though who knows if another To Leslie is lying in wait . . . .

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Oscar Volley: Is Best Supporting Actress a Done Deal?

Team Experience is discussing each Oscar category as we head into the precursors. Here's Ben Miller and Cláudio Alves to talk Best Supporting Actress...

So far, Da'Vine Joy Randolph has won EVERYTHING.

BEN: Alright Cláudio, my Portuguese pal...let's dive into BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS.

It's a funny year when it comes to the supporting ladies, because we actually seem to be pretty devoid of any category fraud in the main contenders.  With Lily Gladstone and Carey Mulligan in their correct categories, this race feels wide open.  Here's my big question: why does this happen every year with actresses and never with actors?  I'm glad they are striving to get it correct, but "people" also argue that Gladstone would be walking away with this category if she was still placed here.

Do you think Gladstone or Mulligan would win if they were here, and do you think they should be?  I am of the opinion they should both be leads, though I think Gladstone would be undeniable if she was thusly categorized...

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