by Thomas Biamonte
Two weeks ago, I penned an article for the Sider Press called “2023 Oscar Predictions” in which I tried to predict a few of the more major categories at this year’s Academy Awards based on my own film knowledge. I watched more films this year compared to any other year and I gained a deeper appreciation of this great artform, so I felt I may be slightly more informed going into this year’s Oscars. But even the best fortune tellers get it wrong sometimes – as they say, “two out of three ain’t bad”, but for the sake of my ego when it comes to my predictions the new quote is “five out of nine is extremely impressive and a pat on the back is in order.” Anyway, let’s see what categories I got right on the nose this year and what categories I completely fumbled the ball on!
Best Visual Effects
Who I thought would win: Avatar: The Way of Water
Who won: Avatar: The Way of Water
As I said in my article, “I am willing to bet anything that Avatar: The Way of Water will win this category.” I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Avatar would win due to its amazing lifelike visuals! When you see the closeups in this film, your brain has to genuinely question whether what you are looking at is real or not. That is a truly impressive feat for today’s modern entertainment world that is filled to the brim with CGI that we have become numb to what real breathtaking visuals look like. It was definitely a well deserved win! If this is the future of CGI, then I am extremely excited to see the future of the entertainment industry in general.
Best Original Score
Who I thought would win: John Willams for The Fablemans
Who won: Volker Bertelmann for All Quiet on the Western Front
This is a double loss for me because deep down I truly wanted Justin Hurwitz’s amazing and dynamic score for Babylon to win. Ultimately, I predicted John Williams due to his older age and the fact that the academy may feel pressured to give him one last Oscar while they still can. Ultimately, I did not predict that All Quiet on the Western Front would win because I had heard criticism online and in reviews that the music was “Too modern sounding” for a period piece set in WW1. I have yet to see the film, so I cannot tell you my opinion, but I can tell you that modern music in a period piece can really take you out of it if the director is not careful. Such as in Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film The Great Gatsby where songs by Fergie, André 3000, will.i.am, and Jay-Z distracted both my ears and eyes while I tried to get absorbed into this jazz filled 1920s world.
Best Makeup and Hair Styling
Who I thought would win: The Whale
Who won: The Whale
This was honestly no surprise whatsoever due to the realistic fat suit that added so much to Brenden Fraser’s tragic performance. Overall, an extremely well deserved win and that’s all I really have to say.
Best Director
Who I thought would win: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for Everything Everywhere All At Once
Who won: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for Everything Everywhere All At Once
I thought this would definitely be a toss up category this year due to the amazing and aesthetically pleasing visionaries in this category from all directors nominated, but I had a gut feeling that Everything Everywhere All At Once had that real special touch as if it was made with such care and love. The win was definitely well deserved and was one of the best directed film of the year. Yes, even better directed than Spielberg’ ‘s The Fablemans it seems.
Best Supporting Actress
Who I thought would win: Stephanie Hsu in Everything Everywhere All At Once
Who won: Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All At Once
Now don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think she deserves the Oscar. I mean, if you watch the film you will realize that Stephanie Hsu’s performance has much more variety and real tried and true emotion. I am fine with her winning – by no means will it keep me up at night. I just believe it was the wrong choice. I will have to rewatch Everything Everywhere All At Once sometime soon to truly appreciate the film more than I did on my first watch.
Best Supporting Actor
Who I thought would win: Barry Keoghan for The Banshees of Inisherin
Who won: Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All At Once
Overall, a well deserved win, and I can see where the academy saw this performance being Oscar worthy. I agree that Ke’s versatile performance was absolutely deserving of at least some recognition. I am also just a sucker for a tragic performance which is exactly what Barry Keoghan gave, and I was hoping he would finally get recognized for his work.
Best Actress
Who I thought would win: Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All At Once
Who won: Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All At Once
This award was definitely well deserved, Michelle Yeoh’s comedic and dramatic elements to her character add fully to the film. I don’t really have much to say beside the fact that I really cannot wait to see what she does next!
Best Actor
Who I thought would win: Austin Butler for Elvis
Who won: Brenden Fraser for The Whale
Does Brenden Fraser deserve praise for his amazing comeback as a serious dramatic actor in the film The Whale? Yes, he does! I could say yes to that question if you asked me it a million times over. While his performance was extremely heartfelt and tragic, I still believe Austin Butler deserved the win. Why? As an aspiring actor myself, I feel it’s harder to become a person who has lived compared to a person who has never lived. Not only did Austin Butler play a man that lived, but he played a man who was extremely well documented and he nailed every slight movement and mannerism. He also exhibited extreme pathos in his acting which showed it wasn’t just another “impression” like in most BIOPIC movies to date. In the end, if it were my choice, I’d pick Austin Butler.
Best Picture
Who I thought would win: Everything Everywhere All At Once
Who won: Everything Everywhere All At Once
I end my predictions with one last correct one. Immediately after this film came out it, received extreme praise from both legitimate film reviewers and the public which is uncommon. Most film reviewers love one thing and then the public dismisses it as snobby trash. But the amount of universal love this film got from all sides cemented it’s win The movie has something for everyone: comedy, action, and drama – the three main staples of the modern film world.
I want to clarify that I am not upset of any Oscar pick and I feel that they are all deserving of this award. I felt 2022 was a slow year for films because filmmakers are taking less risks to avoid controversy which may be a good thing for some, but in the future I want to see more films that try to push the boundaries of storytelling. I’ll leave you with this – look at how advanced the CGI faces are in Avatar: The Way of Water this year. Imagine what film technology will look like in 20 years. Exciting isn’t it?