The Academy Nods

The Oscar nominations are out.  Here are the big awards, with my comments:

Best Picture:

“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

 

Not a single surprise. A few weren't guaranteed, such as Darkest Hour or Phantom Thread, but no shocks.  Too bad some really interesting titles, like I, Tonya and The Florida Project, didn't make it.

 

Lead Actor:

Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

 

Once again, mostly guaranteed.  Even Denzel for his awful movie (with a good performance).  And you've got to give Day-Lewis a nod for every film, especially his last.  Oldman is all but guaranteed to win. The choices are, for the most part, weak.  The biggest surprise (not Tom Hanks, who regularly misses out on nominations) was no James Franco--could the rumors of sexual misconduct matter, or is it just there was no room in general for The Disaster Artist?

Lead Actress:

Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”

Meryl Streep, "The Post

 

Once again, no surprises, but this time a great category.  Meryl gets her annual nomination (though I don't think she'll win).  It would be great if Margot Robbie won, but it's probably between Hawkins and McDormand (who's already won), with Ronan an outside chance.  No Jessica Chastain, but the Academy apparently didn't think much of Molly's Game.

Supporting Actor:

Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

 

No surprises.  Usually the strongest category, and it's certainly competing for that with Lead Actress this year.  No bad performances, though it looks like it's between Dafoe and Rockwell.  I only wish The Florida Project got more attention in general.

 

Supporting Actress:

Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

 

The only slight surprise here is Lesley Manville--it would have been easy for the Academy to ignore Phantom Thread, but instead it got all the attention it could want.  I still don't get Blige's nomination, though everyone assumed it would happen--she didn't particularly stand out in Mudbound.  The battle will be between Metcalf and Janney, with Janney having the edge.

 

Director:

"Dunkirk," Christopher Nolan

“Get Out,” Jordan Peele

"Lady Bird," Greta Gerwig

“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson“
The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro

 

Now we see which Best Picture nominees are the favorites.  I think it's silly Get Out got any nominations, but what are you going to do? And along with Jordan Peele, first-timer Greta Gerwig's nomination is sort of a big deal. No love for Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour, The Post (from Spielberg--did they figure it was just a procedural?) and Three Billboards.  The last deserved something, but I guess they figured it was the writer's film (even though he also directed).

 

Adapted Screenplay:

“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

 

Finally some attention for The Disaster Artist, not to mention Logan and Molly's Game.  Still don't get the love for Mudbound.  A fairly weak category, compared to original screenplay.  Unfortunately, it looks like Call My By Your Name will win.

 

Original Screenplay:

“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh

 

Some fine choices here, though I, Tonya (was that original?) and The Florida Project are once again no-shows.