Oscars - 2022

 Here are my picks and preferences for the 2022 Academy Awards:

Best Picture:

I do not think that either Licorice Pizza or Don’t Look Up deserve to be in this category. Licorice Pizza had a meandering plot that didn’t amount to much and the characters are unsympathetic. The dialogue was mediocre. Don’t Look Up had moments of satiric observation, but its tone was inconsistent between biting and just plain silly. It needed more focus. I thought the best film was Belfast. It successfully personalized the conflicts that occurred in Ireland between the Protestants and Catholics by focusing on a family caught up in the turmoil. Unbelievable that it was not nominated for editing or cinematography since it is an evocative and seamless creation. However, the contest seems to be between CODA and The Power of the Dog. The former deals with a hearing-impaired family in a way that is moving without being patronizing. It received the ensemble acting award from the Screen Actors Guild and the Producers Guild Award for best film. The Power of the Dog is an impactful depiction of homophobia in the American West. It won the Golden Globe award for best drama and Jane Campion received the Directors Guild Award for her direction. I think the theme and the character portrayals in CODA will win over the Academy.

Prediction: CODA

Preference: Belfast

 

Best Actress:

Good performances all around here. Nicole Kidman received the Golden Globe for her performance as the shrewd Lucille Ball behind the scenes in Being the Ricardos, while Jessica Chastain won the SAG award for her portrayal of Tammy Fae Baker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. I’m giving the edge to Chastain, who shows a flawed character who also truly believed in her faith and was not afraid to stand up for gay people against the self-serving male TV evangelists.

Prediction: Jessica Chastain

Preference: Jessica Chastain

 Best Actor:

Will Smith has a lock on this category. He has been nominated before and is a box office favorite. He does a good job of showing a man who was passionate to the point of obsessional about having his daughters excel and be role models for African American women. The story is a little creepy on how much he controlled his daughters’ lives to fit his plan that he developed before they were even born. My pick is Benedict Cumberbatch for his scary self-loathing homosexual cowboy in The Power of the Dog. It is an uncompromising portrait of how bigotry can poison a person, in the case of this story, both figuratively and literally

Prediction: Will Smith

Preference: Benedict Cumberbatch

 

Best Supporting Actress:

I believe Oscar lightening is going to strike twice for the character of Anita in West Side Story. Rita Moreno won the award in the original and indications are that Ariana DeBose will do it again for her interpretation of the role. She is very good at singing, dancing, and acting in Steven Spielberg’s remake. I have a slight reference for Kirsten Dunst’s heart-breaking depiction of the tortured mother in The Power of the Dog.

Prediction: Ariana DeBose

Preference: Kirsten Dunst

 

Best Supporting Actor:

Another good group of performances. However, I think that Troy Kotsur’s emotional and strong father in CODA will win over the Academy members.

Prediction: Troy Kotsur

Preference: Troy Kotsur

 

Best Original Screenplay:

I hope that the Academy will honor Kenneth Branagh for his memoir of what it was like for him growing up in Belfast during the confrontations he experienced as a child. The script depicts the characters realistically and allows the audience to truly care about their fates.

Prediction: Belfast

Preference: Belfast

 

Best Adapted Screenplay:

I think CODA will be the choice for its honest depiction of the hearing-impaired family who has a daughter who can hear and, ironically, sing beautifully. She is caught between the worlds of sound and quiet.

Prediction: CODA

Preference: CODA

 

Best Director:

Jane Campion most likely will win this award for her masterful work on The Power of the Dog. As was stated she won the Directors Guild Award. She also is the only woman who has been nominated twice in this category, having previously been acknowledged for her direction of The Piano. Since I was awed by the work done on Belfast, I would prefer that Branagh be the pick.

Prediction: Jane Campion

Preference: Kenneth Branagh