The Black Film Critic Circle Select Dolemite Is My Name As The Best of 2019!

Posted on December 25, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

On Sunday, the Black Film Critics Circle announced their picks for the best of 2019!

And here they are:

Best Film: Dolemite Is My Name
Best Director: Martin Scorsese (The Irishman) and Kasi Lemmons (Harriet)
Best Actor: Eddie Murphy (Dolemite Is My Name)
Best Actress: Lupita Nyong’o (Us)
Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time In Hollywood)
Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Dolemite Is My Name)
Best Original Screenplay: Lena Waithe (Queen & Slim)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Steven Zaillian (The Irishman)
Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins (1917)
Best Foreign Film: Parasite
Best Documentary: Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
Best Animated Film: I Lost My Body
Best Ensemble: Dolemite Is My Name
Pioneer Award: Ruth E Carter
Rising Star: Kelvin J. Harrison
Special Mention: Lloyd ‘Kam’ Williams

Here Are The SAG Nominations!

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The SAG nominations were announced this morning.

For those of you keeping track of precursors and using them to shape your own predictions, the SAG nominations are usually a pretty big deal. It’s rare that every film that gets a best ensemble nomination also gets a best picture nominations. (In the past, The Big Sick, Trumbo, and Beasts of No Nation all got ensemble noms without also getting a best picture nomination.) But, at the same time, the SAG is full of Academy members (the Actor’s Division is the largest part of the Academy) so their nominations are definitely a good sign of the way the winds are blowing.

So, a look at the nominations below — very bad news for Adam Sandler. I have a hard time seeing how he can get an Oscar nomination without also a Golden Globe or SAG nomination. Good news for Christian Bale, who is rapidly becoming the male Meryl Streep as far as automatic nominations are concerned. Good news for Bombshell. Good news for me, because I predicted that the liberals in Hollywood would embrace Bombshell for the same reason that they embraced films like Vice and The Big Short (i,e., “honoring Jay Roach and Adam McKay movies to own the cons”). Potentially bad news for Kathy Bates, who received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Richard Jewell but not one from SAG. Bad news for 1917, which was totally rejected by the SAG. Potentially good news for Joker, which may have missed out on Ensemble but still picked up nominations for Joaquin Phoenix and the stunts crew.

Anyway, here are the SAG film nominees:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:

Christian Bale (“Ford v Ferrari”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”)
Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”)
Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:

Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story”)
Lupita Nyong’o (“Us”)
Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”)
Renée Zellweger (“Judy”)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:

Jamie Foxx (“Just Mercy”)
Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”)
Al Pacino (“The Irishman”)
Joe Pesci (“The Irishman”)
Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:

Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Jojo Rabbit”)
Nicole Kidman (“Bombshell”)
Jennifer Lopez (“Hustlers”)
Margot Robbie (“Bombshell”)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:

“Bombshell” (Lionsgate)
“The Irishman” (Netflix)
“Jojo Rabbit” (Fox)
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (Sony)
“Parasite” (Neon)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:

“Avengers: Endgame”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

The African-American Film Critics Association Honors Us

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The African American Film Critics Association has selected Jordan Peele’s Us as the best film of the year!

Here’s a full list of their winners:

Best Film: “Us” (Universal Pictures)

Best Director: Jordan Peele (“Us,” Universal Pictures)

Best Actor: Eddie Murphy (“Dolemite Is My Name,” Netflix)

Best Actress: Lupita Nyong’o (“Us,” Universal Pictures)

Best Supporting Actor: Jamie Foxx (“Just Mercy,” Warner Bros. Pictures)

Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“Dolemite Is My Name,” Netflix)

Best Breakout Performance: Kelvin Harrison, Jr. (“Waves,” A24)

Best Animated Film: “Abominable” (Universal Pictures)

Best Documentary: “The Black Godfather” (Netflix)

Best Foreign Film: “Parasite” (Neon)

Best Independent Film: “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” (A24)

Best Screenplay (Presented with The Black List): Bong Joon-ho, “Parasite” (Neon)

Impact Award: “Queen & Slim” (Universal Pictures)

We See You Award: Taylor Russell (“Waves,” A24)

The AAFCA 2019 Top Ten Films

1. “Us” (Universal Pictures)

2. “Dolemite Is My Name” (Netflix)

3. “Just Mercy” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

4. “Clemency” (Neon)

5. “The Irishman” (Netflix)

6. “Queen & Slim” (Universal Pictures)

7. “Waves” (A24)

8. TIE “Parasite” (Neon) and “Atlantics” (Netflix)

9. The Farewell (A24)

10. “Harriet” (Focus Features)

The Women Film Critics Circle Honors Portrait of a Lady on Fire!

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association weren’t the only ones making an announcement today! The Women Film Critics Circle also announced their picks for the best of 2019!

And here they are:

BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (dir. Céline Sciamma)
Runner-up: Little Women (dir. Greta Gerwig)

BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN

Harriet (dir. Kasi Lemmons)
Runner-up: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (dir. Céline Sciamma)

BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER (Screenwriting Award)

Greta Gerwig (Little Women)
Runner-up: Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)

BEST ACTRESS

Tie: Cynthia Erivo (Harriet) and Lupita Nyong’o (US)
Runner-up: Renée Zellweger (Judy)

BEST ACTOR

Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
Runner-up: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

BEST FOREIGN FILM BY OR ABOUT WOMEN

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (dir. Céline Sciamma)
Runner-up: Atlantics (dir. Mati Diop)

BEST DOCUMENTARY BY OR ABOUT WOMEN

Varda by Agnès (dir. Agnès Varda)
Runner-ups: Maiden (dir. Alex Holmes) and Honeyland (dir. Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov)

BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES

Marriage Story
Runner-up: The Aeronauts

BEST ANIMATED FEMALE

Anna (Frozen 2)
Runner-up: Bo Peep (Toy Story 4)

BEST SCREEN COUPLE

(TIE) Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Noémie Merlant/Adèle Haenel) and Marriage Story (Scarlett Johansson/Adam Driver)
Runner-up: Hustlers (Jennifer Lopez/Constance Wu)

ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD – For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women

(TIE) Bombshell (dir. Jay Roach) and The Nightingale (dir. Jennifer Kent)
Runner-up: Hustlers (dir. Lorene Scafaria)

JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD – For best expressing the woman of color experience in America

Harriet (dir. Kasi Lemmons)
Runner-up: Queen & Slim (dir. Melina Matsoukas)

KAREN MORLEY AWARD – For best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity

Harriet (dir. Kasi Lemmons)
Runner-up: Little Women (dir. Greta Gerwig)

ACTING AND ACTIVISM AWARD
Jane Fonda

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Alfre Woodard

Here Are The Golden Globe Nominations!

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the Golden Globe Nominees! Oddly, no one seems to have much respect for the people who give out the Golden Globes and the show itself is always kind of a drag but, for whatever reason, the Globes have become perhaps the biggest of the non-guild precursors. Getting a Golden Globe nomination will definitely help those who are trying to get the Academy’s attention right now.

My main thought on the nominees: Joker did really well. Uncut Gems went unmentioned, which will probably be the end of Adam Sandler’s Oscar campaign, unless he manages to snag a SAG nomination. It’s nice to see Dolemite Is My Name getting some attention. That’s a film that gets better the more that I think about it.

I don’t know — there’s not any terrible nominations or anything like that. I’m sorry that a few films and people were overlooked but it’s been a strong year for film and there’s a lot of legitimate contenders so there’s just not going to be room for everyone. It happens. There’s no outrageously terrible nominations, like when The Tourist was nominated several years ago. At the same time, the Golden Globes always leave me with feelings of malaise and ennui. I guess it’s because we are now leaving the “what if” phase of awards season and starting to get to the, “So, these are going to be our nominees” phase.

Here are the Golden Globe film nominations. If you want to see the TV nominees, do a freaking Google search …. or just click on this link to a full list of nominees!

Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Irishman
Joker
The Two Popes
Marriage Story
1917

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Knives Out
Dolemite Is My Name
Jojo Rabbit
Rocketman

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
The Farewell
Pain and Glory
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Les Misérables

Best Director – Motion Picture
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Todd Phillips, Joker

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes
Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite
Steven Zaillian, The Irishman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Renée Zellweger, Judy
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
Adam Driver, Marriage Story

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Awkwafina, The Farewell
Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart
Ana de Armas, Knives Out
Emma Thompson, Late Night
Cate Blanchett, Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
Daniel Craig, Knives Out
Taron Egerton, Rocketman
Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Annette Bening, The Report

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes

Best Motion Picture – Animated
Frozen 2
Toy Story 4
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Missing Link
The Lion King

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Thomas Newman, 1917
Hildur Guonadottir, Joker
Randy Newman, Marriage Story
Alexandre Desplat, Little Women
Daniel Pemberton, Motherless Brooklyn

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” Rocketman
“Spirit,” The Lion King
“Into the Unknown,” Frozen 2
“Stand Up,” Harriet
“Beautiful Ghosts,” Cats

The Satellites Really Like Ford V Ferrari

Posted on December 3, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Satellite Nominations were announced earlier today and they appear to really, really like Ford v. Ferrari.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Who gives out the Satellites?” They are awarded by the International Press Academy. They should not be mistaken for the Golden Globes, which are given out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Instead, the Satellites should probably be considered the Golden Globes’s less popular cousins. Unlike the Globes, they haven’t really proven themselves to be reliable as a precursor.

Anyway, here are the Satellite Film Nominations. If you want to see their television nominations, click here!

ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA

Alfre Woodard, “Clemency”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”
Helen Mirren, “The Good Liar”
Renee Zellweger, “Judy”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”

ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA

Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Christian Bale, “Ford v Ferrari”
George MacKay, “1917″
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Mark Ruffalo, “Dark Waters”

ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Awkwafina, “The Farewell”
Ana De Armas, “Knives Out”
Constance Wu, “Hustlers”
Julianne Moore, “Gloria Bell”

ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Adam Sandler, “Uncut Gems”
Daniel Craig, “Knives Out”
Eddie Murphy, “Dolemite Is My Name”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Taron Egerton, “Rocketman”
Taika Waititi, “Jojo Rabbit”

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Jennifer Lopez, “Hustlers”
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
Margot Robbie, “Bomshell”
Penelope Cruz, “Pain and Glory”
Nicole Kidman, “Bombshell”
Zhao Shuzhen, “The Farewell”

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood”
Willem Dafoe, “The Lighthouse”
Wendell Pierce, “Burning Cane”

MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

1917 Universal Pictures
Bombshell Lionsgate
Burning Cane Array Releasing
Ford v Ferrari Twentieth Century Fox
Joker Warner Bros.
The Lighthouse A24
Marriage Story Netflix
Two Popes Netflix

MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Hustlers STX Entertainment
Knives Out Lionsgate
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Columbia Pictures
Rocketman Paramount
The Farewell A24
Uncut Gems A24

MOTION PICTURE, INTERNATIONAL

Atlantics, Senegal
Beanpole, Russia
Les Miserables, France
Pain and Glory, Spain
Parasite, Korea
Truth and Justice, Estonia
Portrait of a Lady on Fire, France
The Painted Bird, Czech Republic

MOTION PICTURE, ANIMATED OR MIXED MEDIA

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Netflix
Alita: Battle Angel Twentieth Century Fox
Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles GKIDS
How to Train Your Dragon 2: The Hidden World Universal Pictures
The Lion King Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Toy Story 4 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Weathering With You GKIDS

MOTION PICTURE, DOCUMENTARY

63 Up BritBox
Apollo 11 Neon
Citizen K Greenwich Entertainment
Honeyland KJ Films
One Child Nation Amazon Studios
The Apollo HBO Documentary
The Cave National Geographic Documentary Films
FOR SAMA PBS

DIRECTOR

Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
James Mangold, “Ford v Ferrari”
Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story”
Pedro Almodóvar, “Pain and Glory”
Sam Mendes, “1917″
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”

SCREENPLAY, ORIGINAL

Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller, “Ford v Ferrari”
Lulu Wang, “The Farewell”
Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story”
Pedro Almodóvar, “Pain and Glory”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”

SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED

Anthony McCarten, “The Two Popes”
Edward Norton, “Motherless Brooklyn”
Matthew Michael Carnahan, Mario Correa, Nathaniel Rich, “Dark Waters”
Steven Zaillian, “The Irishman”
Taika Waititi, “Jojo Rabbit”
Todd Phillips & Scott Silver, “Joker”

ORIGINAL SCORE

Thomas Newman, “1917″
Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders, “Ford v Ferrari”
Randy Newman, “Marriage Story”
Robbie Robertson, “The Irishman”
Terence Blanchard, “Harriet”
Hildur Guonadottir, “Joker”

ORIGINAL SONG

Don’t Call Me (Angel), “Charlie’s Angels”
Into the Unknown, “Frozen II”
(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again, “Rocketman”
Spirit, “Lion King”
The Ballade of the Lonesome Cowboy, “Toy Story 4”
Swan Song, “Alita: Battle Angel”

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Dick Pope, “Motherless Brooklyn”
George Richmond, “Rocketman”
Lawrence Sher, “Joker”
Phedon Papamichael, ASC, GSC, “Ford v Ferrari”
Rodrigo Prieto, “The Irishman”
Roger Deakins, “1917”

FILM EDITING

1917
Lee Smith, ACE
Ford v Ferrari
Michael McCusker, ACE
Andrew Buckland
Joker
Jeff Groth
Marriage Story
Jennifer Lame, ACE
Rocketman
Chris Dickens
The Irishman
Thelma Schoonmaker

SOUND (EDITING AND MIXING)

1917
Oliver Tarney
Stuart Wilson
Scott Millan
Mark Taylor
Avengers: Endgame
Shannon Mills
Daniel Laurie
Tom Johnson
Juan Peralta
John Pritchett, CAS
Ford v Ferrari
Donald Sylvester
Paul Massey
David Giammarco
Steven A. Morrow, CAS
Joker
Alan Robert Murray
Tom Ozanich
Dean Zupancic
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Wylie Stateman
Mark Ulano, CAS
Michael Minkler, CAS
Christian P. Minkler, CAS
Rocketman
Matthew Collinge
John Hayes

VISUAL EFFECTS

Alita: Battle Angel
Joe Letteri
Eric Saindon
Avengers: Endgame
Dan DeLeeuw
Matt Aitken
Russell Earl
Dan Sudick
The Lion King
Robert Legato, ASC; Andrew R. Jones
Adam Valdez; Elliot Newman
Ford v Ferrari
Olivier Dumont
Mark Byers
Kathy Segal
Joker
Edwin Rivera
Mathew Giampa
Bryan Godwin
The Irishman
Pablo Helman

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION DESIGN

1917
Dennis Gassner
Lee Sandales
Ford v Ferrari
François Audouy
Peter Lando
Joker
Mark Friedberg
Laura Ballinger
Motherless Brooklyn
Beth Mickle
Michael Ahern
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Barbara Ling
Nancy Haigh
The Two Popes
Mark Tildesley
Saverio Sammali

COSTUME DESIGN

Dolemite Is My Name
Ruth E. Carter
Joker
Mark Bridges
Judy
Jeny Temime
Rocketman
Julian Day
The Two Popes
Luka Canfora
Downton Abbey
Caroline McCall
Anna Robbins
Susannah Buxton
Rosalind Ebbutt

Lisa’s Oscar Predictions For September

Posted on September 28, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

With the help of the festivals, the Oscar picture became a bit clearer this month. Perhaps the biggest news is that the initial response to Harriet, which many people expected to be this year’s front runner, was decidedly lukewarm. The other big news? The Irishman, according to those who have seen it, may be Scorsese’s best yet.

Below, you’ll find my Oscar predictions for September. If you want to see how my thinking has evolved over the course of this year, be sure to check out my predictions for January, February, March, April, May, June, July, and August!

Now, admittedly, there’s still an element of wishful thinking in some of the predictions below. For instance, it would be an interesting narrative development if Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy were both nominated for best actor. That doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen but both of them have received a lot of early acclaim for their yet-to-be released films this year. They’re contenders, even if their reputations may make them long shots. What’s the point of making predictions if you can’t have a little fun?

Joker is going to get big Oscar punch. I do think it’s going to probably be a bit too controversial to pick up a Best Picture nomination but I’m still going to go ahead and put down Joaquin Phoenix as a best actor nominee.

Bombshell is the new title of Jay Roach’s Fox News film. To me, it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be that good and, quite frankly, Jay Roach’s films usually prove that just being obsessed with politics doesn’t necessarily mean that you have anything interesting to say about the topic. That said, if Vice (a film that even leftist film critics criticized as being heavy handed and cartoonish) could pick up a best picture nomination last year, then I’m going to assume Bombshell could do the same. With both the presidential election and possible impeachment trial looming, it’s reasonable assume that certain Academy members will be even more obsessed with politics than usual.

Meryl Streep for The Laundromat? Why not? They’ll nominate Meryl for anything, regardless of how bad the movie is.

Here are the predictions for this month!

Best Picture

1917

Bombshell

The Farewell

A Hidden Life

The Irishman

JoJo Rabbit

Marriage Story

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Parasite

Waves

Best Director

Bong Joon-ho for Parasite

Terrence Malick for A Hidden Life

Martin Scorsese for The Irishman

Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Taika Waititi for JoJo Rabbit

Best Actor

Antonio Banderas in Pain & Glory

Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Eddie Murphy in Dolemite Is My Name

Joaquin Phoenix in Joker

Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo in Harriet

Scarlett Johansson in Marriage Story

Charlize Theron in Bombshell

Alfre Woodard in Clemency

Renee Zellweger in Judy

Best Supporting Actor

Sterling K. Brown in Waves

Jamie Foxx in Just Mercy

Anthony Hopkins in The Two Popes

Al Pacino in The Irishman

Brad Pitt in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Best Supporting Actress

Annette Bening in The Report

Scarlett Johansson in JoJo Rabbit

Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers

Zhao Shuzhen in The Farewell

Meryl Streep in The Laundromat

Lisa’s Early Oscar Nominations for August

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s the time of the month again!

It’s time for me to share my early Oscar predictions! With the Telluride and Venice Film Festivals currently underway, the Oscar picture does seem to be a little bit less murky. But then again, we should remember that appearances can be deceiving. Last year, at this time, most people were still expecting a First Man vs. Beale Street vs. A Star is Born Oscar race.

These predictions below take into account the reports that have been coming back from Telluride and Venice. If you want to see how my thinking has evolved over the year, be sure to check out my predictions from January, February, March, April, May, June, and July!

And now, for what their worth, here are my predictions for August:

Best Picture

1917

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

The Farewell

Ford v Ferrari

Harriet

A Hidden Life

The Irishman

Little Women

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Waves

Best Director

Kasi Lemmons for Harriet

Terrence Malick for A HIdden Life

Sam Mendes for 1917

Trey Edward Shults for Waves

Martin Scorsese for The Irishman

Best Actor

Antonio Banderas in Pain & Glory

Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Eddie Murphy in Dolemite is My Name

Joaquin Phoenix in Joker

Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems

Best Actress

Awkwafina in The Farewell

Cynthia Erivo in Harriet

Saoirse Ronan in Little Women

Alfre Woodard in Clemency

Renee Zellweger in Judy

Best Supporting Actor

Sterling K. Brown in Waves

Willem DaFoe in The Lighthouse

Anthony Hopkins in The Two Popes

John Lithgow in Bombshell

Brad Pitt in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz in Pain & Glory

Scarlett Johansson in Jojo Rabbit

Nicole Kidman in The Goldfinch

Margot Robbie in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Zao Shuzhen in The Farewell

Lisa’s Early Oscar Predictions For July

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s that time of the month, again!

(No, not that time!)

It’s time for me to present my predictions for who and what will be nominated for the Academy Awards next January! Now that we’re nearly done with the summer, the Oscar picture is becoming a bit more clear. For instance, I do think that Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is going to be a player, if just because it’s about actors and the Actors Branch is the biggest voting bloc in the Academy. (How do you think Birdman and Argo managed to win?) And the trailer for The Irishman makes it look like the type of Scorsese film that often gets nominated.

Still, it’s too early to say anything for sure. Last year, for instance, Green Book didn’t really become a player until fairly late in the season. In fact, at this time last year, everyone still thought A Star Is Born was going to win everything.

So, with all that in mind, here are my predictions for July. Be sure to also check out my predictions for January, February, March, April, May, and June!

Best Picture

1917

The Aeronauts

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

Fair and Balanced

Harriet

The Irishman

JoJo Rabbit

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Pain & Glory

The Peanut Butter Falcon

Best Director

Pedro Almodovar for Pain & Glory

Kasi Lemmons for Harriet

Sam Mendes for 1917

Martin Scorsese for The Irishman

Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Best Actor

Antonio Banderas in Pain & Glory

Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Tom Hanks in A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

John Lithgow in Fair and Balanced

Eddie Murphy in Dolemite is My Name

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett in Where’d You Go Bernadette?

Cynthia Erivo in Harriet

Saoirse Ronan in Little Women

Alfre Woodard in Clemency

Rene Zellweger in Judy

Best Supporting Actor

Shia LaBeouf in The Peanut Butter Falcon

Malcolm McDowell in Fair and Balanced

Brad Pitt in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Jonathan Pryce in The Two Popes

Taika Waititi in JoJo Rabbit

Best Supporting Actress

Scarlett Johansson in JoJo Rabbit

Nicole Kidman in The Goldfinch

Janelle Monae in Harriet

Margot Robbie in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Meryl Streep in Little Women

Lisa’s Early Oscar Predictions For June

Posted on June 30, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

We’re at the halfway mark as far as 2019 in concerned, which means that the Oscar race is about to start getting a lot more clear. Soon, instead of random guesses, we’ll be making educated guesses. Then again, it is important to remember that — at this time last year — no one thought Bohemian Rhapsody would score a best picture nomination. In fact, only a few people have ever heard about Green Book.

So, as always, take my monthly predictions with a grain of salt. They’re based on a combination what I’m hearing (and reading) from other film people and my own instincts (for whatever their worth). To be honest, I suppose that these predictions reflect my own prejudices as well. I’d love to see Terrence Malick honored, for instance. I also think that it’s a crime that Amy Adams hasn’t ever won an Oscar so I have her listed, even though I fear she might be miscast as the lead in The Woman In The Window. At the same time, I’m bored with Meryl Streep getting nominated just for showing up so I left her out of my predictions, even though she has two high-profile films coming out later this year.

To see how my thinking has (or hasn’t) evolved, check out my predictions for January, February, March, April, and May!

And now, here are the predictions!

Best Picture

1917

A Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood

Cats

Fair and Balanced

Harriet

A Hidden Life

The Irishman

JoJo Rabbit

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood