Oscars 2018: Hopes/Predictions

The Oscars are here and again once again, they make me mad. More and more every year I like the Oscars less and less. I used to think that the Oscars used to be fair. But then I hear stories about when they were clearly not. Like The Color Purple being nominated for every category except for Best Directing. Or the Academy giving a make-up Oscar to James Stewart for The Philadelphia Story over Henry Fonda for The Grapes of Wrath (If you don't know what I'm talking about, look it up). I know film is all subjective and we all have our own opinions, but I have heard many stories of everybody agreeing that the Oscar went to the wrong person or movie. And I think that the only thing people are voting with is their political agenda. I think that the Oscar should go to the whatever was best. But I guess giving on Oscar to somebody or something that could affect change is not a bad thing. That's just my personal thoughts on it. You have every right to disagree with me. I also hate that they don't recognize films in any particular genre like comic book films. They're finally starting to let comic films in just a little bit with Logan. Hugh Jackman should have been nominated. But it did get a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Which feels very much like "Alright we heard ya' here's your pity nomination. Now will you nerds watch our show?" It just annoys me a lot. But every year, part of me is excited. Even though last year my heart was ripped out with the La La Land fiasco, I still want to watch. Because I know that this year, I could watch Christopher Nolan get up on stage and accept an Oscar. That's why I keep watching. But I admit that every year I care even less and less especially for the Best Picture category. But I still want to watch to see my favorite artists be recognized. And it's a fun game to play.

So here's how this list is gonna work. I'm gonna list the nominees in most of the categories and rank them in my personal opinion. So for example, I'm going to do my personal ranking of every movie nominated for Best Picture out of the ones I've seen. And like I did for my rankings of last years movies overall, I'm going to list every nominated movie that I've seen (which I have seen some new ones since the last list). So for example, if you're thinking to yourself - "Why hasn't he included Lady Bird on the list?" You can look at this list and see every movie and I saw and see that Lady Bird isn't on the list and therefore - I didn't see it. And here's that list: Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, Get Out, The Post, ‪The Shape of Water‬, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri, All the Money in the World, The Boss Baby (Can’t believe that’s nominated), Coco, Ferdinand (wow), Blade Runner 2049, Beauty and the Beast, Baby Driver, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Kong: Skull Island, ‪War for the Planet of the Apes‬, Logan, Molly’s Game, ‪The Big Sick‬. Alright, let's get into it.

01. Dunkirk

I would love for a Christopher Nolan movie to win Best Picture. This movie is a roller coaster. The criticism that most people have with the characters is something that I disagree with. I think they nailed the balance of the characters for this particular story. I think this is a movie that needs to be experienced in the theater because it is a suspense movie and essentially a thrill ride. Which is why I don't think it's the most memorable movie. It was an awesome experience, but there's really not much to stop and think about. But I loved the thrill ride and I think it would be awesome to see it win.

02. Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

I just recently watched this movie to prepare for the Oscars. And I thought this movie was awesome mainly for the performances. I think this is a very good character movie and I really really enjoyed it. And I think it's a worthy nomination. And I wouldn't be mad if it won.

03. ‪The Shape of Water‬

I really really enjoyed ‪The Shape of Water‬. I don’t think I put it up as high as everybody else. I literally watched it the day before the Oscars to prepare. I think of it as a very very strange and oddly romantic version of E.T. It’s an interesting thing that a lot of people and I guess myself included for people to swallow. It’s a movie about a mute lady falling in love with a fish man. A lot of people would definitely find that strange and overly artistic. But I really enjoyed it. It is one of the better best picture nominees in my opinion. I would be totally fine with it winning. I think the only real flaws I have with the movie is maybe some predictable story structure and some cheesy moments. It’s a really creative and interesting love story that I think deserves recognition. But I’m still hoping for Dunkirk.

04. Get Out

Same with Get Out. I watched it to prepare for the Oscars. And I honestly, I wouldn't have nominated this movie. I enjoyed Get Out. I thought there were some very interesting ideas in it. The combination of basically an episode of the Twilight Zone plus a movie speaking on racial issues was a very interesting idea. I've only seen a handful of horror movies. So the tropes of a horror movie I've only seen in spoof comedy. So whenever a character was trying to act creepy or a jump scare would happen, I just found cheesy and I laughed. It didn't scare me. I do think the performances are really good. I liked some of the creativity but I personally enjoyed it but I wouldn't nominate it. And I do think that the reason it is nominated is because of the racial issues it speaks on. And I'm not saying that it would be a bad thing to award a movie that could affect change, but I just think that the purpose of it should be to award whatever the best movie is. And I personally think this movie isn't Oscar-Worthy.

05. The Post

Spielberg is my favorite director of all-time, but I found this movie kinda forgettable. And I think this is definitely nominated because of what it's speaking on politically. Again, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I enjoyed The Post. But I didn't find it very memorable at all. And if you want to hear more of my thoughts on it, you can read my review.

06. Darkest Hour

I've only seen this movie once, but I don't think this movie deserves a nomination at all. I think the only thing that deserves a nomination is Gary Oldman. I was bored throughout a lot of this movie. The writing was very boring to me. I remember and enjoyed parts of it because of Gary Oldman and Lily James performances but I don't think that's enough to give it Best Picture. And there's not even a political reason to nominate it that I can think of. So I legitimately don't understand why this is nominated. But that's just my opinion.

01. Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk

The thought of watching Christopher Nolan get up on stage and accept an Oscar is the reason I'm most excited to watch. The only reason he hasn't already been nominated is because all of his movies have been blockbusters. Because Christopher Nolan made a movie that isn't set in space or has anyone dressed like a bat, they finally nominated him. It's long overdue and he deserves it. And I think Dunkirk is a fantastic movie. He took the war genre and spun on its head and made it a suspense story. And he completely succeeded and making you feel like one of those soldiers on the ground. It's a fantastic piece of work that he deserves recognition for. Academy can you please give my favorite director of today an Oscar please?

02. Guillermo Del Toro - ‪The Shape of Water‬

Alright, I’m a little biased with this one. I have nothing against Guillermo Del Toro. I believe I’ve only seen two of his movies including Shape of Water and ‪Pacific Rim‬. So I am a much bigger fan of Christopher Nolan. So yeah I’m biased. I’d rather watch Christopher Nolan win. But Guillermo Del Toro did an amazing job directing ‪The Shape of Water‬. This is a bit of a tough category for a lot of people including myself because what really makes someone the best director? The line between Best Picture and Best Director is a hard one to really pick from. So I like to pick out with a hypothetical question - “What movie would be harder for me to direct?” And war movies seem really hard to do. But on the other hand, Guillermo Del Toro got some really great performances out of Sally Hawkins and Michael Shannon for example. So it’s a hard thing to identify. So this category is going mainly just on who I’m a bigger fan of and what movie I think was the best. So yeah, I’m biased.

03. Jordan Peele - Get Out

As I said, I enjoyed Get Out. I personally wasn't very impressed overall. I think Jordan Peele did a great job coming up with the concept and directing some really good performances. But as far as horror/suspense, I kinda found it cheesy and it really didn't freak me out. And for a comedy guy making his directorial debut, I think this is pretty good and I'd like to see what he does next. But as for my personal preference, I don't know if this is Oscar worthy.

01. Frances McDormand - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

I loved Frances McDormand in Three Billboards. I think this a completely deserved nominated and possible win. I thought she did an amazing job with her a character that I found really complex and intriguing. I think she did a great job with the comedy. Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell are what make that movie for me. I think this is a deserved win for Frances McDormand.

02. Sally Hawkins - ‪The Shape of Water‬

It was a bit of a tough choice for me to put Sally Hawkins in the second spot. I would be very happy if she wins. I’m about 50/50 with Sally Hawkins and Frances McDormand. But I loved Sally Hawkins in ‪The Shape of Water‬. I thought she did an amazing job. She had to convey a lot of emotion without any dialogue. The choice to make her a mute gave us a window into watching just pure raw acting. So she deserves an Oscar. But I also think Frances McDormand deserves an Oscar. So we’ll see who wins.

03. Meryl Streep - The Post

Oh boy, Meryl Streep again. I can't wait to hear what Jimmy Kimmel says this year. I am not familiar with a lot of Meryl Streep's work. But I know she gets nominated A LOT. And it's obvious that the Academy voters LOVE her. She's the cliche punchline ACTOR (french accent). There's no doubt that she's awesome. And as I said, I think The Post is overrated in the Academy's eyes. And I think I can say the same for her performance. I think Jessica Chastain 100% deserved a nomination for Molly's Game over Meryl Streep for The Post. I think Meryl Streep did a perfect job with the character and the story she was given. But what the script gives to a character does make a difference in how good a performance is in my opinion. So this is a case where I don't think the script was strong enough for her to earn a nomination. It's a very good performance but I don't think it's Oscar-worthy.

01. Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour

This is the only thing that should be recognized from this movie in my opinion. As I said with Meryl Streep in The Post, what the script gives an actor does make a difference in how good their performance is. What does the script give the actor to do? No matter how good they are, that's what matters. And the difference between Gary Oldman and Meryl Streep is that Gary Oldman became Winston Churchill. Gary Oldman put some much work into becoming that character and I think he deserves all the recognition for it. And he's never won an Oscar. This is literally the second time he's been nominated. So even though I wasn't very interested in what was done with the character, it would not be fair to pass up this performance. The entire reason that this Oscar is deserved is completely mannerisms. Again, Gary Oldman did a perfect job and he finally deserves to get that gold statue.

02. Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out

Do I think this is a worthy nomination? Yes. Daniel Kaluuya is REALLY good in Get Out. He's honestly one of the best parts of the movie to me. But I don't think he has any chance of winning to be honest. I think that he knows that he's just going there to have fun. Could you imagine if Gary Oldman had to watch Daniel Kaluuya get up on stage and accept the Oscar over him? Gary Oldman sat in a chair for I believe 6 hours getting into his makeup and smoked $30,000 worth of cigars and he's never won an Oscar after how many years he's been acting. And Daniel Kaluuya could go onto the set of Get Out in jeans and a hoodie. Please don't get me wrong, Daniel Kaluuya is great and I look forward to what he does next. But this is Gary Oldman's year.

01. Octavia Spencer - ‪The Shape of Water

The Academy loves Octavia Spencer. I think she’s great. She really deserved her Oscar for The Help in my opinion. But this is not an Oscar-worthy performance to me. She did a great job, but I don’t think her character was given nearly enough for her to be nominated. She’s perfect in her role. But I’m thinking of someone……. I can’t remember…. oh yeah…DAFNE KEEN!

01. Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Sam Rockwell is fantastic in Three Billboards. Him and Frances McDormand are what I remember the most from that movie. He's fantastic. And where his character goes in this movie is really awesome character development. There's really not much to say without spoiling. But he's awesome and I want to see him take that gold statue.

02. Christopher Plummer - All The Money in the World

I feel like this definitely has to do with the Kevin Spacey fiasco. I think they are trying to make a statement with this. But don't get me wrong, Christopher Plummer is really good in All The Money in the World. I found his character really interesting. And the fact that he shot his performance in I believe 9 days is a reason to nominate him already. But I'm thinking of another old guy who deserved a nomination....I can't quite think of it......oh yeah, PATRICK STEWART!

03. Woody Harrelson - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

I feel like there's probably a supporting performance that I would have nominated over this. Woody Harrelson I thought was excellent in Three Billboards. I really enjoyed his character. But I think there are some people you could have nominated over him. Like freaking Patrick Stewart!

04. Richard Jenkins - ‪The Shape of Water

y‬I thought Richard Jenkins was very good in ‪The Shape of Water‬. But I am very confused as to why he was nominated for this role. He did a very good job with his role. But I am legitimately confused as to why he was nominated over Michael Shannon. It’s honestly kinda absurd. I would probably even nominate Michael Stuhlberg over Richard Jenkins. But again, Richard Jenkins was very good in his role. But in my opinion, not Oscar-worthy.

01. Coco

I think this is a lock-in for the win. I would have nominated this for Best Picture. It really is one of Pixar's best.

02. The Boss Baby

Why? Is there not a small animated movie that nobody has heard of in France or something that you could have nominated. I honestly can't believe this is even in competition with Coco.

01. James Mangold, Scott Frank, Michael Green - Logan

Obviously, I'll be rooting for Logan. I'm gonna be pretty mad if Logan can't even win the one petty little nomination it was given. If you want to know why I love Logan (if it isn’t obvious), go check out my spoiler review.

02. Aaron Sorkin - Molly's Game

Very deserved mainly for the dialogue as usual from Aaron Sorkin.

01. Martin McDonagh - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Awesome script. I honestly think the script is the strongest thing behind the camera.

02. Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani - ‪The Big Sick‬

I really enjoyed ‪The Big Sick‬. I thought the writing was great. The comedy and the romance was very well written. But I didn't really like the last act. You can read more about that in my review.

03. Jordan Peele - Get Out

04. Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor - ‪The Shape of Water‬

01. Roger Deakins - Blade Runner 2049

Give it to him. Give it to Roger now. ‪Blade Runner 2049‬ has FANTASTIC cinematography. This is destined to be a classic in the long list of movies with amazing cinematography. It's absolutely gorgeous. He better win for this.

02. Hoyte van Hoytema - Dunkirk

Very deserved nomination. I think Dunkirk had a really good look and was a big part of making you feel like a soldier on the ground.

03. Dan Lautsen - ‪The Shape of Water‬

There is no doubt that the look of ‪The Shape of Water‬ is beautiful. Very deserved nomination.

04. Bruno Delbonnel - Darkest Hour

Why? I thought this movie had completely boring cinematography. Whoever is nominating this movie has definitely not seen ‪Blade Runner 2049‬.

01. ‪Hans Zimmer‬ - Dunkirk

Is this the first time ‪Hans Zimmer‬ and ‪John Williams‬ have competed for an Oscar? My two favorite composers going up against each other. It's a hard choice but I'm going with ‪Hans Zimmer‬ on this one. The adrenaline FILLED score of Dunkirk is fantastic. And you guys should check out a video on a really cool effect he did to build that suspenseful music. The video is on YouTube and it's titled - "The sound illusion that makes Dunkirk so intense" by Vox. It's a fantastic score from him as always and I think it deserves the win.

02. ‪John Williams‬ - Star Wars: The Last Jedi

It's hard for me to not pick this one. But this is a greatest hits album to me. Which is amazing! If you give him the award for this, you're giving him an award for all the classic scores which he should have already won for. I LOVED hearing all the classic themes, but I think this is Zimmer's year.

03. ‪Alexandre Desplat‬ - ‪The Shape of Water‬

I loved this score. Absolutely beautiful. What I particularly love is how it succeeded in bringing back that classic Hollywood sound. It’s a great score. But it doesn’t compete with Dunkirk or Last Jedi in my opinion.

04. ‪Carter Burwell‬ - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

01. Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos - Baby Driver

Come on! Please! The editing is arguably the most entertaining part of Baby Driver. Every time I watch the ‪Hocus Pocus‬ foot chase scene, my adrenaline is pumping. None of the other movies had to edit to the beat of the music and did a perfect job with it. Please give this best editing!

02. Lee Smith - Dunkirk

03. Sidney Wolinsky - ‪The Shape of Water‬

04. Jon Gregory - Three Billboards outside Ebbing. Missouri

01. Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola - ‪Blade Runner 2049‬

This absolutely deserves the win. This movie has gorgeous looks gorgeous. Not only did they perfect bringing back the original ‪Blade Runner‬ look, but they did an outstanding job with designing beautiful new things within that same world.

02. Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis - Dunkirk

03. Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer - Beauty and the Beast

04. Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau. Jeffrey A. Melvin - ‪The Shape of Water

05. Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer - Darkest Hour

01. Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon and Joel Whist - ‪War for the Planet of the Apes

‬It's absurd that none of the Apes movies have won for Best Visual Effects. Do the Academy voters just think that those are actual Apes? That would explain a lot. Maybe they'll give an Oscar to whoever trained those Apes to give such good performances and blow stuff up. Anyway, if you're not gonna give Andy Serkis a nomination you better give it best Visual Effects.

02. John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert and Richard R. Hoover - Blade Runner 2049

03. Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould - Star Wars: The Last Jedi

04. Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner and Dan Sudick - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

05. Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza and Mike Meinardus - Kong: Skull Island

Why is this nominated? I hated the Visual Effects in Kong: Skull Island. I thought it looked like a freaking video game. Just look at that picture above.

Thanks for reading. I’d love to hear how you guys would like for the Oscars to play out in the comment section.