Tuesday, February 04, 2020
How I Would Pick the Oscars
This year I've actually seen a bunch of the movies nominated for Oscars, so I thought I'd do my picks. This is who I would vote for, not who I think will win. Just for background, I've seen five of the nine nominees for Best Picture. I have not seen Parasite, 1917, Jojo Rabbit or Joker.
Best Supporting Actress
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Laura Dern had a good year, in Marriage Story and Little Women, plus Big Little Lies on HBO. She's not my favorite character in this movie (I really liked Alan Alda), but she puts in a really solid performance as the divorce lawyer for Scarlett Johansson's character. The only other nominee in this category I saw was Florence Pugh in Little Women. If I had a second choice I would throw in Toni Collette from Knives Out. Her character was one of the standouts in that movie.
Best Supporting Actor
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
This is a really tough category. Brad Pitt probably will win. I am a Brad Pitt fan, but that would be more of a lifetime achievement award than anything. He's had better performances than he did in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino are really strong. But I would vote for Pesci. He commands every scene he's in. He does a great job of projecting power without being loud or over the top. Most scenes he's barely talking above a whisper. But it's very effective.
Best Actress
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Marriage Story wasn't my favorite movie of the year, but it was very well acted. And Scarlett Johansson definitely deserved her nomination (she's nominated twice in two different categories!). I felt like the story was a little tilted more toward Adam Driver, but ScarJo's character was a little more sympathetic. Saoirse Ronan is very good in Little Women, but I liked her better in Ladybird. Ronan is 25 and this is already her fourth Oscar nomination!
Best Actor
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
Joaquin Phoenix is going to win, but I have no desire to see Joker. I loved Pryce's performance as Pope Francis. Like Pesci in The Irishman, he does more with less. He speaks quietly and thoughtfully, and does a great job of capturing the inner turmoil Bergoglio has about his past. Leo DiCaprio and Driver are both really good in their roles too, but I would give Pryce the edge.
Best Director
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
I have not been a huge fan of many of his movies, but this one is one of his best. It takes its time but doesn't feel slow. The de-aging technology he used for some of the actors was pretty effective. Truthfully, there isn't one director who should be the clear winner in this category. But out of the movies I've seen I would put him in ahead of Tarantino.
Best Picture
Ford v Ferrari
I was really happy to see Ford v Ferrari get a nomination for Best Picture. It's my favorite film of 2019. The racing scenes are great, especially when it gets to Le Mans and it's raining. But some of the other moments are just as good, like the fight between Shelby and Miles, and the scene where Henry Ford gets a test drive in the new car. Christian Bale puts in a great performance as Ken Miles. It's just a very well-made, entertaining movie.
Best Supporting Actress
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Laura Dern had a good year, in Marriage Story and Little Women, plus Big Little Lies on HBO. She's not my favorite character in this movie (I really liked Alan Alda), but she puts in a really solid performance as the divorce lawyer for Scarlett Johansson's character. The only other nominee in this category I saw was Florence Pugh in Little Women. If I had a second choice I would throw in Toni Collette from Knives Out. Her character was one of the standouts in that movie.
Best Supporting Actor
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
This is a really tough category. Brad Pitt probably will win. I am a Brad Pitt fan, but that would be more of a lifetime achievement award than anything. He's had better performances than he did in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino are really strong. But I would vote for Pesci. He commands every scene he's in. He does a great job of projecting power without being loud or over the top. Most scenes he's barely talking above a whisper. But it's very effective.
Best Actress
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Marriage Story wasn't my favorite movie of the year, but it was very well acted. And Scarlett Johansson definitely deserved her nomination (she's nominated twice in two different categories!). I felt like the story was a little tilted more toward Adam Driver, but ScarJo's character was a little more sympathetic. Saoirse Ronan is very good in Little Women, but I liked her better in Ladybird. Ronan is 25 and this is already her fourth Oscar nomination!
Best Actor
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
Joaquin Phoenix is going to win, but I have no desire to see Joker. I loved Pryce's performance as Pope Francis. Like Pesci in The Irishman, he does more with less. He speaks quietly and thoughtfully, and does a great job of capturing the inner turmoil Bergoglio has about his past. Leo DiCaprio and Driver are both really good in their roles too, but I would give Pryce the edge.
Best Director
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
I have not been a huge fan of many of his movies, but this one is one of his best. It takes its time but doesn't feel slow. The de-aging technology he used for some of the actors was pretty effective. Truthfully, there isn't one director who should be the clear winner in this category. But out of the movies I've seen I would put him in ahead of Tarantino.
Best Picture
Ford v Ferrari
I was really happy to see Ford v Ferrari get a nomination for Best Picture. It's my favorite film of 2019. The racing scenes are great, especially when it gets to Le Mans and it's raining. But some of the other moments are just as good, like the fight between Shelby and Miles, and the scene where Henry Ford gets a test drive in the new car. Christian Bale puts in a great performance as Ken Miles. It's just a very well-made, entertaining movie.
