BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Always an impressive category, and this year there are lots of different looks. Spanning decades provided the challenge for The Irishman, and recreating a German town during World War II gave Jojo Rabbit its uniquely colorful feel. The recreation of battlefields and bunkers, which had to be done from scratch, was deftly achieved in 1917, while 1969 Los Angeles was brilliantly and meticulously rendered in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. The unique housing designs for Parasite, however, were key in making that movie work—almost a character in and of themselves. This is another tough one. THE WINNER: Parasite
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT Again, I haven’t seen most of these at press time, so check later on my online version. The nominees are Brotherhood, Nefta Football Club, The Neighbors’ Window, Saria, and A Sister. I did see The Neighbors’ Window, which revolves around a husband and wife with three kids who find themselves watching Rear Window-style at the swinging sex parties going on in the neighbor’s apartment directly across the street. In just 20 minutes, it remarkably tells two distinct stories, and is unexpectedly moving and surprising. It comes from multiple Oscar nominated documentarian Marshall Curry, and is his first narrative film. It’s very fine. THE WINNER: The Neighbors’ Window
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM At press time I hadn’t seen all the shorts, so take this with a grain of salt. The nominees are Dcera (Daughter), Hair Love, Kitbull, Memorable, and Sister. Hair Love is from former NFL football star Matthew Cherry, and revolves around an African-American father trying to deal with his daughter’s unique hair style. Very clever and charming. Kitbull comes from the geniuses at Pixar, and revolves around the relationship between a kitten and an abused pitbull dog, both of whom are in need of a forever home, and join together to forge differences and help each other out. It’s simply terrific and Pixar obviously has a great track record. I will trust them again. THE WINNER: Kitbull
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT The nominees are In the Absence, Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl), Life Overtakes Me, St. Louis Superman, and Walk, Run, Cha-Cha. I will be weighing in more heavily in the online version of this category, but I have seen Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone, and it has all the right stuff that won this award last year for Period. End Of Sentence, as it concerns a program of skateboarding for young girls in Afghanistan who are otherwise not allowed to leave their house. Also a little interesting side note: In the Absence is the first South Korean film ever nominated in the documentary categories, so in the year of Parasite this could be an Oscar harbinger. THE WINNER: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
BEST SOUND EDITING Despite fine work in Joker, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, I think this is a race between the screeching tires of Ford v Ferrari and the World War I sounds of 1917. They both won awards at the Golden Reels. The category has a history of going to both genres— wars and racing—and might be a toss-up, at least for me. Both are Best Picture nominees as well, so that helps. On a hunch… THE WINNER: Ford v Ferrari BEST SOUND MIXING Star Wars didn’t make it into this category, but otherwise it is identical to the contenders in Sound Editing. Another outer space epic, Ad Astra got named instead of Star Wars here. The branch is considering consolidating both into one category for next year, which is wise since lately the same film tends to win in both. With that in mind I will follow suit for now. It’s still between 1917 and Ford v Ferrari. THE WINNER: Ford v Ferrari BEST VISUAL EFFECTS This is the one category where the year’s box office champ got nominated, just like last year. The now all-time highest grosser, Avengers: Endgame is up for the award, but will they want to honor that achievement now that Avengers is done? Or can The Lion King follow the live action Jungle Book to Oscar glory? Could Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker prevail as a gift for the end of that series? Maybe the deageing magic that drove up the cost of The Irishman? Some groundbreaking work there. Or will a Best Picture frontrunner, 1917, sweep in this category with its more subtle effects depicting the horrors of war? THE WINNER: 1917
PETE’S
WINNER PICK
MARTIN SCORSESE
TODD PHILLIPS
SAM MENDES
QUENTIN TARANTINO
BONG JOON HO
If ever there was sentiment for a veteran in this category, it would be for Scorsese who received his ninth nomination here, and his 14th overall. The list of his previous nominations is awe-inspiring, ranging from Raging Bull to The Wolf of Wall Street, and there’s no question he’s deserving for this mob epic as well. He’s won only once for The Departed in 2006. However, the competition this year makes a second win iffy, and much will depend on how the DGA calls it two weeks before Oscar night.
Phillips is the only director among these five nominees who didn't receive a DGA nomination, and that isn’t a good sign—the DGA winner has predicted the Oscar every time since 1949 when the DGA began giving out awards, with only seven exceptions. Long odds indeed, but Phillips’ inclusion shows the incredible strength that Joker has in the Academy, since many thought he might be overlooked here too. This is his first nomination here, but he probably has a better chance in Adapted Screenplay this time.
20 years ago, Mendes made his first film, American Beauty, and won an Oscar for Best Director right out of the gate. While he hasn't been nominated in this category since then, he recently won the Golden Globe against this very same group of directors, as well as seeing his film take the PGA award. The DGA could be a real factor here in either winning or not winning. The sheer technical achievement he engineered with 1917 is the kind of thing that really impresses voters, and it may be just enough to sneak in at the end of the year and take it all.
Tarantino already has two Oscars at home for writing Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained, but he has yet to be honored for directing, despite previous nominations in this category for Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds. This film however seems like the culmination of a great career for a contemporary auteur who truly deserves this award. However, competing scenarios for the other nominees could see him coming up short once again here, while taking another screenplay Oscar. He deserves both.
The Cannes Film Festival may have set up a preview of this showdown between Bong and Tarantino, as Parasite's director took the Palme d’Or, while Tarantino’s film won nothing but the ‘Palm Dog’. Will there be a repeat where Bong Joon Ho is once again triumphant? As recently as last year, we saw a split between Best Picture and Director as Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, another foreign language film, won here. The same could happen two years in a row with this South Korean master.
The Irishman
Joker
1917
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite
D E A D L I N E .C O M / AWA R D S L I N E
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