D-Day Has Come!

Sometimes I feel as if I'm prophetic: I can confidently say that roughly 90% of my predictions for who would win each category were correct (with only one major surprise). 

And whilst some of the stars may have underperformed when it came to outfits compared to other years, I can definitely say that this was a fun-filled ceremony that was perfectly worth watching live at 3.30am my time. 

Before we get into this post, one big shock for me was the fact that Tár didn't win anything! Although Tár was not a frontrunner in any of my predictions, I had kind of hoped that I would be wrong. 

BEST ACTOR - If you've been following along for a time, you will know that I didn't really like Elvis: it was an objectively good movie but it just wasn't my cup of tea. However, considering Austin Butler's largely successful run during the awards season until the Oscars, I had just assumed that he would win. But, to my surprise, Brendan Fraser managed to pull a win out of the hat. I haven't seen the movie, but from what I've heard, he was apparently pretty good. And, although his acceptance speech was slightly awkward with all his references to whales, it was heartfelt, and so I couldn't really stay mad at him for messing with my predictions. 

BEST ACTRESS - I think only a charlatan would think that somebody would win this category over Michelle Yeoh. Cate Blanchett was excellent in Tár, and I came to really enjoy Andrea Riseborough in To Leslie, but considering the success that Everything Everywhere All At Once (EEAAO) has received of late, I'm not at all surprised by Yeoh's win. Anybody who has had the pleasure of seeing Yeoh act in any other of her roles would agree that this recognition was a long time coming: whether it was her role in Shang-Chi, or her role as the defiant Elanor Young in Crazy Rich Asians (my personal favourite). Michelle Yeoh has always been a force to be reckoned with, and rightly so.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Was there really any competition in this category? All those following the whole Oscars saga would say that there isn't. Although there were two people from the otherwise very strong movie, the Banshees of Insherin, Ke Huy Kwan's largely adorable, comedic role won over the hearts of the Academy members as it did mine. Whether it's Kwan or Fraser, there is absolutely no doubt that the Academy just adores a comeback.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Jamie Lee Curtis is quite the character, I'll admit, but was this an Oscar-winning performance? That's debatable. Apart from the one poignant scene she shares with Michelle Yeoh in EEAAO, I found it difficult to really appreciate her acting. It was high time that she received a nomination, and an award at that, considering her lifelong achievement. Angela Bassett and Hong Chau were definitely my picks: Angela Bassett as the grief stricken queen was definitely an incredibly powerful performance, and Hong Chau's quiet understanding of a complex character transcended what would be expected from a relatively lesser-known actress. 

BEST SONG - I have a personal antagonism with the song that won this category. As somebody who has grown up around music from the Indian Subcontinent, I think that I may be overqualified to say that this song was average at best. Sure it had a good beat, and sure it was very dance-able, but it wasn't excellent in any sense. It was just the fact that the song came from a movie that was held to such critical acclaim in the west that it was able to gather such a wide audience. I can name a number of other songs from the region that were better. Big picture though, it's great to finally see songs from that region finally getting some recognition. Whilst songs by the likes of Lady Gage and Rhianna are great, it is high time that the dynamic shifts and songs from countries outside the west are honoured in such a significant way. 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY - There isn't really anything to say for this one. Could it have been anything else? I doubt it. Until that point in the ceremony, EEAAO had managed to outpace its closest competition: Tár and Banshees of Insherin.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY - Whilst the message of the movie was one of empowerment, and the fact that this was not only recognised by the Academy, but celebrated, is definitely something worth noting. This was made better by the fact that it was a female director who managed to pull this movie out of the hat. This was an ode to feminism all right. This definitely was not my type of movie: I fell asleep within 30 minutes of starting it. But, at long as it didn't win Best Picture, I'm not complaining!

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - I was also not surprised about this one. Watching this movie at home on the TV an night was enough to give me chills, so I can only imagine what the experience would be like watching it in the cinema. If anything, I feel that Tár was most likely to win this category over any other category it was nominated for. Evidently not, I suppose. 

BEST DIRECTION - I don't know how many times I will say it before I get exhausted, but Everything Everywhere All At Once has once again surpassed my expectations! I knew that, after watching the ceremony, there would be a pretty good chance of EEAAO winning this category. But still! The Academy really surprised me with this one. Not only did the Daniels manage to win one of the most competitive awards, but to beat Spielberg? The Academy's favourite? I really underestimated these two. 

BEST PICTURE - Baffling, Absurd, Exhilarating, Thrilling, Devastating. This movie is something that really makes you feel the full range of emotions a human can experience. EEAAO is definitely aptly named in that respect. Although Harrison Ford barely articulated the winner clearly, I think everyone anticipated what he said. After seeing the movie dominate everywhere else, this wasn't really a competition. There was no other real outcome! All I can really think about are the Daniels at this point: three Oscars each will make a hell of a display on their mantlepiece.