It is that time of year again! The world of cinema becomes transfixed with the biggest awards show of the year. Ladies and gentlemen…it is Oscar time. The 94th Academy Awards will air on March 27th and will be celebrating the world of cinema for 2021. Who will win? Who will have the biggest night? Who will go home sad and empty-handed? The Wasteland Reviewer is here to give you his picks…
Actor in a Leading Role:
Winner…Will Smith. King Richard gives Smith the opportunity to turn in his (arguably) best performance to date. A decade-spanning career that started in rap music and television, this performance as Richard Williams is a towering achievement. Are there more deserving nominees? Maybe (I would personally give it to Andrew Garfield) but this seems to be the perfect storm for Smith to win the big one.
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Winner…Troy Kotsur. CODA is the little engine that could, and this might be its chance to shine big with a win. Kotsur is one of the sparks that makes CODA so charming and moving (his one scene with his on-screen daughter brought me to tears). Kotsur is riding the momentum from plenty of other wins, and he will surely take this one too.
Actress in a Leading Role:
Winner: Jessica Chastain. This is a tough call. My heart calls for Kristen Stewart who absolutely killed it in every frame in Spencer. My head says Chastain who is such a talent and has turned in plenty of worthy performances up to this point. She is certainly showy in The Eyes of Tammy Faye but that might be enough to get the edge. Please no Nicole Kidman though…please?
Actress in a Supporting Role:
Winner…Ariana DeBose. Like Kotsur, DeBose has ALL the momentum going into the big show. She is a lightning rod in West Side Story including her show-stopping performance on the song “America ”. DeBose is a breakout star, and this win will just solidify it.
Animated Feature Film:
Winner…Encanto. All aboard the Disney train! They are the winningest studio for good reason. Flee might be too ambitious for a category that usually goes to family-oriented affairs. But that is nothing against Encanto. This is a beautiful and wonderful film and Disney will be adding another Oscar to their giant cache.
Cinematography:
Winner…Dune (Greg Fraser). Time to start piling up those Dune wins. You will see that film’s name many more times on this list as it will rack up all the technical awards. This film is breathtakingly gorgeous in its scope and worldbuilding. This is an incredibly strong field too…but Dune has this one.
Costume Design:
Winner…Dune (Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan). This is by far the strangest nominee, but this has Fury Road sweep all over it. The otherworldly garbs are pitch-perfect for this adaptation and deserve this recognition.
Directing:
Winner…Jane Campion. The heart says Branagh for Belfast, but the turning tide says Campion. She does an amazing job with this western. It is brutal, tense, and unnerving in so many ways. I think it is time for the big female win in the category…and this might dictate what’s to come with Best Picture.
Documentary (Feature):
Winner…Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). It is crazy that this film is just seeing the light of day in 2021 but boy is this one of the greatest music documentaries ever. This has all the momentum with tons of wins this award’s season and I don’t see that changing.
Documentary (Short Subject):
Winner…Audible. Netflix has a lot of clout in the realm of documentary wins and Audible just might be the next one. This is a moving experience and it has some buzz going into the big night.
Film Editing:
Winner…Dune (Joe Walker). This one is probably going to get old typing, but Dune is coming for them all. This award has been given to terrible choices in the past (Bohemian Rhapsody) but this year, it is going to be a towering technical achievement of filmmaking.
International Feature Film:
Winner…Drive My Car. What an emotional and affecting ride this three-hour epic is? All the buzz is swirling around this Best Picture nominee. How could this one not win the award after being nominated for Best Picture? This is a strong (but could have been a strong field) but Drive My Car has it.
Makeup and Hairstyling:
Winner…Dune (Donald Mowat, Love Larson, and Eva von Bahr). Another? This might not be the most obvious choice with other films like Cruella and House of Gucci. Dune will continue its big night with yet another win for its otherworldly work (especially on Stellan Skarsgard).
Music (Original Score):
Winner…Hans Zimmer. The world-renowned composer is coming for that Oscar, and no one is getting in his way. Zimmer creates a truly unique and unnerving musical score for this one that matches the world of Dune perfectly. Another for the sci-fi epic.
Music (Original Song):
Winner… “No Time to Die”. Billie Eilish has been gunning for this one ever since this song dropped two years ago. A new Bond means a new Original Song contender. This time, we have a third straight win for the Bond franchise in this category.
Best Picture:
Winner…The Power of the Dog. This western is racking up plenty of wins (the most wins out of any film during this awards season). The combination of Director and Best Picture wins will solidify a strong night for this brutal tale.
Production Design:
Winner…Dune. There are some great options but with one looks at this crazy world created in Dune then it becomes a lot easier. This must be one of the most sure-fire wins for the sci-fi epic.
Short Film (Animated):
Winner…Robin Robin. This is predicted with my heart but there is so much charm in this stop motion beauty that it is hard not to argue. This might not be a confident selection, but it is a wonderful little film.
Short Film (Live Action):
Winner…The Dress. I will be honest…I have not seen any of these yet. BUT I have heard buzz around this one. Shot in the dark!
Sound:
Winner…Dune. THE SOUNDSCAPE. This might be one of the easiest picks in the whole show. There are so many imaginative and engrossing designs in this film.
Visual Effects:
Winner…Dune. Yes…yes. This really isn’t a competition. These are hands down the best effects out there and the Academy knows it too.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay):
Winner…The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion). This feels right that this film would wrap up this impressive trifecta of awards. The dense themes, motifs, and details is why the Academy is not going to be able to say no to this flick that is killing it at almost every show.
Writing (Original Screenplay):
Winner…Don’t Look Up. It pains me to write this. There are a few options here that are so wonderful and exciting (The Worst Person in the World). But Academy loves this McKay resurgence in his career and all the politics line up perfectly for them.
So how does this all wrap up? The boldest prediction is that a giant crazy science fiction epic is going home with 8 technical awards. Then The Power of the Dog is going home with three top-notch awards. There are plenty of great films going home empty-handed and many of these awards are probably set in stone before we even see the show. All four actors are bringing home the only awards for their films. When all is said and done, only two films are going home with multiple wins. Crazy right? But we will all have to tune in and see when the 27th rolls around!
