SThe Oscars are here and while there are those who will say some actors or a film were snubbed in certain categories, the nominees this year are stacked. Whether it be Sound Design or Best Picture the categories are full of deserving and well known films that have come out in 2022.
Actor in a Leading Role: The king of rock or a reclusive English teacher
Austin Butler transformed into Elvis Presley in the best way possible. Not only did he nail his iconic voice and mannerisms, but he humanized the King of Rock by showing us the distressed man underneath. He put in the work and it shows in every minute of this film.
Brendan Fraser has had one of the greatest comebacks in Hollywood lately and his performance in “The Whale” enhances that comeback. He brought along a beautiful and tragic performance as Charlie. After receiving a six minute standing ovation at the London Film Festival, it was evident how amazing his performance was.
Actress in a Leading Role: The savior of the multiverse or a world renowned composer
The Academy should have handed that statue to Cate Blanchett after her performance in the classroom lecture scene. Her understanding of the highly complex Lydia Tár and the way she holds herself as this character makes it hard to believe she isn’t an EGOT winning composer and conductor. Blanchett utilized every skill she has and then some to give us one of the best performances of the year.
Michelle Yeoh has been sweeping the awards as of late and for good reason. Her performance in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” has been considered one of the best of all time. She plays her character arc in the movie perfectly. Not to mention she dives deep into the character when she gets to play the multiple dimensional versions of the character throughout the movie showing the range of herself as an actress.
Actor in a Supporting Role: A beautiful return after 37 years
Ke Huy Quan is a name that people haven’t heard since his time as Data in “The Goonies“. His return as Waymond in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” brought some of the most moving scenes throughout the movie. The emotion he puts into every scene makes you fall in love with the character quickly and feel his emotions when things in the movie get heavy.
Actress in a Supporting Role: The Queen of Wakanda
Angela Bassett stands out in every role she has, but “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is one of her best performances to date. She perfectly depicts the struggle to keep going after the heartbreak of losing a loved one, while exuding the power a queen should have.
Best Picture: The multiverse movie of the year
“Everything Everywhere All At Once” was the movie that no one saw coming this year. It is a movie that, marketing wise, got swept under the rug due to “Marvel’s Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness“. When in reality, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” should’ve been the movie to be marketed more due to how beautiful the movie is. The movie gets everything right and will move the audience due to the themes and nihilistic view on its subject matter. This movie has been sweeping awards lately and it is for good reasoning.
Best Animated Picture: A beautiful retelling or a movie no one expected to be amazing
In a year where we got three different Pinocchio films, “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio” reigned supreme above them and most other animated films. The stop motion aspect of this movie helps tell it in an interesting manor and makes it beautiful. Del Toro strays away from the version that Disney has told and sticks to the classic story makes this retelling of the story fresh and interesting.
When “Puss in Boots The Last Wish” was announced everyone laughed it off as another Dreamworks cash grab. In reality what the audience got was nothing close. What they got was a beautifully crafted story with amazing animation. Each character in this movie has a story that is fleshed out and is portrayed perfectly by their voice actors. The studio took a “Spiderverse” approach when animating this movie to enhance the action sequences making it pleasurable to watch. Not to mention the villain of the story has been praised by many as one of the best villains in an animated movie ever.
Visual Effects: The obvious choice
The world would actually be silent if “Avatar: The Way of Water” did not win this category. The entire film is CGI. How could it not win? With that being said, it is a beautiful film and the creators need to be praised for their work because this movie looks like it should belong in a museum.
Costume Design and Makeup and Hairstyling: A cultural representation for the history books
Ruth E. Carter creates innovative costumes that honor the African and Mesoamerican cultures while managing to fit the Marvel superhero suit spectacle. These costumes paired with the makeup and hairstyling team, who designed looks used in traditional celebrations, are unmatched. Also, let’s not forget that about half of this movie was filmed underwater, their work is remarkable.
Original Score and Original Song: The wild tale of the film industry and a tribute to Chadwick Boseman
“Babylon” is a rollercoaster of a film and the music represents the highs and lows throughout the film perfectly. From the high energy party scenes where the music cuts from diegetic jazz band to the underscore, to the melodic tune that plays during the montage showing the evolution of the film industry, the score is the leading character that drives the story along. It is so inventive and Justin Hurwitz deserves all the recognition he has received for this soundtrack.
Rihanna and the production crew created a masterpiece when they made Lift Me Up for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman symbolizes the strength and love people receive from those who have passed.
Sound: Jetset on Maverick
This seems like an obvious choice, but the sound design in this movie is top notch. The sounds of an engine roaring throughout the theater adds to the experience of the film and makes it feel like we are right there on the runway with Tom Cruise. Having to balance dialogue and sound effects in a film is already a difficult, but adding the sounds of real fighter jets into the mix, the movie wouldn’t be half as good without them.
Film Editing: Jumping through the multiverse or intense dog fights
The editing in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” could’ve easily been confusing for the audience but it was done perfectly. The seamless jumps between the multiple multiverses makes it like you are traveling through them as well. One of the examples of how well done the editing is, was a fight scene where the main antagonist uses the ability to bring aspects of other universe’s into the main one.
“Top Gun: Maverick” brings the type of editing with intensity that you would expect to see in a movie about jets. The final third of the film is the best representation of this movie’s editing as it is high octane and keeps the audience engaged the whole time. This film’s editing perfectly represents the stakes of these battles, making it one of the best editing jobs all year.
Directing: Again with the obvious choice
Going up against Steven Spielberg is like going up against Meryl Streep, they are the best and everyone knows it. He is a master at what he does and “The Fablemans” is one of his films that showcases his talent. He has a way of making films personal to the audience and it’s aggravating that The Academy recognizes him each year, but he’s one of the greats.
Adapted and Original Screenplays: the battle of the multiverse and the tragedy of the Mennonite women
Attempting to replicate “Everything Everywhere All at Once” could be the worst thing to do in this industry. The strange yet entertaining concept is incomparable to anything else in this genre. The owner of a laundromat is the only person who can save the universe. She has to by jumping into other dimensions and fight other versions of herself and the people she knows. It is truly a once in a lifetime experience.
(TW: sexual assault) The harrowing true story of the experiences the Mennonite women endured by the men in their community finally gets the recognition it deserves. Their superiors were continuously molesting and drugging these women and forcing them to stay in the community because that was ‘God’s will.’ “Women Talking” shares the story of how they grouped together to fight back against their abusers and take control of their life again.
The films mentioned above, and others nominated, are currently available on all streaming services.
The Oscars ceremony premieres on Sunday, March 12 on ABC and select streaming platforms.
Jesse Hudgins contributed to this article.
