Tachas 509 • The Oscars 2023: Credibility and audience

The history of the Academy Awards ceremony already adds up to multiple disagreements, reaching a certain bottom last year when awarding coda as best film. There is a voting system that rather recognizes the anodyne, that is, the films that are left round after round and that do not “dislike” that much, unless one of them, in the first vote, is in first place of more than 50% of the voter lists, a situation that has almost never happened. The fact that voters accommodate the 10 films according to their taste and they are eliminated, generates this type of situation that leads to more than debatable awards for the main recognition.

By looking for an audience, he has made some decisions that have diminished his credibility, such as rewarding young actors and actresses, better known among the public, than some established ones who are not as famous but with more powerful performances (Emanuelle Riva and Jennifer Lawrence ; Charlotte Rampling and Brie Larson; Willem Defoe and Rami Malek; Isabelle Huppert and Emma Stone, to mention recent cases). Other decisions such as not transmitting certain essential awards in a film operate in this sense: by wanting to gain an audience, they are running out of credibility and, incidentally, without an audience. But there is always a way to regain momentum.

Anyway, let’s take a look at the nominations. for the better movieappears Everything everywhere at the same timea film that divided opinions and could also win for best edition with that successful articulation of scenarios and multiverses (it also meets the requirement of serving younger audiences), or The Fabelmansaimed to get along better soundtrackalthough there is the one of Babylon. The award to director it should go to Spielberg (although the Academy tends to belittle the very stalwart American directors), although the Daniels are around the statuette. Not bad if they rewarded the spirit of the island and his music.

The award for best actress is between Cate Blanchet and Michelle Yeoh, two actresses with strong track records here taking on contrasting roles, and that of actor The leading role seems to be between Austin Butler and Brendan Fraser, but I hope Bill Nighy would take it as the content bureaucrat who breaks everyday life and decides to live. For supporting female performancemaybe Jamie Lee Curtis or Angela Bassett (hopefully Kerry Condon took it) will be honored and in the supporting male acting, everything points to Ke Huy Quan keeping the statuette, considering all the implications of his return; I wish it was for Brendan Gleeson.

Regarding the category of Original screenplay, the matter is unpredictable since all bets are hopeful: I would give it to Martin McDonagh or the Kushner / Spielberg duo, but the momentum that the Daniels tape grabs can tip the scales. For adapted script I think that Sarah Polley made a notable transfer to the screen of Miriam Toews’s novel, itself based on a real case; Nobel Prize winner Ishiguro also achieved a brilliant translation of one of Kurosawa’s classic films.

Elvis sounds like the favorite to win by cinematography, hair and makeup and Costume Designperhaps competing against Babylonwhile Avatar, the sense of water he signs up for the one of special effects and production designwith Elvis as a rival to beat. Sound can stop at the hands of Top Gun: Maverick either No news at the front, films that already won by being included in the ten candidates. For song I hope he takes it Naatu Naatu by Kala Bhairava, MM Keeravani and Rahul Sipligunj or This is a Life by David Byrne, Mitski and Son Lux, although it may fall on Rhianna or Lady Gaga.

Argentina 1985 takes the lead in the category international filmalthough the multi-named No news at the frontcan aspire to the prize. And to documentary film, All the Beauty and the Bloodshell (winner in Venice) seems to be the strong candidate, although Navalny Raise your hand for the political moment. For animated tapethe trend favors pinocchio but I wish he would get the recognition Marcel the Shell; the pleasant surprise was The cat with boots, of course. In the category of short documentary Stranger at the Gate appears as a strong candidate but hopefully he will take it The Elephant Whispererswhile the pupil can be brought to live action short and My Year of Dicks to animated short.

We’ll see: the truth is that thanks to the nominations, especially in the case of shorts, documentaries and international films, it is more accessible to see them due to the media weight that the American academy still retains. Having fun without taking yourself too seriously, adding excitement with the pool and, of course, hoping that this time there is no slapping involved. And make it a tribute to Spielberg, if that’s not too much to ask.

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