The Oscar nominees are in! Here’s what I think about each list:
BEST PICTURE
"Black Panther"
"BlacKkKlansman"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"The Favourite"
"Green Book"
"Roma"
"A Star Is Born"
"Vice"
Ben’s Take: Black Panther is the first superhero movie to ever be up for Best Picture. Mary Poppins Returns should have been nominated. Don’t have a preference for Best Picture. So many interesting choices.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Yalitza Aparicio "Roma"
Glenn Close "The Wife"
Olivia Colman "The Favourite"
Lady Gaga "A Star Is Born"
Melissa McCarthy "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
Ben’s Take: Emily Blunt should have been nominated for Mary Poppins Returns because Julie Andrews won for the same role in 1964.
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Christian Bale "Vice"
Bradley Cooper "A Star Is Born"
Willem Dafoe "At Eternity's Gate"
Rami Malek "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Viggo Mortensen "Green Book"
Ben’s Take: Good list! However, Lin-Manuel Miranda should’ve been nominated for Best Actor for Mary Poppins Returns. Chadwick Boseman should have been up for Best Actor for Black Panther.
DIRECTOR
Spike Lee, "BlacKkKlansman"
Pawel Pawlikowski, "Cold War"
Yorgos Lanthimos, "The Favourite"
Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma"
Adam McKay, "Vice"
Ben’s Take: I figure that if Bryan Singer had not gotten in trouble he could have been nominated for Best Director for Bohemian Rhapsody, but the list is still good.
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams, "Vice"
Marina de Tavira, "Roma"
Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Emma Stone, "The Favourite"
Rachel Weisz, "The Favourite"
Ben’s Take: Another good list.
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"
Adam Driver, "BlackKKlansman"
Sam Elliott, "A Star Is Born"
Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me"
Sam Rockwell, "Vice"
Ben’s Take: Michael B. Jordan should have gotten a nomination for Black Panther. I would have liked to have seen Colin Firth here for Mary Poppins Returns. Sam Rockwell, who won last year for Three Billboards, is up for back-to-back wins in this category, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Capernaum"
"Cold War"
"Never Look Away"
"Roma"
"Shoplifters"
Ben’s Take: Two of these are up for Best Director, and one of those two is up for Best Picture. A strong field here.
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
"Black Sheep"
"End Game"
"Lifeboat"
"A Night at the Garden"
"Period. End of Sentence."
Ben’s Take: No comment.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Free Solo"
"Hale County This Morning, This Evening"
"Minding the Gap"
"Of Fathers and Sons"
"RBG"
Ben’s Take: RBG’s my pick for this one.
ORIGINAL SONG
"All The Stars" - "Black Panther"
"I'll Fight" - "RBG"
"Shallow" - "A Star Is Born
"The Place Where Lost Things Go" - "Mary Poppins Returns"
"When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings" - "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
Ben’s Take: My pick for this one is Mary Poppins Returns. Honestly, I think, “A Place Called Slaughter Race”, from Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-it Ralph 2 should’ve been nominated.
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Incredibles 2"
"Isle of Dogs"
"Mirai"
"Ralph Breaks the Internet"
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"
Ben’s Take: The choices for Best Animated Feature are all really strong. It will be tough to pick one of these.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
"BlacKkKlansman"
"Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
"If Beale Street Could Talk"
"A Star Is Born"
Ben’s Take: Black Panther, Mary Poppins Returns and The Incredibles 2 should’ve been nominated.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"First Reformed"
"Green Book"
"Roma"
"The Favourite"
"Vice"
Ben’s Take: I don’t know. I haven’t seen enough of these yet.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
"Black Panther"
"The Favourite"
"First Man"
"Mary Poppins Returns"
"Roma"
Ben’s Take: Good list.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Cold War"
"The Favourite"
"Never Look Away"
"Roma"
"A Star Is Born"
Ben’s Take: I don’t know.
COSTUME DESIGN
"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
"Black Panther"
"The Favourite"
"Mary Poppins Returns"
"Mary Queen of Scots"
Ben’s Take: Good list. Tough to pick a winner here.
SOUND EDITING
"A Quiet Place"
"Black Panther"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"First Man"
"Roma"
Ben’s Take: Such noise here.
SOUND MIXING
"Black Panther"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"First Man"
"Roma"
"A Star Is Born"
Ben’s Take: How loud can this get.
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"Animal Behaviour"
"Bao"
"Late Afternoon"
"One Small Step"
"Weekends"
Ben’s Take: The second one on this list is likely to win. PIXAR shorts are tough to beat, and Bao had people talking.
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"Detainment"
"Fauve"
"Marguerite"
"Mother"
"Skin"
Ben’s Take: I don’t know.
ORIGINAL SCORE
"Black Panther"
"BlacKkKlansman"
"If Beale Street Could Talk"
"Isle of Dogs"
"Mary Poppins Returns"
Ben’s Take: Music to my ears. I’ll go with Mary Poppins on this one.
VISUAL EFFECTS
"Avengers: Infinity War"
"Christopher Robin"
"First Man"
"Ready Player One"
"Solo: A Star Wars Story"
Ben’s Take: Some real good choices here. Ready Player One is my pick.
FILM EDITING
"BlacKkKlansman"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"Green Book"
"The Favourite"
"Vice"
Ben’s Take: I don’t know.
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
"Border"
"Mary Queen of Scots"
"Vice"
Ben’s Take: I don’t know.
BEST PICTURE
"Black Panther"
"BlacKkKlansman"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"The Favourite"
"Green Book"
"Roma"
"A Star Is Born"
"Vice"
Ben’s Take: Black Panther is the first superhero movie to ever be up for Best Picture. Mary Poppins Returns should have been nominated. Don’t have a preference for Best Picture. So many interesting choices.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Yalitza Aparicio "Roma"
Glenn Close "The Wife"
Olivia Colman "The Favourite"
Lady Gaga "A Star Is Born"
Melissa McCarthy "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
Ben’s Take: Emily Blunt should have been nominated for Mary Poppins Returns because Julie Andrews won for the same role in 1964.
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Christian Bale "Vice"
Bradley Cooper "A Star Is Born"
Willem Dafoe "At Eternity's Gate"
Rami Malek "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Viggo Mortensen "Green Book"
Ben’s Take: Good list! However, Lin-Manuel Miranda should’ve been nominated for Best Actor for Mary Poppins Returns. Chadwick Boseman should have been up for Best Actor for Black Panther.
DIRECTOR
Spike Lee, "BlacKkKlansman"
Pawel Pawlikowski, "Cold War"
Yorgos Lanthimos, "The Favourite"
Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma"
Adam McKay, "Vice"
Ben’s Take: I figure that if Bryan Singer had not gotten in trouble he could have been nominated for Best Director for Bohemian Rhapsody, but the list is still good.
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams, "Vice"
Marina de Tavira, "Roma"
Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Emma Stone, "The Favourite"
Rachel Weisz, "The Favourite"
Ben’s Take: Another good list.
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"
Adam Driver, "BlackKKlansman"
Sam Elliott, "A Star Is Born"
Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me"
Sam Rockwell, "Vice"
Ben’s Take: Michael B. Jordan should have gotten a nomination for Black Panther. I would have liked to have seen Colin Firth here for Mary Poppins Returns. Sam Rockwell, who won last year for Three Billboards, is up for back-to-back wins in this category, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Capernaum"
"Cold War"
"Never Look Away"
"Roma"
"Shoplifters"
Ben’s Take: Two of these are up for Best Director, and one of those two is up for Best Picture. A strong field here.
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
"Black Sheep"
"End Game"
"Lifeboat"
"A Night at the Garden"
"Period. End of Sentence."
Ben’s Take: No comment.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Free Solo"
"Hale County This Morning, This Evening"
"Minding the Gap"
"Of Fathers and Sons"
"RBG"
Ben’s Take: RBG’s my pick for this one.
ORIGINAL SONG
"All The Stars" - "Black Panther"
"I'll Fight" - "RBG"
"Shallow" - "A Star Is Born
"The Place Where Lost Things Go" - "Mary Poppins Returns"
"When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings" - "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
Ben’s Take: My pick for this one is Mary Poppins Returns. Honestly, I think, “A Place Called Slaughter Race”, from Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-it Ralph 2 should’ve been nominated.
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Incredibles 2"
"Isle of Dogs"
"Mirai"
"Ralph Breaks the Internet"
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"
Ben’s Take: The choices for Best Animated Feature are all really strong. It will be tough to pick one of these.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
"BlacKkKlansman"
"Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
"If Beale Street Could Talk"
"A Star Is Born"
Ben’s Take: Black Panther, Mary Poppins Returns and The Incredibles 2 should’ve been nominated.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"First Reformed"
"Green Book"
"Roma"
"The Favourite"
"Vice"
Ben’s Take: I don’t know. I haven’t seen enough of these yet.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
"Black Panther"
"The Favourite"
"First Man"
"Mary Poppins Returns"
"Roma"
Ben’s Take: Good list.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Cold War"
"The Favourite"
"Never Look Away"
"Roma"
"A Star Is Born"
Ben’s Take: I don’t know.
COSTUME DESIGN
"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
"Black Panther"
"The Favourite"
"Mary Poppins Returns"
"Mary Queen of Scots"
Ben’s Take: Good list. Tough to pick a winner here.
SOUND EDITING
"A Quiet Place"
"Black Panther"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"First Man"
"Roma"
Ben’s Take: Such noise here.
SOUND MIXING
"Black Panther"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"First Man"
"Roma"
"A Star Is Born"
Ben’s Take: How loud can this get.
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"Animal Behaviour"
"Bao"
"Late Afternoon"
"One Small Step"
"Weekends"
Ben’s Take: The second one on this list is likely to win. PIXAR shorts are tough to beat, and Bao had people talking.
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"Detainment"
"Fauve"
"Marguerite"
"Mother"
"Skin"
Ben’s Take: I don’t know.
ORIGINAL SCORE
"Black Panther"
"BlacKkKlansman"
"If Beale Street Could Talk"
"Isle of Dogs"
"Mary Poppins Returns"
Ben’s Take: Music to my ears. I’ll go with Mary Poppins on this one.
VISUAL EFFECTS
"Avengers: Infinity War"
"Christopher Robin"
"First Man"
"Ready Player One"
"Solo: A Star Wars Story"
Ben’s Take: Some real good choices here. Ready Player One is my pick.
FILM EDITING
"BlacKkKlansman"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"Green Book"
"The Favourite"
"Vice"
Ben’s Take: I don’t know.
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
"Border"
"Mary Queen of Scots"
"Vice"
Ben’s Take: I don’t know.
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