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Archives for : February2025

Predicting the Winners: 97th Academy Awards

Best Picture

  • “Anora” (Neon)
  • “The Brutalist” (A24)
  • “A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight)
  • “Conclave” (Focus)
  • “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.)
  • “Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)
  • “I’m Still Here” (Sony Classics)
  • “Nickel Boys” (Amazon/MGM)
  • “The Substance” (Mubi)
  • “Wicked” (Universal)

Will Win: Conclave

Could Win: Anora

Want to Win: Wicked or Emilia Perez

Best Director

  • Sean Baker, “Anora”
  • Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist”
  • James Mangold, “A Complete Unknown”
  • Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez”
  • Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”

Will Win: Sean Baker

Could Win: Brady Corbet

Want to Win: Coralie Fargeat

Best Actress

  • Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”
  • Karla Sofia Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”
  • Mikey Madison, “Anora”
  • Demi Moore, “The Substance”
  • Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”

Will Win: Demi Moore

Could Win: Mikey Madison

Want to Win: Demi Moore

Best Actor

  • Adrian Brody, “The Brutalist”
  • Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”
  • Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”
  • Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”
  • Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”

Will Win: Adrian Brody

Could Win: Timothée Chalamet

Want to Win: Timothée Chalamet or Colman Domingo

Best Supporting Actress

  • Monica Barbaro, “A Complete Unknown”
  • Ariana Grande, “Wicked”
  • Felicity Jones, “The Brutalist”
  • Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”
  • Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”

Will Win: Zoe Saldaña

Could Win: Ariana Grande

Want to Win: Zoe Saldaña

Best Supporting Actor

  • Yura Borisov, “Anora”
  • Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
  • Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”
  • Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”
  • Jeremy Strong, “The Apprentice”

Will Win: Kieran Culkin

Could Win: No Contest

Want to Win: Kieran Culkin

Best Original Screenplay

  • “Anora,” Sean Baker
  • “The Brutalist,” Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold
  • “A Real Pain,” Jesse Eisenberg
  • “September 5,” Tim Fehlbaum & Moritz Binder
  • “The Substance,” Coralie Fargeat

Will Win: Anora

Could Win: A Real Pain

Want to Win: The Substance

Best Adapted Screenplay

  • “A Complete Unknown,” Jay Cocks & James Mangold
  • “Conclave,” Peter Straughan
  • “Emilia Pérez,” Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain & Nicolas Livecchi
  • “Nickel Boys,” RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
  • “Sing Sing,” Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin & John “Divine G” Whitfield

Will Win: Conclave

Could Win: Nickel Boys

Want to Win: Conclave

Best International Feature

  • “I’m Still Here,” Walter Salles (Brazil)
  • “The Girl with the Needle,” Magnus von Horn (Denmark)
  • “Emilia Pérez,” Jacques Audiard (France)
  • “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Mohammad Rasoulof (Germany)
  • “Flow,” Miguel Gomes (Latvia)

Will Win: Emilia Perez

Could Win: I’m Still Here

Want to Win: Emilia Perez

Best Documentary Feature

  • “Black Box Diaries,” Shiori Itō (MTV)
  • “No Other Land,” Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham & Rachel Szor (No distributor)
  • “Porcelain War,” Brendan Bellomo & Slava Leontyev (Picturehouse)
  • “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat,” Johan Grimonprez (Kino Lorber)
  • “Sugarcane,” Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie (Nat Geo)

Will Win: No Other Land

Could Win: Porcelain War

Want to Win: Any of them

Best Animated Feature

  • “Flow” (Janus Films/Sideshow)
  • “Inside Out 2” (Disney/Pixar)
  • “Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films)
  • “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Aardman/Netflix)
  • “The Wild Robot” (Dreamworks/Universal)

Will Win: The Wild Robot

Could Win: Flow

Want to Win: Inside Out 2 or The Wild Robot

Best Cinematography

  • “The Brutalist,” Lol Crawley
  • “Dune: Part Two,” Greig Fraser
  • “Emilia Pérez,” Paul Guillaume
  • “Maria,” Edward Lachman
  • “Nosferatu,” Jarin Blaschke

Will Win: The Brutalist

Could Win: Dune: Part Two

Want to Win: Dune: Part Two

Best Costume Design

  • “A Complete Unknown,” Arianne Phillips
  • “Conclave,” Lisy Christl
  • “Gladiator II,” Janty Yates
  • “Nosferatu,” Linda Muir
  • “Wicked,” Paul Tazewell

Will Win: Wicked

Could Win: Nosferatu

Want to Win: Wicked

Best Film Editing

  • “Anora,” Sean Baker
  • “The Brutalist,” Dávid Jancsó
  • “Conclave,” Nick Emerson
  • “Emilia Pérez,” Juliette Welfling
  • “Wicked,” Myron Kerstein

Will Win: Conclave

Could Win: Anora

Want to Win: Wicked

Best Production Design

  • “The Brutalist,” Judy Becker
  • “Conclave,” Suzie Davies
  • “Dune: Part Two,” Patrice Vermette
  • “Nosferatu,” Craig Lathrop
  • “Wicked,” Nathan Crowley

Will Win: Wicked

Could Win: Dune: Part Two

Want to Win: Wicked

Best Original Score

  • “The Brutalist,” Daniel Blumberg
  • “Conclave,” Volker Bertelmann
  • “Emilia Pérez,” Clément Ducol & Camille
  • “Wicked,” John Powell & Stephen Schwartz
  • “The Wild Robot,” Kris Bowers

Will Win: The Brutalist

Could Win: Conclave

Want to Win: Wicked

Best Original Song

  • “Never Too Late,” “Elton John: Never Too Late” (Elton John & Brandi Carlile)
  • “El Mal,” “Emilia Pérez” (Clement Ducol, Camille & Jacques Audiard)
  • “Mi Camino,” “Emilia Pérez” (Clement Ducol & Camille)
  • “Like a Bird,” “Sing Sing” (Adrian Quesada & Abraham Alexander)
  • “The Journey,” “The Six Triple Eight” (Diane Warren)

Will Win: El Mal

Could Win: The Journey

Want to Win: El Mal

Best Sound

  • “A Complete Unknown”
  • “Dune: Part Two”
  • “Emilia Pérez”
  • “Wicked”
  • “The Wild Robot”

Will Win: Dune: Part Two

Could Win: A Complete Unknown

Want to Win: Dune: Part Two

Best Visual Effects

  • “Alien: Romulus”
  • “Better Man”
  • “Dune: Part Two”
  • “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
  • “Wicked”

Will Win: Dune: Part Two

Could Win: Wicked

Want to Win: Dune: Part Two

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

  • “A Different Man”
  • “Emilia Pérez”
  • “Nosferatu”
  • “The Substance”
  • “Wicked”

Will Win: The Substance

Could Win: Nosferatu

Want to Win: The Substance

Best Documentary Short

  • “Death by Numbers”
  • “I Am Ready, Warden”
  • “Incident”
  • “Instruments of a Beating Heart”
  • “The Only Girl in the Orchestra”

Will Win: The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Could Win: I Am Ready, Warden

Want to Win: The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Best Animated Short

  • “Beautiful Men”
  • “In the Shadow of the Cypress”
  • “Magic Candies”
  • “Wander to Wonder”
  • “Yuck!”

Will Win: Wander to Wonder

Could Win: Yuck!

Want to Win: Wander to Wonder

Best Live-Action Short

  • “A Lien”
  • “Anuja”
  • “I’m Not a Robot”
  • “The Last Ranger”
  • “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent”

Will Win: Anuja

Could Win: The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

Want to Win: Anuja

THE OSCARS ARE SET TO AIR LIVE, MARCH 2, ON ABC

Movie Review: “Captain America: Brave New World”

No surprise that the most recent Marvel tale is crushing it at the box office. “Captain America: Brave New World” is a typical superhero film that still makes for a thrilling good time.

The film follows the events after the Disney+ series, which officially dubbed Sam Wilson as the new Captain America. A few years later he is more established in his new position, working for the United States government, with reservations about the new president, Thaddeus Ross, played by Harrison Ford. But when an attempt on Thaddeus’ life causes chaos. Sam must grab his shield and soar into action to uncover the motive behind a deadly global plan. Filmmaker Julius Onah’s daring whirl at this genre pays off for the most part as he succeeds in capturing the heart of a beloved character we want to know more about, while providing enough high-flying entertainment to keep audiences satisfied and engaged.

While the story is formulaic and I think Marvel needs to let us slowly digest their content, I can appreciate the effort in character development. Anthony Mackie thrives in the title he’s deservingly earned. Mackie provides depth and authenticity that humanizes his character. We’ve known the previous Falcon since 2014 when he was introduced in “The Winter Soldier”, and to see how far Mackie and his character have come is kind of heartwarming, especially for Marvel fans. There are flaws to this film, but they do not lie with Mackie. However, the villains lack substance, and the plot is a bit overcrowded, but this set up of a new and darker Marvel Universe with a more relatable lead, does have potential for the future.

“Captain America: Brave New World” is a box-office smash you want to see in theaters. With its gripping action-packed sequences and now, iconic red Hulk, the film is a riveting sci-fi theatrical experience.

Rating: B

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Movie Review: “Companion”

Love is in the air AND in the palm of our hands as the new sci-fi romantic thriller, Companion, pushes all the right buttons for an instant cult classic.

Filmmaker Drew Hancock’s directorial feature follows a seemingly happy couple, Iris and Josh, who go on a weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin. But things take a chaotic and bloody turn when it’s revealed Iris is a robot companion. The less you know about this plot the better, as the number of twists and turns are endless. But “Companion is already being raved about as the first best film of the year. What I can tell you is that it excels through enthralling performances by the entire cast, especially stars, Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher.

Horror fans may recognize Thatcher from the popular series, Yellowjackets or more recently the acclaimed psychological thriller, Heretic. But after this role, it’s safe to say, Thatcher is going to be an unforgettable talent we will be seeing a lot more of. Aside from the fact that she can cry from one eye at a time on command, she impressively emotes a robotic character who is truly in love and can feel every emotion. And we feel for her. Quaid, who normally plays the good guy, tackles the villainous role in a subtle and humorous manner. All the while the two have great on-screen chemistry. There isn’t anything too revolutionary in the film, but it does entertainingly warn audiences about the dangers of technology and why it’s best not to have full control of your partner.

Companion” touches on feminism, greed, loneliness, and hones in on how we should treat our significant others with respect, while taking audiences on an unpredictable and hilarious thrill ride. It’s an unexpected must-see that’s sure to capture your heart.

Rating: A-

“Companion” is currently playing in theaters

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