Who Should Win at the Oscars(2017)?
Best Picture
Arrival. Most people I know really liked it. I think Denis Villeneuve hasn’t been recognized enough for some of his other films like Prisoners and Sicario. Arrival has emotion, it’s entertaining, thought provoking, and a great allegory for international relations and also how we perceive time and space.
Best Actor
Casey Affleck. I didn’t love Manchester by the Sea but it’s a film that heavily relies on the strength of its actors. Affleck’s performance really helped give it the emotional weight it needed to succeed.
Best Actress
Emma Stone. This is probably the category where I can’t make as much of a definitive choice on who I think should win. I haven’t seen any of the films besides La La Land and Florence Foster Jenkins. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are basically the only two characters in La La Land and I think their on-screen chemistry was very believable. Emma Stone definitely played her role well.
Best Supporting Actor
Dave Patel. I didn’t get the huge Slumdog Millionaire hype when it came out and Dave Patel kind of fell of the radar after it. It was so awesome getting to see how he’s progressed as an actor over the years and I think the emotion and believability he brought to his part made it one of the strongest performances in general this year.
Best Supporting Actress
Nicole Kidman. Out of all the Best Picture nominees Lion is my 2nd favorite and I think it deserves a lot more awards than it will probably get. Kidman isn’t in the film to much but she makes a real impact in every scene she’s in.
Best Director
Mel Gibson. The battle sequences in Hacksaw Ridge are probably the most realistic and visceral portrayals of war I’ve ever seen and I think that’s mainly because of the directing choices Mel Gibson decided to make.
Best Animated Feature
Kubo and the Two Strings. This movie gets better and better as the story progresses and I was completely hooked by the end. I’d really like to see it a second time now knowing the ending. Go on youtube and watch what went into the stop animation from Laika Productions to make this film. Their work is incredibly detail oriented and so time consuming. I think if I worked there I’d get too frustrated and throw everything against the wall but it makes you appreciate what they do.
Best Original Score
Lion. I have the soundtrack to this movie on my music playlist and listen to it almost every day. It adds to the emotion of the film and really fits with the tone of it. It enhances the movie in a significant way and I think that’s when you know a score is good.
