On Sunday, March 12, the closing ritual of the cinema world of the year will take place – the Academy Awards Oscar presentation ceremony. The anniversary of the upcoming 75th ceremony shows the persistence of the tradition, in spite of various upheavals, among which we should mention both the decline in popularity of the ceremony (at least its live broadcast) and the rapid decline of the audience in the last decade, as well as some good scandals, which we will not go into now. In any case Oscar remains the most coveted film award, which not only the USA, but also European and Asian filmmakers aspire to, using not only the power of art, but also much more practical arguments, such as huge investments in film advertising campaigns, to achieve their goals.
From time to time we forget that US, Hollywood cinema culture and its values are drastically different from European cinema values and Oscar, just like other subtle tools of the Hollywood industry, are aimed solely at strengthening the dominance of US cinema culture in the world. A European viewer might rebel and object here, but we still happily consume the products of American cinema culture, which make up approximately 70 percent of the film production available in Europe and basically shape the European audience’s understanding of what “good, real cinema” should be. But this kind of misunderstanding will not change the global world order and the long-term dominance of Hollywood.
Therefore, as usual, in the last days before the ceremony, it is possible to practice foresight, guessing, ingenuity and scanning the Academy’s current situation/fashion trends. Let’s try to do this exercise, emphasizing the most important categories. A good part of for Oscar nominated films have been in Latvian cinemas, some of them can still be seen, others can be found on digital platforms. Some important films (e.g. Dollars) has not been shown legally in Latvia either, but the overall impression of developments in the globalized film industry from Oscar lists of nominees can be obtained and films can be seen.
I will remind you that the leader of the year Oscar in terms of number of nominations is the film Viss visur vienlaikus/Everything Everywhere All at Once. This “multiverse jandalins”, teetering on the edge of psychedelic madness, boasts eleven nominations. The main character of the film (a laundromat owner tormented by American life, played by the actress of Chinese origin Michelle Yeo) heroically fights against a vile lady – tax inspectors (played by Jamie Lee Curtis). The filmmakers juggle the chronology of time and the causal relationship of events, breaking the iron-clad basic principle of Hollywood film construction – structuring the story in a logical, traceable, understandable way for the viewer. Movies Everything everywhere at once the authors confidently depart from the principles of the classic Hollywood style and explode with youthful enthusiasm, which, presumably, was also possible because the film is almost a low-budget work by Hollywood standards. And – the smaller the budget, the greater the freedom!
For the amazing work Everything everywhere at once follows in the footsteps of the radical Irish author Martin McDonough Inisherina’s Banshee and the sensation of German cinema – an anti-war drama No changes on the Western Front (film produced in Germany Netflix). Both films have nine nominations.
The best movie
All three mentioned above, together with seven other films, also claim the main award – the best films – Oscar. Pop culture virtuoso Bez Luhrmann is here Elvisand the biographical drama of Hollywood classic Steven Spielberg, who just won a Lifetime Achievement Award in Berlin Fabelmeni, both billionaires Avatars. Waterway (directed by James Cameron), both appealing to past values and Hollywood’s historical memory Top Gun. Maveriks (directed by Joseph Kosinski), which purposefully brought audiences back to cinemas after the pandemic hiatus and the subsequent thaw from the collective movie-watching experience in cinemas.
After the best movie Oscar a swedish film also aspires Triangle of sadness (directed by Ruben Estlund), which is the only European work to be nominated for Best Picture. Let’s add more Taru (dir. Todd Field) is a powerful story about a homosexually oriented classical music conductor (played by Cate Blanchett) who deals with the same messes as some of the movement’s best #MeToo to the unmasked male great spirits. The film concludes the list Women Talking/Women Talking (director Sarah Polley) – drama about life and violence in a religious community.
Who will win? Probably the easiest to predict would be Steven Spielberg Fabelmenu victory. After all, this is both a nuanced drama of family and the maturation of a young person, in which the disharmony between the parents of the main character – an inquisitive boy – is marked, and a praise song for the cinema medium, which enchants the main character of the film from an early age. And to this child (Steven Spielberg another self) already manages to tease cinematically powerful films in his teens, involving his classmates in them. The film emphasizes a complex social background – anti-Semitism and violence thrive in the school where the boy studies. However, Steven Spielberg’s prospects are uncertain. This is evidenced by the fact that in various ceremonies and award-giving events that warm up Oscar, great movie Fabelmeni not appointed in the sun.
British newspaper The Guardian has already concluded that the tastes of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters have changed and that it is no longer enough to make a film about cinema to get to the season’s main awards. One of the latest to do so is director Alejandro González Iñárritu with the excellent Birdman (2014). Unfortunately, his latest film, philosophically and metaphorically complex Bardo (2022), which also has references to the nature of cinema, has only received one Oscar nominations – for the best work of the operator.
It is not really clear what is to blame for the changes in the tastes of the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It is unlikely that the composition of the Academy’s members has radically renewed demographically, so that other motives and other topics become relevant. Maybe it’s the spirit of the times, which forces you to take a wider view, not limited to traditional choices, or maybe just ignorance and randomness? Questions will remain unanswered, but Everything Everywhere has a shot at Best Picture at the same time Oscar are serious. It is a completely different kind of cinema – crazy, youthful, kitschy – that is close to a generation that has the temper of social networks and is open to games with the chronology of time, the logic of events and the concept of parallel worlds.
Best Director
Exactly half of the directors whose works are nominated for the best film Oscar, is also hoping for the best director award. The stylish American duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who made the film, have been nominated in the directing category Everything everywhere at once Irish author Martin McDonagh, who created the harsh Inisherina Banshee, and the classic Steven Spielberg, whose youth work is from 1975 Jaws – effectively changed the history of Hollywood, turning it into a mega-profit oriented business. The lesser-known American director Todd Field is also up for the award for the film Dollars, which is perhaps the most unexpected film of the year – a refined, thoroughly constructed psychological drama about the hierarchy of power in the world of classical music. To Oscar hopes Swede Ruben Estlund, who Triangle of sadness has become a kind of European cinema phenomenon – the ironic, metaphorical message about the entertainment of a company of rich people on an elite yacht has proven to be successful both in terms of awards and profits. (Triangle of sadness It has become one of the most popular European films in Latvia in recent years.)
Steven Spielberg will probably be honored in this category, although the other contenders whose films have been more surprising than Spielberg’s flashback to his childhood also have a good chance.
The best acting
Unlike the Berlin festival, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has not yet come to the conclusion that acting awards can be gender-neutral. Presumably, this will not happen either, for one reason or another, because actors are one of the strongest trump cards in Hollywood cinema, there are many works of excellent actors and actresses, and the competition is very strong. The best actress Oscar will most likely go to Cate Blanchett – her portrayal of the conductor Lydia Tarr is an exemplary lesson in acting virtuosity. Lydia Tara is a genius and a scoundrel at the same time, who lazily humiliates and destroys fellow human beings, those who depend on her, who adore her. Especially for this role, the actress has mastered the art of conducting classical music, thus allowing you to believe in authenticity.
Cate Blanchett’s position is also threatened Everything everywhere at once starring Michelle Yeoh. The fact that articles have appeared in the American press that until now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has discriminated against Asian actors makes one wary. Perhaps the Academy will suddenly decide to correct its sins. Marilyn Monroe’s portrayal of Ana de Armas in the controversial film is also up for the award Netflix in the movie BlondeMichelle Williams for her convincing portrayal of the neurotic mother in the film Fabelmeni and Andrea Riseborough for her colorful role as an alcoholic in the drama Leslijai/To Leslie.
In the acting competition, Austin Butler has a good chance, who selflessly lived in the essence of Elvis Presley in the film Elvis. His competitors are Paul Mescal (after the sun), Colin Farrell (Inisherina’s Banshee)body transformation demonstrator Brendan Fraser (Outer) and Bill Nye (Life/Living). Overall Oscar will be awarded in 23 categories.
