READY, SET, BET: OSCARS 2020

The full list of nominees for the Academy Awards, best known as the Oscars, has been announced. As expected, Todd Phillips’ Joker, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, Sam Mendes’ 1917 and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood have led the big categories with the most nominations. As always with the prestigious awards ceremony, it’s raining men, and for 2020 we’re scheduled for a torrential downpour of male gaze. Greta Gerwig’s Little Women was one of the the favourite films to succeed at this year’s awards season, but was snubbed for the Best Director category. Other female directors hoping to receive a nomination were Lulu Wang for The Farewell, Lorene Scafaria for Hustlers and Marielle Heller for A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, meaning in the Oscars’ 92-year history, only five times has a woman been nominated in this category, with only one win for Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker in 2009.

Other predictions stretch from the more likely wins for Joaquin Phoenix (Best Actor) and Laura Dern (Best Supporting Actress), who took home the titles at both the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards, to the more competitive Costume Design and Adapted Screenplay categories, which are anyone’s game. But as with any competition, nothing is certain - we break down our predictions.

CATEGORY: BEST FILM

NOMINATIONS: Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Little Women, Marriage Story, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Parasite

PREDICTED WINNER: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Tarantino’s ode to film and ends with (spoiler alert) Hollywood actors literally changing history and saving lives. It also won Best Picture at the Critics' Choice Awards, making the Manson comedy-drama a clear choice.

CATEGORY: BEST DIRECTOR

NOMINATIONS: Bong Joon Ho, Parasite, Sam Mendes, 1917, Todd Phillips, Joker, Martin Scorsese, The Irishman, Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

PREDICTED WINNER: Tough one. The Oscars are easy for a film with parallels to real life, or depictions of history - so we reckon it’ll be left to Todd Phillips and Sam Mendes to battle this out for their epics that draw attention to America’s treatment (or lack of) for those suffering with mental illness (Joker) and WWI (1917).  1917 did take home the Globe, giving it perhaps a slight edge on the odds for the Oscars. 

CATEGORY: BEST ACTRESS

NOMINATIONS: Cynthia Erivo, Harriet, Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story, Saoirse Ronan, Little Women, Charlize Theron, Bombshell, Renée Zellweger, Judy

PREDICTED WINNER: For a safe bet, we’re tempted to suggest Renée Zellwegger for her perfect impersonation of Judy Garland, after all she’s already picked up the title at the other award ceremonies over previous weeks. However, as she took home the Best Actress award in 2004 for Cold Mountain, we think this category is more open for others.

CATEGORY: BEST ACTOR

NOMINATIONS: Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory, Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Adam Driver, Marriage Story, Joaquin Phoenix, Joker, Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

PREDICTED WINNER: Oof, competitive category. We doubt they’ll present Leo again after his win for 2016’s The Revenant, and with Joaquin Phoenix’s win at the Globes and Critics Choice for his tortured and enigmatic Joker, it would seem he is the most obvious choice. The Academy, however, are known to turn a blind eye to previous wins, and with Phoenix’s history for snubbing the Oscars before they have a chance to snub him, makes Adam Driver in for a chance (!!).

CATEGORY: BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

NOMINATIONS: Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell, Laura Dern, Marriage Story, Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit, Florence Pugh, Little Women, Margot Robbie Bombshell

PREDICTED WINNER: Just because she’s won at Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards in recent weeks (not to mention the fact she’s amazing in Marriage Story), our money is on Laura Dern, but we also can’t help but think nobody will ever play Amy March as well as Florence Pugh.

CATEGORY: BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

NOMINATIONS: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Al Pacino, The Irishman, Joe Pesci, The Irishman, Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes

PREDICTED WINNER: This winner in this category at both the Globes and the Critics' Choice Awards and a Brioni contract... 2020 is shaping up to be a good year for Brad Pitt. The Oscar will be the cherry on his cake, and we think he's got it. 

CATEGORY: BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

NOMINATIONS: Steven Zaillian, The Irishman, Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit, Todd Phillips and Scott Silver, Joker, Greta Gerwig, Little Women

PREDICTED WINNER: Because Scorsese can’t walk away empty handed, Steven Zaillian for The Irishman, but like the judges at the Critics' Choice, we’d like to see Greta Gerwig’s modern and refreshing adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic win.

CATEGORY: BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

NOMINATIONS: Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns, 1917, Rian Johnson, Knives Out, Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story, Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite

PREDICTED WINNER: Again, tough one. Despite Quentin Tarantino’s script perhaps needing a good edit, we think the power of its plot line shining Hollywood as the saviour of the Manson family victims will be too strong for the Academy to ignore. Plus, it won Best Screenplay at the Globes. However, Marriage Story’s dialogue was so compelling, perhaps Noah Baumbach will take the title?

CATEGORY: COSTUME DESIGN

NOMINATIONS: Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson, The Irishman, Mayes C. Rubeo, Jojo Rabbit, Mark Bridges, Joker, Jacqueline Durran, Little Women

PREDICTED WINNER: It’s a shame that awards ceremonies tend to favour period-fashion when it’s pre-1950, and on this occasion, has chosen to ignore the excellent fashioning of Hustlers early-2000s style. We think this may be Little Women’s only win for Jacqueline Durran’s lovely array of bonnets, basket bags and top hats, but also think those Gucci loafers in The Irishman are nothing shy of Oscar-worthy.