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Friday, December 8, 2017

Kicking Off the Awards Season on the Nose

A week or so into true awards season and the Critics Choice Awards lead it with a modest "pop" of a firecracker instead of a wallop of surprises and intrigue.

Picture
_ The Big Sick
_ Call Me By Your Name
_ Darkest Hour
_ Dunkirk
_ The Florida Project
_ Get Out
_ Lady Bird
_ The Post
_ The Shape of Water
_ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Not sure what to say. Ten VERY possible nominees. On the chopping block might be The Big Sick and The Florida Project.

Director
_ Greta Gerwig ‘Lady Bird’
_ Luca Guadagnino ‘Call Me By Your Name’
_ Martin McDonagh ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri’
_ Christopher Nolan ‘Dunkirk’
_ Jordan Peele ‘Get Out’
_ Steven Spielberg ‘The Post’
_ Guillermo Del Toro ‘The Shape of Water’

Affirms these as, probably, the top seven contenders.

Actor in a Leading Role
_ Timothee Chalamet ‘Call Me By Your Name’
_ Daniel Day-Lewis ‘Phantom Thread’
_ James Franco ‘The Disaster Artist’
_ Jake Gyllenhaal ‘Stronger’
_ Tom Hanks ‘The Post’
_ Daniel Kaluuya ‘Get Out’
_ Gary Oldman ‘Darkest Hour’

Can't say I'm hopping on the Kaluuya train. Franco and Gyllenhaal are probably going to have to duke it out.

Actress
_ Jessica Chastain ‘Molly’s Game’
_ Sally Hawkins ‘The Shape of Water’
_ Frances McDormand ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’
_ Margot Robbie ‘I, Tonya’
_ Saoirse Ronan ‘Lady Bird’
_ Meryl Streep ‘The Post’

Excuse me, why are there fewer Leading Actress nominees? Even if it is just by one? All are strong.

Actor in a Supporting Role
_ Willem Dafoe ‘The Florida Project’
_ Armie Hammer ‘Call Me By Your Name’
_ Richard Jenkins ‘The Shape of Water’
_ Sam Rockwell ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’
_ Patrick Stewart ‘Logan’
_ Michael Stuhlbarg ‘Call Me By Your Name’

The shoutout to Stewart is gentle and kind.

Actress in a Supporting Role
_ Mary J. Blige ‘Mudbound’
_ Hong Chau ‘Downsizing’
_ Tiffany Haddish ‘Girls Trip’
_ Holly Hunter ‘The Big Sick’
_ Allison Janney ‘I, Tonya’
_ Laurie Metcalf ‘Lady Bird’
_ Octavia Spencer ‘The Shape of Water’

Finally, something to talk about! Blige will depend on the Academy's Netflix bias; Chau really upsets for even the nomination here, and Haddish really makes an entrance for herself. Wow.

Young Actor/Actress
_ Mckenna Grace ‘Gifted’
_ Dafne Keen ‘Logan’
_ Brooklynn Prince ‘The Florida Project’
_ Millicent Simmons ‘Wonderstruck’
_ Jacob Tremblay ‘Wonder’

Simmons is a most welcome inclusion here.

Acting Ensemble
_ Dunkirk
_ Lady Bird
_ Mudbound
_ The Post
_ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri

SAG-worthy? Oh, quite possibly.

Adapted Screenplay
_ Call Me By Your Name
_ The Disaster Artist
_ Molly’s Game
_ Mudbound
_ Wonder

A very weak year, so I can't blame them for the shortage of nominees. Still, no The Beguiled or Last Flag Flying? Even Wonderstruck?

Original Screenplay
_ The Big Sick
_ Get Out
_ Lady Bird
_ The Post
_ The Shape of Water
_ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Can't really comment here. These have been the top six for some time. The Big Sick has quite a battle ahead.

Film Editing
_ Baby Driver
_ Blade Runner 2049
_ Dunkirk
_ The Post
_ The Shape of Water

Baby Driver, yes! Excellent set here, but Get Out and The Last Jedi I feel are still lurking.

Cinematography
_ Blade Runner 2049
_ Call Me By Your Name
_ Dunkirk
_ Mudbound
_ The Shape of Water

Particularly adoring Mudbound here; easily a commendable set for the Academy.

Production Design and Set Decoration
_ Beauty and the Beast
_ Blade Runner 2049
_ Dunkirk
_ Murder on the Orient Express
_ Phantom Thread
_ The Shape of Water

Of all the crafts, I was surprised to see Murder ahead of its costumes and makeup. Still processing what to make of the absences of Darkest Hour and The Greatest Showman, both of whom pop up in other places.

Costume Design
_ Beauty and the Beast
_ Blade Runner 2049
_ Phantom Thread
_ The Shape of Water
_ Wonder Woman

Sorry, but Blade Runner is a fluke here. Darkest Hour, The Greatest Showman, or Murder on the Orient Express are far more likely contenders.

Makeup and Hair Design
_ Beauty and the Beast
_ Darkest Hour
_ I, Tonya
_ The Shape of Water
_ Wonder

Eternally the mixed bag, Darkest Hour is what I would call "safe."

Original Score
_ Blade Runner 2049
_ Darkest Hour
_ Dunkirk
_ Phantom Thread
_ The Post
_ The Shape of Water

How will the Academy make room for The Last Jedi, I wonder"? Will it?

Original Song
_ “Evermore” Beauty and the Beast
_ “Mystery of Love” Call Me By Your Name
_ “Remember Me” Coco
_ “This Is Me” The Greatest Showman
_ “Stand Up for Something” Marshall

Not a lot of mystery here. Marshall could easily give its spot to Cries for Syria or Ferdinand.

Visual Effects
_ Blade Runner 2049
_ Dunkirk
_ The Shape of Water
_ Thor: Ragnarok
_ War for the Planet of the Apes
_ Wonder Woman

Take this with a grain of salt: The Last Jedi WILL make the ballot. Dunkirk, Thor, and Wonder Woman will have to watch themselves.

Animated Feature
_ The Breadwinner
_ Coco
_ Despicable Me 3
_ The LEGO Batman Movie
_ Loving Vincent

Could stay still like this for the rest of the season.

Foreign Language Film
_ BPM (Beats Per Minute)
_ A Fantastic Woman
_ First They Killed My Father
_ In the Fade
_ The Square

_ Thelma

I hold my hands up: I haven't yet familiarized myself with this category this year.

With more smaller critics bodies to come in, more clarity on the frontrunners are to come in the next few weeks. Until then...

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