Oscars 2023 Predictions: Top Picks and Likely Winners

I watched all nominated Oscar movies except for Avatar: The Way of Water, Tell it Like a Woman, and Babylon (also minus the Documentary and Short Film Categories).

As always, an Oscar-nominated movie means it has to be seen but it never means that it has to be perfect. This year too, it was a mix-bag. Last year the theme of lighthearted movies was visible throughout, and this time I felt the loss/grief or broken friendship/love was seen in majority.

Out of all the nominated Oscar movies I watched, my top picks were Top Gun:Maverick, Aftersun, and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. I need to have a re-watch of Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Batman to decide if they change my top three or not.

Refer to the nominations list here: Oscars 2023Nominations

Predictions for the Upcoming Oscars 2023

And the Oscar goes to...

Best Picture

Will Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once
Should Win: Top Gun: Maverick

I liked Everything Everywhere All At Once, so quite happy if it wins. Also, I know there's almost a 0.00001% chance for Top Gun: Maverick. While The Banshees of Inisherin, Triangle of Sadness, and Women Talking didn't deserve to be nominated. Infact stupid to think that Aftersun missed out on a nomination against these bunch of average movies.

Best Actor in a Lead Role

Will Win/Should Win: Austin Butler (Elvis)

Austin Butler was too good playing the role of Elvis Presley and thoroughly deserves the Oscar. Brendan Fraser could be a close competitor here. Bill Nighy, I feel, got a nomination because there probably is a lack of available options. While Tom Cruise, I guess they didn't consider as putting own life at risk doing dangerous stunts isn't yet considered to be part of acting.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Will Win/Should Win: Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

I am never going to forget how much I laughed when Michelle confesses love to Curtis in the movie. It will be a huge disappointment if she doesn't win the Oscar. Both Cate Blanchett and Andrea Riseborough are strong contenders too, but please it has to be Michelle.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Will Win/Should Win: Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

My question is 'What is Supporting?' Is it much lesser screen time in comparison to the lead, or is it where you play a crucial part in the story that helps the lead in achieving something even if it's just one scene in the entire film? The former relates to Ke Huy Quan and the latter to Judd Hirsch. I just can't agree that a character that gets one scene can be part of the supporting role category. Ke Huy Quan should win here, though a part of me would not mind if Barry Keoghan wins. Also, how did Miles Teller not get a nomination!

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Will Win/Should Win: Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

This has to be the toughest to pick category. Almost anyone can win here. Though Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu pose more competition to Angela here.

Best Director

Will Win: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

Steven Spielberg is the only other deserving nominee. And Aftersun got robbed here too.

Best Animated Feature Film

Will Win: Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio
Should Win: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

I enjoyed both, but Marcel was a lot better for me. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has no chance. Turning Red and The Sea Beast are lucky to get nominations.

Best International Feature Film

Will Win: All Quiet on the Western Front
Should Win: Argentina, 1985

One of the categories where none of the films blew me away.

Best Music (Original Score)

Will Win/Should Win: Volker Bertelmann (All Quiet on the Western Front)

I am divided here between All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin, though frankly none of their scores I would listen to in future.

Best Music (Original Song)

Will Win: Naatu Naatu (RRR)
Should Win: Hold My Hand (Top Gun: Maverick)

'Applause', 'Lift me Up' and 'This is a Life' all have very good lyrics but none of them I can hear on repeat mode. My fav song from Top Gun was 'I ain't worried' but that I guess doesn't qualify as an Original Song. While my fav song from RRR was 'Dosti' track. So, between Naatu Naatu and Hold My Hand, I would go with the latter. Naatu Naatu is really a video song that gets your adrenaline pumping watching the mad dance moves and of course the dance-off that takes place. Audio-wise, Hold my Hand is far superior.

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Will Win: All Quiet on the Western Front
Should Win: Top Gun: Maverick

Of course, Top Gun: Maverick isn't winning.. and I certainly would prefer All Quiet on the Western Front to win rather than Women Talking.

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

Will Win/Should Win: Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

Pretty straightforward here, it's something to make the multiverse explored like it should be (something Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness couldn't).

Best Editing

Will Win/Should Win: Paul Rogers (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

It must have been a challenge and also so much fun to edit this movie I feel. Also, I find it funny to see Elvis get a nomination here.

Best Sound

Will Win/Should Win: Top Gun: Maverick

Finally a category where Top Gun: Maverick is favorite to win. I won't mind if Elvis wins too.

Best Cinematography

Will Win/Should Win: James Friend (All Quiet on the Western Front)

Looks like there should be no other competition here. To be honest, it was the best thing about the movie for me.

Best Production Design

Will Win: Babylon
Should Win: Elvis

Not seen the movie, but the trailer that I saw suggested rich detailed production design. Otherwise, Elvis has my vote.

Best Costume Design

Will Win/Should Win: Catherine Martin (Elvis)

This is very straightforward. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, I liked only the funeral costumes.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Will Win/Should Win: Elvis

A part of me is hoping The Batman wins here.

Best Visual Effects

Will Win/Should Win: Avatar: The Way of Water

Another movie that I haven't seen but the trailer is enough to suggest that it should be a front-runner to get the Oscar here.

EO Movie Analysis: Tough watching a miserable donkey's life

A bit of a sadistic take on the life of a donkey. For most of the part didn’t work.

Directed by: Jerzy Skolimowski

Imdb link -> EO (2022) - IMDb

“Did I just save you, or have I stolen you?” 

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Spoilers ahead...

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Plot of EO: A donkey’s life journey

'EO' tells the story of a donkey, EO, who embarks on a journey where he encounters a variety of people, some kind and others cruel. The narrative is presented from EO's perspective, and the absence of dialogue for EO is presumably intended to enhance the film’s realism. However, this approach doesn’t fully succeed. There are moments where EO expressing his thoughts, perhaps with a touch of sarcasm or humor, would have been welcome.

Unbalanced Depiction of Animal Abuse

It’s challenging to enjoy a film that doesn’t balance its portrayal of violence. Watching the film felt akin to viewing a movie about the mistreatment of slaves—here, EO meets only two kind individuals, while the rest are abusive or indifferent. I had trouble watching the scene where he is badly beaten by a group of men who believe he was the reason they lost a football match. I am not saying these people don't exist; in fact, it shows the harsh reality of the humans who actually do behave like this not just to a donkey but to other animals too.

This reminds me of 'A Dog’s Journey', which also explored the lives of animals through interactions with different owners. That film struck a balance, showing both the good and bad aspects of an animal’s life depending on the kind of human company it had. Most importantly, it was fun and at times heartbreaking, and we knew all the while what the dog was feeling with his voiceover.

Isabelle Huppert in a Completely Wasted Special Appearance

The film could have been more engaging had there been at least one interesting human character. Isabelle Huppert’s special appearance feels completely wasted and irrelevant to the plot. However, the actor portraying her stepson brings some much-needed humor.

The movie briefly touches on themes of animal rights and class division. We witness a circus being banned for exploiting animals, only for the freed animals to be sent elsewhere for further exploitation by the wealthy. At a stable, EO receives markedly different treatment compared to a well-cared-for horse.

What's worth applauding here is the sound design and the visuals that get your attention all the while. If only there was more depth to the storytelling, it would have worked better. Even the final ending message I felt should have been given right at the start... and well, the violent ending just summarizes the whole movie.

Verdict on EO

Overall, 'EO' would work only if you are okay with watching the life of a donkey being totally miserable and full of pain, with good moments lasting for a very short while. I certainly wasn't.

Rating: 4/10

Also, Check out Movie Analysis of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Mini Review : A Hero (Amazon Prime) and Last Night in Soho

A Hero

Directed by : Asghar Farhadi 

Imdb link -> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11777738/

We are not saying he lied. The problem is we don't understand what he says.

Spoilers ahead... 

Rahim Soltani (Amir Jadidi) who is on a two day leave from prison is very desperate to get his debt sorted for which he was doing the jail time. His girlfriend a week earlier found a bag full of gold coins laying at a bus-stop and thinks selling them would help Rahim get all the money he needs to pay to his brother-in-law, Bahram (Mohsen Tanabandeh). But when they find the value of gold dropped and they won't get the whole debt covered with these coins, Rahim is disappointed and decides to rather give the gold coins back to whoever the person it belonged reporting to the bank nearby about it. This is a very complex film in terms of morality it talks about, almost every person is grey here, no one can be termed good or bad. 

I personally felt if they had showed Rahim not take the gold coins to sell and directly opt to give it back then it would had been easier to have sympathy or be on Rahim's side fully, and also all the media angle that plays later on would had worked very much on the lines of 'Richard Jewell' movie. Instead here I felt diverting from wanting Rahim to get a proper life back to maybe he should be in jail specially when he does those 2 desperate moves, one where he fights with the brother in law, and other where he takes his girlfriend disguised as the woman whom the bag belonged to so he can get a job as new employer. Amir Jadidi no doubt is excellent and Asghar keeps you involved in this social drama that gets messier as it goes in all directions. In a way the 1st long scene of movie showing Rahim climbing up and up to meet his brother in law, Hossein (Alireza Jahandideh) only to be told by him to go down for a cup of tea describes the journey of Rahim, whose hero like gesture of returning gold coins gets questioned and it only goes downhill for him until the final scene of a return back to jail with a new hairstyle that maybe was a ode to 'Taxi Driver' with a driver playing important role too, or maybe I am trying to read too much in here. I am glad, Rahim doesn't take up the chance to be 'A Hero' again at the cost of his son in the final act or he would had been a lot more dislikeable for me. Its a good film, not the one though I would want to see again. 

My Rating : 6/10

Last Night in Soho 

Directed by : Edgar Wright

Imdb link -> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9639470/

I am not going to prison. I have been in a prison all my life. 

Spoilers ahead.. 

Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) aspires to be fashion designer joining a school in London. When she shifts to a rented house after not enjoying the room-mate she got at the school, there's a mysterious change in setting as she starts entering the 1960s into the life of a wannabe singer Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). Being a total admirer of 1960s, Eloise couldn't really have asked for more as she develops slow obsession wanting to be like Sandie, even doing designs at classes that resembled her or having her hairstyle changed.. but she slowly learns the dark side of Sandie's life that eventually lead to her death. Was Eloise hallucinating all the time since she belongs to a past history of mental health issues associated with her mom or did Sandie actually die in 1960s and Eloise after 60 years is going to get the murderer caught ? 

One of the psychological thriller that works pretty well for both the 1st and 2nd act, but whether you just like the film or go on to love the film depends on your opinion over the 3rd act with that main twist. I couldn't enjoy it because it felt more like what will the audience be thinking, either its just in her head or the murderer is loose, no one will think Eloise actually was staying with Sandie all the time. Not saying felt cheated, but it was tough for me to see the point of view of Edgar here after having invested in Sandie been hard done all the while, and that whole ghost angle of the men she killed haunting Eloise also felt very odd. I however did enjoy the setting, the costumes, and the fantastic 1960s playlist with some super tracks used throughout, 'A World without Love', 'Don't throw your love away', 'Downtown', 'Land of 1000 dances' to name a few of them. Both Thomasin and Anya Taylor deliver enjoyable performances keeping you hooked all the while, but in the end Last Night in the Soho couldn't deliver like I had hoped. 

My Rating : 6/10

Movie Analysis : The Guilty (Both Versions) (Netflix)

The Guilty (English version)

Directed by : Antoine Fuqua

Imdb link -> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9421570/

Broken people save broken people.

Spoilers ahead... 

About a demoted police officer Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) assigned to a call dispatch desk who gets an emergency call from a kidnapped woman. 

Set in Los Angeles and the backdrop of California wildfires making the office proceedings more lively where basically the entire story takes place with us not shown the faces on the other side of the call.

Its a very edge of the seat thriller, because like Joe you do believe that the kidnapped woman is in trouble but at same time you are also wondering a twist may come yet its pretty tough to guess what we do get in the final act. 

I like the added touch of Joe trying to interact with his wife on phone regarding saying good night to his daughter and then his phone lock having her daughter's picture while he talks to the kidnapped woman or that woman's girl later on adds more to the emotional layer. 

Oddly, what made the film work less for me was Jake Gyllenhaal. He always is a reason to watch movies but here he played this character with over expressive anger. 

The twist works perfectly for me, and so did the other actors involved in the phone conversations. The court hearing looming over Joe next day is also well inserted in to add more drama.

The Guilty is a good watch, probably you would like it more than me if you don't mind the way Jake plays this role. 

My Rating : 5.5/10

The Guilty (Danish version)

Directed by : Gustav Moller

Imdb link -> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6742252/

He kept crying because he had snakes in his stomach. I just took them out. 

The demoted police officer here is Asger Holm (Jakob Cedergren) and rest of the plot or even the conversations are same as the English version. This is the original movie though. 

The setting here is very minimal, so much so that there's hardly much happening at the office workplace until ofcourse the kidnapped woman's call arrives. There's no mention of Asger's wife or children which does slightly effect the scene where Asger talks to the kidnapped women's girl.

Its Jakob Cedergren who makes this a better watch, he plays the character with same amount of anger inside but always restraining it. You could rather see it in his eyes way he emotes whenever he feels a strong emotion. A reason why he admitting his Guilt regarding the court hearing case next day work a lot with all the office staff around listening in shock, whereas in English version, Jake didn't admit to it in front of them all. 

This one also has a much darker ending because of a certain person not able to escape death. The fact that they never show any of those horrofic visuals makes it even better as you just can't help but think about it when it happened. 

Despite the less chaos or a backdrop setting, there's lot more to enjoy in this original version of The Guilty. 

My Rating : 7/10

Mini Review : The Life Ahead (Netflix)

Directed by : Edoardo Ponti

Imdb link -> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10627584/

Some people say that everything is written and nothing can be changed. But I wanna change it all and go back to the beginning, when nothing was written.

Madame Rosa (Sophie Loren) gets asked by her doctor Coen (Renato Carpentieri) if she could keep Momo (Ibrahima Gueye), a 12 year old street kid who he feels under her guidance could become a better boy. He had just robbed Madame Rosa, but she agrees and thereby we see their bond develop while Madame Rosa's health keeps deteriorating.

Its an adaptation of a novel and remake of 1977 version which I haven't seen and couldn't find the film anywhere to watch. Reading from some reviews, I understood that the current version changed things around, which are actually the reasons why the film turns out to be just watchable despite been having potential for many touching moments. 

The problem is no character development, the bonding between Madame Rosa and Momo develops too rapidly, I would have liked it take more time which is why that sunrise sequence at climax despite been beautiful didn't really invoke feelings as it was trying to. The entire Momo's drug dealer angle was un-necessary, we could had been told he's into that and decides to leave it, rather than the entire how he starts and develops interest in it. There could had been lot more scenes between Momo and Hamil (Babak Karimi), their interactions were good to watch.

Also, no past history is told about Madame Rosa, except for that code on her hand suggesting she is some sort of survivor. I found Lola (Abril Zamora) act pretty irritating too. 

What worked was Ibrahima Gueye performance, and his scenes with Iosif (Iosif Diego Pirvu). Sophie Loren's act was bit of mix for me, I think the below average writing messed it up than she did. Also, loved the background score and the music used, specially 'Io Si (Seen)' by Diane Warren with wonderful lyrics from Laura Pausini, comes right at the end credits. 

Its watchable, but just misses the mark on the emotional level. 

My Rating : 5/10