Continuing to the Best Actress category, I believe there are two frontrunners: Cate Blanchett and Michelle Yeoh. Blanchett may be our greatest living actress and her performance in “Tar” is truly remarkable. She embodies the character with the same gusto that she did in “Blue Jasmin”. Cate Blanchett disappears and all you see is Lydia Tar. However, as good as she is in this film, I thoroughly disliked her. As written by Todd Fields she has very few redeeming qualities. On the other hand, Michelle Yeoh gives a different kind of performance in “Everything, Everywhere, All Around”. She is angry, perplexed, over worked and vulnerable. It is the best role from an actress who has been around. I believe she deserves the Oscar, but Blanchett is not out of the picture. I also liked Michelle Williams in “The Fabelmans”, but this isn’t her year.
Most of the awards up to now have gone to Ke Huy Quan for playing Michelle Yeoh’s husband in “Everything, Everywhere, All Around”. He gives a great performance as a man who has not lived up to his potential. In addition to his role, Quan has a comeback story. He was the kid in an Indiana Jones movie back in the 1980’s and had actually quit acting before taking on this role. Academy voters love that kind of story. This category has some very strong performances. Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan in “The Banshees of Inisherin” both were great, especially Gleeson. Bryan Tyree Henry was good in “Causeway”, but I don’t think it was an Oscar-worthy performance. Finally, for me Judd Hirsch is a sentimental favorite as Uncle Boris in “The Fabelmans”. In one or two scenes he stole the movie! I don’t think he has a chance, but I would vote for him.
Angela Basset has won a number of the awards for Best Supporting Actress so far for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. As usual she gives a strong, commanding performance, but I do not think it is deserving of an Oscar. Kerry Condon was quite good as Colin Farrell’s sister in “The Banshees of Inisherin” and deserves her nomination. I especially liked Hong Chau in “The Whale” as a caregiver. (She was also excellent in “The Menu”). Both Stephanie Hsu as the daughter and Jamie Lee Curtis as an IRS agent are nominated for “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once”. Curtis’s role is much different than anything she’s done before and I would vote for her. She has a chance to win, but I think Angela Basset will take home the gold.
For Best Foreign Film I would say that “All Quiet on the Western Front” should win and the new “Pinocchio” will probably be named Best Animated Film. It really is a different take on a familiar story. Most of the special effects and technical awards will probably be shared by “Avatar”, “Top Gun” and “Black Panther”, three well-done sequels.
Like I said, my track record on predictions is not the greatest. Let’s see what happens.
Mark's Movie Reviews 