This Sunday, Hollywood’s biggest stars will be attending the 89th Annual Academy Awards in what promises to be another fun-filled occasion.
Will La La Land ‘land’ itself an Oscar sweep? Can Denzel make it a hat trick of acting wins or will Casey Affleck prevail? Is it to be Emma Stone’s night or will the Academy go for Isabelle Huppert and her French resistance? Is President Donald Trump going to be lambasted….oh of course he will!
Here are the Cinematique’s final predictions for the 2017 Oscars….
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BEST PICTURE
ARRIVAL
FENCES
HACKSAW RIDGE
HELL OR HIGH WATER
HIDDEN FIGURES
LA LA LAND
LION
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
MOONLIGHT
WILL WIN? – LA LA LAND – The romantic musical has dominated this awards season particularly with its record-breaking haul at the Golden Globes as well as key wins at the PGA and BAFTAs. Despite strong acclaim, Moonlight has seemingly run out steam.
SHOULD WIN? – LION – The emotional biopic would easily be my pick for the Oscar but despite the support of the Weinstein Company, the film missed a couple of key nominations. Hacksaw Ridge would have also been a worthy winner.
IGNORED? – JACKIE – The stylish biopic failed to make a big impression on awards groups despite a stunning performance from Natalie Portman.
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BEST DIRECTOR
Damien Chazelle – LA LA LAND
Mel Gibson – HACKSAW RIDGE
Barry Jenkins – MOONLIGHT
Kenneth Lonergan – MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Denis Villenueve – ARRIVAL
WILL WIN? – DAMIEN CHAZELLE – Pretty much set in stone for Chazelle who has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most promising directors and swept most of the awards groups this season.
SHOULD WIN? – MEL GIBSON – Despite his controversial past, Mad Mel did a fantastic job of making the best war film since Saving Private Ryan. Nevertheless his nomination proves that the Academy have forgiven him (for now).
IGNORED? – GARTH DAVIS – The Australian director was unlucky to be snubbed despite Lion garnering a lot of late buzz. Another filmmaker whose career should soar now.
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BEST ACTOR
Casey Affleck – MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Andrew Garfield – HACKSAW RIDGE
Ryan Gosling – LA LA LAND
Viggo Mortensen – CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
Denzel Washington – FENCES
WILL WIN? – CASEY AFFLECK – It’s a close call but Affleck has notched up a couple of key awards for his role in a film that I admittedly struggled to enjoy. However there is still a chance that Denzel could sneak it.
SHOULD WIN?– DENZEL WASHINGTON – Despite having two Oscars already, Denzel’s performance in Fences was a lot more showier and would certainly be more fitting of the win. It’s gonna be a close one!
IGNORED? – RYAN REYNOLDS – Wishful thinking but his role as Deadpool was a lot of fun and also allowed him to silence a few critics.
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BEST ACTRESS
Isabelle Huppert – ELLE
Ruth Negga – LOVING
Natalie Portman – JACKIE
Emma Stone – LA LA LAND
Meryl Streep – FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS
WILL WIN? – EMMA STONE – Key wins at the Globes, SAG and BAFTA have pretty much helped her on her way to a first Oscar success. One of the more likable nominees this year!
SHOULD WIN? – NATALIE PORTMAN – Despite already having an Oscar to her name, Natalie’s performance as Jackie Kennedy was phenomenal and was deserving of a second win.
IGNORED? – AMY ADAMS (Arrival) – While I wasn’t a fan of Arrival, it seemed strange that the film received multiple nods yet Amy was excluded altogether. Hopefully her Oscar voodoo will end very soon.
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali – MOONLIGHT
Jeff Bridges – HELL OR HIGH WATER
Lucas Hedges – MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Dev Patel – LION
Michael Shannon – NOCTURNAL ANIMALS
WILL WIN? – DEV PATEL – I’m taking a big gamble here but I’m rooting for Dev to sneak this after his BAFTA win and Lion’s recent momentum. However it feels as though the underwhelming Mahershala Ali is a bigger favourite after winning the SAG.
SHOULD WIN? – DEV PATEL – An emotional performance that was way more showy than Ali’s was. After the disappointment of Sylvester Stallone losing last year, I just can’t hand another bad result in this category!
IGNORED? – HUGH GRANT – His exceptional turn in Florence Foster Jenkins received mentions elsewhere yet the Academy chose to snub him. Still never been nominated for an Oscar. How rude!
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis – FENCES
Naomie Harris – MOONLIGHT
Nicole Kidman – LION
Octavia Spencer – HIDDEN FIGURES
Michelle Williams – MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
WILL WIN? – VIOLA DAVIS – A stunning performance that has helped her sweep the awards circuit all season. After the disappointment of 2012, it looks like Oscar glory will finally come her way.
SHOULD WIN? – VIOLA DAVIS – Her win in this category was pretty much confirmed from the moment the first trailer was released.
IGNORED? – FELICITY JONES – Being killed off in three 2016 films is not a bad feat but surely the British actress deserved some sort of mention for her emotional role in A Monster Calls.
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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
20TH CENTURY WOMEN, Mike Mills
HELL OR HIGH WATER, Taylor Sheridan
LA LA LAND, Damien Chazelle
THE LOBSTER, Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, Kenneth Lonergan
WILL WIN? – MANCHESTER BY THE SEA –This feels like the best chance the film has of winning an Oscar especially if Casey Affleck loses Best Actor.
SHOULD WIN? – HELL OR HIGH WATER – An exceptional script from a film that deserved more attention.
IGNORED? – ZOOTOPIA – The Disney animation had a surprisingly powerful message in its story yet failed to make the cut.
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BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ARRIVAL, Eric Heisserer
FENCES, August Wilson
HIDDEN FIGURES, Theodore Melfi & Allison Schroeder
LION, Luke Davies
MOONLIGHT, Barry Jenkins & Tarell McCraney
WILL WIN? – MOONLIGHT – A disappointment from my perspective, the coming-of-age drama looks certain to win here despite its strong competition.
SHOULD WIN? – LION – A fantastic adaptation from an incredible story that deservedly won this category at the BAFTAs earlier this month.
IGNORED? – HACKSAW RIDGE – The film’s depiction of war was well presented though the lack of a screenplay mention was bizarre.
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BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
ARRIVAL
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
HAIL, CAESAR!
LA LA LAND
PASSENGERS
WILL WIN? – LA LA LAND
SHOULD WIN? – LA LA LAND
IGNORED? – JACKIE
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
ARRIVAL
LA LA LAND
LION
MOONLIGHT
SILENCE
WILL WIN? – LA LA LAND
SHOULD WIN? – LA LA LAND
IGNORED? – HELL OR HIGH WATER – The Cold War drama had some majestic cinematography but ended up being overlooked.
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BEST COSTUME DESIGN
ALLIED
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS
JACKIE
LA LA LAND
WILL WIN? – JACKIE
SHOULD WIN? – JACKIE
IGNORED? – HIDDEN FIGURES
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BEST MAKE-UP AND HAIR
A MAN CALLED OVE
STAR TREK BEYOND
SUICIDE SQUAD
WILL WIN? – STAR TREK BEYOND
SHOULD WIN? – SUICIDE SQUAD
IGNORED? – HACKSAW RIDGE
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BEST EDITING
ARRIVAL
HACKSAW RIDGE
HELL OR HIGH WATER
LA LA LAND
MOONLIGHT
WILL WIN? – LA LA LAND
SHOULD WIN? – LA LA LAND
IGNORED? – LION
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BEST SOUND EDITING
ARRIVAL
DEEPWATER HORIZON
HACKSAW RIDGE
LA LA LAND
SULLY
WILL WIN? – HACKSAW RIDGE
SHOULD WIN? – HACKSAW RIDGE
IGNORED? – ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
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BEST SOUND MIXING
13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI
ARRIVAL
HACKSAW RIDGE
LA LA LAND
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
WILL WIN? – LA LA LAND
SHOULD WIN? – HACKSAW RIDGE
IGNORED? – THE JUNGLE BOOK
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BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
DEEPWATER HORIZON
DOCTOR STRANGE
THE JUNGLE BOOK
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
WILL WIN? – THE JUNGLE BOOK
SHOULD WIN? – THE JUNGLE BOOK
IGNORED? – FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
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BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Nicholas Britell – MOONLIGHT
Justin Hurtitz – LA LA LAND
Mica Levi – JACKIE
Dustin O’Halloran & Hauschka – LION
Thomas Newman – PASSENGERS
WILL WIN? – LA LA LAND
SHOULD WIN? – LION
IGNORED? – THE JUNGLE BOOK
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BEST ORIGINAL SONG
JIM: THE JIM FOLEY STORY, “The Empty Chair”
LA LA LAND, “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)”
LA LA LAND, “City of Stars”
MOANA, “How Far I’ll Go”
TROLLS, “Can’t Stop the Feeling”
WILL WIN? – LA LA LAND (“City of Stars”)
SHOULD WIN? – LA LA LAND (“City of Stars”)
IGNORED? – SING STREET – “Drive It Like You Stole It”
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BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
MOANA
MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI
THE RED TURTLE
ZOOTOPIA
WILL WIN? – ZOOTOPIA – Disney have had an excellent track record in this category so a win seems likely though Kubo’s recent BAFTA success gives that film a chance to sneak it.
SHOULD WIN? – ZOOTOPIA – A witty animation that also contained some important moral issues regarding race and acceptance.
IGNORED? – SAUSAGE PARTY – The adult humour definitely seemed off-putting to the Academy though a nod would have been hilarious.
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