By Mark Fields
The 94th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 27. Here are Out & About’s film critic’s takes on what cinematic efforts will win, what should win, and what can’t win (because it wasn’t nominated).
Best Actress
Will win: Demi Moore, The Substance
Should win: Mikey Madison, Anora
Should have been nominated: Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun and Blitz; Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths; Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl
Moore has gotten a lot of deserved attention for her role as a former movie star and fitness guru fired for getting old in this on-the-nose horror film. But, both the film and her performance are too campy for me to warrant Oscar gold. Madison, on the other hand, was fresh and surprising in her pull-out-the-stops performance in this refreshing modern romance. Ronan was exquisite (as usual) in several films this year, as was Jean-Baptiste in her searing performance in Mike Leigh’s latest drama. And yes, Pamela Anderson, from Baywatch and Playboy fame, was surprisingly and heartbreaking real as an aging but still idealistic Vegas showgirl.
Best Supporting Actress
Will win: Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez
Should win: Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez
Should have been nominated: Elle Fanning, A Complete Unknown
Saldana found a role in Emilia Perez suited for her many underappreciated talents, and she delivered. Fanning provided solid compelling support to Timothee Chalomet as Bob Dylan’s long-suffering girlfriend, Sylvie.
Best Actor
Will win: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Should win: Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Should have been nominated: Daniel Craig, Queer
Brody suffered greatly as immigrant architect Laszlo Toth, but I never felt I got an in-depth understanding of how and why his character ticked. Fiennes gave a master class in subtlety as the cardinal charged with electing a new pope. Daniel Craig made audiences completely forget about his James Bond days as William, an American émigré seeking connection in 1950s Mexico.
Best Supporting Actor
Will win: Kiernan Culkin, A Real Pain
Should win: Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Should have been nominated: Stanley Tucci, Conclave; Peter Sarsgaard, September 5
Culkin has been lauded for his turn as an aimless young man exploring his Polish Jewish ancestry with his cousin, but I found the performance somewhat forced. Pearce made The Brutalist’s villain compelling. As always, there were many award-worthy supporting actor performances including Tucci as an American cardinal aspiring to be pope and Sarsgaard as ABC Sports’ legendary Roone Arledge during the1972 Munich Olympics.
Best Director
Will win: Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Should win: Sean Baker, Anora
Should have been nominated: Jon M. Chu, Wicked
Corbet created many powerful moments in The Brutalist but chickened out when it came to appropriately editing the overlong drama. Baker, however, continues to demonstrate a keen ability for observing unconventional movie characters. Chu masterfully brought the acclaimed Broadway musical Oz homage to new and vibrant life on screen.
Best Picture
Will win: The Brutalist
Should win: Anora
Should have been nominated: Hard Truths
I found The Brutalist to be at least 45 minutes, maybe an hour too long, and many of its messages have been made better in other, finer films. But, a World War II-era immigrant story is absolute Oscar bait. Anora, on the other hand, felt like characters and a story that have not been seen in movies before. With a nomination roster of 10, it’s hard to leave any truly exceptional film out, but I would have been happy to see the gritty, workaday Hard Truths on the list as the capper to Mike Leigh’s long and trenchant movie career.
