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Your Necessary 2022 Oscars Viewing Guide


In preparation for tonight's Oscars, we Couch film critics have provided a rundown of the major awards. Do not take this to mean we don't think highly of the nominees for the likes of Best Short Film and Best Sound Editing, but rather that they will likely receive less attention-- in fact, some controversially won't even be aired. In addition we, or at least a few of us (me), are considerably less informed about those nominees than we are for the following 11 categories. This Oscars has several slam dunk categories tonight, including the biggest one of them all, and as a result, all four of us are still fairly confident in these selections. After such a turbulent and unprecedented year, though, the night is sure to include at least some drama and uncertainty. More than one acting category, for example, is at their most competitive in years. Who knows who will take top honors? We'll find out shortly, at least!

I will give a brief rundown on these 'major' categories, and as you will see, fellow film nuts Daniel Baas, Christian Becker and Sierra Slaughter have joined me to let you know who was snubbed, who really should win, who could play spoiler, and who will ultimately win no matter how we feel. Enjoy, and happy viewing tonight!


Best Original Song

  • "Be Alive" by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and DIXSON, King Richard

  • "Dos Oruguitas" by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto

  • "Down To Joy" by Van Morrison, Belfast

  • "No Time To Die" by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell, No Time to Die

  • "Somehow You Do" by Diane Warren, Four Good Days


Dropping certain songs from the primetime ceremony (including the other music one, Best Original Score) is a huge misstep by the Academy, but at least it sounds as if they will bring back the live performances of the nominees for Best Original Song. This is a nice year to do it, as a loaded field features Lin-Manuel Miranda in his quest for an EGOT, and two of the biggest names in music in Billie Eilish and Beyoncé. We all tend to think it will be one of the above who will take it home.


Sierra: If you think I’ve heard any song except "Dos Oruguitas," think again. Imagine EGOTing and not being there. But idk maybe it's Diane Warren's time?!?

 

Best Cinematography

  • Greig Fraser, Dune

  • Dan Laustsen, Nightmare Alley

  • Ari Wegner, The Power of the Dog

  • Bruno Delbonnel, The Tragedy of Macbeth

  • Janusz Kamiński, West Side Story


Cinematography is one of the awards dropped from the live ceremony, which is dumb anyway, but especially egregious this year, as Dune, Macbeth, andPower of the Dog all featured some of the most stunning cinematography we've seen in years, making for a very intriguing race.

 

Best International Feature

  • Drive My Car (Japan)

  • Flee (Denmark)

  • The Hand Of God (Italy)

  • Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom (Bhutan)

  • The Worst Person In The World (Norway)


It's a loaded International Feature field this year, featuring three of the most acclaimed films of the year, all of whom have multiple nominations on the night. But given that one of them is nominated for Best Picture as well, that would appear to be the de facto favorite.


Sierra: Drive My Car is too long, it should be illegal. It’s a very good movie automatically bumped down to good because of the length. Hand of God is the only film I didn’t see but Flee is the only one I’d recommend to a friend.

 

Best Documentary Feature

  • Ascension

  • Attica

  • Flee

  • Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

  • Writing With Fire

Questlove's debut as director in Summer Of Soul might help him strike gold on the first try, as the fascinating, delightful reliving of Harlem's soul festival in 1969 has been gaining momentum on the awards circuit. But spare a thought for Flee; the poignant story, creatively depicted, is nominated for three different major awards, and runs a very real chance of not winning any of them. Personally speaking, I would hope for a win here, as the gap in quality between it and the rest of the field seems wider here than in the International and Animated categories.

Sierra: In an extreme turn of events I have only seen Flee……very unlike me.

 

Best Animated Feature

  • Encanto

  • Flee

  • Luca

  • The Mitchells vs. the Machines

  • Raya and the Last Dragon

Yet another opportunity for Flee to score a major win and yet another field in which they likely will not. The Mitchells vs. The Machines was an acclaimed, indie darling and it's just always tough to bet against the Pixar machine, giving it a universally-liked contender in Encanto.


Sierra: As much as I loved Flee, and I did, because this is the animated category it’s not a contest. Mitchells vs. the Machines is the animated movie of the decade perhaps…incredible.


 

Best Supporting Actor

  • Ciarán Hinds, Belfast

  • Troy Kotsur, CODA

  • Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog

  • J. K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos

  • Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

A field that started the awards circuit as being seemingly up for grabs has very quickly been taken over by CODA's Troy Kotsur. He'd be a deserving winner, and a groundbreaking one at that, but spare a thought for young Kodi Smit-McPhee, who provided the most interesting character development in The Power of the Dog, as well as Bradley Cooper's whose brief star turn in Licorice Pizza was shockingly not rewarded with a nomination.


Sierra: I didn’t see CODA, but everyone else has been forgettable.

 

Best Supporting Actress

  • Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter

  • Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

  • Judi Dench, Belfast

  • Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

  • Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

Ariana DeBose is virtually undefeated in this awards circuit, representing the only surefire favorite for the lauded West Side Story. It’s hard to argue with her winning, as her Anita was the lifeblood of that production. If there is to be a stunner, though, look for it to come in the form of Kirsten Dunst, in her strongest performance in quite some time, or Aunjanue Ellis, who was note-perfect as the foil to Will Smith’s grandiose Richard Williams.


Sierra: As happy as I am for Will Smith's likely win, that movie shines because of Aunjanue. She acts circles around him. This is her Oscar movie and it's really sad she won’t win for it. I’ve said it since I first watched, she is amazing.

 

Best Actor

  • Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos

  • Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

  • Andrew Garfield, tick, tick.. Boom!

  • Will Smith, King Richard

  • Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

As has been the case in so many recent years, the Best Actor race is setting up to be more of a coronation. Will Smith is heavily favored to win his first ever Oscar, and it’s a well-earned one, as he’s a can’t-miss force in King Richard. Then again, after Anthony Hopkins’ stunning upset over Chadwick Boseman last year, I suppose you can’t take anything for granted, and if there is to be another stunner, it could be in the form of a first award for either Benedict Cumberbatch or Andrew Garfield. At least two of us are upset by the disrespect for Nicholas Cage’s best performance in ages, though.


Sierra: It’s not Will’s best performance of his career. He’s gonna get Leo Dio’d and win because it’s “his time” and I will cry. And I am so proud of him. And I love him. And this is an Oscar for I Am Legend as far as I’m concerned.

 

Best Actress

  • Jessica Chastain, The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

  • Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter

  • Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers

  • Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos

  • Kristen Stewart, Spencer

For a while, we appeared to be headed for a 2nd straight year of a wide open Best Actress race, with wins early in the circuit spread across the different names listed above. But all the momentum appears to be with Jessica Chastain, who was the favorite coming into the awards cycle. Given the star power of the other nominees, though, it’s not impossible by any means that a Nicole Kidman or Penelope Cruz sneak up and get an upset victory. The critics’ favorite was Kristen Stewart, and my personal favorite (as is almost always the case) was Olivia Colman, but their near-total lack of wins on the award circuit make a surprising victory very unlikely. It also feels like a missed opportunity to recognize one of several different breakout stars in this category from this year, such as Worst Person In The World’s Renate Reinsve, Licorice Pizza’s Alana Haim, or CODA’s Emilia Jones.


Sierra: I saw two of these movies…and it’s not either of the ones from the actresses I listed above.

 

Best Director

  • Kenneth Branagh, Belfast

  • Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car

  • Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza

  • Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

  • Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

Many of the major categories have races whose winners have seemed set in stone for months now, and this one is no different. It will be nothing short of shocking if Power of the Dog’s Jane Campion doesn’t bring home Best Director. But, if a sense of “Power of the Dog fatigue” and/or mild backlash to her comments to Serena and Venus Williams at the Critics’ Choice Awards sink her chances, some of the biggest names in Hollywood, such as Steven Spielberg or Paul Thomas Anderson, could be waiting in the wings to capitalize. Some other big names that won’t win are Dune’s Denis Villenueve or 2018 winner Guillermo del Toro, both of whom were surprisingly left off the list.


Sierra: Can we just nominate Paul Schrader for the nomination he never got? Name a category I care about less…I dare ya.

 

Best Picture

  • Belfast

  • CODA

  • Don't Look Up

  • Drive My Car

  • Dune

  • King Richard

  • Licorice Pizza

  • Nightmare Alley

  • The Power of the Dog

  • West Side Story


Ironically, and excitingly, perhaps the most open race of all the major awards is the most major award of all. For most of the awards circuit, The Power of the Dog looked every bit the frontrunner that reigning winner Nomadland was last year. All of a sudden though, the little-hyped CODA has begun a serious charge to the top, picking up multiple wins on the awards circuit, including in two of the most predictive shows historically. And given how atypical a winner either of the films would be, you can never count out a big-budget visual spectacle like Dune or West Side Story, nor a more traditional crowd-pleaser like Belfast or King Richard. Regardless, it will be fun to have some real intrigue heading into the last award for once!

Sierra: Again, just give it to First Reformed. I saw 6 of the 10 and Dune was my fav of the six and I didn’t even think Dune was amazing. Just extremely good.

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