OSCARS 2021 GAUNTLET RUNDOWN - MY PERSONAL PICKS
April 18, 2021
Jacob Nelson
Another year has gone by and once again I have run the Oscar Gauntlet. I have seen, rated and spoken about every single nominated film. That doesn’t mean that I know who will win, in fact I think my opinions outright clash with who I believe will take home a little gold statue, but I at least feel qualified to tell you who I think SHOULD win every award. So, without further ado… (First listed and bolded are who I would give the award to)
BEST PICTURE NOMINEES
Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey and Chloé Zhao, Producers (Nomadland is beautiful and the best film of the year, though I wouldn’t mind any of my top 4 winning. I also might actually like Zhao’s previous film The Rider more, and it definitely deserves to be seen)
Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell and Josey McNamara, Producers
David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi and Philippe Carcassonne, Producers
Christina Oh, Producer
Bert Hamelinck and Sacha Ben Harroche, Producers
Marc Platt and Stuart Besser, Producers
Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth and Douglas Urbanski, Producers
Shaka King, Charles D. King and Ryan Coogler, Producers
DIRECTING NOMINEES
Chloé Zhao (Zhao is an amazing director, with a beautiful eye and a profound sense of the land, people, and purpose.)
Thomas Vinterberg
David Fincher
Lee Isaac Chung
Emerald Fennell
CINEMATOGRAPHY NOMINEES
Dariusz Wolski (Wolski is astounding and deserves the recognition. There weren’t more gorgeous shots than from his lens.)
Sean Bobbitt
Erik Messerschmidt
Joshua James Richards
Phedon Papamichael
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY) NOMINEES
Screenplay by Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller (An astounding and brutally poignant adaptation from the stage to screen.)
Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Nina Pedrad
Written for the screen by Chloé Zhao
Screenplay by Kemp Powers
Written for the screen by Ramin Bahrani
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY) NOMINEES
Written by Emerald Fennell (Fennell is a brilliant writer and director and she does a marvelous job with a vital and volatile script)
Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King; Story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas
Written by Lee Isaac Chung
Screenplay by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder & Derek Cianfrance
Written by Aaron Sorkin
FILM EDITING NOMINEES
Mikkel E. G. Nielsen (A film that relies on editing to deliver spectacular and riveting experience. Masterful.)
Yorgos Lamprinos
Chloé Zhao
Frédéric Thoraval
Alan Baumgarten
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE NOMINEES
RIZ AHMED (Boseman will win and Hopkins very much deserves, but Ahmed finally bursts onto the scene and captured my heart & mind like no other on film this year.) CHADWICK BOSEMAN
ANTHONY HOPKINS
GARY OLDMAN
STEVEN YEUN
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE NOMINEES
DANIEL KALUUYA (This is category fraud by either Kaluuya or Stanfield, but that isn’t their fault. Kaluuya held the screen like none other nominated and deserves it.)
SACHA BARON COHEN
LESLIE ODOM, JR.
PAUL RACI
LAKEITH STANFIELD
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE NOMINEES
CAREY MULLIGAN (Mulligan is complicated and richly rousing on screen. The other actresses did a fine job, but she was my favorite.)
VIOLA DAVIS
ANDRA DAY
VANESSA KIRBY
FRANCES MCDORMAND
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE NOMINEES
YUH-JUNG YOUN (Colman would be my other choice here, but Youn was a glowing and emotional presence in her aiding role.)
MARIA BAKALOVA
GLENN CLOSE
OLIVIA COLMAN
AMANDA SEYFRIED
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE) NOMINEES
Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana (Collective is right up there with Time as the best doc in my opinion, but I think this news expose gets the edge in this tight race.)
Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder
Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez
Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster
Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM NOMINEES
Romania (Collective is the best and most important film here, but probably won’t win. Another Round is quite good, but doesn’t stand up to Collective’s power or quality.)
Denmark
Hong Kong
Tunisia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM NOMINEES
Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young and Stéphan Roelants (Soul was good, even if it didn’t quite connect with me. I just think Wolfwalkers was a better time at the cinema.)
Pete Docter and Dana Murray
Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae
Glen Keane, Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou
Richard Phelan, Will Becher and Paul Kewley
COSTUME DESIGN NOMINEES
Alexandra Byrne (Emma is all costume and brings it in every way. Fun and flashy.)
Ann Roth
Trish Summerville
Bina Daigeler
Massimo Cantini Parrini
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING NOMINEES
Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti (Anyone choosing something else than the immaculate makeup masterpiece that is Pinocchio I wager just didn’t see it. It is amazing what this “makeup over CGI” was able to do. Fully deserved.)
Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze
Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle and Patricia Dehaney
Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson
Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri and Colleen LaBaff
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE) NOMINEES
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste (I can’t say any of these truly stood out to me, as opposed to other years, but Soul’s musical themes will carry this one through.)
Terence Blanchard
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Emile Mosseri
James Newton Howard
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG) NOMINEES
SPEAK NOW from One Night in Miami... ; Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth (The most relevant and quality song within the context of the film for me.)
FIGHT FOR YOU
from Judas and the Black Messiah ; Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas
HEAR MY VOICE
from The Trial of the Chicago 7 ; Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
HUSAVIK
from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga; Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson
IO SÌ (SEEN)
from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se); Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
PRODUCTION DESIGN NOMINEES
Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale (Captured the grandiose and exciting nature of old Hollywood while providing the retrospective reverence of Citizen Kane.)
Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone
Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara and Diana Stoughton
Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan
Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED) NOMINEES
Will McCormack and Michael Govier (The most powerful and purposeful of the bunch.)
Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat
Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise
Erick Oh
Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION) NOMINEES
Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski (I think this film did the most emotionally and dramatically within the framework of a short. Every moment was meaningful and mighty.)
Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan
Farah Nabulsi and Ossama Bawardi
Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe
Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT) NOMINEES
Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman (Some other strong contenders, but Hunger Ward captured and transported me like none other)
Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard
Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook
Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan
SOUND NOMINEES
Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michellee Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh (Easiest category to call. It is a must.)
Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman
Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin
Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett
Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker
VISUAL EFFECTS NOMINEES
Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher (Honestly, none of these blew me away, but Tenet performed with grandeur and subtlety.)
Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox
Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins
Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram
Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez