Oscar 2023 nominees: 10 films that will definitely win the world’s main film award

Very soon, on January 24, the Academy will determine the contenders for the “Oscar”, the main film award in the world. The ceremony itself (the 95th anniversary, by the way) will be held on March 12, but the race for the title of best film of the year has begun a long time ago – from summer film festivals in Venice and Cannes to Toronto and, of course, the Gold, which set favorites at the beginning of January. Sphere. The winners of the latter are especially important for the Oscars – it’s no coincidence that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association award calls it “rehearsal.” According to the results of the rental season and the awards already received, who can be added to the list of main contenders for “And Oscar goes …”?

The Fabelmans (Steven Spielberg)

After winning the Golden Globes for which the picture won Best Picture and Best Director, Steven Spielberg’s drama seems to have a good chance of repeating its success at the Oscars. First, Hollywood loves movies about Hollywood (in many ways, this is why many people bet on David Fincher’s Munk two years ago, but sadly), and second, Steven Spielberg already has four Oscars in his piggy bank. He got two of them as director of Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan in the ’90s, another won Schindler’s Best Picture List, and the first won an honorary Oscar for outstanding producer contributions to Irving Thalberg in 1987. . True, in the 21st century Steven Spielberg was not lucky with the Oscars: neither West Side Story, nor Lincoln, nor Bridge of Spies, nor other films received awards in the main categories, and in the end, Fabelmans can fix it.

If you get down to the core, then this is a great sightseeing tour of Steven Spielberg’s childhood with his early films on 8mm film donated by his parents. How did a childhood hobby that started with his first movie trip turn into a lifelong job? Showing Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Seth Rogen.

Meanwhile, the film received nearly a record five nominations at the Golden Globes, but only won two. However, it is likely to appear in all major categories, including acting, on the “Oscar” lists. And it’s the most likely potential winner of Best Picture, according to Western film critics, but the Academy may again make a surprise decision, as with CODA: Child of Deaf Parents, which won the victory over the anticipated Force. your dog.

“Everything is everywhere at once” (Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert)

Thanks to its commercial success and the warm reception from audiences and critics alike, “Everything, Everywhere, All at the Same Time” has certainly transformed from a massive fantasy comedy action movie to a serious entrant in the Oscar race. For example, the film broke a record of six Golden Globe nominations, but surpassed its competitors in only two: Michelle Yeoh won Best Actress (Comedy or Musical) and Ke Huy Kuan won Best Supporting Actor. The actors, meanwhile, won awards in the same categories at the Saturn genre award, for which Everything Everywhere and At Once was also named Best Fantasy Film.

This story of how the fate of the multiverse falls into the hands of an ordinary laundry owner with a trailer full of personal problems may seem too simplistic for an Oscar at first. But (except sometimes) his creativity and intelligence, which is not on the edge of rudeness, on the contrary, can make “Everything Everywhere and at the Same Time” the leader of the race.

That’s exactly what happened last year, for example, in CODA: Child of Deaf Parents, a light film that took the Academy by storm and tackled a complex subject. And if the same happens in the film of Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, then in addition to the acting nominations, which the picture will definitely receive, he can try his luck in the main nominations.

“Triangle of Sadness” (Ruben Ostlund)

The Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and four awards at the European Film Awards ensured Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Pain a solid place on the list of potential Oscar nominees. True, at the Golden Globes the film was missed in both nominations (“Best Picture (Comedy or Musical)” and “Best Supporting Actress”), so her chances of recognition by the Academy are no longer the highest. Also, the director of the film, Ruben Ostlund, has yet to win the love of Hollywood and has so far only succeeded in the European market.

Will his poignant satire about the insanely wealthy passengers of the ship that finds itself stranded on a wild island surrender to American critics?

If the pundits decide to bet on the current irony that abounds in the movie, the answer would likely be yes. Although there are “Fabelmans” and “Everything everywhere and at the same time” in the competitors, let’s be honest, this is very unlikely.

“Banshee with Inisherina” (Martin McDonagh)

“Banshee of Inisherina”, about the conflict of two friends, conquered the Golden Globe even though it did not win the Golden Lion of the Venice Film Festival, and won the “Best Film (Comedy or Musical)”, “Best Actor (Comedy or Musical)” and “Best Actor (Comedy or Musical)”. Scenario.

In general, if Steven Spielberg’s “Fabelmans” were not on the list of potential contenders for the Oscar, this comedy drama by Martin McDonagh would certainly become the main competitor to “Everywhere and At Once”, although in principle it was not the strongest candidate.

First, the author of the books “Lie Down in Bruges” and “Three Billboards on the Border of Ebbing, Missouri” was responsible for staging the film. Second, the cast alone gave Banshee a warm audience welcome: the main roles were played by Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, who you might remember as “Mad Eye” from “Potter”, and ambitious newcomer Barry Keoghan noted in “The Eternals.” , “Batman” and “The Legend of the Green Knight”. Third, the way Martin McDonagh wraps up seemingly eternal themes such as wasted time, fate, and friendship deserves special attention. Known for his ability to balance drama and comedy on the brink, the director reaches the pinnacle of his skill here, so the most difficult questions are reduced to everyday and understandable dialogue, and the film itself turns into a perfect black comedy, leaving the audience. “thinking” with oneself. Is it Oscar worthy? Yes, it is likely to be.

Babylon (Damien Chazelle)

It would be strange if the Academy overlooked Babylon, which was allegedly built specifically for the Oscars.

In the director’s chair, the famous Damien Chazelle, author of “Obsession” and “La La Land”, starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Jean Smart and other stars, and five Golden Globe nominations are among the achievements in the awards. season

However, along with the latter, “Babylon” is still inferior to its main competitors: among all the alleged lyrics (including “Best Picture (Comedy or Musical)” and three acting), it received only the “Best Soundtrack” award. For him in the movie about Hollywood of the late 1920s, when silent cinema was replaced only by sound films, Justin Hurwitz, by the way, is responsible – he also wrote the music for La La Land and now has every chance to repeat the past success. adds another statue of the Academy to the piggy bank. But Babylon seems to have little chance of winning in other possible nominations, but it’s unlikely to be left unattended – after all, it’s a tribute to Hollywood’s past and is held in high esteem here.

Avatar: The Way of Water (James Cameron)

Meet the future winner of perhaps the most technical Oscar nominations.

At the time of the awards ceremony, the second Avatar, which was released 13 years after the premiere of the first episode, will most likely proudly be among the top five (if not three) grossing films in history, and it certainly will be. The main movie event in the world does not go unnoticed.

True, we wouldn’t bet on winning in the major categories – for them, The Way of Water is too superficial, it could be a big box office hit. And we have already seen this, at least on the first sample of “Avatar”, but it is considered a revolution for its time. Later, James Cameron’s film was announced with nine (!) nominations, but only three: for cinematography, scenery and visual effects, losing to its rivals in the “Best Picture” and “Best Director” fights. It’s unlikely that Jake Sully’s new adventures on Pandora will demand more.

“Elvis” (Baz Luhrmann)

“Oscar” loves biopics, but not enough to give Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” the “Best Picture” award. And once neither “Bohemian Rhapsody” nor “King Richard” won that award, and “Rocketman” didn’t even get a mention in the nomination (then the picture with Taron Egerton won the “Best Song” award), then we have bad news for Elvis .

But where the tape can be noted is in the acting categories: after the premiere, Austin Butler became the new love of Hollywood and the heroine of all kinds of covers, and after winning the Golden Globe, he even surpassed Brendan Fraser in The Whale. It just increased your chances.

In general, the Academy appreciates such reincarnations, judging by the trend of recent years, so for example, the coveted Oscar last year went to Will Smith for King Richard and a few years before that to Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody. And both outstripped their formidable rivals: Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”), Christian Bale (“The Power”), Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”), and others.

“Tar” (Todd Field)

The musical drama Tar is actually one of this year’s most obscure Oscar nominations. A disastrous $5.7 million gross on a $35 million budget at the US box office and a lack of media attention made the film quite niche, but the success of lead actress Cate Blanchett at the Venice Film Festival and later the Golden Globe arguably took its place. on the list of possible Oscar nominees.

Meanwhile, Western critics from Entertainment Weekly to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter vote for it, sometimes choosing “Tar” or even “Banshee of Inisherin”, “Triangle of Sorrow” and “Babylon.”

However, the picture might indeed be nominated for “Best Picture” (at least because critics enthusiastically accepted Todd Field’s first film in 16 years), but it would rather win third place in another acting category—followed by two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett. He will put a piggy bank for you. This time – for the role of world-renowned conductor and composer Lydia Tar, the first woman in history to be the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

All Quiet on the Western Front (Edward Berger)

Like Tar, All Quiet on the Western Front is a dark horse on the Oscar prediction lists. Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, the film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and after its subsequent release on platforms, it absolutely wowed the audience and now has a 91 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, for example, The Front.

A literary source in a competent and nuanced adaptation by Edward Berger, author of “Patrick Melrose” and “Your Honor,” gives the film not only a foreign but a chance to compete for the title of the best (it was in this category that the tape was announced at the Golden Globes).

Meanwhile, Front took home the Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup and Hairstyles awards last year, but will likely be replaced by the second Avatar here.

Top Gun: Maverick (Joseph Krasinski)

In the presence of far more deserving nominees, Variety, for example, bets everything on the victory of “Top Gan” in “Best Picture.”

And this is despite the most impressive award season: the dramatic action movie was not noted at the Golden Globes, and from the other awards it only participated in the Saturn genre, nevertheless it received three awards (“Best Adventure Movie or Action Movie”) ” , “Best Actor” and “Best Editing”).

Maybe he will give way to his rivals in the race between the main categories, but he can share a few technical nominations with the second Avatar. If you are lucky.