The Inkling Volume 2

An Oscars Prediction
By David Makale na
r comes to an end, and all the films are out, one thing is on
ind - what about the Oscars? Obviously there are other film
between December and February, but all that people care
ovie industry is the Academy Awards. So here we are - ahead of
minations are not announced till late January but here at The
e our predictions a whole four months earlier. I mean that’s
T
stopher Nolan’s war epic wowed cinema goers worldwide this
it’s staggering visuals, masterclass acting and powerful
m release day, people were predicting a long deserved Oscar
r Chris Nolan and I think it’s safe to say that six months later, the
he film is just as strong - hopefully meaning that it will have an
e Academy Awards by the end of January.
NTENDER
Water: Guillermo Del Toro’s romantic fantasy captivated movie
at both Venice and Toronto - winning the Gold Lion award at
ghest award given to a film there. It has your typical cast of top
s, including Octavia Spencer, Sally Hawkins and Michael
ngst others. This fantastic original film hasn’t yet been released
t is definitely shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated
st of the year.
OG
psychological thriller was released in theatres days after the
Awards last February - a release date with which no movie has
to win Best Picture. With Jordan Peele’s debut picture however,
change. Not only did this film connect with critics (it currently
Rotten Tomatoes score), it also struck a chord with fans,
250 million worldwide - on a $4.5 million budget as well, may I
-
T
Nolan: We’ve discussed the film, so why not the director
lan’s filmography is one of the greatest in modern cinema: ‘The
, ‘Inception’, ‘Interstellar’, and my personal favourite: ‘The
h ‘Dunkirk’, Nolan has hit the nail right on the head. Without the
s of exposition (thanks to history), all Chris had to do is focus on
d characters. Perfect.
NTENDER
erg: Nearly everyone has heard of the lord and master Steven
d even if you haven’t, I can say with almost 100% certainty that
a film he has directed. ‘Jaws’, ‘Indiana Jones’, ‘E.T.’, ‘War
sic Park’...the list is almost endless. This would be Spielberg’s
g nomination: few living directors can match that. You could be
etting an Oscar nomination come February.
OG
ow: She is the only director on our list who has been nominated
the only director on our list who’s won before; she’s the only
list. Bigelow is definitely one to watch. Her previous films, ‘The
and ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ both received critical acclaim and her
, ‘Detroit’, has had the same treatment. With any excellent film,
qually excellent director at the helm and ‘Detroit’ couldn’t have
tter one.
T
(‘Darkest Hour’): Gary Oldman is just a great actor isn’t he? Jim
‘Batman’ trilogy, George Smiley in ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’
, Sirius Black in the ‘Harry Potter’ films. This time, the veteran
ing British Prime Minister Winston Churchill - nothing big then!
o say that Oldman wowed audiences with his portrayal of the
grumpy wartime PM and will hopefully be rewarded with an Oscar nomination
in late January.
THE MAIN CONTENDER
Tom Hanks (‘The Post’): Tom Hanks is the Meryl Streep of male actors - and
he is acting against her in the film ‘The Post’. Tom Hanks has had five Oscar
nominations and has won two of them: not only is he the world’s kindest actor
but also one of the Academy’s favourite. The last time Hanks got an Oscar
nomination (2001!) he was up against the likes of Russell Crowe and Javier
Bardem. Luckily for Tom Hanks, none of those have been any Oscar calibre
films this year. We might just see Hanks’ third Oscar win.
THE UNDERDOG
Andy Serkis (‘War for the Planet of the Apes’): Andy Serkis has been playing
King Ape Caesar for three films now in the modern ‘Planet of the Apes’
trilogy. In the latest instalment, Serkis really delivers a performance that will
be remembered for years to come. Clearly Warner Bros. have latched onto
this fact, as the film has been promoted well around Hollywood with ‘For your
consideration’ DVDs already reaching voters’ doors. You may be thinking that
Andy Serkis can’t possibly be a realistic ape...and that is true. Motion capture
is used throughout the trilogy but in this film in particular, it looks second to
none with the real animals. If Serkis were to take home the Oscar, it would
mark a first for Motion Capture performances.
Best Actress -
THE SAFE BET
Frances McDormand (‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’): Frances
McDormand stars in this year’s Toronto Festival Best Picture winner and is
absolutely superb. Her previous role in ‘Fargo’ (directed by the Coen
Brothers, who also co-wrote this film) earned her a Best Actress win, and she
has been nominated for three other Oscars over the course of her career. In
this dark comedy about a worried mother (McDormand) creating three
billboards to garner the attention of the local chief (Woody Harrelson),
McDormand stands out like a block of gold - fingers crossed that she gets the
nomination she deserves.
THE MAIN CONTENDER
Margot Robbie (‘I, Tonya’): In this dark comedy/drama, Margot Robbie plays
sportswoman Tonya Harding, a ballerina who has to deal with a surprising
number of challenges in the equally surprising brutal world of ballet dancing.
I know, right? Robbie delivers a ground-breaking performance, with critics
and audience members both wildly praising her portrayal. The nomination
would give a long deserved reward to Robbie who up until now has been
robbed of several nominations in past years.
THE UNDERDOG
Judi Dench (‘Victoria & Abdul’): Although Dame Judi Dench will most likely be
nominated for the Baftas back home in England, for her to pierce the
Academy and get herself a nomination would be remarkable. It would require
a starring role in a critically acclaimed film… much like ‘Mrs Brown’, her first
portrayal of Queen Victoria, for which she was nominated for an Oscar.
Victoria & Abdul however, has received a mixed reception. Some critics
praise the heart-warming tale of love between the Queen and her Indian
partner but others point to the flaws such as the rest of the cast’s lacklustre
performances and the overall lack of direction and vision. However, if anyone
were to break through bad reviews and garner herself an Oscar nomination,
it would be Dame Judi Dench. Good luck, ma’am.
And there we are - three predictions for the top four categories of the
Academy Awards. Tune in to the February issue of the paper to see if we
were correct in our predictions. Let’s hope so!