My 2020 Oscars Vote
It's pretty incredible that after seeing 100+ movies from 2019, there are movies and performances that have been nominated that I have still yet to see. I did go out of my way to see the best picture nomination when making my 'Top 13 movies of 2019” list. So basically I'll be pretending this would be my ballot. Trying to guess what the Hollywood elite would choose would not be fun. It's likely I can figure out who would win by adding up whose won the other awards but again not very fun.
Best Picture
1917
Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne-Ann Tenggren and Callum McDougall, Producers
The competition was really tough this with almost most type of drama being covered except horror. I am fascinated at how much Midsommar is being ignored this year. Alright, no write ins. All around 1917 captured everything that is fascinating about films. I knew I had to see this in the theaters and I'm plenty happy that I did. One needed the full aspects of sounds, visuals, and adventure to capture what this movie has to express. This movie goes out of the way to make one need to go to the theater. It is not my intent to claim that an epic action movie tops a strong drama like Marriage Story or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood but Sam Mendes covers the media well. The dreary battle scenes and production design feel dirty, disgusting, tragic, and authentic. The story was simple but strong and had me connected all the way through.
The Other nominations
FORD V FERRARI
Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and James Mangold, Producers
THE IRISHMAN
Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers
JOJO RABBIT
Carthew Neal, Taika Waititi and Chelsea Winstanley, Producers
JOKER
Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers
LITTLE WOMEN
Amy Pascal, Producer
MARRIAGE STORY
Noah Baumbach and David Heyman, Producers
1917
Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne-Ann Tenggren and Callum McDougall, Producers
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino, Producers
PARASITE
Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
My Choice: Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
Joaquin's performance is definitely what made the movie standout. The story was great but Phoenix expressed an individual who felt authentic. There was some embelishing on the actions one with mental disabilities but this was a movie portraying an extreme situation. I felt that the Joker was expressing a few false narratives but there are folks, who truly thought his expressions were accurately showing how the mentally disabled need to be cared for. It speaks to how well Phoenix performed as a madman yet was able to come off as an individual most felt like they could relate to.
Adam Driver was a close 2nd. Honestly seeing his performance made me mad in a good way. He wasn't really a good person in some aspects but I felt his pain how he came to making certain mistakes. He never came over the top in either direction...maybe desperate but despite the plot it's not surprising. I think it speaks to an actor more when they're able to go the mile in a simpler roll than one that's meant to be unique. Saying that I still choose Joker as he undoubtedly conquered that expressions mannerism of one who is trapped in a dire situation mentally and physically.
NOMINEES
ANTONIO BANDERAS
Pain and Glory
LEONARDO DICAPRIO
Once upon a Time...in Hollywood
ADAM DRIVER
Marriage Story
JOAQUIN PHOENIX
Joker
JONATHAN PRYCE
The Two Popes
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
My Choice: Joe Pesci – The Irishman
An actor known for his boisterous presentations, definitely took it down a notch for The Irishman. Pesci proved in this movie his strength in his flexibility. I barely even recognized him when I first started watching the film. Pesci never had to yell the take over the room like he used to. The way delivered his dialogue always meant business. He showed restraint in a means, I'm not sure most actors who have served as tough guys in the pasts. At the same time, I found that I had to lend my ears to each word as they would hold a strong message either metaphorically or change the who demeanor of the film.
Hopkins and Hanks are two I had a difficult time battle in my brain to be my choice also. Hopkins presented a pope, who was charming and enticing, while all of his goals seemed to say otherwise. It's not quite a contradiction but more of an expression of depth another may not have given us. Hanks did great too. I had my hesitations over the Mr Rogers biopic since I loved the documentary so much. Hanks was not doing an impression but transformed into Rogers. There was no need for over the top makeup like some actors get so they look like the individual they're portraying. I just straight believed Hanks was Rogers. Reason I will put Pesci over these two grand performances is that Pesci had me leaning rather than nodding to all of their delivery. Not quite a concrete distinction but I feel it's fitting. Badaboom.
Quite confused how Christian Bale was snubbed for Ford v Ferrari. Kind of feeling Matt Damon ruined everything. Folks feel like he can act so if Damon didn't get nominated than how could Bale. Bale always transforms for his positions physically and emotionally.
NOMINEES
TOM HANKS
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
ANTHONY HOPKINS
The Two Popes
AL PACINO
The Irishman
JOE PESCI
The Irishman
BRAD PITT
Once upon a Time...in Hollywood
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
My choice: Scarlett Johansson
Very similar reason as to why I enjoyed Adam Driver's performance. I really appreciate how all over Johansson is in the movie world. Rather it be in twisted indie movies like Under the Skin or a ninja super hero like Black Widow. Scarlett expressed an individual who was desperate but confident in what she possessed even if it's not something to be proud of. She showed the audience as a role model to women and others who are dealing with similar affairs.
The other roles I tossled with in my brain was Cynthia Erivo's Harriet. I truly believe she was Harriet, who historically was a badass. Cynthia showed the restraint though not to go Django in her god guided journey. I appreciated how Cynthia was okay showing that Harriet didn't have to be charismatic to make a difference. Her big lines were only limited to “I must do this” to “Put your hands up” Makes it very difficutl to compare to Scarlett's performance who was allowed and gave a fantastic range of emotions.
NOMINEES
CYNTHIA ERIVO
Harriet
SCARLETT JOHANSSON
Marriage Story
SAOIRSE RONAN
Little Women
CHARLIZE THERON
Bombshell
RENÉE ZELLWEGER
Judy
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
My Choice: Kathy Bates – Richard Jewel
This was an incredibly tough choice as all these nominees gave such solid performances. Dern played up the 'caring' yet conniving lawyer, Johansson was a charming caring mother(not quite as standout as her Marriage Story performance), Pugh was an inspiration figure who wouldn't allow her trails and tribulations of family & others hinder her. Sadly I didn't see Robbie's performance in Bombshell, which I'm sure would've gave me a bigger struggle. Bates revealed, in a somewhat corny movie, a subdued mother figure, who had no idea how to help her son. She was consistently good through the film the speech at the end when she's speaking to the President at public conference is what sold it to me. She came off as loving, desperate, and sincere. In a film where everyone came off as somewhat cartoonish, she was certainly the most grounded. Kathy always gives a solid performance and I wouldn't mind if she won more gold tonight.
NOMINEES
KATHY BATES
Richard Jewell
LAURA DERN
Marriage Story
SCARLETT JOHANSSON
Jojo Rabbit
FLORENCE PUGH
Little Women
MARGOT ROBBIE
Bombshell
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
My Choice – I Lost My Body
I just this and wish I saw it earlier. It's odd how this animated category works with all these kiddie movies and then something super existential as in I lost My Body. Really too bad that 'Ruben Brandt: Collector' was snubbed. I Lost My Body was an excellent movie that covered life and new experiences on a new front. It covered something that would look silly in a live action movie. Exactly what an animated movie should covered. It also covered a romance story that could've very well been done live action but Clapin & Pontavice did not skip a beat in covering the subject matter. This is on Netflix and I encourage all to check it out. Not for children and nor does it have to be just cause it's animated. My favorite piece of the film was how the main characters hand existed and went about it's journey to rediscover their body. Even though it was simply a hand, I recognized all it's expressions that felt familiar even though it was just a hand.
Missing Link had amazing claymation and the story wasn't bad but nothing to take home. Toy Story 4 should not be on this list. It felt like a basic episode for the Toy Story show but nothing that would enough to be a movie. Basically the same thing we got the previous movies; toys like to be played with and are sad when they're not. They idea of a spork being a toy was cute though.
NOMINEES
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD
Dean DeBlois, Bradford Lewis and Bonnie Arnold
I LOST MY BODY
Jérémy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice
KLAUS
Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh and Marisa Román
MISSING LINK
Chris Butler, Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight
TOY STORY 4
Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera
CINEMATOGRAPHY
My Choice – The Lighthouse
Just loved the great contrast in how each scene was put together. Even though some of it was difficult to tell what was real and wasn't, the visuals of mermaids, tentacle, and lighting were fascinating. This movie was a pleasure to watch in black and white thanks to the cinematography. Even though the nightmare fuel was off putting as to what was actually happening in the film, I looked forward to it. Always beside the odd imagery of sea monster, a lot of the movie is DaFoe and Pattinson sitting in a room together and arguing. The way the characters and objects were framed created the disturbing emotions even before the characters deliver their dialogue. I wasn't the biggest fan of the movie's plot but I did appreciate the care put in the environment and unease the cinematography gave to its viewers.
NOMINEES
THE IRISHMAN
Rodrigo Prieto
JOKER
Lawrence Sher
THE LIGHTHOUSE
Jarin Blaschke
1917
Roger Deakins
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Robert Richardson
COSTUME DESIGN
My Choice: Little Women – Jacqueline Durran
Hate even making a choice for a category like this but Jacqueline Durran was impressive as to what she put together. Not only was this a period piece but a lot of the characters designed their own clothes depending on their economic status or their prowess. No details were left alone. A lot of the nominations are period pieces but nothing felt as thorough and massive as the costumes setup for Little Women.
NOMINEES
THE IRISHMAN
Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson
JOJO RABBIT
Mayes C. Rubeo
JOKER
Mark Bridges
LITTLE WOMEN
Jacqueline Durran
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Arianne Phillips
DIRECTING
My Choice: Irishman – Martin Scorsese
This was an incredibly tough decision to make between Tarantino, Joon Ho, and Scorsese. Many saw The Irishman as a retirement home reunion, while Scorsese can conquer the film media even if they're in adult diapers or not. Martin makes it look so easy despite the pacing of this film. Martin gave a structure that even with three hours make the audiences craving more information. A lot of the movie the actors were only sitting and delivering dialogue but the way Scorsese had it structure, audience wanted to know each word expressed. It shows experience when a director can make the simplest situation seem so bold. He had a vision and seen it through while other films didn't feel so intentions and even lost at times.
NOMINEES
THE IRISHMAN
Martin Scorsese
JOKER
Todd Phillips
1917
Sam Mendes
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Quentin Tarantino
PARASITE
Bong Joon Ho
>< From here on out, I am only going to be given just choice without much reflection due to time restraints. My I can share reasoning more later if others are interested.
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
My Choice – American Factory – Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert and Jeff Reichert
NOMINEES
AMERICAN FACTORY
Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert and Jeff Reichert
THE CAVE
Feras Fayyad, Kirstine Barfod and Sigrid Dyekjær
THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY
Petra Costa, Joanna Natasegara, Shane Boris and Tiago Pavan
FOR SAMA
Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts
HONEYLAND
Ljubo Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska and Atanas Georgiev
FILM EDITING
My Choice Jojo Rabbit – Tom Eagles
NOMINEES
FORD V FERRARI
Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland
THE IRISHMAN
Thelma Schoonmaker
JOJO RABBIT
Tom Eagles
JOKER
Jeff Groth
PARASITE
Yang Jinmo
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
My Choice: Parasite – South Korea
NOMINEES
CORPUS CHRISTI
Poland
HONEYLAND
North Macedonia
LES MISÉRABLES
France
PAIN AND GLORY
Spain
PARASITE
South Korea
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
My Choice: JOKER -Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou
NOMINEES
BOMBSHELL
Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker
JOKER
Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou
JUDY
Jeremy Woodhead
MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL
Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten and David White
1917
Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis and Rebecca Cole
PRODUCTION DESIGN
My Choice: PARASITE -Production Design: Lee Ha Jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won Woo
NOMINEES
THE IRISHMAN
Production Design: Bob Shaw; Set Decoration: Regina Graves
JOJO RABBIT
Production Design: Ra Vincent; Set Decoration: Nora Sopková
1917
Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Production Design: Barbara Ling; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
PARASITE
Production Design: Lee Ha Jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won Woo
VISUAL EFFECTS
My Choice: AVENGERS: ENDGAME -Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick
NOMINEES
AVENGERS: ENDGAME
Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick
THE IRISHMAN
Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser and Stephane Grabli
THE LION KING
Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Elliot Newman
1917
Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
My Choice: THE TWO POPES - Written by Anthony McCarten
NOMINEES
THE IRISHMAN
Screenplay by Steven Zaillian
JOJO RABBIT
Screenplay by Taika Waititi
JOKER
Written by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver
LITTLE WOMEN
Written for the screen by Greta Gerwig
THE TWO POPES
Written by Anthony McCarten
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
My Choice: PARASITE - Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won; Story by Bong Joon Ho
NOMINEES
KNIVES OUT
Written by Rian Johnson
MARRIAGE STORY
Written by Noah Baumbach
1917
Written by Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Written by Quentin Tarantino
PARASITE
Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won; Story by Bong Joon Ho
