Oscars

Does the Academy’s new ‘Popular Film’ category put the Best Picture chances for Disney’s Black Panther in jeopardy? Black Panther’s fate hangs in the balance It’s impossible to discuss this month’s Best Picture predictions without first addressing the hugely controversial decision by the Academy’s Board of Governors last week to vote on and approve a new category that will take effect …

Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features) Spike Lee Still On Top Spike Lee remains at #1 with BlacKkKlansman, which just opened in theaters last weekend. It’s one of only two films in my top 10 this month that’s even been seen yet. The reviews are in for BlacKkKlansman and they’re overwhelmingly positive with many calling it the director’s best work to date. …

Glenn Close in The Wife (Sony Classics) has her eyes locked on Oscar victory (photo credit: Roberto Filipe Terra @robertofilipeterra) Glenn is ready for her Close-up It’s time, isn’t it? Glenn Close has been nominated for SIX Academy Awards. She stands alone as the most-nominated living actor, male or female, to have never won. I hesitated in Spring and early …

Lucas Hedges in Boy Erased (Focus Features) Lucas wedges into the top spot For the first time since my 2019 Oscar predictions began, Christian Bale has been relegated to, well, the Backseat. Lucas Hedges has emerged at the new frontrunner for Best Actor with his TIFF and Telluride-bound Boy Erased. This wasn’t an easy leap to make, putting a 21-year …

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Fox Searchlight) Not much change this month, just a few placement moves in the top 5. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (does anyone else hear the Pet Shop Boys’ “Can You Forgive Her?” when they see that title?) moves up to #2 on the strength of its Toronto and Telluride festival appearances. It should be Fox …

Regina King rebounds; Marina de Tavira enters the top 10 It’s a locked in top 4 for now, even with the Venice and Toronto film festival announcements: Amy Adams (Backseat), Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Emma Stone (The Favourite), and Nicole Kidman (Boy Erased). Of those, only The Favourite has been announced for a festival run; world premiering at Venice. Backseat …

Big moves and debuts for August but Timothée Chalamet remains at #1 With the announcement of the lineups of the Venice and Toronto film festivals, we start to push outside of the Oscar prediction guessing game and into more solid, definable territory. Plus, the information we have about those two fests give us clues as to what will show up …

Roma, Widows, A Star Is Born and Boy Erased could all find festival bows that boost their odds We are just on the cusp of announcements of the Venice and TIFF lineups but we already know a few things; Universal’s First Man will open the 75th Venice Film Festival. Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle opened La La Land there two years …

Things are starting to happen as we’ve crossed the halfway point of the year. While obviously the fall and winter films have yet to be seen by critics or the general public, many have been seen by festival programmers and next week we’ll have the lineups for Venice and TIFF. The big move this month is Alfonso Cuarón for Roma. It …

Let’s here it for the boys. Both Boy Erased and Beautiful Boy rise in the ranks this month with Boy Erased entering the top 5. Both films are aiming for top tier Oscar nominations but the adaptations of these true tales of gay conversion and drug addiction could really pull voters in. BlacKkKlansman, Widows and If Beale Street Could Talk …