Are you ready for all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s biggest night of the year? On Sunday, the Oscars 2018 will take place. Hopefully, there will be no repeat craziness (like last year’s La La Land/Moonlight mixup).
I will admit that two weeks ago I woke up and realized I hadn’t seen 90% of the films nominated this year. A binge followed. Luckily, I have a friend in the industry that helped me with this post, making sure I got to see all of the movies I had not been able to see yet.
Without further ado, here are my picks for this year’s Oscars.
Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)
Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread)
Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)
Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)
REASON: Seriously, do you think anyone else will win? Dude is playing Winston Churchill. That’s a tall order, as well as a major transformation.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)
Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water)
Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World)
Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
REASON: Sam Rockwell…the same goofy guy from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Technically, he usually plays that goofy guy in every film. His role in this film was so powerful. You love to hate him as he tries to go from being a horrible, self-centered asshole to a normal person. While, Woody Harrelson also stars in this film and did an extraordinary job, Sam kind of knocked it out of the ballpark.
Actress in a Leading Role
Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water)
Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)
Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
Meryl Streep (The Post)
REASON: McDormand is a powerhouse. The other ladies pale in comparison to her role in Three Billboards. She was beyond incredible. I loved her character.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Mary J. Blige (Mudbound)
Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread)
Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)
Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)
REASON: While I love Octavia Spencer and enjoyed her performance in The Shape of Water, Laurie Metcalf is my pick. Within the first two minutes of watching her in Lady Bird, I thought…she’s the one that should win.
Animated Feature Film
The Boss Baby
The Breadwinner
Coco
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent
REASON: As much as I loved Coco, and loved the story from The Breadwinner, my pick is Loving Vincent. This film is a work of art. With 100 artists telling the story of what happened to Vincent Van Gogh (did he kill himself, or did someone else?), you can’t help but notice how this film is unique and unlike any other animated film you’ve ever seen before. They tell the story as if you are in a Van Gogh painting. It was purely remarkable and unique. It was far superior to any of the other nominees.
Cinematography
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Mudbound
The Shape of Water
REASON: I will admit that I have been tossing back and forth on which film should win. My doubts with Blade Runner 2049 is that it is purely CGI, but beautifully done. It would not surprise me if Dunkirk won.
Costume Design
Beauty and the Beast
Darkest Hour
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water
Victoria & Abdul
REASON: I may be biased. Beauty and the Beast is my all-time favorite Disney cartoon. Seeing Belle in her dress, and the Beast looking so dapper…I am just a little biased. Also, if you have not seen Victoria & Abdul, you have to see it. One of my favorite films from this year’s nominees.
Directing
Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan)
Get Out (Jordan Peele)
Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig)
Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson)
The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro)
REASON: I can’t stand Dunkirk. The editing was so horrible, you can’t expect me to say Christopher Nolan should win. Get Out was incredible and a great movie (very unique). But I chose Guillermo del Toro for a reason. When I finished watching The Shape of Water, he left his mark on my soul. This film was so well done, I was tweeting del Toro about how much I enjoyed his film while I was still in front of the movie theater.
Documentary (Feature)
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
Faces Places
Icarus
Last Men in Aleppo
Strong Island
Documentary (Short Subject)
Edith & Eddie
Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405
Heroin(e)
Knife Skills
Traffic Stop
REASON: This short started off as a story about the oldest inter-racial couple in America. The story turned into something much more powerful. Heroin(e) is being listed as everyone’s favorite to win. While it is an interesting story, I think Edith & Eddie is more incredible. When they started filming this, the crew had no idea the story would change.
Film Editing
Baby Driver
Dunkirk
I, Tonya
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
REASON: I hated Dunkirk purely because of the editing…watch, it will probably win for editing. I chose Three Billboards because of the ending. It reminded me of the ending of Prisoners, where the last few minutes of the film are the most important minutes of the entire movie.
Foreign Language Film
A Fantastic Woman
The Insult
Loveless
On Body and Soul
The Square
Makeup and Hairstyling
Darkest Hour
Victoria & Abdul
Wonder
REASON: They transformed Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill. To me, that is remarkable.
Music (Original Score)
Dunkirk
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
REASON: While I love the music to Phantom Thread, it is the score from The Shape of Water that is unique. When you hear it, you instantly think of this movie, the water, the love story…the song beautifully matches the magic of the movie.
Music (Original Song)
Mighty River (from Mudbound)
Mystery of Love (from Call Me By Your Name)
Remember Me (from Coco)
Stand Up for Something (from Marshall)
This is Me (from The Greatest Showman)
REASON: While “Remember Me” from Coco sticks out as such an incredible song, “This is Me” is my theme song for 2018. It is such a wonderful and powerful song. I expected The Greatest Showman to receive more nominations, because I had goosebumps from start to finish when I watched the film. Best Original Song was its only nomination, and they chose the best song from the movie.
Best Picture
Call Me By Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
REASON: I loved The Shape of Water, but when it comes right down to the movie I want to represent the 2018 Oscars as the best picture, I have to go with Three Billboards. That is the movie I would want everyone to remember. The Shape of Water and Three Billboards are the two top contenders for this category. I would be happy with either of them winning.
Production Design
Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
REASON: Have you seen Blade Runner 2049? The other films pale in comparison in this category.
Short Film (Animated)
Dear Basketball
Garden Party
Lou
Negative Space
Revolting Rhymes
REASON: Dear Basketball is Kobe Bryant’s retirement film. There is a powerful message in the story of how basketball shaped Kobe’s childhood and made him into the person he is today, all the way to the end where he has to say goodbye. It is an ode to the love of the game. For any sports fan, they will understand how moving this is.
Short Film (Live Action)
Dekalb Elementary
The Eleven O’Clock
My Nephew Emmett
The Silent Child
Watu Wote/All of Us
REASON: When this story gripped the headlines, my heart went out to the people on that bus. The re-telling of this story may be difficult for people to see, but it is the story everyone needs to see.
Sound Editing
Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Reason: I have to throw Dunkirk a bone.
Sound Mixing
Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
REASON: Or two.
Visual Effects
Blade Runner 2049
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Kong: Skull Island
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
War for the Planet of the Apes
REASON: This was a pretty tough category to choose from. When I saw Guardians, I pointed out how much I loved the visual effects. I mentioned it to so many people. War for Planet of the Apes was another favorite that I remarked on how it was so beautifully done. Keep on going down the list and I have to go with the film that blew them all out of the water…Blade Runner 2049.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Call Me By Your Name
The Disaster Artist
Logan
Molly’s Game
Mudbound
REASON: First, why was Logan listed in this category? I mean, I love Logan, but you can’t make me choose the film that fucked me up emotionally for months. For the record, I was really messed up that I was being forced to say goodbye to Logan. I was not okay with saying goodbye. Also, add in that this is an X-Men film. Up for an Oscar nomination? Huh? If we were to go with how Logan fucked me up for months, then let’s give them an Oscar for how it emotionally messed me up. But if you want to talk about an incredible story, you go with Mudbound.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
The Big Sick
Get Out
Lady Bird
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
REASON: A lot of hot contenders here. Only one is not up for Best Film. Technically, the film wasn’t that great, but the story, on the other hand, was spectacular. It is the very emotional, real life tale about Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon. There were a lot of personal conflicts which will touch your heart. The things you do for love…love of family, love of a dream, and the love of your life. It was by far the best screenplay. Hands down, none of the other films compare in this category. That says a lot, considering I did not like The Big Sick as a film, and loved the other four nominees as a film. The Big Sick is just an excellent screenplay.