Of course, SS Rajamouli’s RRR bagged a historic nod for the film’s infectious song Naatu Naatu. With a year full of highs and lows for international cinema, here are our Oscars 2023 predictions.
BEST PICTURE
All Quiet On the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees Of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All At Once
The Fabelmans
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle Of Sadness
Women Talking
OUR CHOICE: Everything Everywhere All At Once
WINNING ODDS: 7/10
The Best Picture category is rather crowded with a total of 10 nominees. The list is an interesting mix of blockbusters filled with visual spectacles and original storytelling. While films like The Fabelsman, The Banshees Of Inisherin and Tár with their A-lister cast and crew would typically be the jury’s top picks, we’re leaning heavily towards Everything Everywhere All At Once. Starring Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Stephanie Hsu and others, the film is one mind-boggling entry into the Oscars race. While it’s an unlikely winner, it’s impossible not to root for it. EEAAO is an independent film that drummed up excitement after its film festival run. It features a majority Asian cast and has the trippiest multiversal concept that could give Marvel a run for its money. The Daniels have truly achieved a mammoth feat with this one and it checks all the boxes. The category also has box office successes like Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way Of Water that point towards a future where commercial hits turn into serious contenders but we think that future isn’t here yet.
DIRECTING
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All At Once
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, Tár
Ruben Östlund, Triangle Of Sadness
OUR CHOICE: Steven Spielberg
WINNING ODDS: 8/10
The mix of filmmakers in the Best Director category seems to automatically highlight Steven Spielberg as the most favoured winner. While the legendary director may lose the Best Picture run, his chances of winning Best Director are high. And that has a lot to do with the type of movie The Fabelmans is. It’s a deep dive into Spieldberg’s own story, mapping his journey as a movie lover and a filmmaker. The reflection on his legacy could easily sway the Academy to give him the win for his excellent work as a director.
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Austin Butler, Elvis
Colin Farrell, The Banshees Of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Bill Nighy, Living
OUR CHOICE: Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
WINNING ODDS: 7/10
Our personal favourite is Colin Farrell, not only for his performance in The Banshees but also for the stellar year he’s been having between After Yang and The Batman. At the same time, the Academy has given out the Best Actor award for the portrayal of a legendary musician before. So what worked for Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody might just work for Austin Butler in Elvis this awards season. After all, the actor won the Golden Globe Award and gave a rousing speech in his oddly intact Elvis accent. However, this year’s race doesn’t just have tight competition but also a crowd-pleasing comeback story. And who doesn’t love a good comeback? Brendan Fraser made quite an impact with his role in The Whale. The actor’s physical transformation and memorable performance have struck a chord with the audiences since its debut at the Venice International Film Festival. Fraser is a beloved ‘90s star who has been in our collective consciousness since The Mummy was released. The Academy might just buy into the nostalgia of it all and recognise his impact on cinema.
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees Of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan, The Banshees Of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
OUR CHOICE: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
WINNING ODDS: 7/10
In his Golden Globe award-winning speech an emotional Ke Huy Quan detailed his journey. He was a child star in The Goonies and Indiana Jones The Temple Of Doom. Like so many child stars he struggled to find work for the majority of his adult life. That is till Everything Everywhere All At Once came along. The film had Quan flexing all his acting muscles as the endearing Waymond Wang. It’s a heart-winning role that might easily translate into a heart-winning success story at the 95th Academy Awards.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Cate Blanchett, Tár
Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once
OUR CHOICE: Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
WINNING ODDS: 8/10
Everything Everywhere All At Once released all the way back in March and even back then fans were manifesting an Oscar for Michelle Yeoh. The star shines at her brightest as Evelyn, a Chinese immigrant who is confronted with several different versions of herself from parallel universes. And it’s truly a performance that won’t be forgotten any time soon. Yeoh has outdone herself with this role that demanded a mastery over multiple genres between comedy, drama and action which required her to tap into her martial arts roots. It comes with a major Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon recall. The Academy might finally give Yeoh her due after decades of excellent work in the industry. That said, the Oscars have seen Cate Blanchett receive two awards for two unforgettable roles. And her role in Tár which is as fascinating as it gets could very well mark a hat-trick.
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale, Kerry Condon, The Banshees Of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All At Once
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All At Once
OUR CHOICE: Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
WINNING ODDS: 6/10
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a lot of things. It was a bittersweet farewell to the late Chadwick Boseman, an origin story for the next Black Panther and a build-up for a fresh MCU storyline. It was also the stage for a great Angela Bassett performance. As the Queen, the actress channelled a lot of strength and grief to play the character. In one of the scenes, she delivers a scene-stealing speech about loss and it’s just the thunderous moment that could put her on the podium at the Oscars for her winning speech. Bassett is in good company with Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu for their performances in Everything Everywhere All At Once and Kerry Cordon for her role in The Banshees Of Inisherin.
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
The Banshees Of Inisherin, Written by Martin Mcdonagh
Everything Everywhere All At Once, Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
The Fabelmans, Written by Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner
Tár, Written by Todd Field
Triangle Of Sadness, Written by Ruben Östlund
OUR CHOICE: EVERYTHING EVERYWHEREALL AT ONCE Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
WINNING ODDS: 9/10
Everything Everywhere All At Once, Written by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, has one of the wildest storylines we’ve seen in a while. The film packs in so many concepts and emotions in one jaw-dropping movie. It combines science fiction with the story of a mother-daughter bond. It’s as bizarre as it is relatable and that’s perhaps why the film received so much love from the audiences and the critics across the board. The film is well on its way to winning in this category.
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
All Quiet On The Western Front, Screenplay by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Written by Rian Johnson
Living, Written by Kazuo Ishiguro
Top Gun: Maverick, Screenplay by Ehren Kruger And Eric Warren Singer And Christopher Mcquarrie; Story by Peter Craig And Justin Marks
Women Talking, Screenplay by Sarah Polley
OUR CHOICE: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell
WINNING ODDS: 6/10
This category comes with quite the range between Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery which has a fun screenplay and the more serious All Quiet On The Western Front. But we have a feeling that the voters might be in favour of the war flick. Written by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell, the film revisits World War I from the point of view of the Germans. It follows a young German soldier who witnesses the disillusionment of war as he’s thrown into what feels like endless battles on the war front. It’s a dark, tragic chronicling of history and the human condition.
FILM EDITING
The Banshees Of Inisherin, Mikkel E.g. Nielsen
Elvis, Matt Villa And Jonathan Redmond
Everything Everywhere All At Once, Paul Rogers
Tár, Monika Willi
Top Gun: Maverick, Eddie Hamilton
OUR CHOICE: Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
WINNING ODDS: 8/10
Everything Everywhere All At Once doesn’t just have an audacious concept but also the ability to execute it. The film has some of the best editing packed within fractions of seconds. There are scenes where we witness glimpses of characters switching between multiple universes. When they said everything they really meant it and that comes across in the clever, exhilarating editing. Need we say more?
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Marcel The Shell With Shoes On
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
The Sea Beast
Turning Red
OUR CHOICE: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
WINNING ODDS: 7/10
For years the animated film category has been dominated by Disney’s Pixar movies. And this year did have a Pixar entry in the form of Turning Red but it all takes a backseat when we have something like Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. The film is a stellar display of what stop-motion animation can do. It tells the tale of Pinocchio in a rich, visually stunning movie that will be hard to beat even with great contenders like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
All Quiet On The Western Front – Germany
Argentina, 1985 – Argentina
Close – Belgium
EO – Poland
The Quiet Girl – Ireland
OUR CHOICE: All Quiet on the Western Front – Germany
WINNING ODDS: 7/10
Our money was on Park Chan-wook’s inspired Decision To Leave for this category. However, the film did not get a nomination. Meanwhile, the global clamouring to add RRR to the list did not work. That leaves us with All Quiet On The Western Front. While the Academy might not give the Best Picture award to the war drama it looks like they will find a way to honour Germany’s entry to the Oscars with a Best International Feature Film win.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
All Quiet On The Western Front, James Friend
Bardo, False Chronicle Of A Handful Of Truths, Darius Khondji
Elvis, Mandy Walker
Empire Of Light, Roger Deakins
Tár, Florian Hoffmeister
OUR CHOICE: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, James Friend
WINNING ODDS: 6/10
The Best Cinematography category is full of snubs and surprises. For example, where is the visually stunning neo-noir wonderland that was The Batman? Or perhaps the thrilling Top Gun: Maverick? In the absence of the obvious picks, All Quiet On The Western Front with its haunting frames and atmosphere has the best chance of landing the win.
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
All Quiet On The Western Front, Volker Bertelmann
Babylon, Justin Hurwitz
The Banshees Of Inisherin, Carter Burwell
Everything Everywhere All At Once, Son Lux
The Fabelmans, John Williams
Our CHOICE: The Banshees of Inisherin, Carter Burwell
WINNING ODDS: 7/10
The obvious choice for the Banshees Of Inisherin – a film about two friends set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, would be Irish music. But Carter Burwell reportedly was given a different brief and the result is a stunning auditory experience pulled from music the film’s director was listening to while making the movie. The result is a mix of sounds inspired by Bulgarian and Indonesian pieces composed into a great score.
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
Applause From Tell It Like A Woman; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
Hold my hand From Top Gun: Maverick; Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga and Bloodpop
Lift me up From Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; Lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler
Naatu naatu From RRR; Music By M.M. Keeravaani; Lyric by Chandrabose
This is a life From Everything Everywhere All At Once; Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski; Lyric by Ryan Lott and David Byrne
OUR CHOICE: NAATU NAATU from RRR; Music by M.M. Keeravaani; Lyric by Chandrabose
WINNING ODDS: 10/10
Naatu naatu’s win at the Oscars would perhaps be the most satisfying. RRR garnered significant awards buzz since its release and it has only gotten louder. Composed by M.M. Keeravani, sung by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava with lyrics by Chandrabose, the song became a global sensation. With its infectious energy, the dance track might land the historic win everyone’s been anticipating.
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
All Quiet On The Western Front – Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová
The Batman – Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Camille Friend and Joel Harlow
Elvis – Mark Coulier, Jason Baird and Aldo Signoretti
The Whale – Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Anne Marie Bradley
OUR CHOICE: The Batman – Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine
WINNING ODDS: 7/10
Okay, maybe this is just us manifesting a win for The Batman. But did you see Colin Farrell’s unrecognisable Penguin or the upgraded emo goth make-up on Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne? That deserves some type of award.
COSTUME DESIGN
Babylon, Mary Zophres
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ruth Carter
Elvis, Catherine Martin
Everything Everywhere All At Once, Shirley Kurata
Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris, Jenny Beavan
OUR CHOICE: BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, Ruth Carter
WINNING ODDS: 8/10
Black Panther landed a win for Best Costume Design and with its sequel Wakanda Forever, Ruth Carter is at the forefront for a win. This time around, the film took its futuristic African setting to new highs and added a whole new wave of aesthetics as the film introduces fresh characters and clans from under the sea. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris remains a close second.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
All Quiet On The Western Front – Production Design: Christian M. Goldbeck; Set Decoration: Ernestine Hipper
Avatar: The Way Of Water – Production Design: Dylan Cole And Ben Procter; Set Decoration: Vanessa Cole
Babylon – Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino
Elvis – Production Design: Catherine Martin And Karen Murphy; Set Decoration: Bev Dunn
The Fabelmans – Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Karen O’hara
OUR CHOICE: AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER, Production design: Dylan Cole and Ben Procter; Set Decoration: Vanessa Cole
WINNING ODDS: 8/10
The race for Best Production Design feels like a face-off between James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. One is a period drama with opulent settings recreated with historic accuracy. The other is the sequel of a sci-fi film that has won this category before. In The Way Of Water, the world-building is remarkable but something tells us the voters will lean towards Elvis.
VISUAL EFFECTS
All Quiet On The Western Front – Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank And Kamil Jafar
Avatar: The Way Of Water – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon And Daniel Barrett
The Batman – Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands And Dominic Tuohy
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White And Dan Sudick
Top Gun: Maverick – Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson And Scott R. Fisher
OUR CHOICE: AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett
WINNING ODDS: 10/10
If there’s one award Avatar: The Way Of Water wins, it’s got to be Best Visual Effects. The film achieves the unimaginable with its underwater world. The whole experience of watching the sequel is an immersive ride that explores the whole range of what 3D can achieve and it’s spectacular.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
All That Breathes
All The Beauty And The Bloodshed
Fire Of Love
A House Made Of Splinters
Navalny
OUR CHOICE: All That Breathes
WINNING ODDS: 8/10
Indian-made All that Breathes premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2022 where it won the Grand Jury Prize. It also won the Golden Eye at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Shaunak Sen, the film is about two brothers who work towards the black kite in New Delhi against the backdrop of tumultuous social and ecological changes in the city. It seems to be the best choice given its successful run so far.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
The Elephant Whisperers
Haulout
How Do You Measure A Year?
The Martha Mitchell Effect
Stranger At the Gate
OUR CHOICE: The Elephant Whisperers
WINNING ODDS: 8/10
It’s hard not to root for The Elephant Whisperers which is our personal favourite among the documentary shorts. Directed by Kartiki Gonsalves, the film is about a couple tasked with taking care of a baby elephant. It’s an adorable short that spotlights the lush landscapes and beauty of Mudumalai National Park while telling a heartwarming tale of a human-animal bond.