Sudden Oscar Takes! 🏆

 

Sudden Oscar Takes

By Kristin Battestella

My fellow film friends will know that I haven't actively followed the Oscars in ten years and I've written why I'm Disinterested in Awards Season previously. I've only seen one 2023 Oscar nominee – go Turning Red for Best Animated Feature! However, in a recent off camera chat after the Women InSession Podcast at InSessionFilm.com with Amy Thomasson, I had a few knee jerk takes on a few Oscar races. These are of course based on Academy politics rather than film merit...as the wins so often are.

Supporting Actor

Amy loves The Banshees of Inisherin, and I do believe Brendan Gleeson will win. He has the most name recognition out of his fellow category nominees, and a strong man international respect that deserves winning recognition that's been brewing since Braveheart. I don't think Banshees will win anything else though, with the Academy considering Gleeson's overdue acknowledgment enough.

Supporting Actress

Stephanie Hsu was probably only graced with a nomination by The Academy because you can't nominate the beloved Jamie Lee Curtis much less award the supporting white actress in an Asian ensemble film like Everything Everywhere All at Once. Angela Bassett is due and the most likely winner. Remember Oscar has no problem awarding 9 supporting Black women rather than acknowledging more than 1 Black Best Actress winner.

Original Screenplay

Off the cuff I think Tar is most likely to win here. A biopic that's not about a real person, how clever! And there are backstabbing lesbians! It's one step above the “Let's time travel and meet famous people as told by Woody Allen” seen in Midnight in Paris. I don't know that Tar will win more, for Screenplay is where Oscar can have it's soft agreement of the “separate the artist from the accusation” debate.

Best Director

It will be Steven Spielberg if for no other reason than he has the most name recognition of the nominees. Those who wanted him to win for West Side Story last year also probably voted for him this year. The Fabelmens is also semi-autobiographical. Academy bitches love a semi-autobiographical.

International Feature Film

All Quiet on the Western Front will win here because it is also nominated for Best Picture, and I'm sure there are bigoted voters who never want to see a foreign film with Best Picture.

Best Actress

I wouldn't be surprised if Michelle Williams stuns everybody and wins. She is the only nominee who didn't create something perceived as problematic.

For a more nuanced discussion, InSession Film has their Chasing the Gold predictions podcast episode available now. I haven't listened yet! I wonder how similar or different my theories are? I have no idea who deserves to win based on picture or performance because I haven't seen any of the films, which both makes these opinions totally unqualified and yet I fit right in with all the Academy voters who cover their eyes and toss the darts at their ballots!