The time of the year for movie fans to be insufferable has now come around. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has recently announced the nominations for this year’s awards, spawning debate about who’s deserving of their nomination.
As usual, a few snubs have made people upset that their favorite movies or actors didn’t get the recognition they deserved. There are a few interesting entries for those who did make it and some that can be seen as controversial.
One of the biggest stories to come out of this year’s nominations is for Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” which received a record-breaking 16 nominations from Best Director to Best Picture. The film surpasses classic movies such as “Titanic,” “La La Land” and “Gone With The Wind.”
Not only does this make “Sinners” the most nominated film in Oscar history, but it has also broken a new record for the number of Black nominees, including the film’s actors, actresses, costume department, makeup and hairstyling, cinematography and even production design.
In the category for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, the nominees are Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn both for “One Battle After Another,” Delroy Lindo for “Sinners,” Jacob Elordi for “Frankenstein” and Stellan Skarsgård for “Sentimental Value.”
Skarsgård won this category at the Golden Globes, but I would love to see Del Toro or Lindo take the win. These are two veteran actors who deserve to be in the spotlight for their performances this season. It is also Lindo’s first ever Oscar nomination.
However, Penn’s appearance in “One Battle After Another” could be seen as somewhat of a comeback role after being gone from the major spotlight for some time.
In the category Best Actress in a Supporting Role, the nominees are Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for “Sentimental Value,” Amy Madigan for “Weapons,” Wunmi Mosaku for “Sinners” and Teyana Taylor for “One Battle After Another.”
Taylor won this category at the Golden Globes, and, although I did like her performance, I also see her character as being a bit problematic. It continues the dialogue prevalent on social media about how actresses are nominated or win awards for hypersexualization of their characters, despite her character having more development than that.
I could see Taylor going home with the Oscar, but I also feel that Madigan and Mosaku deserve the win as well. Mosaku is a very underrated actress, and her performance in “Sinners” marks her first Oscar nomination.
The nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role feature Jessie Buckley for “Hamnet,” Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” Kate Hudson for “Song Sung Blue,” Renate Reinsve for “Sentimental Value” and Emma Stone for “Bugonia.”
One of the most significant snubs from this list is actress Chase Infiniti, who played Willa in “One Battle After Another,” becoming one of this year’s most rising stars. Although she received a nomination for British Academy Film and Television Awards (BAFTA), I believe she was robbed and highly deserving of an Oscar nomination.
The nominees for Best Actor are Timothée Chalamet for “Marty Supreme,” Leonardo DiCaprio for “One Battle After Another,” Ethan Hawke for “Blue Moon,” Michael B. Jordan for “Sinners” and Wagner Moura for “The Secret Agent.”
There are a lot of big names in this category who are deserving of the win, but I think Michael B. Jordan has the unique case of having to commit to double duty in his performance. However, DiCaprio is a big contender for winning his second Oscar.
Perhaps the most important award of the night will be going to Best Picture which features “Bugonia,” “F1,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another,” “The Secret Agent,” “Sentimental Value,” “Sinners” and “Train Dreams.”
One of these films is not like the other in this category: “F1.” While it was an enjoyable film for racing and non-racing fans alike, it was not something I believe was an Oscar-worthy performance. “Frankenstein” was a weak film, but even its cinematography places it well in the Best Picture category.
I was not a fan of “One Battle After Another,” but I can see that film or “Sinners” going home with Best Picture. However, I do think a surprise may come out of these nominations with the award possibly going to “Frankenstein,” “Marty Supreme” or “Bugonia.”
Fans believe a few snubs made the rounds for many films. “Wicked: For Good” received no nominations in any category, alongside “Weapons” which received one nomination for Best Supporting Actress. James Gunn’s “Superman” was listed in many Oscars predictions, but was also completely snubbed, with no nominations.
Also, hot take, but movie fans should get an automatic day off to discuss the Oscars nominations online with everyone else. Tune in on March 15 to see if your favorite movies and actors win!