Its the most wonderful time of the year – awards season! The Golden Globe nominations are soon to be upon us, as well as the Oscars, Critics Choice and many others! As the worldwide community of cinephiles prepares to be outraged and validated as their favorite movies are picked and snubbed, we should take a moment to realize that there is one thing that brings all fans of film together – we’re all very confident in our opinions. So, with that being said, here are our official predictions for the writing, cinematography, and musical categories of the 2018 award season.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
What Will Get Nominated
– First Man (Beautifully shot – by a DP with an Oscar pedigree no less – with a unique and striking visual style. Like VFX, the Lunar sequence should be enough to get this a nomination.)
– If Beale Street Could Talk (A unique approach to filmmaking, with characters looking directly down the barrel of the camera. It works well in the film which should earn it a nomination.)
– Roma (Despite not having seen it, it looks absolutely stunning, and the choice to put it in black and white will be a stand out amongst prestige films this year.)
– The Favourite (A beautiful color palate as well as unique looking extreme wide angles should propel this film to a cinematography nomination.)
– Mid90s (A four by three aspect ratio won’t go unnoticed. In addition to that detail, the film looks amazing, with striking colors and a look very reminiscent of it’s titular time period.)
What Could Get Nominated
– Widows (Again, having not seen it but Widows looks like it’s full of dynamic camera work, and lots of beautiful lighting.)
– The Old Man and the Gun (Recreated the feel and look of a film from the 60’s or 70’s. Beautiful 16mm photography, and stunning lighting. It really should get a nomination.).
What Should Get Nominated
– Eighth Grade (Much like its editing, Eighth Grade’s cinematography is underrated. A lot of long lingering shots and zoom outs, long takes that feel natural. The film is subtly shot, but it’s shot perfectly for the story it has to tell. It should be recognized for that.)
Original Screenplay
What Will Get Nominated
– A Quiet Place (Though there is little dialogue, a lot of the film relies on non verbal cues, every single one of which would have been written into a detail oriented screenplay. This should be nominated.)
– Sorry To Bother You (One of the most “original”original screenplays in years. Inventive, sharp, and very very poignant, Sorry To Bother You stands a good chance of picking up a nomination here.)
– The Favourite (A film that seems to promise a lot of quirky characters and dynamics, it would be hard to imagine the screenplay being ignored.)
– First Reformed (Despite the film not having much momentum or narrative right now, Paul Schrader’s script is definitely in the ring when it comes to clever and original writing this year.)
– Green Book (Despite some controversial coverage recently, the script is tight and hilarious. It shouldn’t be underestimated come this awards season.)
What Could Get Nominated
– Isle Of Dogs (Again, not much of an awards narrative for this film, but as always, Anderson’s quirky and fun screenplay should receive a good amount of attention this year.)
– Eighth Grade (Bo Burnham’s sharp wit and knack for capturing youth on paper is quite extraordinary.)
What Should Get Nominated
– Mid90s (Hill created a film that touches on so many different aspects of childhood and coming of age, all while feeling very authentic and grounded in it’s time period. It’s wonderfully done, and really should receive more attention.)
Adapted Screenplay
What Will Get Nominated
– If Beale Street Could Talk (A great script to begin with, adapted from a Baldwin novel. Easy lock.)
– First Man (Lots of tense scenes here, both dialogue wise and with stage direction. In addition, it’s adapted from the story of one of the greatest true stories of all time.)
– Can You Ever Forgive Me? (A story about writing should naturally receive some accolades for it’s stellar and moody writing.)
– BlackkKlansman (Despite not having seen it, the word is that the script is stellar, and will likely be up for the award.)
– A Star Is Born (A sharp script handling a great deal of different subjects such as celebrity and addiction, all while focusing on a relationship. It handles it’s subject matter well, and should receive a nomination.)
– Black Panther (Black Panther is one of the first modern superhero films to handle a much deeper and more important subject matter than the ordinary popcorn fluff of others. Racism and oppression are handled tactfully and with ease throughout the film, so the screenplay deserves some love.)
What Could Get Nominated
– The Hate U Give (Opinions may differ on this film, but if you love it, a great deal of it’s power comes from the screenplay.)
– Leave No Trace (Despite not having seen it, the consensus appears to be that the script is stellar, and while the film is smaller than many other awards contenders this year, it still stands a chance.)
What Should Get Nominated
– Thunder Road (While this film may not qualify for many awards this season, it is one of the best films of the year. It’s a festival favorite, and it has one of the best screenplays put to film in years. It won’t be nominated, but it sure deserves to be.)
Original Song
What Will Get Nominated
– “Shallow” – A Star Is Born (It will get nominated, and it’ll likely win. It’s the City Of Stars of this year, and it deserves it.)
– “I’ll Never Love Again” – A Star Is Born (A Star Is Born will clean up this season, and since they’re pushing both, we might see another La La Land situation with two nominations.)
– “All The Stars” – Black Panther (The Black Panther attention will continue here. The soundtrack was fantastic, and produced by Kendrick Lamar, a very big name in hip hop.)
– “The Place Where Lost Things Go” – Mary Poppins Returns (A sequel to a beloved classic, with music meant to feel like it’s from the original. It’ll get a great deal of attention.)
– “Revelation” – Boy Erased (While the film might not pick up too many nominations, this song is powerful and works perfectly in the context of the film. It has a good chance at getting nominated as well.)
What Could Get Nominated
– “I Count on Me” – Green Book (Another powerful end credits song that could join the mix.)
– “Ashes” – Deadpool 2 (Celine Dion is a household name and she made a pretty great song for a movie that you wouldn’t think could pull of an Oscar campaign, but knowing their marketing team, they probably could.)
What Should Get Nominated
– “Venom” – Venom (Eminem has a pedigree, he’s won an Oscar before. Why not, it’s catchy, it’s fun, and it’s in the best film of all time. Let’s get it trending, #Venomforbestoriginalsong.)
oh and also
– “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” – Mary Poppins Returns (Because it’s amazing, and Lin Manuel Miranda’s voice makes it even more so. Deserves a nomination.)
Original Score
What Will Get Nominated
– First Man (Deserves a nomination for the beautiful and haunting melodies as well as the bombastic pieces woven throughout this film. Amazing music, stands a strong chance at winning.)
– If Beale Street Could Talk (Another beautiful and haunting score, with some stunning melodies at it’s core.)
– Black Panther (A first when it comes to marvel films, creating a fusion score with orchestra, traditional and hip hop arrangements. It deserves the nomination for it’s pure originality.)
– Widows (Just a beautiful score, not much else needs to be said. It’ll probably be nominated.)
– Mary Poppins Returns (Knowing the original, the music in this film will be incredible, and therefore a likely favorite this awards season.)
What Could Get Nominated
– Green Book (The film’s about an incredible musician, so the music had to be stellar to match it. It definitely has a chance to join the other nominees.)
– Isle Of Dogs (Another incredible score by Alexandre Desplat, incorporating traditional instrumentation into a modern film score.)
What Should Get Nominated
– Halloween (John Carpenter’s original theme is reborn again here and the rest of the music is some of the best we’ve heard since the original, if not the best. Hearing this classic theme played by the orchestra in the Dolby Theatre would be incredible, and it really deserves every accolade it gets.)
Stay tuned for even more awards predictions in the coming days!
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