2023 Oscars Breakdown

The Academy Awards, the world’s largest film award event, has announced its nominees for winners in a number of categories for the 2023 Oscars. Here, we will break down the candidates for the major categories, evaluating which films should win, which are likely to win, and which were overlooked but should have received a nomination.

BEST PICTURE

Beginning with Best Picture, the academy selected to nominate a total of ten films this year, including All Quiet on the Western Front, The Banshees of Inishiren, Elvis, Everything Everywhere all at Once, The Fablemans, Tȧr, Top Gun: Maverick, Triangle of Sadness, and Women Talking. 

Damien Chazelle’s Babylon was another picture that failed to make the Best Picture shortlist. Typically an Oscar darling, Chazelle’s most recent bombastic and profuse picture has proven to be a dud, a Best Picture nomination serving as its sole saving grace following its losses at the box office.

Nonetheless, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s Everything, Everywhere, All at Once is the most probable winner at this year’s Oscars on March 12. As the film of the year, it stands out for its inventiveness and poignant story. Edward Berger’s All Quiet on the Western Front also has a strong chance of winning the award because of its pervasive appearance throughout the nominations, likely taking home the award for Best International Feature film as well.

BEST ACTOR

The nominations for Best Actor include Brendan Fraser for The Whale, Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin, Austin Butler in Elvis, Bill Nighy in Living, and finally Paul Mescal in Aftersun.

Despite all these nominations, Brendan Fraser is the current front-runner for taking home the award. Fraser’s portrayal of Charlie, the reclusive 600-pound man in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, has brought audiences all around the world to tears. Fraser received a six-minute standing ovation for his stirring performance at the Venice Film Festival last year, demonstrating the significance of his work and his likelihood of winning the Oscar in March.

Others argue Austin Butler deserves it as well for his outstanding portrayal of the legendary rock icon in Elvis. From his signing and dancing to his tragic passing, Butler depicts the star in a performance that is deserving of recognition.

BEST ACTRESS

The nominations for Best Actress include Cate Blanchett for Tȧr, Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ana de Armas in Blonde, Michelle Williams for The Fabelmans, and Andrea Riseborough in To Leslie.

Michelle Yeoh’s performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once makes her the most probable candidate to win the Oscar for Best Actress due to her emotional portrayal of the Chinese-American immigrant discovering the wonders of the multiverse. Nevertheless, Yeoh makes history, becoming the first Asian actor to be nominated for Best Actress.

Still, fans of Woman King felt that Viola Davis deserved to be nominated for her empowering portrayal as the film’s protagonist. Other critics believe that Margot Robbie deserved an Oscar for her performance in Babylon too. Despite her impressive work as Nellie LeRoy in the film; however, many saw it as more of the same from Robbie, hoping to see a new side of her in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie.

BEST DIRECTOR

Third, the nominations for Best Director are Martin McDonagh for The Banshees of Inisherin, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Steven Spielberg for The Fablemans, Todd Field for Tȧr, and Ruben Östlund for Triangle of Sadness.

Despite the movie’s thirteen-year development period and commercial success, James Cameron’s work in Avatar: The Way of Water is conspicuously absent from this list of diverse creators.

Similarly, Joseph Kosinski was also overlooked for a nomination despite his brilliant execution of the aerial sequences in Top Gun: Maverick.

Either Steven Spielberg or Todd Field are two of the most likely nominees to win Best Director. The Academy Awards appears to be especially appreciative of Spielberg’s bravery in sharing his own experiences and life story through the film, making him a more likely contender.

Many admirers, nonetheless, feel that Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert should be nominated for their work in Everything Everywhere All at Once, telling a unique narrative while preserving the heart and beauty of the story.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Fourthly, the nominations for Best Adapted screenplay include Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell for All Quiet on the Western Front, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery by Rian Johnson, Kazuo Ishiguro for his work on Living, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie (Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks) for Top Gun: Maverick, and finally Sarah Polley for Women Talking.

Many fans were confused as to why Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was placed under the Adapted Screenplay category rather than under Original Screenplay.

However, according to the Oscar criteria, sequels are only eligible for this category. Because it is based on previously existing material, as the film features the return of Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc from the first film, it falls under Adapted Screenplay. Top Gun: Maverick was also classified into this list for the same reason.

Amid the strong competition, the most likely Oscar winners are Kazuo Ishiguro for Living, Sarah Polley for Women Talking, and Rian Johnson for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Most reviewers, although, believe that Sarah Polley deserves the award to compensate for not being nominated for Best Director.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The contenders for best Original Screenplay as well include: Martin McDonagh for The Banshees of Inisherin, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner for The Fablemans, Todd Field for Tȧr, and Ruben Östlund for Triangle of Sadness.

As per previous years, because this category has many of the same candidates as Best Director, whoever does not win Best Director will likely win this category instead. As a result, the likely candidates include The Banshees of Inisherin and Triangle of Sadness.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Finally, the nominees for Best Visual Effects include All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Batman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Top Gun: Maverick. 

Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick are two potential winners in this category. A fierce battle pitting the two juggernauts against each other. With Cameron’s enthralling undersea spectacle versus Top Gun’s outstanding blend of practical and computer-generated visual effects to create remarkable and immersive aerial fights, a likely winner is difficult to predict; yet, it seems more likely that Cameron might take home this award. The immersive production of Avatar, made possible by the use of cutting-edge technology, sets it apart from the competition.

FINALLY…

If you’d like to learn more about the nominees, check out multiple more of the other Oscar categories not mentioned here, such as Best Animated Feature, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress on the official Academy Awards website

Many brilliant and innovative films are now being pitted against one another, emphasizing not just the artistry put into these films, but also the people involved, and their effect on future films.