by Kevin Muller

Best Original Screenplay
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” written by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
“The Banshees of Inisherin” written by Martin McDonough
“Triangle of Sadness” written by Ruben Ostlund
“The Fabelmans” by Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner
“Tar” Todd Field

Who Will Win: Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner

My Pick: Kwan and Scheinert

I don’t think Spielberg is going to get the big award for his autographical film, but I strongly feel that he and Tony Kushner are winning this one as a consolation prize. I thought that film was decent, but nowhere near one of his best. I know it’s a personal one for him, and I feel most of Hollywood does too.

Best Adaptative Screenplay
“All Quiet on the Western Front” by Edward Berger, Lesley Patterson, and Ian Stokell
“Glass Onion” by Rian Johnson
“Living” by Kazuo Ishiguro
“Top Gun: Maverick” by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie
“Women Talking” by Sarah Polly

Who Will Win: Sarah Polly

My Pick: Rian Johnson

Glass Onion being here is odd, but I loved the script for that film. It was fast, snappy,
funny, and played out in an extremely entertaining way. I hope he makes more of these films, but this one is going to Women Talking. I saw it back in October at the Hampton’s Film Festival, humble brag, and found the performances ACROSS the board to be marvelous. The main cast bring it, but so does the ENTIRE cast that includes actresses ranging to pre-teen to the elderly. The script’s dialogue is essential, since it carries the film, and Polly creates well developed characters reciting those beautiful words. It all works so well.

Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson in “The Banshees if Inisherin”
Brian Tyree Henry in “Causeway”

Judd Hirsh in “The Fabelmans”
Barry Keoghan “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Key Hu Quan in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Who will win and my Pick: Key Hu Quan

I don’t think I have ever had a bigger smile on my face than when Quan starts to kick ass with a fanny pack. Best known as either Short Round, from the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, or Data, from the adventure film The Goonies, he disappeared once the 90’s came around, though he does share a scene with Brendan Fraser in the 1993 film Encino Man. He has been working as a stunt performer for almost 30 years, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he is convincing when it is time to kick ass. Outside of the convincing martial arts, what makes this performance special is that he is bring the same intensity to the dramatic scenes. It is going to be fantastic once he is holding his Oscar. The only threat to him getting up on that stage could be Keoghan, who wins your heart as the dimwitted, but pure hearted person, in Banshees.

Supporting Actress
Angela Bassett in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Kerry Condon in “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Jamie Lee Curtis in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Stephanie Hsu in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Hong Chau in “The Whale”

Who will: Kerry Condon
My Pick: Angela Bassett

Out of all the awards, this one has got to be the one without a clearcut winner. All the ladies have won major awards for their performances from other ceremonies, with Curtis and Hsu grabbing the recent trophies from the last 2 award shows, SAG and the Spirit Awards. Bassett, an industry Veteran, who was last nominated 30 years ago, is fantastic as Romanda. Place this performance in a film like The Woman King and it would be given the proper respect. Basset acts her heart out as a Queen who has lost everything close to her and has the enormous responsibility of keeping it all together. Chau keeps pace with Fraser but is the less likely to get it. With double nominees from the same film, unless one performance is in the bag, both will cancel each other out. You are left with a performance from a “comic book” film and one from a film that is considered a close runner up for Best Picture.

Best Actor
Austin Butler in “Elvis”
Colin Farrell in “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Brendan Fraser in “The Whale”
Paul Mascal in “Aftersun”
Bill Nighy in “Living”

Who will win and My pick: Brendan Fraser

There is a slight chance that this not may happen, but I feel the odds are even that we will see Fraser up there. There are so many factors coming into play: the standing ovation at Cannes, most of the critics love him, the audience is rooting for him, and he has won a high percentage of the necessary awards that usually go hand in hand with gaining the big one. As a film, The Whale is a flawed piece of cinema, but one can’t deny the power of his performance. As Charlie, you can feel every ounce of pain that exists in the character’s obese body. Under the weight is a man full of regret and sorrow. Fraser through monologues and his expressive blue eyes knocks you out.

Best Actress
Ana De Armas in “Blonde”
Cate Blanchett in “Tar”
Andrea Riseborough in “To Leslie”
Michelle Williams in “Meet the Fablemans”
Michelle Yeoh in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Who will win and who I want to win: Michelle Yeoh

De Armas showed us that she can make an awful movie almost tolerable, with a worthy
performance in Blonde, Williams should be in the supporting category, and Riseborough’s nomination is the win. This race is down to Yeoh and Blanchett. The latter is going for Oscar number three, second as lead, while this is the first nomination for the former. In the end, I believe that the Academy will reward Yeoh. As Evelyn, she shows us a woman who is conflicted, stubborn, flawed, and who can kick serious ass. The Daniels’s film is fast paced and changes direction constantly throughout. The alternate universes contain different versions of the same character. Yeoh maybe frail in one version, while being an alpha in another, but she is charismatic in each of these versions. Or maybe it will be given to Blanchett, who certainly gives Lydia Tar a worthy representation on screen. Even though it may seem that Tar is based upon some upper crust famous composer, the film is complete fiction. Todd Field and Cate Blanchett created a brilliant but flawed woman who is a victim of both her own success and
ego.

Best Director
Todd Field for “Tar”
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Martin McDonough for “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Ruben Ostlund for “Triangle of Sadness”
Steven Spielberg for “The Fabelmans”

My Pick and who will win: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

For nearly 2 hours, the two young filmmakers take us on a journey of creativity, fun, and emotion. It was a production that contained a modest budget, under 10 visual effects artists, and an attitude to swing for the fences. Boy, did they clear. It is a chaotic piece of film making that electrifies its audience. On Sunday, those nice Daniel Boys will be rewarded.

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
Tar
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Women Talking

My Pick and Will win: Everything Everywhere All at Once

This race will be between Everything Everywhere All at Once, Tar, and The Banshees of Inisherin. The life of Lydia Tar is a film that the Academy will choose if they are going to reward a more reserved film. Banshees is humble, brilliantly acted, masterfully written, and precisely directed. Don’t count it out! That said, I think Everything.. will get it. It has won many of the necessary awards to pull it off. With Fraser winning, and the possibility of a crazed Kung Fu/multi-universe film are looking more solid every day, this will be remembered as one of the more feel-good Oscars of past years.

The 95th Academy Awards will be presented on March 12, 2023, in a ceremony held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The awards will honor films released in 2022.