What a year it is when we’re talking about a Martin Scorsese film being “unlikely” to win Best Picture. Top that off with a film that’s garnering ten nominations, at least as far as my projections, is “unlikely” to win all ten. I expect “The Irishman” to be completely shut out this year and that’s absolutely bonkers when you think of how prestigious Scorsese is. But it just goes to show you what kind of year we’ve had for movies.
Heading into the awards season this year, it felt like “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” might end up being the film to beat. However, then “1917” and “Parasite” came on the scene and started winning everything. Now, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” is still apart of the Big Three, remaining in the conversation, but being overshadowed by those other two films, which have been sweeping the season thus far.
Chances are, it’s not going to win Best Picture, as three other film (“1917,” “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,” and “Parasite”) seem to have a bigger claim to it, but it’s definitely in the range of possibilities for Joaquin Phoenix to win for Best Leading Actor and Hildur Guðnadóttir to win for Best Original Score.
Many were surprised that “The Lighthouse” didn’t garner any other attention from the Academy, especially with Willem Dafoe being a favorite of theirs. The cinematography, though stepping outside the box and deliviering something different, does not seem like Academy Award winning material, especially when you have Roger Deakins breaking ground with “1917.” The experts place “The Lighthouse” at the very bottom of the pack and although I do not necessarily agree with that, it does not have a very good chance of winning.
“A STAR IS BORN”Bill Gerber, Bradley Cooper and Lynette Howell Taylor Director: Bradley CooperProducers: Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday and Yorgos LanthimosWriters: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamaraCinematography: Robbie RyanEditor: Yorgos MavropsaridisComposer: Komeil S. HosseiniDistributor: Fox Searchlight PicturesRelease Date: November 23, 2018Budget: $15 millionRun-time: 120 minutes FILM SYNOPSIS: When rock star Jackson Maine meets struggling singer Ally, he is impressed by her talent and … Read More 2019 Oscars Challenge: [33] “A Star Is Born” – Eight Nominations
“NEVER LOOK AWAY”Germany; Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Director: Florian Henckel von DonnersmarckProducers: Quirin Berg, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Jan Mojto, and Max WiedemannWriter: Florian Henckel von DonnersmarckCinematography: Caleb DeschanelEditor: Anne McCabeComposer: Max RichterDistributors: Sony Pictures ClassicsRelease Date: September 4, 2018Run-time: 189 minutes FILM SYNOPSIS: Growing up in Nazi Germany and then in Soviet-occupied Dresden, art student Kurt chafes at the restrictions imposed on him … Read More 2019 Oscars Challenge: [27] “Never Look Away” – Two Nominations
“THE FAVOURITE”Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday and Yorgos Lanthimos Director: Yorgos LanthimosProducers: Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday and Yorgos LanthimosWriters: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamaraCinematography: Robbie RyanEditor: Yorgos MavropsaridisComposer: Komeil S. HosseiniDistributor: Fox Searchlight PicturesRelease Date: November 23, 2018Budget: $15 millionRun-time: 120 minutes FILM SYNOPSIS: In the early 1700s, Queen Anne, in poor health and emotionally unstable, allows her most trusted confidante, … Read More 2019 Oscars Challenge: [15] “The Favourite” – Ten Nominations
“ROMA”Gabriela Rodríguez and Alfonso Cuarón Director: Alfonso CuarónProducers: Alfonso Cuarón, Gabriela Rodríguez, and Nicolas CelisWriters: Alfonso CuarónCinematography: Alfonso CuarónEditors: Alfonso Cuarón and Adam GoughComposer: Steven PriceDistributor: NetflixRelease Date: November 21, 2018Budget: $15 millionRun-time: 135 minutes FILM SYNOPSIS: In Mexico City in the early 1970s, Cleo is a maid in the household of a middle-class doctor. She takes on increasing responsibility caring for the family’s … Read More 2019 Oscars Challenge: [12] “Roma” – Ten Nominations
“COLD WAR”Poland; Paweł Pawlikowski Director: Paweł PawlikowskiProducers: Tanya Seghatchian and Ewa PuszczyńskaWriters: Paweł Pawlikowski, Janusz Głowacki, and Piotr BorkowskiCinematography: Łukasz ŻalEditor: Jaroslaw KaminskiComposer: Marcin MaseckiDistributor: Amazon StudiosBudget: $4.8 millionRelease Date: December 21, 2018Run-time: 89 minutes FILM SYNOPSIS: In 1949, pianist Wiktor scouts for talent for a musical ensemble and begins a romance with Zula, the singer and dancer he discovers. Over the next decade, … Read More 2019 Oscars Challenge: [6] “Cold War” – Three Nominations
“DARKEST HOUR” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten and Douglas Urbanski Director: Joe Wright Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten and Douglas Urbanski Cinematography: Bruno Delbonnel Editor: Dylan Tichenor Composer: Valerio Bonelli Distributor: Focus Features Release Date: November 22, 2017 Run-time: 125 minutes FILM SYNOPSIS: Controversial politician Winston Churchill is appointed prime minister during the early days of World War … Read More 2018 Oscars Challenge: [42] “Darkest Hour” – 6 Nominations
“THE SHAPE OF WATER” Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale Director: Guillermo del Toro Producers: Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale Cinematography: Dan Laustsen Editor: Sidney Wolinsky Composer: Alexandre Desplat Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures Release Date: December 1, 2017 Run-time: 123 minutes FILM SYNOPSIS: In 1962, janitor Elisa Esposito works at a classified government laboratory that tests new technology to help defeat the … Read More 2018 Oscars Challenge: [39] “The Shape Of Water” – 13 Nominations
“DUNKIRK” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan Director & Writer: Christopher Nolan Producers: Emma Thomas & Christopher Nolan Cinematography: Hoyte van Hoytema Editor: Lee Smith Composer: Hans Zimmer Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures Release Date: July 21, 2017 Run-time: 106 minutes FILM SYNOPSIS: In the Spring of 1940, hundreds of thousands of British and Allied troops are trapped by German forces on the beaches of Dunkirk in … Read More 2018 Oscars Challenge: [38] “Dunkirk” – 8 Nominations
Director: Denis Villeneuve Producers: Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Bud Yorkin, & Cynthia Sikes Yorkin Writers: Hampton Fancher & Michael Green Cinematography: Roger A. Deakins Composer: Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures Release Date: October 6, 2017 Run-time: 163 minutes FILM SYNOPSIS: In 2049, three decades after original blade runner Rick Deckard went missing, LAPD officer K is tasked with eliminating older, … Read More 2018 Oscars Challenge: [35] “Blade Runner 2049” – 5 Nominations
Director: Dee Rees Producers: Carl Effenson, Sally Jo Effenson, Cassian Elwes, Charles King, Christopher Lemole, Kim Roth, and Tim Zajaros Writers: Virgil Williams & Dee Rees Cinematography: Rachel Morrison Composer: Tamar-kali Distributor: Netflix Release Date: November 17, 2017 Run-time: 134 minutes FILM SYNOPSIS: Two soldiers, one black, one white, return to Mississippi following World War II, to discover that their goals in life and ideas … Read More 2018 Oscars Challenge: [30] “Mudbound” – 4 Nominations
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD John Seale Cinematography is key in creating the aesthetic of “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Imagine having the visionary George Miller come to you with this idea of a film being completely comprised of a chase scene in the desert, and fathoming how you will achieve such an effect. Imagine having you camera attached to vehicles, having explosions happening everywhere, and … Read More 2016 Oscars Challenge: [36] “Mad Max: Fury Road” – Best Cinematography
THE HATEFUL EIGHT Robert Richardson When you choose to take on shooting a film in 65mm, you obviously have to know what you’re doing and Robert Richardson is an experienced enough cinematographer to take on that sort of challenge. The sweeping landscapes, the spectacular reveals of characters, and the ability to keep a film shot in a log cabin interesting for almost 3 hours … Read More 2016 Oscars Challenge: [35] “The Hateful Eight” – Best Cinematography
“THE HATEFUL EIGHT” {click each category for individual look} // Produced by Richard N. Gladstein, Shannon McIntosh, and Stacey Sher // Directed by Quentin Tarantino // // Dated Viewed: Monday, February 22nd, 2016 // STREAM // 7 films – 7 days //
SICARIO Roger Deakins Easily one of the best cinematographers of all time, it will never make sense that Roger Deakins has still never won an Academy Award for his work even after being nominated thirteen times. Stepping into “Sicario,” I did not know that it was Roger Deakins behind the camera, but within the first ten minutes of the film, I felt like it … Read More 2016 Oscars Challenge: [20] “Sicario” – Best Cinematography
“SICARIO” {click each category for individual look} // Produced by Basil Iwanyk, Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill, Edward McDonnell, and Molly Smith // Directed by Denis Villeneuve // // Dated Viewed: Saturday, January 30th, 2016 // BLU-RAY // 22 films – 30 days //
CAROL Ed Lachman Edward Lachman and Todd Haynes have collaborated on three films now, all three having been nominated for an Academy Award in some capacity, with Lachman getting a previous nomination in 2002 for “Far From Heaven” and along with a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Cate Blanchett, who Haynes and Lachman team with again in “Carol.” Lachman has a way of completely … Read More 2016 Oscars Challenge: [13] “Carol” – Best Cinematography
“CAROL” {click each category for individual look} // Produced by Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley, and Christine Vachon //Directed by Todd Haynes // // Dated Viewed: Saturday, January 23rd, 2016 // LAEMMLE NOHO // 29 films – 37 days //
THE REVENANT Emmanuel Lubezki Epic and intimate are two adjectives that are normally not used together, especially in relationship to cinematography. Most epics are not quite able to achieve intimacy. It takes a keen eye to deliver that, and there are only a handful of cinematographers talented enough or willing to take enough chances to deliver on both of those things. Emmanuel Lubezki is … Read More 2016 Oscars Challenge: [5] “The Revenant” – Best Cinematography
“THE REVENANT” {click each category for individual look} // Produced by Arnon Milchan, Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mary Parent and Keith Redmon //Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu // // Dated Viewed: Sunday, January 17th, 2016 // LAEMMLE NOHO 7 // 37 films – 43 days //
DICK POPE “Mr. Turner” Watching the cinematography of Dick Pope in “Mr. Turner” is not that different from viewing the paintings of the title character. The composition of each shot comes off like Turner’s paintings, capturing the nature around the title character with a grandeur that elevates the film as a whole. Along the same lines as Robert Yeoman’s work on “The Grand … Read More 2015 Oscars Challenge: [16] Mr. Turner – Best Cinematography
ROBERT YEOMAN “The Grand Budapest Hotel” The magic behind the films of Wes Anderson is how interconnected all the elements are when you really look at them. Of course, any film has interconnected parts. If the visual effects are bad, it makes the cinematography perhaps look less intense. But to make a style all your own, you need everyone on the same team … Read More 2015 Oscars Challenge: [12] The Grand Budapest Hotel – Best Cinematography
Coming off the nominations from the ASC, three cinematographers that you can expect to see nominated for Oscars are Roger Deakins (“Unbroken”), which will mark his twelfth nomination, Emmanuel Lubezki (“Birdman”), who is a six-time nominee and was last year’s winner for his work on “Gravity,” and Robert D. Yeoman (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”), which will be his first nomination by the Academy. The ASC … Read More Oscars Watch: 29th Annual American Society of Cinematographers Award Nominees
Philippe Le Sourd With two nominations, I’m surprised that Wong Kar-wai’s wasn’t nominated for more, like Best Foreign Language Feature or even Best Picture, but this kung-fu epic does grab Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design nominations and even though it will probably not be winning either of these, it is nice to see films like this breakthrough in some competitive categories. Filled with … Read More 2014 Oscars Challenge: [41] The Grandmaster – Two Nominations
Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa “Nebraska”, a black-and-white jaunt into the lives of a family residing in Montana, the entire film follows lead Bruce Dern playing an aging man named Woody Grant that believes he’s won $1,000,000 from a sweepstakes, all he has to do is make it to Lincoln, Nebraska to accept the money. Heartwarming and laced with a dark comedic element that … Read More 2014 Oscars Challenge: [39] Nebraska – Six Nominations
Bruno Delbonnel I knew from the moment that I first saw “Inside Llewyn Davis” that the cinematography was extraordinary. With a faded quality that transports you to that era, yet a brilliance in color and lighting, these visuals help the film stand out and give it an ethereal quality that made it one of my favorite films of the year. Usually garnering more Academy … Read More 2014 Oscars Challenge: [32] Inside Llewyn Davis – Two Nominations
Roger A. Deakins The Oscars wouldn’t be the Oscars without a Best Cinematography nomination for Roger Deakins. “Prisoners”, as you may notice, was nominated for absolutely nothing else, yet someone the enigma that is Deakins proves brighter than even the films that he steps behind the camera for. Nominated an astounding eleven times now, Deakins has notoriously never won despite his exquisite work on … Read More 2014 Oscars Challenge: [24] Prisoners – One Nomination
Alfonso Cuarón & David Heyman “Gravity” surprised everyone this year, bringing a female driven, original screenplay, big budget blockbuster to the masses. Warner Brothers probably couldn’t be more pleased and could mark a back to back year for the studio with “Argo” winning last year. “Gravity” lands an amazing ten nominations, with a high chance of winning most of them including Best Visual Effects, … Read More 2014 Oscars Challenge: [17] Gravity – Ten Nominations
LIFE OF PI BEST PICTURE As strong of a film as “Life Of Pi” is, I do not see it winning Best Picture. In my opinion it’s down to “Argo” and “Lincoln”, with one of them taking the major award. But that doesn’t mean “Life Of Pi” won’t clean up. It’s going to win several awards out of its eleven nominations and it will … Read More 2013 Oscars Challenge: [31] Life Of Pi – Eleven Nominations
SKYFALL BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY All I have to say is that this better be Roger Deakins’ year. He’s been nominated ten times now (complete list) and has never won a single Academy Award. Now, he has another shot this year with one of my favorite films of 2012, “Skyfall”, made immensely more enjoyable by the amazing cinematography. With a grandness and epic sense to the … Read More 2013 Oscars Challenge: [29] Skyfall – Five Nominations
DJANGO UNCHAINED BEST PICTURE Despite Roger Ebert placing this film high on the films to win Best Picture, “Django Unchained” doesn’t have much of a chance. If we think “Argo” is a tough call due to the lack of a Best Directing nomination, “Django” must be placed below that. Meaning it will have defy even more than “Argo” to win. That being said, it … Read More 2013 Oscars Challenge: [28] Django Unchained – Five Nominations
[9 OUT OF 46 FILMS REMAINING]-[7 DAYS TO OSCARS] If there is one film in the Best Picture category that could possibly knock out “The Artist” (which seems unlikely at this point), it would be “Hugo”. With Martin Scorsese at the helm (who has an Academy Award for Best Director from “The Departed”) and a stellar screenplay, “Hugo” has the most nominations of any … Read More 2012 Oscars Challenge: [38] Hugo & 11 Nominations
[13 OUT OF 46 FILMS REMAINING]-[9 DAYS TO OSCARS] Nothing made me happier on Oscar Nomination Day than “The Tree Of Life” getting the much deserved Academy attention that it received. A Best Cinematography nod was bound to happen with all the award season buzz it garnered, but with Best Picture and Best Directing nominations, “The Tree Of Life” became a frontrunner for both … Read More 2012 Oscars Challenge: [33] The Tree Of Life & 3 Nominations
[18 OUT OF 46 FILMS REMAINING]-[15 DAYS TO OSCARS] After five years, Steven Spielberg is back on the Oscar map, with a Best Picture nomination. Spielberg has previously had six films nominated for Best Picture and has only won a single Best Picture Academy Award for “Schindler’s List”. He’s also been nominated six times for Best Director, winning for “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private … Read More 2012 Oscars Challenge: [28] War Horse & 6 Nominations
[20 OUT OF 46 FILMS REMAINING]-[16 DAYS TO OSCARS] There was a huge rally behind “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” this year and many seemed surprised when it wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. With the huge David Fincher band-camp from last year, that theme continued into this year, with his remake of the Swedish film of the same title. Now it only finds … Read More 2012 Oscars Challenge: [26] The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo & 5 Nominations
“Drive” was my favorite film of the year and the more nominations this film receives, the happier I will be. Ryan Gosling by far deserves a nomination, as well as the director, the score, the screenplay, and without a doubt, the cinematography. Deep down I have a feeling this film may get snubbed for its graphic nature, but overall, this film deserves some recognition. … Read More For Your Consideration 2011: “Drive”
When Steven Spielberg’s name is attached to a film, you damn sure better expect it to get noticed. I expect multiple nominations to come out of this film, including Costume Design and Cinematography. With John Williams at the helm of the score, I would not doubt a Best Original Score nomination, nor would I doubt Spielberg himself getting a nomination for directing. It just … Read More For Your Consideration 2011: “War Horse”
Martin Scorsese as director makes “Hugo” a huge attention-grabber, however, as an action-adventure children’s film, the film does not hold a huge chance of being nominated for anything like Best Picture. That being said, from the trailer alone, “Hugo” could easily pull off nominations for visual effects, art direction, and directing. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES including BEST PICTURE** Produced by Johnny Depp, … Read More For Your Consideration 2011: “Hugo”
2011 Oscar Challenge: “Inception” (2010)
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2011 Oscar Challenge: “The King’s Speech” (2010)
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2011 Oscar Challenge: “The Social Network” (2010)
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2011 Oscar Challenge: “Black Swan” (2010)
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2011 Oscar Challenge: “True Grit” (2010)
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THE WHITE RIBBON Up For: Best Achievement in Cinematography Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Though not viewing any of the other foreign language films this year, I still believe this film is strong enough to win. The White Ribbon never feels like a foreign language film. Though a period piece set in black and white, the film could just as easily take … Read More 2010 Oscars Challenge: The White Ribbon
AVATAR Up For: Best Motion Picture of the Year Best Achievement in Directing Best Achievement in Cinematography Best Achievement in Editing Best Achievement in Art Direction Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score Best Achievement in Sound Mixing Best Achievement in Sound Editing Best Achievement in Visual Effects For a long time, I waited to say my piece about Avatar (if … Read More 2010 Oscars Challenge: Avatar
HARRY POTTER & THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE Up For: Best Achievement in Cinematography What an odd place for this film to be nominated. Costume? Maybe. Visual Effects? Possibly. Cinematography? …I really do not know… The fact of the matter is, you watch this Harry Potter film and in no way would I leave a theater saying this film should be up for Best Cinematography. … Read More 2010 Oscars Challenge: Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince
THE HURT LOCKER Up For: Best Motion Picture of the Year Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Best Achievement in Directing Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Best Achievement in Cinematography Best Achievement in Editing Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score Best Achievement in Sound Mixing Best Achievement in Sound Editing In the lead for … Read More 2010 Oscars Challenge: The Hurt Locker
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Up For: Best Motion Picture of the Year Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Best Achievement in Directing Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Best Achievement in Cinematography Best Achievement in Editing Best Achievement in Sound Mixing Best Achievement in Sound Editing Nothing like eight Oscar nominations to tell you how great this film is. Quentin Tarantino … Read More 2010 Oscars Challenge: Inglourious Basterds
