Oscar Predictions 2017

Oscar Predictions 2017

Ladies and Gentlemen. Boys and Girls. Don your smartest tux and strap into your fanciest dress as we are nearing one of the biggest dates in the film calendar. No, it's not the release of the next Star Wars film. It is, of course, the annual Academy Awards which is celebrating its 89th ceremony. Jimmy Kimmel will step on stage and host the festivities but my involvement is always slightly less important. OK, maybe it's a lot less significant but I do it nonetheless. I am, clearly, talking about my predictions for this years awards ranging from Best Animated all the way to the highly coveted Best Picture. A few disclaimers before we get underway:
- I obviously do not have any input as to what the Academy will choose so these are just theories and calculated guesswork.
- I have not seen every film released this year. Some have slipped through the cracks so I can only judge on what I've seen.
- Some of the categories will not be covered (Short Film, Documentary etc.) because who am I kidding, that's the section most of us skip over. I'm also no expert on a few of these categories so I won't be able to provide much insight into who is a deserved winner.
With the formalities all explained, let my analysis of this years nominees commence...



BEST PICTURE



- Arrival
- Fences
- Hacksaw Ridge
- Hell Or High Water
- Hidden Figures
- La La Land
- Lion
- Manchester By The Sea
- Moonlight

Kicking things off with the big one, this years Best Picture race is one of the more easier awards to call this year. A quick note - I have not seen Hell Or High Water, Hidden Figures or Lion, and even though I wanted to, I somehow doubt any of these will be a possible contender for this award. Arrival was one of the best films released over this past year and as a sci-fi movie, it's solidified itself as a genuine classic but sadly, it doesn't have the traction behind it to win this one. If it was another year, perhaps, but Arrival will likely remain a worthy nomination. Fences too, doesn't have the strongest of chances as that film is more about its actors. It's a sensational film and one that I wholeheartedly recommend but unless the Academy decide to go far away from how the awards season has leant so far this year, Fences is just going to miss out on this award. Now, I love war films. Moreover, I love brilliantly executed war films and no film matches that description more than Hacksaw Ridge. The Academy however, haven't usually given much recognition to current war films (we still remember Saving Private Ryan losing to Shakespeare In Love) so even though seeing Hacksaw Ridge's name be called out on Sunday evening would not upset me in the slightest, the odds are not in its favour. We all know what the winner of this award will be though. La La Land. That's just my personal pick because it's a film lovers wet dream but the Academy adore films like this and if past winners are anything go by, La La Land will surely scoop the crown and deservedly so in my eyes. The only thing that La La Land might have rooting against it (as depressing as that is to hear) is that it's become a film where its praises have been sung so highly, that people are hating on it just to spite the popularity. Manchester By The Sea is a lot like Fences. The performances are what sells that film and whilst both are immaculate (Fences more so), its chances may be slim. That being said, the Academy awarded Spotlight last year which was about heartfelt human stories so Manchester By The Sea could have an ounce of hope if the judges swing that way. Now, La La Land is almost certain to win the award judging by how it's done so far during the season but if any film is going to come close to nabbing it away for La La Land, it's Moonlight. At this time of posting, I have seen Moonlight (review coming shortly) and in summary, it failed to live up to these monumental expectations for me. The acting is brilliant and its direction is impressive but I never felt compelled or invested in the story. Regardless of my personal views, Moonlight has been picking up some serious attention and has become La La Land's only real competition for this award.

SHOULD WIN: La La Land

WILL WIN: La La Land

COULD WIN: Moonlight

MISSING: Deadpool

BEST DIRECTOR

- Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)
- Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge)
- Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
- Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea)
- Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

This is Chazelle's award. Done. Dusted. Put his name on the Oscar. No one came close to the level Chazelle was operating on and that's saying something considering all of these other directors were giving career best works and are masters at their craft. Chazelle just had this absolute focus and determination with his passion for the story and style working in tandem beautifully. Just from his opening number of 'Another Day Of Sun', I knew Chazelle was a director to be cherished. As for his competition, I cannot fault any of these directors for their nomination. Barry Jenkins may have helmed a film that I didn't think was as good as reports had lead me to believe but his direction is nearly faultless. Kenneth Lonergan may not have had the most technically impressive movie of the year but he does excel in simple direction, a mark of a true expert. Villeneuve has been overdue an Oscar for some time now and Arrival was his best work to date but it just so happens that he has been up against the most difficult of competition. There's a possibility he could cause an upset to Chazelle's almost certain win because of Villeneuve's unique and daring take on the genre but for the Academy to award a science fiction film would be a big step. Finally, Mel Gibson. Here's where I'm torn. There is absolutely no doubt that Gibson made a terrific movie in Hacksaw Ridge and directed the most horrifyingly authentic war battle sequences in cinematic history but for him to win this award is all dependent on whether the Academy are willing to move on from his controversial past.

SHOULD WIN: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

WILL WIN: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

COULD WIN: Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge)

MISSING: J.A. Bayona (A Monster Calls)

BEST ACTOR

- Casey Affleck as Lee Chandler (Manchester By The Sea)
- Andrew Garfield as Desmond T. Doss (Hacksaw Ridge)
- Ryan Gosling as Sebastian Wilder (La La Land)
- Viggo Mortensen as Ben Cash (Captain Fantastic)
- Denzel Washington as Troy Maxson (Fences)

Earlier in the season, around the Golden Globes, I would have put all of my money on Casey Affleck getting this award and now that I've seen the majority of the films in the running, I'm still banking on Casey getting the award. Just. His performance as Lee Chandler is profoundly moving and entirely effortless. He gives a true masterclass in acting and is totally deserving of this award. As I said, after seeing Manchester By The Sea, I was all but confident that Casey was the one and only actor in this running. Then I saw Fences. I saw Denzel Washington give the performance of his career, a performance which he had already perfected on the stage. After that, seeing Casey on the stage with an award in hand seemed not as likely as it once did. Denzel just obliterates the majority of his competition depicting a character that isn't terribly likeable but still has the charisma, smoothness and humanity that makes watching him work feel like Christmas and your birthday all rolled into one. I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if Denzel's name is called out instead of Casey's. The other nominees unfortunately, don't have a chance in hell. If it wasn't clear already, I'm one of the biggest advocates of La La Land going and whilst Ryan Gosling provides a tremendous performance, he's not the cast member in the film that deserves an Oscar. Captain Fantastic was another film that slipped through my radar so I can only take fellow reviewers on their word about how good Viggo Mortensen was. Andrew Garfield is a unique nomination. Firstly, Garfield is incomparable as Doss giving an extremely heartfelt and moving depiction of a war hero. That being said, I don't think that was his best performance given this year. His better role, in my opinion, was in Martin Scorsese's Silence, where he plays a Jesuit priest going through an extreme crisis of faith. In that performance of Garfield's, it's utterly harrowing and full of raw emotion that, if nominated, could have had a real chance at winning.

SHOULD WIN: Casey Affleck as Lee Chandler (Manchester By The Sea)

WILL WIN: Casey Affleck as Lee Chandler (Manchester By The Sea)

COULD WIN: Denzel Washington as Troy Maxson (Fences)

MISSING: Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Deadpool)

BEST ACTRESS

- Isabelle Huppert as Michéle Leblanc (Elle)
- Ruth Negga as Mildred Loving (Loving)
- Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy (Jackie)
- Emma Stone as Mia Dolan (La La Land)
- Meryl Streep as Florence Foster Jenkins (Florence Foster Jenkins)

Here's when things get a bit tricky for me. Not that this is a free-for-all, far from it, but of these five wonderful actresses, I've only seen one fully. Emma Stone ultimately deserves this award as Mia. Her character is uplifting, beautifully portrayed by Stone but the moment that sold me on her earning this award, is her song, Audition. A simple one take shot of her belting this heartfelt song to her judges is the definition of stunning. Mia is quirky, fun-loving and entirely lovable, all made achievable by Stone. That's as far as my expertise will take me on this one. I have seen many clips from both Jackie and Loving and Natalie Portman with Ruth Negga look incredible. Portman seems to have devoted herself to the character of Jackie Kennedy, right down to her distinctive accent, so Portman could be Stone's biggest rival. However, do not necessarily count out Ruth Negga because from what I've heard, she gives a sensational depiction of a woman going through utter tragedy and horror. Considering how timely her story is and that the Oscars love a film with considerable social relevance, Negga might sneak in and win. As for the other two, Isabelle Huppert is a welcome addition but apart from her Golden Globe victory, there isn't much evidence to back up a win from her. I've heard good things about her performance and I'm sure she's very talented, but it's incredibly rare for a foreign film to get an acting award. The most notable of those instances was Roberto Benigni for A Beautiful Life. And then, the final nomination, almost becoming an annual occurrence now, is Meryl Streep. Let me get this off my chest, I like Streep as an actress. She's very talented and a true bon vivant in the acting world. However, and some may consider this blasphemy, she really isn't Oscar worthy year in, year out. It's getting to a point where Streep seemingly has an automatic nomination for any film she stars in. It doesn't seem fair to other actresses that Streep is guaranteed a spot no matter if she's deserving of it or not. From what I've heard, her portrayal of tone deaf opera singer, Florence Foster Jenkins was fine and dandy but hardly accolade worthy.

SHOULD WIN: Emma Stone as Mia Dolan (La La Land)

WILL WIN: Emma Stone as Mia Dolan (La La Land)

COULD WIN: Ruth Negga as Mildred Loving (Loving)

MISSING: Hailee Steinfeld as Nadine Franklin (The Edge Of Seventeen)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

- Mahershala Ali as Juan (Moonlight)
- Jeff Bridges as Marcus Hamilton (Hell Or High Water)
- Lucas Hedges as Patrick Chandler (Manchester By The Sea)
- Dev Patel as Saroo Brierley (Lion)
- Michael Shannon as Detective Bobby Andes (Nocturnal Animals)

This is where the competition really begins. Judging by how the awards ceremonies have dished out their prizes, the winner will probably be Mahershala Ali. I'm gradually sounding like a broken record here but Moonlight left me underwhelmed. Ali gave a terrific and subdued performance that gave off a very casual and realistic approach however it never amounted to a point where I thought "Wow! This is Oscar worthy". He's good and even though (if people are reading this planning to go down to their local bookies and make some bets), he'll win (hint hint) I just happen to think there are stronger performances in this category. As I've said multiple times now, to a point where you're all getting sick of it, Lion and Hell Or High Water remain unseen so as far as Dev Patel and Jeff Bridges' nominations are concerned, the likelihood is that they are both well-earned. For me, my winner would be Lucas Hedges for his star making role in Manchester By The Sea with Michael Shannon coming a very close second. Hedges was fantastically able to hold his own against other, more experienced actors who too, are giving performances of their entire careers. If he doesn't win this, mark my words, with a talent like his, an Oscar will be coming his way very soon. As for Shannon, his portrayal of the coolest Sheriff ever, might not be rewarded with this Oscar but he certainly holds a special place in my own personal recognition.

SHOULD WIN: Lucas Hedges as Patrick Chandler (Manchester By The Sea)

WILL WIN: Mahershala Ali as Juan (Moonlight)

COULD WIN: Dev Patel as Saroo Brierley (Lion)

MISSING: Hugo Weaving as Tom Doss (Hacksaw Ridge)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

- Viola Davis as Rose Maxson (Fences)
- Naomie Harris as Paula (Moonlight)
- Nicole Kidman as Sue Brierley (Lion)
- Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan (Hidden Figures)
- Michelle Williams as Randi (Manchester By The Sea)

Viola Davis. No contest. Plain and simple. No one, and I mean no one, came even close to the sheer excellence Viola Davis exuded in Fences. She was astonishing, brilliant, perfect, tremendous, sensational, incredible, stupendous (I'm running out of words from the thesaurus). If Viola Davis doesn't win on Sunday, when I review Fifty Shades Darker (coming soon), I will, in one paragraph, rave and, somehow, defend it. Please Viola. Please win. If not for yourself, win for the sake of my sanity, dignity and respected reputation. It's almost certain that Davis is going to win this but that doesn't stop her fellow nominees giving it their all to try and provide some competition. Naomie Harris in Moonlight is terrifying. She is scarily good as a struggling drug addict who is the worst mother ever. Harris is definitely a great supporting role but 'best' is just out of her reach. Kidman is apparently very good in Lion and if anyone can successfully pull off a ginger perm, they immediately deserve a nomination of some sorts. The same can be said for Octavia Spencer. Not the ginger perm, the great performance. Reviews have said she's the best of the films trio and I've never known Spencer to not give 110%. The film is important and socially pertinent and Spencer reportedly drives the film forward with heart and care. However, she doesn't have the build up or traction to pull out a surprise upset. The only actress in this list that even comes close to knocking on the door to enter the waiting room for acceptance in Viola Davis' level of acting is Michelle Williams. Her performance is the most supporting of all as her scenes amount to a whopping two in present day and a smidge of flashbacks. Those scenes in which she features are plausibly the most emotional and well-acted, not just of the film, but of the entire year. Unfortunately, Williams may as well start practicing her accepting loser face when Viola Davis' name is called.

SHOULD WIN: Viola Davis as Rose Maxson (Fences)

WILL WIN: Viola Davis as Rose Maxson (Fences)

COULD WIN: Michelle Williams as Randi (Manchester By The Sea)

MISSING: Felicity Jones as Elizabeth Clayton (A Monster Calls)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

- Taylor Sheridan (Hell Or High Water)
- Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
- Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou (The Lobster)
- Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea)
- Mike Mills (20th Century Women)

Ding Ding. Round 2 for Chazelle. I know that I'm in love with La La Land but Chazelle has rightfully got this award in the bag. His script for La La Land is dynamic, fresh, fun and full of life while gorgeously paying tribute to the musicals and classics that came before and inspired it. The Academy are suckers for films about Hollywood (see The Artist for a fine example) and with Chazelle's screenplay being completely faultless, he's in a league of his own. I've heard that Taylor Sheridan's script for Hell Or High Water is staggeringly inventive and provides an alternate take on the heist theme and with all the hype it's received, I can't help but seem fairly confident that they're right. I'll probably get round to watching it at some point. Right, I'll try not to butcher these names too much but thank God this is a written account rather than filmed because I wouldn't have a hope in hell of pronouncing the names of The Lobster's screenwriters correctly. For the UK, The Lobster was released nearly two years ago but it's clear to see why they were nominated. This film is the definition of original and I can guarantee that you will never see a film like this ever again. It may be bewildering, bizarre and batshit crazy, but deep down is a heart and soft centre that examines our inner most desires. That doesn't dispute the fact this it's freaking weird though. As for Chazelle's closest competition, Kenneth Lonergan has a slim, but closest chance to wiggle his way through Chazelle's musical numbers and grab the award. There's no doubt that his script is far more realistic and raw than Chazelle's. It's definitely not the happiest of screenplays but the writing of Manchester By The Sea oozed this air of human authenticity that is lacking is many mainstream films today.

SHOULD WIN: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

WILL WIN: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

COULD WIN: Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea)

MISSING: Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan (Swiss Army Man)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

- Eric Heisserer (Arrival) adapted from "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang
- August Wilson (Fences) adapted from "Fences" by August Wilson
- Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi (Hidden Figures) adapted from "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
- Luke Davies (Lion) adapted from "A Long Way Home" by Saroo Brierley and Larry Buttrose
- Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight) adapted from "In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue" by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Personally, I have a strong inkling as to what will win this award and in all honesty, and this may be strong to say, I don't think it deserves it. Moonlight will be the victor for this award but for me, I never found a spark within the writing. When I saw Moonlight, I thought it succeeded more on a technical aspect and seeing as the film never had me truly engrossed, the writing would be the culprit of that. I'm not saying it doesn't deserve a nomination because it provides a remarkable outlook on social acceptance and identity, a unique trait for cinema, but there wasn't a spark to make me think of it as an immediate Oscar winner. As for who I think has the more purpose winning this award, that would go to August Wilson. Yes, it would be a posthumous award and yes, it was taken from a stage but it's impossible for me to deny how perfectly his wonderfully written words for the stage translated onto film. Fences had me hooked from the opening scene and from the way the film flows between conversations to the exquisitely real dialogue that allows his actors to transform, is why August Wilson deserves this. He did what I originally thought was impossible to do in this current age of Hollywood - bring theatre to the cinema. Two of my loves woven together with grace and care. Hidden Figures and Lion, you know this now, I can't comment on apart from the fact that both scripts have been commended on telling true stories in a true and veritable manner. Arrival could be the underdog of this category. It's such a complex and thought provoking venture into science fiction and the human psyche, that just from the sheer ability for Heisserer to adapt Chiang's novel, is a feat of its own accord. Original sci-fi will always hold a special place in my heart but as for this category, that space is occupied by another.

SHOULD WIN: August Wilson (Fences) adapted from "Fences" by August Wilson

WILL WIN: Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight) adapted from "In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue" by Tarell Alvin McCraney

COULD WIN: Eric Heisserer (Arrival) adapted from "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang

MISSING: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool) adapted from Deadpool comics by Rob Liefeld

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

- Kubo & the Two Strings
- Moana
- My Life As A Zucchini
- The Red Turtle
- Zootopia

We might as well eliminate two from the equation for this analysis immediately. My Life As A Zucchini and The Red Turtle are films I didn't know existed let alone seen. They may be marvellously animated and even worthy of the award but something tells me My Life As A Zucchini will win the prize. So really, this is a three horse race. Out of all three, Zootopia will be the one to probably win simply because of the unexpected yet effective social message it contained and how it mirrored today's current climate in regards to race. It was a daring move by Disney and as a result, one that paid off. As a piece of animation, it was impressive to see the detail into the photo realisation of the animals but especially the word building it accomplished. Unfortunately, I think Zootopia would be winning more because of its story rather than actual animated ability. If the category were to be judged like that then Kubo & The Two Strings would easily win. Laika are a fantastic animation company and aside from Coraline (which I wasn't a fan of), they have knocked every film they do out of the park and Kubo was no exception. It combined all of the elements of an action adventure with the mythology of ancient Asian war and art. It's story was beautifully told but had its weak moments. So was there an animated film that combines stunning visuals with a top notch story? That answer comes in the form of Moana. From the glistening singing voice of Dwayne Johnson to the beautiful, soulful singing lungs of Dwayne Johnson, Moana had all the makings of a Disney classic. That, and Dwayne Johnson singing. In all seriousness, the music in Moana is some of Disney's best but most important of all, they represented an area of the world and culture that needed to be shared with us all. Simply listening to the Polynesian peoples history is compelling storytelling but hearing Dwayne Johnson sing about it is even better. Moana also has wonderful animation, particularly of the water. An early scene in which Moana wades through the ocean and it opens and interacts with her younger self is eye-wateringly brilliant.

SHOULD WIN: Moana

WILL WIN: Zootopia

COULD WIN: Kubo & The Two Strings

MISSING: Finding Dory

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

- Mica Levi (Jackie)
- Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)
- Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka (Lion)
- Nicholas Britell (Moonlight)
- Thomas Newman (Passengers)

Again, no contest. Justin Hurwitz's score for La La Land is superb. It's a musical for Christ's sake, of course it's going to win. Ranging from Sebastian and Mia's heart-achingly beautiful theme to, quite possibly, the most stunning scene this year, the entire Planetarium sequence. There really isn't a more perfect scene from this last year and we've seen Darth Vader slaughter a corridor of Rebels so that's high praise indeed. The way in which there's no dialogue nor actual diegetic sound, Hurwitz's quintessential score weaves it's way through that scene with beauty and decorum. He's practically already got the award in his bag. Moonlight is another film which does have an affecting score. It's fairly understated and at times, blends well into the film but for a score to truly knock my socks off, I need to be humming it day in, day out. Britell's music may have served a great purpose to the story but I struggle to remember a single beat. Jackie and Lion's score might be worthy of this nomination but of course, I wouldn't know for sure yet even if they were, I'd stake my job on them not beating Hurwitz. Wrapping up this category is Thomas Newman's score for Passengers... Excuse me for one moment... Passengers?? Passengers got Oscar nominated?? FOR SCORE?? At a stretch, I can forgive it for the Production Design nomination but Passengers had a mediocre score at best. I can guarantee nobody walked out of Passengers going "That score was divine". Most people left thinking "That was two hours of my live I won't get back but at least Chris Pratt/Jennifer Lawrence got their kit off".

SHOULD WIN: Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)

WILL WIN: Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)

COULD WIN: Nicholas Britell (Moonlight)

MISSING: Jóhann Jóhannsson (Arrival)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

- "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" (La La Land)
- "Can't Stop The Feeling" (Trolls)
- "City Of Stars" (La La Land)
- "The Empty Chair" (Jim: The James Foley Story)
- "How Far I'll Go" (Moana)

Hmm. Let me think. The category for Best Original Song and the best musical of the year has two nominations. I wonder what could win this one. Audition or City Of Stars? Well, either way, it would be another addition to La La Land's already extensive trophy shelf. Out of the two, I'd personally select Audition simply for the emotion and gravitas it brought to the film. It was the big song that appears in most musicals where someone finally gets to belt out all of their thoughts and feelings in one excellent song, and Emma Stone did just that. Considering it is likely that this song will help her win her Best Actress award, Audition, in turn, deserves this win also. However, City Of Stars has become so iconic and whenever I mention La La Land to anyone, that's the song they know whether they've seen it or not. The iconography of this song is unparalleled to all but one other of these nominations yet, considering how poignant each version of this song is when featured in the film, City Of Stars cannot help but resonate with a larger audience. That 'other nomination' that rivals City Of Stars' popularity is, unsurprisingly, Can't Stop The Feeling from Trolls. It may feature in a film that I hate but I'd be lying if I said that the song isn't groovy as hell. It's impossible for anyone to hear that song and not want to dance a little. Will it win? Unlikely. All I'm looking forward to is Justin Timberlake performing it live. Moving onto the final nomination because The Empty Chair from The James Foley Story has about as much chance of winning than any of the winners not giving a politically inspired speech, Disney have always had a stake in this award because whenever they make a musical, you know the songs almost instantaneously. How Far I'll Go is a smashing song sung phenomenally by newcomer Auli'i Cravalho and written by the genius that is Lin-Manuel Miranda. It's an uplifting song about defying predetermined expectations and living your own life the way you want. My only issue is that there was one other song that felt like a fresh take for Disney and had a lot more character depth behind it. If you know me or have read my Moana review, you know exactly what song I'm talking about.

SHOULD WIN: "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" (La La Land)

WILL WIN: "City Of Stars" (La La Land)

COULD WIN: "How Far I'll Go" (Moana)

MISSING: "You're Welcome" (Moana)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

- Arrival
- Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them
- Hail, Caesar!
- La La Land
- Passengers

Time to get technical. Sets aren't just a way to help a movie verify its location. A lot of time and effort goes into making what may seem the most simple of sets so imagine the complexity involved with designing and making the grand and unique sets that are nominated for this award. Out of all of them, it has to be La La Land again simply for the finale. For those who haven't seen La La Land, skip to the next category to avoid spoilers in 3...2...1... The finale of La La Land details a 'What If' scenario of if Sebastian and Mia stayed together. It weaves its way in and out of recreated moments from earlier in the film but the most amazing moments are when they visit the Hollywood sets that are throwbacks to classic cinema. The painted midnight blue backdrop by the river. The star illuminated ballroom. Mia's classic cinema themed bedroom. Every set featured in La La Land is crafted with the utmost imagination (or as much as can be done within a real world setting) and has great purpose for the story rather than just being showy. If any film is going to beat La La Land, it's either Arrival or Fantastic Beasts. Arrival may have an outstandingly made set for inside the aliens ship but apart from, it consists of generic military tents and boardrooms. Fantastic Beasts has the greater chance as the Harry Potter films have always been successful with their designs. J.K. Rowling's world coming to life is an absolute marvel and, if La La Land doesn't win, I'd have no quarrels with Fantastic Beasts earning that Oscar. The final two nominees are a tad bewildering because they have undeniably well made and designed production value yet are not strong films. Hail, Caesar gave a great insight into how 50s Hollywood operates with grandiose sets that only the Coen Brothers could make look authentic. Passengers also nabs a second nomination (WTF) and I will admit, the design of the Avalon is impressive but ultimately, it looked like a set rather than a supposed interstellar spaceship lobby.

SHOULD WIN - La La Land

WILL WIN - La La Land

COULD WIN - Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them

MISSING - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

- Bradford Young (Arrival)
- Linus Sandgren (La La Land)
- Greig Fraser (Lion)
- James Laxton (Moonlight)
- Rodrigo Prieto (Silence)

WARNING! I am about to say that I am backing another nominee over La La Land. Unprecedented, I know. Please do not think that I've suddenly turned my back on La La Land like a spurned lover. The cinematography for La La Land is outstanding particularly for the musical numbers where the dynamic camera work makes it all seem like one take. The camera is flipping, dipping and swirling all over Los Angeles and it makes that city look like heaven on Earth. Unfortunately, it was outdone by Bradford Young and his sensational cinematography for Arrival. Just from one shot alone, I knew that there was never going to be a more well executed shot than when we first see the main alien ship. We glide along the skyline as the ship gradually comes into focus and clouds sliding down from the mountains surround the ship like a group of planets orbiting their sun. It is filmmaking at the highest conceivable level. Young's also behind the camera for the Han Solo spinoff film so my expectation for that has now rocketed through the roof. Moonlight is full of amazing shots and camera work. It even begins with an extended long take that, for a while, seemingly had no end. My issue was that it was trying to borrow techniques from Emmanuel Lubezki, a master of the long take, but for Laxton, it was simply an imitation. Silence was Scorsese's most unique film to date and a daring risk to take. The cinematography on the other hand, was the definition of simple yet effective. There isn't an over reliance on fancy camera work. Prieto simply knows where to position his camera to encompass all of the beauty and torture Silence had to offer.

SHOULD WIN - Bradford Young (Arrival)

WILL WIN - Linus Sandgren (La La Land)

COULD WIN - James Laxton (Moonlight)

MISSING: Jody Lee Lipes (Manchester By The Sea)

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

- A Man Called Ove
- Star Trek Beyond
- Suicide Squad

Is there a rule in place that only three can be nominated for this award because out of all of these, there is only one that I would put into my fantasy league inspired nomination categories? Star Trek Beyond actually had solid makeup within its film primarily for Sofia Boutella's badass Jaylah but more importantly, the fantastic prosthetics that were able to mask Idris Elba from the film entirely to a point where you wouldn't even know it was him. This is Star Trek Beyond's award signed, sealed and delivered simply because it's going up against weak competition. A Man Called Ove managed to make a middle aged actor look slightly older with wrinkles and balding hair and Suicide Squad gave Margot Robbie pink and blue highlights. Look, I actually enjoyed Suicide Squad for what it was but this really got more nominations over something like A Monster Calls or Deadpool? The only possible way Suicide Squad might have got nominated was for their work on bringing Killer Croc to life without the aid of visual effects. That's all I can think of for that reasoning. Maybe the Academy felt sorry for the disarray that the DCEU is suffering from right now.

SHOULD WIN - Star Trek Beyond

WILL WIN - Star Trek Beyond

COULD WIN - Ha.

MISSING - Hacksaw Ridge

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

- Deepwater Horizon
- Doctor Strange
- The Jungle Book
- Kubo & The Two Strings
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

If the Academy have any sense then they will be handing this award to The Jungle Book for making the most visually and technologically perfect film of all time. Allow me to explain for those who do not know about the behind the scenes for Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book - besides Neel Sethi as Mowgli and perhaps a couple blades of grass or branches for him to interact with, everything in The Jungle Book is digitally created. We thought we had reached the pinnacle of visual effects when Andy Serkis revolutionised motion capture but Jon Favreau just one-upped him. I honestly have never seen a more stunning use of visual effects. The Jungle Book is leaps and bounds ahead of its fellow nominees and one of those nominees flipped Manhattan upside down and in on itself. I am, of course, referencing Marvel's most visually daring film yet, Doctor Strange. Just from his tour of the multiverse, I knew that Marvel, Scott Derrickson and all of the creative team behind this film had nailed the visual style from the comics and mind of Steve Ditko. It's also very impressive to see an animation slip into this category and deservedly so because Kubo & The Two Strings is full of visual wonder. Not just the technical animation but the fluidity of the paper when Kubo plays his instrument and the action scenes, specifically the one involving the giant monster which, and correct me if I'm wrong, is the largest stop motion creation to be animated. I'm very surprised and gladdened to see Deepwater Horizon earn a nomination because it's effects are mesmerising because it does what most visual effects aim to do - blend in so well you wouldn't even know they were computer made. Obviously the exploding oil rig was clearly noticeable to be visually created but when the oil first erupts from the centre, covering workers and the rig in sticky oil spurting up like a group of women during Fifty Shades, it genuinely fooled me into thinking it was a practical fountain. And of course, in todays day and age, no visual effects list would be complete without a Star Wars film getting some recognition and quite rightly so. Rogue One was a visual feast and for a Star Wars addict, it's effects had the updated feel but also harkened back to the original trilogy. ILM are the best at what they do but this year, their best just got pipped to the post.

SHOULD WIN - The Jungle Book

WILL WIN - The Jungle Book

COULD WIN - Kubo & The Two Strings

MISSING - A Monster Calls

So there we have it. If you're deciding to bet on this years Oscars or just have a troubling gambling addiction, consider this my insight into what could, should and will win. It'd be interesting to see if I do as well as I did last year but here's hoping that La La Land proves that dreams are achievable. Cue the camera. Cue the lights. Cue the nervous nominees. Cue the even more nervous conductor who has to play the winners off when they ramble on. Cue the hilariously awful tweets from Trump who will be calling any winner who bad-mouths him 'tremendously overrated' on Twitter. But most of all, cue an evening full of movie love.

What do you think of my predictions? What are your own? Sound off in the comments below.

If you like what you've seen here don't forget to share this with everyone you know, comment below and check out my other reviews. Thanks for reading!