Academy Awards 2019 - Predictions

Tonight it's Oscar night. And here are my predictions for the 2019 Academy Awards. I'm feeling Lucky this year!!!

Best Motion Picture of the Year: "Roma"
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Best Performance by and Actress in a Leading Role: Glenn Close, "The Wife"
Best Performance by and Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Best Achievement in Directing: Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma"
Best Original Screenplay: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, "The Favourite"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowirz, Kevin Wilmott and Spike Lee, "BlacKkKlansman"
Best Achievement in Cinematography: Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma"
Best Achievement in Editing: Barry Alexander Brown, "BlacKkKlansman"

Best Achievement in Production Design: Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart, "Black Panther"
Best Achievement in Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter, "Black Panther"
best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling: Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney, "Vice"
Best Achievement in Music Written for a Motion Picture (Original Score): Terence Blanchard, "BlacKkKlansman"
Best Achievement in Music Written for a Motion Picture (Original Song): Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt, "A Star is Born" (Shallow)
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing: Tom Ozanich, Dean A. Supancic, Jason Ruder and Steven Morrow, "A Star is Born"
Best Achievement in Sound Editing: Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou, "First Man"

Best Achievement in Visual Effects: Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russel Earl and Daniel Sudick, "Avengers: Infinity War"
Best Documentary Feature: "Free Solo"
Best Documentary Short Subject: "End Game"
Best Animated Feature Film: "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"
Best Animated Short Film: "Bao" Best Live-Action Short Film: "Marguerite" Best Foreign Language Film of the Year: "Roma"

Movie Reviews - The Favourite

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult

Description: In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend, Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), governs the country in her stead. When a new servant, Abigail (Emma Stone), arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.

Review: Women in costume dramas are mostly sweet damsels in distress with deer eyes. Films like “Love and Friendship”, “Lady Macbeth” and “The Beguiled” changed that format and showed us powerful women undermining the patriarchal system. Using two things: their intelligence and their sexuality. We can add “The Favourite” to that list too. It’s a sharp and vile costume drama, where three women fight for power.
At the start of the 18th century in rural England: Queen Anne sits on the throne, but struggles with her physical and mental health. She has rage outburst and nobody seems to find a cure for her skin condition. She puts her trust in Lady Sarah, who ambitiously focusses on the war situation with France.
At that same time, Abigail enters the court, as a maid. Because Abigail found a herb that can heal the queen, she becomes a new lady of interest for Queen Anne. Which makes Lady Sarah very jealous.
“The Favourite” is not a righteous costume drama. Words like ‘fuck’ and ‘cunt’ are used quite frequently and the women are extremely vile towards each other. But this all doesn’t lower the class of the film.
The writing is masterful and the way they handle the concept of victim and suspect is exceptional. In all characters you can see both a victim and a suspect. Which makes it hard to feel more sympathy for one character over another. The characters sort of move like pieces on a chess board, constantly changing position on the hierarchical pyramid.
Director Yorgos Lanthimos, who also made “The Lobster” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”, is a director you either love or hate. I was a big fan of his previous films and again he amazed me with his style. I like a good costume drama, but this is so different from others in the genre.
The three women, played by Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, are all excellent. No one steals the spotlight, they are all in that spotlight.
As all of Lanthimos’ movies, “The Favourite” is not for everyone. I loved it!

Rating: 4,5/ 5