Oscars 2025 – Acting, Directing, & Cinematography + the stats

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[00:02:23] Welcome back to the penultimate episode of the Lorehounds Oscars 2025 prep series. I'm your host, Alicia, soon to be joined by host of the Oscars Death Race podcast, Paolo Bautista, to talk through some of the biggest categories of the night, lead and supporting actor and actress, directing and cinematography. Check the links in the show notes to catch up on any episodes you might have missed.

[00:02:48] There's the mini intro episode with David with important info about the season and explanations for things like this phrase, Death Racers I keep using. Also, the animation episode, two of my personal favorite categories. A breakdown of the evolving Amelia Perez controversy. The Nevermind the Oscars music crossover episode with lots of music clips and analysis. A special spotlight coverage episode of a possible Best Picture winner, Conclave.

[00:03:18] A breakdown of the documentaries with a documentary editor. The live action shorts as a palette of emotions. A deep dive into the international and screenplay categories. And coverage of some of this year's biggest films in the Production, Design, and Audiovisual Tech Awards. One more episode coming after this, covering the Best Picture nominees with David. And some of you chimed in as well. This episode, a usual spoiler policy applies. You don't have to have seen any of the movies yourself.

[00:03:47] We'll give you the logline for each. And avoid any major spoilers while giving you our hot takes and breaking down why each film is or isn't worthy to win the prize, according to us. And now, let's bring in Paulo to break down the numbers. As of this recording, who was most likely to win? Stick around until the end for an update on the tightest races we'll talk about today, following the events of a few more awards shows that happened this week.

[00:04:16] And thank you, Paulo, for being here. You are another person who I know through the Academy of Death Racers. And listeners may recognize you, those who listened last year. And you also have your own, the Oscars Death Race Podcast, which is linked in the show notes. Tell us a bit more about that. Yeah. Hey, guys. Thanks for having me on. Yeah. So my name is Paulo.

[00:04:40] I am a podcaster at night, by night, who does the Oscars Death Race Podcast. The tagline is, will we try to watch all the Oscar nominees or die trying? Yeah. I mean, for those who don't know, right? I mean, the Oscars Death Race has been around for over a decade at this point online in some form or another. But it's really, I feel, I hopped in the Parasite year when Parasite won Best Picture.

[00:05:05] And I feel like from that point, I've really seen the community kind of grow into something a lot more organized, right? And, you know, part of that might be that, right, that a lot more movies are available for streaming online nowadays. But, you know, even before, right, before I was Death Racing, I know there were folks who would, you know, make trips to completely different states or even different countries just to try to cast the films that were just so they could try to watch every single Oscar nominated movie.

[00:05:29] It's not just, you know, the Best Picture, not just the Above the Line stuff, but even all the technical, the sorts, the international categories, which made it difficult when, you know, sometimes they would get qualified but then didn't have a theatrical release just yet. So you have to, like, find it at some random film festival in the middle of nowhere to go see it. Yeah, we complain about it now, but I guess we should keep in mind that it used to be a lot worse. Yeah, exactly.

[00:05:50] I, yeah, for a lot of the season, kind of like, at least here in the U.S., right, one of the big problems was this, the sort film Death by Numbers, which, you know, we weren't sure it was going to come to the sorts program in theaters. And then, and then for a while, Porcelain War also looked like the documentary, looked like it might not make it out. But it has, it's had a couple of screenings here and there. So I was totally willing. So I'm still here outside the U.S. and Brazil is difficult still.

[00:06:19] Yeah, I was fortunate enough. So I'm based in New York and I was fortunate enough to actually see that at the New York Film Festival, which is, you know, I got ahead of that before it was even nominated. So I will say I'm even in an even more privileged place than a lot of other death races just because being in New York, I do have a lot of access to a lot of films. Yeah, that helps. That helps. And so you, you're a death racer. So you have watched all of the ones we've seen today, although you, you confessed just before we started, you haven't finished Maria, which is fine.

[00:06:48] You've seen enough. I may not, spoiler alert, I don't love that one. But you are also kind of like the stats guy in the group. You know, you're always the one who's charting out, you know, well, this one, this and the record is this. And yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I, so I said I'm a podcaster by night, but by day I actually work in digital advertising, looking at a lot of spreadsheets every day, a lot of analysis of, you know, just how different things are going.

[00:07:18] You know, I used to have a podcast that I'm not going to say is dead, but it's kind of an indefinite hiatus called the Box Office Watch Podcast, where I would kind of like just look at numbers of how different movies were doing at the box office and kind of like what it says about like the entertainment industry overall. Right. So, yeah, I'm definitely like a more numbers oriented person. Always have been. So, you know, in, if you visit the Oscar race subreddit, you might find a couple of posts of mine where, you know, I have posts.

[00:07:45] I have a couple pulled up that we're going to talk about, like how often do above the line winners come from non best picture nominated films. Right. Right. Or looking at the overlap between the big trifecta groups, you know, the New York film critics group, the LAFCA and NSFC to see how well, when something overlaps there, how often does that correlate to a win? Right. Because, you know, obviously, right, like looking at precedent is not perfect. There's always going to be outliers. There's always going to be rule breakers.

[00:08:12] But at the very least, when it comes to trying to set a baseline for expectations, I think it really helps to have an idea of like what's come before. So, you know, you know, when to if if the if the pattern says to zig, but you can tell based on the zig. OK, there's just enough here that I'm comfortable zagging in my prediction. Right. Right. So, I mean, I'm going to call out the gold derby favorites. I'm going to call out my own favorites. And, you know, I hope you do the same.

[00:08:40] But I know you're also bringing other stats to the table as well. Yeah. So so I've put together a bit of a model. So, you know, it kind of goes off of the principle of wisdom of the crowds. Right. Like no one knows exactly what's going to happen. But if you look at enough people and gold derby operates on this principle, if you look at enough people who know a little bit about something, eventually you'll get a consensus. And that is usually more accurate than any individual person trying to pick. I ran for my podcast.

[00:09:05] I ran a nominations prediction contest where you try to predict how many like each each nomination, all 120 nominations. Only one person beat gold derby actually out of like the 40 something entries I got in my in my contest. Gold derby is still by far the most accurate. I have also incorporated. So gold derby has kind of like been the gold standard so far.

[00:09:27] Next Best Picture is a little bit of a smaller group that is from, you know, a bunch of kind of like award pundits, so to speak, journalists, writers, kind of more in tune with the industry who have access to like these screenings and so on, talking to people. And then the Oscar expert, the YouTube channel, put together an app called Awards Expert, where it's kind of essentially gold derby. I think it's slanted a little bit more heavily toward Gen Z, I think, from what I can tell. So I've incorporated their rankings.

[00:09:56] So I have a little bit of a model that kind of looks at, OK, looking at these three sources, who is the consensus pick among these sources? And from there, I can kind of over like week over week, essentially measure how has one film moved up? How has one film moved down in whatever rankings for whichever category? Right. I'm kind of see that in real time, not just within one within one prediction platform, but across multiple prediction platforms. How it's moved consensus wise. Cool.

[00:10:25] And for any listeners who want to make their own Oscar predictions, after some prodding from a couple people in the Discord and then Doug came forward with the idea of creating our own Lorehounds group in the ESPN prediction site. So there'll be you can find that discussion going on in the Discord under award season, under current shows.

[00:10:49] But I'll also put a link in the show notes to the Lorehounds ESPN prediction site in case you want to join that pool and see how we all stack up together. Also, I'm actually going to be running a winner prediction contest for my podcast also, mostly hosted in the Academy of Death Racers Discord, but also the Oscar Race Oscars Death Race subreddit. I'm actually going to be offering a prize, though. It's a prize for charity.

[00:11:10] So basically, obviously, with the fires happening in L.A., I'm going to be offering whoever predicts the most correct Oscar nominations with some tiebreakers involved, if there's a tie. Whoever predicts the most will all donate some amount of money to be determined, you know, probably like $50 to $100 or so, maybe more to a L.A.-based charity of their choice to help support fire efforts. So check out my podcast for more information about that as well. All right. Awesome.

[00:11:39] And again, that's linked in the show notes. So today we're going to be focusing on the acting, directing, and cinematography categories. That's six categories in total, four for acting. And like the tech episode, we're going to be running through the list of nominees per category in alphabetical order and then talking about the entire category as a whole. So let's break into Best Actress is the first one on the docket.

[00:12:05] And the nominees are Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elfaba Throp in Wicked, Carla Sofia Gascon, who plays Emilia Perez slash Juan Manitas Del Monte in Emilia Perez, Mikey Madison, who plays Anora, Annie Mekiva in Anora, Demi Moore, who plays Elizabeth Sparkle in The Substance, and Fernanda Torres, who plays Eunice Paiva in I'm Still Here.

[00:12:29] And yeah, so these are all films that we've talked about in previous episodes. And we're going to be talking about all five of these also in the Best Picture finale. So these are films that have come up again and again. But do see the show notes for separate deep dives into Wicked and the Emilia Perez controversy. But Paolo, do you have anything you want to add on the latter? Yeah, I mean, you know, a lot has been said already, right?

[00:12:56] I think, you know, obviously, you know, anything like whatever that this concept is pretty horrible. So, you know, I think, though, my quasi hot take, I don't know if this is really hot. Like people were saying that Emilia Perez was, you know, the front runner. They had, you know, they had 30 nominations. They had the most nominations. Of course, they're going to be, you know, the front runner for Best Picture. I never really thought that was the case, right?

[00:13:19] If you look at Netflix's track record, they are abysmal when it comes to, they're really good at getting nominations, right? I'm just pulling up the numbers right now. From 2018 to 2024, they've had 128 total nominations, but only 16 wins in non-sort categories. So that's about 13%. And if you look at above-the-line nominations, right, you know, it's something like, well, yeah, it's terrible, right?

[00:13:47] It's something like three out of 58 nominees, only 5%. Two of those were directors for Cuaron for Roma, Campion for Power of the Dog, and then Laura Dern for Merit Story for Supporting Actors, right? So not a really great chance for Emilia Perez in the first place. Gascon specifically, right, I think was always kind of like in the fourth or fifth spot for here.

[00:14:11] So kind of, you know, looking broader at Emilia Perez, the only film, the only categories that I think were ever really in play were Supporting Actress for Zaldana, who we'll talk about in a little bit. International Feature, which I think is at this point kind of like a neck-and-neck race, maybe stand a little bit more. I wish it weren't so neck-and-neck.

[00:14:29] Yeah, and then Song, right, which I have a stat that I pulled up that like, you know, if a film has two songs nominated, it is pretty guaranteed to win Best Song unless you're up against Lord of the Rings or you're up against I Just Called to Say I Love You, the number one billboard song of the year, basically.

[00:14:56] So, yeah, I think El Mal is probably a pretty safe for Song in general. All the others I don't think were really, like the other take I have is that Netflix is good at getting nominations because they're really good at getting the film out there before nominations, right, because it's on their service. A lot of these other films, like, you know, you mentioned that, like, Before the So I'm Still Here, really hard for people to see, right, outside of the U.S. and Brazil and even within the U.S., right, at the time of nominations, it wasn't really widely available.

[00:15:26] But once nominations do happen, right, because Netflix doesn't really get any value add from a business by having things win, like, they don't really see an increase in sign-ups because they have a Best Picture winner or they have any kind of winner, right? They don't really have that bump to their subscription numbers, whereas something like The Brutalist or Anora or whoever else, they're playing in theaters, right, throughout award season. That's where they're making their money because of the nominations.

[00:15:53] And then there's obviously the Oscar bump in theaters where after they win, right, whenever something does win, it'll get even more of a boost at the box office. And a better box office for these films kind of translates to better deals down the line for back-end, for streaming, for licensing, for any physical media that gets made. So these other studios have an incentive to really go hard in their campaigning after the nomination, whereas Netflix, all they really want is to get something nominated in the first place, I think, from an economic point of view.

[00:16:22] So I think that's why Emilia Perez was never really going to be a super big winner numbers-wise. Yeah. Yeah. Well, by the way, speaking of the song, do listen to the music episode that I did with Mark from Nevermind the Music where we break down – we play clips of all the songs and break down the musicality of them. And we talk about what songs we want to win. Spoiler alert. It's not El Mal. Yeah, me neither. Yeah.

[00:16:49] What is your – so in the Best Actress category, what are your personal favorites? Yeah, so I watch all of these, and I would say – I mean, I definitely have a bit of a biased Torre, Fernando Torres, I think. Okay. Beyond – there's like this online joke. I'm Filipino-American, so this is a bit of an online joke that like Filipinos and Brazilians online are like simpatico, basically. And I think like during the Olympics, like the Brazilians would cheer for the Filipino athletes and Filipinos would cheer for the Brazilian athletes.

[00:17:17] But even beyond that, I think part of that, there is some truth to that because, you know, being Filipino-American, growing up with stories of martial law in the Philippines at the time, kind of like seeing the story of Eunice Paiva played by Fernando Torres and being like that powerhouse performance there. I think, you know, having all these range of emotions from strength, love for her husband, love for her children, fear, having the resolve to be strong for her children and for her family and trying to find out what happens.

[00:17:47] You know, all of this range of emotions that she gives in both dialogue and in kind of like the non-verbal part of her acting, really I think is just like a complete packet all around, right? Obviously, you know, all of the other, most of the nominees I think are really great. Demi Moore, particularly, you know, I'm not a body horror person in general. So I kind of put off watching The Substance until I really had to.

[00:18:11] But I was really impressed with how effective she was at communicating with just how little dialogue that that particular role had, right? I think between the two, right, and these are the two front runners, according to my model, right? Are Torres in Moore, not Madison? No. Well, so I did update this model last on the 10th. So this is before BAFTAs came out.

[00:18:36] But I do still have, according to the prediction model, Demi Moore and I'm Still Here are one and two, though it's pretty consensus Moore is number one across the board. I'm Still Here is number two for two out of the three sites I'm looking at, followed by a Nora for two out of three is number three on those sites. So it's kind of like that's the one, two, three in that order. Personally, I really like Fernanda Torres. But, you know, of any of those three, I wouldn't be upset by a win of any of those three.

[00:19:06] Okay. Yeah. I mean, I feel the same. Well, actually, I wouldn't be upset by a win out of four out of the five. And that is to say, like, Carla Sofia Gascon did do a good job acting. I just think she's completely taken out herself out of it with her off screen behavior. And I'm not rooting for that movie for all the reasons. I mean, even even outside of that, I think I think it didn't help that like in that particular performance again, we'll talk about later.

[00:19:32] Zoe Saldana, I think, completely out acted Gascon in that particular role as well. Right. So that kind of takes away from Gascon's side as like lead actress. Right. Right. Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, I in my opinion, Fernanda Torres is the Dark Horse potential winner. She did win. So Golden Globes, they do the division between drama and musical and comedy. So Torres won at the Golden Globes for drama.

[00:19:59] And then Demi Moore won at the Golden Globes for musical and comedy, which is a funny thing. I guess the substance is a comedy. I guess it is. It's a dark comedy. Yeah, it's a dark comedy. But she won for that. And I'm always coming from the perspective, in contrast to Paula, where I'm looking at the narratives of the season. And Demi Moore had a great narrative with she gave this speech at the Golden Globes. That's what definitely set her over the edge. Right.

[00:20:26] Like that was probably probably the defining moment of this campaign, frankly. The Globes for all of like the like how kind of I don't like the Globes as much as an institution. Right. But that aside. Right. And I don't take them too seriously most of the time when it comes to Oscar predictions just because they're not the same voting body. Right. It's like a bunch of like random journalists as opposed to members of the actual academy. But here this year was the Globes were really important because it allowed Moore to give a speech.

[00:20:56] And it also allowed Taurus, right, to kind of give a speech and get visibility for her role. So then people watched the film for her role, which was enough catapult of actually the best picture because they liked it so much. Yeah. Yeah. It was a surprise best picture nominee. But then at BAFTA, which is so the British Academy Awards, which happened last night as we're recording. It'll be about a week in the past, I think, by the time this this episode's released.

[00:21:23] But Mikey Madison beat Demi Moore there. But she lost the Rising Star Award, which was interesting. It was kind of like saying like she's she's not a rising star. This movie just immediately put her in the big leagues. So, yeah, if I think that Demi Moore and Mikey Madison are the two front runners. And to be honest, I would be very happy with either of them for for different reasons. Like I really wish I could give it to them both. Yeah, that's my opinion.

[00:21:49] I would say I think the other thing to think about here is kind of like who are the contingents of like who votes at the at the Academy. Right. And, you know, one thing that I that has no I have noticed right over the years is that the Academy generally has gotten a lot more diverse, a lot more international. Right. Which I think there's like this this growing international contingent. So there may be, I think, something going for Fran and for is there in terms of there might be, you know, a lot of international voters who who really want to support her as an international artist.

[00:22:19] I think that might be another plus in her column in terms of trying to predict who's going to win again. Who's Colin? Madison? And Fernando Torres. Oh, and Fernando Torres. Yeah. I mean, that said, I think we're splitting hairs here. Any of these three, I think, gave a worthy performance. Right. And it's it's it's it's it's at this point. It's just I appreciate the art, I think, among those three for sure. Yeah, I think in terms of for the performance, I would go for Mikey Madison just because of how much she threw herself into this role. She learned Russian.

[00:22:49] She learned pole dancing. She just gave every all of the nuanced emotions that just the micro expressions in her eyes, but also combined with this like wildcat behavior, which is part of what makes the movie kind of a fun watch. Well, a very fun watch. Um, but to me more has that has has that narrative. And I want you. So the crazy thing is none of these three, none of the four of them have been nominated at all before.

[00:23:15] It's a meme more has really not gotten any recognition. So for that reason, I am also rooting for her. And I just I have to shout out respect for Cynthia Erivo. She's the only one in this category with prior nominations for best actress and best song stand up for Harriet from 2019. And she also, by the way, won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2018, the one that Mikey Madison didn't get last night. So, yeah, I think she'll. Yeah.

[00:23:42] The other thing was Cynthia Erivo is she's the first black woman to be nominated more than once in a best actress behind Vila Davis as well. So, yeah. And I mean, you know, who knows? I don't know what the race is going to be exactly next year, but there's a very good chance she could get nominated again for Wicked for Good later this year as well. And, you know, even if she isn't likely to likely going to win the EGOT this year, there is a chance she could do it next year. Right. Yeah. Because that's the other important thing about her is that this would complete an EGOT for her.

[00:24:11] So I think she's she'll get that. She's still quite young. She'll she'll get that EGOT. I'm certain. I don't think it's going to be this year, though. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Moving on to would you have any last thoughts about best actress? Yeah. No, I mean, you know, Gascon's nonsense aside. I think this is a very solid category all around. I'm trying to think back on like who could have potentially been nominated that that was potentially missed out. I think the only big one was Marion Zan-Baptiste for Hard Truths was kind of like the sixth one, kind of like looking in. Yeah. So people were seeing Pramiel Anderson.

[00:24:41] I'm going to call out Amy Adams for Night Bitch. I think that she Night Bitch as a movie. It's a movie about where she's she's a mom who is kind of turning into a dog. But it's yeah. Is it psychological? Is it real? So and I think that she gives a killer performance. But the movie just didn't get much recognition overall. So she just kind of got forgotten about. Yeah. And yeah, I mean, I didn't see Night Bitch, so I can't really comment there on how that was.

[00:25:11] Yeah. Oh, also, I'll shout out Juliet more from Room Next Door. I really enjoyed that performance from her as well. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Moving on to Best Actor. The nominees are Adrian Brody as Laszlo Toth in The Brutalist, Timothy Chalamet as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, Coleman Domingo as John Devine G, Whitfield in Sing Sing, Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence in Conclave, and Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump in The Apprentice.

[00:25:41] And again, all these films, almost all these films have been discussed in other categories. Do see The Conclave deep dive in the show notes. And yeah, Sing Sing and The Apprentice do not have Best Picture nominees. The other three do. Sing Sing, I'm a bit sad about it not having Best Picture. The Apprentice, that feels right. So, yeah, The Apprentice, that's a film we haven't discussed in this series yet. It's basically about the rise of Donald Trump,

[00:26:11] and it purports to tell the story of how he became who he is now. But if I'm honest, my biggest problem with it is I think they created a character arc that didn't exist in real life as someone who grew up in that area and saw him since I was a young kid. I don't think there was this nice guy before that suddenly changed. But it did get two acting nominations, so this and supporting. So we'll be talking about it again in a minute.

[00:26:39] And you can watch it on Prime if you want to see it for yourself. What are your overall thoughts on The Apprentice? Yeah, I literally just finished this last night. Okay. I've been putting it off just because everything in the news, and it's like, do I really want to watch the Donald Trump film? But I know I had this episode, and so if I wasn't going to watch the movie, I had to at least watch this one because I had two nominations going for it, right? I mean, I think Sebastian Stan, I haven't posted this question to the Discord yet, but he has got to win an Oscar sometime in the next 10 years for sure, right?

[00:27:09] Sure. He's got to win something at some point. He's just so good. He had two amazing films last year, this and A Different Man, right? Yes. And if he were nominated for the other one, I would be rooting for him. Yeah, I mean, I can't say I'm rooting for him in the sense that I think he gave the best performance. I think he did a really good performance, though. I think it was really transformative.

[00:27:33] I think the particularly really interesting thing is, yes, maybe the character arc didn't really exist in the film. Yeah, but that's not his fault. But that's not his fault, right? But the fact that what he was given with and kind of like the arc that does exist within the film of kind of like this neophyte, young real estate developer up until, you know, writing about the time when he was doing the art of the deal book.

[00:27:58] Like that character arc and the scene, that character transformation entirely is just a feat of masterwork, right? So I fully expect Sebastian Stan to get a win within the next 10 years, if not sooner. Yes. Definitely would love to see that for him as well. I mean, film-wise, I mean, we'll talk about Jeremy Strong a little bit later, but he's obviously the other standout of this film as well. And I guess, you know, maybe the hair and makeup could have gotten a nomination as well, maybe.

[00:28:28] I'm not sad about it, not. Yeah, fair enough. But yeah, I mean, Sebastian Stan is a national treasure at this point. Yeah. I mean, I think he did a great job, like, mimicking the mannerisms and such of Trump. But I just think that a different man, for anyone who doesn't know, we already talked about it in makeup. But it's such, like, that's also a transformative role. And he does have, you know, makeup that's removed.

[00:28:58] But I think it just demands so much more from him. I mean, so many more interesting things. I totally did not believe until I saw Pearson later on that it was actually, like, it was Sebastian Stan in the first part of the film under that makeup for the first half of the movie, right? Like, oh, they totally have to be having Pearson play this part, and then he plays after it's coming. No, he's playing the whole first part with the makeup, which is crazy. Yeah.

[00:29:23] So for anyone who doesn't know, it's about a guy with facial tumors who does a surgery that gets removed, and then he finds that it doesn't fix his whole life, basically. He still is the person who he is. He has to learn. Now he's becoming more cocky because now he looks like Sebastian Stan.

[00:29:41] And meanwhile, Adam Pearson, who should have gotten a supporting actor nod in my book, comes in, and he actually has these facial tumors. And you might know him from – oh, sorry. What is the one with Scarlett Johansson? Under the Skin. Under the Skin. Thank you. You might know him from that film. But he comes in and just kind of, like, keeps stealing the show from Sebastian Stan, which I think is also remarkable.

[00:30:10] Just to see how these two men play off each other. It's a really good film. And there's a third character who's – yeah. But yeah. And Sebastian Stan, he won at the Golden Globes for A Different Man. And then he was kind of almost, like, defensive on the stage when he was like, I was in two good films this year because I think this was before we knew that A Different – sorry, that The Apprentice was going to get Academy Award nominations.

[00:30:38] But, of course, people are just kind of like – people just don't want to – a lot of people don't want to watch a movie about Trump right now, you know? I mean, on one hand, it would be a hilarious troll of the Academy if somehow Stan were to win for this portrayal after, like, the administration has been like, no, this is, like, a terrible movie. No one's going to watch it. And then he ends up winning Best Actor. That would be a masterful troll. Not going to happen. But yeah.

[00:31:01] I mean, the other part, right, kind of on that part, like, going back to, like, the nomination period, we didn't think Stan was going to get nominated at all for a long time, right? We thought that it was going to be Daniel Craig in Queer for his portrayal of that character, which also, you know, was a flawed film, I'll say. But, you know, clearly Daniel Craig was the best thing in there. We thought that it would split. You know, some people would vote for Stan for Apprentice. Some would vote for a different man.

[00:31:27] And that splitting of the vote would make it difficult for him to get a nomination, and Craig would get in instead. So, yeah, I mean, the fact that Stan was able to get this coalesce around The Apprentice, I think, you know, definitely is impressive. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, outside of The Apprentice, what's your overall thoughts on this category? Yes. I mean, you know, kind of looking at the numbers, right?

[00:31:53] I mean, the clear number one and number two, prediction-wise, right, is Adrian Brody and Timothy Salome. You know, speaking on the other two, Conclave is one of my favorite films of the year. I think Lawrence is a little bit of an under, like, Fane's character in Conclave is a little bit of an understated character overall. You know, he's definitely a protagonist, but he definitely, and he definitely has, like, that interiority, that complexity to him,

[00:32:17] but doesn't quite have, like, the big, so-y acting bits as opposed to, like, say, you know, his role in Sinless List as supporting actor, right? Like, he doesn't quite have, like, that grandiosity, which, you know, you know, like, like Brody and Salome kind of carry their films for a big part of it. So, love Fiends, would love to see him get an Oscar, but not, I don't think it's going to happen. Coleman Domingo in Sing Sing, I think, also did, like, a really great performance as well.

[00:32:45] Well, that's, I think, unfortunately a case where A24 has kind of just botched the role out for that one and chose to focus on the brutalist instead. So, that's just, like, kind of a victim of the campaigning process, so to speak. Amazing film, amazing performance. Again, would love to see Domingo also get a win in the next 10 years, if not sooner, as well. Yeah. I think he's definitely on track for that, between this and the nomination for Rustin last year.

[00:33:14] He just needs, like, that big, juicy role from, like, a major studio, I think, to get there. Right, yeah. So, this is Domingo's second year in a row nominated. And he's just a personal favorite of mine in general. We talked about Sing Sing more in the music and writing episodes. But, yeah, it's basically, it's kind of amazing that it's on here at all. I remember we, it was around this time last year that we finally saw the trailers for Sing Sing because it just took so long for that film to come out.

[00:33:42] Yeah, it was at the 23 Toronto International Film Festival. And then it came out in, like, July, but only up to, like, 100, 200 theaters here in the U.S., which is, like, not a wide release. And then it got pulled completely, never came to streaming. So, yeah, it was just a case of A24 just not having the ducks in the row. Kind of like with the Iron Claw last year, I think, also, for Oscar season. Yeah, yeah. The Iron Claw fell through the cracks. And luckily, this one did not fall through the cracks.

[00:34:09] It got three nominations, which is great. And, yeah, I mean, I'm rooting, I guess I'm rooting for Domingo. I think Adrian Brody is the favorite to win. And this would be his second Oscar after The Pianist from 2002 when, at 29, he became the youngest Best Actor winner. But it could, the upset, could be Chalamet. This is his second nomination after Call Me By Your Name. And if he were to win this time, he would become the new youngest winner by a few months.

[00:34:40] Yeah, it's funny. We talked about it in the Conclave episode, but this is Fiennes' third nomination after Schindler's List for supporting The English Patient. So he's overdue, but maybe it's not going to be this one, perhaps. Yeah, I think, so first off, Brody, right? It's funny. Like, he's the favorite to win by far. I think he won BAFTA also yesterday. So I don't think Salome has really ever gotten a win yet, major win this awards season. Maybe at the SAG Awards, he might be able to do that, though. Who knows?

[00:35:07] Though, okay, on Salome, I wasn't ever really a big Bob Dylan fan. Kind of in the same way that we talked about Sebastian Stan and Trump kind of showing the progression over the years. I think Salome did a really great job in doing that progression of Bob Dylan over the years of his different personas. And I think, to some degree, it's also, I think it's a little bit more of a technical acting category in the, hey, look at how much stuff he did to prepare for this role. He's doing all of his own singing.

[00:35:36] Kind of like that's part of what's pushing him to win here. I'm not going to say it's not an interior or a nuanced emotional performance, but definitely less so than Brody's, which is, I think, carried a lot by that pathos, that emotion, that variety of character. Right. That containing multitudes within you. He's a volatile character. Yeah. Yeah. So I think, you know, Salome did a great job as Bob Dylan.

[00:36:01] You know, I would not be surprised if we see, you know, since they're not doing the song performances at the Oscars this year, I would not be surprised to see them have Salome come up and do a couple of Bob Dylan songs on stage. Yeah. So, you know, if he wins, I wouldn't be too upset by that. That's it. I think Brody is close to a lock. Not 100% sure, but it's also kind of funny, right?

[00:36:24] Brody doesn't win Oscars except when he plays a Holocaust survivor in a film that is two words, V and then Ist. And the word that ends in Ist. The pianist. Yeah, yeah, it's true. Yeah, so we've talked about The Brutalist in a number of other categories. It's one of the most nominated pictures this year. But just in case you missed those episodes, he plays Laszlo Toth, who is an architect. And The Brutalist refers to the brutalism style of architecture.

[00:36:52] But, you know, architects, not too happy with the film on that front. I feel vindicated because I don't understand why people love The Brutalist so much. But there are aspects of it that I think are great. But then I think it's kind of a mess. This will be where I come into the Defend the Brutalist. It is, I think, for me, my choice for best picture of everything. I think on one hand, there is the production element of it.

[00:37:21] The fact that this was made for only $10 million and is as epic as it is. Visually great. Yeah, I think there is a, I think there is, it's kind of like a return to that old school, epic American dream story, right? To some degree. But also there is, I think, an element of, like, it's the most grand, I think. But perhaps accepting Dune and Wicked, which have much bigger budgets, right?

[00:37:48] Of, like, kind of, like, the smaller indie films this year, it is, like, the most grand in scope, I think. Right? What I think adds to, like, the splendor. I mean, the fact that there's, like, an intermission halfway through. It's kind of like the return to old school cinema, which I appreciated. Yeah, but no old school cinema was three and a half hours long. It didn't need to be that long. That's one of my problems with it. It didn't need to be that long. But I think the fact that it did was, I think it still made use of the three and a half hours.

[00:38:15] I will admit that, you know, maybe, like, the second half isn't quite as strong as the first half. Though Felicity Jones definitely is more than worth, I think, the second half. Like, her character there. I don't know. I think it is, it's not a perfect film by any means. But I think it is the most ambitious. For me, I think I really like films that are very ambitious and swing for the fences, right? And I think that's why I would go for The Brutalist more so than others, I think. Sure. I mean, yeah, I agree with you that it did swing for the fences.

[00:38:45] I just, I think that other films did as well and, you know, hit the ball better. Yeah, it's a matter of scale, right? How much do you swing versus how much do you hit? Like, The Brutalist hits some, maybe not as much as it swung. So, like, do you go for the one who attempts more and maybe misses some versus those that maybe attempted a little bit less but hit everything was trying to go for, right? That's, like, kind of, like, the question there. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, we already talked about the writing and stuff.

[00:39:14] But, yeah, my problem is just that it felt, the writing to me felt not as deep as it, like, it tried to do too many things. And so it didn't do any of them with any particular depth, which is what I'm looking for in a film like this. Like a single-minded focus on, like, what the film, like The Substance, for example, is very, very singular. But it doesn't have to be, like, that singular and focused.

[00:39:41] But just in general, I just think that The Brutalist has a lot of ideas and should have spent a bit more time honing them. True. I think a lot of The Brutalist will come from what you bring to the film, right? So, for example, right, like, there's obviously, like, a whole narrative of, like, the immigrant experience that's in there, right? So for me, myself, right, like, as a child of immigrant and so on. Oh, fair. Fair. But, like, for me, like, within the U.S. and kind of, like, that system, I feel like, for me, that's what I took away from the film most, right?

[00:40:10] Maybe it's, like, maybe it wasn't quite as explicit in the film, but, like, bringing my own experience into, like, the talent of that American dream, I think, is what I brought and what I took away from the film, I think. Right. Well, listen to the music episode if you wanted to hear how the score – I actually go the deepest into analyzing The Brutalist's score because it made me like the film better, including what I pick out as the American dream aspect of it. Yeah. Oh, the score is amazing.

[00:40:38] The score – by far, the score – like, I had a friend on my podcast talk about it. Like, the things that definitely brought this above everything else was the score, the cinematography, and Adrian Brody. Oh, we're going to talk about the cinematography, but I don't know if I agree there. Okay. We'll tee that up for later. Yeah, we'll get to that. That's going to be our last one. Any more thoughts? Well, okay. I just want to shout out that I actually – I think that A Real Pain is one of the most under-nominated films this year.

[00:41:08] Did get a couple nominations, but I would have liked to have seen, amongst other things, Jesse Eisenberg here for actor and as director as well. Timothy Salomates has been nominated for Dune. Yeah, all right. I'm with you. This is a Dune stan podcast. Yeah. Yeah, that's all I'm going to say. All right. Yeah. I know John from the Lorehounds will disagree with you, but I'm with you. Best Supporting Actor.

[00:41:36] So our nominees are Yor Burasov, who plays Igor in Anora, Kieran Culkin, who plays Benjamin Benji Kaplan in A Real Pain, Edward Norton, who plays Pete Seeger in A Complete Unknown, Guy Pearce plays Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr. in The Brutalist, and Jeremy Strong plays Roy Cohn in The Apprentice. Overall thoughts in this category? Yeah. I mean, this is also a really strong category.

[00:42:04] I mean, I think there was a lot of competition going in here. Just to shout out some other folks that could have gotten nominated. There's a lot. Denzel Washington from Gladiator 2, best part of that film. Jonathan Bailey from Wicked. Maybe, I don't know if he necessarily got this or a nomination, but he definitely gave it his all and was definitely a standout hit from The Wicked. Mark Edelstein, also from Anora. Different role than Yor Burasov for Igor, but Edelstein plays the Russian fuck boy just perfectly, right?

[00:42:34] Mm-hmm. Let's see. Austin Butler, Javier Bardem, also from Dune 2. I think we're big misses here. Yeah. I was gunning for Austin Butler. Also, my mom's a fan, and she's still bitter about him losing. I said that in the voicemail for your podcast. She's bitter about him losing to Brendan Fraser. Yeah. I mean, Javier Bardem, though. Javier Bardem's portrayal of someone just falling to fanaticism is also just masterful as well. Yeah. No, no. Both deserve it. Drew Starkey from Queer also could have been nominated here.

[00:43:03] And then Chris Hemsworth in Furiosa was also just a scenery-chewing supporting actor. Well, I think that definitely was worth it. And I shouted out Adam Pearson from A Different Man also. Of course. Yeah. I didn't have that in mind because I hadn't seen A Different Man at the time. But yeah, also very worthy. Oh, and of course, Macklin also from Sing Sing. Right. Yeah. So Clarence Macklin is – I mentioned this in the writing episode, but he was also involved in the writing side.

[00:43:32] He's one of the members of the cast who was previously incarcerated and participated in this program that the Sing Sing film is about, this theater program in the Sing Sing prison. And he just really – like you would not believe that he was not previously a professional actor. He just really brings – And technically they have a lot of experience, right? Right. Right. They were acting. Yeah. That's all about how they were acting. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:43:58] So yeah, we talked about all these films in previous categories and three of these are Best Picture noms. Again, I'm just going to say Real Pain should be a Best Picture nom. Culkin. Kieran Culkin is the favorite to win in this category. Do you think he should be? So that comes down to whether or not you think that – whether or not you think that he is actually a co-lead performance and it's category fraud. I mean, that's a whole other thing.

[00:44:26] But then again, I feel like that's the case every year with so many things. I mean, we're going to talk about that with Zoe Saldana. Yeah, exactly. So I mean, that aside, right? If you think that someone who's a co-lead should not win supporting actor, then the answer is no. But given what we've got and who gives the best performance of these in here, I'm just trying to think through it. I think Culkin is – I mean, it's a little bit of a bias just because he's like the most magnetic performance, right?

[00:44:55] Like he just does a lot. And I haven't watched Succession. I can't really say what – I know people are saying, oh, this is basically his character from Succession just done again, basically. But, you know, I mean, I think it's a good performance and I think it is a – having finally seen Roy Cohn, like Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn, I think all these performances are really good. There's no weak performance here that is like a step below.

[00:45:22] So I would not be upset if he doesn't win, but I also wouldn't be upset if he does win, right? Looking at some stats, I mean, I think he's pretty much locked to win. There is one stat that is – the one that's most in support of this is like if you look at people who – like actors who were nominated in Supporting Actor and won the trifecta, right? So swept the New York, LA, and National Society of Film Critics, those three awards.

[00:45:49] People – supporting actors who won all three all got nominated and five – four – no, sorry. Yeah, four out of five of them, Christopher Waltz in 2009, J.K. Simmons in 2014, Marshall Sala Ali in 2016, and Ki Hui Kwan in 2022, all of them won after sweeping the trifecta, basically. And Kieran Culkin did this, so that kind of sets him up there.

[00:46:11] However, the one knock against him might be that for Supporting Actor, 14 out of 15 winning actors were from Best Picture nominees, which a real pain is not what you said, as you said, you think it should be. So the fact that he's not in the Best Picture nominee is like working against him. That said someone in the comments did point out, hey, there is like at least one nominee, one winner every year from the acting categories who is not from a Best Picture category.

[00:46:38] And, you know, given – you know, looking at who's the favorite this year, like Moore for Actress, Brody for Actor, and Saldani for Supporting Actress, all of those are Best Picture nominated films. If there is a category that's going to have a non-Best Picture nominated film, it's most likely going to be here with Kieran Culkin. So I think he's definitely the favorite to win. I mean, the other part of it, like we mentioned with speeches, is that, you know, these speeches, part of it is that you want people to come and give speeches at your events that are really fun and engaging, right? Like, that's, I think, part of the reason why Ki Hoi Kwan –

[00:47:08] He gives wild speeches. That's part of why Ki Hoi Kwan did, because people just loved hearing him talk at campaign, at awards. So, you know, having him, you know, give speeches to the Avengers is like, again, something else that's going to make Culkin, I think, like a favorite to win, I think. Yeah. If there were a potential upset, who do you think it would be? Hmm. I think that Edward Norton is a sneaky potential nominee.

[00:47:37] He's also a kind of like a longtime actor who's been in the industry. People respect him a lot. I think, and I think he, you know, kind of to a lesser degree, but he still, he also does the same things that, you know, Salome does. He also does his own performances as well. And I think part of it is the role specifically in the current political climate of somebody, right? Pete Seeger, you know, famously was a folk singer who was kind of like attacked by the – during the Red Scare by McCarthy.

[00:48:06] Contempt of court for not giving over names of other – you know, this is all in the film also. Yeah. Yeah. Super nice guy. He took a stand for what he believed in. He, you know, he was an activist throughout his entire life. So, you know, kind of like Edward Norton portraying that kind of character in this political climate, I think. And also, you know, again, also having the factor of being kind of like a longtime favorite of the Academy, I think, is something that is working in his favor here. I think Borisov is a little bit new.

[00:48:36] And unfortunately, there's like a little bit of controversy with him over the war in Ukraine. Wait, why is there controversy with him? War in Ukraine. He's Russian. So that kind of stuff. Oh, but that doesn't mean he supports – I know lots of Russians who – Well, no, no. He's said stuff about – Oh, has he? Yeah. Yeah. So that's the thing against him there. Well, he's like appeared in propaganda. Guy Pearce, I think, could be an interesting one. But he's also – I think the Brutalist is losing a little bit of steam.

[00:49:05] So I think his best chance to have won would have been if the Brutalist was to sweep. I don't think that's going to happen anymore. And then, yeah, I think Jeremy Strong. I think Rory Cohn would have been an interesting – it would be an interesting one to win. But I don't know. Again, I think this is one of the cases where you nominate – you respect, but you vote for what you love. Right? It's kind of like the mantra for a lot of Oscar voters. So I think they respect Jeremy Strong here, but I don't think they love his – they love the performance, I think. Yeah.

[00:49:33] So, yeah, Borisov, indeed, he's just happy to be here. I do think he was great in Anora. And, you know, I have in my notes, I hope he doesn't disappear after this. He was – the previous film that some – you know, the more nerdy film fans might have seen him in is compartment number six. I've been meaning to watch that one, actually. Yeah. But, I mean, yeah, unless – I mean, I just did a quick Google and it says, yeah, indeed, that he has not condemned the war in Ukraine. He's definitely – okay. Okay.

[00:50:05] Norton, he's the only one with previous nominations for Primal Fear, Birdman, and Lead in American History X. So I see what you mean. Like, it could be that he's overdue to a certain extent. I do think the two most talked about performances are the two succession boys. So Culkin, we already talked about. I do think that he is one who is a talented actor, but a talented at playing one type of character. But within that character, you know, he can do the nuances of different situations.

[00:50:34] But he's not, like, a transformative actor in the same way that Jeremy Strong is. But then Jeremy Strong, I feel like – and this shouldn't be important, but it kind of is. He's not as likable off screen. Yeah. Like, difficult to work with kind of thing. Yeah. It's just also, like – That's the other thing. We don't want to see his speech, you know? We don't care about his speech. The other thing is, like, the Academy is also, like, you know, it's people in the industry. So, like, if you're kind of unlikable, then, like, it can be a little bit harder to get there, right? Right. Right.

[00:51:03] But I do think that his storyline and portrayal is the best thing about The Apprentice. I think that Roy Cohn, they don't – they, again, like, don't – they don't shy away in that case from the fact that he's a bastard. But that doesn't – I still left feeling a bit sorry for him, which is the most amazing thing that that that film did. It's the fact that a film was able to do that. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah, but I think it's going to be Culkin. I don't know – even know who I would be rooting for.

[00:51:32] I mean, I think, if I'm perfectly honest, I just really like A Real Pain so that – and I really like Enora. And that might be biasing my picks in this category. Yeah, I mean, I like – I like Ben's. I did a review on ConverZoomPod for Dakota about The Real Pain. I watched it also at the New York Film Festival.

[00:51:55] And there, I wrote, like, he does, like, a really – he does a really great performance, like, in just capturing that vibe of somebody who – you know, I know other folks who have, like, you know, have a kind of, like, mental illness, right? I have, like, my own demons that I work with, right? And so it's, like – he really effectively captures that kind of, like – for someone who has that kind of, like, mental state, I think, very well. Yeah. It's, like, you do all of the – it's a very layered performance as well, right?

[00:52:24] Like, obviously, he's high and he's low, but there's also, like, an element of, like, he's performative in front of his cousin to some degree as well, right? Right. Which I think there's a lot going on there. Which – okay, here's my hot take. I think he does a great job, but I think the primary credit for him doing a great job goes to Jesse Eisenberg, who, again, was not only his co-star, but more importantly, in this case, the director and writer. Yeah. I think the film would not have worked without either of them, right? Right. No, he was the perfect – he was the perfect one for this.

[00:52:54] But it is funny. I was listening to interviews with Jesse Eisenberg, and he was saying about working with Kieran Culkin. He was, like, he was the perfect person for this character, but working with him was a little bit stressful because he would show up and he wouldn't even know what scene they were filming that day. But then Jesse Eisenberg would be, like, oh, it's this one. And he'd be, like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let me just take a quick look. Yep, yep. Got it all memorized and then just go, you know? It's fair. That kind of feels like Benzie. Yeah, if you think about it. Exactly. Yeah. Exactly.

[00:53:20] Also, somebody who I completely forgot about – I literally just watched this last night also who could have been in this category. Willem Dafoe in Nos Forado. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Yeah. I mean, honestly, Willem Dafoe should just get nominated, like, every year. Yeah. I mean, Nos Forado should have gotten – it got four nominations, but it should have gotten some acting love. Oh, you know, I forgot. Lily Rose Depp in Actress. Yeah, for Actress. Yeah, exactly. Would have been great for there. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Yeah, more love for Nos Forado.

[00:53:48] But, hey, I'm happy that we've got nine horror nominations this year. Yeah. So, I mean, yeah, again, this is another category, much like acting, right, where there is no bad nominees here, right? Right. And honestly, like, with the way things are looking for Culkin, he's probably going to get the Oscar. So, at this point, he's also on – he's also actually going to be on Broadway soon for Glenn Glarry, Glenn Ross. Okay. Mm-hmm. So, he's kind of up for potentially getting a Tony Award as well for that.

[00:54:17] So, at this point, all he needs to do is just release an audiobook, and then we'll get an EGOT. Yeah. Yeah. The audiobook is a secret pathway to the EGOT. Exactly. All right. Well, moving on to the last acting category, Best Supporting Actress.

[00:54:30] So, the nominees here are Monica Barbaro as Joanne Baez in A Complete Unknown, Ariana Grande as Galinda Glinda Upland in Wicked, Felicity Jones as Ershabet Toth in The Brutalist, Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes in Conclave, and Zoe Saldana as Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Perez. Yes. So, overall thoughts on this category? We've already said, of course, Saldana is the favorite to win, however we feel about the movie otherwise.

[00:55:00] I mean, I think, frankly, she is the best part in the film. Mm-hmm. For sure. If anything – She's the lead of the film, though. She is the lead of the film. She has the most screen time. It's through her perspective. Yeah. Again, that is – I mean, it is kind of – I can see the argument in the same way that last – was it last year? For Kills of the Flower Moon, that year. Yeah, that was last year. Or like, oh, Lily Gladstone should not be the lead because she doesn't have the most screen time or whatever. But like, she's the beating heart of the film.

[00:55:27] In the same way, the film is technically about Emilia Perez's, like, Gascon's character. So I get that a lot. But that's – in both cases, they're the subject of the film. It's not from their perspective. Yeah. Again, it is – that's a tricky one to write. Again, I'm not going to try to educate who's not being, like, in category of fraud. Because, again, part of what I do with my dad is, like, you know, sir, it's, like, category of fraud. But I deal with the cards I've dealt in terms of numbers, right? Yeah. And it is.

[00:55:55] Like, she's basically swept every major category. The only one really putting up – who would potentially put up a fight would be Ariana Grande and Wicked. Yeah. And I think it has kind of the effect of, like, oh, she totally has another film coming out. We'll just nominate her again next year and maybe she'll have a chance to win then, right? Yeah. So – I'm rooting for Ariana Grande. I just think that she – she just absolutely nailed this character. And I think people underestimate comedy all the time.

[00:56:20] But in order to have that sort of comedic timing and to nail the gestures and the personality and to come across as both warm-hearted and a bitch at the same time, you know, she just really nailed the complexities of this character in emoting and in mannerisms. Yeah. I mean – And the singing and all that. Yeah. I mean, Grande is – I had forgotten she was a theater kid before she was a musical star. So, you know, totally makes sense why she did as well as she did.

[00:56:47] I will say I do have a little bit of a bias against her just for various off-screen, various nonsenses. The whole thing – About her love life? Well, not even that. Just, like, how she kind of was like a racial chameleon over the years. Okay. Like, essentially, right, like, sometimes they'll present more – like, my name is very presenting as very white right now, right? But there was definitely a period where she presented as a little bit, like, kind of, like, in her racial ambiguity, like, you know, darkened herself a little bit more.

[00:57:17] But you mean, like, tanning? Not just tanning, right, but also, like, the way she talked, like, the accents she was using. And then there was a period where she, like, adopted, like, a more Asian-ish persona, right? So that kind of thing kind of gives me a little bit of a squick. But, you know, if you put aside the off-screen stuff, right, which, you know, if you did it for most people here, there's going to be some sort of controversy at some degree. Right. I will agree. I mean, Zoling Saldana has had similar – Yeah, exactly.

[00:57:46] So no one here is perfect, though. Some people are definitely much less perfect than others, Gascon. That aside, I think Grande definitely is, I think, the best true supporting performance, shall we say, in this category, I think. Yeah. Yeah. I do think, though, that Monica Barbaro is the best part of A Complete Unknown. Felicity Jones is the best part, for me, of The Brutalist. And Isabella Rossellini steals the show with a curtsy in Conclave. I know, right?

[00:58:15] So, yeah, I mean, again, no bad nominations here. I think, like, no bad performances here, rather. So everything, I think, is, like, again, a worthy nomination. Looking back, right, at some people who could have been nominated, Rebecca Ferguson, Dune 2, once again. Tilda Swinton, Room Next Door, again. I really enjoyed that one. Margaret Qualley in The Substance. Right. I did not expect to be as amazing as he was, but she definitely bought it.

[00:58:42] And then, shout out to my long forgotten, Joan Chen in Didi. Oh. Definitely loved that one. And really wish she could have gotten a nomination there. But it is what it is. Oh, and also, people were saying, you know, Jamie Lee Curtis in The Last Circle. I haven't seen it yet, but I know that was also up in the air for potential nomination as well. And you know what other film, just for both of the female acting categories, Love Lies Bleeding? That was released early in the year, and people kind of forgot about it. But that was a great film. Yeah, I haven't seen that one.

[00:59:11] But, I mean, Kristen Stewart's definitely had, like, an interesting career post-Twilight, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, that felt like the role where she was most herself and could most, like, unleash there. And yeah, I just want to say, again, Margaret Qualley for The Substance absolutely should be on this list. Yeah, I definitely know that. That says, he probably would have knocked off Monica Barbaro, just by the way that things were looking.

[00:59:36] And I am not upset with the Joan Baez performance, especially, like, again, she also did her own performances, which is also, you know, really impressive on a technical level. A lot of musical performances this year, actually. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and Felicity Jones from The Brutalist, she's the only one who's had a previous nomination, which she got for The Theory of Everything in 2014. All the others are first-time noms again. So a lot of first-time acting noms this year. Yeah.

[01:00:06] Yeah, for sure. Yeah. All right. Final thoughts on the acting before we move on to directing? Overall acting, again, one person aside, I am completely happy with, I think, everyone's nomination here. And honestly, obviously, they're the favorites to win, but I think you could make an argument any individual here is actually very worthy of winning the Oscar. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And I cannot believe Isabella Rossellini has never been nominated before.

[01:00:36] Yeah, crazy. Yeah. Okay. Best Director. So we have two categories left, Best Director, and then I included Best Cinematography here, which could be under technical, but I think it's a very director category. But starting with Best Director, the nominees are Jacque Odillard for Emilia Perez, Sean Baker for Anora, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, Coralie Farget for The Substance, and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown.

[01:01:05] And what are your overall thoughts on this crop of directors? One thing that actually stands out, just looking at them now, did James Mangold co-write A Complete Unknown, or did someone else write it for him? I think, did he co-wrote it, I thought? Yeah. Yeah, he's a co-writer. So that's, yeah, I was going to say, all five of these are actually director screenwriters, actually, right?

[01:01:30] Which I think is important because it really shows their, like, how much creative vision that they had, right? Both in, like, the story as well as, you know, obviously, all the direct choices that went on in here, right? But yeah, I think they're all, like, really great visionaries, right? I think of these, I think James Mangold was a bit of a surprise nomination day, right?

[01:01:52] I think people were really expecting Edward Berger, who nominated Conclave, to be in here, which, again, I definitely would not have been upset by. I, again, really loved Conclave overall as a film. I personally was rooting for Romuald Ross to get in for Nickel Boys. I think he honestly had the best direction of the year, in my opinion, in Nickel Boys. But a little bit new, like, a little bit newcomer, a little bit experimental, I think. So that might have been there.

[01:02:20] Did he feel new for everything he would do and definitely snubbed here. Hopefully they're able to pull off the Lord of the Rings sweep whenever Messiah comes out. Right. That thing was Copium. Yeah, too underrepresented. Yeah. And then, but yeah, I think overall, so just walking through them, Odd Yard, I think, probably the one I'm least happy with here, right? Mm-hmm.

[01:02:45] Again, a lot of that is probably his, like, off-screen comments and so on is playing a factor in there. But even then, right? See our controversy episode for more on that. Yeah, but even then, a lot of how it, how a lot of those comments kind of translate to, like, the things that were done on the film, right? Like, okay, sir, they start in France. I'm not too upset by that just because, hey, there's tax credits. You can make the film cheaper. The film wouldn't exist without shooting in France. Sure, I can buy that, right?

[01:03:15] But stuff like, oh, I visited Mexico, like, three or four times, but didn't really do as much research, right? I chose to have the screenplay written in French and translated to Spanish, right? Like, that is, that is, that, and then, like, just, just, like, the research that needed to be done to go into, into, like, you know, just properly portraying Mexico, making it not be, like, a stereotype type of, of, of, of, of being. Like, all cartel driven.

[01:03:45] Like, everyone's either in the cartel or have somebody who was killed by, like, a cartel, right? Like, there's, like, it reminds me of, there was a film I saw at the film festival, New York Film Festival called Grand Tour by Miguel Gomez, which I believe is, like, a Portuguese director.

[01:03:59] And it kind of is, the way they did that film is that they essentially, oh, we did a quick tour around Aza, saw some footage, and then we went back to Portugal and saw it on a soundstage, the plot, and interspersed footage from our tour around Aza to, you know, give this impression of what it's like to be in Aza. That feels kind of exploitative, like, voyeuristic almost, right? Where it's, like, you're not really immersing yourself within the subject. Like, it's not a very earnest film in that way.

[01:04:27] It's almost like a voyeuristic, almost mocking film where you make a caricature of what your impression of a place is. Again, this is kind of me starting to ramble about Amelia Perez and its problems. But it comes back to the direction, right? Where it's like, okay, that's your choice on, like, how to do, how to put together this film. It just doesn't feel earnest or authentic. And I think those are the films that I think are truly, truly great, right? As a contrast to that, right, Sean Baker, right? This is my first Sean Baker film.

[01:04:56] I actually haven't seen his other films yet, which I know he really needs to go back to watch. But from what I know, right, like, he really immersed himself in writing. That's the Anora director. He's been sharing Anora in, like, the sex work industry within New York. We know the Russian community within here in New York. With, you know, I always love seeing New York on film. Especially, like, these little corners that I haven't really explored as much myself. So, like, you know, that immersion and authenticity and affection for the subject matter, I think, is something that really signs through in his portfolio with Anora.

[01:05:26] Which I think is why he's leaped to be, at least, I would say, the outright frontrunner. But definitely one of the two frontrunners, I think, in this category, right? Brady Corbett, right? Similar thing, right? The brutalist, yeah. He, you know, completely, like, lived the brutalist, like, for seven years trying to get this film made, basically, right? And again, I think the direction, like, budget, obviously that's, like, a bit producing as well. But the fact that he's a director and he has to make these choices based around budget to keep costs low.

[01:05:56] And he was able to pull off as effective a film, like, with that, like, to maintain his vision and pull it off on that budget. It's kind of like what Villeneuve does, but on a smaller scale, basically, right? Villeneuve, right, why he used to be here is that he has that vision. He pulled it off. He has a bigger budget, but still he's able to pull it off effectively when it could have cost much more anyway, right? Right.

[01:06:20] Farzay, I think, The Substance, I think, I see it as more of a screenwriting accomplishment than a directing, per se. I mean, obviously, the directing is in there for sure. But I think, have you read the screenplay for The Substance yet? No. So if you read it, he actually puts in, like, all of these, like, onomatopoeia and, like, the sound effects and, like, describing everything. Like, it's a very non-traditional screenplay in that way. And so I think that's where the accomplishment, I think, for The Substance.

[01:06:47] Obviously, it's her translating her vision from page to screen. So the directing is there. But I think if I had to weigh which one is the more effective between all of these screenplay writers, I would prefer more on the writing side than the directing side. Whereas everybody else, I feel more like a directing side. And then James Mangold, right, I think he is the only non-first-time director nominated here. Right.

[01:07:14] So in that sense, he is kind of, like, again, similar to – I think that's everything with A Complete Unknown, right? That's the vibe of A Complete Unknown. It's very old Hollywood in that regard, right? It's the older Academy members. They love Bob Dylan. They know these folks. But they also love James Mangold, who's a longtime director, right? Logan, Ford vs. Ferrari. He's never been nominated for director. His films keep getting nominated, and he was nominated for the Logan screenplay. But that's the thing. He's done so much. He's respected within the industry, right? I think that's where this comes in. He's a well-known name.

[01:07:44] I find him personally hit or miss. Like, I love some of his movies and some of his other movies. I'm like, meh, kind of middle of the road, which is kind of how I feel about this. I won't say he's the greatest director out there, but he definitely is a – he's the definition of a workhorse director, I think, right? Who definitely does things, get things done. And unlike other kind of like directors for hire, right? Like, say, people who do like Madame Web or like the other like Sony Marvel films, they just hire somebody just to get that over the fence line.

[01:08:12] Like, he still has a vision and has a style, I think, even though he – to some degree, he does kind of get looped into like these like big studio, you know, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Exactly, right? Yeah. But again, he's very effective at getting these big things going on. And I think that's, you know, in the same way that, right, Edward Norton, right, kind of like for Pete Seeger and a supporting actor is kind of like a well-known name that's like getting his due now, right? I think James Mangold is kind of like in the same place here.

[01:08:42] So, all the art aside, I think the other four, I think, are all worthy winners. To some degree, though, I would say it's probably right now between Baker and Corbet. Though Farzay winning would be definitely inspired, I think. Yeah. Yeah, so I'll just say that I'm most upset about Villeneuve for Dune and Robert Eggers for Nosferatu about them not being on here because they are just both such auteurs in the full sense of the word

[01:09:09] where they just – they have this vision and they can realize it in ways that others don't seem to be able to. They just – they're geniuses when it comes to film, for sure. So, I'm upset about the two of them not being on here. But given who is on here, yeah, Odiard, he's actually has – so there's 13 nominations for Amelia Perez's year.

[01:09:31] He has four personally for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, and he also wrote some of the lyrics for the song El Mal, which is why I said I think the lyrics seem to be really simplistic. And then his previous only nomination was for a foreign language nod for A Prophet in 2009. But he's a well-respected director in the sense like other films like Rust and Bone and stuff have gotten a lot of – Like Mangold, right? What?

[01:10:01] Yeah, he's like Mangold. But the thing is I actually tend to watch James Mangold films and that just is probably – James Mangold does obviously do a lot of superhero stuff, things like that. Whereas Odiard was – I was aware of him, but I don't think I've ever actually watched one of his films. Like it was one of – like the Sisters Brothers. I was like, oh, I should watch that and then I just never did. So I can't really compare him to past work the way I can with Mangold. But yeah, for me, I don't think this is the one for either of them.

[01:10:30] And Odiard, I'm just kind of not feeling warmly toward him in general. Farge, she – this is only her second feature overall, we should say. So she did this 2017 film Revenge, which is a French film. And then she's done shorts online. Like I mentioned in the writing episode, Watch Reality Plus. I linked that there in the show notes. It's a short she did that tackles a lot of the same ideas that the substance is going for.

[01:10:58] And I mean, I think she's not going to win, but I'm really glad to see her here. She kind of came almost out of nowhere and now people are going to be paying attention to what she does next. So I can't wait to see it. And I think, yeah, the two favorites to win are definitely Sean Baker, who is my favorite to win out of these. He's – who's previously more of a Spirit Awards darling. We talked about him more in the writing episode too.

[01:11:28] But he is known for – I mean, I guess I said a Florida project. The Florida project would be his other most beloved. Red Rocket. Red Rocket. Yeah. I was talking with Mark from the Academy of Death Racers. He loves – that's his favorite Baker film and it's my least favorite Baker film. So take from that one. Fair enough. Yeah. So I would love to see him win. And then the other one is Corbet.

[01:11:55] And according to Gold Derby, Corbet is currently in second place. A lot of the time for a while during this season, people thought that Corbet was the one to beat. The awards have kind of gone between those two. He actually started as an actor in movies like 13, Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene. He was in the series 24. But his previous film was Vox Lux from 2018.

[01:12:24] Did you watch Vox Lux? I haven't yet, no. It's a hugely different film from The Brutalist. So it is like a surprising turn of – and I think he has interesting ideas and he – but I'm going to say – here's a hot take. A lot of people are going to disagree with. But for me, the directing was my least favorite part of the film. Like what about the directing specifically didn't you like?

[01:12:49] I think – first of all, I think that everyone who's in this film, I think the cast is great. But I've seen them give better performances across the board. I do not think it was the best performance of the career of any of the actors in this film. And I just think that the way he – like a lot of this also has to do with I don't like the script. And I think the script is just unwieldy and clunky and doesn't – never feels natural.

[01:13:17] So the interactions between the different characters never felt natural to me. And I think a lot of that does come into the directing and also how he would have the cinematographer – yeah, we're going to get to cinematography next – but hold the shots too long. But – and I'm saying I'm coming from someone who's – I'm a Yorgo Slanthimos fan, you know, from – Oscar fans will know him from last year.

[01:13:43] But he's – most of his films are known for like stilted, awkward, you know, behavior. And I appreciate that. But in this case, it just did not work for me at all. Just every single take. I never forgot for a second that I was watching a film. I never became fully immersed in it. And I think that the directing is most to blame. Yeah. I will disagree. I definitely did lose myself in the film. And I think it maybe comes out of personal taste, right?

[01:14:10] I think the acting I could see, right, tensely, right? I can't say I've seen a lot of everyone's – what's it? Everyone's like filmography. Aside from Adrian Brody and Wes Anderson films who are even more stilted. So I don't think – But I think he's better in those. Yeah. Yeah. But that said, for me, it's the technical stuff, right? For me, I'm very much like – I don't know. Maybe this is like the film hipster in me.

[01:14:40] But I definitely enjoy looking at the technical below-the-line stuff. Sure. Yeah, me too. More so than the above-the-line stuff. And I feel a lot of the technical stuff was really on point here, right? Maybe you discovered the cinematography. I personally love the cinematography and like the shot composition and so on, right? The lingering on the shots I think is a little bit more of an editing thing than the cinematography thing, perhaps. But it comes from the director, too. True, true. I just think that just the way – just the overall vision for me was just – Yeah. Sorry. Just a clunk, clunk, clunk.

[01:15:10] I think for me, I wanted to come in. Like, I loved how long Oppenheimer was, right? And just like sitting in there. And I think like for me, just going in – I loved Oppenheimer. I love Babylon. I love – what was the other really long one? Megalopolis, of all things. I still haven't watched that. But like these like long epic-ish films are very much to my taste. I watched Lawrence of Arabia for the first time last year. I love that one. Right?

[01:15:39] So like these like long epic films, I think – I just love that traditional film. Sure. And I think like Corby is attempting to strike that. Maybe for you, it didn't quite hit for me. But for me, it did. So no one's objectively correct or incorrect, obviously. No, no. I think more people agree with you than me. But yeah, that's definitely, I think, why I like the directing, right? Now, I just looked up the numbers.

[01:16:03] I haven't updated my model after the BAFTAs, but for a while, right? Corby was holding on to a lead across the three sides. Like yes, Baker did take the lead in Gold Derby, but Next Best Picture and Awards Expert had Corby leading in directing. So I still had him at number one. I just checked. Next Best Picture has switched Baker to be the lead. So now it's two to one for number ones for Baker. So now he's definitely the favorite to win.

[01:16:32] Though still a slight margin, Awards Expert still has Blue List as number one. So we'll see. It's definitely going to come down to the wire, I think, between the two. Yeah. I just think that Sean Baker just has such a skill of, you know, this is one of the first films where he doesn't work primarily with non-professional actors.

[01:16:55] And I just think that his ability to bring these performances out of, you know, and in this case, I have to credit Mikey Madison and the rest of the cast that they brought their own stuff to the table and did a phenomenal job. But I just think the way that he can lace together this entire story visually. And of course, he's involved in the writing and everything, too. But he's also the editor, right? Yeah.

[01:17:18] So apparently the way that he does this is he'll do like a full scene and edit it and complete it before moving on to the next. Hmm. Okay. So it's a very unusual process to do things that way. But I just think he is the way he's able to work with his cast and bring the best out of them for me makes I'm glad to see him recognized here and I would love to see him. I could definitely see him be the actor's director for sure.

[01:17:47] And maybe that's why he's kind of like in the lead. Obviously, the acting branch is the largest branch of the Academy. So if they see, oh, that's a director who can get the best out of his acting cast, that might be why he has like the edge. Right. As opposed to Corbet, who's like the director who can get the most on the technical production side of things done. Because, you know, admittedly, I think Onora has like a little bit less in terms of like that element. Not nothing, obviously, but still a little bit less. Right. So I think it comes down to what you're looking for in the director, I think. Yeah.

[01:18:16] If you watch his prior film, Sean Baker's prior films to Onora, then you can see it's a huge leap. In terms of the technical side over his prior films. But indeed, if you put it next to, you know, the I honestly, I think on the technical side, out of this list of five films. All of them, I think it's stronger than Baker, I think, in technically. Well, yeah, I would give it to the substance. But yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. To the most technical. Yeah, I can see that. I could definitely see an argument for that, for sure.

[01:18:47] Yeah. I mean, there's some other names, right? We already mentioned Villeneuve as like not getting the love he deserves. Yeah. I will say, I think also, Payal Kapadia from All We Imagine Is Light. Completely stuffed this Oscar season. Loved her film. I'm definitely a sucker for like these kind of like films that just capture the vibe of a city. And I think captures Mumbai so well. Mohamed Wasoulouf for Sea of the Sacred Fig. Yes.

[01:19:14] Obviously, he's got nominated for an international feature. Probably won't win, unfortunately. But loved his direction choices here. Especially given that, you know, obviously there's the danger to his life thing and potentially being imprisoned for this film. But on top of that, he actually could not direct. We talked about that in the writing episode, if you wanted to hear more. He could not be on set when he was directing, which is crazy. Right? That just astounds me. And then, yeah. Eggers and Nosefrauder as well.

[01:19:41] And then some other first-time directors to mention, Kapadia is actually a first-time feature director, which is impressive. Ramel Ross, who I mentioned for Nickel Boys, also a first-time feature director. He was nominated for Hale County this morning, this evening, I think, for documentary a couple years ago. I think his first person choice was impressive. And to a lesser degree, I think Son Wang for Didi, I think, is a very small, intimate film. But loved kind of that intimacy.

[01:20:10] And kind of capturing that early 2000s vibe in his directing choices. And then Def Patel and Monkey Man as a director. I think he has a great directing career in front of him, I think. Yeah. Thank you for bringing up Monkey Man. That was one of my favorite films this year. And there is a deep dive in the Lorehounds feed for anyone who wants to know more about Monkey Man. Because I went in deep on exactly all the challenges that he filmed during COVID.

[01:20:39] And it was just like a shit show, this film shoot. And the fact that... That was breaking. Injuries. Yeah. He broke his hand. Yeah. Oh, man. And, you know, the whole quarantine thing. People had to come quarantine on this small island in Indonesia for two weeks. And the way he got people to come. Like, he just... He deserves... I cannot wait to see where Def Patel's directing. Obviously, love him as an actor. Can't wait to see more of him directing now. And, like, the fact that, like, the film almost got just dumped on Netflix. And it even might have been buried on... Like, not even come out on Netflix.

[01:21:08] Just because, like, the anti-Modi sentiments within the film. Yeah. And then that Jordan Peele comes in and saves the film and gives, like, the big screen release it deserved. Like, that's also a great story there as well. Yeah. And you mentioned Rich Pepiat, who... He's the director of Kneecap. And people have listened to other episodes. I keep bringing up Kneecap, the Irish submission, as much as possible. And I think everyone should watch it. It's on Netflix. And another one who was never in a million years going to be... Was going to be nominated. But I hope in the future he will be.

[01:21:38] A French director, Adrien Beau. And he directed The Vordelac. Which is, like, a Nosferatu-esque story based on Tolstoy. Not that Tolstoy. His cousin's short story or novella from the 19th century. And just his vision of the way he brings all the different aspects together. And he also likes to use... Like, he uses a puppet for the vampire in that one. And it just works. It just works perfectly. That is insane. And I've never heard of this film.

[01:22:08] Oh, you have to watch it. The Vordelac. So, yeah. Almost nobody's heard of it. But I think Adrien Beau... After watching this film, I went back. And I read the novella in English. I read the novella in French. I watched the two previous adaptations of the novella. And then I watched all of the short films in his catalog. Because this was his first feature. And I just... I love Adrien Beau now. I want to hear... I want... Cannot wait to see what he does next. Also... Also shout out to two musicals this year we haven't mentioned yet.

[01:22:37] Well, we have mentioned them. Or one of them. Oh, Better Man? Better Man? Well, yes. Better Man's one of them. So, yeah. Better Man... I mean, the choice is there, especially. Like, I could talk forever about the visual effects. That's not this episode. Better Man should have been one of the films of the year. It's a Robin Williams biopic where he's a monkey. But trust me, he needs to be a monkey. And it's so good. It's one of the best films of the year. If you're interested, go watch Core the Digital. They have a series called Breaking Down Visual Effects. Like, good and bad visual effects.

[01:23:06] So, they talk with the visual effects directors from Weta, right? Who did the visual effects for Better Man. And just, like... The small things you don't actually realize are incredibly insane visual effects. Like, the scene where he's shaving his head in the mirror. That's, like, insane. Or, like, filming on Regent Street in London. And then they had to, like, put it off for five months because the queen died right before they were supposed to film. Right. It's a whole thing. Anyway, he did the greatest showman. But actually, I just want to interject that listeners, the tech episode will be out before this.

[01:23:36] So, there is a link in the tech episode show notes to that video that Paolo's talking about right now. Oh, yeah. Love that one. And, I mean, yeah. Listen to the Directors Guild of America Director's Cut podcast about Better Man also. That's, like, a great behind-the-scenes story. Or I think I called it the tech episode, sorry, the visual and editing episode. Yeah. And then what else? Oh. And, yeah. Hey, man. He did the greatest showman. Like, I would trust this guy with whatever musical he wants to do in the future. Similarly, right? I know not a lot of people love John M2. They think he's a little corny sometimes.

[01:24:06] I've always had a soft spot for John M2, right? I mean, partly because, like, of his background working with dancers. Like, he has this little scene web series called Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. That's basically, like, the Justice League, but everyone's a dancer, basically. And, I mean, I grew up, like, I really enjoyed, like, watching America's Best Dance Crew and all of these, like, street dancers. And, like, he worked with them really well. I mean, he ended up taking over the Step Up series for a long time.

[01:24:33] He works with dancers and choreography really well. I think that really translated well to Wicked here, obviously. But even, like, his other work, In the Heights, the adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's first Broadway play, right? So, like, south of the John M2, I'm sure there's a very good chance he gets nominated next year for Wicked for Good, I can believe. Yeah. Yeah, I didn't love In the Heights, but I certainly loved his work on Wicked. Yeah. All right.

[01:25:01] Well, that brings us to our final category of this episode, and that is Best Cinematography, closely related to Best Directing. And the nominees for this category are For the Brutalist, Lowell Crowley, For Dune Part 2, Greg Fraser, For Emilia Perez, Paul Guillaume, For Maria, Edward Lockman, For Nosferatu, Jaren Blanschk. And, yeah.

[01:25:28] Well, a lot of Brutalist and Emilia Perez discussion throughout, of course, these episodes. We discussed Dune and Nosferatu in the tech categories, and, you know, I just shouted out those directors should have been nominated in the previous category. And do also see the show notes for Deep Dives into Dune and Nosferatu. And the new film on this list, and I know- Well, I haven't seen it. You started it, you said, but you haven't finished it yet.

[01:25:53] Is Maria, which is about Maria Callas, who was a famous Argentinian, right? Singer? I think so. I noticed he was in Spanish. He's an opera singer. Opera singer, right. Right. And so it's basically about the end of her life as she's trying to train and, you know, looking back on her life and thinking about doing one last show.

[01:26:19] So what did you- I know you just started it, but did you have any thoughts on it so far? I don't have any solidified thoughts yet. It looks pretty, right? It looks pretty. Edward Lockman, I mean, yeah. I mean, that's the most important thing for this, because it's the only nomination I got. Right. And I get to see the whole film, so I'm going to reserve judgment on whether she should have gotten a nomination for actress. I know she was, like, up there for a long time. Angelina Jolie, yeah. I mean, part of it is going back to nominations.

[01:26:48] This brand, cinematography and costume design are both kind of- not a lot of people realize this, but they're kind of notorious for nominating their favorites, right? So they just kind of nominate the same people over and over again. Mm-hmm. Who have- and it's kind of hard for- they will nominate newcomers, obviously, but there is also a good chance a good- up-and-coming newcomer might be overlooked in favor of nominating somebody who's a favorite. Mm-hmm. In this case, it was Edward Lockman, right?

[01:27:18] He was nominated last year for El Conde, right? Mm-hmm. Also with the same director, Pablo Reyn. Yeah. And I mean, that's just a case of, like- Oh, wait. Yeah. Clearly, like, they have a thing for Lockman at this point. It's his fourth- Yeah, it's Lockman's fourth nomination after Far From Heaven and Carol, too. So, yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, he was- This is a case where that was kind of like the- If you were paying attention, it was probably going to be in there. Mm-hmm.

[01:28:13] This is a film that's ahead of its time, frankly speaking. Yeah. I think Nickel Boys, he did something very interesting, and I would not have been upset to see it recognized. I do keep thinking about, you know, what they did there with this first-person cinematography, putting you in the perspective of the person, of these two characters in particular, it switches back and forth between them. But for me, it didn't work. So, I wasn't at all sad to see it not on here.

[01:28:41] Because for me, it just made me feel more distant from the story because I couldn't see the facial expressions of- I just find that that's just a personal thing. For as far as Maria, so it's supposedly part of this, like, Pablo Lorraine's quote-unquote trilogy about the great women. Iconic women. Yeah. Yeah. So, he did Jackie with where- what's her face?

[01:29:11] Queen Amidala. Natalie Portman played Jackie Kennedy Onassis. And then Spencer with- Kristen Stewart playing Diana. Yeah. Kristen Stewart playing Diana. And I would say, of these three, Maria was my least favorite. Spencer was my favorite of those three. I've only seen Spencer in its entirety at this point, so I still have to go back and see Jackie. But, I mean, Kristen Stewart is, again, like I said earlier, she's had a very interesting career.

[01:29:39] I am all for whatever she does, whatever next film she does. Yeah. Yeah. Well, definitely watch Love, Lies, Bleeding. That was very good. Although, yeah, gore warnings and stuff for Love, Lies, Bleeding for those who need it. If you want to watch Maria, it's on Netflix. And again, Pablo Lorraine, he's a Chilean director who is sometimes a bit controversial. And I talked about that last year in the coverage of the cinematography, because that's when El

[01:30:09] Conde was nominated. So, go back and check that out if you're curious about why he's controversial. But I didn't love the cinematography of Maria. And this is one that I'm not, I think this place should have gone to one of these other films that we've been talking about. I just think that it was either very floaty or just honked in place. You know? And I just, it was fine. It served the film well. Like, the floatiness is sort of about this dreaminess because it is about the fact that

[01:30:37] she's kind of, she's on these mind-altering drugs that distort her reality the whole time. But I just don't think it was one of the five most interesting uses of the camera this year. I would have liked to have rather seen Better Man in here. Better Man did really interesting cinematography that played into the story it was telling in terms of power dynamics and things like that. And also, I think The Substance did that as well. Oh yeah. The Substance is cinematography. I forgot to mention.

[01:31:05] Again, my notes are from before nominations before I saw The Substance. Just that cinematography. Like, that fisheye look and just like the slow panning and everything. That was inspired. Yeah. Yeah. And this is also a category, whereas in the previous categories that we've talked about today, we list the names first. This is one where the film is listed and then the name afterwards. So, you know, you're talking about people voting for their favorites in this category, but most people watching at home don't even know the names of these cinematographers, and they absolutely should.

[01:31:35] Yeah, exactly. I mean, for me, like the two technical categories that really should be almost considered above the line are cinematography and editing, I think. Yeah. Because that's literally the definition of film. You suit film, and then you cut it into pieces and put it together. Right. Right. Yeah, I agree. Yeah. So, Guillaume from Emilia Perez, this is his international breakthrough, unlikely to win, and yeah, I'm perfectly fine with that. I mean, there's nothing special about Emilia Perez's cinematography that I can point to. Yeah, it's fine.

[01:32:05] Yeah, it's fine. Yeah. Crawley from The Brutalist is the favorite to win. This is his third time working with Corbet, the director. He also worked with him on The Childhood of a Leader and Vox Lux. And yeah, my hot take is I don't like the cinematography in this film either. What about it don't you like? I think so.

[01:32:28] I made a contrast when we did our Conclave breakdown where like the Conclave, they do hold the shots very long. The editor was told like leave the shots very long. But it works because a cinematographer is doing interesting things with the camera that make you, it doesn't feel like it's held too long.

[01:32:50] You don't even realize how long the shots are because the cinematography is just placing you in the moment with the feelings of the moment. And camera moves that move with the moment. And it just feels like, for example, in The Brutalist, they use a lot of low angle shots, which they also do in the two others I shouted out just now, Better Man and The Substance. But in Better Man and The Substance, the use of the low angle shots plays into the story.

[01:33:19] In The Brutalist, it often didn't make sense to me why they were using low angle shots with certain characters in certain moments. It seemed counter to because usually that's something that you do that is a discussion on the play of power and things like that. And I don't know. It just didn't work for me. It just it was another one of the things that just repeatedly took me out of that film. I think so.

[01:33:43] I think here Brutalist's cinematography also serves, I think, to highlight the production of the film, production design. Right. So like the like how like this part of the film, right, obviously, like, for example, the library scene. Right. Where they're in there or the the marble quarry. Right. Where they go to pick out the marble. Right.

[01:34:05] Like those scenes specifically are have very intense, have very complicated, not necessarily complicated, but very striking visual design going on in the production. Right. And I think the cinematography in the film is meant to highlight that production design element to it. Right. To some degree. Right. Because, again, as much as it is, you know, whatever controversy there is about like the film about architects not liking it being the Brutalist and all that, it still is at the end of the day, I think a very well production designed film.

[01:34:35] And I think like the cinematography does is what it does best is suited to capturing that element of the film. And then there are some specific character moments. I still cannot get over the sequence when his cousin kicks him out, basically. And then like the light is shining from behind him and you don't see his cousin's face. And then it kind of goes back.

[01:34:56] You see like the light like glaring into like Adrian Brody's eyes and cuts back and like the lights coming from behind his cousin who's like who's like kicking him out and kind of the darkness in there. Like that stuff is still stuck with me to this day. Right. So, I mean, I think there are some very striking stuff.

[01:35:14] I think, again, here the film is more like the cinematography and everything is more in service to the production design, like in the same way that Corbet is more technical focused design than it's supposed to necessarily an acting focus. Right. Because I think what you're saying is like the cinematography doesn't do its best to highlight the acting. Well, yeah, not just the acting, but the story, the points of the film. Yeah. I just feel to me, the cinematography choices feel a bit haphazard, which is my problem with a lot of the brutalist.

[01:35:44] Yeah. I think it for me, I think it's vibes. Honestly, I think the vibes of the cinematography for me are well done here for me, at least. And then, yeah, I mean, I think, if I believe, I think the other part that got this film going, I think they started in Vistivism, right? So I think it's the specific technology that goes into the film. I think that it's also carrying the brutalist nomination here as well. Those wide shots are great. Yeah.

[01:36:13] I think that's the thing going brutalist overall. So, I mean, I personally would like the brutalist. Looking at the others real quick, I think Dune Part 2, obviously, we've talked about Greg Fraser. Like, I mean, it's amazing. The cinematography is great. That said, I can also see why people would be hesitant to vote for this just because, like, we saw a lot of this in Dune, right? At least surface level. I'm sure, like, you know, so you'd have a lot to say.

[01:36:43] If you dig into, like, the different shots, there's a lot more to the shots in Dune Part 2 than just Dune 1, right? And again, I also think there's, like, the Lord of the Rings effect of, like, okay, when Messiah comes out, we'll go ahead and give it the win, right? That kind of thing. And also, like, Fraser already won for Dune 1, right? Right. So that's the other part. Yeah. So this is the third nomination for Fraser. He was also, he was nominated in 2016 for Lion. And he's known, like, I just, I'm a fan of his work overall.

[01:37:13] He's known for, like, Zero Dark Thirty, Rogue One, The Batman, The Creator. You can find a deep dive into The Creator. He's one of the greatest working cinematographers. Yeah. You can find a deep dive into The Creator and the Lorehounds feed. And while I might not have liked the writing in that film, it was certainly, I love the cinematography. I, John and I are always on our DC episodes, always arguing about The Batman, which he thinks is a great film and I think is an okay film.

[01:37:39] But we both agree on the cinematography and the music because we stan Michael Giacchino on this podcast. But, yeah, I just, I like Greg Frazier overall. Grieg, I guess I should say. Fraser overall. But, indeed, he won for Dune last year and maybe people, or not last year, but a couple years ago. And maybe people are like, well, okay, we'll see next time. But I do think he did the best work.

[01:38:04] And my second place for my personal choice won't surprise anyone. I keep arguing I wanted Eggers to be in here well. I think his cinematographer, Blaschke, is also, deserves to be here, deserves the win. I think that the way, he always works, by the way, with Robert Eggers. Like, Eggers likes to work with the same people over and over again. And so, Blaschke was also nominated for The Lighthouse in 2019, another Eggers film.

[01:38:34] But I just, yeah, I think that the artistry and the way that it, you can just see that they collaborate so well as director and cinematographer. And the way that the camera tells the story of everything that's going on with Ellen, Lily Debra Rose's character.

[01:38:51] Of just, with the nods, without aping, but just nodding toward the original Nosferatu, nodding toward Faust, another F.W. Murnau film that I talk a lot about in our Nosferatu episode. I just, yeah, I really love the work of those two. But I think the favorite is Crawley for The Brutalist. Yeah, I mean, Blaschke, for Nosferatu, this might be recency bias. I literally just watched this last night.

[01:39:21] But, like, just the shadow work, the work with shadows is just, like, at the core, that's what, like, light and shadow is what cinematography deals with, right? And there is no film that does that better than Nosferatu. Like, bar none, I think. Like, working with shadow, at least. You know, and the really interesting shots. Like, the interesting shot composition, I think, on top of that. Working with fire, right? The weird angles that come in at times, right?

[01:39:49] Like, that, I could watch this guy's film all day, basically. Yeah. And then, again, the comment on Conclave, right? Who, which, you know, didn't get the nomination here, I think could have. And maybe sort of. I think what I really liked about that is that, like, the film was very, it's not almost, like, picturesque, right? Like, they definitely composed the shots to be almost, like, Renaissance paintings that you would find in the Sistine Chapel or something like that, right? So, I think that's, like, what they did there.

[01:40:17] I think maybe the fact that some of them were held more, like, still shots as opposed to, like, long, like, action sequences are. Well, not necessarily action sequences, but, like, in-motion shots. But I'm thinking about, like, for example, like, the cardinal sitting in the, like, in the auditorium, right? Or, like, when the smoke comes in toward the end for that one sequence, right? Like, those feel almost like snapshots in slow motion as opposed to, like, a normal cinematography, so to speak, right?

[01:40:46] So, maybe that might be the knock against there, potentially. Yeah. Okay. Well, so, the BAFTA winner last night was indeed Crawley from The Brutalist. Why? I mean, given that the last film, the last film from this team was Vox Lux, which was not very well received, why do you think that people were so quick to embrace this one? You know, this is kind of a breakthrough in terms of industry respect for Corbet and the rest of us.

[01:41:16] I think, like I mentioned before, I think ambition, right, for the film, the scope, and then the production element, trying to, you know, get this film done for, working on it for so long, and then getting it done for so cheap, right, is a big part of it. Obviously, you have, like, the big name of Adrian Brody in there, kind of like, as, like, a headliner to bring attention to it as well.

[01:41:41] I think, you know, there are themes in the screenplay, whether you agree, like, how well they were done or not, I think there are themes present within the film that people can resonate with, like, the American dream, the brutality of the American dream. Like, you know, oh, you can only succeed if you have, like, a rich donor, right? Like, what does that mean, right? And having, like, artistic integrity for what you want, struggling, and obviously there's the whole Holocaust element kind of, like, tied into that and the political climate and everything.

[01:42:07] So I think it's just, like, the right mix of things that kind of scream Oscar, I think, at the end of the day, right? Right. On top of, you know, genuinely having, like, you know, at the very least above average performances, I would say, right? If not necessarily the best of the best, definitely above average. I don't know. I don't think I don't know if they're going to end up being all timers, per se. In fact, looking at this list, I don't I'm trying to think aside from maybe Demi Moore.

[01:42:36] I'm trying to think. I don't think there's any one performance in here aside from that, I would say is going to be, like, an all-time classic remembered performance, per se, right? I don't know. What do you think on that regard? On that regard? Oh, now I need to go. I mean, I feel like the wicked performances will be. I think especially the style of, you know, Ariana Grande's performance. There's such a...

[01:43:02] Yeah, though, those have the hurdle of having to clear the Idina Menzel-Christian Chenoweth performances from Broadway, right? Right. Which I think that they do, which is shocking. I don't know. I still I have a playlist of Broadway music and I still prefer the original Broadway cast musical recording. Okay, I mean, that's fair. Yeah. So, I mean, yeah. I mean, at the end of the day, right?

[01:43:26] If there's, like, obviously for Grande and Erivo, like, those are going to become defining roles for their careers, right? And Mikey Madison in Anora, that's going to be a defining role. These are going to be defining films for these individuals, but I'm talking about, like, in the grand scope of, like, if you think of, like... I think I'm going to remember Annie from Anora, just, you know... Maybe. Maybe. Especially when she literally kicks off. Yeah. I mean, I can...

[01:43:52] I think that could potentially be one there, but I think the only one I think is certified to be, like, oh, this is, like, damn, like, one of the all-time performances. I think Demi Moore will be up there, I think. Yeah, yeah. I can't see the theme about too many others in this list. Hmm. Well, again, yeah, that's why I think that best actress race is one to watch. And either between the two of them, and, yeah, if it's Torres, I won't be mad either, but I'm rooting for the two of them. Yeah, Torres would all... I would love for her to win. Hmm.

[01:44:21] So you said your favorite for best picture is the brutalist. Yeah, my personal favorite of who I would pick to win would be the brutalist. I think at this point it's definitely leaning toward... I have to rerun the numbers and see if it makes sense, because, like, I have this whole other thing of, like, oh, like... Like, the film, like... For example, like, best director, like, nine out of the 12 best pictures...

[01:44:48] Like, from the last 15 years, nine of them have had best picture wins, right? As nine out of 12 nominated. And then screenplay, like, 11 out of 15 have won a screenplay, right? So it's one of those things of, like, okay, just checking to make sure, like, who's predicted to win, who I think is going to win matches up with, like, these historical stats. Before I make my point. Okay. And are there any other films this year that are nominated or not you want to shout out? Yeah.

[01:45:17] Megalopolis is my number one film of the year last year. I still haven't watched it. I'm curious. It is not a good film, per se. But it is the most film a film can be. And I think in an AIDS where, like, people are, like, moving to AI and all that and, like, you know, and making films by, like, committee and everything. Like, Megalopolis is clearly the singular vision of one kind of deranged man who kind of has lost the thread a little bit, but it's still his thread.

[01:45:47] And I think, like, the fact that it is so unapologetic about what it is. It's the most Coppola Coppola has ever been. Exactly. The most, like, Babylon is a similar film I would compare it to. Hot mess of a film. But very dedicated to what it tries to be and is unapologetic about it. So that's why I have Megalopolis as my top film of the year. Maybe not the best film, but definitely top film of the year. Are you in the Kino branch? I am not. I'm in the Kratos branch. Oh, right. Yeah. Let's see.

[01:46:16] Alien Romulus. Love that. Love that film. Let's see. Conkley, I already talked about. Didi, I already mentioned. Love Didi. Yeah, so Didi, we didn't say what it is. You want to tell people what it is? So Didi is a film by Sean Wang. He was nominated last year for Nai Nai and Waipo in the live acts. It was a documentary short, I think. Documentary short, yeah, yeah. Didn't he win? He won. He was nominated. Oh. Documentary short went to, I forget who, but it wasn't him.

[01:46:44] Oh, but I'm thinking about there was the reaction video from his, so the name is the name of the grandmothers on both sides of the family, what you call them in, what is it, is it Mandarin or Cantonese? Once Mandarin, I think they were Taiwanese. They're Taiwanese, okay. Yeah. But, but yeah, so he, the reaction video of the two grandmothers finding out that they were nominated was adorable. That's what I'm thinking of. Yeah.

[01:47:11] I mean, they're, anyway, one of those grandmothers actually is in the, is in Didi as well. Right. And it's essentially the story of like this awkward, like between middle school and high school during the summer between then of this Taiwanese kid growing up in California during when like AIM was big and you still had MySpace and you worried about who your top eight friends were and everything. Right. I just kind of captures that vibe of that being an awkward adolescent so well in the time period and add on like the layer of like Asian American-ness and like what it means to like have this identity.

[01:47:41] You know, I just, I think a very authentic, again, a very authentic film, I think. That's what I really enjoy. I felt disturbingly authentic in terms of like the way he, I get so frustrated with that main character, you know, I'm like just, you know, yeah, but that's what you're supposed to. We were all there. So yeah, it's authentic. Like, um, last film that we haven't mentioned, you know, I meant we mentioned Monkey Man, Sea of the Sacred Fig and all that. Um, Look Back. I don't know if you, if you mentioned this one. No, I haven't.

[01:48:09] So Look Back is a animated film, very short, only about 60 minutes or so. Um, if you've heard of the anime Chainsaw Man. Yeah. Yeah. Which I love Chainsaw Man and I would not expect that for myself, but. Yeah. So it is by the same mangaka. So the mangaka who made Chainsaw Man wrote a one shot manga called, uh, Look Back. Um, very different vibe than Chainsaw Man, which is like very gory, very kind of crazy.

[01:48:34] This one is a one shot about essentially like these two girls in, uh, middle school, I think. Yeah. Who write, uh, who make manga for their school newspaper, right? And how they kind of like inspire each other to become, um, to, to become better artists, basically. It kind of like goes into this question of like, what does it mean to be an artist? What does it mean to have your own vision? And, uh, what encourages you to make art even if it is very draining of you, right? Um, and.

[01:49:03] Yeah, that one's on Prime, so it's easy to watch. Yeah, I'm not going to spoil everything, but I will also say it is in part a tribute to, to the animators who died, unfortunately, in an arson attack on the anime studio, Kyoto Animation. Actually, um, if you look at the names of the character, um, uh, I believe that they actually are kind of like a portmanteau of, like it, it alludes to Kyoto Animation in their name. So, you know, kind of a spoiler, uh, hinting at a spoiler that something happens in the film,

[01:49:32] um, in relation to that. But, uh, you know, definitely check that out. Again, a very short watch, only 60 minutes, amazingly animated. Um, would have loved to see this get the anime's nomination. They didn't, unfortunately. Um, I have the, the manga on my, on my bookshelf. So, definitely, uh, check that out. Okay. And, uh, final question for you. What do you think could be the biggest upset at the Oscars this year? So, looking at my list, realistically, hmm, vector visual effects.

[01:50:01] Uh, I mean, I don't think anything completely unexpected will happen. Um, I mean, yeah, maybe Flo somehow overtaking Wild Robot, but I think that it hasn't won enough precursors to get there. I'm, I'm predicting Flo over Wild Robot, but we'll see. I know it, on paper it doesn't work out, but I just, I'm feeling the vibe. I would like it, too.

[01:50:27] Um, I would say my biggest potential upset is Conclave winning Best Picture. Uh, yeah. Mm-hmm. Um, just because of the way, just because of the way that, um, preferential ballots work, right? Obviously, there's a lot of people who love Enora, right? Mm-hmm. Obviously, it's won a lot of different things. Um, I, I can't take the feeling there is, maybe, an older branch of the Academy, maybe is into that kind of film, right? Mm-hmm.

[01:50:54] Um, and then there might be a, and then obviously the next up would be, okay, well, The Brutalist, but then there's some people who, like, aren't into, like, the super long epic film. So, I think the film that everyone likes at least third or fourth on their ballot is probably Conclave. Mm-hmm. Um, so I think it has, and that would be the biggest upset. I don't think it's realistically going to happen. I think that's, that's kind of the curse of being, like, a person who looked at numbers and the statistics and all that. Mm-hmm.

[01:51:20] It has a lot of faith in those, is that it's hard for me to make predictions of crazy upsets because the data doesn't really support it. And I'm, I'm glad to be wrong when I am wrong. Um, but it kind of takes the fun out of the predicting part of the Oscars, so to speak. Um, at, at some point, the Oscars becomes like, okay, check, expected that, expected that, expected that. Mm-hmm. Basically. So, I'm happy to be surprised if something does happen. But predicting something crazy to happen is just not my style, I think.

[01:51:46] Um, so Conclave, uh, last night at the BAFTAs won both Best British Film and Best Overall Film. Did they do rank choice voting for overall? I forget if BAFTA does or doesn't. I know, I believe PGA does, which is why a Nora winning is a big deal for them. Mm-hmm. Um, I don't know if BAFTA does, but also the fact that, you know, um, Ray Fines is a British, right? Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, it's a very British cast.

[01:52:14] Um, Berger is like, is, is, is like the European as opposed to the crazy American, right? Right. It was funny. Berger went on stage after the Best British Film Award and he's like, I'm not even British, but thank you. Exactly. Right. It's German. That's the thing, right? Like BAFTAs will obviously have a bias toward British films. And so, I mean, that's why Wallace and Gromit wins every year. They're nominated, right? Right. Right. Right. But I guess, you know, like, um, it's in, in European terms, it's sort of like, like

[01:52:41] from Britain to Germany, it's just two countries over, you know, that's, uh, we're all part of Northwest Europe here. I'm in the middle in the Netherlands. Yeah. Exactly. Okay. Well, thank you so much for all of your thoughts and insights. And, uh. Of course. Thank you for having me on. I hope everyone was taking notes on all those extra films that you should watch. Yeah, for sure. Uh, yeah. And, you know, thanks again for having me on, Alicia. Always a pleasure to talk films. And, uh, yeah, if you like what I do, you know, come in and check out the, uh, the Oscars Death Face podcast where we try to watch all the nominated films or die trying.

[01:53:11] Right. Yeah. So you'll get, you have a whole bunch of different guests and voices on there, um, to give perspectives on, especially the, the Best Picture nominee. So follow that link in the show notes and, uh, you can catch up on those episodes as well. All right. Thank you again, Paolo. All right. Of course. No, no worries. Thanks for having me on. And, uh, until next year. Thank you again, Paolo.

[01:53:39] And check the show notes for a link to the Oscars Death Race podcast to hear more from him. Um, and I told Paolo this, but I'm now going to tell all of you. I have since this recording seen Megalopolis and I kind of low key love it. It's a hot mess. Yes. But it's an, it's an interesting and engrossing hot mess. I'm honestly not sure whether my love is ironic or genuine, but I actually think I like it better than the brutalist.

[01:54:06] I know that's not a high bar with me, obviously, but I keep hearing those two films being compared directly and yeah, I see why. Um, as I said at the end of the writing episode, I have indeed now also seen the substance screenplay and it's incredible. I'll link again, the very short behind the scenes video, the director herself made showing it off in the show notes. And also since that episode aired, um, we actually got another piece of feedback in the acting categories.

[01:54:35] So we have a voicemail from Lisa Red Zippy checking in. So let's listen to Lisa and see who she's rooting for and who she's expecting to win. Hello, Lorehounds. This is Red Zippy 330 here in Akron, Ohio, uh, AKA Lisa. I am leaving a voicemail about the Oscars acting categories and giving you my two cents.

[01:55:02] Um, the best supporting actor and actress appear quite locked in. Uh, an upset at the Screen Actors Guild Awards this weekend would add some stakes. Of course, thinking back to Jamie Lee Curtis with everything everywhere all at once. Uh, but for supporting actress, I want Zoe Saldana or Ariana Grande to win. Who will win is Zoe and she deserves it. She blew me away in Emilia Perez.

[01:55:31] Absolutely blew me away. So that was an Oscar worthy performance. And really for her body of work in Hollywood. I mean, give her an Oscar. Um, Ariana stood out for me in Wicked. She was so funny and so perfect and like, well, so Glinda. So I would be thrilled if she won. Who I do not agree with is a nomination for Felicity Jones from, uh, for The Brutalist.

[01:55:58] Just, uh, that just, that was really, just for me, a very poorly performed performance. Oh, there's a phrase. Okay. Anyway, not a fan. I'm a huge fan of her, but not a fan of this role. Um, I wish that Daniel Deadweiler got in, uh, for piano lessons. Um, best supporting actor also looks like a lock with Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain. I love Kieran.

[01:56:27] He was amazing in succession on HBO and deserves all his Emmy nominations and wins. What is tough for me about a performer like Culkin is, well, he's, he's always going to be Kieran Culkin. Um, I really haven't seen him lose himself in a role. Um, but perhaps he does come close in A Real Pain, uh, where he does become very meditative and contemplative. Is that a word?

[01:56:57] Anyway, so, uh, it was, it was, it was a great role. I wouldn't be unhappy if he won. Uh, and he's been acting since he was eight. So more power to him. Who I want to win is Edward Norton. Uh, he was terrific in a complete unknown. He's been nominated three other times. And he's one of the best actors of our generation. And he should have an Oscar. For best actress. For best actress. I have yet to see. I'm still here. And I know Fernanda Torres has a huge international following.

[01:57:25] So again, we'll see what happens at SAG. But right now I see this as a race between, uh, Mikey Madison for Nora and Demi Moore for The Substance. I loved both performances and thrilled that they got nominations. I'm rooting for Demi Moore, uh, both for her performance in this film. And, I mean, she's like Hollywood royalty. And she deserves like a body of work Oscar. She's, she's really done some, some great stuff and made a lot of people in that room a lot of money.

[01:57:55] Um, I mean, if Sandra Bullock can win for Blindside and Julia Roberts for Erin Brockovich, then Demi can win for The Substance. But it will probably be Mikey. Um, I wanted to see Nicole Kidman nominated for Baby Girl. Um, and she deserved it. But clearly most others don't see it as her strongest film, which is nuts to me. I mean, she took me places into emotions I didn't know she could take me.

[01:58:22] Uh, that made a huge impression on me. I just thought her performance was amazing. Uh, finally, for Best Actor, I want Ray Fiennes to win because he is my all-time favorite actor, period, end of sentence. He should have won for Schindler's List. He's one of the best actors we have, period. I saw him, uh, from the second row in his Tony-nominated performance in Faith Healer on Broadway.

[01:58:51] So, uh, you know, whew. Um, but he's not gonna win this. Uh, I'm afraid it'll be Adrian Brody for The Brutalist. Um, I wanted to go to Timothee Chalamet if Rafe can't get it, but it's rare that the Academy Awards young men in this category. Um, it took Leonardo DiCaprio five nominations before he got a win, and Chalamet is only at two. But Brody, coincidentally, is the exception when he won for The Pianist at age 29.

[01:59:20] Chalamet is the same age. Eh, so? Maybe? Maybe? Yeah. But, uh, Adrian Brody has the momentum. Again, we'll see at SAG. So, uh, that is all for my, uh, acting category thoughts, and I will talk to you all soon. Bye. Thank you so much, Lisa. We have some different takes, but it's really good to have that range of opinions. And, uh, yeah. So, Lisa mentioned the SAG Awards.

[01:59:47] So, just to update on the three major precursors that have handed out awards since Paolo and I recorded. Well, actually, uh, BAFTA was before that, but I didn't shout out all the awards yet, uh, for the acting categories. So, I did say Conclave dominated at the BAFTAs, and it also took the biggest award by surprise at SAG. But Anor won the BAFTA for Best Actress and the Casting Award, a category that's being added to the Oscars lineup as of next year.

[02:00:15] Uh, Brutalist won Director for Brady Corbet, as we said, at the BAFTA. But, after wins from the Directors Guild, Spirit Awards, and others, Sean Baker is considered the front runner in the directing category, uh, for Nora. And I just wanted to add, as a personal note, how deeply impressed I am with Coralie Farget, uh, the director of The Substance, and just the way her mind works.

[02:00:40] I've been doing deep dives into her films, and even a Star Wars tribute that she made as a teenager. And I recommend looking up the behind-the-scenes short she directed about her work on The Substance. It's incredible, the creativity and talent that went into bringing the images in her brain to life. So, I'll link that in the show notes as well. Um, I am now pissed all over again that it didn't get recognized in cinematography. It absolutely deserves it, and for practical VFX.

[02:01:10] In cinematography, though, Jomo Frey took that at the Spirit Awards for Nickel Boys. So, that's some vindication for those who are upset that it wasn't nominated in that category at the Oscars. Uh, at the BAFTAs, this award went to The Brutalist, as we said, underlining it as a major threat in this category.

[02:01:28] And since we mentioned this award in this episode, David Johnson from VFX Oscar nominee Alien Romulus won the E.E. Rising Talent Awards over Mikey Madison, who had to console herself with her Best Actress BAFTA and Spirit Award instead. Uh, Adrienne Brody won Lead Actor at the BAFTAs, but then Timothee Chalamet surprised at SAG, which is again the largest voting body at the Oscars. So, hmm.

[02:01:56] Uh, Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldana continue to collect statues in the supporting categories for A Real Pain and Amelia Perez, respectively. Um, and by the way, Paula brought up a couple of times his film, Dee Dee, the awkwardly realistic coming-of-age story from Sean Wang. And that did well at the Spirit Awards. It took home Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay. And the Robert Altman Award for Ensemble Cast at the Spirits went to His Three Daughters,

[02:02:25] a Netflix movie about estranged sisters coping with an ailing father that was once expected to get a lot more awards attention for its stars, Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne, which are three of my personal favorite actresses, but no, I haven't seen it yet. Um, as, as a little aside on Scandal Watch, I should mention that there was some controversy surrounding The Apprentice director, Ali Abbasi,

[02:02:53] who was accused of behaving inappropriately towards someone. But he showed Carlos Sofia Gascon how it's done. Um, he stepped forward and he said that he did jokingly smack someone in the rear and he realizes now that it was inappropriate. And the so-called scandal has already calmed down, though I guess it's also easier to forget as that film isn't a frontrunner in any categories. But just to keep you updated,

[02:03:20] anyway, come chat with us about all of this on Discord, where there's a special award season channel under current shows, as well as channels for everything else. We also want to hear your thoughts on this year's Oscars. Uh, please send them to oscars at thelorehounds.com. And I think we'll do a wrap up episode in the subscriber feed, at least, so we can share it there. And if you enjoyed this episode, please do share it with someone else you think might like some Oscar insights as well. Next up is the finale,

[02:03:51] talking the 10 Best Picture nominees with David. In the meantime, check the show notes for links to all the episodes in this series so far, plus last year's series, not to mention this year's Oscar-nominated movies we've done deep dives into. And also check out Mind Jean's reaction to the new Captain America movie. More non-Oscar content coming your way. Actually, a lot of it. We're figuring out our coverage plans for this spring's onslaught of content.

[02:04:16] But you can expect some sort of sporadic coverage for White Lotus and Daredevil Born Again. And we're trying to figure out something for Doctor Who, too, because there will be full coverage for both The Wheel of Time and Andor with all the extras. We're cooking up a new format for Andor to make sure your coverage isn't cut short with the wonky release schedule. And I believe there will be a weekly The Last of Us coverage as well.

[02:04:43] Of course, Severance still wrapping up in the separate Severance feed nearing the end of the season. Will there be answers? Well, there will at least be more visits to the Supply Closet for Supercast and Patreon subscribers and season pass holders. Check out the link tree in the show notes for more information about those options. Subscribers also have access to a Daredevil prep episode that's coming this weekend, a just-released second breakfast episode,

[02:05:11] and this month's 11 Cs about David Lynch's eraser head that's coming up in a couple days. Explore the link tree in the show notes to find all those feeds and also explore the affiliates. My Will Shift Dust, the Star Wars Canon Timeline podcast, Radioactive Ramblings, which is covering Invincible now, and Nevermind the Music. These are all active. And of course, no true Lorehounds episode is over until we shout out the people whose support makes this all possible. Thank you to Discord server boosters, Aaron K., Tiller the Thriller,

[02:05:41] Dork of the Ninjas, Doove71, Athena Agilea, Tina, Lestu, Nancy M., Ghost of Pardition, Radioactive Richard. And thank you especially to our Lorehounds, to all of our subscribers, and most of all to our Loremasters, our highest tier of subscribers, and those are, Samartian, Michael G., Michelle E., Brian P., SC, Peter OH, Bettina W., Adam S., Nancy M., Doove71, Brian8063, Frederick H., Sarah L.,

[02:06:11] Garrett C., Matthew M., Sarah M., DJ Miwa, Andra B., Kwong Yu, Dead Eye Jedi Bob, Nathan T., Alex V., Sub Zero, Aaron K., Dally V., Mothership 61, Narls, Kathy W., Lestu, Jeffrey B., Elisa U., Neil F., Ben B., Scott F., Steven N., Julia F., Collie S., Ilmariel, and always last, Adrian. Thank you all for listening.

[02:06:40] Please do pass this episode along to anyone else you think would enjoy it. See you next to talk about the big one, Best Picture. David and I will remind you what's nominated, what it's about, give you our takes, talk the odds, and check in with members of the community on their thoughts and predictions. See you there.

[02:07:07] The Lorehounds Podcast is produced and published by The Lorehounds. You can send questions and feedback and voicemails at thelorehounds.com slash contact. Get early and ad-free access to all Lorehounds Podcasts at patreon.com slash the Lorehounds. Any opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities. Thanks for listening.

[02:07:38] Hey everyone, David here. Severance is back. The Lorehounds are partnering with Properly Howard to bring you in-depth weekly coverage of Season 2. Join me, John, Anthony, and Steve as we unpack every twist, theory, and revelation. We've created a dedicated feed just for our Severance coverage. Simply search for Severance Lorehounds in your podcast app,

[02:08:05] or find the direct link in our link tree. Our weekly episodes dig deep into the show's mysteries, themes, and bigger questions about identity and consciousness that make Severance so compelling. Season Pass and regular community subscribers get ad-free access to our weekly episodes, plus exclusive content like our Supply Closet bonus series, featuring fascinating conversations with experts like the team from Nevermind the Music.

[02:08:35] We've explored the neuroscience of memory and personality, decoded the hidden meanings in the show's musical themes, and there's much more to come. You'll also get Steve and Anthony's complete Season 1 rewatch series. We believe in total transparency with our listeners, and unlike Mammalians Nurturable, we're happy to share all of our secrets. Find the link for the Severance feed in the show notes below,

[02:09:05] or search Severance Lorehounds wherever you get your podcasts. Come theorize with us about what's really happening at Lumen.