Who Would I Give The Oscar To? 

4 more days till the big prizes are handed out and per usual the webs are full of predictions and the like. The Oscars are the last of award season and by the time it rolls out, everyone is able to pretty much predict who will win. Instead of doing a prediction like I have done in past years, I will list out who I would give the Oscar to if a genie gave me sole voting power of the Academy.

BEST PICTURE
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

I have seen all but Hacksaw Ridge and Hell or High Water but everyone knows that the competition is between Moonlight and La La Land (and maybe Hidden Figures with its surprise win at the SAGs?) People seem to think you can’t like both but I loved both. But if I had to pick it would definitely be Moonlight. I was so moved by it, I didn’t have words to describe it.

BEST DIRECTOR
Denis Villeneuve, Arrival
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

This is between Chazelle and Jenkins for me and Chazelle gets the edge and I will tell you why. I very much acknowledge that Jenkins is a virtual unknown who made a great movie on a small budget but guys, La La Land was magical and though we see the final work, I can’t help but think how hard it must have been trying to convey this vision when it was just words and a dream and to bring it to life in this manner. And the epilogue. Can’t forget the epilogue. That being said, I am here to ever support my people so I definitely won’t be mad at a Jenkins win either.

BEST ACTOR
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences

I don’t know who I would pick. Hear me out. Casey Affleck did a great job on an okay movie but he has scum activities so fuck him. Denzel did what Denzel always does and brought his A game in a powerful role but then there’s Ryan. Now people tend to overlook good performances when it is not presented in a movie or character that is hella serious or the usual “oscar type movie” but I commend Ryan for the charm + obnoxious that he brought to life as Sebastian. By the time I finished writing this paragraph, I knew who I’d pick. duh.

BEST ACTRESS
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

I didn’t see Florence Foster Jenkins. Isabelle Huppert up until recently has won most of the major awards and I wondered why. I didn’t really think it was anything over extraordinary. Like Ryan above, I think Emma held her own but Natalie Portman blew me away with her performance as Jackie especially since the movie was a bore. I really thought she had it in the bag but I forgot there was a Hollywood story in the mix.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel, Lion
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

I think everyone nominated is deserving. Dev Patel was really good in Lion and I hope this is the beginning of a long career for him. I have been vocal about how I feel that while Mahershala had a strong performance, I still don’t think he was the best supporting actor in the movie. I immensely disliked Nocturnal Animals but acting wise I think Shannon was strong as was Hedges. But I wouldn’t have voted based on acting, emotion would have won and Mahershala just seems deserving for his career as a whole.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Viola Davis. End of discussion. No explanation needed.

So, there you have it. What do y’all think?