Oscar Week: HollywoodChicago.com Predictions for 2019 Academy Awards

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We took assignments on some other individual categories, just to comment upon some favorite gems buried in the mass of Oscar beyond the above-the-line interest.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE (Spike Walters)
NOMINEES: “Incredibles 2” … “Isle of Dogs” … “Mirai” … “Ralph Breaks the Internet” … “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

Will Win: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
Should Win: “Isle of Dogs”
Should Have Been Nominated: “Early Man”

Verse
’Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Releasing

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” has the momentum and will likely pull off a rare non-Walt Disney Studios win in this animated category. I know it’s a hope against hope, but I found Wes Anderson’s stop motion Isle of Dogs to be more of a pure visual delight. And poor “Early Man” … this caveman clay-mation soccer comedy came out too early to get much attention, but was really quietly sweet. (SW)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG (Jon Lennon Espino)
NOMINEES: “All The Stars” - “Black Panther” … “I’ll Fight” - “RBG” …. “Shallow” - “A Star Is Born” … “The Place Where Lost Things Go” - “Mary Poppins Returns” … “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” - “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

Will Win: “Shallow” - “A Star Is Born”
Should Win: “All The Stars” - “Black Panther”
Should Have Been Nominated: “Ashes” – “Deadpool 2”

Starborn1
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in ‘A Star is Born’
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

This category is usually reserved for those songs that get stuck in your head long after the film is over. In some cases, they are songs that are so catchy that they go beyond the film and become songs you listen to on a regular basis. This is where “Shallow” and “All the Stars” truly stand above the rest, with “All the Stars” (which should win) beating out the more superficial “Shallow” (which will win). The other choices are so weak that I can’t even remember the tune, let alone a single lyric from them. One nominee I would have loved to see – mainly to have her perform it at the Oscars – is Celine Dion’s answer to a Bond-style song, “Ashes”, from “Deadpool 2.”(JE)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (Patrick McDonald)
NOMINEES: “Capernaum” … “Cold War” … “Never Look Away” … “Roma” … “Shoplifters”

Will Win: “Roma”
Should Win: “Roma”

Roma1
Yalitza Aparico in ‘Roma’
Photo credit: Netflix

I only pick this “most strongest” category to analyze because each and every film is worthy, with “Roma” standing taller only by a sum of a few degrees. “Capernaum,” my second favorite film of the year, is a must see. “Never Look Away” is a must see, especially for fine artists channelling painting as a medium, or interested parties (the rest of us). “Cold War” and “Shoplifters,” are only lesser because their subject matter was so emotionally harsh to me, but both has something to say. “Roma” wins this one hands down, which allows The Academy to honor “Black Panther” as Best Picture (I think, but again, no problem with “Roma” doing the Best-Best clean sweep). ONE MORE NOTE … crossing fingers and toes and whatever else I can cross for “MINDING THE GAP,” the Chicago-produced documentary directed by Bing Liu. Bring it home. (PM)

ODDS FOR THE REST

To complete the rest of the categories, here are the latest odds for each.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roma 1/20

Cold War 9/1

A Star Is Born 12/1

The Favourite 16/1

Never Look Away 40/1



BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Free Solo 5/8
RBG 6/5

Minding the Gap 12/1
Hale County This Morning, This Evening 33/1

Of Fathers and Sons 40/1  



BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
Marguerite 17/5

Skin 39/10

Fauve 4/1

Detainment 4/1

Mother 9/2

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Bao 16/5

Weekends 4/1

One Small Step 9/2

Animal Behaviour 9/2

Late Afternoon 9/2

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Period. End of Sentence. 17/5

Black Sheep 19/5

End Game 4/1

A Night at the Garden 9/2

Lifeboat 9/2

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
If Beale Street Could Talk 1/2 

Black Panther 3/1    

Mary Poppins Returns 5/1    

BlacKkKlansman  10/1   

Isle of Dogs 25/1

BEST FILM EDITING
Vice 1/1

The Favourite  2/1 

Bohemian Rhapsody 13/4  

BlacKkKlansman 9/1   

Green Book 25/1

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avengers: Infinity War 1/6

First Man 7/2

Ready Player One 10/1

Christopher Robin 33/1

Solo: A Star Wars Story 50/1

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Favourite 4/15

Black Panther 9/5

Mary Poppins Returns 22/1

Mary Queen of Scots 25/1  

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs 25/1

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Favourite 2/5

Black Panther 2/1

Roma 9/1

Mary Poppins Returns 20/1

First Man 25/1

BEST MAKE-UP AND HAIR STYLING
Vice 6/5

Mary Queen of Scotts 49/20

Border 29/10

BEST SOUND EDITING
First Man 4/7

A Quiet Place 5/2

Bohemian Rhapsody 3/1

Black Panther 16/1

Roma 40/1 

BEST SOUND MIXING
Bohemian Rhapsody 7/2

A Star is Born 19/5

First Man 4/1

Black Panther 9/2

Roma 9/2

For the TOP TEN films of 2018 by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, click here.

To access the reviews and articles of Patrick McDonald, click here. For Jon Lennon Espino, click here. For Spike Walters, click here.

The 91st Academy Awards will take place on February 24th, 2019, at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater, and will be broadcast on ABC-TV beginning at 7pm ET/6pm CT. Thanks always to Jimmy Shapiro for the odds determined from click here, except for the Best Live Action, Documentary and Animated Shorts, plus Best Make-Up and Hair Styling, Best Sound Mixing from click here. Please, no wagering.

HollywoodChicago.com senior staff writer Patrick McDonald

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2019 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

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