

Movie Reviews
Oscars 2017 Predictions
Awards season has barely kicked off for real, yet it already feels like we have seen it play out. The Birth of a Nation was the early frontrunner following the record deal at Sundance, but Nate Parker and Fox Searchlight have been plagued by his historical rape allegations that may leave their campaign in tatters.
Meanwhile, strong showings at both Venice and Telluride for Damien Chazelle’s La La Land has put firmly at the top of the pack. The period musical, an ode to the golden age of Hollywood, features a much hyped performance from Emma Stone.
Tom Hanks is also getting more buzz following early showings of Sully, and could see his first Oscar nomination for 16 years. Critics are also raving about Moonlight following its debut at Telluride.
Other favourites that will re-enter the race on release include Manchester by the Sea, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, Silence, Fences and Loving. Hidden Figures and Arrival are also ones to watch.
BEST PICTURE
The Birth of a Nation is hanging on by a thread, but La La Land and Manchester by the Sea are a big hit with critics.
PREDICTIONS
- The Birth of a Nation
- Silence
- Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
- La La Land
- Loving
- Manchester by the Sea
- Moonlight
- Fences
DIRECTOR
Damien Chazelle leads the pack after Telluride, but a host of Hollywood veterans are hot on his heels.
PREDICTIONS
- Nate Parker, The Birth of a Nation
- Ang Lee, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
- Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By the Sea
- Martin Scorsese, Silence
- Damien Chazelle, La La Land
LEADING ACTOR
Tom Hanks is looking for his first nomination since 2001, while diversity will be a big factor in the acting categories this year.
PREDICTIONS
- Nate Parker, The Birth of a Nation
- Joel Edgerton, Loving
- Denzel Washington, Fences
- Tom Hanks, Sully
- Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
WHO SHOULD, BUT WON’T
- Scott Chambers, Chicken
LEADING ACTRESS
Ruth Negga and Viola Davis are the ones to beat, but this could be Emma Stone’s year. Then there’s Meryl Streep. There’s always Meryl Streep.
PREDICTIONS
- Ruth Negga, Loving
- Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins
- Viola Davis, Fences
- Emma Stone, La La Land
- Annette Bening, 20th Century Woman
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Silence can shine here, while support is building for Hugh Grant.
PREDICTIONS
- Liam Neeson, Silence
- Steve Martin, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
- Armie Hammer, The Birth of a Nation
- Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
- Adam Driver, Silence
WHO SHOULD, BUT WON’T
- John Goodman, 10 Cloverfield Lane
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Michelle Williams is back with Manchester by the Sea, while Kristen Stewart is looking for her first nomination in a crowded field.
PREDICTIONS
- Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
- Aja Naomi King, The Birth of a Nation
- Kristen Stewart, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
- Naomie Harris, Moonlight
- Laura Dern, Wilson
ANIMATED FEATURE
Watch out for Kubo and the Two Strings, plus the usual Disney contenders in Moana and Finding Dory.
PREDICTIONS
- Moana
- Kubo and the Two Strings
- Zootopia
- Finding Dory
- The Red Turtle
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Tickled is hitting the right spot, but Weiner and Gleason will hope to be among the contenders this year.
PREDICTIONS
- The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years
- Tickled
- Life, Animated
- Weiner
- Gleason
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Judging by Isabelle Huppert’s lauded leading performance, Elle looks like a likely submission from France and Germany’s Toni Erdmann looks strong, but submissions are still rolling in.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL CURRENT SUBMISSIONS
PREDICTIONS
- Toni Erdmann, Germany
- Elle, France
- The Salesman, Iran
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Birth of a Nation is hanging on in there, but Woody Allen and Damien Chazelle will be big contenders here.
PREDICTIONS
- Loving
- Manchester By the Sea
- The Birth of a Nation
- La La Land
- Cafe Society
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Expect the usual fare, though this could be the springboard for Nocturnal Animals‘ campaign.
PREDICTIONS
- Silence
- Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
- Fences
- Lion
- Nocturnal Animals
CINEMATOGRAPHY
COMING SOON
FILM EDITING
COMING SOON
ORIGINAL SONG
It is widely understood that the most unpredictable category in the Oscars is that of Original Song. For the last few years there has been no apparent rhyme or reason for the choices made, which is somewhat refreshing but a nightmare for us critics.
Two songs that are being given a lot of publicity by the studios are Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake, who produced the soundtrack for Trolls, and The Lumineers’ Nobody Knows from Disney’s live action remake of Pete’s Dragon.
Disney could also be on to a winner with Moana. Their animated hits tend to get a push in this category, and trailer song We Know the Way is currently the one touted. But they have a third contender in Zootopia with Shakira’s Try Everything, while for something different Damien Chazelle will no doubt compete here with something from La La Land.
PREDICTIONS
- Can’t Stop the Feeling from Trolls
- Nobody Knows from Pete’s Dragon
- Unknown from La La Land
- Try Everything from Zootopia
- We Know the Way from Moana.
ORIGINAL SCORE
COMING SOON
COSTUME DESIGN
COMING SOON
PRODUCTION DESIGN
COMING SOON
VISUAL EFFECTS
COMING SOON
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
COMING SOON
SOUND EDITING
COMING SOON
SOUND MIXING
COMING SOON
DOCUMENTARY SHORT
COMING SOON
LIVE ACTION SHORT
COMING SOON
ANIMATED SHORT
COMING SOON
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