Oscar Picks 2019

This is my 13th year of predicting the Oscar winners.  Last year I saw 7 of the nominated film and correctly predicted 5 of 7 categories (I don't predict them all).  This year I saw 5 films (for the full list of nominees, go to the Academy Awards website):

Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
Christopher Robin
Isle of Dogs
Ready Player One

Avengers: Infinity War is nominated for Best Visual Effects
Black Panther is nominated for 7 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing
Christopher Robin is nominated for Best Visual Effects
Isle of Dogs is nominated for Best Animated Film and Best Original Score
Ready Player One is nominated for Best Visual Effects

My pick for Best Animated Short Film is Bao (pictured above) from Pixar Animate Studios.

Best Supporting Actor
*Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell, Vice

Mahershala Ali
Ali will probably win.  If he doesn't, I expect Richard E. Grant to take the award.


Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Vice
Marina de Tavira, Roma
*Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Regina King
I like Amy Adams, but I'm not sure her performance / film has enough good will to make a difference.  King will win.


Best Actor
Christian Bale, Vice
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity's Gate
*Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Rami Malek
Malek will probably win.  I don't think anyone else stands a chance.


Best Actress
Yalitza Aparicio, Roma
Glenn Close, The Wife
*Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Glenn Close or Olivia Colman
Close and Colman are the front runners.  They have won most of the Best Actress prizes this awards season.  Close's performance is the only nomination for The Wife.  She has received several prizes for the role.  Colman's movie has the most nominations.  It could go either way, but I give the edge to Close.


Best Director
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
*Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Adam McKay, Vice

Alfonso Cuaron
Cuaron's direction is universally praised for this film.


Best Animated Film
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
*Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
I enjoyed Isle of Dogs, but I think Spider-Man will take the win.


Best Picture
A Star Is Born
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
*Green Book
Roma
Vice

Roma or Black Panther
Most people are predicting a win for Roma.  Black Panther was the most widely popular film on the list... so I think it could take the win.



EDIT: 5 of 7, same as last year.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

"Who are you guys?"

"We're you, dude."

"No way. No... way."

"Yes way."

In the 1980s, teenagers Bill Preston (Winter) and Ted Logan (Reeves) are trying to start a band.  Their dreams for stardom are in jeopardy as they are failing history.  If they fail, Ted will be sent to military school in another state and the band will break up.  To pass the class, they need to get an A on their final project.

For the final project, they must describe how historical figures would feel about modern life.  Things look bleak for the duo, until Rufus (Carlin) from the future brings them a phone booth time machine.  They decide to use the time machine to meet historical figures for their report.  Can they get the report done in time to pass the class?


This film was a surprise hit and propelled it's leads to stardom.  It also spawned a franchise: a film  sequel (Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) in 1991, an animated TV show (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures) from 1990-1991, a live-action TV show (also called Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures) in 1992, and several video games.

The Good:
The film doesn't take itself too seriously.  It is ridiculous, and somehow it works.  You don't need to think much to enjoy the movie... and you don't need any knowledge of the historical figures that appear (but if you have even a passing knowledge, you will get a few extra chuckles).

The Bad:
The film is definitely a product of it's time: the clothes and language.  That isn't a dig against the film, it is just something you have to get past.

Other Comments:
-I tried to watch this film before, but gave up after a few minutes.  Some friends challenged me to give the film a second chance, and I enjoyed it more than expected.
-The story, written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon (who also wrote the sequel) doesn't try to hard and has an effortless charm
-I never understood why people liked Keanu Reeves.  Now it makes sense (and I understand his acting style a little better).  He and Alex Winter are a great pair and I plan to check out the sequel.
-Reeves, Winter, and the writers (Matheson and Solomon) reunited for another sequel: Bill & Ted Face the Music, set to be released in 2020


Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) 89 minutes
Director: Stephen Herek
Starring: Keanu Reeves as Ted "Theodore" Logan
Alex Winter as Bill S. Preston Esq.
George Carlin as Rufus
Terry Camilleri as Napoleon Bonaparte
Dan Shor as Billy the Kid
Tony Steedman as Socrates
Rod Loomis as Sigmund Freud
Al Leong as Genghis Khan
Jane Wiedlin as Joan of Arc
Robert V. Barron as Abraham Lincoln
Clifford David as Ludwig van Beethoven

Ready Player One

"People come to the Oasis for all the things they can do, but they stay for all the things they can be."

In the future, escape the trauma in their lives through a virtual reality system called the OASIS.  OASIS was created by James Halliday (Rylance) and Ogden Morrow (Pegg).  Halliday created a challenge, to find his successor, and hid it within the system.  After his death, the details of the challenge were released to all OASIS users.  He hid 3 challenges within the system, after completing the challenge, players are awarded a key.  The winner is the first player to obtain all three keys.  Years after Halliday's death, no one has passed the first challenge.

The main competitors are gunters, gaming enthusiasts who are egg hunters, and Sixers, nameless characters that work for Innovative Online Industries.  Teenager Wade Watts (Sheridan) is a gunter and Halliday expert.  Every day he escapes life in the Stacks with his aunt and abusive boyfriend to try and complete the first challenge.  He is joined by his friends Aech (Waithe), Sho (Zhao) and Daito (Morisaki) and the legendary Art3mis (Cooke).  They are connected by the game, but don't know anything real about each other.  Each day they try to stay one step ahead of the Sixers and their ruthless boss Nolan Sorrento (Mendelsohn), who wants to turn a profit from the system.  Can Wade and his friends get all the keys before Sorrento?


This film is based on Ernest Cline's 2011 novel "Ready Player One".  I loved the book and was intrigued by the trailer and the fact that Steven Spielberg (who is referenced in the novel) was directing it.

The Good:
The effects are great and the OASIS scenes are well done.  The cast is game and does well in their roles, especially Ben Mendelsohn as Nolan Sorrento and Mark Rylance as James Halliday.

The Bad:
As with most adaptations, the book is better.  The screenplay, written by Zak Penn and Cline, makes numerous changes from the novel.  It retrains the overall structure, but changes some of the specifics.  It isn't bad... it just isn't as good as it could be.

Other Thoughts:
-The film is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
-Cline is working on a sequel to the novel, which would bring the characters back and again feature many pop culture references.  If the sequel novel is as popular as the original, I expect it will also be adapted as a film.
-I loved the novel and noticed the changes... but I enjoyed the changes that were made to the story and enjoyed the film.


Ready Player One (2018) 140 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action violence, bloody images, some suggestive material, partial nudity and language.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan as Wade Watts / Parzival
Olivia Cooke as Art3mis
Ben Mendelsohn as Nolan Sorrento
T.J. Miller as i-R0k
Simon Pegg as Ogden Morrow
Mark Rylance as James Halliday / Anorak the All-Knowing
Lena Waithe as Aech
Hannah John-Kamen as F'Nale Zandor
Philip Zhao as Sho
Win Morisaki as Daito

Christopher Robin

"There's more to life than balloons and honey!"

[doubtfully] "Are you sure?"

Christopher Robin (McGregor) is an efficiency expert at Winslow Luggages.  He is consumed by work and rarely has time to enjoy life or spend time with his wife Evelyn (Atwell) or daughter Madeline (Carmichael).  He promises to take a weekend away with his family, but their plans are interrupted when Giles Winslow (Gatiss) forces him to work or fire members of his staff.  He agrees to work, and Evelyn takes the trip anyway.

After a long day at the office, he goes to the park and discovers his childhood playmate, Winnie the Pooh (Cummins).  As a child, Christopher would go through a door in the tree in his front yard and spend the day in the Hundred Acre Wood with his friends: Winnie the Pooh, Tigger (Cummins), Eeyore (Garrett), Piglet (Mohammed), Rabbit (Capaldi), Kanga (Okonedo), Roo (Sheen), and Owl (Jones).  His carefree days in the Hundred Acre Woods came to an end when he went away to boarding school and life changed.  His friends are missing and Winnie the Pooh is eager to once again go on an adventure with Christopher.  Can Christopher remember how to have fun again, find his friends, and save his job?


The character of Winnie the Pooh was created by author A.A. Milne in the 1926 book "Winnie-the-Pooh."  The book, which featured illustrations by E.H. Shephard, was popular and led to a sequel, "House at Pooh Corner."  The character's popularity led to additional sequels (made without Milne), TV shows, and films.  Walt Disney Animation Studios made 2 animated Winnie the Pooh films: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 1977 and Winnie the Pooh in 2011.

The Good:
The effects are impressive.  The characters look like they belong in the same world and keep the innocence of Shepard's illustrations.  The story is interesting and the beloved characters from our childhood maintain their innocence and charm.  Ewan McGregor is great in the title role.  He is convincing and likable throughout.

The Bad:
I really didn't have any issues with the film.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Other Comments:
-This film is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
-Jim Cummins has voiced the characters of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger since 1997
-The iconic "Winnie the Pooh" theme, written by the Sherman Brothers, plays in the background, but is not featured prominently
-Two other classic Winnie the Pooh songs are sung by the characters: "Up, Down and Touch the Ground" and "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers"
-Richard Sherman wrote new songs for the film, and appears during the end credits performing "Busy Doing Nothing"

Christopher Robin (2018) 104 minutes
Director: Marc Forster
Starring: Ewan McGregor as Christopher Robin
Hayley Atwell as Evelyn Robin
Bronte Carmichael as Madeline Robin
Mark Gatiss as Giles Winslow
Jim Cummins as Winnie the Pooh, Tigger
Brad Garrett as Eeyore
Nick Mohammed as Piglet
Peter Capaldi as Rabbit
Sophie Okonedo as Kanga
Sara Sheen as Roo
Toby Jones as Owl

Colossal

Gloria (Hathaway) is an unemployed writer who is partying her life away.  Her behavior prompts boyfriend Tim (Steven) to end the relationship and evict her from their apartment.  With nowhere else to turn, she moves into her childhood home in New England.  Her first day back in town, she reconnects with childhood friend Oscar (Sudeikis).  She spends the evening at Oscar's bar with his friends Joel (Stowell) and Garth (Nelson) and sleeps on a park bench.

That evening the city of Seoul is plagued by a giant monster.  The world is shocked by the destruction of the mysterious creature.  The following night the monster returns, at the exact same time and place.  Oscar gives her a job at the bar and her life starts to have a routine.  She also realizes that she may have a connection to the monster.  Can Gloria get her life in order and stop the monster's destruction?


The Good:
The story is unique, and even though every trailer spoils her connection to the monster, it still pulls off some surprises.  The monster looks great and is imposing enough to make an impact.  Anne Hathway is good, especially as the story progresses and you can see growth in her character.  I like the relationship between Hathaway's Gloria and Jason Sudeikis' Oscar.  It is refreshing to have the male and female leads in a film as friends, without turning it into a romantic relationship.

The Bad:
While the story is interesting, it drags in places.  The male characters are ok, but they aren't as well defined as Gloria.  The film has excessive language, earning it an R rating... it isn't cursing for the sake of cursing, but it is still unnecessary.

Other Comments:
-The main cast is good and playing against type.
-The film was written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo.  He has made several films (both with writing and directing), but to my knowledge, this was his biggest film to date.
-People seem to love or hate this movie.  If you are expecting a traditional monster movie (like Godzilla) or a traditional comedy, you will be disappointed.  If you are looking for something out of the ordinary and enjoy science-fiction / fantasy and dark comedies, then you should give this film a shot.
-I enjoyed this film and watched it a few times, discovering something new each time.

Colossal (2016) 110 minutes
Rating: R for language
Director: Nacho Vigalondo
Starring: Anne Hathaway as Gloria
Jason Sudeikis as Oscar
Austin Stowell as Joel
Tim Blake Nelson as Garth
Dan Stevens as Tim