Special Issue: Mari's Oscar Nominations
Rather than doing my predictions for who will win the Oscar, I share my OWN nominations and who I would choose to win the Gold!
I am making sure to tell everyone I know that I am in my cinema era. The simplest explanation for what that means is that I am watching a lot more movies than I used to. There are, of course, people who watch more films than there are days in the year and that, I will never understand. But one thing I do hope to accomplish with this, is to be “more in the know” about film, what’s popular, what’s prestigious, etc. etc. etc. And because I now know SO MUCH about cinema, I thought it not robbery to share my Oscar nominations ahead of the ceremony tonight. Yes, Mari’s Oscar Nominations. The real Oscar nominations were announced two months ago and because of my EXTENSIVE knowledge of film, I kind of… expected all the nominations? Which kind of made it boring. Film should be EXCITING and I believe my Oscar nominations are EXCITING. It is very fun to pretend that I am my OWN academy that will be recognizing my favorite performances. And just like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, I have not seen every single movie. So, if you’re like where is THIS performance??? How could you not nominate (insert film here) for Best Sound??? Huh, huh huh??? I will be like, I simply didn’t watch it. It is also possible that that particular performance didn’t move me as much as the rest of them did and for that, I am SORRY. But it is more probable that I haven’t seen it. So, some performances or designs that seem like shoo-ins simply won’t be here for that reason.
If you’re curious, here are some movies that have come up in the Oscar conversation that I haven’t gotten the chance to watch yet: Ferrari, Zone of Interest, Anatomy of a Fall, Origin, Napoleon, Priscilla, NYAD.
My nominations are going to be somewhat sensible (although I thought about nominating Scream VI and The Hunger Games for best picture countless times) but they’re also going to be FUN. I also elected to include a wild card for all the nominations. Eligibility rules deeply confused me, so outside of when the film was released, I ignored them entirely. Below each nomination is who I would give the Gold to. So, Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!
Mari’s Best Picture
Barbie
I have come to a point where the criticism and discourse surrounding this movie is annoying to me. It’s so obviously going around in circles so much that the people who swore up and down they were a minority for not liking the film, have drowned out everything about the movie that sparks joy for me. Thankfully, I still have my Letterboxd reviews to prove how much I adore it. I’m a big fan of silly and campy movies getting accolades and praise because it is such a difficult thing to nail tonally. Great filmmaking includes ALL genres and doesn’t necessarily have to maintain a serious tone throughout. Barbie personally stands out, to me, because it was able to be utterly hilarious and ridiculous, while still having its soul in tact. I get that it is essentially a “toy movie,” but it’s a toy movie that is done with merit and skill. Not to mention that Barbie really does have one of the most interesting character journeys of the year! Thinking about all the elements that came together to create the Barbie film, I don’t really understand how we don’t unanimously agree that Barbie belongs here and everywhere it’s been nominated. Like, hello???
Oppenheimer
I immediately proclaimed that Oppenheimer was my favorite film of the 2020’s so far. I might have to interrogate this proclamation later, but I want the record to reflect that I thought this within the first 30 seconds of the movie. Christopher Nolan really cooked here, which I guess he is known to do, but it’s absolutely wild that I am only starting to pay attention now. He really nails the inescapable feeling of doom and the delicate balance between tortured artist and mad scientist with its protagonist. If you ever wonder what it feels like to have a horrible, inescapable pit in your stomach because of the horrendous damage you caused that have eternal environmental effects that might lead to utter societal collapse and total destruction, this movie sure does give you a good idea of what that is like! Everything about this movie is undeniably phenomenal and this is so clearly the favorite to win the Oscar’s best picture!
Killers of the Flower Moon
In an Oppenheimer-less year, this would have definitely been an awards frontrunner. In every single category. What Martin Scorsese does in this film, and every other creative part of making the movie, is very special, and very painful. Like, agonizing. I haven’t watched it again because I don’t want the dolor I experienced to overcome everything else, but it was such a powerful condemnation of white malevolence and a horrifying chapter of history that we cannot seem to bring to an end. And the ending of the film that highlights how we tell these stories… and who tells these stories and for whom… Scorsese is truly the greatest to ever do it.
American Fiction
So, this is interesting… I usually save my Best Picture choices for these huge movies with big budgets and undeniable technical feats. But as soon as I saw American Fiction, it snuck its way into my head and heart. I love Black movies and this film just rides into the canon with style and flair. So clearly inspired by Black cinema that came before it, American Fiction doesn’t ridicule it as much as it reveres it and thanks it. It’s funny as all hell with some locked-in performances by the incomparable Jeffrey Wright and the always profound Sterling K. Brown. I loved how all-encompassing this movie felt — like it was a true tribute to the full vitality and endurance of ALL kinds of Blackness. Just a very smart movie — I cannot wait to see what Cord Jefferson does next!
The Boy and the Heron
It is very rare for the Academy to recognize animated movies in the Best Picture category so I had to do it for them. It was sort of a no-brainer to put a new Miyazaki film into this category because it was stunning. Very weird and disturbing and sprawling and funny and moving. I have pictures of so many moments running through my head like a flipbook animation. I am not going to even begin to talk through what this film might possibly mean in regards to grief, free will and the afterlife… but I’m sure someone has put together something out there. I just undoubtedly had one of the most powerful cinematic experiences of my life watching this film and it became my favorite of the year.
Asteroid City
Don’t be surprised. You will see Asteroid City several times on this nominations list. Am I missing something? Did Wes Anderson kidnap every single child of every single member of the Academy? Did he spit in their food? Did he slap them in the face and threaten to do it live on air when he accepted his award? Like, why is one of the best movies of the year being completely ignored? Maybe I need to look more into the history of any possible beef between the Oscar’s and Wes Anderson. But this movie is STELLAR. BREATHTAKING. Truly, every single shot was a work of art that wouldn’t be out of place in a museum. I get the feeling that this is a common stamp of Wes Anderson films, but he makes everything here look so DAUNTING yet GORGEOUS. The act of living is also intimidating, stunning, confusing and incredulous, and he is simply able to capture the essence of surviving life-altering experiences exceptionally well. A creative with such a clear voice, style and cadence to their filmmaking should be celebrated — I wonder if people think it’s a schtick that is tiring. It certainly wasn’t to me!.
May December
It’s interesting to think about how literally no one expected this film. It kind of just showed up on our doorsteps one day and we were immediately onboard. I don’t know how or why, but this movie just kind of seeps into your veins. It’s very manipulative in the best way possible, which is reflected in its two leading women. It’s a bit of a sparring match to watch, and then, Charles Melton brings it all home. It’s expertly paced, scored, and shot in a way that feels as voyeuristic and alarming as it's meant to. Really superb filmmaking, if you ask me.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
I have a very weird relationship with the Spider-verse movies. Or perhaps a normal one? When I first watched Into the Spiderverse in 2019, it became like one of my favorite movies ever. Instantly jumped into my top ten. Then, I rewatched it last year and I was just like “Oh.” Like it was still phenomenal but my love for it decreased on a second watch, probably because there is nothing like the first experience of watching a film that was so clever, innovative, gorgeous and just all-around stellar. Although some people have some problems with the second movie, I’ve got to say, it’s still really great and should have been a no-brainer for a Best Picture nom. Like, we ALL saw that, right? This movie is UNBELIEVABLE in every single technical field. And the quality of the voice acting is almost a given at this point! It’s just… I don’t think anyone can really compete with this level of filmmaking that these creatives are currently operating at like, WHOA.
Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret?
Every time I think about this movie, I sigh. And let me tell you, it’s a loving sigh. It’s the sigh you sigh after you have just had the best day ever, spent with your loved ones doing the things you are most passionate about. It is a lovely movie that accurately depicts girlhood and adolescence. I can’t really explain WHY I loved it so much. The experience of watching it speaks for itself. The girls that get it, get it!
Bottoms
Well, someone had to nominate this masterpiece. If we’re going to start actually treating comedic films like real art, we need to start revering them and honoring them like we do with more serious films. A brilliantly made comedy film, especially a teen sex comedy, is just as much an impressive feat as a good war film or biopic. Bottoms forced its way into the teen film zeitgeist with true style and flair. The sense of humor exhibited here isn’t for everyone, but it was clearly for me! Some of my favorite bits of the year are in this film - the student in the cage, the fact that no class is longer than 30 seconds, fun usages of slurs, pure Tarantino-esque violence… it really doesn’t get better than this. Rachel and Emma have obviously studied the genre, but they absolutely avoid all of the pitfalls. Plus, that Avril Lavigne needle drop… truly the best one of the year!
Wild Card: Theater Camp
I like to have FUN. And I’m a theater kid. What Molly Gordon has done here tonally cannot be understated. It is by-and-large probably the best-use of the mockumentary genre I have ever seen. The kids are phenomenal and Ben Platt might just turn out a career best-performance in this film by playing on his most unlikable traits (allegedly). Molly Gordon is a fantastic lead. I think about the way she sings “...DaDdYyyyYYY!” at least three times a day. Not to mention that the kids are AMAZING and that the show they put on in the end is somehow moving while obtaining its sheer absurdity.
MARI’S WINNER: Oppenheimer
Mari’s Best Actor
Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)
Well, yes! What Cillian was able to do in this film is invigorating and renewed my interest and investment in what biopics have to offer. I don’t really think anyone else could have done this other than him. The entire film, as phenomenal as it is, rests on his shoulders. And he absolutely knocks every single second he is on the screen (which is most of the time!) out of the park.
Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)
I’m not sure that performances like this get nominated frequently. Or, maybe they do. I have only been paying attention to the Oscars for the past few years, really. But, and hear me out, I wouldn’t be upset if Paul took home the gold. He gives a kind of classic performance that is not only easily digestible and entertaining, but deeply stimulating and impossibly authentic. I feel like this is a movie that one of my teachers would show us in high school towards the end of the year - a movie that meant a lot to them growing up. And there’s just something so warm and everlasting about what Paul did here. An all-timer performance for sure.
Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon)
I would like to go back to a world where I didn’t know that people weren’t into this performance. This is definitely my favorite Leo performance ever. His scenes with Robert and Lily are literally some of the best moments of acting I’ve seen committed to film. He played slimy and pathetic remarkably, but I’ve never seen someone play dumb the way Leo does here. It is still so sinister, so disappointing and somehow humorous. He is able to find the levity and humor in it, as well as the depravity of his stupidity and that’s what makes his performance undeniable in my book. I can’t possibly comprehend how he hasn’t been a frontrunner this season. I guess the only explanation is his own allergy to campaigning for himself. Cillian is the favorite, for sure, but we’ve got to start awarding actors for career best performances. Enough is enough!
Colman Domingo (Rustin)
This is just simply a given. Such a locked-in, fully realized performance. So often, biopic performances fall into this weird caricature and impression territory that sometimes comes off as an SNL skit. What Colman does here is channel a time period and makes sure that his own light and truth shine through. Don’t get me wrong - I see Bayard Rustin, but I also see Colman Domingo and they come together in beauteous harmony. Colman certainly knows how to carry a film and now that he has gotten the opportunity to lead, he pulls off a truly unforgettable performance.
Teo Yoo (Past Lives)
A masterclass in playing the subtext and the unspoken. While I think Greta does get a lot more to do in the film, (you’ll see her below!) the way Teo channels and reflects back her energy is such a pleasure to watch. I gotta give credit where credit is due! He can really communicate everything with a glance, with a gesture, with a touch… it’s so fulfilling to watch him work.
Wild Card: Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers)]
Oh. A haunting yet gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous performance. What the heck. I’m actually not quite sure how he pulled it off, but my god, he did it! If I hadn’t watched this so late into when I first began thinking about the Oscar’s, this might have even made my official nominations!
MARI’S WINNER: Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Mari’s Best Actress
Margot Robbie (Barbie)
I know, I know, I know. This has become the worst conversation surrounding the Oscar’s — the fact that Greta didn’t get nominated for Best Director and that Margot didn’t get nominated for Best Actress. My first reaction was a shrug, honestly. I always thought Margot had an uphill battle being considered for an Academy Award with this kind of role. It never happens - especially for women, to get nominated for these deeply comedic, campy and, well, bright and shiny roles. And I don’t know if the Academy SHOULD recognize roles LIKE this, although I do think that the Academy should have recognized this specific one. Everyone who didn’t love the Barbie movie, continues to downplay Margot’s performance, even though it was legitimately… incredible? I am not so fast to pick up a pink pitchfork and burn the Academy down because she wasn’t nominated — I just am more confused about why people think she was so UNdeserving?? Her journey from perfect doll to flawed human woman over the course of the movie is so subtle but soooo engaging and moving to watch. I love hearing Margot talk about how towards the end of the movie, we’re actually getting something so deconstructed that we might be seeing something more Margot than Barbie. Also, I think about the bus scene at least five times a day. Throughout the movie, she is able to adjust her physical cadence and speech patterns and even how we see thoughts and emotions register across her face. It is all just masterful work in MY opinion.
Emma Stone (Poor Things)
The more time passes, the less interesting I find Poor Things as a film. Don’t get me wrong, Emma Stone gives a knockout, hilarious, liberated and impressively physical performance, but lately, the material has just simply become very bothersome to me. A star, however, can rise above the material and that’s what she does here. She is given a lot to do and a lot to cover and she does it all with style, grace, flair and a rich understanding of her character. She makes a moment out of every line and I don’t think there is another actor that could do what Emma does here. So, congratulations to her on that!
Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)
A Best Actress-winning performance if I’ve ever seen one! I’m known to use hyperbole frequently when I talk about my media consumption, but what I am about to say is not hyperbole. This is one of the best performances I have ever seen on tv or film. So often, we see evil men flaunt their power in the darkest and reckless of ways. Hell, we see a lot of that in this film alone. But Molly, oh Molly, her power is incredibly righteous, steadfast, and grounded in her spirit and being, that everytime she is on screen, I cannot take my eyes off of her. She IS the movie, essentially and it’s insulting that all the racists who come out of the woodwork every year someone likes a performance by an actress of color, are making her seem like the diversity pick. She just simply had the best performance! Lily Gladstone, you are everything. This award is yours.
Teyana Taylor (A Thousand And One)
Teyana Taylor was nothing short of remarkable in A Thousand And One. Unfortunately, it makes so sense why awards bodies are ignoring this performance and this movie in general, but this character she plays feels so genuine. Inez is nothing short of complicated, so Teyana infuses her with such humanity, warmth and ambition that in someone else’s hands, could have been treated with much more contempt and passivity. Like a great performer, she doesn’t lead us to understand the choices her character makes, but so many things in her performance illuminate who she is.
Greta Lee (Past Lives)
I didn't ~ really ~ LOVE Past Lives as much as everyone else seemed to. You’ll see this reflected in a lot of my nominations. I liked it — I did! It was obviously a good film, but I struggled to connect to the relationship of these two childhood best friends who loved each other, especially in a romantic context. I recognized the film was about attempting to connect with your past self and having to let go of someone you once were, and not even for the better, just because life goes on. That revelation is painful and disappointing. Greta plays soooo much subtext, I mean, her entire performance is subtext. She’s sooo smart, so careful, so considered, so GIVING and PATIENT in this role and it was truly mesmerizing to watch. It is clear that Past Lives is a bit of the Aftersun of awards season for me, even though (1) Jenny Kim might be the only person who knows what that means! The Oscars not nominating her is criminal.
Wild Card: Fantasia Barrino (The Color Purple)
I tried my best to include Fantasia in the list proper, but alas, she was bested by Greta Lee. I don’t think enough people are pointing out that this is literally Fantasia’s feature film debut. Obviously, she’s played Celie on the Broadway stage so it isn’t TOO much of a stretch that she would also do an outstanding job on screen, but nevertheless, she still took me by surprise. It’s hard to play an outwardly meek character and still have an abundance of presence and Fantasia did just that. Celie’s internal world was clear upon watching her work onscreen, which made it even more impactful when it got externalized through song. It’s pretty hard to carry a movie in general, never mind a reimagined classic, but she carries it well! She should absolutely do MORE acting, especially movie musicals!
MARI’S WINNER: Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Mari’s Best Supporting Actor
Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)
He’s become the favorite of this awards season and I am not angry about it. He completely took on the persona of Lewis Strauss - I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man more pressed in the history of cinema. This might be the most “studied” performance of the year. He didn’t have to go as hard as I did, and yet, he did! It also all felt very controlled - definitely not subtle, but in service of the film being made, while making it all his own! Not a lot of people can do that,
Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon)
I haven’t seen Robert de Niro in virtually anything, which must feel blasphemous to some. Trust me, I’m working on it. He was great in Silver Linings Playbook! But I must say I am inclined to believe the people when they say that out of his prolific career, that this is one of his best performances. He’s VERY good in this and honestly, with the Oscar nominations we got, he would definitely be my frontrunner. He plays an intelligent man with a sick kind of omnipresence and a pervasive level of evil. How he maneuvers through spaces that are not his and colonizes and manipulates is so disconcerting to watch. He positions himself as an ally and a protector to the Osage, and De Niro plays that specific slimy criminal well. Very insidious, condescending, and just a nasty, nasty man. I could only hope his counterpart is spending an eternity ablaze, but Robert, I salute you for this performance.
Ryan Gosling (Barbie)
Somehow, enjoying Ryan’s performance has also become this grandiose discourse of “missing the entire point” of the Barbie movie. Well, I beg to differ. The reason why the Barbie movie works has a great deal to do with Ryan’s work. Of course, he’s a comedic juggernaut in this film and really uses every second of his performance to make the funniest choice and that is admirable alone. But, clearly as we could all tell through his very exciting press junket tour leading up to the film, he understands Ken down to a science. And he is able to play all those facets with searing accuracy. It’s by far the comedic performance of the year, but it’s just overall the most committed performance of the year. A lot of lesser actors would have phoned in a performance, but Ryan just GETS it. It’s not a crime for men to be sympathized with, at least in this context, and he is the architect of building that delicate balance within the film.
Charles Melton (May December)
When I first reviewed May December on Letterboxd, I noted that Charles Melton probably gave the most interesting performance of the entire year. And I still agree with that assessment. It’s kinda wild that Charles Melton didn’t get nominated for the real Oscar’s although I cannot complain that Sterling K. Brown and Mark Ruffalo made it in. If I could nominate ten people overall, they would unquestionably make it along with Willem Dafoe. But back to Charles!
What he does here to create a man whose own growth and future were stunted because of the abuse he’s faced is deeply uncomfortable to watch. You cannot help but to want to reach out to him and show the level of care no one in his life afforded to him. It’s deeply unsettling how everyone talks to him and about him, and the near-ending of the film was all too harrowing for Charles to be shut out of most of awards season.
William Belleau (Killers of the Flower Moon)
William’s performance as Henry Roan blew me away. It is such a pivotal part of the movie while also being such a distressing and singular moment in history, and William Belleau carries it all with an impossible grace, fervent passion and an elevated sense of empathy. Other than the women in the film, he simply has the most significant role to play and I don’t really care what anyone says… I consider this a top four performance in the film. I don’t quite understand why it’s been radio silent when it comes to the awards.
Wild Card: Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City)
Jason Schwartzman quietly had quite the successful year — voice acting for Across the Spider-Verse and appearing in the new Hunger Games. And there’s also Quiz Lady… which was certainly a film that he was in! He was so much fun! And well, he’s great in everything, but this one just claws at my heart… and my brain. It is so difficult to almost completely act around the text and still communicate truthfully and he really pulls off a mesmerizing performance from start to finish. The pain is buried and misunderstood and neglected, but it’s there, which is why I never understand why people say this film lacks emotion. There’s really too much of it and Jason Schwartzman’s performance is the perfect example of not knowing what to do with it all.
MARI’S WINNER: Charles Melton
Mari’s Best Supporting Actress
Rachel McAdams (Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.)
Rachel McAdams. Rachel McAdams! Oh, how much I didn’t realize that I needed to see you be a MOTHER. She carries it so well and has all the range in the world to make everything about this film endlessly intriguing, engaging and nurturing. Definitely a liberated performance that not many women can pull off!
Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple)
Sofia is a character that requires a LOT of presence. I had no doubt that Danielle Brooks was going to be a scene stealer, especially after absolutely nailing the character in the Broadway revival. That scene at the dinner table was all her and she commanded the screen like no other performer. If it wasn’t for Da’Vine, I would say that this Oscar is hers to lose.
Phylicia Pearl Mpasi (The Color Purple)
I am gobsmacked why more people aren’t talking about her performance in the film. She immediately anchors the film with careful, bright, and an unexpectedly hopeful portrayal that sets up Fantasia for success. It’s so dialed in and very expressive. She has some of the most emotive eyes I’ve ever seen. She set the standard for Celie performances for me. Her trauma-informed approach to a character like Celie was evident. She was the best part of the movie for me, and that’s saying something!
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)
Clearly the favorite to take home the gold, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started watching The Holdovers and observed Da’Vine’s character of Mary. Fat black women don’t usually get roles so meaty and delicious and Da’Vine graces us with a performance for the ages. I think this is also just due to the general vibe of the movie, but it already feels like a classic performance that would have won the award in the 1970’s. I will certainly be cheering her on as soon as her name is announced at the ceremony.
Cara Jade Meyers (Killers of the Flower Moon)
A tour de force performance that I will be thinking about for a long time. There is no world that you would have someone like Emily Blunt be nominated, and not consider her. Cara gives a really captivating performance and is just the catalyst that lights the fire under the entire film. You cannot erase her presence and her power in this film. I won’t allow it.
Wild Card: Julianne Moore (May December)
Ugh. This is the consistent reaction I had in watching Julianne Moore’s character assert her slimy dominance throughout the movie onto her husband, her children, and even the actress that will be playing her. Julianne Moore infuses this woman with such a disdainful quiet sense of power and manipulation that it’s borderline frightening and always disgusting to watch. I was fascinated every single second she was on the screen. There was such a specificity to Moore’s physicality, her voice and her mannerisms that just made my skin crawl. I was never at ease watching and her, and when you’ve done that in a performance, it’s a job well done!
MARI’S WINNER: Phylicia Pearl Mpasi (The Color Purple)
Mari’s Best Director
Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
Nolan is likely to take home the gold when it comes to the actual Oscar’s. What he did with Oppenheimer is borderline insane, in the best way possible. When everyone is getting tired of biopics, he makes the best one of all time. I’ve also neglected to mention that he shot in IMAX in 70mm and I was lucky enough to watch the film as intended. I’ve watched many behind the scenes features so I can watch him work. Cinema is BACK and it’s all because of Nolan!
Greta Gerwig (Barbie)
Again, I am not a ridiculous person. So, I am not actually upset that Greta was nominated for Best Director. I mean… she totally should have been, but ultimately, who cares. I think Best Director comes with many many issues. For example, Best Picture gets to have 10 nominations and Best Director only has 5. If a movie is genuinely bad, a lot of people will blame the director. And well, if a movie is phenomenal, most people will praise the director. I honestly think it’s a shame we can’t just nominate ten directors! I think the scope of this film alone warrants a nomination for Greta because she pulls it all off with ease. But, I’ve said this once and I will say it again… tone is HARD TO NAIL in a film and the pacing, speech patterns, musical moments, flourishes and everything just WORK. She made it happen!
Celine Song (Past Lives)
I love when a director leaves me in awe. I became enamored with so many choices Celine made, and as a first-time director it makes it all the more impressive. I cannot wait to see what she does next!
Wes Anderson (Asteroid City)
I’ve already said my piece on Wes Anderson and this film. I think it is very silly he is not nominated.
Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Martin Scorsese, you genius you. How you were able to pull off this sweeping epic, I will never know. The choice you made to play the radio announcer is unironically one of the best directorial choices of the movie. How the unspeakable violence was shot felt a part of the ethos of the entire film and the ending shot of Ilonshka dances and drumming just left me speechless.
Wild Card: A.V. Rockwell (A Thousand and One)
This is definitely the year of multihyphenates. Many of this year’s Mari nominations, and Oscar nominations wrote the screenplay and directed the film. A.V. Rockwell made her feature film debut with A Thousand and One and it was a spectacular one. A Sundance-winning film for a reason!
MARI’S WINNER : Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
Mari’s Best Original Screenplay
The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki)
Asteroid City (Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola)
Past Lives (Celine Song)
A Thousand And One (A.V. Rockwell)
Bottoms (Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott)
Wild Card: May December
I would love to include this in the proper list but the way they took Vili Fualaau’s words and the actual words of his abuser and no one reached out to him about it… I can never forgive them actually. Good writing is never an excuse for not protecting survivors and practicing good ethics.
MARI’S WINNER: The Boy and the Heron
Mari’s Best Adapted Screenplay
Barbie (Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach)
Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan)
American Fiction (Cord Jefferson)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese)
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (Kelly Fremon Craig)
Wild Card: Theater Camp (Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Ben Platt)
I completely forgot this film was based on a short film written by the same writers, because I was for sure campaigning for this to be in original screenplay. But by definition, this makes it an adapted screenplay, which is a much tougher category, in my opinion. It is no secret that Theater Camp was one of my favorite films of 2023. It is hilarious and the mockumentary style does make for a fantastic entrypoint into the story. You can tell that multiple people wrote it, but I don’t think that is a bad thing.
MARI’S WINNER: American Fiction
Mari’s Best Cinematography
Poor Things (Robbie Ryan)
Oppenheimer (Hoyte van Hoytema)
Past Lives (Shabier Kirchner)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Rodrigo Prieto)
Asteroid City (Robert Yeoman)
Wild Card - Maestro
MARI’S WINNER: Asteroid City
Mari’s Best Production Design
Barbie - Sarah Greenwood (production designer), Katie Spencer (set decorator)
Poor Things - Shona Heath, James Price (production designer), Szusza Mihalek (set decorator)
Asteroid City - Adam Stockhausen (production designer), Kris Moran (set decorator)
A Haunting in Venice - John Paul Kelly (production designer), Celia Bobak (set decorator)
Oppenheimer - Ruth De Jong (production designer), Claire Kaufman (set decorator)
Wild Card - Wonka
MARI’S WINNER: Barbie
Mari’s Best Costume Design
Barbie (Jacqueline Durran)
Poor Things (Holly Waddington)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Jacqueline West)
Oppenheimer (Ellen Mirojnick)
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret (Ann Roth)
Wild Card - Asteroid City
MARI’S WINNER: Barbie
Mari’s Best Film Editing
Oppenheimer (Jennifer Lame)
May December (Affonso Gonçalves)
Poor Things (Yorgos Mavropsaridis)
Maestro (Michelle Tesoro)
Killers of the Flower Moon (Thelma Schoonmaker)
Wild Card - Asteroid City
MARI’S WINNER: Oppenheimer
Mari’s Best Makeup/Hairstyling
Barbie
Poor Things - Nadia Stacey, Mark Couler, Josh Weston)
Killers of the Flower Moon - Thomas Nellen (makeup department head), Siân Grigg (makeup artist), Kay Georgiou (hair department head)
Asteroid City
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Wild Card - Priscilla
MARI’S WINNER: Barbie
Mari’s Best Sound
Oppenheimer - Richard King (sound designer, supervising sound editor), Gary A. Rizzo (re-recording mixer), Kevin O’Connell (re-recording mixer), Willie Burton (production sound mixer)
Killers of the Flower Moon - John Pritchett, Mark Ulano (production sound mixers), Philip Stockton (supervising sound editor)
Maestro - Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Steve Morrow
The Color Purple
Asteroid City
Wild Card - Theater Camp
MARI’S WINNER: Oppenheimer
Mari’s Best Visual Effects
Spider-Man: Across the SpiderVerse - Michael Lasker, Alan Hawkins, Bret St. Clair, Pav Grochola
Oppenheimer - Scott Fisher (special effecrs supervisor) Andrew Jackson (visual effects supervisor) Mike Chambers (visual effects producer)
The Hunger Games: Ballads of Songbirds and Snakes - Adrian De Wet (Visual Effects Supervisor) and Eve Fizzinoglia (Visual Effects Producer)
Godzilla: Minus One - Kiyoko Shibuya, Takashi Yamazaki (visual effects supervisors)
Poor Things
Wild Card - Asteroid City
MARI’S WINNER: Godzilla Minus One
Mari’s Best Score
American Fiction
Oppenheimer
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Killers of the Flower Moon
The Boy and the Heron
Wild Card - Past Lives
MARI’S WINNER: The Boy and the Heron
Best Original Song
What Was I Made For? (Barbie)
I’m Just Ken (Barbie)
For the First Time (The Little Mermaid)
Can’t Catch Me Now (The Hunger Games)
Camp Isn’t Home (Theater Camp)
Wild Card - Dear Alien Who Art in Heaven (Asteroid City)
MARI’S WINNER: What Was I Made For? (Barbie)
Nominations (incl. Wild cards)
Killers of the Flower Moon - 14
Oppenheimer - 12
Asteroid City - 12
Barbie - 10
Poor Things - 7
Past Lives - 6
The Color Purple - 4
Theater Camp - 4
American Fiction - 3
The Boy and the Heron - 3
Wins:
Oppenheimer - 4
Barbie - 4
Killers of the Flower Moon - 2
The Boy and the Heron - 2
Well, this was a fun exercise! Barbenheimer with the wins! I had a MUCH easier time deciding the technical field nominations than performances, screenplays and director, but a much harder time choosing the winners of those fields. At the end of the day, I just chose what was more impactful for me in conjunction with the films I actually loved. For example, for Barbie’s wins, Poor Things was super close to winning those exact categories. I ended up choosing Barbie because I liked it better as a film and because I thought it acquiesced better to the respective film. Some could describe the design choices made for Poor Things as distracting, or detracting at least.
The Oscar’s will be coming up shortly, so we’ll see what kind of tomfoolery ensues then! Until next time (which will be very soon! *wink wink*)