Dream picks: 6 films we fervently hope hit it big on Oscars nominations morning
What's a gold statue to do?
The odds are all over the map this awards season – particularly in the best-picture race, where critical darlings are going head to head with box-office blockbusters. Should it be a small film made in Mexico City or the expertly crafted world of Wakanda that earns Oscar's biggest prize of the night? USA TODAY's movie experts fight for their favorites.
'Black Panther'
Best picture should go to the best picture, and undoubtedly this Marvel powerhouse deserves a nod for the top prize – that’s just science. Filled with sprawling, African-influenced visuals and spectacular special effects (Chadwick Boseman runs up the side of a building!), “Black Panther” might as well go on a shopping spree for technical nominations.
The cast is stellar but the Academy would be foolish to leave out Michael B. Jordan, who lends hunger, charisma and tragic depth to Killmonger – the best cinematic supervillain since Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning Joker. (A supporting-actress nod for Letitia Wright’s awesome Shuri would also be welcome, but let’s not be too greedy.)
“Black Panther” is that rare beast that shakes up pop culture for the better, changes the game for an entire genre, and is endlessly entertaining. If a blockbuster like “Titanic” can make a splash with scads of nominations, then this ship should come in, too. – Brian Truitt
'Eighth Grade'
The name alone is an impossible sell. Because who wants to relive "Eighth Grade"? But no film will sear your soul more intensely than Bo Burnham’s tale of an awkward teen navigating her last week of middle school, which manages to be both universal (unretouched zits) and of the moment (active-shooter training). Think of it as this year’s “Lady Bird,” minus the part about being nominated for five Oscars and winning none.
Like Jordan Peele, another comic turned writer/director, Burnham could contend for original screenplay, even if he will be crowded out of newbie director consideration by Bradley Cooper's "A Star Is Born." So root hard instead for a best-picture nomination (hey, there are believers at GoldDerby.com) and an acting slot for Elsie Fisher, who’ll break your heart when Kayla torches her time capsule of “hopes and dreams.”
Though Josh Hamilton has been unjustly overlooked in supporting actor categories as Kayla’s hovering dad, danged if his emotional fireside speech won’t remind you of Michael Stuhlbarg’s tear-jerking "Call Me By Your Name" monologue. Is it too much to hope that the Academy will throw Hamilton a Hail Mary? – Kim Willis
'The Favourite'
How much should Oscars voters start leaning toward "The Favourite"? Let us count the bodice-ripping ways. The diabolical comedy is steeped in Sapphic subterfuge while serving up gold-star performances from a triangle of female leads. It’s got a gout-ridden Queen Anne, played delectably by Olivia Colman in all her bejeweled inertia. Her scheming confidante (and lover) Lady Sarah Churchill, played with gusto by Rachel Weisz, hasn't been hailed enough this awards season. And bless Emma Stone, going full speed ahead at this point in her career as a social-climbing scullery maid hell-bent on trampling her cousin Sarah by way of the queen's tufted bed.
It’s true that Oscar voters tend to lean away from comedy on the big night, but is there anything more 2019 than the madcap way “The Favourite” shakes up royal history books through the female gaze? (For extra measure, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos – of “The Lobster” fame – is one of the most exciting directors working today.) Anoint Feb. 24 ladies’ night and call it for this wonderfully weird film, would you? – Andrea Mandell
‘Roma’
Anyone who’s not moved by “Roma” should probably get their pulse checked. Alfonso Cuaron’s latest is a transcendent piece of filmmaking, which he tenderly constructed from his memories growing up in 1970s Mexico City.
The Spanish-language drama is a tribute to Cuaron’s own childhood nanny, who is represented here by Cleo (newcomer Yalitza Aparicio), a beloved live-in housekeeper for a middle-class family. Although she is silent for much of the film, Aparicio’s expressive face is filled with a lifetime of emotions: empathy, as she watches a marriage crumble inside their home; heartache, when she sees her first love for who he truly is; and relief, after overcoming unspeakable loss with her head (quite literally) above water. It’s a quietly devastating performance that most of this year’s acting nominees could only hope to achieve, captured in striking black and white by Cuaron, who also takes on duties of cinematographer.
“Roma” is a celebration of all of life’s little moments, both good and bad, and a rewarding slow burn for those that give it the time and attention it so richly deserves. And while no foreign-language movie has won best picture in the Oscars' 90-year history, Cuaron's masterpiece has what it takes to buck the trend. – Patrick Ryan
'A Star Is Born'
The Academy has previously nominated Bradley Cooper, but never given him a trophy. This year, it's time he be rewarded for his out-on-a-limb efforts to make a devastating romance that has original tunes, soul-baring acting and the national treasure who is Sam Elliott. Sure, Lady Gaga’s red-carpet performance of what a nominated actor should say, namely her “100 people in a room” spiel, is tired. But her acting as Ally is purely divine: from believably wooing a drunk rocker while in faux drag, to delivering a finale ballad that’s a tearjerker even in repeated viewings.
On its surface, remaking “A Star Is Born” sounded like a bizarre notion. But Cooper’s film is authentic, moving and far from the shallow now. – Carly Mallenbaum
'Vice'
Distill the politics from “Vice,” and writer/director Adam McKay’s film remains a powerful portrait of former Vice President Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), and a love story with wife Lynne Cheney (Amy Adams). It’s one of the year’s best movies based solely on the respective, Oscar-worthy performances.
Bale deserves to win for transforming into Cheney in ways far beyond the weight gain and stunning prosthetic work. It’s the way Bale's Cheney looks out from behind the glasses, breathes before talking, even stands. He puts life into a complicated, internal man whose rock-solid love of family, country and power trumps all.
Add the potent political dynamite, and McKay gleefully celebrates an undeniably strong point of view, and the gonzo entertainment/history approach proves worthy of writing and directing honors. An audaciously ambitious run for best picture is not only deserved, but fitting for "Vice" and these tumultuous political times. – Bryan Alexander
