The 97th Academy Awards will take place this Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, with Conan O'Brien hosting the ceremony for the first time. For UK viewers, Jonathan Ross will host a special live show from 10:30pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV, and STV Player. The coverage will include live footage from the red carpet, with Ross King reporting directly from the event. The highly anticipated ceremony will begin at midnight, followed by expert commentary from movie-loving guests on Hollywood's biggest... Read more
The 97th Academy Awards will take place this Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, with Conan O'Brien hosting the ceremony for the first time. For UK viewers, Jonathan Ross will host a special live show from 10:30pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV, and STV Player. The coverage will include live footage from the red carpet, with Ross King reporting directly from the event. The highly anticipated ceremony will begin at midnight, followed by expert commentary from movie-loving guests on Hollywood's biggest night.
This year’s awards season has been full of surprises, with no clear frontrunner emerging. The Golden Globe-winning The Brutalist took Best Picture, Anora won the Producer's Guild Award, and Conclave triumphed at the Baftas. At the Critics' Choice Awards, Sean Baker's Anora—which also won the Palme d'Or at Cannes—has slightly edged ahead in precursor wins. However, a gritty comedy-drama about a feisty sex worker may not be the subject matter that the Academy usually rewards with a Best Picture win.
On the other hand, The Brutalist, Brady Corbet’s searing drama, combines a compelling subject matter with three standout performances from Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce (all nominated). Despite its $9 million budget, the film feels like a much grander production, and its emotional depth makes it an exceptional achievement. However, since its Golden Globe win, the film has experienced a bit of a lull, particularly from the all important Guilds, plus it’s a long watch that demands commitment.
Right now, Conclave seems to have the edge. Its surprise success at the Baftas, coupled with the cast's win for Best Ensemble at the SAG Awards, suggests that it may just have enough momentum to get it over the line. It also has the advantage of being the kind of prestige picture favoured by older Academy voters. If the new, younger voters dominate then it’s possible Anora will emerge victorious. Either way, we haven’t seen an Oscar ceremony this unpredictable in years (aside from Supporting Actor & Actress which will 100% go to Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldana) which makes for much more exciting 4 hour watch.
As always, predictions are tricky, but these films are currently leading the pack. I’ve made my full set of predictions (thanks to this nifty Rotten Tomatoes scorecard) so join in the fun and leave your thoughts/predictions in the comments!
This year’s awards season has been full of surprises, with no clear frontrunner emerging. The Golden Globe-winning The Brutalist took Best Picture, Anora won the Producer's Guild Award, and Conclave triumphed at the Baftas. At the Critics' Choice Awards, Sean Baker's Anora—which also won the Palme d'Or at Cannes—has slightly edged ahead in precursor wins. However, a gritty comedy-drama about a feisty sex worker may not be the subject matter that the Academy usually rewards with a Best Picture win.
On the other hand, The Brutalist, Brady Corbet’s searing drama, combines a compelling subject matter with three standout performances from Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce (all nominated). Despite its $9 million budget, the film feels like a much grander production, and its emotional depth makes it an exceptional achievement. However, since its Golden Globe win, the film has experienced a bit of a lull, particularly from the all important Guilds, plus it’s a long watch that demands commitment.
Right now, Conclave seems to have the edge. Its surprise success at the Baftas, coupled with the cast's win for Best Ensemble at the SAG Awards, suggests that it may just have enough momentum to get it over the line. It also has the advantage of being the kind of prestige picture favoured by older Academy voters. If the new, younger voters dominate then it’s possible Anora will emerge victorious. Either way, we haven’t seen an Oscar ceremony this unpredictable in years (aside from Supporting Actor & Actress which will 100% go to Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldana) which makes for much more exciting 4 hour watch.
As always, predictions are tricky, but these films are currently leading the pack. I’ve made my full set of predictions (thanks to this nifty Rotten Tomatoes scorecard) so join in the fun and leave your thoughts/predictions in the comments!
