Oscar Winners for 2023

Okay. I know you’ve been dying to find out. Here are my picks for this year’s Academy Awards.

 Best Movie 

* What Will Get It: Everything Everywhere All at Once

* What Should Get It: All Quiet on The Western Front

None of the nominated “Best” movies were great. But Tár, All Quiet, and Everything Everywhere were the top contenders. All Quiet should get it because it was good at doing a much more ambitious job. But Everything Everywherewill win because it won Best Picture in most of the other contests, and the Academy Awards generally follow suit.

Best Director 

* Who Will Win: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once

* Who Should Win: Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans

It’s going to be a contest between Spielberg and Kwan/Scheinert. The latter will win, I think, because the Best Director Oscar usually goes with the Best Picture. Moreover, this year Kwan/Scheinert took the top prize from the Directors Guild of America. I don’t think they deserve it, because the primary job of a director is to make everything about the film feel emotionally true. Spielberg did exactly that with Fabelman’s, whereas Kwan/Scheinert failed to do it with Everything Everywhere.

Best Cinematography 

* Who Will Win: James Friend, All Quiet on the Western Front

* Who Should Win: Frank van den Eeden, Close

Cinematography is the distinguishing feature of film making. If a movie doesn’t have great cinematography, it shouldn’t be considered for Best Picture. Most of the nominees for Best Picture had excellent cinematography, but I’m guessing All Quiet will win because of its scope. I would, however, have given the award to van den Eedenm, which you would understand had you seen the movie.

Best Actor 

* Who Will Win: Brendan Fraser, The Whale

* Who Should Win: Bill Nighy, Living

The Academy likes actors that take on transformative roles. And the most obvious actor that did that last year was Brendan Fraser in The Whale. He did a good job, especially considering he was working in a fat suit. But in terms of pure performance, I can’t see anyone deserving Best Actor more than Bill Nighy.

Best Actress 

* Who Will Win: Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

* Who Should Win: Cate Blanchett, Tár or Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie

If Michelle Yeoh wins it, I will be disappointed. Her performance was adequate, but hardly challenging. The award should go to one of two actresses that beautifully executed two much more difficult roles: Cate Blanchett or Andrea Riseborough.

Best Supporting Actor 

* Who Will Win: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

* Who Should Win: Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin

Ke Huy Quan had Hollywood fame as a child actor in The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Coming back now in the movie that is expected to win Best Picture, he’s a sentimental shoe-in.

Best Supporting Actress 

* Who Will Win: Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once

* Who Should Win: Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin

Jamie Lee Curtis was terrific. Without her, Everything Everywhere would have been much less funny. But I’d give the nod to Condon for her finely tuned dramatic role.

Best Original Screenplay 

* What Will Win: The Banshees of Inisherin

* What Should Win: Triangle of Sadness

Best Adapted Screenplay 

* What Will Win: Women Talking

* What Should Win: All Quiet on the Western Front

Women Talking is a script that celebrates victimhood. Plus, Hollywood likes actors that write screenplays. So, I’m guessing that Sarah Polley will take the Oscar home. But it’s a tight race.

Best Animated Film 

* What Will Win: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

* What Should Win: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

They are both very good and deserving. But I’m guessing that Guillermo del Toro is more popular with the voters.

Best Documentary Feature 

* What Will Win: Navalny

* What Should Win: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Best International Feature 

* What Will Win: All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany)

* What Should Win: Argentina, 1985 (Argentina)

As a best-picture nominee, All Quiet is almost certain to win. I thought Argentina, 1985 was the better movie.