Oscars night is approaching, and the large of the awards season, Every little thing All over the place All At Once, looks like a contender for Best Picture – but the whole lot else this 12 months is just guesswork. Here, Post critic Johnny Oleksinski picks who will and who should win on the 2023 Oscars on Sunday, March 12 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
The perfect picture
will win: “All over the place All At Once”
The favored, progressive and groundbreaking film from A24 won major awards on the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Producers Guild Awards, Directors Guild Awards and Writers Guild Awards. Phew. Only 4 other movies in history have swept through this vital quartet, and so they all won Best Picture.
Should Win: “The Fabelmans”
Steven Spielberg’s touching take a look at his childhood went from being an early favorite to a near-zero probability of winning. For me, nonetheless, it was the emotional event of the 12 months.
“No Change within the West”
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
“Phantoms of Inisherin”
“Elvis”
“Tar”
“Top Gun: Maverick”
“Triangle of Sadness”
“Women Talk”
Best director
Will win: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, “Every little thing and all over the place directly”
For these two vivid young filmmakers (below), the word “visionary” was thrown around quite a bit – and for good reason. They won each the Directors Guild Award and the Critics Alternative Award for Best Director.
Should Win: Todd Field, “Tar”
Truthfully, I’d give it to James Cameron for Avatar: Way of Water, but he is not nominated. Yet Field produced an incredibly detailed, piercingly accurate thriller that was hard to not speak about (a minimum of in case you’ve seen it).
Martin McDonagh, “The Revenants of Inisherin”
Steven Spielberg, “The Fabelmans”
Ruben Östlund, The Triangle of Sadness
Best Actress
Will win, should win: Cate Blanchett, “Tár”
Yes, she has already won twice. But – rattling – Blanchett does her best job as a superb but complicated conductor.
Ana de Armas, “Blonde”
Andrea Riseborough, “To Leslie”
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, “Every little thing all over the place directly”
Best Actor
Will win, should win: Austin Butler, “Elvis”
Brendan Fraser’s return in The Whale received well-deserved acclaim, but Butler’s Presley is solely a miracle. For a long time without showing off, his film is way more popular world wide than Fraser’s nearest rival. And he charmed voters world wide.
Colin Farrell, “The Revenants of Inisherin”
Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”
Paul Mescal, “After the Sun”
Bill Nighy, “Life”
Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Ke Huy Quan, “Anything, Anywhere”
The beloved actor who started off as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom delivered essentially the most moving speeches all season – as he won almost every award he applied for.
Should Win: Barry Keoghan, Inisherin Revenants
As a dumb neighbor, Keoghan was hilarious and destructive.
Brendan Gleeson, “Inisherin Revenants”
Brian Tyree Henry, “Causeway”
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Best Supporting Actress
Will Win: Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Endlessly”
Bassett made his way through awards season ahead of Jamie Lee Curtis (“Every little thing All over the place”) won at SAG a number of weeks ago. Nominated for the primary time for Best Supporting Actress, she will return here.
Should Win: Stephanie Hsu, “Anything, Anywhere”
Too bad the fight was Bassett vs. Curtis, since the breakout star of the category is Hsu as each Yeoh’s daughter and a multi-universe villain.
Hong Chau, “The Whale”
Kerry Condon, “Inisherin Revenants”
Jamie Lee Curtis, “Every little thing, All over the place at Once”
Best International Feature Film
Will win, should win: “Silence on the Western Front” (Germany)
The brutal World War I epic made a splash in Europe and the US with its widely watched debut on Netflix.
“Argentina, 1985” (Argentina)
“Close” (Belgium)
“EO” (Poland)
“Quiet Girl” (Ireland)
Best Original Song
Will win, should win: “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”, music by MM Keeravaani; lyrics by Chandrabose
Yes, the melodies of Rihanna and Lady Gaga are in the combo – however the vigorous “Naatu Naatu” brings to mind former winner “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”. Let’s hope for an enormous Bollywood performance on the ceremony.
“Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman”, music and lyrics by Diane Warren
“Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick”, music and lyrics by Lady Gaga and BloodPop
“Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Endlessly”, with music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; lyrics by Tems and Ryan Coogler
“This Is a Life” from “Every little thing All over the place All at Once” with music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski; lyrics by Ryan Lott and David Byrne
Best Adapted Screenplay
Will win: Talking Women, Sarah Polley
Also nominated for Best Picture, many feel the Amish country drama (below) has been swiftly shifted within the acting and directing categories. As an alternative, it will be confirmed here.
Should win: “Living”, Kazuo Ishiguro
Not enough people watched the superb Living, a clever adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s Ikuru.
“Silence on the Western Front”, Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell
“The Glass Onion: The Secret of the Knife”, Rian Johnson
Top Gun: Maverick, by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie; Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks
Best Original Screenplay
Will win: “Every little thing and all over the place directly”, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Weird and clever, “Every little thing All over the place” did the multiverse higher than Marvel ever did.
Should win: The Revenants of Inisherin by Martin McDonagh
Nobody today writes with McDonagh’s humor and wit.
The Fabelmans by Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner
“Tar”, Todd Field
The Triangle of Sadness by Ruben Östlund
Best full-length animated film
Will win, should win: “Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toro”
It is not only perfect, it is the only realistic option.
“Marcel’s Shell in Boots”
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”
“Sea Beast”
“Turning Red”