ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Lauren's Guess: Colman Domingo (But wants Paul Giamatti)
Tim's Guess: Colman Domingo
ACTUAL WINNER: Cillian Murphy
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert DeNiro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey, Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Ryan Gosling
Tim's Guess: Robert Downey, Jr.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Benning, Nyad
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Huller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Emma Stone, Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Lily Gladstone
Tim's Guess: Lily Gladstone
ACTUAL WINNER: Emma Stone
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrara, Barbie
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Lauren's Guess: Danielle Brooks
Tim's Guess: Da'Vine Joy Randolph
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Lauren's Guess: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Tim's Guess: The Boy and the Heron
CINEMATOGRAPHY
El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Poor Things
Tim's Guess: Oppenheimer
COSTUME DESIGN
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Barbie
Tim's Guess: Barbie
ACTUAL WINNER: Poor Things
DIRECTING
Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Lauren's Guess: Martin Scorsese
Tim's Guess: Christopher Nolan
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Bobi Wine: The People's President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol
Lauren's Guess: 20 Days in Mariupol
Tim's Guess: 20 Days in Mariupol
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
"The ABCs of Book Banning" -Considering that I'm so moved by this subject, I really wished it didn't present the info the way that it did. The big phobia on the right is that these books brainwash children into becoming something that they otherwise wouldn't be. But the first two kids are wearing "Love is Love" and RBG shirts, which is what conservatives don't want. As much as I love the intention of the film, this isn't going to change minds towards the intended purpose so much as galvanize an already fearful right wing.
"The Barber of Little Rock" -This is good, but it is also fairly standard for the documentary short subject. The best part of the doc is the focus on economic disparity and redlining. The inspiration element is great, but there's also this double-edged sword of implying that "someone else has this handled" when the real message is that everyone should be fighting racial economic disparity.
"Island in Between" -Oh man, this is a tough one. This one involves paying attention and investment. There's someting really interesting about this documentary about Taiwan and China that involves the filmmaker. But most of the doc spends time talking about what seems to be a no-win scenario politicially and losing a lot of the fallout of how that affects the majority of the Taiwanese and Chinese people. It touches on that, to be sure. But the human element is kind of lost here.
"The Last Repair Shop" -And this is where I really get on board. I sent this out to our school's music teacher, who admitted that she normally doesn't go out for stuff like this. This is perfect. It's a genius way to set up and execute a human interest piece. Each instrument has a story. Each performer has a story. Each technician has a story. Absolutely nailed it."
"Nai Nai & Wai Po" -The perks? It's incredibly cute. To a certain extent, it has to do with how we deal with aging and mortality. But ultimately, it's just the lovely tale of how two grandmothers decide to make the best out of their later years by embracing friendship. Cute, but I don't know if it's life-changing.
Lauren's Guess: "Nai Nai & Wai Po"
Tim's Guess: "The Last Repair Shop"
FILM EDITING
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Killers of the Flower Moon
Tim's Guess: Oppenheimer
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Io Capitano
Perfect Days
Society of the Snow
The Teachers' Lounge
The Zone of Interest
Lauren's Guess: Society of the Snow
Tim's Guess: The Zone of Interest (But wants Society of the Snow)
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society of the Snow
Lauren's Guess: Golda
Tim's Guess: Maestro
ACTUAL WINNER: Poor Things
ORIGINAL SCORE
American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Killers of the Flower Moon
Tim's Guess: Oppenheimer
ORIGINAL SONG
"The Fire Inside", Flamin' Hot
"I'm Just Ken", Barbie
"It Never Went Away", American Symphony
"Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)", Killers of the Flower Moon
"What Was I Made For?", Barbie
Lauren's Guess: "What Was I Made For?"
Tim's Guess: "I'm Just Ken"
BEST PICTURE
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Lauren's Guess: Killers of the Flower Moon (But wants Holdovers)
Tim's Guess: The Holdovers
ACTUAL WINNER: Oppenheimer
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Barbie
Tim's Guess: Barbie
ACTUAL GUESS: Poor Things
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"Letter to a Pig" -It takes a bit to sell me, but it is absolute gorgeous. There's some really odd lines being drawn here. The metaphor of the pig is a bit all over the place. At first, the pig is the thing that defends the escapee, which makes it a welcome idea. But then the pig becomes a Nazi? Then the Nazi is forgiven? Or maybe the kids take the place of the Nazi? I don't know. Listen, it looks really pretty.
"Ninety-Five Senses" -This is one of those truly gorgeous animated shorts. It unravels a fascinating story that I don't want to really spoil. It's not like it is incredibly spoilable, so much as the film just unfurls some information at you. The variations of styles makes the short all the better, coupled with an incredible narration by Tim Blake Nelson.
"Our Uniform"
"Pachyderme" -Slow and incredibly frustrating at times, it isn't afraid to let the trauma go over your head. It's interesting because the short refuses to give you definitive answers to exactly what the trauma looks like. Instead, it makes you question the reality of the past.
"WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko"
Tim's Guess: "Ninety-Five Senses"
ACTUAL WINNER: "WAR IS OVER!"
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"The After" -It has a lot of trappings of the medium, especially the first few minutes. But once the movie gets to the montage element, the story is actually great. Part of the issue comes with the fact that the onscreen death doesn't have to be grandiose. But when it actually comes with the protagonist having to confront his bottled in emotions, it works beautifully.
"Invincible" -This is some pretty filmmaking. It is heartbreaking. I think a lot of the shorts aim for what was achieved with "Invincible". But I don't know if this is a story that takes too many shortcuts to make us bond with the fated protagonist. I know it is a true story and that's even more painful, but this might have needed more time.
"Knight of Fortune" -It's mostly what you think of when you think international short film. It's good. In fact, it's better than most. The constant turns and twists keep the short film fun and interesting. Perhaps the reveal, while necessary, might be a bit too sappy and manipulative. But it's a short film. It's allowed to get away with a little bit more than normal.
"Red, White, and Blue"
"The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" -Listen, I really like Wes Anderson and I think that this is an amazingly successful adaptation of a Roald Dahl story. But this movie is almost tainted by the fact that Anderson did this for a lot of stories and that Henry Sugar is just representing the group. It is a bad sign when a short film starts to beat a dead horse by the end.
Tim's Guess: "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar"
SOUND
The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible -Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest
Lauren's Guess: Oppenheimer
Tim's Guess: Oppenheimer
ACTUAL WINNER: The Zone of Interest
VISUAL EFFECTS
The Creator
Godzilla Minus One
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible -Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
Lauren's Guess: The Creator
Tim's Guess: Godzilla Minus One
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Lauren's Guess: American Fiction
Tim's Guess: American Fiction
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives
Lauren's Guess: The Holdovers
Tim's Guess: The Holdovers
ACTUAL WINNER: Anatomy of a Fall
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Lauren's Guess: Colman Domingo (But wants Paul Giamatti)
Tim's Guess: Colman Domingo
ACTUAL WINNER: Cillian Murphy
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert DeNiro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey, Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Ryan Gosling
Tim's Guess: Robert Downey, Jr.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Benning, Nyad
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Huller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Emma Stone, Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Lily Gladstone
Tim's Guess: Lily Gladstone
ACTUAL WINNER: Emma Stone
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrara, Barbie
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Lauren's Guess: Danielle Brooks
Tim's Guess: Da'Vine Joy Randolph
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Lauren's Guess: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Tim's Guess: The Boy and the Heron
CINEMATOGRAPHY
El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Poor Things
Tim's Guess: Oppenheimer
COSTUME DESIGN
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Barbie
Tim's Guess: Barbie
ACTUAL WINNER: Poor Things
DIRECTING
Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Lauren's Guess: Martin Scorsese
Tim's Guess: Christopher Nolan
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Bobi Wine: The People's President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol
Lauren's Guess: 20 Days in Mariupol
Tim's Guess: 20 Days in Mariupol
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
"The ABCs of Book Banning" -Considering that I'm so moved by this subject, I really wished it didn't present the info the way that it did. The big phobia on the right is that these books brainwash children into becoming something that they otherwise wouldn't be. But the first two kids are wearing "Love is Love" and RBG shirts, which is what conservatives don't want. As much as I love the intention of the film, this isn't going to change minds towards the intended purpose so much as galvanize an already fearful right wing.
"The Barber of Little Rock" -This is good, but it is also fairly standard for the documentary short subject. The best part of the doc is the focus on economic disparity and redlining. The inspiration element is great, but there's also this double-edged sword of implying that "someone else has this handled" when the real message is that everyone should be fighting racial economic disparity.
"Island in Between" -Oh man, this is a tough one. This one involves paying attention and investment. There's someting really interesting about this documentary about Taiwan and China that involves the filmmaker. But most of the doc spends time talking about what seems to be a no-win scenario politicially and losing a lot of the fallout of how that affects the majority of the Taiwanese and Chinese people. It touches on that, to be sure. But the human element is kind of lost here.
"The Last Repair Shop" -And this is where I really get on board. I sent this out to our school's music teacher, who admitted that she normally doesn't go out for stuff like this. This is perfect. It's a genius way to set up and execute a human interest piece. Each instrument has a story. Each performer has a story. Each technician has a story. Absolutely nailed it."
"Nai Nai & Wai Po" -The perks? It's incredibly cute. To a certain extent, it has to do with how we deal with aging and mortality. But ultimately, it's just the lovely tale of how two grandmothers decide to make the best out of their later years by embracing friendship. Cute, but I don't know if it's life-changing.
Lauren's Guess: "Nai Nai & Wai Po"
Tim's Guess: "The Last Repair Shop"
FILM EDITING
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Killers of the Flower Moon
Tim's Guess: Oppenheimer
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Io Capitano
Perfect Days
Society of the Snow
The Teachers' Lounge
The Zone of Interest
Lauren's Guess: Society of the Snow
Tim's Guess: The Zone of Interest (But wants Society of the Snow)
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Society of the Snow
Lauren's Guess: Golda
Tim's Guess: Maestro
ACTUAL WINNER: Poor Things
ORIGINAL SCORE
American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Killers of the Flower Moon
Tim's Guess: Oppenheimer
ORIGINAL SONG
"The Fire Inside", Flamin' Hot
"I'm Just Ken", Barbie
"It Never Went Away", American Symphony
"Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)", Killers of the Flower Moon
"What Was I Made For?", Barbie
Lauren's Guess: "What Was I Made For?"
Tim's Guess: "I'm Just Ken"
BEST PICTURE
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Lauren's Guess: Killers of the Flower Moon (But wants Holdovers)
Tim's Guess: The Holdovers
ACTUAL WINNER: Oppenheimer
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Lauren's Guess: Barbie
Tim's Guess: Barbie
ACTUAL GUESS: Poor Things
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"Letter to a Pig" -It takes a bit to sell me, but it is absolute gorgeous. There's some really odd lines being drawn here. The metaphor of the pig is a bit all over the place. At first, the pig is the thing that defends the escapee, which makes it a welcome idea. But then the pig becomes a Nazi? Then the Nazi is forgiven? Or maybe the kids take the place of the Nazi? I don't know. Listen, it looks really pretty.
"Ninety-Five Senses" -This is one of those truly gorgeous animated shorts. It unravels a fascinating story that I don't want to really spoil. It's not like it is incredibly spoilable, so much as the film just unfurls some information at you. The variations of styles makes the short all the better, coupled with an incredible narration by Tim Blake Nelson.
"Our Uniform"
"Pachyderme" -Slow and incredibly frustrating at times, it isn't afraid to let the trauma go over your head. It's interesting because the short refuses to give you definitive answers to exactly what the trauma looks like. Instead, it makes you question the reality of the past.
"WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko"
Tim's Guess: "Ninety-Five Senses"
ACTUAL WINNER: "WAR IS OVER!"
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"The After" -It has a lot of trappings of the medium, especially the first few minutes. But once the movie gets to the montage element, the story is actually great. Part of the issue comes with the fact that the onscreen death doesn't have to be grandiose. But when it actually comes with the protagonist having to confront his bottled in emotions, it works beautifully.
"Invincible" -This is some pretty filmmaking. It is heartbreaking. I think a lot of the shorts aim for what was achieved with "Invincible". But I don't know if this is a story that takes too many shortcuts to make us bond with the fated protagonist. I know it is a true story and that's even more painful, but this might have needed more time.
"Knight of Fortune" -It's mostly what you think of when you think international short film. It's good. In fact, it's better than most. The constant turns and twists keep the short film fun and interesting. Perhaps the reveal, while necessary, might be a bit too sappy and manipulative. But it's a short film. It's allowed to get away with a little bit more than normal.
"Red, White, and Blue"
"The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" -Listen, I really like Wes Anderson and I think that this is an amazingly successful adaptation of a Roald Dahl story. But this movie is almost tainted by the fact that Anderson did this for a lot of stories and that Henry Sugar is just representing the group. It is a bad sign when a short film starts to beat a dead horse by the end.
Tim's Guess: "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar"
SOUND
The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible -Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest
Lauren's Guess: Oppenheimer
Tim's Guess: Oppenheimer
ACTUAL WINNER: The Zone of Interest
VISUAL EFFECTS
The Creator
Godzilla Minus One
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission: Impossible -Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
Lauren's Guess: The Creator
Tim's Guess: Godzilla Minus One
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Lauren's Guess: American Fiction
Tim's Guess: American Fiction
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives
Lauren's Guess: The Holdovers
Tim's Guess: The Holdovers
ACTUAL WINNER: Anatomy of a Fall