Oscars 2019: the Northern Quota guide to who’s in the running and who will win

Best Picture

Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma

A Star Is Born

Vice,  Our Pick:

While other films have taken the top spot at prior award ceremonies, with Bohemian Rhapsody at the Golden Globes and Roma at the BAFTAs, the Northern Quota pick to take home the trophy is A Star Is Born.

The Favourite had imagination and Black Panther had action, Bohemian Rhapsody had a soundtrack to kill for and Vice had the political satire that is defining our times but none captured our heart quite like A Star Is Born. The story more seem by the numbers when viewing it as a the tale of someone who started with nothing and made their way to the top finding love along the way. But it tackles the complex issues that arise as a result of fame, the tension put on relationships, the disease of drug addiction and ultimately the ways we deal with death.

All this combined with the lung busting vocals produced by Lady Gaga and the gravelly tone lent to us by Bradley Cooper gives us a film that has everything the other nominees had combined.

But due to the way Oscars are voted for, The Favourite will probably win because the Academy just can’t resist a period piece.

Lead Actor

Christian Bale (Vice)

Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born), Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Viggo Mortensen (Green Book)

Our pick:

This is potentially the hardest category to call as they all these men have merits to there performances, but each for different aspects of said performances, so be vigilant, as this category could ruffle a few feathers.

That being said our pick has got to go to Christian Bale for Vice. Bradley Cooper gave us a gravely, drunken, southern charm and Rami Malek gave life to one of histories most outgoing individuals.

However, Christian Bale brought out the humanity or lack thereof, of a man many consider to be the evillest man in America. Bale not only morphed his body by gaining 40lb to play the former Vice President Dick Cheney, like he has in the past be it through starving himself to play a man on hunger strike to packing on the muscles to play a beefed up Batman but committed so thoroughly to the character that former colleagues of Cheney himself made statements claiming they thought they were watching the real man.

A role that at time makes you feel rage and others sympathy, but one that none the less deserved a win.

Lead Actress

Yalitza Aparicio (Roma), Glenn Close (The Wife)

Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born), Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Our Pick:

Really there are two front runners for this awards, Gaga and Coleman. But at the end of the day Olivia Colman probably deserves it the most. From her first acting gig in a car insurance advert, through the tv comedy world of Peep Show and into hard hitting dramas such as Broadchurch, she is one of the few actresses with true range who can manage to make you laugh one minute and cry the next.

All aspects she brought to her role in The Favourite making her a worthypotential winner.

If it doesn’t go her way it’ll go Gaga’s, just watch this space.

Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali (Green Book), Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman)

Sam Elliott (A Star Is Born)

Richard E Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Sam Rockwell (Vice)

Our Pick:

Ali was brilliant in Moonlight which won him his Supporting Actor Oscar the last time he was nominated, and Sam Rockwell produced another well executed character but for us there is one actor on this list who deserves the nod more than most. Sam Elliot.

This southern actor produced a performance with heart, intrigue and surprises despite being on screen for just a handful of minutes, but this Hollywood legend perhaps best known for drinking and giving advice at the bowling alley bar in The Big Lebowski is deserving of a win and one that is long overdue.

Supporting Actress

Amy Adams (Vice), Marina de Tavira (Roma)

Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Emma Stone (The Favourite), Rachel Weisz (The Favourite)

Our Pick:

Regina King will most likely take home the win after taking home the BAFTA in the same category after a beautiful performance of Moonlight director Barry Jenkins superb script. If not King, we predict Emma Stone will take it after her exhaustive role in The Favourite.

Director

Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman), Pawel Pawlikowski (Cold War), Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite), Alfonso Cuaron (Roma), Adam McKay (Vice)

Our Pick:

After years of snubs and missing out on the and academy award yet raking in the other awards we believe Spike Lee deserves the win, despite his prior boycotts of the ceremony due to concerns over inclusivity. His tale of a black officer infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan in the deep south in one full of tension, light-heartedness and biting political commentary and one that has been expertly crafted at that.

Animated feature

Brad Bird (Incredibles 2), Wes Anderson (Isle of Dogs), Mamoru Hosoda (Mirai), Rich Moore, Phil Johnston (Ralph Breaks the Internet), Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)

Our pick:

Isle of Dogs. The animation team for this film have crafted a beautifully detailed and vibrant stop-motion world of a future Japanese metropolis whilst at the same time capturing the intimate stories of characters and vision of director Wes Anderson in a way not seen in long time on film. Not convinced, just watch the behind the scenes videos showing the effort and time commitment that went into filming a single shot and you’ll understand why.

Adapted screenplay

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman), Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk), Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper and Will Fetters (A Star Is Born)

Our Pick:

For the same reason that Spike Lee is our directing nominee, he is for this category too. The screenplay is humorous yet horrifying, tense yet timely. Everything combines creates something that can never be considered boring

Original screenplay

Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara (The Favourite),  Paul Schrader (First Reformed), Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly (Green Book), Alfonso Cuaron (Roma), Adam McKay (Vice)

Our Pick:

Adam McKay (Vice), due to its edgy humour, biting wit and creative use of genre conventions that create characters with so much depth that you just don’t want the talking to end, even when it’s coming out of the mouth of some of the most controversial people in modern, western histroy.

However, the academy is not usually a fan of “edgy” so it will probably go to The Favourite.

Best Documentary Feature

Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (Free Solo), This Evening, RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning), Bing Liu (Minding the Gap), Talal Derki (Of Fathers and Sons), Betsy West, Julie Cohen (RBG)

Our Pick:

Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (Free Solo). What make this film different to others is that the directors, crew and the star were all friends and with that have managed to make something feel truly organic and unforced. The way the feats of Alex Honnold were captured, not only showing us the intense emotion and drama than can come from scaling a 3,000ft cliff can create but also the complex and detailed manoeuvres requires in order to complete the task make this the best documentary film of the year.

Makes your palms sweaty just thinking about it.

Sound Editing

Benjamin A Burtt, Steve Boeddeker (Black Panther), John Warhurst (Bohemian Rhapsody), Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan (First Man), Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl (A Quiet Place), Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay (Roma)

Our Pick:

Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl (A Quiet Place). After being snubbed in the best picture, director and lead actor/actress categories, this film is the most worthy of this award. The sound used to such affect that the slightly snap of a twig or creek of a floorboard sent shivers down the spines of anxious audiences worldwide

Sound Mixing

Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, First Man, Roma, A Star Is Born

Our Pick:

While sound is often a factor overlooked in filmmaking, it’s essential to crafting a truly entertaining and engaging cinematic experience and was put to effect best in Bohemian Rhapsody.

The way sound is used in scenes showing how Queen songs were created and then intertwine and mix together as the characters progress through the years gives the audience something truly special to walk away from.

Production Design

Hannah Beachler (Black Panther), Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas (First Man), Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton (The Favourite), John Myhre, Gordon Sim (Mary Poppins Returns), Eugenio Caballero, Barbara Enrquez (Roma)

Our Pick:

Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas (First Man). The production design of First Man is one of its true strength. The detail and effort that went into creating accurate sets, props and costumes is what helps this film feel like it was actually recorded in the ’60s.

Original Score

Terence Blanchard (BlacKkKlansman), Ludwig Goransson (Black Panther), Nicholas Britell (If Beale Street Could Talk), Alexandre Desplat (Isle of Dogs), Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman (Mary Poppins Returns

Our Pick:

Alexandre Desplat (Isle of Dogs). This scores matches the tone and pace of the film perfectly and is wonderful to listen to away from the visuals too.

Original Song

All The Stars from Black Panther by Kendrick Lamar, SZA; I’ll Fight from RBG by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson; The Place Where Lost Things Go from Mary Poppins Returns by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman; Shallow from A Star Is Born by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice; When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

Our Pick:

Shallow from A Star Is Born by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice. There isn’t really any other choice in this category. Shallow is a song that when sung with such emotion by Lady Gaga gave us something that transcended film and launched onto the music charts. Expect to see this take home the win or there will be riots. Although we don’t look forward to listening to all the failed renditions to come on TV talent show auditions.

Makeup and Hair

Border, Mary Queen of Scots, Vice

Our Pick:

The hair and makeup in Mary Queen of Scots is beautifully detailed however there’s just something about watching a man’s hair recede over the decades that’s slightly irresistible, for that reason Vice is our winner.

Costume Design

Mary Zophres, (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), Ruth E Carter (Black Panther), Sandy Powell (The Favourite), Sandy Powell (Mary Poppins Returns), Alexandra Byrne (Mary Queen of Scots)

Our Pick:

While The Favourite will probably take home the statue and is fully deserving of it for it’s incredible array of bespoke period costumes and wigs, we’d like to see the award go to Black Panther. The creation of a wardrobe that takes influence from classic and historical African design but adapts it for the modern and technologically advanced, futuristic country of Wakanda is not only unique but spectacular, especially when combined with the fact they had to create distinct looks for different tribes so that in the messy, CGI glory we could at least tell who was fighting who.

Visual Effects

Avengers: Infinity War, Christopher Robin, First Man, Ready Player One, Solo: A Star Wars Story

Our Pick:

First Man boasts some extraordinary visual effects, from the beautiful recreation of the NASA launches to the huge, expansive Moon Sequence and would be a worthy winner. Although, whilst it would be nice for First Man to receive the Oscar for best visual effects after being snubbed for the top honours, it will most likely go to Avengers: Infinity War due to the pure scale of that film when it comes to visual effects, not one second of it is lacking in CGI glue.

With that, you know our picks. But what are you? Let us know on our social media:

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook