But thanks to significant year-end support from critics groups, “Drive My Car” crashed the Oscar race, claiming nominations for Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and International Feature. Hollywood doesn’t know Hamaguchi as well as it got to know “Parasite” author Bong Joon Ho during that movie’s prepandemic Oscar season, so multiple wins may be hard to come by, though there’s at least one category in which “Drive My Car ‘ should cruise to an easy win.
Most likely win: Best international position.
‘Dune’
See, it’s no small feat for a huge sci-fi movie to make its way into the race for best picture, and “Dune” scored a total of 10 nominations, one of only two movies to earn a double-digit run. (“The Power of the Dog” is the other one.) It also helps that even though “Dune” debuted simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters, it still boasts the biggest box-office performance of all of the best nominees. photos, having earned nearly $400 million worldwide.
But Denis Villeneuve’s absence from the Best Director race was shocking, given his nomination for the Director’s Guild and the academy’s recent tendency to nominate technically daring work. Any chance that “Dune” could use that punch in an “Argo”-esque win for best picture may be muffled by the announcement of the film’s sequel: perhaps the academy is more inclined to see how well Villeneuve de completes business.
Most likely win: Best visual effects.
‘King Richard’
You knew it was going to be a good nomination day for ‘King Richard’ when the first supporting actress category announced the film’s amazing Aunjanue Ellis. Sure enough, this inspiring tennis drama received no fewer than six nominations, including the original screenplay, editing and best song for Beyoncé’s ‘Be Alive’.
But let’s face it, this is Will Smith’s show. Smith has never won an Oscar, but his charismatic performance as the father of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams has now given the 53-year-old actor his strongest shot yet. I’d be more confident if there had already been some forerunners on television where Smith’s acceptances could have brought the house down, but as long as he’s victorious at the Screen Actors Guild Awards at the end of this month, he should smoothly transition to an Oscar. -victory.
Most likely win: Best actor.
‘Licorice Pizza’
Any Best Picture nominee who also picks up director and screenplay nods is doing something right, but I’m a little surprised that this is all “Licorice Pizza” is all about. Past Paul Thomas Anderson films such as ‘Phantom Thread’, ‘There Will Be Blood’, ‘The Master’ and ‘Boogie Nights’ have earned many nominations for their cast members, but ‘Licorice Pizza’ lead Alana Haim and his garish supporting role Bradley Cooper failed to strike through. None of the film’s department heads were recognized either.
