Time for some amusement among all the heavy lifting: How to ace your office’s Oscar pool. While I had intended to declare Christian Bale the even-money favorite for Best Actor, Rami Malek‘s win at the SAG Awards gives him momentum, as well as the edge among actors playing that favorite Oscar gimmick — portraying a real-life personage. Besides, I saw Vice yesterday and can’t for the life of me figure out how Bale in a fat suit, reprising his monotone Batman growl, adds up to a gilded statuette. But stranger things have happened. (Roberto Begnini anyone?) As for Best Actress, six previous nominations give Glenn Close long-past-due mojo. I’d prefer Olivia Colman (The Favourite) but have to place the odds in Close’s. er, favor.
Finally, although blackballing by major theater chains (because Netflix) means most of us can’t see Roma, I figure the Academy has its cake and eats it too, giving Roma Best Director and Best Foreign Film, and lavishing Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay on Green Book, the feel-good picture of 2018. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Rami. With an ‘a’.
Duly noted. And corrected. Thank you, John.
[…] though I picked against her.) Well. I’ve found something I’m good at predicting, right down to the Academy’s split-ticket of awarding Green Book Best Picture and giving studiously dull Roma the consolation prizes of Best […]