The film industry's 91st Academy Awards are all set for Sunday, February 24. This year's picks will be most significant. It will be the first time in the 91-year history of the film Academy that five foremost guilds and societies-the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America, as well as the Screen Actors Guild, including the guild of and the American Cinema Editors-considered to reliably pick the Oscar winners every year, did not agree on the top spots.
Each guild came up with a different winner for each of the top awards category. Notably, too, the WGA selected two films for the top spot that weren't even on the list of nominees for the Best Picture award.
At the top five of the lists, in a wide variety, predictions for the Best Film lie with Roma, BlacKkKlansman, The Favourite, Black Panther, and Green Book.
If Roma makes it to the first spot, it will be a historic win. It already holds the place for the most number of nominations (tied with The Favourite). Should it be the case, it will be the first film in a foreign language to ever win an Oscar.
Moreover, Netflix has invested a lot of money (some $25 million, it is reported) to promote it for the ultimate win and understandably so, as it is the first Best Picture nomination for the streaming giant. A "Roma" win may be unexpected, but it is one of the more laudable bets. The possibility is very high that it takes the most coveted honor, even without counting the fact that it has it has streamed worldwide even on mobile phones to make those votes count.
As for The Favourite, ten nominations represent no mean feat. It also has two nominations in the one category of Best Supporting Actress, for Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. It became the 'favorite' among its British audience and had a good showing at the British Academy of Film and Television Awards, taking seven awards, although "Roma" did take the one for Best Picture.
Of the two with the highest number of nominations, Roma may be the more likely to take the bow for Best Picture along with three other spots.
Another among the contenders for the top film spot---although not on this article's top five--- is A Star Is Born which tied with Vice each having eight nominations. The former seemed to have done well when it first came out but was easily forgettable. Its social media uptake outlived its likability on the big screen. But it may get the Oscar for Lady Gaga's song, "Shallow."
As for Vice, bad reviews and not so eager showing in the box office, even with eight nominations, probably will not let the film go very far on the road to success. But there is high hope in the film's makeup artists as well as hairstylists and a possible salute to the film's editing.
Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody may receive the honor as Best Actor and the film's sound mixing may in all probability receive top recognition. In the category for Best Actress, the most likely to reap success is Glenn Close for her role in The Wife.
Regina King has the supporting actress award in the bag for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk while the Best Supporting Actor bid could very possibly be bestowed on Mahershala Ali for "Green Book."
In all likelihood, it will be BlacKkKlansman which will land the adapted screenplay award. But the best in sound editing is a definite nod for First Man.
The award for the documentary feature in all likelihood belongs to Free Solo. As for the visual effects, it is in the bag for Avengers: Infinity War and the one for animation for Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
Black Panther may be left out in the cold, but it will always be the first superhero movie to be given an Oscar nomination.
