Lyrics and Timothée and body horror, oh my! After being delayed twice due to the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires, nominations for the 97th annual Academy Awards are here — leaving some shocked, snubbed and satisfied.
Controversial film, “Emilia Pérez,” took home the most Oscar nominations with 13, including best picture, despite audiences’ confusion and critiques of its authenticity. Although it gained acclaim at Cannes, the film had a rocky reception through Netflix as viewers acknowledged how the film set in Mexico was filmed in France, with none of the main trio being Mexican either. While “Emilia Pérez’s” lack of authenticity might lead to some losses in major categories, “The Brutalist” might be the biggest offender in the validity of its portrayal.
Scoring the second most nominations with 10, “The Brutalist” might face some brutal consequences for its usage of AI throughout the film. It was revealed by the film’s editor, Dávid Jancsó, via RedShark News that the film used an AI software called Respeecher to improve Adrien Brody’s and Felicity Jones’ Hungarian accents. This falsification of Brody’s performance could tip the scales in Timothée Chalamet or Ralph Fiennes’ favor.
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The phenomenon that has been and still is “Wicked,” tied with “The Brutalist,” for the second most nominations. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s on and off screen situationship earned them nods in the best actress and best supporting actress categories — but I don’t think the fans can defy the all powerful Academy.
“The Substance” earned five nominations, but might be the most successful at securing the Oscar in the end. Demi Moore already took home a Golden Globe for her performance making the Oscar for best actress seem close within reach. The amount of prosthetics used in “The Substance” alone feels like it should guarantee a win in the makeup and hairstyling category although other nominees like “A Different Man” and “Nosferatu” were more exacting with their craft.
Timothée Chalamet has been booked and busy this year playing the lead in two best picture nominees, “A Complete Unknown” and “Dune: Part Two.” With eight and five nominations respectively, it’s likely we’ll see some wins from both, but these films might be a little too blockbuster in nature to secure best picture.
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While many praised “Emilia Pérez” for shedding a light on transgender and queer lives, films like “Queer” or “Challengers” carried similar themes that resonate with audiences, but not the Academy. “Challengers” perhaps was the most shocking to not make the list as it dominated this summer’s pop culture scene and starred the ever in style, Zendaya.
There were some creative and bold indie films this year that didn’t get enough recognition from the Academy or the people including — “Lisa Frankenstein,” “Monkey Man” and “We Live in Time.” All of these films garnered a cult following this year, but failed to get recognized by any major award shows. “The Last Showgirl” managed to get two Golden Globe nominations, but didn’t make the cut for the Oscars.
There are so many other spectacular films that have been nominated this season that did deserve the recognition, and maybe a few that didn’t, but either way it will certainly be interesting to see who wins in the end.
Who do you think should be taking home the Oscar on March 2nd? Let us know on X @VALLEYmag!
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