This year's awards run from March 1st through July 30th, to adjust for last year's Oscar calendar. Check out my favorites from the first half of the Oscar season!
Best Picture
Winner - Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Runners Up - The Green Knight and In the Heights
Commentary - For the first time in The Awards Psychic History, a documentary has won my top slot at the Halfway Awards! In the Heights is a great musical, and The Green Knight is a well-crafted fantasy. But for my money, no film has been as impactful this year than the fantastic Summer of Soul. Finally shedding light on a music festival that has long been eclipsed by Woodstock, Questlove and his team bring joy, showcase suffering, and add another story into the canon of Black History. It was a stunning film to watch, and easily the best so far.
Best Director
Winner - David Lowery “The Green Knight”
Runners Up - Questlove “Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” and Commentary - David Lowery continues to prove that he is a visionary and adept director. The Green Knight is yet another one of his low-key successes. He cast his actors perfectly, and his directorial vision created a visual and auditory masterpiece that shows incredible skill.
Best Actor
Winner - Nicholas Cage “Pig”
Runners Up - Dev Patel “The Green Knight” and Anthony Ramos “In the Heights”
Commentary - Cage has made his share of terrible movies over the years, but once every decade or so, he reminds us why, despite being a Razzie contender way too often, is actually one of the best actors of our time. Leaving Las Vegas, Raising Arizona, Adaptation, just to name a few, and now Pig. An odd, but wildly emotional, funny, warm, and at times brutal film that is a perfect vehicle for Cage. He is jaw-dropping in this role, and while the awards circuit will most likely ignore him, they would be stupid to do so.
Best Actress
Winner - Mary Twala “This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection"
Runners Up - Taylour Paige “Zola” and Rachel Sennott “Shiva Baby”
Commentary - This is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection is an incredibly brilliant work, made particular great by the performance of the legendary Mary Twala. Unfortunately, Twala died last year, leaving one lasting bookend to her already stunning legacy in African cinema. Her final performance in this film was absorbing, and she perfectly balances the sorrow and surprising joy in this enraptured performance that reminds us that our film world is lesser now that she is no longer in it.
Best Supporting Actor
Winner - Colman Domingo “Zola”
Runners Up - Cillian Murphy “A Quiet Place Part II” and Joel Edgerton “The Green Knight”
Commentary - Colman Domingo, a veteran actor, has had a boon of a year. Between Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Euphoria, and Zola, he has been thrust into the spotlight, and has proven that he is an incredible screen presence. He is mesmerizing as X in Zola, steals every scene he is in, lures in the audience with his charm, then bites them with his dark side. A layered and fully-realized performance, Domingo will hopefully remain on Oscar voters' minds throughout the rest of this season.
Best Supporting Actress
Winner - Olga Merediz “In the Heights”
Runners Up - Florence Pugh “Black Widow” and Emma Thompson “Cruella”
Commentary - Merediz, a stage legend, revives her Tony-nominated role for Lin-Manuel Miranda, and brings the same energy and emotional heft on the screen. Her song is one of the most memorable of the film, and her presence is felt so much throughout. She is the heart of a film that is beaming with joy and heart, which says a lot about her acting prowess.
Best Screenplay
Winner - John Krasinski, Scott Beck, and Bryan Woods “A Quiet Place Part II”
Runners Up - David Lowery “The Green Knight” and Michael Rianda, Jeff Rowe, and Alex Hirsch “The Mitchells vs. The Machines”
Commentary - While dialogue is scarce in this film, it is always worth it when they finally speak. Just like its predecessor, A Quiet Place II is brilliantly constructed and effective horror, in particular thanks to the talents of its screenwriters, who, unlike many horror writers, have managed to not only create an awesome concept, but have sustained that through now two successful and well-made films.
Best Animated Film
Winner - The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Runners Up - Luca and Raya and the Last Dragon
Commentary - A strong start to the Animated Feature race is exciting, but this award easily belongs to The Mitchells vs. The Machines. Funny, fast-paced, with lots of clever characters and plot points, it is just plainly, put, a great time. I dare you to watch this film, and not leave with a smile on your face. A great animated achievement.
Best Ensemble
Winner - A Quiet Place Part II
Runners Up - The Mitchells vs. The Machines and Black Widow
Commentary - Not only were the screenwriters able to continue this great concept, but they got a lot of help from a great cast of actors who convey more in silence than most ensembles do with thousands of words.
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