The Oscar Narrative: Pre-Guild Nomination Predictions - Best Animated Feature, Documentary Feature, and International Feature

Best Animated Feature

Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Turning Red

Wendell & Wild

Other Contenders - The Bad Guys, Lightyear, Inu-Oh, Strange World, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood, My Father's Dragon, The Bob's Burgers Movie, The Sea Beast

Commentary - This battle feels like a three-way race between Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and Turning Red. All are incredibly different films, but all excellent entries into this competitive race. Turning Red is Pixar (so don't count it out), Marcel has a lot of critical support, and Guillermo Del Toro's name alone (plus the excellent film), make it an intriguing vote. In the last two slots, I am putting in Puss in Boots latest entry, which actually received great reviews, and is coming in hot right at the minute. Also, I moved Wendell & Wild back in. Netflix has done well in this category in recent years including Over the Moon, Klaus, and The Mitchells vs. the Machines. Of its many titles, Wendell & Wild has the most buzz, and a star-studded team behind it. The Bad Guys is so popular, Lightyear is Pixar, Inu-Oh is GKids, Strange World is Disney, and Apollo 10 1/2 is an intriguing entry from Richard Linklater. Also watch out for My Father's Dragon, The Sea Beast, and one of my personal favorites, The Bob's Burgers Movie.

Best Documentary Feature

All That Breathes

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Descendant

Fire of Love

Navalny

Other Contenders - Retrograde, Bad Axe, Last Flight Home, A House Made of Splinters, Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song, The Janes, Moonage Daydream, The Territory, Hidden Letters, Children of the Mist

Commentary - With Good Night Oppy missing the cut, this opens up this race to other contenders. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed has won the majority of the critical awards, but it faces still competition from Fire of Love and All that Breathes. Descendant is from Netflix, and its timely, as is Navalny, which could be one of our surprise winners that this category often produces. 

Best International Feature

All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany)

Argentina, 1985 (Argentina)

Close (Belgium)

Decision to Leave (South Korea)

Saint Omer (France)

Other Contenders - Bardo (or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths) (Mexico),  EO (Poland), Return to Seoul (Cambodia), Holy Spider (Denmark), Corsage (Austria), Joyland (Pakistan), The Quiet Girl (Ireland), The Blue Caftan (Morocco), Cairo Conspiracy (Sweden), Last Film Show (India), 

Commentary - This is a tight race. The questions that remain are: 1)Will the popularity of Inarritu propel him here, even though the film is eh? Will the critical favorites like EO or Return to Seoul overcome more popular choices? We will have to wait and see.