The most prestigious awards ceremony in film is back this Sunday. The near-century-old award show will have moviegoers from all around the globe tune in to watch the ceremony but who’s going to win this year?
The show will be hosted by a secret guest, as dozens of spectacular nominations are awarded in a number of categories, with most of the discussion surrounding best ‘Actor/actress in a leading role’ and ‘Best Picture’.
The category that I find to be most integral to the show has to be ‘Best Picture’. With 2018 introducing many breath-taking films, the nominations for 2019’s Oscars are without a doubt some of the best.
For me, one movie stands out amongst the others; ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (released October 24, 2018), which has already picked up the Golden Globe for best motion picture.
Before seeing it, I had my doubts; was this going to be a tacky re-enactment of Queen’s evolvement, was it going to ruin their songs for me and make me regret buying a ticket to see it? The answer was no, in short.
I left the theatre sobbing. The film was amazing, and not having known much about Queen and the individual band members beforehand, I had felt so immersed within the film and felt like I had learnt who truly Queen were and what they had stood for.
Rami Malek, the talented actor who portrayed Freddie Mercury, who has also been nominated for ‘Actor in a leading role’, embodied the iconic singer, from the carefully crafted physical image to the voice and acting.
A good film will leave you wanting more, and I definitely wanted more; I had laughed at parts and I had cried at parts – ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is a piece of art that is now treasured by many and it has deserved all nominations it has received and therefore it should win the Oscar for ‘Best Picture’.
Other nominations for this category include ‘The Favourite’, ‘Black Panther’, ‘Blackkklansman’, ‘Roma’, ‘A Star is Born’ and ‘Vice’. All films unique in their own way and all have a chance of winning.
The other two major categories that generate the most hype are of course ‘Best Actor/Actress in a leading role’. This year’s nominations hold groups of astonishingly gifted actors and actresses within the industry, but again there are a few that stand out above the rest.
Olivia Colman, well known for the character of Sophie Chapman in the iconic sitcom ‘Peep Show’, has advanced her acting career and is now the leading woman in The Favourite, where she plays Queen Anne. From a role like this, her flair for acting is so apparent and it is so evident why she has been nominated for this award. She takes on the part of Queen Anne with finesse and power.
Other nominees in this category include Yalitza Aparicio (‘Roma’), Glenn Close (‘The Wife’), Lady Gaga (‘A Star is Born’) and Melissa Mccarthy (‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’).
The nominees for ‘Actor in a leading role’ are all outstanding in their performances and in past works they have participated in also. Of course, Rami Malek is up for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and I can completely understand why. The others include Christian Bale (‘Vice’), which, I must admit, was a glorious performance and realistic portrayal of Dick Cheney. There is also Bradley Cooper (‘A Star is Born’), Willem Dafoe (‘At Eternity’s Gate’) and Viggo Mortensen (‘Green Book’).
Overall the Oscars this 2019 look particularly enthralling, thanks to the plethora of astonishing performances and film created in the past year. It’s hard to say who will win, but with several star-studded nominations; it’ll be an intriguing watch on Sunday.
The Academy Awards will be streaming from 1.30 UK time on the official Oscars Twitter.
By Jasmin Bodman