Hollywood is holding its breath before the launch of the most prominent annual event in the field of American cinematic awards on Sunday evening, amid great anticipation to know the winning films and monitoring the audience’s desire to follow the party after a steady decline in the number of viewers in recent years.
The dark western movie “The Power of the Dog” about masculinity remained at the top of the race for a long time, as the odds showed that it was the most likely to win the award for the best feature film, which would constitute a historic victory for the giant network Netflix, which has not yet won any award in this category. However, competition intensified in recent weeks, and another film entered the line, “Coda”, a dramatic comedy full of feelings and optimism, which won all the awards granted by the unions of professionals in the film sector.
“The Power of the Dog”
Experts are also closely watching the black and white film “Belfast” by Kenneth Branagh, who drew inspiration from his childhood in Northern Ireland. “The race is between two or three jobs,” film awards specialist Clayton Davis told Variety, a reference magazine in the field.
Davis spoke of a “strong dynamism” that favors Coda. “The last two years have been difficult for everyone,” he told AFP. “Kuda’s film is positive and gives psychological comfort. I think that the voters want to support a film that broadcasts positivity.” “The race is very hot,” said Scott Feinberg, a journalist for The Hollywood Reporter.
Much praise was given to the film “The Power of the Dog,” directed by Jane Campion, while others criticized it, especially in terms of what they considered weakness in the feelings that the work evokes. “Not everyone likes the movie,” Feinberg said.
This may be an obstacle with the adoption of the preferential voting method on several cycles in the category of the best feature film, as this is in the interest of the works that garner the greatest amount of admiration among the majority of voters.
A source with voting rights at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is responsible for awarding the Oscars, and asked not to be named, indicated that the competition “was never open as it is now.”
Another advantage of “CODA” is that it is an independent film with a modest budget (15 million dollars), which may be a positive factor for the voters.
“Some members of the Academy I speak with are still reluctant to vote for a Netflix movie in the Best Feature Film category,” the source told AFP, noting that Koda is shown on Apple TV +, another video platform. Upon request.
Will Smith and Jessica Chastain?
Among the actors, this year’s favorite also remains star Will Smith for his role as the father of tennis champions Serena and Venus Williams in “King Richard”.
Troy Kotsur, one of the co-stars of “CODA”, is also competing for the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. This deaf actor, who plays the role of a loving but sometimes helpless father to a teenager who does not suffer from hearing problems, has achieved great success in various film festivals this season. But the competition is much stronger among actresses.
Scott Feinberg said that “all five candidates have a real chance of winning” this year, although Jessica Chastain, who plays a TV presenter in “The Eyes of Tami Fay”, appears “the favorite.”
Clayton Davis acknowledged that this seemed the least risky option, but noted that Penelope Cruz’s fortunes are not weak and she may surprise thanks to her performance in Pedro Almodovar’s “Madris Parallas.”
Ariana Duboes is expected to win the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in the remake of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” but the latter is having trouble beating Jane Campion in the race for best director, according to experts.
In terms of the largest number of awards, “Don” is expected to be the biggest winner on Sunday night, thanks to its nominations in several technical categories, including photography, sound and special effects.
“Tik Tok generation”
After two years of health restrictions, the Oscars returns to its traditional location at the Dolby Theater on Hollywood Avenue of Fame. The organizers hope that the event will regain its audience after the significant decline in the number of viewers in recent years. The 2021 edition attracted no more than ten million viewers, a 56 percent decrease from the previous year, which in turn recorded the lowest record number of viewers.
To attract followers, this year the organizers launched a “fan award” which is given to followers by voting on social networks. Clayton Davis said the Oscars took the initiative “in an effort to attract a new audience from the TikTok generation.”
Organizers are also hoping to entice viewers with a performance by Queen of Pop Beyoncé and singer Billie Eilish during the Oscars night, in which their two songs for “King Richard” and “No Time to Die” (the latest James Bond movie) will compete. But if the viewership numbers stay the same “or even drop further, they’re going to have a really big problem.”