Jan. 26, 2024
Christopher Nolan's epic film Oppenheimer, which has emerged as the frontrunner with an impressive 13 nominations. By: Wee Yan Ling
At
the forefront of the Oscar race we have Oppenheimer, the three hour long
drama unpacking the World War Two race to construct the first ever atomic bomb.
The film boasts of 13 nominations which encompasses the coveted Best Picture
category as it solidifies its status as a cinematic triumph. Nolan had displayed
his appreciation and shared, "I think it's a great year for movies, and
it's a real honor to be included."
We
will be witnessing a clash of titans on March 10 as Oppenheimer and last
year’s top-grossing film, Barbie. The summer box office battle, fondly
dubbed as “Barbenheimer” saw these films collectively garner close to $2.4
billion. As these blockbusters take center stage, the Oscars will undoubtedly
be a celebration of cinematic prowess and commercial success.
The
Best Picture category reflects a welcome diversity in storytelling. Alongside Oppenheimer,
Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon, the lineup encompass films
such as Poor Things, American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers,
Maestro, Past Lives and The Zone of Interest. Of the contenders,
three films were directed by women – Barbie, Anatomy of a Fall and Past
Lives. This is testament to the positive shift in recognising diverse
voices.
One
salient aspect of this year’s nominations is the rise of new talent. 10 out of
the 20 acting contenders are first-time nominees which displays the industry’s
openness and commitment to promoting new voices. Among these are the Native
American star Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon and Jeffrey
Wright and Sterling K Brown for their performances in American
Fiction.
The
Best Actor category promises a captivating race between the veterans and the
rising actors as Paul Giamatti, Cilian Murphy, Bradley Cooper, Colman Domingo
and Jeffrey Wright compete for the highly coveted trophy. For Best Actress, the
competition is as fierce as we have Lily Gladstone, Emma Stone, Annette Bening,
Sandra Hüller, and Carey Mulligan.
Inevitably,
surprises and snubs are in every Oscar season as we witness Charles Melton from
May December and Leonardo DiCaprio from Killers of the Flower Moon being
overlooked. The unpredictable nature of the Oscars helps to elevate the
suspense and speculation to the upcoming ceremony.
The
upcoming Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, March 10 at the Dolby
Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. ABC will broadcast the live event Jimmy Kimmel
will be hosting for the fourth time.
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