the surprises and the most notable absences among the candidates

With the Oscar nominations By hand, we can say that there were no surprises in the 10 films nominated for the Oscar (we were right in all of them), but there are some absences that draw attention.

Oppenheimer leads the candidates, with 13 nominations, and is likely to sweep the ceremony at the Dolby Theater on March 10. Film and director seem safe, as does Robert Downey Jr. as a supporting actor. Cillian Murphy’s thing doesn’t seem so simple, with Paul Giamatti for Those who stay winning best leading actor at several award ceremonies.

poor creatures, by Yorgos Lanthimos, as if close on its heels, with 11. It also has a presence in all important areas (film, direction, actress for Emma Stone, supporting actor for Mark Ruffalo, original script, direction of photography, design of production and costumes). Willem Dafoe was left out. He’s going to win a few.

One less candidacy obtained The Moon Killersby Martin Scorsese, who was nominated for the tenth time (he won only once, for The infiltrators). But it does not appear in the best adapted screenplay category, along with Eric Roth, and although Lily Gladstone is a favorite for best actress, and became the first Native American nominated in that category, and Robert De Niro has his eighth nomination as an actor ( here, cast), the one who was left without a location at the Dolby Theater was Leonardo DiCaprio. The late Robbie Robertson, who died in August, also became the first Indigenous person to be nominated for best original music.

Barbie He was left with 8 candidates, and a couple of absences. Neither Greta Gerwig, for direction, nor Margot Robbie, as lead actress, were nominated by their peers (at the Oscar, directors nominate directors, performers, performers; everyone only votes for a single category in the nominations: best film).

Although it is nominated for best film and even adapted screenplay, it is still curious that, being a feminist film, Barbie is not a candidate, and Ken is. The academics matched by nominating America Ferrera (the woman who played with Barbie) as supporting actress.

The 10 candidates coincide with the nominees for the Producers Guild Awards, and for the first time, three of the best film nominees were directed by women: Past Livesde Celine Song; Anatomy of a fall, by French director Justine Triet, who was also nominated for best director; and Barbiede Gerwig.

Netflix had the most nominations of any other studio, with 18, but after the pandemic, the consensus indicates that for the film industry, theaters play a vital role in the release of films.

Maestro John Williams, for the score of Indiana Jones and the dial of destinywas nominated for the 54th time (he has already won five statuettes), but the Academy has not awarded him for 30 years (the last one was for Schindler’s List).

The Snow Society It was among the 5 competing for best international film, and added another nomination, for makeup and hairstyling.

The academics deprived television of having Pedro Almodóvar as candidates, with his short film strange way of life, and its protagonists, Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal. If he did The wonderful story of Henry Sugarby Wes Anderson. Nor did the documentary about Michael J. Fox enter the best documentary category.

Daniel Pemberton seemed a sure candidate for the score of Spider-Man through the Spider-Versebut, perhaps, in one of those, his place was given to John Williams.

More notable absences?

Priscilla, All of Us Trangers (We are all strangers), Origin y Saltburn They did not get any nominations. It also reduces the possibilities Those who stay that its director, Alexander Payne, and the edition are not among the candidates. Neither did any of the actors in May December (Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore or the rising Charles Melton) will dress up on March 10 (unless invited).

And do you want more surprises? Yesterday we said that the photograph of Count, the film by Chilean Pablo Larraín, could be nominated. And it happened.

I don’t know if the thing about Sandra Hüller is surprising. German actress Toni Erdmann is a candidate as the protagonist of Anatomy of a falland as a supporting actress for The area of ​​interest. Both performances are notable, the strange thing is that the performers support a foreign actress so much.

The truth is that, for the first time in many years, there are blockbuster films competing as the best of the year. Follow Oppenheimer, will be the first to exceed $100 million in revenue in the United States to do so, since Argoby and with Ben Affleck, achieved it in the 2013 edition.

And that 8 of the 10 have had their premieres at film festivals, from Cannes to Venice and Toronto, it doesn’t happen every year. What were the two titles that did not go to festivals and are among the 10 candidates? Two box office and critical successes, Oppenheimer y Barbie.