ACTRESS IS A SUPPORTING ROLE: As much as I enjoyed Judi Dench as Grandma in "Belfast," Hollywood has been slobbering at the symmetry of giving the same Oscar to an actress playing the same character from the original film sixty years ago. The marketing angle is way too good to ignore. The winner is ARIANA DEBOSE for WEST SIDE STORY.
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Here's where we see if the latest buzz out here is real or Memorex. For months, the expected winner was that kid Kodi Smit-McPhee for the detestable "Power of the Dog." But, because people have been sampling a damn good movie and a performance via streams and screeners, Troy Kotsur, a deaf actor, is getting noticed as the deaf dad in "CODA." I mean, the only person who can't hear that buzz is...well...Troy Kotsur. I expect he wins and, if that indeed occurs, I believe said movie has really come up in the ranks and might challenge for Best Picture. I'll explain more in a bit. The winner is TROY KOTSUR for CODA.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: I did not see the performances of Penelope Cruz and Kristen Stewart. But I did see the other three. Olivia Colman? Bleech! On principal. I find her an obvious and overrated actress. Nicole Kidman? She's no Lucille Ball. She's barely Mrs. Keith Urban. I was mesmerized by how Jessica Chastain transformed herself into evangelist Tammy Faye. And it wasn't all done with just mascara and wigs. The winner is JESSICA CHASTAIN for THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE.
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: I saw three of the performances so I can be semi-literate here. As for the ones I missed, trust me when I tell you that I avoid the asshole Will Smith and the hateful racist Denzel Washington in anything they do. I did not think Javier Bardem evoked any evidence of Desi Arnaz. Benedict Cumberbatch is always a mystery to me when people adore him. The performance I enjoyed most was Andrew Garfield as composer Jonathan Larson. But, as self-conscious as always, Will Smith has been begging for an Oscar for years. Just give it to him so he takes himself and that scam of a marriage away for good. The winner is WILL SMITH for KING RICHARD.
DIRECTING: They think Jane Campion is a genius. She might be. She managed to get me to sit through a screening of her movie. Would I see it again? I rather fall down face first in a homeless man's puddle of vomit. The winner...regretfully....is JANE CAMPION for POWER OF THE DOG.
BEST PICTURE: Here's where I am hoping Hollywood redeems itself for that "LaLa Land" debacle a few years ago. All the buzz for months has been for "Power of the Dog," a pretentious mess that is actually difficult to watch. While I would be okay with such nominees as "Belfast" and "Drive My Car," I would be over the moon if they chose "CODA," a movie that surprised the hell out of me for its honesty and watchability. And...what the heck...it's got an uplifting ending. When "CODA' won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast Ensemble, I was convinced we might be on the right track. My head tells me "Power" but my heart hopes the winner is CODA.
Dinner last night: Szechwan chicken and lo mein.
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