3rd Annual Oscar Predictions!

The 90th edition of the annual Academy Awards is happening this Sunday and with that, everyone is making their predictions before the big night! It's always a bit of good fun and brings good discussion, whether you agree with the nominees or not. So for the third year running, my friends and I will be making our predictions and who will be the 2018 winner. Returning are Billy, Drew and last years winner Michael, as well as newcomer Conor.

 Like last year, there will be a brief look at some of the major categories with a table down below listing our entire predictions. Unfortunately again, we have not managed to see the documentaries or short films so these will be excluded. Now that's out of the way, lets take a look at some of the predictions. 

Best Supporting Actor

The nominees:

Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project, 

    Woody Harrelson - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,     

Richard Jenkins - The Shape of Water,     

Christopher Plummer - All The Money In The World,    

 Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My Pick (Angus): Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell seems to be the frontrunner for this award, beating out co-star Woody Harrelson in what would be a deserving Academy Award win. Although I am not the biggest fan of Three Billboards, I can't deny that Rockwell's performance was one of the best of the year and was helped by strong writing.

Billy's Pick: Sam Rockwell
Sam's character has a really interesting arc in Three Billboards and he approaches it with great care and subtlety, very funny performance.

Conor's Pick: Sam Rockwell

I haven't seen many of the films and Rockwell is simply the favourite to win.

Drew's Pick: Sam Rockwell
Rockwell just stunned me. I had no idea of his acting capabilities beforehand, to be honest.

Michael's Pick: Sam Rockwell

I chose Sam Rockwell because he seems to be the critics favourite at this point and has already won a Golden Globe, BAFTA and a SAG award so I expect him to add this to his trophy case which considering his redeeming character arc in Three Billboards, it is deserving of one.

Best Supporting Actress

The nominees:

Mary J Blige - Mudbound

Allison Janney - I, Tonya

Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird

Octavia Spencer - The Shape of Water

Lesley Manville - Phantom Thread

My Pick (Angus): Allison Janney
Janney seems to steal every scene that she appears in giving an incredibly humourous performance amongst the craziness of I, Tonya.

Billy's Pick: Allison Janney
Similar with Rockwell, Allison gives a fiery, punchy performance and while it's an archetype character, she brings it to life.

Conor's Pick: Allison Janney
Same as before, I'm not too familiar but Janney is the favourite.

Drew's Pick: Allison Janney
She provided an interesting "anti" antagonist role into I, Tonya that added depth to Tonya's struggle.

Michael's Pick: Allison Janney
Allison Janney should pick up this award easily as she plays the unlikeable detestable mother to Tonya and both presents a barrier to her social life and tey pushes Tonya's skaing success and drive to win. Mixed with the fact that there's no outstanding candidates to win this award this should seem a certainty.

Best Director

The nominees:

Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk

Jordan Peele - Get Out

Greta Gerwig - Lady Bird

Paul Thomas Anderson - Phantom Thread

Guillermo Del Toro - The Shape of Water

My Pick (Angus): Guillermo Del Toro
In an ideal world, Christopher Nolan would be picking up this award for Dunkirk which I believe is the best-directed film up for contention. But I'm going with my head and choosing Del Toro for The Shape of Water who has been doing very well on the awards circuit and who I do believe is the second best director in the category.

Billy's Pick: Guillermo Del Toro
Loved The Shape of Water and each scene really has a dynamic and rich dressing. I think the overall aesthetic and style of the film makes it what it is, it really feels like Del Toro loved crafting it and it is unique to his flavour of film.

Conor's Pick: Guillermo Del Toro
Del Toro expertly crafted his story world in The Shape of Water. The way in which the story is told in addition to the aesthetics of the film were really interesting and enjoyable and I feel he should be recognised for his work.

Drew's Pick: Guillermo Del Toro
Del Toro always spends years developing the world he wants to showcase to the world, within his head and it shows with The Shape of Water. It was close between him and Nolan, but the pure originality of the world crafted helped nudge it on top.

Michael's Pick: Guillermo Del Toro
GDT really creates a magnificent looking world here and places a beautiful love story in the middle of it. This combination along with this world coming directly from GDT crafts my favourite film of the year so far as the passion for this masterpiece is clearly seen and should pick up the award.

Best Actor

The nominees:

Daniel Day Lewis - Phantom Thread

Timothee Chalamet - Call Me By Your Name

Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out

Denzel Washington - Roman J. Israel Esq

Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour

My Pick (Angus): Timothee Chalamet
I'm going to afford myself a gamble and thinking with my heart on this one. Chalamet is by far the best performance and it'll be an atrocity if he misses out. He showcases more range in his role than the rest of the nominees combined in what is a powerful and emotional masterclass. No gimmick is needed, just pure raw emotion.

Billy's Pick: Gary Oldman
I chose Gary Oldman because I feel there is a romanticism with biopic old-timey representation and added with his transformative prosthetic appearance, he'll be a shoe-in.

Conor's Pick: Gary Oldman
Again, I haven't seen them all but Oldman is once again the favourite by popular vote.

Drew's Pick: Gary Oldman
Oldman always seems to provide a strong commitment to his roles, which in this case execute a powerful showcase of Britain's greatest leader in modern times.

Michael's Pick: Gary Oldman
I chose Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill because the academy values a huge commitment in a leading role which is clear here which helps that he portrays such an iconic figure. His performance is also helped by the excellent hair and makeup work on the film to the point that we don't even recognise Gary Oldman.

Best Actress

The nominees:

Meryl Streep - The Post

Margot Robbie - I, Tonya

Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Saorise Ronan - Lady Bird

Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water

My Pick (Angus): Frances McDormand
It pains me to write this but no matter how much I think Sally Hawkins had the best performance of the year, everything is pointing at a win for McDormand. McDormand does display a strong performance nonetheless but far from the best for me.

Billy's Pick: Frances McDormand
Frances is really great in Three Billboards, she demonstrates a great range and attitude to the unique character.

Conor's Pick: Sally Hawkins
Going with who I know and performance I feel was extremely well executed given that Hawkins had no dialogue.

Drew's Pick: Sally Hawkins
Despite McDormand providing a stellar performance in Three Billboards, I felt like Hawkins provided an experience that I enjoyed more as a viewer, and I somehow connected more with her portrayal of the character.

Michael's Pick: Frances McDormand
Frances McDormand's performance was quite excellent although she wouldn't be my personal pick. Despite this McDormand plays the perfect anti-hero in this, managing to gather sympathy from the audience whilst playing a bitter foul-mouthed violent woman which can be a challenge but is one that she excels in.

Best Picture

The nominees:

The Darkest Hour, Call Me By Your Name, Dunkirk, Get Out, Lady Bird, Phantom Thread, The Post, The Shape of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My Pick (Angus): The Shape of Water
Overall, when taking everything into consideration, I think The Shape of Water is the best film in contention. When you take everything into consideration, from directing and performances to set design and costume and the beautiful story, TSOW stands out from the rest for me.

Billy's Pick: The Shape of Water
The Shape of Water was right up my alley. I decided to go with this film not because I think it'll win but because it was my favourite film of the bunch.

Conor's Pick: Get Out
From the nominees I have seen, Get Out was my favourite and I feel it has a solid chance to win thanks to its cultural commentary as well as the way in which the film borders between genres being a thriller with a very humorous script to alleviate tension and keep us engaged.

Drew's Pick: The Shape of Water
Similar to the Best Director category, it's yet again between Dunkirk and The Shape of Water and once again I've gone with the latter. Again, the originality not only in the visual storytelling but the screenplay (both developed by Del Toro) helped put it ahead yet again.

Michael's Pick: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
As mentioned with Sam Rockwell this seems to be picking up the majority of the awards which includes the BAFTA for Best Film. Considering this is a well-structured film which mostly is a joy to watch barring the first act of the film and deserves it's nomination although it wouldn't be my pick, I wouldn't be disappointed with this winning.

My Top 10 Films of 2017!

So 2017 has come and gone, so everybody is rushing to put out their best and worst of the year lists. I know you've probably seen dozens of these already, but why not look at yet another? With that, here are my 10 favourite films of 2017, enjoy!

This list is also based on films by their U.K. release dates, so if there's a film you feel is in the list that shouldn't be by date, this is why. 2017 was a pretty good year for film and was an improvement on 2016 in most regards, especially in terms of blockbusters. With such a competitive year, there were, of course, many films that narrowly missed out on my list. Due to that, I'd like to give a shoutout to some honourable mentions that were very unlucky to miss out on my list:

Wind River

A Ghost Story

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Personal Shopper

and Logan 

 So now that's out of the way, let's jump into number 10!

10. 

At number 10 is the first of two Netflix films on my list and is what I believe to be the best Stephen King adaptation of the year, Gerald's Game. 2017 was a pretty good year for the horror/thriller genre, with films such as Get Out and Split being fantastic in their own right. Yet, it was this that really got under my skin, with its simple plot that is handled magnificently by director Mike Flanagan. Carla Gugino puts in one of the best performances of the year -whilst mainly handcuffed to a bed - in a story that creates a terrifying situation but also is a fantastic character study.  The film gets really dark at times and is very unsettling, especially when we explore Gugino's characters past. For fans of horror, definitely give Gerald's Game a watch.

9.

Coming in at number nine is an early U.K. release that did very well during award season in 2017, Hacksaw Ridge. Mel Gibson's return to the director's chair was a very successful one, as Hacksaw was one of the years most powerful and finely crafted films. The film focuses on an unlikely war hero and focuses on his determination to save lives rather than take them. The action scenes are incredibly realistic, creating many brutal moments, but Hacksaw is a true testament to the human spirit and retells this miraculous story wonderfully. Andrew Garfield was fantastic as the stuttering Desmond Doss in a film that gets great performances from Vince Vaughn and Sam Worthington.

8.

Paddington 2 is by far the most surprising film of the year for me and is one of the best times I've ever had at a cinema! This film is pure fun and it really caught me off guard. I expected a fairly enjoyable film that would satisfy me for just under 2 hours. However, the film exceeded all expectations, with a great story filled with fun, interesting characters and silly antics making this one of the most purely enjoyable family films of recent times. This already impressive British cast was improved with the additions of Hugh Grant and Brenden Gleeson, who are fantastic in their newly acquired roles, whilst the returning Ben Whishaw and Sally Hawkins are ever so delightful yet again. A complete joy that will have you laughing, tearing up, gazing in awe and on the edge of your seat, Paddington 2 is a very worthy addition to this list.

7.

The second Netflix film to make my list is Bong Joon-ho's Okja, an extremely emotional story that really caught me off guard. The first half of the film explores the relationship between young child Mija and this super pig Okja, as we create an emotional bond with the two. The second half is much darker as it explores celebrity depiction, animal cruelty and greedy conglomerates which mirrors the real world oh so closely. This film features an impressive cast of stars who all bring it as very conflicted characters which is something I really appreciated with the film. The characters whether good or bad are not all morally perfect - with the exception of Mija and Okja - and creates for some interesting dynamics and only showcases the innocence of the two main characters furthermore. With such sensitive subject matter like animal cruelty, there are some very emotional moments, none more so than in the finale. The film is a Netflix original and is the kind of film that needs support in order for Netflix to continue making strides with their original films.

6. 

Edgar Wright is one of my favourite filmmakers and has created some of the best genre-blending films, with hits like Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. Due to this, I was eagerly anticipating his latest film Baby Driver ever since it was announced. It isn't my favourite film from Wright but that is no discredit to the film as this is one of the best-crafted action films of recent years. The use of real stunt drivers, choreography and music create some of the most enjoyable action scenes of the year in a film that was oozing of originality. The ensemble cast works perfectly well with each other, creating an interesting dynamic which kept you guessing which way the story will go. Wright has yet another success under his name and continues to showcase his abilities as one of Hollywood's best and most creative directors.

5. 

Cracking into the top 5 is Call Me By Your Name, which I feel has the best male performance of the year from Timothee Chalamet. This gay-romance film is both beautiful and heartbreaking as the story follows a young Italian boys first ventures into love. Despite the nature of this relationship, the story is universal and there are things that everybody can relate to and even see reflections of themselves in. This makes the film even more powerful and emotional for the viewer, which is backed up furthermore by fantastic performances and soundtrack. There are two scenes in particular that will stick with me for a very long time due to their powerful effect, including the end credits where Chalamet showcases his talents. The way he conveys his emotions without saying a single word is arguably the best piece of acting this year and is a fantastic ending to a great film.

4. 

At number 4 is perhaps the most unique film of the year and certainly of this list, Raw. This French/Belgian coming of age, horror film really surprised me with just how good it was, as it follows a young woman's first experience at veterinarian school. With this, she faces many urges but not all that would be expected in a coming of age film. The film actually uses cannibalism to explore temptations, rivalry, sexuality and many others in this environment which leads to some very startling and incredibly grotesque moments. Garance Marillier is fantastic in the lead role as we slowly see her character Justine descend from a top student into a flesh-hungry, jealous nightmare. This was a very challenging performance which Marillier excels fantastically well in Julia Ducournau's feature film debut as a director. As both a fan of coming of age and horror films, this was a perfect blend for my tastes and one that I won't forget anytime soon.

3.  

Manchester By The Sea may just be the most realistic film of 2017 and it uses that authenticity to power its often bleak and emotional story. The film follows Casey Affleck - who gives the performance of his career - and how he struggles to deal with past and present traumas and problems. As the film goes on, we get more information about this deeply troubled character, and with each addition of information, there is a powerful punch behind it. Kenneth Lonergan's script is near flawless as the film is never ever dull and constantly has you hooked, despite it being miserable a lot of the time. It must be said, though, that the film does have some great humour within the film to stop it from being all doom and gloom. This is a film that could turn people the wrong way but I loved every moment of this film and was hungry for more once the credits started to roll. 

2.

At number 2 is Christopher Nolan's war epic Dunkirk. Dunkirk certainly won't go down as one of the best character-driven movies but certainly will in terms of a cinematic experience like no other. This film is completely immersive with flawless sound design, cinematography and practical effects that help create an ever so realistic setting. An impressive cast featuring the likes of Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy and even Harry Styles provide rooted performances, filled with emotion, fear and struggle at every moment whilst stuck in this situation. The narrative structure itself is very unique and was a great way for Nolan to explore different aspects of this event, with linking them up simultaneously. For me, this is up there with Nolan's best work and one that I'll be rewatching soon in 2018.

1. 

At number 1 and way ahead of everything for me is La La Land. By comparison, nothing ever came close to overtaking La La Land as my favourite film as I was completely swept away by this film. The music, choreography, performances, cinematography, costume, set design, everything was just perfect. This is now one of my favourite films of all time as I loved every moment of this film. I was humming the soundtrack for days and think about it constantly as it is a truly magical film. This happens to be the film I've seen the most at the cinema as I could not get enough of this movie earlier this year. Ever time I talk about it, it just makes me want to watch it yet again. The film has resonated so deeply with me unlike any other this year which makes La La Land, undoubtedly, my favourite film of 2017!

So that concludes my top 10 list of films released in 2017! I hope that everyone had a great year and hope for all the best in 2018! Let me know what your favourite films of the year were and also what you're looking forward to seeing this year. Also, keep your eyes out for my top 10 worst films of the year which will be a lot harsher list! Until then, thank you for taking the time to read my blog, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor