- BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The most fun about Best Original Score category is that it doesn't have a direct connection with Best Picture, like Best Editing, for example. Of course the branch has its darlings like Alexandre Desplat and Hans Zimmer who can pull nod after nod (no surprise, because both are amazing!) - and I am predicting them to be back to the race this year with The French Dispatch and Dune, respectively. After his first nomination for Phantom Thread, will Jonny Greenwood be able to nab TWO Oscar nominations? The hype sure is all around his work in The Power of the Dog and Spencer, but I feel the latter is the weakest of the two (since Campion's film has all the Best Picture buzz, which elevates it). And could Aaron and Bryce Dessner land a first Oscar nomination? The buzz around Cyrano is on the rise and the score is simply beautiful! It's a musical with an original score... no adaptation or whatever! An original musical like this is rare these days, so I believe the branch will embrace it!
- BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Big names all around these year: (queen) Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (King Richard), Billie Eilish & Finneas (No Time to Die), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Encanto), Kid Cudi & JAY-Z (The Harder They Fall), Van Morrison (Belfast), Jennifer Hudson (Respect) and Ariana Grande (for Don't Look Up, which is my #11)... and the AMPAS sure doesn't have room for them all. Still, the branch doesn't get seduced by these megastar names that often (Beyonce was snubed two times for Dreamgirls and The Lion King's big hits and Madonna never made the nominees list despite the many successful attempts at an Oscar-worthy song). So, how is it gonna be? Hoping for the Dessners to get some love for Cyrano and I can see both CODA or Annette sneaking a nom from the bigger names they are facing... it's a bit of an unpredictable category to be honest.
- BEST SOUND
One of the most Best Picture-careless categories. Best Sound seems to be really about it: sound! Musicals, sci-fi and action-packed films often do very well in this one, so West Side Story and tick, tick... BOOM! are easy fits for this field and so are Dune and No Time to Die (great and "soundy" works). As for The Tragedy of Macbeth, it would make for a less convential pick, but the sound department got rave reviews for its work in the movie! On the borderline there are the western The Harder They Fall (which has Netflix backing it) and A Quiet Place: Part II (which seems to be Paramount's only real hope at a nom to be honest)... and they fit the Best Sound nominee model better than Joel Coen's latest. Will the branch go for a fresh pick? Or... what about other two musicals? Cyrano might well be loved across the board or In the Heights might got that "saving honor" nomination here!
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