The year is halfway over, and even though there hasn’t been much released, it is time to start gearing up for award season. Here we will take you through who we believe is in the running for each of the major 6 awards.
Best Supporting Actress
Jacob: @MCDI_Jacob
- Allison Janney – Bad Education
- Many people are rightfully talking about how this is one of Hugh Jackman’s best performances because it is, but not many are talking about how Allison Janney is just as good in this movie. One mistake leads to her losing everything, and the moment she has to tell her family everything she has done was the most powerful moment of the movie. Sadly, this movie has the “HBO” logo stamped on it so it can’t be up for Oscar consideration, but Emmy’s here she comes.
Ricky: @rickyvalero_
- Catrinel Marlon – The Whistlers
- The Whistlers is led by a remarkable performance from Marlon who, at times, felt like the heartbeat of the film. Her femme-fatale character’s development was truly some of the best I’ve seen this year.
Best Supporting Actor
Jacob: @MCDI_Jacob
- Jonathan Majors – Da 5 Bloods
- After blowing onto the scene in 2019 with The Last Black Man in San Francisco, he brings the same level of acting chops here, in a much more nuanced way. He is a son looking for respect and love from his father, without ever really taking a second to know what his father has been through. He is given the chance to provide the most personal growth over the duration of the movie.
Ricky: @rickyvalero_
- Ben Mendelsohn – Babyteeth
- This performance was hard to watch. Being a parent is hard, making decisions that are in the best interest of your kids is hard as well. The factor surrounding that his daughter was seriously ill, his wife had a hard time keeping it together, Mendelsohn just knocked it out of the ballpark.
Best Actress
Jacob: @MCDI_Jacob
- Rachel McAdams – Eurovision
- Rachel McAdams in incredible here and truly shows how great of an actress she is. She is equal parts funny, and heartbreaking as she brings so much life to this movie. I know she doesn’t actually sing the songs, but she brings such a real performance to this Will Ferell comedy.
Ricky: @rickyvalero_
- Haley Bennett – Swallow
- Swallow was the Haley Bennett show. She gave us an emotionally riveting performance that truly transforms throughout each act. What seemed at first like a quirky random act turns into a broken person not sure how to process her emotions.
Best Actor
Jacob: @MCDI_Jacob
- Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods
- Lindo in Da 5 Bloods was nothing short of brilliance. He was resilient and masterful every time he was on the screen. Playing a veteran with PTSD, Lindo truly gets into the character in such a real way. His monologue alone should be his Oscar clip, every bit of it. You can’t kill Paul.
Ricky: @rickyvalero_
- Tie – Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods & Pete Davidson – The King of Staten Island
- I cheated here, I love Lindo and his performance was the heart and soul of Da 5 Bloods. BUTTTTTT so is Pete Davidson. So I will allow myself to pick both of these guys because I loved both of these performances.
Best Director
Jacob: @MCDI_Jacob
- Spike Lee – Da 5 Bloods
- Unmatched here. Spike’s ability to tie in so many different layers of subtext, while allowing his actors to truly drive the movie are both genius. When it comes to directing, this is Spike’s best.
Ricky: @rickyvalero_
- Judd Apatow – The King of Staten Island
- Apatow gives his best work to date. The maturity of the subject matter was raw, he delivered in a big way several times. The way the film was layered and his execution of the screenplay stands out.
Best Picture
Jacob: @MCDI_Jacob
- Da 5 Bloods
- The most incredible and beautiful work of the year so far. This manages to tell so many stories and get to a point where it feels like it is going to explode but doesn’t. It is up there with some of Spike Lee’s best work.
Ricky: @rickyvalero_
- The King of Staten Island
- The King of Staten Island is damn near perfect. The film provides the perfect combo of drama/comedy, the acting from all parties is remarkable, and the direction was top-notch. The movie felt important, it felt like a film that was made with a purpose, and for that, I love it.
Jacob is a film critic and co-founder of the Music City Drive-In. He is a member of the Music City Film Critics’ Association and specializes in the awards season. You can find him on Twitter @Tberry57.
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