Oscar 2024: the most notable surprises and absences among the candidates

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

Oppenheimer leads the field of nominees, with 13 nominations, and is likely to hold a ceremony at the Dolby Theater on March 10. The film and the director seem safe, as does Robert Downey Jr. as a supporting actor. Things don’t seem so simple for Cillian Murphy, with Paul Giamatti in command Those who remain winning as best leading actor at several award ceremonies.

poor creatures, by Yorgos Lanthimos, is almost on its heels, with 11. It is also present in all the important areas (film, direction, actress for Emma Stone, supporting actor for Mark Ruffalo, original screenplay, direction of photography, production design and costumes) . Willem Dafoe has been ruled out. He will win some.

One less application obtained The Moon Assassinsby Martin Scorsese, nominated for the tenth time (he won only once, for The infiltrators). But it doesn’t 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 acting nomination (here, cast), the one 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 has 8 candidates left and a couple of absences. Neither Greta Gerwig, for directing, nor Margot Robbie, as leading actress, were nominated by their colleagues (at the Oscars, directors nominate directors, performers, performers; everyone only votes for a single category in the nominations: best film).

Ken yes, Barbie no

Although it is nominated for Best Picture and also Adapted Screenplay, it is still curious that, being a feminist film, Barbie is not a nominee, and Ken is. The academics aligned themselves by nominating America Ferrera (the woman who acted with Barbie) as supporting actress.

The 10 nominees coincide with the nominees for the Producers Guild Awards and, for the first time, three of the best nominated films were directed by women: Past livesby Céline Song; Anatomy of a fall, by French director Justine Triet, also nominated for best director; AND Barbieby Gerwig.

Netflix earned the most nominations among all studios, with 18, but since the pandemic, the consensus is that theaters play a vital role in the release of films for the film industry.

But let’s go in parts.

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

The snow society It was among 5 competing for best international film, and added another nomination, for makeup and hairstyling.

Academics deprived television of Pedro Almodóvar’s candidacy, with his short film strange way to live, and its protagonists, Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal. If he had The wonderful story of Henry Sugarby Wes Anderson. Nor did the Michael J. Fox documentary make it into the best documentary category.

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

Most important absences?

Priscilla, All of us Rangers (We are all strangers), Origin AND Salt burner They did not receive any nominations. It also reduces the chances Those who remain that its director, Alexander Payne, and the edition are not among the candidates. Not even any of the actors May December (Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore or the emerging Charles Melton) will dress up on March 10 (unless invited).

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

I don’t know if the Sandra Hüller thing is surprising. German actress Tony Erdman is a candidate as the protagonist of Anatomy of a falland as a supporting actress for The area of ​​interest. Both performances are noteworthy, the strange thing is that the performers are so supportive of a foreign actress.

The truth is that, for the first time in many years, there are successful films competing as the best of the year. Follow Oppenheimer, will be the first to surpass $100 million in revenue in the United States to do so Argonby and with Ben Affleck, reached him in the 2013 edition.

And the fact that 8 out of 10 premiered at film festivals, from Cannes to Venice and Toronto, doesn’t happen every year. What were the two titles that did not go to the festivals and are among the 10 candidates? Two successes at the box office and critics, Oppenheimer AND Barbie.