It is time to talk about those films from the first half of the year that will be playing in the awards season that begins in August and will continue until March 12 with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards, the Oscar. It is important to remember that, for this ceremony, unlike the previous two, the competing films must be released in theaters for at least one week and in at least one of the key venues (Los Angeles, New York, Bay Area, Chicago, Miami or Atlanta). These are, in alphabetical order, ten films that the first half of the year leaves us and that have prize claims:
batman
The most recent iteration of The Dark Knight, at the hands of Matt Revés, left enough of a good taste in the mouth to be recovered in the season. It seems difficult for it to get a place in the main categories, but it does have possibilities in technical matters such as its soundtrack by Michael Giacchino, already nominated before for “Ratatouille” and “Up” (he also did the one for “Lightyear”).
Cha Cha Real Smooth, let’s dance!
Every year there is at least one independent film that stands out and wins an Oscar. “Cha Cha Real Smooth, let’s dance!” is one of those titles. It is part of AppleTV +, responsible for “CODA: Signals of the heart”, winner in the most recent ceremony. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the audience award. It has been described as a film that adequately portrays those in their twenties and features Dakota Johnson in one of the starring roles. Johnson was present the previous season thanks to “The Lost Daughter.”
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The first release of Marvel in theaters merited going to the cinema for its visual effects, a category in which it will most likely occupy a place. It is one of the most watched movies of the year and the question of the multiverses, let alone the action scenes, gave rise to many moments that could only be achieved thanks to them. On a similar note, “Jurassic World: Dominion” and “Everything Everywhere at the Same Time” could also be candidates.
Elvis
Baz Luhrman has unveiled an Elvis Presley biopic that has garnered attention for its production design and lead actor, Austin Butler. Premiered at the Cannes Festival where it was received with 8 minutes of applause, “Elvis” is listed as one of the most important biopics for the year. Its chances are above all in the categories that recognize the aforementioned aspects, but, if it is well received in the season, it could easily sneak into some of the main ones.
north man
Robert Eggers’ third film, after “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse”, arrived with great expectations. Although in terms of criticism he did not reach his predecessors, his production design (the closest to the reality of what the Vikings were like) and his photography by Jarin Blaschke are difficult to forget. It is very possible that it will be mentioned by them in the Oscar.
Lightyear
It’s no secret that Pixar is the studio with the most nominations and wins in the animated film category. Although “Lightyear” is one of his films with the worst reviews (without indicating that it is bad) and with a box office also down, it is still the work of the studio and heir to the legacy of “Toy Story”, and having enough narrative and technical merits. It is also, at the moment, the most controversial of its kind due to the lesbian scene that caused its theatrical release in some countries.
sea monster
Netflix came close to winning last year for Best Animated Feature thanks to “The Mitchells vs. the Machines.” This year “Sea Monster” is a good card for the category. It is a current film, which talks about history and how it depends on who writes it and also talks about how heroes can be fallible. The platform trusts it so much that it premiered it in theaters, formalizing its possibilities.
Net
While Pixar has “Lightyear” which had a regular release and comes with the goodwill surrounding “Toy Story”, “Red” was better received by critics. The film had a theatrical release and is very opportune discursively when talking about female empowerment and sorority. In addition to the animated film category, the film has the original theme “Nobody Like U”, another category in which Disney has a good record.
Everything everywhere at the same time
The film of the Daniel brothers has become one of the great successes of the year. It has drawn attention for its way of approaching the notorious concept of “multiverse”, but, even more, for the way in which it amalgamates different genres (pastiche, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, among others) to build a work that is also philosophical, in that rare balance reminiscent of the one that achieved “Matrix” at the time. The film has possibilities in highly relevant categories such as film, original screenplay and actress.
Top Gun: Maverick
There are those who mention it for the main category, which perhaps sounds a bit exaggerated, although we must bear in mind that it is one of the best-reviewed films with 97% on the Rotten Tomatoes metasite. Moreover, it is the highest-grossing film of the year and already one of the ten highest-grossing films in the history of cinema, and it is the film that brought tranquility back to the studios thanks to its success. With such success and notoriety, it is difficult to think that the film will go unnoticed, especially since all the attention it has received in the year will help people see the ceremony. Visual effects, editing and sound are seen as more viable categories.