Best Picture Nominees: A Star is Born


Eight films have been nominated for Best Picture this year. I will be taking a look at each of the nominees leading up to the big awards on February 24.

A Star is Born
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, and Sam Elliott
Directed By: Bradley Cooper
Total Nominations: 8
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actor (Cooper), Best Actress (Gaga), Best Supporting Actor (Elliott), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song ("Shallow"), Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography
About: And now we come to my favorite of the eight nominated films. I loved this movie, and its powerful performances, production and soundtrack. I think it was one of the best films of the year, too, and it's rightly been nominated many times over the course of awards season. Heading into the Golden Globes I thought it was a favorite. AND THEN, it didn't really win much. And that's when I realized that despite how much I like it (or maybe because of it given my track record) it is not likely to go home with a bunch of awards. I could be wrong, but I do not believe it will win Best Picture. The same goes for the acting awards. I loved all three performances, but all seem to be long shots at this point. Cooper was incredible, but Rami Malek and Christian Bale are more likely to capture the award. Elliott is a great actor who does a lot in a smaller role, but I think Mahershala Ali is more likely to take the category. The best chance in this group of actors is probably Gaga. I thought what she did was great, and she gave my favorite performance in the category. However, Glenn Close and Olivia Coleman seem to be the front runners. It has a chance in the Adapted Screenplay category, being one of only two Best Picture nominees in the category. Its stiffest competition comes from "BlacKkKlansman" and "If Beale Street Could Talk." The same goes with the sound mixing, where is could win but isn't a favorite, and cinematography. So where does that leave "A Star is Born?" Will it go home empty handed? I don't think so. There is one place where I think the film is a lock, and that's in the Best Original Song category, where "Shallow" should certainly capture the award. I think the film will win at least one Academy Award, but that could well be its total haul. It was a great film, and I enjoyed it a lot. I'd love to see it win a number of awards, but I just don't think it's in the cards. However it is released on Blu-Ray Tuesday, and if you haven't seen it you certainly should!
Rating: R for language throughout, some sexuality/nudity and substance abuse.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

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