HOLLYWOOD—If you were to ask me two weeks ago, who might be the biggest contender for Awards Season, I had my money on “Emilia Perez.” The buzz around the movie had been continuing to grow for the movie, not to mention it just dominated the Oscar nominations with a total of 13 including Best Picture.
Well it doesn’t take long for an Oscar campaign to torpedo, as that scandal involving “Emilia Perez” star Karla Sofia Gascon and her previous tweets resurfaced and the movie’s dreams of making history feels nearly impossible. I have never seen a movie with such potential promise, just crash and burn so quickly. Gascon who made history as the first transgender person to be nominated for an Oscar, has been phased out of the film’s marketing campaign for awards season, and her chance of winning Best Actress have all but vanished into thin air. I still don’t think she ever had a chance, this is Demi Moore’s year, I’m sorry, it just is.
However, her colleagues, Zoe Saldana who is up for Best Supporting Actress could have those dreams of Oscar dashed, if members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences choose NOT to see the movie because of the controversy. Also in series danger is the film’s director Jacques Audiard who was considered the front-runner, but that all changed after the Producers Guild of America and Director’s Guild of America awarded, “Anora” with the Best Picture trophy. That same night, “Anora’s” director Sean Baker was heralded the victor by the Director’s Guild of America for his work on the movie.
Yeah, in one night, “Anora” which has gone without many accolades all awards season is looking like a frontrunner for the Best Picture Oscar and Best Director. Now I will admit I can see Baker wining for Best Director, but I don’t know about Best Picture yet. I will hold out on making a decisive victor until after the Screen Actors Guild Awards crowns its winners on February 22.
The movie did pick up a Best Picture victory at the Critic’s Choice Awards on Friday night, but I hold no stake in the Critic’s Choice Awards. Critics love to think they have their pulse on what the actual awards shows that matter will do, and they don’t. That awards show just started gaining some traction in like the last seven or eight years. Before that it wasn’t even televised and if it was not many people were watching.
So “Anora” definitely has the momentum as we near the BAFTA and SAG awards that will absolutely give us a sign of “Anora’s” strengths and weaknesses. However, remember, Oscar always loves to deliver a shock or two, so you can predict all you want, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be right because at the end of the day it is indeed a popularity contest, which I have learned with age.
