©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection
With final Oscar voting coming to a close on March 7, we’re continuing our sixth annual series of interviews with Academy voters from various branches for their unfiltered views on what was chosen, overlooked and overrated during the 2023 awards season. The Interview has been edited for brevity.
Overall, this year was weak. The Academy Portal helps. For the international films, I had to watch eight films and another 15 to vote. It’s much easier to do this from the comfort of your own home if you don’t live next door to the Academy.
Best picture
I switch back and forth between ‘TÁR’ and ‘Women Talking’ with ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ a close third. “Women Talking” may go to the top because it has less chance than “TÁR”.
“LIBRARY.” I liked that it was reversed: not just men behaving badly, but women behaving badly too. That scene at Juilliard is brilliant, you knew it was going to catch up. I liked it very much. It falls apart a bit at the end.
“Women Speak” it was great, cleverly done, to do all that in this room, virtually, and hold attention. The mise-en-scène was good and the performances were amazing. That real dilemma of stay or go: you were kept under duress. Sarah Polley did a great job.
“Everything everywhere and at once” was the second movie i saw in a cinema after covid, great place to watch. Really inventive, goofy and brilliant, I loved that. Crazy Disney ride. The humor, performances, and design took you to places you’ve never been.
“Fabelman”: I know he talks to a lot of people. Some believe that Steven Spielberg didn’t get his Oscar due. This is a personal story; here he spills his guts and should be rewarded. I liked it, but it’s not one of the best movies.
“Banshee of Inisherin”: I’m so mean, I couldn’t get past the borderline numbers, I couldn’t go beyond it, I couldn’t make sense of it.
“Top Gun: Maverick.” Honestly, they spent all that money on fancy pyrotechnics and stunts, but this is the worst scenario known to mankind, so lame. He had no sense of humor. Self-mockery was completely absent. I thought it would be fun, but I got annoyed when they suddenly found a plane that could miraculously start flying!
“Avatar: The Path of Water”
©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy of the Everett Collection
“Avatar: The Way of Water.” I watched it in a movie theater with 3D glasses. It was amazing, the vision was amazing. They spent money on these things. The script? How many years of work and they couldn’t come up with a better script? I was disappointed. But the film was an extraordinary, completely visceral experience.
“Triangle of sadness”. It’s such a weird movie. “Force Majeure” was brilliant, “The Square” not so much – it had its moments. I went into it thinking it was a statement about society, the haves and the have-nots, greed. But it just went on and on. I lost interest, everyone was horrible and misbehaved. The ending: “And what’s the point?” It started out as a comedy, but ended up not feeling like one.
“All Quiet on the Western Front.” It was well done. Beautifully shot. The original said it all. Not sure about the point of this remake. The German point of view seemed false to me. It didn’t engage me. I appreciated it. Surprised when I made it to the final lists. I didn’t think it was so much galvanizing.
“Elvis.” The movie was a struggle between Colonel Parker’s story and Elvis’ story. When I read it afterwards, I wished Parker’s story had more explanation. Austin [Butler] it was great. In the end, they chose to show nothing of the bloated Elvis that was so much who he had become and told all about his deterioration. Keeping him nice and skinny all the way missed the point.
Argentina 1985 starring Ricardo Darin and Peter Lanzani
© Amazon/Courtesy of Everett Collection
International feature film
I would choose “Argentina 1985”, a fascinating story based on a part of history I didn’t know about. It was well recreated. “EO” the Polish movie is great. I liked “Up Close”, it gets a lot of publicity. “The Quiet Girl” is soapy, not up to par with the ones I liked.
Costume design
To me, the sign of a really good movie is when you don’t notice the costume design. If it’s successful, it shouldn’t grab your attention too much. I voted for “Everything”: very creative and witty, both ordinary everyday constants and fantastic costumes. The costumes in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever were the best things about this movie. Ruth Carter is a genius, but she’s already won. I would like someone else to try. Catherine Martin’s Elvis costumes were great, well researched. The problem I had with this movie: it recreated famous costumes that she did beautifully. “Elvis” seemed like a shoo-in. I wanted to give support to Everywhere.
Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, winners of the award for Outstanding Director’s Achievement in a Theatrical Feature for Everything Everywhere at Once
Getty Images
Director
“TÁR”, Todd Field and the two Daniels. I’m not sure who I’d put first. Probably the two Daniels. They are less likely to get the recognition they deserve.
an actress
Definitely Cate Blanchett. Her performance was incredible. Riveting. And her clothes were so divine. Andrea Riseborough was nominated because the actors pressured her. Why weren’t more black actresses nominated? If you had a group pushing Riseborough, it gets complicated. I don’t mind, but how she got it and how it taints the whole situation is problematic if black actors aren’t nominated. Suddenly, the entire Academy is to blame. If they go genderless, I’ll have to resign.
an actor
“To Live” was sad and sentimental. Bill Nighy’s performance was so great that I was moved by the fact that someone could go through that kind of change. It was beautifully done. The supporting cast was great. It was a dig at another time where there was still hope. I have to go with Bill Nighy. But Paul Mezcal is in second place [for “Aftersun”]. He was excellent. “The Whale” is an amazing, moving piece, but I would prefer it as a play. I was very confused about the fat suit, how they made it and where it joined. On the big screen, you get more carried away by these things than you would in a theater.
Kerry Condon in INISHERIN’S BANSHEET. Photo by Jonathan Hession. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All rights reserved.
Jonathan Hession
Supporting actress
“Banshees of Inisherin”: Kerry Condon was good in a somewhat thankless role. Hong Chau [“The Whale”] was also very good. Hard choice between the two.
Supporting actor
Judd Hirsch on screen for two minutes [in “The Fabelmans”]. Sure, he’s great, but really! Brian Tyree Henry was fantastic in Causeway, which was not sold: It moves and it’s real. I love him in Atlanta.
Adapted screenplay
You have to vote for Sarah Polley on Women Speak Out. We need to get some women in there. I haven’t read the original book. I probably do it more for the feminist cause than the brilliance of the writing. [Polley] did a great job. Ish [Kazuo Ishiguro] will be in second place. “Life” was beautifully done.
Original screenplay
I switch between “TÁR” and “All”. Perhaps “TÁR” has a slight edge. Both are incredibly original. It’s a pleasure.
Cinematography
“TÁR” again. I didn’t like Bardot, but it was beautifully shot. “Empire of Light” also had some beauty, but was ultimately disappointing. All that talent gone to waste.
Editing
“Everything” I could vote for. Watched some of it today, wanted to hear the David Byrne song, I’d give it to “Everything,” with “TÁR” close behind.
Makeup and hair
“The Whale” was extraordinary.
Production design
I didn’t like Babylon. It felt so inauthentic. Margot Robbie would never have hair like that. I’d give it to Avatar: The Last Airbender, which operated on a completely different scale. It’s done digitally. It was fantastic. Or “Elvis”, which also looked great: a different design technique.
Original score
I’ll vote for “The Banshees”. That was beautiful.
Song
“Naatu Naatu” is a fantastic dance number, not so much the actual song. We started watching “RRR.” I’ll get back to it. I loved David Byrne’s song for “Everything Everywhere”. I have not decided. Those two would be the best.
VFX
“Avatar: The Path of Water”
“Marcel the Shell with Shoes”
A24
Animated feature
I was disappointed with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. I liked “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.”
Documentary
It’s a good year for documentaries. This is the most mysterious branch, how could they not vote “Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah”? It is a good movie that tells the story of talented private artists. The trend is that the best documentary should be about something life-changing. Why can’t it be fun?
Navalny is great. I didn’t want to see him because I thought it would be too depressing, but he’s so charming and witty. It’s such a good tragic story, knowing that he’s still locked up and treated horribly.
All Beauty and Bloodshed is also great, it was a fascinating story of Nan Goldin, her trajectory from screwed up childhood to drug addict to artist to activist. She changed the way museums thought about the Sackler. That was extremely impressive. I am compelled by it. “The Fire of Love” was extraordinary and touching. You know they’re going to die. The passion they had and the compulsion they had was doomed!
“All that Breathes” and “A House Made of Splinters” were also captivating and moving. The heroism of the people in these environmental war zones is unimaginable. It’s a toss up between All Beauty and Navalny.
“The Pupils”
Disney+
Live Action Short
“Le Pupille” is an amazing, big production. These shorts keep getting more advanced. I thought they were entry level for people to make films and get discovered. This is a massive Disney+ production. I’m a little dubious about the direction these shorts are going, it seems a little unfair.
Animated short
“My Year of Dicks” is charming. and real. It felt less shiny.
Short documentary film
The Martha Mitchell Effect is a fascinating story. I did not know how much she had been slandered and suffered. It’s a classic story about women being overlooked. And she created her own downfall: it’s a two-way street. And “The Elephant Whisperers” is touching. The idea that these people are so committed to the welfare and conservation of the animals and are willing to sacrifice their lives for it, the relationship between the two caretakers and the elephants, seeing them in the wild and their relationship with their caretakers. If it can help elephant conservation, that’s good.