Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) (1 Viewer)

[Alex...]

Everything Everywhere has swept

 

[Tino]

Everything Everywhere has swept

Almost. Michelle Yeoh didn’t win.

And I don’t think this win will really matter when it comes to Best Director or Best Picture. But who knows….

 

[Jake Lipson]

Michelle Yeoh didn’t win.

I haven't seen Tar yet, so I can't comment on Blanchett's performance. I missed it during its initial release and am hoping that nominations will prompt another expansion. If that doesn't happen after Oscar nominations come out, then I'll rent it. So I want to be very clear that what I'm about to say is not bashing on Cate Blanchett at all or intended to throw a performance I haven't seen under the bus.

But if somebody asked me to vote, and two nominees had both given excellent performances, I would tend to favor the one who hadn't already won as a decision rule. Blanchett is fantastic all the time and I'm sure she is wonderful in Tar. But she already has two Oscars. Michelle Yoeh was fantastic and doesn't have an Oscar yet. So I would probably vote for her if I had a vote. That's just my opinion.

 

[Joe Wong]

I haven't seen Tar yet, so I can't comment on Blanchett's performance. I missed it during its initial release and am hoping that nominations will prompt another expansion. If that doesn't happen after Oscar nominations come out, then I'll rent it. So I want to be very clear that what I'm about to say is not bashing on Cate Blanchett at all or intended to throw a performance I haven't seen under the bus.

But if somebody asked me to vote, and two nominees had both given excellent performances, I would tend to favor the one who hadn't already won as a decision rule. Blanchett is fantastic all the time and I'm sure she is wonderful in Tar. But she already has two Oscars. Michelle Yoeh was fantastic and doesn't have an Oscar yet. So I would probably vote for her if I had a vote. That's just my opinion.

I would agree with the idea. If the Oscars are supposed to be based on merit for a film released in the last calendar year, then if I was voting, and the 2 best performances had equal merit (or I couldn't decide which was better), then I would likely select the person who hadn't been honoured previously.

Like it or not, however, the Oscar voters have often selected the performance that they considered to be better. A recent example was Anthony Hopkins' win over Chad Boseman a couple of years ago. Many viewers and even the producers wanted Chad's name to be announced, which is why the last category to be awarded was switched to Best Actor, rather than Best Picture as per usual. But the switch fell flat when Hopkins' name was read out.

I haven't seen that Hopkins' performance yet, so I can't personally say whether they got it wrong or not. But despite Boseman seeming like the sentimental favourite to win, it was not to be.

In the case of Yeoh vs Blanchett, I haven't seen Tar yet. Nevertheless, I'm kind of torn between who I would want to see win. I think Blanchett is one of the greatest actors today (and I thought she should have won her first Oscar for Elizabeth back in 1998), and her winning a 3rd acting award would put her in rarefied company. Especially as she is a fellow Australian, and I take pride in that!

However, I have grown up watching Yeoh in movies since the mid-80s, and I would love to see her recognised given the struggles she has had in breaking through in Hollywood. And, as someone who was also born in Malaysia, I also take pride in that!

Final verdict: Given I haven't seen Tar, I'd love to see Michelle win. It would be a great story for actors of Asian background to win 2 acting Oscars on the same night (I'm assuming Ke Huy Quan will win for Best Supporting).

 

[Jake Lipson]

Like it or not, however, the Oscar voters have often selected the performance that they considered to be better.

And that is exactly what they should do because that is what the award is for. If voters think Cate Blanchett gave the best performance of the year in the category, they should vote for her.

Whether a person had won before or not would only enter into my decision-making process as a tie breaker of sorts if I felt the two performances were equal in quality and had no other way to choose.

 

[Wayne_j]

Cate Blanchett's performance was very good and more in line in what usually wins best actress. It is very hard to compare her performance with Michelle Yeoh's.

 

[Joe Wong]

Aside from pure merit considerations, here are the pluses (IMO) for Michelle Yeoh in the Oscar race:

* first-time nominee (not announced yet but very likely); also, see point #4 below
* Cate Blanchett has already won twice and been nominated 7 times
* lead in a frontrunner (for BP) film, EEAAO (I don't think Tar is a frontrunner for BP)
* long, respected career in both Asia and Hollywood, who's adept at drama, comedy, and action (check out her early Hong Kong films; there are even some who think she stole scenes in Police Story 3: Supercop from Jackie Chan and is the Supercop in the title!)
* late career resurgence - yes, she's been here and there in several productions since reaching a more global audience in Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but with recent roles in Crazy Rich Asians, Shang-Chi, Star Trek: Discovery, and now EEEAO, she's probably even more well-known worldwide than ever
* if she wins along with Fraser, Bassett and Quan, it would form a quartet of 4 first time Oscar winners who have received later career recognition from the Academy
* rightly or wrongly, it would help address some of the "representation" issues that Hollywood is often criticised for

 

[Robert Crawford]

Aside from pure merit considerations, here are the pluses (IMO) for Michelle Yeoh in the Oscar race:

* first-time nominee (not announced yet but very likely); also, see point #4 below
* Cate Blanchett has already won twice and been nominated 7 times
* lead in a frontrunner (for BP) film, EEAAO (I don't think Tar is a frontrunner for BP)
* long, respected career in both Asia and Hollywood, who's adept at drama, comedy, and action (check out her early Hong Kong films; there are even some who think she stole scenes in Police Story 3: Supercop from Jackie Chan and is the Supercop in the title!)
* late career resurgence - yes, she's been here and there in several productions since reaching a more global audience in Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but with recent roles in Crazy Rich Asians, Shang-Chi, Star Trek: Discovery, and now EEEAO, she's probably even more well-known worldwide than ever
* if she wins along with Fraser, Bassett and Quan, it would form a quartet of 4 first time Oscar winners who have received later career recognition from the Academy
* rightly or wrongly, it would help address some of the "representation" issues that Hollywood is often criticised for

Bassett has been nominated beforehand for What's Love Got to Do With It (Best Actress).

 

[Joe Wong]

Bassett has been nominated beforehand for What's Love Got to Do With It (Best Actress).

Correct - I was referring to recognition as an Oscar winner (if she wins). The thing is, the fact that she hasn't been nominated since that 1993 film is part of why I mentioned "later" career recognition (the lack of recognition by AMPAS since then is a travesty!).

 

[bujaki]

Hopkins blew the competition out of the water. A master class in acting. Boseman was good and a sentimental favorite because there would be no more performances from him. But Hopkins is clearly the kind of master actor Boseman would have become had he lived.
Hopkins got my imaginary vote.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Cate Blanchett's performance was very good and more in line in what usually wins best actress. It is very hard to compare her performance with Michelle Yeoh's.

You hit the nail on the head here with regard to award season. Voters have to pick one because there can be no winner if no one votes, but obviously the contenders were all required to do very different things for each of their films. Also, of course, everything is subjective. You could probably show these movies to different groups of voters and get different results and both choices would be valid. The whole point of award season, really, is to bring attention to these movies and the work done In them.

I'm sure that whoever wins will, and should, enjoy the moment. But a hypothetical win for Blanchett does not invalidate the work that Yoeh did, and vice versa. Hopkins winning doesn't lessen Boseman's work either. The only thing that happened there was the producers of the show were left looking like idiots for switching the order of the categories to manipulate an emotional viral moment that never happened. Awards season, in and of itself, is kind of performative.

 

[Josh Dial]

Aside from pure merit considerations, here are the pluses (IMO) for Michelle Yeoh in the Oscar race:

* first-time nominee (not announced yet but very likely); also, see point #4 below
* Cate Blanchett has already won twice and been nominated 7 times
* lead in a frontrunner (for BP) film, EEAAO (I don't think Tar is a frontrunner for BP)
* long, respected career in both Asia and Hollywood, who's adept at drama, comedy, and action (check out her early Hong Kong films; there are even some who think she stole scenes in Police Story 3: Supercop from Jackie Chan and is the Supercop in the title!)
* late career resurgence - yes, she's been here and there in several productions since reaching a more global audience in Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but with recent roles in Crazy Rich Asians, Shang-Chi, Star Trek: Discovery, and now EEEAO, she's probably even more well-known worldwide than ever
* if she wins along with Fraser, Bassett and Quan, it would form a quartet of 4 first time Oscar winners who have received later career recognition from the Academy
* rightly or wrongly, it would help address some of the "representation" issues that Hollywood is often criticised for

Good post.

For what it's worth, I think Tar is a front runner for best picture. Most of the think pieces I've read have put it a dead heat between Tar and Everything Everywhere.

My preference would be Everything Everywhere, which is my favourite movie of the last few years.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Remember, when we're talking about the Oscars, they have a weird preferential voting system. They want to find a film that is liked by the majority of the members, rather than a film that is loved by a small minority. So I think the bar is actually higher for EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE to win because there is certainly a segment of the Academy that will find it too weird and will put it near the bottom of their ballots.

 

[Joe Wong]

Good post.

For what it's worth, I think Tar is a front runner for best picture. Most of the think pieces I've read have put it a dead heat between Tar and Everything Everywhere.

My preference would be Everything Everywhere, which is my favourite movie of the last few years.

Based on what I've seen from various sites/observers, it seems the favourites are EEAAO, The Banshees from Innisherin, The Fabelmans, and even Top Gun: Maverick! Elvis and Tar are also often mentioned, along with Wakanda Forever and Avatar: TWoW.

As an example, industry mag Variety ranks Top Gun: Maverick as its #1 nomination! These are as of Jan 12, 2023, since they do move the rankings around based on sentiment/momentum and any awards won throughout awards season. Of course Variety is just one data point.

Oscars Predictions: Best Picture – A ‘Whale’ of Possibilities After PGA, DGA and SAG

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and…

variety.com

And The Predicted Nominees Are:
Rank	Film	Distributor	Producers
1	“Top Gun: Maverick”	Paramount Pictures	Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison
After thirty years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN’s elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.
2	“The Fabelmans”	Universal Pictures	Tony Kushner, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg
A semi-autobiography based on Spielberg’s own childhood growing up in post-war Arizona, from age seven to eighteen.
3	“The Banshees of Inisherin”	Searchlight Pictures	Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin, Martin McDonagh
Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
4	“Everything Everywhere All at Once”	A24	Daniel Kwan, Mike Larocca, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang
An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.
5	“Tár”	Focus Features	Todd Field, Scott Lambert, Alexandra Milchan
Set in the international world of classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár. widely considered one of the greatest living composer/conductors and first-ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra.
6	“Elvis”	Warner Bros.	Baz Luhrmann, Gail Berman, Catherine Martin, Patrick McCormick, Schuyler Weiss
The life of American music icon Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
7	“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”	Marvel Studios	Kevin Feige, Nate Moore
The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T’Challa.
8	“All Quiet on the Western Front”	Netflix	Daniel Marc Dreifuss, Malte Grunert
A young German soldier’s terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.
9	“The Whale”	A24	Jeremy Dawson, Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel
A reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.
10	“Living”	Sony Pictures Classics	Stephen Woolley, Elizabeth Karlsen
In 1950s London, a humorless civil servant decides to take time off work to experience life after receiving a grim diagnosis.
Next in Line
11	“Triangle of Sadness”	Neon	Philippe Bober, Erik Hemmendorff
12	“Avatar: The Way of Water”	20th Century Studios	James Cameron, Jon Landau
13	“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”	Netflix	Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman
14	“Babylon”	Paramount Pictures	Olivia Hamilton, Marc Platt, Matt Plouffe
15	“Women Talking”	MGM/United Artists Releasing	Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Frances McDormand
16	“RRR”	Variance Films	D.V.V. Danayya
17	“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinochhio”	Netflix	Guillermo del Toro, Lisa Henson, Alexander Bulkley, Corey Campodonico, Gary Ungar
18	“The Woman King”	Sony Pictures	Maria Bello, Viola Davis, Cathy Schulman, Julius Tennon
19	“Aftersun”	A24	Mark Ceryak, Amy Jackson, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski
20	“She Said”	Universal Pictures	Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner
Other Top-Tier Contenders
21	“Empire of Light”	Searchlight Pictures	Pippa Harris, Sam Mendes
22	“A Man Called Otto”	Sony Pictures	Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Rita Wilson, Fredrik Wikström Nicastro
23	“Thirteen Lives”	Amazon Studios/MGM	Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Karen Lunder, William M. Connor, P.J van Sandwijk, Gabrielle Tana
24	“The Menu”	Searchlight Pictures	Adam McKay, Betsy Koch
25	“Till”	Orion/United Artists Releasing	Keith Beauchamp, Barbara Broccoli, Frederick Zollo
26	“Bones and All”	MGM/United Artists Releasing	Luca Guadagnino, David Lajganich, Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Lorenzo Mieli, Marco Morabito, Gabriele Moratti, Theresa Park, Peter Spears
27	“Emancipation”	Apple Original Films	Todd Black, Joey McFarland, Jon Mone, Will Smith
28	“The Inspection”	A24	Chester Algernal Gordon, Effie Brown
29	“Devotion”	Sony Pictures	Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill, Molly Smith, Rachel Smith
30	“Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”	Searchlight Pictures	Debbie Gray, Adrian Politowski

 

[Joe Wong]

As a follow-up to the Variety predictions, and keeping it related to EEAAO, it's interesting that Variety thinks the Daniels (currently) are not going to be nom'd for Best Director!

Oscars Predictions: Best Director – Will Women Filmmakers Find Any Love from the Branch?

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and…

variety.com

 

[jayembee]

* long, respected career in both Asia and Hollywood, who's adept at drama, comedy, and action (check out her early Hong Kong films; there are even some who think she stole scenes in Police Story 3: Supercop from Jackie Chan and is the Supercop in the title!)

Well, of course. That's why the spin-off sequel, Project S, with her character from Police Story 3, is sometimes billed as "Supercop 2".

 

[Joe Wong]

One more... while it seems like the attention (and accolades) have deservedly been on Yeoh and Quan, there is also some pushing for Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephani Hsu for Best Supporting Actress. Jamie Lee seems to be a bit more favoured over Stephanie at this point.

I thought both were great in EEAAO, but I think Stephanie had the more challenging role to play and had to go through so many emotions.

 

[Joe Wong]

Well, of course. That's why the spin-off sequel, Project S, with her character from Police Story 3, is sometimes billed as "Supercop 2".

With a Jackie Chan cameo!

I love the marketing tactics used to get people to watch. Not sure if the "Supercop 2" addition was used to denote that Yeoh is the Supercop from Police Story 3 or if it's to make people think it's a sequel to the previous Jackie Chan film with Supercop in the title. One of the posters for Project S features Jackie Chan front and centre!

And then these are the DVD covers (Region 1, I believe) for Supercop and Supercop 2. Looks kinda similar.

 

[Jake Lipson]

it's interesting that Variety thinks the Daniels (currently) are not going to be nom'd for Best Director!

The Academy has created a situation where there will always be Best Picture nominees whose director is not also nominated.

There are going to be ten nominations for Best Picture this year. We know this because they are going back to ten as a fixed number, rather than the sliding scale of anywhere from five to ten for the last several years (which usually seemed to generate eight or nine most years anyway.). However, there are only five nominees for Best Director in any given year. Therefore, it is literally impossible for every film with a Best Picture nomination to also receive a Best Director nomination. And yet every year when this happens there are stories that spring up about how the author of the piece doesn't understand how this could happen.

Most of the time, the winning Best Picture film also has at least a Director nomination. CODA, GREEN BOOK and ARGO are recent exceptions that prove the rule. You can normally tell what the "real" Best Picture nominees are based on the corresponding Director nominations.

Given the high degree of correlation between the two awards, I think that the Academy should expand the number of nominees in Best Director to ten in order to match the number of Best Picture nominees. This does not mean that all Best Picture nominees would automatically result in a Director nomination as well. But at least there would be enough slots for the directors of all the Best Picture films to be nominated if the directors branch wished to recognize them. This will also make it harder to tell which Best Picture nominees are "filler," if the directors are also recognized.

I do not expect them to make this change, but until they do, half of the Best Picture nominees will not have their director recognized because there is not enough space to do so. Unfortunately, that's just how the Academy's flawed math works.

 

[Tino]

There are going to be ten nominations for Best Picture this year.

I hate this. It should go back to 5. Imo it dilutes the prestige of the award.