Now with BAFTA and BFCA victories, the stage seems set for a victory. The fact that “Avatar” and “Hugo” have won this category in recent years for 3D marvels suggests that second nomination (he earned his first nod four years ago for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) will prove lucky for this Chilean, especially given that “gorgeous” seems to be a word applied even more frequently to this film than those. And however much of that was due to the visual effects team, it couldn”t have worked without Claudio Miranda”s photography. Let”s not beat around the bush – “Life of Pi” was a visual marvel that left even detractors saying “wow” with respect to its visuals. Last year’s winner for “Hugo” will be able to simply enjoy the show this time around. And while I doubt the Academy at large cares, the precursor omissions give me further pause. But if I had to bet, it was likely number nine of nine. I”d consider this Western (or “Southern” according to many of the filmmakers) to be a greater threat for the win if I felt it was firmly in the hunt for the Best Picture win. I didn”t think there”d be a perfect match with ASC and BAFTA but I had Fraser instead of McGarvey. I was predicting Richardson until the day before the nominations were announced, when I swapped him out for “Les Misérables””s Danny Cohen. He is the only American born-and-raised DP in the final five. Three-time winner Robert Richardson snuck in after all for “Django Unchained” regardless of ASC and BAFTA snubs. If the category goes for a non-Best Picture nominee, there seems a far more plausible choice. The film isn”t loved enough, nor do people necessarily come out wowed by the cinematography, especially when compared to the production design and the costumes. I loved the look of this feature and while I”m not convinced the lensing was as difficult a feat as some non-nominees, I”m quite happy for McGarvey. “Anna Karenina” marks the second time, after “Atonement,” that he has earned an Oscar nomination for a Wright film. Northern Ireland native Seamus McGarvey has been working with Joe Wright for two decades, starting when Wright was making only short films. But I can”t imagine “Prometheus” without his distinctive look. Finally, Dariusz Wolski”s continuously superb work continues to be left behind, likely because it is so genre-heavy. Let”s start with Mihai Malaimare Jr’s gorgeous 65mm lensing of “The Master.” Following him closely is the continually self-improving Aussie Greig Fraser, who was responsible for “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “Killing Them Softly,” but his work in the climax alone of “Zero Dark Thirty” could have secured a nod. But this branch failed to nominate any new nominees for the first time since 1976! This left three contenders I sorely desired to see in the final five on the outside looking in. Interestingly, these five exceptionally talented gentleman originally hail from five different countries – Northern Ireland, Chile, Poland, England and, yes, the United States. History, both recent and more historic, strongly points to what nominee will win, notwithstanding my sincere wish for an upset. This left Danny Cohen of “Les Misérables” as the most obvious “snub.” But some major critical favorites have every reason to feel shafted after outstanding critical notices for films that earned multiple nominations. The ASC and BAFTA cited the same five films this year, and AMPAS followed by nominating four of them. Sure sounds like a group of Academy Award nominees for Best Cinematography! A Presidential biopic in 19th Century America. A historical epic in 19th Century America. A historical epic in 19th Century Russia. A new installment will hit every weekday in the run-up to the Oscars on February 24, with the Best Picture finale on Friday, February 22.)Ī modern epic on the Pacific Ocean. (Welcome to the Oscar Guide, your chaperone through the Academy”s 24 categories awarding excellence in film.
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