Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!: Joaquin Phoenix

Showing posts with label Joaquin Phoenix. Show all posts

5/06/2025

The Immigrant (2013) - Cotillard scintillates in Gray's classical New-York storytelling

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Three mysteriously looking stars veiled in seriousness adorn this poster for James Gray's The Immigrant

Ewa and her sister arrive to the US from Poland in 1921 but are split up on Ellis Island, and Ewa winds up with a dubious man, hidden from the watchful eye of the law.

The Immigrant is written by Ric Menello (Tougher Than Leather (1988)) and co-writer/co-producer/director James Gray (Little Odessa (1994)).

Gray again here shows his gift as a sublime storyteller with a classical film and a story that could have been told 80 years ago as well. The Immigrant has beautiful cinematography (by Darius Khondji (Okja (2017))), production design and costumes. Fine performances from Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)) and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker (2008)), - but it is Marion Cotillard (The Dark Knight Rises (2012)) who once again astounds the viewer with a fully authentic turn as the Polish Ewa, a cowed but not beaten woman, who fights for her sister and her own life.

The Immigrant may seem only distantly relevant to some. For me it was a pure pleasure.

James Gray: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

The Lost City of Z (2016) - Gray's grand, adventurous Amazonia epic

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 16 mil. $

Box office: 5.9 mil. $

= Mega-flop (returned 0.36 times its cost)

[The Immigrant premiered 24 May (Cannes Film Festival, main competition) and runs 117 minutes. Gray based the story mainly on recollections from his own grandparents. Shooting took place from January - March 2012 in New York. When the film's investors sold the distribution rights to The Weinstein Company, against Gray's wishes, and when Harvey Weinstein demanded a different ending, which Gray refused to give him, the distribution was left in shambles, with the film only getting a very small and unsupported release in North America. The film opened #47 to a 44k $ first weekend in 3 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #18 and in 150 theaters, grossing 2 mil. $ (33.9 % of the total gross). The biggest market for the film was France with 2.2 mil. $ (37.3 %), with North America 2nd biggest and Spain 3rd with 464k $ (7.9 %). The film lost the Palme d'Or to Blue Is the Warmest Color. It was also nominated for 2 Independent Spirit awards, among other honors. Gray returned with The Red Road (2014, TV-series) and a Chanel commercial prior to his theatrical return with The Lost City of Z (2016). Cotillard returned in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013); Renner in American Hustle (2013); and Phoenix in Her (2013). The Immigrant is certified fresh at 86 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Immigrant?

2/25/2025

Inherent Vice (2014) - Anderson turns in his career's first dud

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A psychedelic reproduction of star Joaquin Phoenix with a characteristic stoner look in rainbow colors make up most of this poster for Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice

A hairy, uncool private investigator in 1970s Los Angeles gets a new, bewildering case, when his ex-girlfriend appears and sets his attention on the story of a disappeared real estate broker.

Inherent Vice is written, co-produced and directed by Californian master filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (Hard Eight (1996)), whose 7th feature it is. It is an adaptation of the same-titled 2009 novel by Thomas Pynchon (V. (1963)).

The driving narrative of the missing realtor never hooks us, and Inherent Vice looks and feels like an auteur who is verliebt in a time and a place, (1970s LA, where Anderson also set his Boogie Nights (1997)), but the result is never as fun, dramatic nor anything approaching exciting as it was supposed to be. Technically the film is beautiful, with a cool back alley cat attitude, which clashes with Joaquin Phoenix (Her (2013)) booby performance in the lead role, providing moments of measured mirth. This while a parade of stars come and go before the master's camera. Anderson with Inherent Vice is beating on an empty drum in an overlong running time to boot. It is a deadly bore.

The Master (2012) - Anderson's stunning post-war reflection

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Punch-Drunk Love (2002) - Sandler breaks out of his routine in Anderson's delightful romcom

1997 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Boogie Nights (1997) - Anderson's irresistible porn 'Casino'

1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Hard Eight (1996) - Anderson debuts with downbeat crime drama

Watch a trailer for the movie here

Cost: 20 mil. $

Box office: 14.8 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.74 times its cost)

[Inherent Vice premiered 4 October (New York Film Festival) and runs 149 minutes. Shooting took place from May - August 2013 in California, including in Los Angeles, and in Las Vegas, Nevada. The film opened #20 to a 328k $ first weekend in 5 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #11 and in 653 theaters (different weeks), grossing 8.1 mil. $ (54.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 1.1 mil. $ (7.4 %) and Italy with 707k $ (4.8 %). The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Adapted Screenplay, lost to Graham Moore for The Imitation Game, and Costume Design, lost to The Grand Budapest Hotel. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe, won an Independent Spirit award and 2 National Board of Review awards, among many others. Anderson returned with 8 music videos and a documentary prior to his theatrical return with Phantom Thread (2017). Phoenix returned in Irrational Man (2015). Inherent Vice is fresh at 74 % with a 7.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Inherent Vice?

2/18/2025

It's All About Love (2003) - Young turk Vinterberg returns with Hindenburg-like disaster

[ZERO]

Steamy 'amour' in a pitch black and stylized space are teased on this poster for Thomas Vinterberg's It's All About Love

In the year 2021, John lands in New York, where people perish of poor hearts on a daily basis and are simply left in the streets. He goes there to finish his divorce from his celebrated, rich figure skating wife. The two still seem to love each other.

It's All About Love is written and directed by Danish master filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg (Sneblind (1990)), whose 4th film it is. Mogens Rukov (The Inheritance/Arven (2003)) contributed to the script.

More elements of the plot in It's All About Love: The figure skater has been cloned. Both her and her husband come from Poland. In Kenya people float. And Sean Penn (Hurlyburly (1998)) flies around (in airplanes) and philosophizes about life. There is a theme of snails and laboriously photographed scenes with many actors, who speak but say nothing. The close relationship at the heart of the film is suddenly disturbed by some Bergmanesque shouting arguments - and violence.

Everything rings false and seems static, fatally boring and utterly, horribly self-indulgent and pretentious, as if this was the grand, uncontrolled epic creation of a 17 year-old art cinema student. Joaquin Phoenix (Ladder 49 (2004)) and Claire Danes (The Flock (2007)) turn in jolting efforts, but they cannot change the fact that this if one of the most disastrous follow-ups to a global breakout success (Vinterberg's Dogme masterpiece sensation The Celebration/Festen (1998)) by a newly minted, celebrated filmmaker. Outrageously overrated locally (in Denmark's infamously self-congratulatory and nepotistic film and media industry), It's All About Love is a pure blood catastrophe.

Thomas Vinterberg: 2020 in films - according to Film Excess

Another Round/Druk (2020) - A perfect gem, a wonderful film, Vinterberg's true celebration

Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) - Vinterberg's plush but grating English adaptation

The Hunt/Jagten (2012) - Vinterberg's strongest film since 1998 is a reversed Celebration

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Submarino (2010) - Vinterberg's elegant, downbeat Copenhagen-set social realism drama
Dear Wendy (2004) - Vinterberg and Von Trier's unpopular, gun-themed mega-flop

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

The Celebration/Festen (1998) - Vinterberg's charged, stirring Dogme drama masterpiece

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 10 mil. $

Box office: 1 mil. $

= Box office disaster (returned 0.1 times its cost)

[It's All About Love was released 10 January (Denmark) and runs 106 minutes. Vinterberg reportedly spent 2½ years writing the script. A stunning 23 companies and support bodies collaborated in the financing and production of the film. Shooting took place in Italy, Paris, France, Kenya, Sweden, Vancouver, British Columbia, New York, Copenhagen, Denmark, England and in Oslo, Norway. The film opened #110 to a 2k $ first weekend in 2 theaters in North America, its peak there where it grossed just 6k $ (0.006 % of the total gross). The film's biggest markets were its home market Denmark, where it sold 50k tickets, grossing 530k $ (53 %), Greece with 149k $ (14.9 %) and France with 123k $ (12.3 %). The film won 3 Robert awards, Denmark's Oscar. Vinterberg returned with Dear Wendy (2005). Phoenix returned with a voice performance in Brother Bear (2003) and a physical performance in The Village (2004); Danes in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). It's All About Love is rotten at 19 % with a 3.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of It's All About Love?

12/09/2023

Napoleon (2023) - Scott's best in many years, a thumping epic

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A wild scene of fierce battle makes up the striking motif in this poster for Ridley Scott's Napoleon

Corsican army officer Napoleon Bonaparte rises in the years following the French revolution of 1788, by 1804 becoming Emperor of France. His countless military battles around Europe and beyond it and his passionate but childless marriage to empress Joséphine define the man.

Napoleon is written by David Scarpa (All the Money in the World (2017)), based on the real historical figure, and directed by English master filmmaker, co-producer/director Ridley Scott (The Duelists (1977)), whose 28th feature it is.

Opening with a brutal, vivid rendering of the execution of Marie Antoinette, France's last queen, Scott intentionally throws his audience immediately into a fantastic, adventurous depiction of a severely different time and place than the common day, - anywhere that it may be lived on this earth. Napoleon springs along without wasting time, to various countries and battles, with a narrative anchor in the central love story, which is never shown with present-day affinities but rather with unflattering, somewhat theatrical, perhaps honest insight into the actual marriage. Co-producer/star Joaquin Phoenix (Irrational Man (2015)) is the man to lift such a bombastic mega-ego commander on the big screen and gives a memorable performance, and Vanessa Kirby (Kill Command (2016)) is very good as Joséphine, although the character is invariably reactive in nature: He conquers; she largely home-sits. And fails to get pregnant, which was her main job. The importance of this ultimate failure is dealt with seriously, and is part of the film's incredible allure.

Helping to build the bulky, striding picture are also incredible costumes, locations and battle scenes, - the Austerlitz battle is especially captivating, but there are striking images and a very engaging sense of primal, boyishly gleeful but of course deadly serious 'war' about all the battles in Napoleon. Dariusz Wolski's (War Machine (2017)) cinematography is wonderfully free of the now so often seen soaring drone shots that reveal a mass of CGI-created details. This film's digital effects are never glaring; and the achieved realism helps transport us to this far-away time and place. Martin Phipps (Black Mirror (2011-16)) relishes the film with strong musical choices, classical and some more idiosyncratic, but all apt and commendable. The film also has some noteworthy supporting actors; Paul Rhys (Borgia (2013-14)) as the French foreign minister is fantastic, and so is Rupert Everett (Muse (2019)) as the Duke of Wellington. The film is a deft display of Scott's unsentimental knack for bravado storytelling, entertaining the masses and telling a great story at the same time. This French legend strikes one as very French here, while the sub-level humor and brazen, unadorned form is very English.

House of Gucci (2021) - Gaga slays as Patrizia Reggiani

The Martian (2015) - Scott and Damon triumph with hopeful sci-fi adventure

Prometheus (2012) or, Even Then, Space Eggs Were Bad News
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Robin Hood (2010) - R. Scott's grand film of the English legend

2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2008 in films - according to Film Excess

Body of Lies (2008) - R. Scott's terror actioner is a fatiguing turkey

2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2007 in films - according to Film Excess

American Gangster (2007) - Great American - now black - gangster picture
A Good Year (2006) - Ridley Scott likes Provence

Matchstick Men (2003) - Great Cage job highlights entertaining Scott crime dramedy

Hannibal (2001) - Grisly highlights in low-yielding Scott sequel

2000 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Gladiator (2000) - Experience the grandeur of the Roman Empire in Scott's dramatic masterpiece

G.I. Jane (1997) or, The Amazing Seal Woman!

Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Blade Runner (1982) director's cut - Visual extravaganza, great SF

Top 10: Best future-set movies

Top 10: Best Twentieth Century Fox titles

Top 10: Best first-of-franchise movies
Alien (1979) or, Space Eggs Are Bad News

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 200 mil. $

Box office: 140.1 mil. $ and counting

= Too early to say

[Napoleon premiered 14 November (Paris) and runs 157 minutes. Shooting took place from February - May 2022 in England, Paris, France, Morocco and in Malta. The film opened #2, behind The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, to a 32.7 mil. $ first (5-day) weekend, falling out of the top 5 in its 2nd weekend in North America. Together with Martin Scorsese's The Killers of the Flower Moon, it is the first major theatrical picture from Apple Studios, who will also base the two films' success criteria on their performance on their streaming service as well as at the 2024 Oscars. The film has been criticized for a long list of historical inaccuracies/creative inventions; Scott has told the critical historians to "shut the fuck up". He has also stated that he hopes to later release a 4 hour 10 minutes long director's cut version of the film with more about Joséphine. Scott returns with Gladiator 2 (2024). Phoenix returns in Polaris (2024). Napoleon is rotten at 58 % with a 6.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Napoleon?

12/27/2022

Her (2013) - Jonze's disheartening hipster sci-fi romance

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Star Joaquin Phoenix's giant face with hipster mustache and a red shirt against a pink background makes up this simple poster for Spike Jonze's Her

In the near future, urbanite Theodore works his way towards finalizing his divorce, while he falls in love with an OS (an artificial intelligence operative system) by the name Samantha.

Her is written, co-produced and directed by New-Yorker master filmmaker Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich (1999)), whose 4th feature it is.

Joaquin Phoenix (Signs (2002)) impresses again in a very intimate and sympathetic performance here; and Scarlett Johansson (Ghost in the Shell (2017)) is also outstanding in an unusually strong voice performance as Samantha. Chris Pratt (Passengers (2016)), Olivia Wilde (Life Itself (2018)) and Rooney Mara (Una (2016)) are fine, but it is especially Amy Adams (Lullaby (2014)) that one comes to care about here, although I enjoyed Phoenix and Adams as a couple more in Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master (2012).

Her relies on a distinctive and interesting story, which nevertheless has sides to it that bother me: Firstly it is, and continues to be, freaky to fall in love with a computer's voice, (even if Johansson does that voice.) The film shows friendship and romantic relationships incisively, - their weaknesses, frailties and misunderstandings especially, - which is implicitly why people in this really quite disheartening future turn away from each other. Jonze's version of the future is a well-dressed, smoothie-drinking, conflict-averse construction, - a hipster dream/nightmare, which seems incomplete to me: too slick and attractive. And the perspectives in previous Jonze films (his debut Being John Malkovich for one) simply reach farther.

Spike Jonze: The day after ... The Oscars 2014

Top 10: Best films about filmmaking

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Adaptation (2002) or, Charlie Kaufman's Fictional Life

1999 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Top 10: Best fantasy movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Being John Malkovich (1999) - Jonze, Kaufman and Malkovich's great triumph

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 23 mil. $

Box office: 48.5 mil. $

= Flop (returned 2.10 times its cost)

[Her premiered 12 October (New York Film Festival) and runs 126 minutes. Jonze had had the first idea for the film in the early 2000s when first encountering an early AI voice system. He later based much of the script on his divorce from Sofia Coppola in 2003. Shooting took place in 'mid 2012' in Shanghai, China and in California, including in Los Angeles. Samantha Morton voiced Samantha but was replaced with Johansson in post production. The film opened #23 to a 260k $ first weekend in 6 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #10 and in 1,729 theaters, grossing 25.5 mil. $ (52.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 3 mil. $ (6.2 %) and Italy with 2.7 mil. $ (5.6 %). It was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning for Best Original Screenplay. It lost Best Picture to 12 Years a Slave, Production Design to The Great Gatsby, Song (The Moon Song by Karen O and Jonze) to Let It Go from Frozen by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and Score (Will Butler, Owen Pallett) to Steven Price for Gravity. It also won an AFI award, 1/3 Golden Globe nominations, was nominated for a Grammy and won 2 National Board of Review awards, among many other honors. The film additionally made in excess of 4.9 mil. $ on home video copies in North America. Jonze has returned with 12 shorts, music videos, a documentary etc. but no feature since. Phoenix returned in Inherent Vice (2014); Adams in American Hustle (2013); and Johansson in Street of Dreams (2013, video) and HitRECord on TV (2014, TV-series) prior to her theatrical return in Chef (2014). Her is certified fresh at 94 % with a 8.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Her?

9/14/2020

The Master (2012) - Anderson's stunning post-war reflection

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Reality splinters surreally on this ocean blue poster for Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master

After World War II a drunken US navy marine heads back home from the Pacific and encounters difficulties fitting back into society, until he happens upon a charismatic 'master', Lancaster Dodd, who is leading a new religion known as 'the Cause'.

The Master is written and directed by Californian master filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (Hard Eight (1996)), whose 5th feature it is.
It is an inspired film, and it is partly inspired by the foundation of L. Ron Hubbard's bizarre Church of Scientology. (Other interesting sources of inspiration for The Master include Thomas Pynchon's novel V. (1963), the life story of author John Steinbeck, drunken Navy stories told to Anderson by terminally ill actor Jason Robards during filming of Magnolia (1999) and more.)
The film has a beautiful, cinematic and slightly unnerving image side (remarkable, mostly 65 mm photography by Mihai Malaimare Jr. (Nina (2016))) and a typically challenging (for a P.T. Anderson movie) score (by Jonny Greenwood (We Need to Talk about Kevin (2011)), who also did the incredible score for Anderson's preceding masterpiece There Will Be Blood (2007).) It is accompanied by masterful performances from Joaquin Phoenix (Signs (2002)), whose pitch black portrayal of a particular kind of lost soul drunk is superb, and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Leap of Faith (1992)), equally superb as choleric spiritual leader/con man Dodd. Amy Adams (Sunshine Cleaning (2008)) is adorable in the most sizeable supporting part, and forces like Laura Dern (Cold Pursuit (2019)) and Rami Malek (24 (2010, TV-series)) are icing on the cake.
The Master is a thought-provoking, dashing film of a seducer of minds.

Related posts:

Paul Thomas Anderson: 2017 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Phantom Thread (2017) - Anderson's exquisite drama of an English dressmaker and his Alma
Boogie Nights (1997) - Anderson's irresistable porn 'Casino'

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 32 mil. $
Box office: 28.2 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.88 times its cost)
[The Master premiered 1 September (Venice Film Festival) and runs 137 minutes. Anderson had reportedly had the idea for the film for 12 years before writing it. He also incorporated scenes from an early draft of his There Will Be Blood script. Collaboration with Universal Pictures to finance broke down. Hoffman suggested Anderson focus more on the sailor character than Dodd. It was the first film to be shot on 65 mm since Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996). Shooting took place in California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, Nevada and in Hawaii from June - September (2011). Anderson has said that Phoenix stayed in character for the entire three month shoot. The film opened #19 to a 736k $ first weekend in North America, where it peaked at #7 and in 864 theaters (different weeks), grossing 16.3 mil. $ (57.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 2.2 mil. $ (7.8 %) and Italy with 1.8 mil. $ (6.4 %). The film was nominated for 3 Oscars, winning none: It lost Best Actor (Phoenix) to Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln, Supporting Actor (Hoffman) to Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained, and Supporting Actress (Adams) to Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables. The film was also nominated for 3 Golden Globes, 4 BAFTAs, won 3 awards in Venice and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches lower than this one. Anderson has said that The Master is his favorite among his own films and expressed his pride in it. Anderson returned with Back Beyond (2013, short), Fiona Apple: Hot Knife (2013, music video) and theatrically with Inherent Vice (2014). Phoenix returned in Back Beyond (2013, short) and theatrically in The Immigrant (2013); Hoffman in A Late Quartet (2012) and Adams in Trouble with the Curve (2012). The Master is certified fresh at 85 % with an 8.11/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Master?

2/10/2020

The day after ... the 2020 Oscars

The show got off to a terrible start: Janelle Monae opened the ball with a new rendition of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood in which she had little luck getting the startled stars to sing along and belted untimely self-praise for being a women, black and queer. She wasn't nominated for anything but set a tiring tone right off the bat, which continued into the next joy-squashing segment: Past hosts Steve Martin and Chris Rock took the stage as 'non-hosts', who picked at the show's sores of having no women director nominees and only one non-white actor nominated this year. Was this funny? No, not really. And it was a strange way to open a show; by throwing verbally stigmatic acid all over the stage and thereby belittling every one who would win statuettes for their hard work in the following hours. This opening certainly argues in favor of ending the no-host reign and giving us a strong host for the show next year.
Luckily the show came underway with many strong winner speeches, a montage about songs in movies and a surprise performance by Eminem, rapping his Lose Yourself major hit from 8 Mile (2002), ending the segment with the night's best musical performance. Chrissy Metz was made to perform her I'm Standing With You haphazardly fast; Randy Newman was terrific; Cynthia Erivo had the room standing up for one of the night's most predictable moments for her slave drama song Stand Up, but Elton John's (I'm Gonna) Love Me Again was a great highlight.
My predictions held up uncommonly strong, and there were few surprises, (Ford v Ferrari taking Best Editing; Taika Waititi winning Best Adapted Screenplay; 1917 winning Best Visual Effects), - right up until the major surprise and historic turn that makes the 92nd Academy Awards truly film history: South-Korean Parasite's complete triumph. Regrettably still not having seen it, I wasn't expecting this, and my predictions actually expected this to be Quentin Tarantino's big night. A foreign language film had never won Best Picture until last night, and a Korean film had never even been nominated for an Oscar before this year. Now Bong Joon Ho's Parasite won 4 Oscars, and not 'small' Oscars: Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature, Best Director and Best Picture. A big break in Hollywood tradition and an incredible feat. The acceptance speeches from Ho and his team were wonderful, and they sealed an Oscar night that went down the books for something amazing despite all the self-righteous nonsense of a lot of the talent chose to showcase.

My Oscars prediction record from the past now 7 years:

2014: 7 correct / 33 % - worst prediction
2015: 13 correct / 62 %
2016: 16 correct / 76 % - best prediction
2017: 11 correct / 52 %
2018: 14 correct / 66 %
2019: 11 correct / 52 %
2020: 13 correct / 62 %

Here follows a full list of the predictions, favorites and winners of the night:

Red marks the person/s or film I predicted would win the Oscar
Film Excess favorite marks the person/s or film I hoped would win the Oscar
Winner marks the person or film that actually won the Oscar

Best Visual Effects

1917 Winner
Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Film Excess favorite

Best Film Editing

Ford v Ferrari Winner
The Irishman Film Excess favorite
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Parasite

Best Costume Design

The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women Film Excess favorite Winner
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

1917
Bombshell Film Excess favorite Winner
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Best Cinematography

1917, Roger Deakins Winner
The Irishman, Rodrigo Prieto
Joker, Lawrence Sher
The Lighthouse, Jarin Blaschke Film Excess favorite
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Robin Richardson

Best Production Design

1917
The Irishman Film Excess favorite
Jojo Rabbit
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Winner
Parasite

Best Sound Mixing

1917 Winner
Ad Astra
Ford v Ferrari Film Excess favorite
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Sound Editing

1917
Ford v Ferrari Winner
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Film Excess favorite

Best Original Song

I Can't Let You Through Yourself Away, Toy Story 4
(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again, Rocketman Film Excess favorite Winner
I'm Standing With You, Breakthrough
Into the Unknown, Frozen II
Stand Up, Harriet

Best Original Score

1917, Thomas Newman
Joker, Hildur Guðnadóttir Winner
Little Women, Alexander Desplat Film Excess favorite
Marriage Story, Randy Newman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, John Williams

Best Documentary Feature

American Factory Winner
The Cave Film Excess favorite
The Edge of Democracy
For Sama
Honeyland

Best International Feature

Corpus Christi, Poland, Jan Komasa
Honeyland, North Macedonia, Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov
Les Misérables, France, Ladj Ly
Pain and Glory, Spain, Pedro Almodóvar
Parasite, South Korea, Bong Joon-ho Film Excess favorite Winner

Best Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link Film Excess favorite
Toy Story 4 Winner

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Irishman, Steve Zaillian Film Excess favorite
Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi Winner
Joker, Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
Little Women, Greta Gerwig
The Two Popes, Antony McCarten

Best Original Screenplay

1917, Sam Mendes
Knives Out, Rian Johnson
Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino
Parasite, Bong Joon-ho Film Excess favorite Winner

Best Supporting Actress

Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Laura Dern, Marriage Story Film Excess favorite Winner
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Best Supporting Actor

Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman Film Excess favorite
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Winner

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women Film Excess favorite
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renée Zellweger, Judy Winner

Best Actor

Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver, Marriage Story Film Excess favorite
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker Winner
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Best Director

Sam Mendes, 1917
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Todd Phillips, Joker
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite Film Excess favorite Winner

Best Picture

1917
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women Film Excess favorite
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite Winner