Second contender in the best picture category for me is “Vice”. Christian Bale is spot on as Vice President Dick Cheney and in this day and age who does not love a political story based in true events.
“A Star is born” has several nominations but the home run is the song “The Shallows” that will blow everything else out of the water.
A strong contender is “Black Panther”, it is an awesome, fun movie, full of action and underlying messages and value lessons.
Then there is “Roma”. I have to say that for the regular viewer it might not show all the layers that the director infused in the movie. But having grown up in that environment, the sounds, the feel that he achieves is uncanny. The Best Director award will be difficult to discern.
Nominated for best actress and best adapted screenplay is “Can you ever forgive me?”. At first look it does not seem very appealing and sort of uneventful. Then, you get what the movie is all about and taken from real life is a portrayal of a world not many people are involved with.
Highly recommend it.
Now for the honorable mentions
These three movies are nominated also for best picture. “Bohemian Rhapsody” in which Rami Malik carries the whole movie with his uncanny performance of Freddie Mercury, which might give him the nod for best actor but not best picture.
Then Green Book, a dramatic relationship between a pianist and his chauffeur in the times of extreme segregation.
Finally, Blackkklansman which is a crazy story of courage and teamwork and even if it’s not in my favorites for best picture I do have high hopes for Spike Lee to win for best director.