2023 Oscar Nominations: Champions, Losers… and Surprising Omissions

There were a lot of films in the running this year, and in very different genres, capable of landing Oscar 2023 nominations, the list of which was therefore highly anticipated.

Unveiled this Tuesday, January 24, it has its share of favorites, losers, forgotten and surprises for the ceremony to be held in Los Angeles on March 12.

Detail review.

Unexpected champion of the year picks up maximum nominations

It had been anticipated, but not to this extent: “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, an unexpected success from March 2022 (released here at the end of August) takes pole position with eleven nominations, including those in the most prestigious categories. .

Nicknamed "EEAAO" by its fans, the film, which propels a mother of Chinese origin into several dimensions, thus competes for the statuettes of best film, director and actress (Michelle Yeoh) and offers the great Jamie Lee Curtis the first nomination of her career for Best Supporting Actress.

Behind this heavyweight which has never ceased to surprise since its release, there are other favourites, also present in the main categories: "The Banshees of Inisherin", the "Elvis" of Baz Luhrman, "The Fabelmans" of Steven Spielberg (which comes out in France on February 28), or “Top Gun: Maverick”.

"Tár", in theaters this Wednesday with us, is also in the running for best film, best director and best actress (Cate Blanchett).

Less predictable, the new German adaptation of the novel "In the West, nothing new", released on Netflix last October, has nine nominations, including those for best film and best foreign film.

Note that "Avatar: The Way of the Water", expected in the only technical categories for its special effects, is also applying for the title of best film of the year but, oddly, its director, James Cameron, is shunned in the achievement category.

“Without Filter”, Causeway”, “To Leslie”… surprise guests

It seemed certain that the last Palme d'Or of the Cannes Film Festival, Ruben Östlund's turbulent "Sans Filtre", would win a nomination for the Oscar for best foreign film.

It failed, especially in favor of the excellent “Close” (Belgium) or “EO” (Poland).

But no one saw “Without Filter” coming, surprise guest in the categories “Best Film”, “Best Director” and “Best Original Screenplay”, which allows this Swedish film to find itself in competition against American rivals .

Another surprise: the presence of the remarkable "Causeway", launched two months ago on Apple TV +, for a nomination for best supporting actor via the superb performance of Bryan Tyree Henry... even if the Academy forgot, for this film , to salute the immense composition of Jennifer Lawrence in the main role.

But Tom Thumb on this list is a comedienne: Andrea Riseborough, nominated as best actress for the micro-budget independent film “To Leslie”.

A victory for many great Hollywood comedians, who have organized an unprecedented support campaign for the film and the actress on social networks for several weeks.

Finally, on the side of the best animated films, it is a Netflix production which plays the outsiders, the amazing "The Monster of the Seas", which will have to compete against another feature film from the platform, the " Pinocchio” by Guillermo del Toro, or facing “Puss in Boots 2”.

But it failed for...

"Saint Omer", by the French Alice Diop, appeared in the pre-list for the Oscar for best foreign film, but was eliminated in the last round, just like the fabulous "Joyland" which competed for Pakistan.

No nomination for France, therefore.

But the biggest losers of this ceremony are… women filmmakers.

None of them are in the category "Best Achievement", which is already creating a stir on social networks...