Photos as large as facades of Sunset Boulevard portray Cillian Murphy half hidden by the wide-brimmed fedora that transformed him into the iconic father of the atomic bomb in Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's blockbuster which places him in the front row for the Oscar for best actor and aspires to 12 other awards;
blow-ups of Emma Stone, in the exuberant role of Bella Baxter, the woman brought back to life by an extravagant surgeon in Poor Creatures!
by the Greek Yorgos Lanthimos, who has 11 nominations, including the most likely for leading actress;
in front of the Whiskey a gogo, a historic venue on the Strip, the cold kids from Society of the Snow, the film by Spanish director JA Bayona which is competing for best international film, together with the Italian Io Capitano, hug each other.
Right in front, two immense billboards with the faces of Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan expertly aged in Maestro, another Netflix creation, in the running for seven awards, including the probable one for best make-up.
Oscar video, final preparations on the red carpet on the eve of the ceremony
Everything in Los Angeles talks about Oscars, in view of tonight's ceremony, including special screenings and panels at the Academy Museum, exclusive parties, from the canonical Vanity Fair party, which follows the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre, to the viewing party organized by Elton John.
The Green Carpet Fashion Awards were held intact on Wednesday evening, chaired by Livia Firth, with Cate Blanchett, Helen Hunt, Julianne Moore and Zendaya.
At the Chateau Marmont Vanity Fair and Instagram organized an event dedicated to young talents, with Barry Keoghan (Saltburn), Charles Melton (May December) and Hunter Schafer (Euphoria).
The evening organized by Donatella Versace was held on Thursday.
Max Mara instead presented its usual event for women in entertainment and for Oscar candidates, which was attended among others by the protagonist of Martin Scorsese's latest film Lily Gladstone and Justine Triet, director of Anatomy of a Fall .
The biggest agencies in Hollywood, UTA, CCA and WME hosted three different parties.
On the eve of the Oscars, the statuette for best film seems to have been awarded: Christopher Nolan and the entire cast of OPPENHEIMER will take to the stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
The film about the father of the atomic bomb arrives at the appointment between Sunday and Monday with 13 nominations (one less than All About Eve, La La Land and Titanic), a success that has the flavor of inevitability.
Connected on Rai1, Italy is rooting for IO CAPITANO by Matteo Garrone, competing in a five Eurocentric international series with the Spanish film LA SOCIETÀ DELLA NEVE by JA Bayona, the German THE TEACHERS' LOUNGE by Ilker Catak, THE ZONE OF INTEREST by the British Jonathan Glazer and PERFECT DAYS, presented by Japan but signed by Wim Wenders.
Displacing Greta Gerwig's Barbie, with which it had been associated since its debut last July, the maxi-biopic on Oppenheimer swept the awards, starting from the Golden Globes, through the Bafta (seven statuettes) plus three at the Sag for best cast, best leading actor (Cillian Murphy) and best supporting role (Robert Downey Jr).
Oppenheimer is the eleventh film crowned by the Producers Guild, SAG and the directors' association: a hat-trick which, with the sole exception of Apollo 13, has led to the most prestigious Oscar to which another six-seven could be added.
10 films are in the final for best film: the dark comedy Golden Lion in Venice by Yorgos Lanthimos undermines Oppenheimer POOR CREATURES!
(11 nominations), KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by Martin Scorsese (10), the summer box office hit BARBIE (8 but not for directing), THE HOLDOVERS - Life Lessons by Alexander Payne (5).
And then MAESTRO by Bradley Cooper, AMERICAN FICTION by Cord Jefferson, PAST LIVES by the Korean-American Celine Song released at Sundance, ANATOMY OF A FALL by Justine Triet, Palme d'Or at Cannes but snubbed by France for best international film, and 'last but not least' THE ZONE OF INTEREST, winner of the Grand Prix which could reserve surprises.
The Oscars reward the film industry and are therefore a test of the billion-dollar investments of studios and streaming services: NETFLIX, with a potpourri of Maestro, Nyad, American Symphony, El Conde, May December, Nimona, Rustin and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar came out on top with 16 nominations, followed by Oppenheimer's UNIVERSAL with 13, ex aequo with SEARCHLIGHT (almost all for Poor Creature!) and APPLE (10 for Killers of the Flower Moon).
Barbie and Color Purple's WARNER stopped at nine, while A24 (last year's ace winner with Everything Everywhere All At Once and this year competing with Zone of Interest and Past Lives) reached seven.
Snubbed Gerwig (who is running for best non-original screenplay) and Song, Justine Triet remains on track to keep up the name of the five female directors.
Will one of them be able to stand up to Nolan who beat Scorsese at the DGA (the oldest director candidate at 81)?
And still on the subject of women, there will be suspense for the best actress: Sag has put LILY GLADSTONE back into play, the first Native American candidate, against the favorite EMMA STONE of Poor Creatures!
already an Oscar winner for La La Land.
The best supporting role is obvious: it will be the African-American DA'VINE JOY RANDOLPH who has won 36 awards so far since the film's debut at Telluride.
Among the actors, the frontrunner is CILLIAN MURPHY ahead of PAUL GIAMATTI, while in the supporting roles Downey Jr. is favored over Robert De Niro, Mark Ruffalo, Sterling Brown and Ryan Gosling who will still go on stage with 65 dancers to sing I AM JUST KEN.
It is one of the songs in the running for best original song, and it will be a Barbie derby with Billie Eilish from WHAT WAS I MADE FOR, favored over the other candidates: Jon Batiste with It Never Went Away from American Symphony, native Scott George with Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People) from Killers of the Flower Moon and perennial finalist Diane Warren for The Fire Inside from Flamin' Hot, Eva Longoria's directorial debut.
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