I do love movies and films. And each year I thrill to the Oscars.
Growing up in a small rural area helped instill in me the grandeur of Hollywood. Though I did not see many movies as a kid on the big screen I saw enough late-night movies to know I needed to appreciate the talent it takes to write, act, produce, and direct. How I felt as a kid is how I still now react to movies. Some make me smile, others cry, some make me think, and others are just pure fun to watch.
Due to the pandemic, the last big-screen movie I watched was in 2019. But with a nice screen and surround sound at our home the ability to escape with a tonic for the soul within the frame of a film continues.
Just like when I was a teenager in Hancock, the 94th Academy Awards tonight will be a time for movie magic. I have that same eagerness to see the men in tuxes and women in designer gowns enter with grace and hope. With so much hurt in the world right now some uplifting winds are timely.
The Oscars are for more than just looking at the films of the past year but also a vehicle for montages to again remind us of the magic that film continues to hold from decades past. I trust there are some legends who show up and make the night come alive with memories. (With this the 50th anniversary of The Godfather I have some hopes…..)
I give plenty of political predictions each year on CP, and I love thinking through the various components that will produce a winner or loser. I have not been shy over the years about doing the same for Best Picture. As such, I am betting it all on The Power Of The Dog to take home the biggest award of the night.
The pacing of the film drew me in at once. The use of landscapes and horizons set against the epic feel of the story blend in such a way that the award for cinematography must also be carried home by this film. Ari Wegner will be applauded heartily for the win.
Taking home the Best Actor award will be Benedict Cumberbatch who was masterful in the film. I am not sure that Kodi Smit-McPhee can do the same with Supporting Actor–though his character was the one I rooted for the entire movie. One just has to love justice, in whatever form it takes.
I loved this film! And I just know the Academy of voters surely felt the same.
And so it goes.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
Don’t give up your day job for predicting Oscar winners or commodity futures Deke. Will Smith won the Kanye West award for being crazy ass prick. Never did like him or would pay a dime for a project he is in.
It was a lowbrow and truly bizarre display of anger that was not in any way warranted in front of an international audience. The art form of movie making was being showcased but Will Smith wishes to curtail or abuse a comic of his rights to creativity….simply appalling. Thank God he was not able to bring a gun into the theatre.