The Karenna Oscars!

Before there was “Showtime!”, before my Boston Hassle bylines, or my Latent Images reviews, there was my Letterboxd. Equipped with a Twitter account and a dream, I would watch every film that gained the faintest sounds of Oscar buzz, from the delightful to the thrilling, to the bone-chilling, to the incredibly boring: all culminating in a little list in my notes app. Thus, The Karenna Oscars were born. 

The Karenna Oscars are pretty simple and uneventful, for all I’ve made them out to be— it’s simply the films and performances I would choose to nominate if I were the sole Academy voter (what a world that would be!). I’m so honored to be able to share them here, rather than a review of Gone Girl like I typically do every year on my Letterboxd. If you disagree, I don’t care — that’s why it’s The Karenna Oscars. 

Now, without further adieu, welcome to:

the karenna oscars

by Karenna Umscheid

 

Best Picture

★ Anatomy of a Fall

  • Killers of the Flower Moon

  • Poor Things

  • Oppenheimer

  • May December

  • Past Lives

  • The Boy and the Heron

  • The Zone of Interest

  • Monster

  • The Iron Claw

Photograph: Lionsgate

I go back and forth between Anatomy of a Fall and Killers of the Flower Moon here, despite the fact that Poor Things is my film of the year. And honestly, if I were an Academy voter, there’s a strong chance I’d vote for Scorsese in every category I can in every year because I just love and admire him so much; but, Anatomy of a Fall would be a perfect, thrilling win. The sheer cultural influence of the Oscars would cause swarms of viewers to watch Anatomy of a Fall, a brilliant powerhouse of a courtroom drama that deserves the same acclaim (and cultural quotability) as A Few Good Men. Justine Triet already won the Palme D’Or, so an award so much more local (in the iconic words of Bong Joon-ho) won’t be as cataclysmic as American audiences believe it to be, but still, if there’s any film from this year that would make my heart soar to see its name seared into the halls of the Dolby theater forever, it’s Anatomy of a Fall. 

 

Best Director

★ Celine Song, Past Lives

  • Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

  • Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall

  • Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

  • Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Photograph: Cultured Magazine

Celine Song does something really extraordinary in her directorial debut, Past Lives. I, again, can’t guarantee that if I had a real Oscars ballot in my hands, I wouldn’t give it to the one and only Martin Scorsese, but for now, I wish to sing my appraisals for Past Lives. Celine Song orchestrates a slow burning symphony of heartbreak, not in the dramatic breakup screaming-and-sobbing sense, but that of a quieter longing, a curiosity for the life you left, different choices and people and love that you can glimpse at, but never fully live. Past Lives is masterful in how intricate and specific each glance is, the solemn intent of each directorial choice makes the longing so powerful and intoxicating – dare I say, I’m in the mood for love. Each nominee in this category does a really stellar job at executing an intentional, powerful vision, but to me, none feels so equally meticulous, grand, and personal, than Celine Song’s Past Lives. 

 

Best Actor

★ Zac Efron, The Iron Claw

  • Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

  • Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers

  • Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

  • Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon

Photograph: The Independent

I’ve been a die-hard Zac Efron fan ever since High School Musical, and it’s astounding that his dramatic, heartbreaking turn in The Iron Claw didn’t receive any attention from the Academy. I’d love for him to win simply for him to become booked and busy, to receive roles that his dramatic (and vocal) range deserves. I want the Academy to do more than award already established famous actors, I want them to take chances on actors they deem “unserious” (remember the J.Lo and Adam Sandler snubs?), and to go with really interesting, impressive, unexpected great performances. And the rest of my lineup is just as impressive! 

Cillian Murphy is undeniable in Oppenheimer, it’s hard to sing his praises without sounding tired and repetitive, but the historical epic hinges on his guilt, his Promethean power as it tears him apart, and Murphy delivers so brilliantly – there’s a good chance he wins, and he will still absolutely deserve it. Andrew Scott gave such an emotional, weighty performance in All of Us Strangers that his snub tears me apart, and I feel a compelling need to force everyone I know to watch the film. Scott is the melancholic, lonely core, his grief is so visceral and gutting to watch. Jeffrey Wright’s performance in American Fiction was so fantastic to me because of how naturally balanced the blend of comedy and drama was; Wright makes every clever beat work so well, delivering a fascinating, reflective character performed with so much conviction. And finally, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Ernest Burkhardt flounders in evil and greed, his face warping with the crimes he commits; it’d just feel wrong not to nominate such an exquisitely directed, deliberately monstrous heap of a performance. 

 

Best Actress

★ Emma Stone, Poor Things

  • Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

  • Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall

  • Greta Lee, Past Lives

  • Natalie Portman, May December

Photograph: NPR

Sandra Hüller, Lily Gladstone, and Emma Stone all give stunning performances embodied so strongly that it feels no one else could have played the role. I’m caught between Gladstone and Stone, as both women truly tie their films together, their powerful performances essential to the heart of their films. 

Lily Gladstone embodies what is perhaps the pinnacle of Scorsese-directed face acting, she breathes pure soul into Mollie Burkhart, lacing her strong sense of self and incomparable beauty through every thread of crime and malevolence that permeates the screen. I also thought Natalie Portman gave one of the most underrated (at least in the awards sense) lead performances of the year. Her innocent feign and subtly malicious invasion brings forth a disturbed unease and plenty of, again, melodrama. Another favorite performance of mine was Greta Lee in Past Lives, as she portrays Nora through over twelve years of her life, as the forces of her past and present guide and confound her, it shows in her body language, her facial expressions and fleeting moments of eye contact. Though I often opt for the more subtle, less flashy performances, this year I would likely give it to Emma Stone. Her multifaceted transformation in the physical, human mechanical magic that the chronicles of Bella Baxter demands simply has to be the performance of the year. She’s hilarious and incredibly strong-willed, filled with endless curiosity and lust for life. Without Emma Stone, there is simply no Bella Baxter, and there is no Poor Things. To see her win, I’d be so, so delighted. How do they make the pastries so crisp?

 

Best Supporting Actor

★ Charles Melton, May December

  • Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon

  • Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

  • Marshawn Lynch, Bottoms

  • Dave Bautista, Knock at the Cabin

Photograph: Decider

I’ve been a fan of Charles Melton since his Reggie Mantle sold Jingle Jangle on the streets of Riverdale, playing for the Bulldogs and working at Veronica’s speakeasy La Bonne Nuit. I’ve always dreamed of seeing my beloved Riverdale stars break through into the film industry for real, and I can’t believe it almost became reality with a Charles Melton Oscar nomination. He’s still number one in my heart! 

I chose a pretty multifaceted array of fellow nominees, as it was a superb year for supporting actor performances in a myriad of ways! Mark Ruffalo gives the best performance of his career thus far with his delightfully wicked turn in Poor Things, simultaneously an awkward fool and a devious, manipulative man. And I will truly never miss an opportunity to praise Robert De Niro. In Killers he is a harsh and unrelenting evil, his facade impenetrable and terrifying. As a devoted Seattle Seahawks fan, I couldn’t let an opportunity to praise the comedic stylings of one Marshawn Lynch to pass me by, and I’m so eager to see more of his film work. Lastly, if I didn’t feature the latest Shyamalan flick I wouldn’t really feel like myself! Dave Bautista has a really excellent dramatic turn here, portraying a real compassionate man in treacherous, disastrous circumstances; the film weighs on his honesty and genuine nature, and he beautifully delivers. 

 

Best Supporting Actress

★ Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

  • Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest

  • Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

  • Taraji P. Henson, The Color Purple

  • Sakura Ando, Monster

Photograph: GamesRadar

Few supporting performances this year blew my mind like seeing Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer for the first time. She plays Oppenheimer’s wife “Kitty” with more syncopated mastery than Bradley Cooper in Maestro, fully owning every scene that she’s in. I’m also a huge proponent of a double nomination for Sandra Hüller, as she was exceptional in The Zone of Interest, a wildly different yet still incredible performance from that of Anatomy of a Fall. I fervently believe Da’Vine Joy Randolph deserved a nomination for her performance in 2019’s Dolemite is My Name, but acclaim for her work in The Holdovers is just as deserved as well. She is such a pivotal, essential aspect of the burgeoning friendship between Angus (Dominic Sessa) and Paul (Paul Giamatti), glistening with tough honesty, empathy, and a delightful sense of humor. Though I do think Fantasia did excellent work in The Color Purple, the most pivotal role in the film is Shug Avery, and Taraji P. Henson embodies her in all her show-stopping glory, from exquisite dance sequences to moments of drunken joy and tender love. I’m honestly not sure if Sakura Ando would campaign for lead or supporting actress, but it’s the Karenna Oscars so I get to make the rules! Ando’s performance in Monster is what sells the difficulty of the film, punctuating and questioning the narrative with empathy and curiosity as it unravels. 

 

Best Original Screenplay

★ May December

  • Anatomy of a Fall

  • Past Lives

  • Monster

  • Bottoms

Every time I see May December treated as a mere re-creation of the tabloid drama, my soul deteriorates and my brain cells slightly deplete. Samy Burch’s screenplay is a layered, delicate tale of adaptation and invasion, a poisonous melodrama. There are so many exceptional and perfect lines, from “Am I pretending like I’m experiencing pleasure, or am I pretending like I’m not experiencing pleasure?” to “This is just what grown-ups do,” May December’s screenplay is a stroke of absolute genius. Also incredible this year was the writing of Anatomy of a Fall, so superb and meticulously laid out, like that of a well-constructed murder plot. And it’ll take lifetimes to forget the “You dream in a language I can’t understand” of Past Lives. I’ve previously written about the stunningly layered screenplay of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster, one that is so fascinating as it unravels, instigating a personal re-evaluation of the biases and preconceptions in all of us. Also, the delicious originality of Bottoms fully deserves a nomination for its satirical, hilarious plot is that of a surefire 2020 period piece, ushering in a new era of raunchy comedy. 

 

Best Adapted Screenplay

★ Killers of the Flower Moon

  • Oppenheimer

  • Knock at the Cabin

  • Poor Things

  • How to Blow up a Pipeline

Photograph: Los Angeles Times

This was a truly brilliant year for adapted screenplays, and I go back and forth between the inventive, powerful telling of Killers of the Flower Moon and the transformation from a long historical biography to a thrilling blockbuster in Oppenheimer. Ultimately I just think the decision to tell Killers from the perspective of blatant evil, awash in daylight, was so essential and subversive, and a really brilliant utilization of the art of adaptation. Additionally, Knock at the Cabin and How to Blow Up a Pipeline both spin their source materials in really fresh ways, from reinvigorating themes of morality and empathy (in true Shyamalan style) to transforming a nonfiction work of environmental activism into a fast-paced heist film, a far more dire Ocean’s Eleven. What a picture! What a year of pictures!

You’ve officially made it all the way through the Karenna Oscars!

If there’s anything I hope this blog does, it's to convince people to watch movies they wouldn’t ordinarily see. In 2019, I discovered that I had gotten countless of my friends and acquaintances to watch Parasite simply because I wouldn’t stop talking about it. Since then, a funny little hobby has snowballed into an undying passion, and hopefully a career. I’m so honored to have a place to share these ramblings because I can’t remember my identity before it was “film critic.” The musings pour out of me no matter what I see or when I see it, so to answer Pauline Kael’s essay title that I’ve attached myself to as a timeless question – “Is there a cure for film criticism?” – I’m so sorry to tell you that there isn’t.
Thanks for indulging me! See you next week, when we’ll get right back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Until next Wednesday,

Karenna

 
 
Your Magazine