Oscars 2022: The Power of the Dog and Dune lead the nominations, a surprise from Cannes

Who will succeed Nomadland, big winner of the 93rd ceremony, which was held in an extraordinary context? Are there any French chances?

First elements of response with the nominations unveiled this afternoon. For the record, the 94th Academy Awards will be held on March 27 in Hollywood.

Jane Campion in power

As in 2021, it is a Netflix film that leads with 12 nominations: The Power of the dog by Jane Campion is the favorite of 2022. If the films from platforms are numerous, this year’s nominations also leave the share beautiful to theatrically released productions. Dune (10 nominations), West Side Story and Belfast (7 nominations) or The Williams Method (6 nominations), all five released on the big screen, are among the particularly nominated films.

We salute Jane Campion’s double: by being nominated for the second time in the best director category, 28 years after The Piano Lesson, the New Zealand filmmaker is making history. Never until today has the same director been nominated twice.

For the record, the few female directors to have been nominated so far are 7 in number: Kathryn Bigelow (first woman to win the Oscar for Minesweepers in 2010), Jane CampionSofia Coppola, Lina Wertmüller, Greta Gerwig, Emerald Fennell and Chloé Zhao (the second director to win the Oscar in 2021 with nomadland).

6 decades of Steven Spielberg!

In addition to Jane Campion, the best director category welcomes a champion in terms of longevity: Steven Spielberg has been directing and being nominated for 6 decades, from the 1970s with Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1978 until 2022, therefore, and his West Side Story. The category also retains one of this year’s surprises: Ryusuke Hamaguchi. With Drive My Car, the Japanese filmmaker could follow in the footsteps of Bong Joon Ho and Parasite. Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza) and Kenneth Branagh (Belfast) complete the category. On the best film side, not named in direction, let’s mention CODA (Apple TV+), Don’t Look Up (Netflix), Dunes, The Williams Method and Nightmare Alley, all three released in theaters.

Kristen Stewart in Majesty, Lady Gaga Snubbed

From one ceremony to another emerge surprises: while Kristen Stewart had been shunned from the nominations of the SAG Awards and the BAFTAs for her role of Lady Di in Spencer, she is indeed nominated here. This is also his very first Oscar nomination. On the other hand, no Lady Gaga for her role in House of Gucci. Ridley Scott’s film (also The Last Duel gets 0 nominations) is almost not nominated, despite its performances of actors with 80s looks and wigs.

Penelope Cruz is nominated, but not for House of Gucci. It is Pedro Almodovar’s film, Madres Paralelas, which earned her this citation for best actress. She will compete alongside Jessica Chastain (In the Eyes of Tammy Faye), Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter) and Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos).

An ex-Spider-Man in the actors category!

On the actors side, a few major absentees like Bradley Cooper (Nightmare Alley), Leonardo di Caprio (Don’t Look Up) or Adam Driver (House of Gucci, The Last Duel or even Annette). Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog), Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick…Boom!), Will Smith (The Williams Method) and Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth) were preferred.

Marvel in double side visual effects

If speculation was going well on a possible nomination of Spider-Man No Way Home in one of the queen categories, the superheroic film must be satisfied with a single nomination in a technical category, in this case best visual effects. Marvel achieves a double by seeing another of its films named: Shang Chi and the legend of the 10 rings.

The (rare) French chances

Few French in the running this year. France will nevertheless be able to count on Bruno Delbonnel, chief operator of The Tragedy of Macbeth. Three co-productions will be present, namely Flee, an animated docu-film from the Cannes 2020 labels (but still unreleased in France), Julie in 12 chapters by Joachim Trier and CODA, an American remake of La Famille Bélier, co-produced by the French. Note that Flee is nominated three times: best foreign film, best documentary and best animated film! Alexandre Desplat, very often named, is absent this year. Nothing on the side of short films either.

Inclusion and diversity

As in 2021, the Oscars are more inclusive, including nominating foreign films (Drive My Car Where Madres Paralelas via the quote from Penélope Cruz) as well as African-American actresses and actors (Aunjanue Ellis, Will Smith).

Regarding LGBT inclusion, we note, as noted a Variety reporter that Kristen Stewart is the first openly lesbian actress to be nominated for best actress in 20 years. The last “out” actor to be nominated was Ian McKellen in 2002 for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Ariana deBose, nominated for West Side Story, is also openly queer.

Inclusion still with the presence of CODA in several categories, including best actor for Troy Kotsur, deaf actor. No nomination, however, for Marlee Matlin, who was the very first deaf actress to win the Oscar for Les Enfants du silence in 1987. She is also in the cast of CODA.

Remember that the 94th edition of the Oscars will take place on March 27, from Hollywood.

OSCARS 2022: ALL NOMINATIONS

BEST FILM (winner 2021: Nomadland)

• Belfast
• CODA
• Don’t Look Up
• Drive My Car
• Dunes
• Licorice Pizza
• The Williams Method
• Nightmare Alley
• The Power of the Dog
• West Side Story

Two years after “Parasite”, can “Drive My Car” create a surprise?

BEST ACTRESS (winner 2021: Frances McDormand – Nomadland)

• Jessica Chastain – In the eyes of Tammy Faye
• Olivia Colman – The Lost Daughter
• Penelope Cruz – Madres Paralelas
• Nicole Kidman – Being the Ricardos
• Kristen Stewart – spencer

BEST ACTOR (winner 2021: Anthony Hopkins – The Father)

• Javier Bardem – Being the Ricardos
• Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog
• Andrew Garfield – Tick, Tick… Boom!
• Will Smith – The Williams Method
• Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (winner 2021: Youn Yuh Jung – Minari)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (2021 winner: Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah)

BEST ACHIEVEMENT (winner 2021: Chloé Zhao – Nomadland)

• Kenneth Branagh -Belfast
• Ryusuke Hamaguchi – Drive My Car
• Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza
• Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog
• Steven Spielberg -West Side Story

13 years after “Saving Private Ryan”, Steven Spielberg crowned for the third time?

BEST ANIMATED FILM (winner 2021: Soul)

BEST ADAPTED SCENARIO (winner 2021: The Father)

BEST ORIGINAL SCENARIO (winner 2021: Promising Young Woman)

BEST PHOTOGRAPHY (winner 2021: Mank)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (winner 2021: Drunk)

Will “Julie (in 12 chapters)” defeat the favorite “Drive My Car”?

BEST EDITING (winner 2021: Sound of Metal)

• Don’t Look Up
• Dunes
• The Williams Method
• The Power of the Dog
• Tick, Tick… Boom!

BEST SET (winner 2021: Mank)

• Dunes
• Nightmare Alley
• The Power of the Dog
• The Tragedy of Macbeth
• West Side Story

BEST COSTUMES (winner 2021: The Blues of Ma Rainey)

BEST MAKEUP & HAIR (2021 winner: Le Blues de Ma Rainey)

BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC (winner 2021: Soul)

Will we talk about Bruno at the Oscars thanks to “Encanto”?

BEST SONGS (2021 winner: Judas and the Black Messiah – “Fight For You”)

BEST SOUND (winner 2021: Sound of Metal)

• Belfast
• Dunes
• Dying can wait
• The Power of the Dog
• West Side Story

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS (2021 winner: Tenet)

• Dunes
• Free Guy
• Dying can wait
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
• Spider-Man No Way Home

BEST DOCUMENTARY (winner 2021: The Wisdom of the Octopus)

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY (winner 2021: Colette)

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM (winner 2021: Whatever happens, I love you)

BEST SHORT FILM (winner 2021: Two Distant Strangers)

• Ala Kachuu – Take and Run
• The Dress
• The Long Goodbye
• On My Mind
• Please Hold