TRAVIS BYRAM'S MOVIE REVIEWS

I picked categories to predict that I thought I could actually attempt; goodness knows I never know anything about the shorts races, the doc races, or all the international contenders. But here, with a smattering of commentary, are my predictions for tomorrow's nominations:  BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water Empire of Light The Fabelmans Top Gun: Maverick BEST MAKEUP: All Quiet on the Western Front The Batman ( Whale is probably winning this one come March, but I think Matt Reeves' superhero flick should get it for The Penguin alone) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Elvis The Whale BEST SCORE Babylon The Banshees of Inisherin Black Panther: Wakanda Forever The Fabelmans Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio BEST ORIGINAL SONG:  "Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)" from Avatar: The Way of Water "Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever "Naatu Naatu" from RRR "Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Mave...

Hey, I still remember the password to this thing! Here are my picks for all the major film categories come this Tuesday night, with red indicating who I think will win, and an asterisk denoting my personal pick. BEST DRAMA: Despite the presence of two blockbuster behemoth sequels that saved 2022's box office, I think the only thing close to topping Elvis is Spielberg's movie memoir of his childhood. The HFPA are known to love the bigger, flashier choice of the nominees (see: Revenant, Bohemian Rhapsody and 1917 's victories just in the past decade), and I wouldn't be mad at all at Baz Luhrmann's gloriously dizzying look at the King's downfall. Avatar: The Way of Water Elvis   The Fabelmans Tár* Top Gun: Maverick BEST COMEDY/ MUSICAL : No musicals this year compared to 2021's embarrassment of riches in the category, but this is one of the best lineups in years, with, *gasp* each nominee in this category actually generically listed by IMDb as a comedy. Someon...