Unforgettable Moments and Top Contenders from the Oscars Over the Past Decade

TOP Actor

Those nominated:

Bradley Cooper, the conductor

Murphy Cillian (Oppenheimer)

Rustin Colman Domingo

The Holdovers' Paul Giamatti

American fiction author Jeffrey Wright

Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer, according to t2oS

Why? Because this is his best act to date as a professional. Cillian Murphy not only gives a performance that checks all the best-of-the-best boxes, but he also goes above and beyond to make Robert J. Oppenheimer, the man credited with inventing the atomic bomb and then haunted by its fallout for the rest of his life, embodies everything that Christopher Nolan's epic yet intimate film stands for.

Awards received thus far: Screen Actors Guild Award, BAFTA, and Golden Globe

The Holdovers' Paul Giamatti is also a contender. In this Alexander Payne picture, Giamatti plays a Scrooge-like classics instructor. His acting is superb; the audience not only grows to adore Giamatti's grumpy character but also warms to him throughout the narrative. He is a serious contender because he is a Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Movie Award winner.

BEST PERFORMANCE

Those nominated:

Nyad, Annette Bening

Lily Gladstone (The Flower Moon Killers)

Huller, Sandra (Anatomy of a Fall)

Carey Mulligan, the conductor

Emma Stone - Dark Matter

Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon is t2oS' choice.

 Why: Lily Gladstone is the (bleeding) heart and soul of Martin Scorsese's film on injustice and loss, making history as the first Native American to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. She turns in a magnificent performance that steals every scene, leaving viewers with a haunting and unforgettable screen time. Who doesn't want to watch history being written, anyway?

Accomplished thus far: Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe

Emma Stone, who starred in Poor Things, is also a contender. Stone is a formidable force in the most hotly contested Oscar category this year, playing the bold and untamed Bella in Yorgos Lanthimos' steampunk tribute to Frankenstein. Without a question, it's a rebellious act driven by both creativity and innocence.

TOP DIRECTOR

Those nominated:

Zone of Interest's Jonathan Glazer

Poor Things by Yorgos Lanthimos

Nolan Christopher (Oppenheimer)

Martin Scorsese (The Flower Moon Killers)

Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet

Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) is t2oS' choice.

Christopher Nolan on Oppenheimer's sets

Why: Oppenheimer is a towering and enormous effort in both storyline and size, not just a biographical sketch. Nolan skillfully combines dramatic thriller, biography, historical documentaries, and thriller elements to create a thrilling thriller that encapsulates a complicated and pivotal historical era. Oppenheimer is a wonderful place to start, and Nolan has never taken home the Best Director Oscar.

Awards received thus far: Critics Choice, Directors Guild of America, and Golden Globe

Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon is also a contender. Even if it looks like Nolan has it all, the 81-year-old auteur Scorsese, who never stops surprising, could pull off an upset. And for good reason—Killers of the Flower Moon is one of the director's most powerful works to date, a melancholic examination of entitlement and colonization.

TOP SUPPORTING ACTOR

Those nominated:

Brown, Sterling K. (American Fiction)

Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Robert De Niro

Oppenheimer's Robert Downey Jr.

Barbie / Ryan Gosling

Mark Ruffalo, star of Bad Things

Robert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer, according to t2oS

Why? Because he has experienced highs and lows, given some strong performances on cinema, and portrayed a superhero for more than ten years. Robert Downey Jr.'s mantle will be adorned with an Oscar, and he is almost certain to win his first one. As Lewis Strauss, Oppenheimer's main adversary, the actor displays his talent for portraying a sophisticated and nuanced antagonist. In a role where he is hardly recognizable, Downey Jr. shines by depending more on his acting prowess than on his gritty appeal.

Awards received thus far: Screen Actors Guild Award, BAFTA, and Golden Globe

Mark Ruffalo is also a contender for Poor Things. Only RDJ's Avengers friend is capable of pulling off an upset. Ruffalo plays a somewhat insane but incredibly hilarious "foppish, mustachioed scalawag," a part that has been colorfully described.

TOP SUPPORTING PERSONNEL

Those nominated:

Blunt, Emily (Oppenheimer)

The Color Purple's Danielle Brooks

Barbie, aka America Ferrera

Nyad's mother, Jodie Foster

Joy Randolph Da'Vine (The Holdovers)

Da'Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers is t2oS' choice.

Paul Giamatti from The Contingent
Paul Giamatti from The Contingent

Why? This is arguably the only area where there isn't much of a competition, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph is the favorite to win. As Mary Lamb, the head cook at a boarding school who is struggling with her son's death, Randolph is both amusing and tragic in The Holdovers. With a performance that combines toughness and sensitivity, Randolph plays the central character of the movie.

Awards received thus far: BAFTA, Golden Globe

America Ferrera is also a contender for Barbie. One of the most memorable scenes in Barbie is Gloria's statement on how it is hard to be a woman. For that reason alone, Ferrera, who plays Gloria, ought to win an Oscar. Will there be an Oscar for that?

BEST IMAGE

Those nominated:

Fiction from America

The Structure of a Fall

Barbie

The Remainders

Assassins of the Flower Moon

Master

Oppenheimer

Former Lives

Bad Things

The Interest Zone

Choice of t2oS: Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer

Why: With an astounding 13 nominations, Nolan's epic saga has a good chance of winning the Best Picture Oscar. Much has been said about Oppenheimer's brilliance; it is a picture that is daringly shot, cleverly written, and able to hold viewers' interest even at its most talkative sequences. Its true success is that despite running over three hours, there's never a hint of boredom. After winning every major guild and industry award, it's the first film since Argo to enjoy a "perfect season." Nolan and Emma Thomas, his producing partner, will become the second married couple in Oscar history to win Best Picture if they win.

The following awards have been won thus far: Producers Guild of America, Golden Globes, Directors Guild Awards, Critics Choice Awards, and BAFTA.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards

Anatomy of a Fall is also a contender. Anatomy of a Fall has very little chance of winning, but if it does, it will be a victory for a clever and well-made courtroom thriller that explores the enigma of relationships and society's ingrained prejudices, with a powerful performance from Sandra Huller.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.