Oscar's battle set to begin amid crystals, controversy
Hollywood's awards season involves a close Sunday at the Oscars, with war epic '1917' battling aSouth Korean thriller for glory as a row swirls over having less minorities on the night's star-studded nominee list.
A lavish, spiral stage featuring 40,000 crystals at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre will be the glittering setting as the 24 golden statuettes are passed out on Tinseltown's biggest night.The frontrunner for multiple prizes including best picture is Sam Mendes's '1917,' an innovative and personal World War I film that embroiled trophies in the build-up to Sunday.
But the movie about two soldiers crossing no-man's-land - filmed to seem like one continuous shot - may find itself in a pitched struggle with a movie determined to create history of its own.'Parasite,' about a poor South Korean family infiltrating a wealthy household, looks to be always a shoo-in for best international feature - but could win a lot more.
"The big top prizes are coming down between 'Parasite' and '1917'," Variety senior film Editor Marc Malkin told AFP. "Each one winning would be pretty great."The initial ballot system for best picture - which involves voters ranking films - makes the race somewhat tough to predict.
Nonetheless it could benefit "Parasite," a film that appears impossible to dislike, and whose charismatic director Bong Joon-ho, 50, has gained cult status at Hollywood's many awards season galas and soirees.
"Every other movie, people say 'I liked it, but…'" said Malkin. "With 'Parasite,' it's 'I love Parasite.' Period. The finish."He added: "Bong's enthusiasm and his joy are completely infectious." Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood' remains another shot, while Martin Scorsese's lavish crime epic 'The Irishman' appears to have slipped out of contention.
The event's luxury and glamour will contrast with the grief enveloping Los Angeles over the recent deaths of Golden Age film legend Kirk Douglas and Oscar-winning basketball star Kobe Bryant. Both titans have already been put into a hastily re-edited "in memoriam" montage honoring those Hollywood lost this season, with Billie Eilish expected to give a moving musical accompaniment.
The record Grammy-winning singer, who'll soon voice the brand new James Bond theme, is one of several high-profile musical guests on a night when all five nominated songs will be performed.
Elton John, tipped to win for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from 'Rocketman,' will feature, as will Cynthia Erivo - the only non-white acting nominee, who also sang and wrote the theme to anti-slavery biopic 'Harriet.'
No female directors were nominated this season. Irish maestro Eimear Noone will become the first woman to conduct the Oscars orchestra, but diversity among guest hosts and performers is unlikely
The Oscars in the acting categories - usually a topic of agonizing deliberation for industry pundits - appear settled, with the same four stars sweeping up rave reviews and prizes all season.Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger are thought to be far before thecompetition for best actor and best actress.
Phoenix underwent a striking transformation to portray the title comic book super villain in 'Joker' - as did Zellweger to play legendary Hollywood diva Judy Garland in 'Judy.'
Tinseltown favorites Brad Pitt and Laura Dern have their fingertips on the supporting acting prizes, because of their are a laid-back stuntman ('Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood') and a cutthroat divorce legal professional ('Marriage Story')."I simply don't see where there's wiggle room in terms of the acting categories," said Malkin.
More fiercely contested could be the awards for best screenplay, editing and visual effects, with movies from Nazi satire 'Jojo Rabbit' to period drama 'Little Women' and even superhero epic 'Avengers: Endgame' all in the mix.
The ceremony will continue with out a host for another consecutive time, after last year's batch of bright guest presenters caused a trend-bucking uplift in TV ratings.The gala commences at 5 pm in LA (0100 GMT Monday).
