Oscar 2022: auteur films mark the return of the ceremony in style; ‘The power of the dog’ and ‘CODA’ are emerging as the favorites

The city of The Angels is preparing for the return in style of the great festival of cinema, the Oscars award ceremonyin an edition in which great productions are not lacking but which celebrates, above all, auteur films.

The hollywood academy wants to dust itself off two years of pandemic (although it maintains strict protocols against COVID) and has unleashed its full potential in a gala that will insist on attracting all audiences to recover the lost audience.

With the 94th Academy Awards just hours away at the Dolby Theatre, the bets lean on the power of the dogthe intimate western run by Jane Campionas the winner of Sunday night.

But surprises are not ruled outlike the less dramatic and much more friendly CODAwhich tells the story of a daughter of deaf parents with a talent for singing, ends up with the statuette for best film.

All in one night with a Latin accent for many reasonslike the movie soundtrack Charm and the historic Spanish presence with four nominations, including those of the country’s most international actors, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.

Champion’s Hour

It will be the votes of the members of the Academy that decide if Jane Campion ends up being the big winner of this edition with the power of the doga film that reaches the Oscars with twelve nominations and after having accumulated many other recognitions, from the Baftas to the Critics Choice, without forgetting the now maligned Golden Globes.

But CODA can spoil the party. The film, which Apple TV + acquired for 25 million dollars after triumphing at Sundance, has won at the union awards of producers, actors and screenwriters. And it cannot be forgotten that those who vote for these awards repeat at the Oscars.

What seems more certain is the Oscar as a director for Campion. Twenty-eight years after being the second woman nominated in this category for The piano and lose the opportunity at the hands of Steven Spielberg, who won it by Schindler’s List, this time the stakes are on his side and not on the award-winning director and his new West Side Story.

very personal cinema

Although it is the new version of a classic, the truth is that West Side Story is a very personal project for Spielberg, who fell in love with the musical in his childhood and grew up singing its songs. Now she has wanted to make a revised and fairer version with the Latino community.

very personal is also Belfastthe somewhat autobiographical film by Kenneth Branagh.

And till dunesone of this year’s blockbusters, directed by the Canadian Denid Villeneuve, is also considered in a way auteur cinema. At least that’s how one of its protagonists defined it, Timothy Chalamet, while Bardem, also a member of the cast, sees it as a complex film that makes us ask ourselves many questions.

All of them will compete for the most precious Oscar with five other films: the Japanese Drive my Car; The alley of dark soulsdirected by the Mexican William of the Bull; king richard, the story of the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams; social satire don’t look up or teenage delight Licorice Pizzaanother great author proposal, in this case by Paul Thomas Anderson.

a magical coincidence

“Magical”. This is how Javier Bardem defined the moment that he shares with his wife, Penélope Cruz, as both were nominated the same year. him for Being the Ricardos and she for parallel mothersby Pedro Almodóvar, will be two of the great protagonists of the night for sharing their status as nominees.

In these weeks before the Oscars it has become clear how loved they are in Hollywood: were the undisputed stars of the nominees luncheon and they have received tributes and recognitions in various events, and their presence on Sunday will undoubtedly be one of the most followed.

For both it is the fourth nominationand both already have a statuette although on this occasion the bets are not on their side and there are other favorites, such as Will Smith Y benedict cumberbatch in the category of actor and Jessica Chastain in the actress.

But no matter what happens, they have already made history, in Spain and abroad.

And in this year so spanish there is also the filmmaker Alberto Mielgo for his short film The Windshield Wiper and the musician Alberto Iglesias for his work in parallel mothersby Pedro Almodovar.

The film by the director from La Mancha it was not the one chosen by Spain to find a place in the international film categorybut he has again had the recognition of Hollywood, which adores Almodóvar, with the nominations of Cruz and Iglesias.

There is no Hispanic representation in the international film category this year, but there is, and a lot, a Latin accent in this edition that also nominates a film by Guillermo del Toro or Ariana DeBose –among the favorites in the supporting actress category for her Anita de West side story– and in which Sebastián Yatra will be heard singing in Spanish two caterpillarsthe main theme of Charm.

Surprises and tributes to classics like The Godfather or James Bond They will adorn a gala with which the Hollywood Academy goes to the reunion of the spectators and also seeks the favor of an audience that resists it, the young.

So A popular vote has been called to choose the film of the year in another category. Y Spider-Man: No Way Home and part, since before this possibility was known, as the favorite to win the prize. Because the film has not entered the list of ten nominees, but it is by far the public’s favorite.