Completed Category: Supporting Actress

 We'll make this quick, because this category - so often a fraudulent mess - is a total fraudulent mess. 

Actress In A Supporting Role

Monica Barbaro *A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande * Wicked
Felicity Jones * The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini * Conclave
Zoe Saldana * Emilia Perez 

(Pretend that there are a tilde and an accent mark where they belong. 

The smart money, if you will, says Zoe Saldana will win or possibly Ariana Grande, maybe, just possibly.  Neither one of them deserves to win, because they are both co-stars in their respective movies. They are actresses in leading roles, and their nominations here are nonsense. 

Of the actual Supporting performances: 

Monica Barbaro is freaking fantastic, like the others in A Complete Unknown, which is way less of a traditional biopic and way more of a study of some humans who came together, talked, sang, loved, learned, clashed, and changed the world. 

Felicity Jones, I suspect, might become another Cate Blanchett/Michelle Williams/Meryl Streep type who can show up to work knowing a nomination is a real possibility.  She does a lot in The Brutal-est (I mean - they all do. Of all my criticisms, I've certainly not said that was an easy flick to make!) but it's all so brooding and dark and dismal - I'm not thinking she's going to be the dark horse who surges ahead here. 

Isabella Rossellini?  I love her in Conclave  and the way she sure has some stuff to say to all the pontiff-icating men is stand-up-and-cheer time, for sure.  I would love for her to sneak in and grab that Oscar away from the excellent, fraudulent stars. 

Order I saw the movies: 
Conclave, Wicked, A Complete Unknown, The Brutalist, Emilia Perez

Order I like them:  Similar!  3-way tie, then Brutal-est, then ugh

Order I want their SUPPORTING actresses to win:
Monica for A Complete Unknown, Isabella for Conclave, Felicity for The Brutalist

Order I think they will win:  Zoe, Ariana, Isabella, Monica, Felicity

Category fraud is so goddamn stupid.