Completed Category: Sound

 This is one of two categories I completed by watching The Wild Robot the weekend after nominations were announced. 

Sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Perez 
Wicked 
The Wild Robot

I will state for the (clearly important historical) record that I do not love The Wild Robot the way that it seems some other people love The Wild Robot.  That said, there were certainly many things going on with the Sound that were done very well. It is the first Sound nomination for DreamWorks Animation, and they made us feel like we were hanging out in the woods with a robot and some animals. Side note: how many years in a row are we going to have delivered robots featured in Oscar noms?  Probably a lot, to be honest. 

Also nominated in this category is Emilia Perez and who cares. Eye roll.  Oh boy, they have musical numbers (with atrocious songs) and the streets and weird scenarios and there was Sound, oh boy, what a great job, so impressed.  Ugh and whatever, and please don't win. 

Dune: Part Two is back! Sound is one of the many categories in which Part One was victorious a couple of years ago. And fun fact, Sound is the only category in which the agreed-to-be-terrible first Dune from 1984 got nominated!  The one that everyone thinks was so bad even got a Sound nod! Dune and Sound clearly go together. I talk a lot about how pretty Dune: Part Two is, but it sounds good too!  It's really good at building the right atmosphere for the different outdoor vs indoor scenes, big fights, quiet moments, and of course the sandworms. 

A Complete Unknown, the other 1960s Baby Boomer fest along with Dune here (one of the few categories they're nominated together), also does well with both small intimate moments (both musical and conversational) as well as festival scenes, streets of New York scenes, you name it. But I think it's nominated here because we love the music -- and that it probably won't win. 

As for Wicked  - this is another one where I think it has a strong chance. I know it won't win every category but this is another place where people who love a film can shower it with technical awards, and it, too, had music, big scenes, wildly imaginative stuff, trains, talking Animals, you name it. There is so much reason to vote for Wicked here, and I bet a lot of people will do so, and not feel too guilty about not voting for the others (especially because Dune the first already won). 

Order in which I want them to win:
Wicked, A Complete Unknown, Dune, The Wild Robot, Emilia Perez

Order in which I think they will win: 
Wicked, Dune, The Wild Robot, A Complete Unknown, Emilia Perez

(Unless, of course, EmiliaUghPerez picks up a ton of awards but that's too depressing to even contemplate. I want it shut out so bad. Come on, Wicked!)