If there ever were a shoo-in for a nomination and an Oscar, on paper at least, it would be for Angelina Jolie playing opera legend Maria Callas. Filmmaker Pablo Larraín had not missed yet in getting best actress nominations for his famous, tragic women biopics, including Natalie Portman for Jackie and Kristen Stewart for Spencer. But somehow Jolie did not make the cut in the end.
SNUB: Nicole Kidman, Babygirl
Babygirl is not a cliche awards movie by a long stretch, but Nicole Kidman’s performance as Romy, the buttoned-up, married CEO who begins a dangerous affair with a young intern at her company was undeniable. But a best actress win at the Venice Film Festival has never guaranteed Oscar success.
SURPRISE: Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Despite the wide love for The Brutalist, Felicity Jones has been curiously absent from many nominations lists for her sharp portrayal of Erzsébet Tóth. The cast did not even get recognised by SAG. But it just goes to show that it’s never too late to sneak in for the big one
SNUB: Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson
A few years after Danielle Deadwyler was famously snubbed for Till, she has another snub to add to her resume for Malcolm Washington’s adaptation of The Piano Lesson. This latest campaign might not have had as much steam behind it as Till, but at the very least one would assume that it could have been a make good.
SURPRISE: Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Supporting actress was one of the more chaotic and unpredictable categories this year, with so many deserving performers in the mix. Monica Barbaro was one of those that was on the fringe of possibilities for her turn as Joan Baez, singing and all, for A Complete Unknown.
SNUB: Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez
One who was not so lucky was Selena Gomez for“Emilia Pérez, perhaps because she was partially competing with her co-star, Zoë Saldaña who simply had more momentum (and gave a moving speech at the Golden Globes).
