Who will be nominated for costume design? – Blog

by Nathaniel R.

Shirley Kurata’s costumes for “Jobu Tupaki” in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE are very fun and chaotic

Let’s tackle each category of the Oscars while there’s still wiggle room for all the contenders! Last season’s best costume design was stitched together (sorry!) in an unusual way at the start of the year when Jenny Beavan’s trash dress went halfway down. Cruel (2021) in the summer movie season. From then on, it was everyone against Cruel and Beavan came out on top for the third time in her delightful career. Costumes 2022 didn’t really have a show-stopping dress to end everyone’s Oscar dreams, so anyone’s guess at this point.

Let’s discuss 8 movies that we think are major threats to these 5 nomination slots and why. It seems natural to start with two films where fashion is sort of a co-leader…

CANDIDATES SCREAMING “COSTUME DESIGN!”

MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS
The memorable Jenny Beavan is once again tasked with providing a narrative highlight for a fashion industry fable released during the summer movie season just a year old. Cruel (which earned him his third Oscar win). The difference this time is that the dresses aren’t spiritually hers but recreations of vintage Dior couture. She still does a brilliant job, so she has to be seen as a threat to the roster again. Could she win a fourth time? Sure… if she is nominated. The nomination might be the toughest battle this year considering the film is not a blockbuster and likely not competitive outside of that category.

BODICE
Oscar voters may not yet know Austrian designer Monika Buttinger. It usually takes a very specific film to awaken them to foreign talent. But with Austria’s submission to the Oscars, a heavily fictionalized anachronistic biopic of Empress Sissi, Buttinger has a jaw-dropping showcase for his gifts. It’s one head-turning look after another for Vicky Krieps as the problematic royal. If enough voters watch this Buttinger could definitely be nominated.

“THE MOST” COSTUME DESIGN – MAJOR SHOWCASES!

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
If beloved Ruth E Carter was just re-enacting those Wakandan battle suits, we’d assume a nomination would be a struggle, but this time she’s got a whole new realm to design via the watery realm of Namor (Tenoch Huerta) . Only three sequels won Best Costume Design (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Mad Max Fury Road) but they were all within the last 20 years, so it’s entirely possible. It should be noted that in these three cases, the previous films had not won or been nominated in this category. Awards strategists will therefore have to find a way to convince voters that Carter needs a second Oscar for this franchise.

ELVIS
Pick a scene – any scene – and you’ll find a deliciously memorable costume on Austin Butler’s rock god and usually a smart look on a co-star and even some great stuff on the extras too. Baz Luhrmann’s dizzying biopic is simply luscious in the visuals (as are all of his movies). Catherine Martin, wife and collaborator of Baz Luhrmann, is twice winner in this category for Gatsby the magnificent (2013) and Red Mill! (2001). Here’s a weird/funny stat about these wins: previous movies with these titles (even if only one of the two was a remake) had already won the same category! We want to consider his candidacy locked but Elvis debuted this summer and Oscar voters are sometimes very obtuse/negligent about summer hits. It seems probable for one of the five spots.

BABYLON
At this writing Babylon isn’t screened yet, so we’re just guessing, but from the looks of the stills and trailer, it’s three-time nominee Mary Zophre (Ballad of Buster Scruggs, La La Land, True Grit) most gargantuan mission yet. It’s not his first time at the ‘Old Hollywood’ rodeo given his fun work on the Coen Bros. Hello, Caesar! but this appears to be her biggest opportunity to impress and possibly her best chance to win yet, should she be nominated.

TWO MORE LEGENDARY DESIGNERS

AMSTERDAM
This 1930s comedy/adventure/mystery/what’s up got harsh reviews and little box office, so it might now be a long shot for Oscar honors (despite their love for David O. Russell’s filmography in general). On the other hand, the costumes are from a period they enjoy and they are designed by 91 year old costume legend Albert Wolsky who has 7 previous nominations and 2 wins under his belt. His victories go back a long time (All that jazz, Bugsy) but it does a rich job. Whether there’s a surprise costume nomination this year, we think she might be coming here.

LIVING
Sandy Powell, the world’s greatest living costume designer, nominated 15 times, has already won 3 Oscars (Shakespeare in love, the aviator, young Victoria) and was hilarious on her third. But if someone’s career deserves more than three, isn’t it theirs? She never won, for example, for her absolute genius in the context of more outrageous auteur cinema (like her masterful work on Velvet Goldmine, The Favourite, and Orlando🙂 The costumes in this 1950s movie about a stuffy bureaucrat are largely beautifully tailored costumes, but Powell’s work is still flawless and she’s already proven she doesn’t need fancy dresses to be nominated (see the many male nominations for The Irishman and New York Gangs). There is always a key female character in Living as well as a detour to the most disreputable entertainment available in 1950s London to offer variations in looks.

MAJOR THREAT TO BEST PICTURE WITH PERIOD COSTUMES

THE FABELMANS
Mark Bridges has had a lot of fun with Oscar voters over the past twelve years, earning four nominations (Inherent Vice, Joker) and two wins (The artist, ghost thread). Can he extend this run with Spielberg’s late 1950s to early 1960s memoirs of his teenage years? There are many fine period costumes, the most featured being the Michelle Williams nightgown in a key camping sequence.

Which of these 8 movies do you think should feel safe?

UPDATED PREDICTION CHART

The female king

A Handful of Other Period Film Possibilities
Lisi Christl for In the west, nothing is new (set in the 1910s)
Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh for The Banshees of Inisherin (set in the 1920s)
Linda Muir for The man from the north (set in the early 900s)
Gersha Phillips for The female king (set in the early 1800s)
Marci Rodgers for Until (set in the 1960s)
Ann Roth for White noise (set in the 1980s)

triangle of sadness

Five films of contemporary sets to consider (alas this branch rarely considers contemporary work so these creators might have to settle for CDG Contemporary nods)…
Jacqueline Durran, Glyn Dillon and David Crossman for The Batman
Shirley Kurata for Everything everywhere all at once
Jenny Eagan for Glass Onion
Bina Daigeler for TAR
Sofie Krunegard for triangle of sadness