The Best Actor and Actress categories are always some of the most highly contentious at the Oscars, and this year is no different.
Will Cillian Murphy continue ride the wave of acclaim from his wins at SAG and BAFTA? Could Lily Gladstone be the first ever Native American recipient of the Best Actress gong?
Join Independent TV’s Jacob Stolworthy, Annabel Nugent and Adam White to find out their predictions for who should - and who will - take home the gold at this year’s Oscars.
Get the latest film and TV news and reviews with Binge Watch on Independent TV.
Will Cillian Murphy continue ride the wave of acclaim from his wins at SAG and BAFTA? Could Lily Gladstone be the first ever Native American recipient of the Best Actress gong?
Join Independent TV’s Jacob Stolworthy, Annabel Nugent and Adam White to find out their predictions for who should - and who will - take home the gold at this year’s Oscars.
Get the latest film and TV news and reviews with Binge Watch on Independent TV.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Hello and welcome to Binge Watch where this week we're setting our sights on the silver
00:16 screen and this year's Oscars. I'm joined by culture reporters Annabelle Nugent and
00:21 Adam White.
00:22 Hello.
00:23 Hello.
00:24 We're going to be delving into our predictions for what films might win the top prizes, our
00:29 personal favourites and of course the snubs and surprises that may lay in store.
00:33 How about because this is the most important thing to ever happen in the history of the
00:37 world.
00:38 The fierce competition this year.
00:40 Best actor now we go on to where we have, well it's Giamatti versus Murphy really. So
00:44 Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers, Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer, Jeffrey Wright for American
00:49 Fiction, Coleman Domingo for Rustin and Bradley Cooper for the film I will not mention. Maestro,
00:58 what are we thinking? Giamatti v Murphy. Place your bets.
01:03 Yes.
01:04 Yes to both.
01:05 Place your bets. You want both? Share it.
01:07 Rip it in half.
01:08 That would be great.
01:09 Rip it in half.
01:10 That would be like a great end to an awards season.
01:12 It would be.
01:13 It's annoying because they're both like very, maybe they're quite similar, very interior
01:18 performances that are not like big and showy. Unlike a certain Bradley Cooper who is doing
01:24 the most.
01:25 I love people so much that it's hard for me to be alone.
01:29 Can you want an Oscar too much? And that is what's happening here.
01:33 I've got a feeling though because he's been very quiet now awards season is in full gear.
01:37 He's at these ceremonies but nothing's censored around him and he's kind of like this just
01:41 odd presence imagining this like alternate history where he's like getting up on stage.
01:46 I think he's been a bit humbled and has realised that he's gone a bit too hard and I think
01:50 this might be a good turning point for him going forwards.
01:53 One can hope.
01:54 One can hope.
01:55 It's weird. I think it's like it's an Oscars of two halves because I think you get these
02:02 films that are quite like interesting and unusual that are things like Oppenheimer which
02:08 is not kind of conventional in many ways and then you have stuff like Zone of Interest
02:13 and even Anatomy of a Fool I think is quite unique in what it's doing.
02:17 But then you have movies like Rustin and you have movies like Maestro that are just very,
02:21 very conventional biopics revolving around one kind of central big performance and I
02:29 think that those performances are getting a bit lost in the shuffle which I think is
02:33 probably a good thing because most of the time they're quite boring.
02:38 It's like that classic thing isn't it, we'll come to it with Best Actress as well, there's
02:41 one there this year where a film gets nominated that kind of has no place being nominated
02:48 but because of the performance which essentially just carries the film.
02:51 That's the only reason to watch the film.
02:54 Yeah, Coleman Domingo is one of them.
02:56 I'm glad, he's great though.
02:57 He's obviously been working so hard for so long and it means a lot to him.
03:01 It's nice when you see a nomination mean so much to someone isn't it?
03:04 With Giamatti and Murphy, what is quite interesting is I think there's been this kind of, and
03:08 I'm very responsible as well in this, is Paul Giamatti is this kind of Hollywood heavyweight
03:15 kind of has been turning in his supporting roles for a long, long time and he's only
03:20 ever got one nomination for Cinderella Man, didn't get one for Sideways which is insane
03:23 and here he is, now this is his moment.
03:25 However, Cillian Murphy, very similar trajectory so doesn't deserve any less but what's your
03:33 feelings on how the Academy will go?
03:37 I guess I'm asking you to predict who's going to win out of them two.
03:42 I think weirdly Cillian Murphy has this kind of reputation of being sort of new.
03:47 There's loads of articles and interviews where they frame him almost as this kind of, who
03:53 is this man?
03:54 Where does he come from?
03:56 I'm guessing it's like an American thing but he has been in big American films for like
04:02 two decades at least but there's this idea that he's kind of arrived and this is his
04:06 time and I think maybe Paul Giamatti might be almost too familiar by now so there's not
04:12 so much a sense of give that to that man, he deserves it which is strange.
04:17 I can't fail this class.
04:18 Oh, don't sell yourself short Mr. Coates, I truly believe that you can.
04:21 It's an interesting one because Paul Giamatti for me in the holdovers, it seems to be the
04:25 more kind of Oscar-y role in terms of what they like to give it to and Oppenheimer is
04:33 obviously so technically impressive and impressive in other ways that they might be distracted
04:37 by that but it does, like the Screen Actors Guild Award went the way of Cillian Murphy
04:41 which seems to be a big precursor.
04:44 And Baftas.
04:45 And obviously the Baftas which was less surprising but also like, oh okay, it's going this way.
04:52 So it seems like it's going Murphy's way, Cillian's way which is great, victory for
04:56 the Irish but Paul Giamatti, I feel like he will never win one if he doesn't win it for
05:02 him.
05:03 That's quite sad, yeah.
05:04 Yeah.
05:05 If it's like now or never.
05:06 Yeah, that's what it feels like but maybe it ain't.
05:07 Maybe we're just getting caught up in the fever of it all.
05:10 Yeah.
05:11 I'll be a bit annoyed because I feel like if Paul Giamatti wins, because everyone has
05:15 seen Oppenheimer and because the holdovers, if you haven't seen the holdovers, it has
05:20 this kind of vibe, it has a bad trailer, I remember that quite vividly.
05:24 The trailer is quite hokey and strange.
05:27 They're known as the holdovers.
05:29 I feel like if you haven't seen the holdovers and then Paul Giamatti wins, I can sense a
05:34 kind of backlash against that win where it would be kind of, this movie's really boring
05:39 and this is a boring performance and then Cillian Murphy is this like deeply intense
05:44 centre of this giant film and that would be a massive shame.
05:47 I don't think it's going to happen.
05:48 I think Cillian Murphy kind of has it in the bag but if Paul Giamatti wins, I don't want
05:52 it to be a Jamie Lee Curtis thing and I worry that it will be where it's kind of, that was
05:57 a mess.
05:58 Why did they do that?
05:59 I don't like that.
06:00 Yeah, I hear what you mean.
06:02 That would be a shame for that film to have such a, or that performance have a backlash.
06:06 Alright, so who do you want and who do you think?
06:12 I think Cillian Murphy.
06:15 I think I want Paul Giamatti just because you said now or never.
06:19 Yeah.
06:20 That I'd be happy to be there.
06:23 He'll get a consolation in an Albuquerque though, that's for sure, if he loses.
06:27 That's true.
06:28 Yeah, he loses anyhow.
06:29 What about you?
06:30 I would probably say the same.
06:31 I think it's likely to be Cillian.
06:33 Although I'm not, I don't agree with the whole never going to win thing.
06:36 I feel like he has like best supporting actor 2030.
06:40 But leading.
06:41 Yeah, I can't see that happening.
06:45 He'll get a Cinderella man once again and then he'll get the Oscar.
06:49 I don't think anyone deserves it more but I would say at this stage, I think Cillian
06:54 Murphy is going to win and I would actually, I'd be really happy to see Paul Giamatti win.
07:00 I find the world a bitter and complicated place and it seems to feel the same way about
07:05 me.
07:06 I think you and I have this in common.
07:08 Best actress now where we have Sandra Hula for Anatomy of a Fool, Lily Gladstone for
07:14 Killers of the Flower Moon, Emma Stone for Poor Things, Annette Bening for Nyad and Carrie
07:20 Mulligan for Maestro.
07:22 It's like a two horse race it feels between Gladstone and Stone.
07:26 So whoever wins will have Stone in their name.
07:30 I like that.
07:31 Hilarious.
07:32 You didn't like that?
07:33 Yeah, I think it's a two horse race between them.
07:34 Again, Lily Gladstone didn't get nominated for a BAFTA which hurt her chances but then
07:38 she won Screen Actors Guild and I think Emma Stone even seems almost like she doesn't want
07:42 to be winning this one.
07:44 I think she loves Lily Gladstone.
07:46 You've seen it on the circuit I think and her reaction when Lily won Screen Actors Guild.
07:50 She was so excited.
07:51 I didn't know it was a two horse race.
07:54 Do we think there's a little outside bit from Adam's favourite?
07:58 Yeah, I would want Sandra Hula to win.
08:00 I think that's the strongest performance there.
08:03 I agree with that.
08:04 Do we think Oscar voters are going to go that way though?
08:07 My theory is that a few years ago everyone just assumed that Glenn Close would win for
08:13 The Wife.
08:14 Does anyone remember The Wife?
08:16 It was the Rustin of 2020 and everyone was like, 'Oh, she's never had a win.
08:24 It'll be Glenn Close.'
08:26 And it was Olivia Colman who swept in very, very unexpectedly.
08:30 The favourite.
08:31 Yeah, it was a really lovely surprise win that even she seemed very, very surprised by.
08:37 Oh, thank you so much, Lady Gaga.
08:40 Like a part of me thinks that Sandra Hula potentially could be that person.
08:46 I'd love that.
08:47 That'd be the man of the night.
08:48 And people would be more baffled by it than anything.
08:51 But I wouldn't be completely floored if she did sweep in at the last minute.
08:55 I don't know if that's a mad hypothesis.
08:58 She's just phenomenal in it.
08:59 She's brilliant.
09:00 She's so good.
09:01 And obviously she was in his own vintage as well.
09:02 Yeah, it feels like her year.
09:03 You complain about the life that you chose.
09:06 You're not a victim.
09:07 Not at all.
09:08 Be fair.
09:09 I'm a man who's been cheated on.
09:10 I just reduced it to Lily Gladstone versus Emma Stone, which is a toss-up, I thought,
09:15 but now you've really excited me.
09:17 I think because Emma Stone, I think it's an amazing performance, but that film is quite
09:22 difficult.
09:23 There are many people that would find it way too sexual, way too experimental, which I
09:30 think might potentially be an issue for her winning.
09:34 And even Killers of the Flower Moon, I think there isn't a love for that film.
09:38 It's kind of what you were saying earlier.
09:40 There isn't this kind of rabid passion behind it.
09:42 And as good as Lily Gladstone is in that movie, I think she's...
09:45 It's an amazing performance.
09:47 She's probably not in it that much.
09:49 Compared to those other two performances, she's kind of more of an ambiguous presence
09:54 in it.
09:55 And it's a great presence, but it's not relentless.
09:58 I agree with that.
09:59 I think the film does have dirty with it.
10:00 And it's the nature of the plot, but it's also the nature of the way that they've basically
10:06 scented Leonardo DiCaprio.
10:09 As much as they say they haven't, which they were really banging that drum, they have.
10:13 And Lily Gladstone does fall by the wayside as the film goes on, which is why I think
10:18 it would be, for me, an underwhelming win.
10:20 Why did you come here?
10:21 Interesting.
10:22 It's an interesting racist one.
10:24 It's an exciting one.
10:25 In fact, the acting ones this year, say for a supporting actress, is really kind of...
10:31 It could be anyone's.
10:32 Alright, so we want Sandra Hoola to win.
10:36 And we think this is exciting.
10:39 Who do you think will win?
10:41 I think it will be Lily Gladstone.
10:43 I also think it will be Lily Gladstone.
10:45 I think that's more likely.
10:47 I think it will be Emma Stone.
10:48 I think Emma Stone is going to give us the beach where she feels like, "I shouldn't have
10:53 won this," which has been the theme of the awards season.
10:55 Bella.
10:56 Oh!
10:57 Bud.
10:58 Blood.
10:59 Blood.
11:00 Blood.
11:01 Thanks for watching Binge Watch.
11:02 We hope you get a chance to catch some of our top picks on the big screen while you
11:06 still can.
11:07 The Oscars take place on Sunday, March 10th and you can follow along with all the coverage
11:11 if you just head on over to the independent websites.
11:14 Like and subscribe on YouTube and follow along with all the latest updates and film trailers
11:18 on Instagram and TikTok.
11:19 See you next time.
11:20 Bye.
11:20 [music]