And the Oscar goes to…

Even as a fan of Todd Phillips’ ​“Joker,” the eleven nominations it received seems a little ridiculous. And while angry that numerous great movies (including some of my favorites) were snubbed this year, I will still tune into The Oscars on Feb. 9.

I’ll be up front and say ​“Parasite” ​is a shoo-in for Best International Feature Film. There’s no real competition. ​Parasite ​is arguably the best movie of the year, as it left strong impressions on casual moviegoers and critics alike.

From the moment I heard the opening notes, I knew ​“Joker” ​was going to be great as well. Without a doubt, it’ll take home the award for scores. The haunting sounds of the violin expertly transported audiences into Gotham City, making them feel Arthur Fletch’s personal tragedies on a deeper level. While the other nominees have great scores of their own, none can compare to ​“Joker.”

The category of Best Original Screenplay hosts a lot of competition, with films like ​“Knives Out,” “Marriage Story” ​and “​Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” ​all vying for highest honors. However, I believe that Quentin Tarantino will bring home the award with “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” just as he did at the Golden Globes. With its unique script, it deserves the recognition.

While Brad Pitt has already won a Golden Globe ​and ​SAG Award for ​”Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” I​ believe that Joe Pesci will bring home the gold for his work in ​”The Irishman​.” The nominations list for Best Supporting Actor is stacked, with Tom Hanks and Al Pacino also in the running, but Pesci steals the show. Returning to the silver screen for his first performance since his cameo in 2006, Pesci will probably win as recognition of his outstanding career.

The Best Director Award could really go in any direction. How can you choose just one nominee from a pool of names like Martin Scorsese, Bong Joon-Ho and Quentin Tarantino? The Academy typically seems to lean towards American movies (to please audiences), but I think that this year, Joon-Ho will win for “Parasite.​” Every aspect of this movie has his fingerprints all over it, and it would honestly be a crime to choose anyone else. 

This isn’t a prediction, but it needs to be said: there’s no reason for Todd Phillips to be in the Best Director category, especially when the likes of Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach or even the Safdie Brothers could’ve been nominated. While Phillips did a great job with ​”Joker,” the three names previously listed deserve much more recognition.

The award for Best Supporting Actress goes to… Laura Dern in ​“Marriage Story.” Playing a hot shot divorce lawyer, Dern should win this award solely as praise of her courtroom scene with Ray Liotta. If there’s a chance for you to bet some cash on the winner of this award, trust me here.

Since the film’s first festival run, ​”Joker” received tons of acclaim as one of the best films of the year, but even more praise was thrown at the performance of Joaquin Phoenix. While he may not be able to fill Heath Ledger’s shoes (who can?), Phoenix gave one of the best performances of the year with a convincing portrayal of the Joker before his downfall into crime. While I predict Phoenix will win Best Lead Actor, it won’t come easy. Adam Driver’s performance was just as good, if not better. Sadly, The Academy typically doesn’t favor streaming services, so Driver likely won’t come out with the victory.

Renee Zellweger will win Best Lead Actress for her portrayal of beloved actress Judy Garland. While the four other nominees all gave great performances, sometimes you have to just accept the fact that The Academy ​loves m​ovies about Hollywood, and movies that can shine a positive light on the industry as a whole. Even without this advantage, Zellweger did a wonderful job and fully committed to her role. She deserves this award.

With nine nominees to choose from, there’s no easy way to predict which film might win Best Picture, though I can say with certainty it will ​not ​be ​“Ford v. Ferrari.” However, I have to stick to my gut and go with ​”Once Upon a Time In Hollywood,” as this is the safest—and probably most viewer friendly—choice.