AIR (2023): The Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards Nominations Point to Big Things for Ben Affleck’s Film

Air Looks Likely to Make it to the Oscars

Air‘s director, Ben Affleck, received a mention on the list of Best Director nominees chosen by the Hollywood Critics Association for midseason movie accolades.

If Oscar season potential nominees were to be selected as of this month, the Nike Air Jordan origin story, Air, would most likely snag a Best Picture nomination. Ditto the daring, romantic and powerful, Past Lives. Those two pictures seem likely to carry over into the rest of the year as movies to contend with for major Academy Award nominations. Also surprisingly enough, great movies, Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse, and Asteroid City aren’t far behind with nominations for the Hollywood Critics Association’s “Best Picture” as well. Good films like John Wick: Chapter 4 and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. also made the cut but their buzz as Best Picture Oscar contenders may peter out by the time the real Academy Awards season kicks in.

Air is the most noteworthy of the movies that the Hollywood Critics Association selected. It received nods from the HCA for Best Picture, Best Director (Affleck), Best Actor (Matt Damon), Best Supporting Actor (both Chris Messina and Ben Affleck), Best Supporting Actress (Viola Davis) and Best Screenplay.

Past Lives also got a slew of recognition from the HCA as well, including categories in which it will be a front runner at the Oscars for as well: Greta Lee (a shoo-in for a Best Actress Oscar nod and a HCA Best Actress nominee), Teo Yoo (for Best Actor), John Magaro (for Best Supporting Actor), Celine Song for Best Director and Best Screenplay.

The really deserving contender in the Best Actress category who made the cut is the fantastic Teyana Taylor for A Thousand and One. Taylor deserves to carry her performance into the Oscar race and kudos to the HCA for recognizing her.

Asteroid City also got (predictably, enough) a Best Screenplay nod and accolades for Scarlett Johansson for Best Supporting Actress. Jason Schwartzman was left out of the conversation, though.

Air emerges as the type of film that the Academy loves to recognize: A true story about the American Dream. Could it ride the success of its critical acclaim all the way to the Oscars? You bet! And, Past Lives is not far behind. Both films received perfect 10’s in my FilmBook reviews of them.

You don’t have to be a genius to predict that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will be the film to beat at the Oscars for Best Animated Feature Film. The HCA nod pretty much hints to it being the picture to top at the Academy Awards ceremony next year in terms of animated movies.

The HCA also honored films such as Creed III in the Best Picture category but with some great movies ahead like Oppenheimer, it’s unlikely Creed III will have a shot in the actual Oscar race.

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