Secret Oscar Voter #5: Ballot exposed with ‘The Fabelmans,’ Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell

Here in the final days lead-up to the 2023 Oscars, several Academy Awards voters told Gold Derby who they voted for – and why. They asked us not to reveal their identities, but they were otherwise eager to share their views of the year’s best films, performances and screenplays. Now that voting has concluded, we’ll share several with you. The comments below by Voter #5 for each category are part of the thought process in choosing these potential winners.

Also, you can click here to see the ballot of Voter #1 and Voter #2 and Voter #3 and Voter #4.

BEST PICTURE: “The Fabelmans”

I loved the truth of it, the characters, the tone, all of it. And the amazing thing is that it was (Steven) Spielberg’s own life resurrected and recollected in such impeccable detail. Plus, you could tell the movie was made with such love, that’s the most important thing. For my money, ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ felt like a show-off piece by the directors. Second place is “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Third place is “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

BEST DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”)

I can’t give this to anyone but Spielberg. He wasn’t trying too hard or showing off. He did such a beautiful job of guiding his actors and the action. The performances he got out of his cast were just extraordinary. No one has ever attempted what he accomplished here, recreating his own life onscreen like this. You also have to admire how personal this movie was for him.

BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett (“TAR”)

This one is the easier of the bunch for me. It isn’t even close. Cate Blanchett by far. Watching her in “TAR,” I wasn’t watching an actress acting. Her performance as this character was so realistic that it was as if she were actually living as this person Lydia Tar. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was like witnessing the behavior of a real person rather than an actress. That’s the highest praise I can give her.

BEST ACTOR: Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)

Colin is definitely my number one for far different reasons than Blanchett. His work was very subtle, a mixture of so many things. The film itself was part comedy, part drama. and his reactions to everything that was happening around him were terrific, I thought. His work in this movie was very endearing. The other nominees in this category were all very solid, but Colin stood out without being show-y.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)

I loved the strength that Angela Bassett’s character showed in “Black Panther.” She has such a presence that I think was highly underrated and underappreciated, much as she has been in her career as a whole. I like Jamie Lee Curtis as an actress, but from my point of view she was in the wrong movie. I call it “Nothing Nowhere Never at All.” Didn’t much care for it. But I thought Angela was awfully good.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)

Brendan Gleeson did a wonderful job in “Banshees.” I also thought Judd Hirsch was extraordinary in “The Fabelmans.” When I saw Judd’s work there I thought, “Well, that’s an Academy Award performance right there.” But then I saw “Banshees” and Brendan absolutely knocked me out. His character is very well-defined and adorable, if a bit exaggerated. A very well-rounded character and performance.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: “Glass Onion”

I just loved “Glass Onion.” It was very original, very enjoyable, definitely the most distinctive of these five. Of course it’s also part two of “Knives Out,” but the fact it’s a sequel didn’t bother me at all. It stood on its own just fine. The first one was kind of an Agatha Christie story and the second is nothing like that. This is a very well-realized script.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Martin McDonagh crafted a superb story with his screenplay, and very compelling. It was a relationship story that wasn’t just plain and simple. It featured complex relationships that ebbed and flowed and changed, all of it written with great color and relevance. It was very Irish – and very entertaining.

PREDICT the 2023 Oscar winners through March 12

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