Best Film Editing:

The award for Best Film Editing may not be given live on air during this year’s presentation of the Academy Awards, but that does not mean that the arguably most important part of cinematic storytelling does not deserve to be recognized. Joe Walker’s editing in Dune is phenomenal, as the sci-fi blockbuster exceeds in every single technical category. As this film only covers the first half of Frank Herbert’s sweeping epic, Walker paces the story excellently and fully engages the audience while also giving the story time to develop and breathe. Not only is the action cut very excitingly but the drama is given enough time to have an immense emotional impact as well. Hank Corwin’s editing in Don’t Look Up is another example of sci-fi storytelling that is cut in an interesting way. Through the use of freeze frames and inserted nature footage, Corwin is able to fully express the looming doom of an impending asteroid that no one with any power or influence seems to care about.

Andrew Weisblum and Myron I. Kerstein’s editing in tick, tick… Boom! complements the story to a tee and helps director Lin-Manuel Miranda make his movie as theatrical as can be. The cross-cutting utilized throughout the film to tell the multiple perspectives of Jonathan Larson’s story is fantastic and really adds depth to the many facets of his life. Pamela Martin’s editing work in King Richard is also incredible, as she is able to tell the story of Venus and Serena Williams’ upbringing through their father in such a compelling way. The dramatic and lighthearted moments are balanced delicately to craft a wildly emotional story of fatherhood. The Power of the Dog editor Peter Sciberras takes Jane Campion’s beautiful Western and adds a signature touch of care to her already entrancing story. The room that Sciberras leaves for romance between two of its characters while utilizing that same tension for the homoerotic subplot is just mesmerizing. The Power of the Dog is truly one of the best editing nominees the Academy has recognized in years and is only improved by the mastery of Sciberras’ craft.

Prediction: Dune

Best Visual Effects:

The best kinds of visual effects are the ones that appear almost seamless, and with our advancing technology, the nominees for Best Visual Effects shine beautifully. As expected, the nominees this year are blockbusters that swept the world and contain the power to transport their audiences to wondrous places.

The visual effects in Dune are amazing, as the subtle science-fiction powers and elements of the world are brought to life. Not only does this sci-fi world thrive in visual effects, but they also help to add a humanistic element to many of its characters. No Time to Die is another of this year’s nominees for Best Visual Effects, and the film has more than earned it through its use of action. The nearly invisible visual effects help to make this story feel as grounded and real as possible and genuinely help the action feel entirely practical, creating a perfectly exciting sendoff for Daniel Craig‘s iteration of James Bond.

The world of superhero franchises and IP-driven stories have also dominated this category, as the audience-favorite Spider-Man: No Way Home is nominated. The visual effects in this film are phenomenal and continue the exciting story of Peter Parker in a great way. As the Marvel universe continues to expand, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has also been nominated. The visual effects throughout this film are fantastic and help to build the fantasy world of Marvel’s first Asian superhero incredibly well. The action is incredibly fun, the fantasy elements are handled wonderfully, and the Asian heritage of this new hero is built on in a gorgeous fashion. Free Guy is the last film to be nominated for Best Visual Effects, and the ever-growing demand for video game-related films makes for a wild ride. The impressive amount of visual effects throughout the entire film is beautiful to look at, as it makes full, beautiful use of digital filmmaking techniques.

Prediction: Dune