Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

Just like with Lubezki, the ASC is going to keep going with Deakins till the Academy follows suit. Blade Runner 2049 gets the guy his 4th ASC win.

The specify what BJ means by "history-making potential," if Rachel Morrison earns an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography, she would be the first woman ever nominated in that category.

I don't suppose there's much hope for a surprise nomination for Lost City of Z, though it would certainly be deserving. The fact that Darius Khondji has been nominated before gives me a tiny bit of hope. It's unfortunate that this film has been almost completely ignored.

Darkest Hour might be my pick for worst Cinematography of the year. Can't believe it got nominated here.

Blade Runner, Dunkirk, and The Shape of Water seem totally locked in for Oscar noms (as they have for a while). And this has always seemed like one of the stronger nomination possibilities for both Darkest Hour and Mudbound (with its history-making potential), so it's possible this slate repeats with the Academy.

Especially because Cinematography is, oddly, one of the less crowded categories this year. Part of this has to do with the fact that a good number of Best Picture candidates seem like they'd really be a stretch for recognition here -- Get Out, Lady Bird, The Big Sick, The Post, I, Tonya, Molly's Game. Even Three Billboards (despite the BAFTA nomination) doesn't strike me as any kind of heavyweight in this arena. And, of course, Phantom Thread is ineligible.

As for what could possibly emerge as an Oscar surprise...I don't know. The Florida Project is much more a critics' type cinematography candidate than an Oscar one. Perhaps Call Me By Your Name, though this is once again another Guild that passed on it, making me think it's certainly not likely to overperform with Oscar nominations, and this category wouldn't be among its easiest gets.

Blade Runner 2049
Roger Deakins

Darkest Hour
Bruno Delbonnel

Dunkirk
Hoyte van Hoytema

Mudbound
Rachel Morrison

The Shape of Water
Dan Laustsen