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Oscars Nite is Nearly Here and '1917' Leads the Charge

Agence France-Presse

   HOLLYWOOD - Hollywood's award season reaches its extravagant finale at
   the Oscars on Sunday, with war epic "1917" tipped to dispatch a brigade
   of winners to the stage at the movie industry's biggest night.

   Impeccably dressed A-listers and upstart documentary filmmakers will
   brush shoulders on the red carpet at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre, as
   months of campaigning for 24 gold statuettes boil down to a single
   night.

   The event comes as Hollywood mourns the death of Kirk Douglas, one of
   cinema's greats, who died Wednesday aged 103.

   Sam Mendes's "1917" launched a late assault on this year's Academy
   Awards -- it was first shown to voters barely two months ago -- but
   experts predict it could outflank all rivals.

   The World War I odyssey about two soldiers crossing no-man's-land --
   filmed to appear like one continuous shot -- has conquered nearly all
   in its path in the award shows building up to Sunday.

   It is the favorite for multiple Oscars from best director to
   cinematography, and the frontrunner for best picture, the night's top
   prize.

   "It falls into traditional Hollywood -- it's what the Oscars like,"
   Variety awards editor Tim Gray told AFP.

   "It's big, it's epic, but it's hardly a formula film. It really is a
   knockout... it's just filmmaking at its best."

   The unique ballot system for best picture -- which involves voters
   ranking films -- makes it somewhat tough to predict, and could create
   an opening for an unlikely candidate.

   Despite the best efforts of star filmmakers Martin Scorsese ("The
   Irishman") and Quentin Tarantino ("Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood"),
   Mendes' main rival appears to be Bong Joon-ho.

   The charismatic South Korean director has become Hollywood's darling in
   recent weeks, drawing unrivalled crowds at campaign events for his
   black comedy "Parasite."

   The film about a poor family infiltrating a wealthy household looks to
   be a shoo-in for best international feature -- but could also triumph
   in some of the top categories.

   'No scenario'

   The Oscars in the acting categories -- usually a subject of agonizing
   deliberation for industry pundits -- appear settled, with the same four
   stars sweeping up rave reviews and awards all season.

   Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger are believed to be far ahead of the
   competition for best actor and best actress.

   Phoenix underwent a striking transformation to portray the title comic
   book supervillain in "Joker" -- as did Zellweger to play legendary
   Hollywood diva Judy Garland in "Judy."

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