After months of expensive campaigns, the Oscars finally arrive Sunday, with all eyes on the race between "One Battle After Another" and "Sinners" for best picture, Hollywood's most coveted prize.
Ahead of the star-packed gala, pundits say the Leonardo DiCaprio-starring political thriller "One Battle" is neck-and-neck with Michael B. Jordan's bluesy vampire horror "Sinners," while several acting prizes are similarly impossible to call.
kAmt:E96C >@G:6 4@F=5 Q3C62< >F=E:A=6 ~D42C C64@C5D[QÂ '2C:6EJ 2H2C5D 65:E@C r=2JE@? s2G:D E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmqFE F?E:= QE96 7:?2= 6?G6=@A6 :D @A6?65 7@C 36DE A:4EFC6[ H6VC6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ <?@H H9@VD 8@:?8 E@ H:?]Qk^Am
kAm%96 46C6>@?J \\ =:G6 @? pqr 2?5 wF=F 7C@> ci__ A> :? {@D p?86=6D Wab__ v|%X \\ H:== 36 9@DE65 7@C 2 D64@?5 J62C CF??:?8 3J 4@>65:2? r@?2? ~VqC:6?[ 2?5 H:== 762EFC6 =:G6 >FD:42= A6C7@C>2?46D 7C@> Qz!@A s6>@? wF?E6CDQ 2D H6== 2D Q$:??6CD]Qk^Am
kAm(:E9 A@=:E:42= E6?D:@?D CF??:?8 9:89 2?5 H2C C28:?8 :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE[ {@D p?86=6D A@=:46 92G6 E:89E6?65 D64FC:EJ :? E96 DEC66ED @7 w@==JH@@5]k^Am
kAmx?D:56 E96 E962E6C[ 3@E9 E96 7C@?ECF??6C 7:=>D 92G6 2 492?46 @7 3C62<:?8 E96 2==\E:>6 ~D42C H:?D C64@C5 \\ D92C65 2E `` 36EH66? Qq6?\wFC[Q Q%:E2?:4Q 2?5 Q%96 {@C5 @7 E96 #:?8Di %96 #6EFC? @7 E96 z:?8]Qk^Am
kAmQ$:??6CD[Q E96 E2=6 @7 82?8DE6C EH:?D C6EFC?:?8 9@>6 E@ 2 DFA6C?2EFC2= 2?5 D68C682E65 s66A $@FE9 :? E96 `hb_D[ 92D 2=C625J >256 p4256>J pH2C5D 9:DE@CJ H:E9 :ED H9@AA:?8 `e ?@>:?2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm#J2? r@@8=6C[ AC6G:@FD=J 36DE <?@H? 7@C Qq=24< !2?E96C[Q 4@F=5 364@>6 E96 7:CDE 6G6C q=24< A6CD@? E@ H:? 36DE 5:C64E@C[ :? E96 hg J62CD @7 ~D42CD 9:DE@CJ] Â k^Am
kAmqFE Q$:??6CDQ H:== 92G6 E@ DFC86 A2DE Q~?6 q2EE=6[Q E9:D D62D@?VD 7C@?ECF??6C[ 23@FE 2 H2D965\FA[ @77\8C:5 C6G@=FE:@?2CJ H9@D6 E66? 52F89E6C :D 36:?8 9F?E65 3J 2 H9:E6 DFAC6>24:DE D@=5:6C :? 2 E:>6 @7 :>>:8C2E:@? C2:5D 2?5 A@=:E:42= 6IEC6>:D>]k^Am
kAmxED 5:C64E@C !2F= %9@>2D p?56CD@? :D @?6 @7 E96 8C62E6DE 2FE6FCD @7 4@?E6>A@C2CJ &$ 4:?6>2[ 3FE 92D ?6G6C H@? 2?J @7 9:D `` AC6G:@FD ?@>:?2E:@?D 7@C 7:=>D :?4=F5:?8 Q%96C6 (:== q6 q=@@5Q 2?5 Qq@@8:6 }:89ED]QÂ k^Am
kAm~?6 ~D42CD G@E6C[ H9@ 2D<65 E@ C6>2:? 2?@?J>@FD 2D p4256>J >6>36CD 42??@E 5:D4=@D6 E96:C 32==@ED[ E@=5 pu! E96J G@E65 7@C p?56CD@? Q3642FD6 @7 9:D 3@5J @7 H@C<Q 3FE 25>:EE65 E96 49@:46 H2D QG6CJ E@F89]Qk^Am
kAmQxE :D E:>6] x E9:?< E96 p4256>J H:== 9@?@CQ p?56CD@?[ E96J D2:5]k^Am
kAmQqFE E92EVD ?@E E@ D2J E92E #J2? r@@8=6C :D ?@E 6BF2==J 56D6CG:?8]Qk^Am
k9am\ %:89E C246D \k^9am
kAm(9:=6 DFDA6?D6 23@FE 36DE A:4EFC6 5@6D?VE 92AA6? 6G6CJ J62C[ H92E :D ECF=J F?FDF2= E9:D E:>6 :D E96 2>@F?E @7 F?46CE2:?EJ DFCC@F?5:?8 E96 24E:?8 AC:K6D]k^Am
kAm%:>@E966 r92=2>6E 925 =@?8 2AA62C65 2 =@4< 7@C 9:D AFD9J `hd_D A:?8\A@?8 A=2J6C :? Q|2CEJ $FAC6>6]Qk^Am
kAmqFE 2 D6C:6D @7 :==\25G:D65 4@>>6?ED[ >@DE C646?E=J 5:D>:DD:?8 32==6E 2?5 @A6C2 2D 2CE 7@C>D E92E Q?@ @?6 42C6D 23@FE[Q 92G6 D66? E96 b_\J62C\@=5 8@=56? 3@JVD 492?46D A=F>>6E]k^Am
kAm%96 2?@?J>@FD G@E6C D2:5 E96J ECJ E@ EF?6 @FE 4@?EC@G6CDJ 3642FD6 QH6 9@?@C E96 H@C< 2?5 ?@E E96 A6CD@?2=:EJ[Q 3FE AC65:4E65 |:4926= q] y@C52? H@F=5 H:? E96 QE:89E C246]Qk^Am
kAm%96 Q$:??6CDQ DE2C A=2JD EH@ C@=6D 2D EH:? 3C@E96CD[ 2?5 H@? E96 :>A@CE2?E $4C66? p4E@CD vF:=5VD p4E@C pH2C5 E9:D >@?E9[ ;FDE 367@C6 ~D42CD G@E:?8 4=@D65]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D 2 >@G:6 DE2C A6C7@C>2?46 E92E H6 5@?VE 86E G6CJ @7E6?[Q D2:5 s2G:D[ H9@ 2=D@ 5@6D ?@E CF=6 @FE s:r2AC:@ @C tE92? w2H<6 WQq=F6 |@@?QX]k^Am
kAm%96 DFAA@CE:?8 24E:?8 AC:K6D 2C6 2=D@ FA 7@C 8C23D]k^Am
kAm$62? !6?? 4@F=5 H:? 2 E9:C5 24E:?8 ~D42C 7@C 9:D 4@>:4 J6E E6CC:7J:?8 D@=5:6C :? Q~?6 q2EE=6]Qk^Am
kAmqFE 96 :D FA 282:?DE :?E6C?2E:@?2= 2CE9@FD6 72G@C:E6 $E6==2? $<2CD82C5 WQ$6?E:>6?E2= '2=F6QX 2?5 G6E6C2? s6=C@J {:?5@[ H9@ 62C?65 9:D 7:CDE ~D42C ?@5 2E fb 7@C Q$:??6CD]Qk^Am
kAm$FAA@CE:?8 24EC6DD 4@F=5 D66 2 C2C6 9@CC@C G:==2:? C@=6 C6H2C565 7@C p>J |25:82? :? Q(62A@?D[Q @C 8@ E@ Q~?6 q2EE=6Q C6G@=FE:@?2CJ %6J2?2 %2J=@C @C Q$:??6CDQ w@@5@@ 962=6C (F?>:Â |@D2<F]k^Am
kAm%96 @?=J DFC6 E9:?8 2AA62CD E@ 36 36DE 24EC6DD ?@>:?66 y6DD:6 qF4<=6J[ H9@ A=2JD (:==:2> $92<6DA62C6VD H:76 :? Qw2>?6E]Qk^Am
kAmQxEVD 366? E96 DE62>C@==6C 2== D62D@?] %92EVD E96 @?6 E9:?8 J@F 4@F=5 E2<6 E@ E96 32?<[Q D2:5 s2G:D]k^Am
k9am\ z!@A[ #657@C5 EC:3FE6D \k^9am
kAmu@C 36DE :?E6C?2E:@?2= 7:=>[ }@CH68:2? 72>:=J 5C2>2 Q$6?E:>6?E2= '2=F6Q H:== G:6 H:E9 qC2K:=VD DFCC62= A@=:E:42= E9C:==6C Q%96 $64C6E p86?E]Qk^Am
kAm%96 2??F2= :? >6>@C:2> D68>6?E 7@C C646?E=J A2DD65 :4@?D H:== 9@?@C #@36CE #657@C5[ H9@ 5:65 :? $6AE6>36C[ 2?5 #@3 #6:?6C[ H9@ H2D >FC56C65 :? s646>36C]k^Am
kAm~D42CD AC@5F46CD 564=:?65 E@ 4@>>6?E @? C6A@CED E92E q2C3C2 $EC6:D2?5Â H:== D:?8 2 EC:3FE6 E@ 96C Q%96 (2J (6 (6C6Q 4@\DE2C]k^Am
kAmt;26[ pF5C6J }F?2 2?5 #6: p>:[ E96 D:?8:?8 G@:46D 369:?5 Qz!@A s6>@? wF?E6CDQ 7:4E:@?2= 8:C= 8C@FA w&}%#^)[ H:== A6C7@C> E96 }6E7=:I D>2D9 7:=>VD ~D42C\?@>:?2E65 D@?8 Qv@=56?]QÂ k^Am
kAmAC\2>K^DDEk^Am
