Judi Dench, Jude Hill, and Ciaran Hinds in “Belfast” It was like cutting an action movie for the editor, with the suspenseful back and forth of the match and Venus finally making her own decisions, and raising of the stakes for the Williams family. Not surprisingly the climactic third act tennis match for Venus proved the most challenging and required a lot of calibration. While the focus is Richard’s obsession and psychological warfare, the Williams family story always looms large. Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard” (Warner Bros.), the biopic about Richard Williams’ (Will Smith) uncompromising mission to propel daughters Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton) to the top of the tennis profession, required a delicate balancing act from editor Pamela Martin. Yet her biggest challenge was striking a balance between being intimate (even pushing back a poignant moment between father and son) and incendiary (the climactic riot). She also focused on the nuances of each performance in a given take among the talented ensemble (Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan, and newcomer Jude Hill). Editor Úna Ní Dhonghaíle utilized a psychological approach, keeping the subjective point of view alive through use of sound, music, slow motion, or reflected images or faces seen through glass. It’s about the close-knit family and neighborhood community amid the violent conflict between Catholics and Protestants in 1969. With “Belfast” (Focus), Kenneth Branagh meticulously planned the coverage for his monochromatic childhood remembrance with cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, composing many moments in one shot. It inevitably becomes an ambiguous power play about savagery and affection between Phil and Peter, and Sciberras makes great use of the complex performances, the beautiful landscape, the imposing ranch house, and Jonny Greenwood’s dissonant score. “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix), Jane Campion’s psychological western about repression, is skillfully edited by Peter Sciberras, who provides escalating tension in exploring Phil’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) sadistic behavior on the other characters: his sensitive brother George (Jesse Plemons), his vulnerable sister-in-law Rose (Kirsten Dunst), and his tender nephew Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee).
Best movie editing oscars series#
'House of the Dragon': Everything You Need to Know About HBO's Upcoming SeriesĮmmy Predictions: Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - 'Ted Lasso' vs. Meet the Documentary Masterminds Behind Non-Fiction Hits 'Becoming Cousteau,' 'Fauci,' and More Simon Rex Charts His Journey from Hollywood Pariah to 'Red Rocket' Oscar Contender Walker achieved an editorial breakthrough when inserting the medieval chant from Hans Zimmer’s otherworldly score to demonstrate how Paul summons the inner strength to pass the test. It all came together early on in the pivotal Gom Jabbar scene, in which Paul’s special mental abilities and impulse control are put to a deadly test by the Bene Gesserit Mother Superior (Charlotte Rampling). Rhythm and pacing were delicate yet enhanced by Walker’s expertise with sound and score. Added to this was the extra narrative layer of Paul’s prophetic dreams and visions of leading the nomadic Freman in a holy war on the desert planet Arrakis. And the impact of COVID-19 and the cultural cry for unity add a sense of urgency to these stories and their particular structures and cutting styles.ĭenis Villeneuve’s ambitious “Dune” (Warner Bros.) provided go-to editor Joe Walker with the challenge of coalescing the epic scale of the political and religious machinations with the intimate personal journey of would-be messiah Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). This season’s prevailing theme is about playing with time both literally and metaphorically.