Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Film Editing

The competition: BlacKkKlansman (Barry Alexander Brown), Bohemian Rhapsody (John Ottman), The Favourite (Yorgos Mavropsaridis), Green Book (Patrick J. Don Vito), Vice (Hank Corwin)

Previous winners: Dunkirk, Hacksaw Ridge, Mad Max: Fury Road, Whiplash, Gravity, Argo, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
My winner: Announcing shortly after the Oscars!
The facts: Only Corwin has been nominated before, for his last collaboration with director Adam McKay, “The Big Short,” in 2015. All five of these films were nominated for the ACE Eddie Award, with “The Favourite” winning the comedy prize and “Bohemian Rhapsody” taking the dramatic honor. “Vice” won the BAFTA, defeating both ACE Eddie recipients. Four of the last ten Oscars winners didn’t win either ACE Eddie. The winner of this award hasn’t gone on to win Best Picture since “Argo” in 2012, and it’s actually much more common for the two not to match up, though all but two of the last ten winners were nominated for the top prize. All five of these films are nominated for Best Picture.

Who should win: This is a strange list in a lot of ways. “Vice” was an irritating film, and its very purposeful construction was a big reason for that. “BlacKkKlansman” is made moodier and more stylized by the imprint of its editor, which made it moderately effective for me. “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which I liked more than most critics, is long but feels energizing because of the way it’s assembled. “Green Book” features an entertaining road trip in which every scene feels vital and relevant. There’s no matching the pace of “The Favourite,” however, which weaves together its wild characters and even more outrageous story stunningly.
Who will win: This is tough. Some might say that “BlacKkKlansman” shows up to surprise, and “Vice” will also probably get votes. It’s hard to imagine “Green Book” triumphing here, especially without a Best Director bid. I’m going to go ahead and pick Bohemian Rhapsody over a film I’m predicting to triumph in other technical races, “The Favourite.”