Even with cowboys that look, no less than to 1 pair of drained eyes, like Chippendales dancers, Jane Campion’s “The Energy of the Canine” is wanting prefer it’s going to win finest image when the Oscars are handed out March 27.

However that doesn’t imply that a few of the different contenders don’t have a pathway to taking that award. In some circumstances, all it would take is a victory in a single different class — most likely a class wherein it bests “The Energy of the Canine.” A few of these projected wins really feel like lengthy pictures … however I’m telling you there’s an opportunity. Let’s have a look at the roads these films should take towards that closing envelope on Oscar night time.

‘BELFAST’

Optimum Oscars night: Author-director Kenneth Branagh wins for unique screenplay. Younger Jude Hill does one thing cute. Van Morrison performs his nominated music and doesn’t do or say something silly.

Oscar it wants: Unique screenplay. Branagh isn’t more likely to win for director. Van Morrison isn’t profitable. Ciarán Hinds, good as he was because the grandfather, gained’t prevail for supporting actor. The sound trophy might be going to “Dune.” So, if “Belfast” hopes to tug off a finest image Oscar, it’s going to should win tailored screenplay, as a result of films don’t win finest image with out taking no less than one different prize. (The final to take action was “Mutiny on the Bounty” in 1936, although it did obtain a number one eight nominations.)

Branagh might win. Nobody has campaigned extra this season — and he’s good at it. His main rival, Paul Thomas Anderson for “Licorice Pizza,” disdains lobbying, although he has been out and about supporting the discharge of his advantageous movie. Anderson ought to win. He has 11 nominations with out an Oscar. However … that is the Oscars. Nice filmmakers usually go unrecognized. (Stanley Kubrick solely gained as soon as — for “2001’s” visible results.) Name unique screenplay a coin-flip, one which “Belfast” should win to take the large prize.

‘CODA’

Optimum Oscars night: It aces all three of its nominations: supporting actor, tailored screenplay and movie.

Oscar it wants: Troy Kotsur would seem to have momentum and a ton of a goodwill for the way in which he mixed
ribald humor with aching vulnerability as “CODA’s” loving dad. His Display screen Actors Guild Awards gave voters an opportunity to fulfill him, and he delivered a shifting and, sure, humorous acceptance speech as the primary Deaf actor to win a SAG Award.

Might “CODA” win finest image if supporting actor is its solely different award? It’d be a protracted shot. For it to strike worry within the hearts of its opponents, “CODA” most likely additionally wants that adapted-screenplay prize, and it’d have to leapfrog two heavy favorites — Campion for “The Energy of the Canine” and Maggie Gyllenhaal for “The Misplaced Daughter” — to prevail.

However that wouldn’t even be probably the most shocking aspect of a “CODA” finest image situation, because the film didn’t earn key nominations for both director or editor. Maybe that is one other unprecedented 12 months (bear in mind “Parasite” simply two years in the past, the primary non-English language movie to win finest image) and voters go along with the feel-good film in these doomscrolling days.

‘DUNE’

Optimum Oscars night: It makes good on most of its 10 nominations. Chants of “Denis, Denis, Denis” escape towards the top of the night in solidarity with the movie’s snubbed director, Denis Villeneuve.

Oscar(s) it wants: All of them … or no less than most of them. You would possibly recall “Mad Max: Fury Highway” barreling via the crafts classes seven years in the past, profitable Oscars for movie modifying, costume design, make-up and hairstyling, manufacturing design, sound modifying and sound mixing. Six Oscars! “Highlight,” which gained finest image, took just one different prize — unique screenplay.

That precedent doesn’t bode notably properly for the “Dune” staff, although if the movie pulls off a shock and wins tailored screenplay, it might take a web page from that “Highlight” playbook. So perhaps its backers merely have to maintain reminding folks how Frank Herbert’s novel was thought-about unadaptable … and Jon Spaihts, Eric Roth and Villeneuve did it. I imply, it’s going to take two films, however they did it!

‘KING RICHARD’

Optimum Oscars night: Will Smith wins his first Oscar! And Beyoncé too!

Oscar it wants: Issues look promising for Smith after his SAG Awards win. However for “King Richard” to pose a finest image risk, it most likely must reveal a bit extra across-the-board assist. And who higher than Beyoncé to steer the cost?

The unique music class is kind of aggressive this 12 months, although. “Be Alive,” the ability ballad that Beyoncé co-wrote to play over the closing credit of “King Richard,” hasn’t precisely burned into the general public’s consciousness, in contrast to her main competitors — Billie Eilish’s Bond theme, “No Time to Die,” and “Dos Oruguitas,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s beautiful Spanish love music from “Encanto.”

With its emphasis on Black pleasure and neighborhood, “Be Alive” does possess an identical anthemic energy to “Glory,” the John Legend and Frequent music from “Selma” that gained seven years in the past. The Oscar stays inside attain.

‘THE POWER OF THE DOG’

Optimum Oscars night: Three Oscars for Jane Campion — directing, writing and producing! And another person to lift a trophy!

Oscar it must win: It goes with out saying that if Jane Campion doesn’t win for director — an final result that has lengthy felt as mounted as Queen Elizabeth outliving us all — then “The Energy of the Canine” is in massive hassle. However a director Oscar doesn’t be certain that finest image will observe. Simply ask Alfonso Cuarón. If Campion wins each director and tailored screenplay, that’s higher. And if her film prevails over “Dune” some place else — movie modifying, rating (go, Jonny Greenwood!), cinematography — or if Kodi Smit-McPhee takes his rightful place because the supporting actor winner, then “The Energy of the Canine” ought to be in fine condition for the win.

‘WEST SIDE STORY’

Optimum Oscars night: Ariana DeBose wins supporting actress as anticipated. After which another person makes it to the rostrum earlier than the very best image envelope is opened.

Oscar it must win: How about Paul Tazewell changing into the primary Black man to win the costume design Oscar? Possibly a 3rd Oscar for cinematographer Janusz Kaminski? One other Oscar for Steven Spielberg, who has but to win this century? This century!