Oscars 2020: 'Joker' trumps Scorsese's 'The Irishman' and Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time...' with 11 nods

Joaquin Phoenix was a sureshot to be nominated for Best Actor, however, considering the high-quality films that hit the silver screens in 2019, the remaining nominations were totally unexpected
Joaquin Phoenix in Joker (IMDB)
Joaquin Phoenix in Joker (IMDB)

Like just who woulda thunk it? Or maybe it was coming, and we didn't see it or expect it to shock the world. The 92nd Oscar nominations were announced on Monday and social media had its share of surprises and shocks. One such moment that evoked both these emotions were the 11 nominations Warner Bros. and DC's 'Joker' garnered.  Joaquin Phoenix was a sureshot to be nominated for Best Actor, however, considering the high-quality films that hit the silver screens in 2019, the remaining nominations were totally unexpected. 

Joker was nominated for the following awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. Trailing behind a close second was 'The Irishman', 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood', and '1917' were with 10 nominations each, while 'Marriage Story', 'Jojo Rabbit', 'Little Women', and 'Parasite' landed six to finish third on the podium. 

Phoenix won Best Actor for his scintillating performance in Todd Phillips 'Joker' at the 77th Annual Golden Globes Awards. It was nominated in four categories and won two awards. The 'Joker' had stirred endless controversy and debates, and many questions were raised on whether it could incite violence. Yet, all said and done, Phoenix's performance as the notorious DC villain, is known to have received an eight-minute standing ovations at film festivals.

'Joker' narrated the story of loner Arthur Fleck, a man pushed to the periphery of society, and his final devolvement into the world of crime and how he incites citywide riots. Soon after, the actor won the Critics Choice Award for Best Actor as well. Also to be taken into account is the win for Best Original Score in the 'Critics' Choice Awards'. The composer, Hildur Guðnadóttir already got awarded Best Original Score at the 77th Golden Globe Awards last weekend and now she is a cinch to probably add an Oscar to her trophy cabinet. 

The 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on February 10, 2020. 

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