BEST MOVIE:

A STAR IS BORN

Warner Bros.

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in "A Star is Born"

Lady Gaga unadorned, Bradley Cooper as director and rock star: The fourth Hollywood remake of "A Star Is Born" is a soulful ballad on Oscar course. However, she does not have a modern idea for our time. Read our movie review on "A Star Is Born" here.

Nominations: Best Film, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Song, Best Sound, Best Adapted Screenplay

Where to watch the movie: iTunes, Amazon (available on DVD)

BLACKKKLANSMAN

imago / ZUMA Press

Adam Driver and John David Washington in "BlacKkKlansman"

A black policeman who becomes a member of the Ku Klux Klan? Absurd, but the story of Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman" is true. Nevertheless, the film plays fairy tales about the resistance against racism in the USA. Read our film review on "BlacKkKlansman" here.

Nominations: Best Film, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Film Music, Best Adapted Screenplay

Where the movie can be seen: iTunes, Amazon

BLACK PANTHER

Disney

Chadwick Boseman in "Black Panther"

The superhero film "Black Panther" celebrates afrofuturistic visions with an almost completely black cast. This is mainstream cinema with a completely new groove - and has the potential for a cultural turn-around. Read our film review on "Black Panther" here.

Nominations: Best Film, Best Costume Design, Best Film Music, Best Song, Best Production Design, Best Sound Cut, Best Sound

Where to watch the movie: iTunes, Amazon (both can only be bought), Sky Cinema

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

DPA / Fox Germany

Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Friendly Icon Care: The cinema biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" tells the story of the rock band Queen as lazy and lukewarm as a TV movie. After all: Rami Malek thrilled as Freddie Mercury. Read our film review about "Bohemian Rhapsody" here.

Nominations: Best Film, Best Actor, Best Cut, Best Sound Cut, Best Sound

Where the movie can be seen: iTunes (pre-order, expected 28.2.), Amazon (pre-orderable)

THE FAVORITE - INTRIGEN AND IRRSINN

20th Century Fox

Emma Stone in "The Favorite"

Grandiose actresses and virtuoso dialogues make "The Favorite" an Oscar favorite. But the story about a lesbian ménage-à-trois at the court of Queen Anne does not shy away from filthiness. Read our film review on "The Favorite - Intrigue and Lunacy" here.

Nominations: Best Film, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress (Twice), Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Cut, Best Production Design, Best Original Screenplay

Where the film can be seen: in the cinema (since January 24, 2019)

GREEN BOOK - A SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP

ddp / INTERTOPICS / LMKMEDIA

Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in "Green Book"

A black musician and his white chauffeur traveling through the southern states of the sixties: The Oscar-nominated racism drama "Green Book" touches and grabs - but only thanks to its great cast. Read our film review on "Green Book - A Special Friendship" here.

Nominations: Best Film, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay

Where the film can be seen: in the cinema (since January 31, 2019)

ROMA

Netflix

Yalitza Aparicio in "Roma"

The Mexican film drama by director Alfonso Cuarón tells the story of Cleo, who works in the 1970s in Mexico City in the district "Roma" as a house and nanny. Read an interview with "Roma" director Alfonso Cuarón here.

Nominations: Best Film, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Camera, Best Production Design, Best Sound Cut, Best Sound, Best Original Screenplay

Where the movie can be seen: Netflix

VICE: THE SECOND MAN

universe

Christian Bale as Dick Cheney "Vice: The Second Man"

"Vice - The Second Man" tells the story of Dick Cheney, who made it to US Vice President under President George W. Bush. Christian Bale plays the man who is considered one of the most influential vice presidents in US history. Read our film review on "Vice" here.

Nominations: Best Film, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Makeup / Best Hairstyles, Best Original Screenplay

Where the film can be seen: in the cinema (since February 21, 2019)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (FOREIGN OSCAR):

WORK WITHOUT AUTHOR (Germany)

DPA

Tom Schilling in "Werk ohne Autor"

Florian Henkel of Donnersmarck's new film is an Oscar candidate. In doing so, "Werk ohne Autor" hardly tells anything: neither about art nor about the German past - and certainly not about women. Read here our film criticism to "work without author".

Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Camera

Where the film can be seen: iTunes, Amazon (pre-orderable)

COLD WAR (Poland)

New visions

Tomasz Kot and Joanna Kulig in "Cold War"

Oscar winner Pawel Pawlikowski once again proves how artistic and accessible, beautiful and explosive cinema can be with the post-war love drama "Cold War". Read our film review on "Cold War" here.

Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director, Best Camera

Where the movie can be seen: iTunes, Amazon (pre-order, expected on April 5)

CAPERNAUM (Lebanon)

alamode

"Capernaum - City of Hope"

A desperate 12-year-old sued his parents for failing to take care of him. The movie "Capernaum" tells of the depressing everyday life of children in Lebanon. Read our film review on "Capernaum" here.

Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

Where the film can be seen: iTunes, Amazon (pre-orderable)

SHOPLIFTERS (Japan)

Wild Bunch

Sakura Anda, Miyu Sasaki and Lily Franky in "Shoplifters"

Connected by love, not biology: "Shoplifters" captivates elective affinities and gently criticizes rigid Japanese society. Read our movie review on "Shoplifters" here.

Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

Where the film can be seen: unfortunately so far still no vendor

OTHER OSCAR-NOMINATED FILMS AND WHERE TO SEE:

THE INCREDIBLE 2

Disney

"The Incredibles 2"

At least not for the little ones: The animation adventure "The Incredibles 2" criticizes lazy consumers - and is itself a perfect popcorn cinema. That is only seemingly a contradiction. Read here our entire film review on "The Incredibles 2".

Nominations: Best Animated Film

Where the movie can be seen: iTunes, Amazon (only for sale)

ISLE OF DOGS - ATARIS TRAVEL

20th Century Fox

"Isle of Dogs - Atari's Journey"

The US director and cinema Darling Wes Anderson tells in "Isle of Dogs" a hearty, but harmless dog fable from Japan. Read our full movie review on "Isle of Dogs - Atari's Journey" here.

Nominations: Best Animated Film, Best Film Music

Where the movie can be seen: iTunes, Amazon

Cooking Films

RBG working out

She is an icon of liberal America: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of three women on the Supreme Court. A film now honors her career - but unfortunately glorifies the time before the US right-wing. Read the film review on "RBG - A Life for Justice" here.

Nominations: Best Documentary

Where the movie can be seen: iTunes (pre-order, expected on 22.2.), Amazon

OTHER OSCAR-NOMINATED FILMS AND WHERE TO SEE:

  • "The Woman of the Nobel Prize Laureate" (Best Actress): iTunes (pre-orderable), Amazon (pre-orderable, available on 3.5.)
  • "Beale Street" (Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay): from 7 March 2019 in the cinema
  • "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay): in the cinema since February 21st
  • "Ballad of Buster Scruggs" (Best Costume Design, Best Song, Best Adapted Screenplay): Netflix
  • "Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland" (Best Costume Design): since January 17, 2019 in the cinema
  • "A Quiet Place" : iTunes, Amazon
  • "First Man" (Best Production Picture, Best Sound Cut, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects): iTunes, Amazon (pre-orderable)