Young Women, World War I, Joker and Harriet Tubman - Here are the favorites at the Oscars

Hollywood's very elite are on site at The Dolby Theater tonight. For the second year in a row, the gala stands without a host.

Most nominations this year have Todd Phillips Joker with eleven pieces. Among the heavyweight categories Best Director, Best Film and Best Actor. In the latter, Joaquin Phoenix may be considered a big favorite.

- And that's all right. Phoenix makes a movie historical supporting character and gives him a sunken place in the sun. The energy, the suggestion, the influence of the audience that he produces are outstanding here, says Culture News film critic Fredrik Sahlin.

He thinks it's more difficult to guess in the Best Female Starring category.

- Rene Zellweger is favorite for the role of Judy Garland in Judy but here Cynthia Erivo, who plays slave hero Harriet Tubman, could surprise. She is the only African American actor to be nominated and the jury has again been very flattered to nominate almost only white actors.

- My personal favorite this year is Scarlett Johansson for her complex and as always compelling effort in Marriage Story.

The other films with a chance at grand slam are Sam Mende's first World War drama 1917 and Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Which is the best movie of the year? Fredrik Sahlin first throws in a cynical smirk and says that it's not really about praising the best movies, but the movie with the biggest PR budget and the most well-oiled lobbyists behind, who know how to convince a jury.

- But okay. In the Best Film category you can see a trend in recent years that the heaviest stay has gone to a smaller, not as favorite tipped production. Like last year's Green book and 2018 when Moonlight won, says Fredrik Sahlin.

- Should you go for it, Greta Gerwig's Young Women may have a chance anyway. Or even Korean Parasite - which would be a bomb. It has never happened that a non-English-language film has won Best Film. But if I had to decide, Oscar for best film goes to Scorsese's The Irishman.

When you tip in the Best Direction category, a good trick is to check out which movie was praised at the latest DGA gala where the American Registry Award awards. Best movie where usually always win the directorial award at the upcoming Oscars gala.

- In that case it will be Sam Mendes this year, for his 1917. It would be reasonable that he got an Oscar too. It is a movie that, with its single finger, is largely a directing company. And photos, of course, but that's a different price. Personally, I'm not sorry if Martin Scorsese wins here as well, says Fredrik Sahlin.