Lupita Nyong’o , an actress of considerably imposing talent, inflicted a real sense of haunting into Jordan Peele’s “Us.” Much like his main character in “Get Out,” Peele’s camera deep focused on his lead’s eyes every chance he got. And what eyes! Aided by cinematographer Mike Gioulakis, Peele gave his film a surreal and nightmarish look with pertinently memorable frames unveiled every few minutes. The color scheme was pure dread, focusing especially on reds and browns.
However, Nyong’o came out triumphant from the picture, so much so that we are still talking about her work in the film and how it may be compensated by an Oscar nom for Best Actress. At least that’s what various Gold Derby “experts” are predicting.
At the moment, I am predicting Nyong’o to be shut out of a nomination.
There are currently 4 sure-fire nominees in the Actress category:
Renee Zellweger (Judy)
Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)
Awkwafina (The Farewell)
Charlize Theron (Bombshell)
Nyong’o will have to fight for that fifth spot with Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart) and Cynthia Erivo (Harriet). Can she do it? Yes, but I believe Erivo will squeak through for that fifth slot. Especially given the fact that “Harriet” just nabbed an A+ CinemaScore and performed over expectations this past weekend at the box-office. A $12 million opening for the Focus-produced and distributed picture is phenomenal.
Regardless, Luca Gilliberti started a viral campaign to get Nyong’o the nomination (below). Will it work? That remains to be seen.