Oscars 2017: Predicting The Winners
8. Best Production Design
Will Win: Hail, Caesar! Should Win: Hail, Caesar! Surprise Win: La La Land
Hail, Caesar! may just edge out La La Land here. Although both tackle Hollywood musicals, the latest Coen Brothers' picture flawlessly recreates a variety of old Hollywood movies in a literal sense, whereas La La Land's Production Designer David Wasco simply works with what modern Los Angeles can offer him. There are some great moments in the film, but it choreography and music stand out more than its Production Design.
Reminiscent in a way of the old Gene Kelly musicals, it is obvious on screen that Wasco is inspired and influenced by exactly the kind of films that Production Designer Jess Gonchor has brought to life in Hail, Caesar! Every single movie-within-a-movie scene is a setpiece within itself that will stand the test of time. Whilst Wasco adds to a pre-existing environment, Gonchor has built a world from the ground up.
For the painstaking recreations that Gonchor has devised, it will stand in the way of La La Land picking up yet another oscar in a technical category like this. Hail, Caesar! is one of the stronger rivals to La La Land, and it will beat the awards favourite at its own game, reviving what came before it instead of paying homage to it within a modern setting.