‘Mank’ DP Erik Messerschmidt Wins ASC; Becomes Oscar Frontrunner.

Congrats to “Mank” DP Erik Messerschmidt, he won the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers award for his photography on David Fincher’s black and white film. This apparently means that there’s a 50% likelihood that “Mank” will win the Best Cinematography Oscars But wait a second, isn’t “Nomadland” DP Joshua James Richards the supposed frontrunner to win the Best Cinematography Oscar? Apparently, the race has changed tonight and it’s now a two-horse race between Messerschmidt and Richards. Exciting. I wouldn’t call either cinematographer’s work “groundbreaking,” but I much preferred the smooth digital photography in “Mank” over Richards’ attempt to replicate Terrence Malick’s neo-realist nature shots in “Nomadland.”