With a more normal awards season on the way, it’s time to sift through what’s been loved and hated and look forward to what performances could make an impact
![Where does the Oscar race stand after this year’s big festivals?](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/70f307e88f11fd4dae78270e675d38f319418cfc/0_1_1268_761/master/1268.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=a0f01f40230bd86bd013c976bb2b130c)
As we all edge slowly closer to something vaguely sorta kinda resembling a loose idea of normality, so too does
Hollywood, its relatively fixed annual schedule going from blurry to a bit less blurry. After an almost normal summer, the fall festivals followed and while they weren’t quite back up to snuff (some had a semi-virtual element, some big films were notably missing), there was a dramatic improvement from 2020 and, importantly, they were pulled off with very few infections.
Related: ‘We want people to freak out’: inside Hollywood’s Museum of Motion Pictures