Thoughts, Snubs, and Probably Wrong Predictions
By Chris Sabga
 |
With
the news breaking this morning that Alan Rickman has died of cancer
at the age of 69, I'm not really in the mood to look through the
Oscar nominations. It doesn't help that I'm completely bored with the
Academy Awards, as
I wrote a mere few days ago. The only reason I'm even
bothering with this right now is because I wrote about the Oscar
nominations last year and the year before and...well, you get the
idea. So, in the interest of OCD, I have to continue the pattern this
year.
Here
are my views (probably more abbreviated this year than usual), broken
down into three categories.
Thoughts:
Just my general take on the various nominations.
Snubs:
What I feel got left out. I knew certain movies wouldn't make it to
the Oscars, but that doesn't mean I can't personally champion them
myself.
Early (and Probably
Wrong) Prediction: Don't make
your Oscar pool picks based on my thoughts.
And
the Oscar goes to...
Best Picture
The
Big Short
Bridge
of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad
Max: Fury Road
The
Martian
The
Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Thoughts:
I'm
surprised to see "Mad Max" on this list. It has been widely
acclaimed by both critics and audiences, but action films are usually
shunned by the sometimes snooty Oscars.
Snubs:
Because
I think the Academy should automatically love the movies I love, I'm
going to say "Mr. Holmes," "The Intern,"
"Predestination," and "Steve Jobs," because why
not. And
I'm assuming "Straight Outta Compton," "Ex Machina,"
and "Sicario" will end up on several of these lists as
well.
Early
(and Probably Wrong) Prediction: "The
Revenant" has the most nominations this year.
Best Actor
Bryan
Cranston, Trumbo
Matt
Damon, The Martian
Leonardo
DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael
Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie
Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Thoughts:
Maybe I shouldn't be, but I'm somewhat surprised to see Michael
Fassbender here, even though "Steve Jobs" was a notorious
flop at the box office.
Snubs:
As Harvey Weinstein pointed out, no love for Ian McKellen in "Mr.
Holmes." I haven't seen "Concussion" yet, but Will
Smith's acting was incredible in the trailer.
Early
(and Probably Wrong) Prediction: This has
to be Leo's year – right?
Best Actress
Cate
Blanchett, Carol
Brie
Larson, Room
Jennifer
Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte
Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse
Ronan, Brooklyn
Thoughts:
Is Saoirse Ronan a surprise, or was she expected? I'm honestly not
sure.
Snubs:
Helen Mirren was great in "The Woman in Gold." Sarah Snook
was amazing in "Predestination." I liked Anne Hathaway in
"The Intern" – but Oscar never shines a spotlight on such
light, breezy, enjoyable
performances. Women (and men) have to suffer for their art to gain
recognition by the Academy.
Early
(and Probably Wrong) Prediction: Brie
Larson, who has been gaining recognition since her great performance
in the powerful but problematic "Short Term 12."
Best Supporting
Actor
Christian
Bale, The Big Short
Tom
Hardy, The Revenant
Mark
Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark
Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Sylvester
Stallone, Creed
Thoughts:
Always glad to see Sly take the Oscar stage.
Snubs:
Little Milo Parker was phenomenal in
"Mr. Holmes." I realize it was more of a lead role, but
since kids aren't always seen as real people, he probably would've
been bounced down to Supporting anyway. Ryan Reynolds' performance in
"The Woman in Gold" was underrated, and he went through the
type of physical transformation Oscar usually loves. Robert
De Niro was terrific in "The Intern" but that's not the
type of performance or movie that the Academy tends to reward.
Early
(and Probably Wrong) Prediction: Sylvester
Stallone or Tom Hardy.
Best Supporting
Actress
Jennifer
Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney
Mara, Carol
Rachel
McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia
Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate
Winslet, Steve Jobs
Thoughts:
I wasn't sure Kate would make
it, but I'm glad she did. Her ascent as the Academy's "modern
Meryl" continues.
Snubs:
Probably.
Early
(and Probably Wrong) Prediction: Kate
Winslet. Hey, she made it this far already!
Best Director
Adam
McKay, The Big Short
George
Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Alejandro
González Iñárritu, The Revenant
Lenny
Abrahamson, Room
Tom
McCarthy, Spotlight
Thoughts:
Can Alejandro González
Iñárritu win for a second year in a row?
Snubs: Maybe Danny Boyle for "Steve Jobs" – not that anyone was expecting too much Oscar love for that movie.
Early (and Probably Wrong) Prediction: I'll be bold and say Iñárritu gets it again.
Snubs: Maybe Danny Boyle for "Steve Jobs" – not that anyone was expecting too much Oscar love for that movie.
Early (and Probably Wrong) Prediction: I'll be bold and say Iñárritu gets it again.
Best Adapted
Screenplay
The
Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The
Martian
Room
Thoughts:
See below.
Snubs:
I'm assuming "Steve Jobs"
would count as as an Adapted screenplay because it was inspired by
several sources. But if everyone in the Academy was as confused as I
am, that could be why it's not here. Or maybe everyone is taking
Aaron Sorkin's great writing for granted at this point. "Mr.
Holmes" realistically had no chance in hell to begin with, but
I'll list it anyway. "Predestination" somehow took a story
that was only a few pages along (Robert
A. Heinlein's "All You Zombies") and
turned it into a two-hour film, all while remaining true to the
source material. That's impressive to me!
Early
(and Probably Wrong) Prediction: The
Big Short.
Best Original
Screenplay
Bridge
of Spies
Ex
Machina
Inside
Out
Spotlight
Straight
Outta Compton
Thoughts:
"Straight Outta Compton" gets its sole nomination in this
category. Has an animated film ("Inside Out") ever been
nominated for Best Original Screenplay before?
Snubs:
"What We Do in the Shadows" was pretty clever, but good
luck getting a vampire movie nominated for anything!
Early
(and Probably Wrong) Prediction: Could "Compton" win its only nomination? Nah.
I'm guessing the spotlight will go to … drumroll … "Spotlight."
Other
thoughts: I
definitely sound like a broken record about "Steve Jobs" at
this point, but I'm wondering if it deserved a Cinematography
nomination too. The film somehow managed to turn sterile corporate
environments and bland backstage areas into beautiful setpieces. As I
wrote in my
review: For a film that essentially consists of nonstop dialogue
and people walking into different rooms, it is subtly stylish. The
three time periods are each filmed differently: 1984 is grainy with a
dark and drab color scheme, 1988 feels more open with a richer
palette but retains a traditional film look, and 2008 is shot
digitally and looks clear and bright. There are also other visual
flourishes, such as a nighttime board meeting with rain pouring
behind a glass window – a dazzling backdrop.
_____
_____
The
rest of the categories and nominees are:
Best Animated
Feature Film
Anomalisa
Boy
and the World
Inside
Out
Shaun
the Sheep Movie
When
Marnie Was There
Best
Cinematography
Carol
The
Hateful Eight
Mad
Max: Fury Road
The
Revenant
Sicario
Best Documentary
Feature
Amy
Cartel
Land
The
Look of Silence
What
Happened, Miss Simone?
Winter
on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom
Best Documentary
Short Subject
Body
Team 12
Chau,
Beyond the Lines
Claude
Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
A
Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
Last
Day of Freedom
Best Film Editing
The
Big Short
Mad
Max: Fury Road
The
Revenant
Spotlight
Star
Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Foreign
Language Film
Embrace
of the Serpent
Mustang
Son
of Saul
Theeb
A
War
Best Makeup and
Hairstyling
Mad
Max: Fury Road
The
100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared
The
Revenant
Best Original
Score
Bridge
of Spies
Carol
The
Hateful Eight
Sicario
Star
Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Original
Song
"Earned
It"
"Manta
Ray"
"Simple
Song No. 3"
"Till
It Happens to You"
"Writing's
on the Wall"
Best Production
Design
Bridge
of Spies
The
Danish Girl
Mad
Max: Fury Road
The
Martian
The
Revenant
Best Costume
Design
Carol
Cinderella
The
Danish Girl
Mad
Max: Fury Road
The
Revenant
Best Live Action
Short Film
Ave
Maria
Day
One
Everything
Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)
Shok
Stutterer
Best Animated
Short Film
Bear
Story
Prologue
Sanjay's
Super Team
We
Can't Live Without Cosmos
World
of Tomorrow
Best Visual
Effects
Ex
Machina
Mad
Max: Fury Road
The
Martian
The
Revenant
Star
Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Sound
Editing
Mad
Max: Fury Road
The
Martian
The
Revenant
Sicario
Star
Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Sound Mixing
Bridge
of Spies
Mad
Max: Fury Road
The
Martian
The
Revenant
Star
Wars: The Force Awakens
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