Today seems like a fantastic time to get the site rolling with oodles of content again, so consider this my relaunch post.
--------------------------
I
missed the live stream of the 2016 Oscar nomination announcements and
all the hubbub with John Krasinski, Guillermo del Toro and Ang Lee
presenting, because the Academy were inconsiderate by running it while I
was hiking with Everett in the jungle (or what people who aren't four
years old would call walking to school). I don't know if there were any
funny mispronounced names this year or if Krasinski had a scandalous nip
slip, but I do know the official Oscar nominees for 2016.
This
was an interesting year, because usually before Christmas we have a solid
idea of who will be all the major nominees in the key categories. There
was plenty of shuffling and debating as the weeks went by with some
movies being really hot then losing all steam to another suddenly
sizzling contender. The biggest example is how almost non-entity
The Big Short (initially
not even slated to be released this year) went from decent little
comedic drama to full-blown legit Best Picture heavyweight that is now shoving its way into a lead contender spot (which baffles me because yes, it is
Adam McKay's most ambitious picture and it has great performances, but
it doesn't captivate emotionally at the level of a
Spotlight or
The Revenant).
You can get the full list of nominees
here. You can get my thoughts on specific nominations by continuing to read.
Best Picture: Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Mad Max: Fury Road, Room, Spotlight, The Big Short, The Martian, The Revenant
In 2009, the Academy increased its potential nominees for Best Picture
from five to ten, with the idea it would increase exposure to a variety
of pictures and to allow some genre fare to get recognized. Outside of
2009 and 2010, where movies like
Avatar, District 9, Up, Inception, and
Toy Story 3 got nominated
, genre movies have largely been shunned unless they have a traditional Oscar sheen on them like
Gravity or have director heavyweight like
Django Unchained with Quentin Tarantino.
At first glance, the nominations of
The Martian, Bridge of Spies and
Mad Max: Fury Road would
demonstrate the Academy taking a "risk" and actually giving genre fare
some spotlight. Except I'd argue it was just another year of them
playing it safe, even if it is pretty cool to see the feverish dream of
an action movie in
Mad Max getting a nod.
When I praised
Mad Max: Fury Road as
a year best way back in May, I did add a caveat that its genre label
would likely stop it from any Academy consideration outside of technical
awards. That all changed in what turned out to be a pretty crazy
December where
Mad Max landed on the top of many major critics'
best of the year lists and got several nominations from other award
organizations. By January, it was clear
Mad Max had a strong shot in getting nominated and movies like
Carol were suffering from losing a lot of momentum.
Mad Max
got in due to the major critical praise and hype, and if it didn't get
declared best of the year by so many then it would have suffered the
same genre fare fate of being swept under the rug (even if it was the exact same movie). This was Academy
following the crowd and if it really wanted to try something new it
would have nominated a movie like
Star Wars: Force Awakens or
Ex Machina.
The Martian and
Bridge of Spies
are really good movies for popcorn munchers, but likely the fact they
have two big name directors and got strong box office runs is how they
earned nominations. Though I don't think any of the three have a shot at
winning the actual award this year, I do think it will help the ratings
to have Best Picture nominees that people actually watched and enjoyed.
I'm bummed that
Creed got
the pass, and from what I've heard, this is largely due to Warner
Brothers completely being caught off guard by the critical reception
this movie garnered and how it ranked high on most best of the year
lists. They didn't have a proper promotional campaign in place to get
members thinking about it. This means that studio executives don't watch
their own movies or they're just oblivious to quality.
This
was also the year that Academy really should have taken advantage of
their ten slots rather than just nominate eight movies. There were many
great movies that deserved those final spots including
Straight Outta Compton (which along with
Creed would have significantly helped the Academy's diversity problem)
Inside Out (why has the Academy just stopped putting animated fare in the Best Picture spot since 2010?) and
Carol.
Carol, Brooklyn, and
Room
all had a significant amount of momentum and hype back in November, and
then things started getting derailed right along with the different
award show nominations being announced in December. All three seemed to start
suffering by being labelled "performance movies" rather than getting
praise for the whole package.
The nominations weren't a
surprise once the new year hit and it was clear what the favourites
were, but this turned out to be a very different crop then I was
expecting back in the summer. This initially looked like it would be a
great year for diversity or at least a great win for woman and the LGBTQ
community, but then
Suffragette didn't capture the imagination like I expected and
The Danish Girl was a critical disappointment. I haven't seen
Carol, but this is the snub that may catch the most fire among many critics that were championing it.
This
isn't a total groin kick for diversity. Yes, we're stuck with eight
movies about white people again, but at least three have females in
significant roles, and two of those would be aimed towards a female
audience.
I've seen six of the Best Picture nominees (
Room and
Brooklyn haven't made it out here), and if I had any voting power,
The Revenant and
Spotlight would be the two I'd consider Best Picture worthy, though
Mad Max: Fury Road is so different and ambitious that I have no problem with it owning a slot. For the last few weeks I've been predicting
Spotlight as the likely winner, though recent buzz has been increasing for
The Big Short to the point it may be squeaking ahead (plus you can't discount
The Revenant winning at the Golden Globes and landing 12 Oscar nominations as a huge boost for its chances as well).
Best Directing: George Miller (
Mad Max: Fury Road), Lenny Abrahamson (
Room), Tom McCarthy (
Spotlight), Adam McKay (
The Big Short), Alejandro G. Inarritu (
The Revenant)
Ryan
Coogler should be on here. I know, he wasn't really ever in the
running, but he made a dramatic and emotional and fresh movie from what
was a part seven from a franchise people passed off years ago.
Creed was
intimate and touching while also having some of the best action and
thrills of the year; he made an excellent prestige picture and a
delightful popcorn muncher at the same time. I'm glad that George Miller made
it and his vision was audacious and imaginative and very worthy, but
Coogler did a lot of the same things just with less special effects and
eye-popping set pieces. A best director isn't about creating spectacle
but driving the story right into the heart of the viewer where they
eagerly follow the characters to the very end, and Coogler did that
(yes, Miller did that too).
This is kind of the
problem with the best directing voting. It typically awards grand visual
extravaganzas where the challenges of directing are overt and obvious. I
definitely think both Miller and Inarritu deserve their slot, but at
the same time, the directing in that type of movie is indisputable.
Often the more subtle and nuanced directing in intimate and quiet
pictures often gets ignored even though at times that requires even more
skill. I haven't seen
Carol, but I know its fans were
arguing Todd Haynes did a masterful job but due to the fact it was done
in warm and cozy settings that his work would be ignored.
Adam McKay's
The Big Short is the director of
Anchorman
trying to do Martin Scorsese. That isn't a negative but the stylish story breaks and talking to the audience disconnected me from the narrative rather than enhance the story like
it always does in a Scorsese picture. It was McKay's best
work, but I'm not really convinced it was awards worthy.
I'm shocked that both Ridley Scott and
Steven Spielberg got shunned here, especially when their movies got
nominated. I'd say that hurts both movies from getting the Best Picture.
I thought
The Martian was some of Scott's best work in a long
time and did a great job balancing tones, but his absence from the
nominees list allowed a black horse in Lenny Abrahamson to sneak in, which I'm
totally happy about.
Tom McCarthy's work in
Spotlight is
magnificent as he crafted a riveting thriller with amazing performances
without leaning on the typical thriller tropes or having that token
melodramatic "Oscar scene." This was an understated picture that was
more powerful and engrossing due to dialing things down and trusting the
material. I'd like for him to win here, but his major challengers at
this point are Alejandro G. Inarritu (though I don't know if they'd let him win back
to back) or McKay.
Actor in Leading Role: Bryan Cranston (
Trumbo), Eddie Redmayne (
The Danish Girl), Leonardo DiCaprio (
The Revenant), Matt Damon (
The Martian), Michael Fassbender (
Steve Jobs)
Leo
is winning, so everyone else is just here to fill up the five spots.
Leo would be winning even if it wasn't one of the best performances of
the year because he has missed out so many times now and Academy gives
out awards for actors who are due (see Denzel Washington for
Training Day and Al Pacino for
Scent of a Woman as past examples).
Yet
there are still some major disappointments here, especially considering
every actor category is filled up with white folks. There were
definitely some very worthy performances that could have taken a spot
here like Michael B. Jordan for
Creed, Benicio del Toro for
Sicario, Will Smith for
Concussion, and in other categories,
Idris Elba was hands down one of the best in a supporting role for
Beasts of No Nation and Gugu Mbatha-Raw showed her superstar potential in an actress supporting role in
Concussion. We got stuck with a second year of a white wash.
Michael
B. Jordan's performance was integral in
Creed emotionally connecting with the audience and feeling a conflicted fighter battling with self-doubt, accepting his past, and a need to prove his worthiness. This was further evidence that he is a
future superstar. Benicio del Toro delivered one of the most haunting performances of the year with a character you didn't know if you wanted to cheer or dread, and his master work elevated a movie that was visually engaging but had a rather formulaic plot. Will Smith is one of the biggest stars in the world, which means it can be hard for us to not see "Will Smith" on the screen, yet within minutes he transformed into his character, Dr. Bennet Omalu and delivered one of the best performances of his career. Elba was both intimidating and fragile as the leader of child soldiers and was someone who was both commanding authority but deep down rather pathetic and insecure. Elba is one of the few great talents that was able to pull off the complicated character so expertly. Mbatha-Raw has an amazing screen presence but in
Concussion she was understated and quiet but still projected strength. Yet Academy decided to not acknowledge any of these actors.
I
haven't seen
Trumbo or
The Danish Girl. Eddie Redmayne was a big favourite until
the movie was screened. He still got
a nod, because he physically transforms himself again this year and the Academy
loves that kind of thing. Bryan Cranston was top pick to win at one point,
but I don't see him outshining DiCaprio this year.
Michael Fassbender
was fantastic, because even though he looked nothing like Steve Jobs,
you stopped noticing once the movie started rolling. He totally embodied the role
and stopped acting but rather immersed himself into the character. I
loved
Steve Jobs and glad it is at least getting some recognition in the
acting categories even though I thought the script, directing, and story
were top notch. It likely suffered by not trying to soften the Jobs
character and for over two hours being about a rather abrasive and
polarizing figure.
I
am little bummed about Steve Carell not getting a nod here, since this
was probably his best performance yet and my favourite part of
The Big
Short. I'm sure some may sharpen the pitch forks over Johnny Depp
getting passed over for his job in
Black Mass, but compared to the showings on this list that I've seen, it definitely wasn't as good.
Actor in
Supporting Role: Christian Bale (
The Big Short), Mark Ruffalo
(
Spotlight), Mark Rylance (
Bridge of Spies), Sylvester Stallone (
Creed),
Tom Hardy (
The Revenant)
Back in December, most award
pundits predicted this was Mark Rylance's to win. After the Golden
Globes, it appears the momentum has gone entirely with Sylvester Stallone. Stallone
winning is also the feel-good story, and Rylance is talented enough to take away the prize any other year. This is likely Stallone's only chance, and it is fun for an action star that many gave up on years ago to strike back with a performance of a lifetime. Stallone brought so much empathy and authenticity to his character
(a lot of credit to Coogler), and I sense he put a lot of himself
into that role. Out of all the nominees, my favourite was likely Tom Hardy
who was one of the best villains of the year, and he may have a chance if
The Revenant is poised for a ruling of the Oscars.
Actress in a Leading Role: Brie Larson (
Room), Cate Blanchett (
Carol), Charlotte Rampling (
45 Years), Jennifer Lawrence (
Joy), Saoirse Ronan (
Brooklyn)
Sadly,
I've only seen
Joy. I think that speaks volumes about the state of roles for woman in
Hollywood. It is real easy being in a
small city and seeing the majority of movies with the top male
performances but the woman are stuck in limited release pictures.
From everything I've heard, Saoirse Ronan is a heavy favourite here and it was a
career making performance, though she has proven her skill in the past
with great movies like
The Grand Budapest Hotel. Since Meryl Streep's
movies all fizzled this year (though both
Ricki and the Flash and
Suffragette have their champions), Cate Blanchett gets the established
veteran slot this year. Since Academy also likes their lifetime
achievement type awards, Charlotte Rampling may give Ronan a challenge. Brie Larson will always have another shot in future years because she is a clear acting powerhouse. Of
course, Lawrence will continue to be a regular in this spot as well. I
should add that Lawrence by far is the best thing about
Joy, and she
delivers all the nuance and emotion of the movie, but she won recently so Academy will probably think she got her moment for now. Even though I didn't
see it, I really hoped that this would be the year Carey Mulligan gets
recognized, but
Suffragette unfortunately disappointed and
didn't turn out to be the launching pad that I expected.
Actress
in a Support Role: Alicia Vikander (
Danish Girl), Jennifer Jason Leigh
(
The Hateful Eight), Kate Winslet (
Steve Jobs), Rachel McAdams
(
Spotlight), Rooney Mara (
Carol)
Kate Winslet is just as crucial as Fassbender in making
Steve Jobs work. Her character Joanna Hoffman's
relationship is the constant in Jobs' life and their connection and friendship is
believable. She has a great wit and energy and allows Fassbender to play
off her as well. She has been a stand-out for years, but she proves her immense
talents here.
Rachel McAdams has a low key performance and doesn't have character with noticeable tics and quirks that she can latch on to like Mark Ruffalo's in
Spotlight, but it is
just as good in a different way. It isn't showy or extravagant, but she brings a calm and
professionalism that makes it feel real rather than acting. She is also
someone who has been great for years but often gets ignored.
I
haven't seen any of the other movies due to the curse of living in
Brantford and not driving. Many are calling this the year of Alicia Vikander,
but I'd guess she doesn't win here, even though Hollywood is eager for her to be the next "it girl." Winslet got the Golden Globe so that
makes her a strong candidate, but I think Rooney Mara also still has a good shot to win here. She is another that deserves way more recognition and opportunities. To
be honest, all these woman deserve many more chances to
showcase their talents.
Animated Feature: Anomalisa, Boy and the World, Inside Out, Shaun the Sheep Movie, When Marnie was There
I
really need to try to catch the very intriguing non-mainstream animated
features on this list, because this has a much more diverse and
eclectic selection than the Best Pictures.
Inside Out will likely win
and I have no problem with that since it was one of the best movies of
the year.
Shaun the Sheep Movie was cute and maybe the second best
animated feature that I saw this year, but then again, I really enjoyed
The Good Dinosaur for the kid-friendly adventure it was aspiring to be.
I'm
going to skip the documentary and foreign pictures, because all it
proves is that I really need to see more 2015 foreign pictures and
documentaries. Though I have no excuse for not seeing
Cartel Land and
What Happened, Miss Simone?
yet. It is rather interesting that the critically acclaimed
Going Clear
documentary that teared down Scientology didn't get the expected
nomination, and I think it entirely has to do with material that likely
bothered a significant number of voters for an obvious reason. Though as
a quick prediction to make me seem smart,
Son of Saul is a sure
thing for best foreign picture, even though its material is pretty
crushing and tough.
Writing Adapted Screenplay: Brooklyn, Carol, Room, The Big Short, The Martian
Interesting
that
Carol nails screenplay and acting nominations, but still misses
the Best Picture. It really does seem the low-key directing style of
Todd Haynes did it in. My sense right now is
The Big Short will win
this, but I can see
The Martian having a strong chance too due to it
being so breezy and likable. And likable is exactly the reason that
Steve Jobs and Aaron Sorkin were robbed of the nomination that they deserved. I
absolutely adored the wit and sharpness of the
Steve Jobs script and the
dialogue was like poetry even if it was abrasive and prickly. It was such a complex and deep movie with a strong character arc
without it being overt or didactic. I'm not shocked it got snubbed
because I have to admit that during my screening Scott and I seemed to
be the only ones in the theatre feeling its groove. I really hope to see
Brooklyn and
Carol before Oscar time (nudge nudge, Brantford Cineplex).
Writing Original Screenplay: Bridge of Spies, Ex Machina, Inside Out, Spotlight, Straight Outta Compton
Three
of the best original screenplays are based on real events that you'd
think would have source material for the screenwriter,
but apparently, they just came up with it all on their own. I'm really glad
that
Straight Outta Compton got some props, even if I'm not entirely
convinced it was actually the screenplay that made it a great movie but
rather the solid directing and spot-on performances.
Quentin
Tarantino had a rough go this time around, as the rule is almost always
he loses out on Best Director (but gets nominated) but wins for
screenplay, but this time he missed out on both.
The Hateful Eight got a much chillier reception than most of his other movies, but I can't speak into it because well you know, Brantford.
On the genre front, it is great to see
Ex
Machina breakthrough for a nomination and clearly the Academy was able
to look past it being sci-fi. The Academy tends to be a little less
stuffy when it comes to the screenplay categories as long as there seems
to be whiffs of complexity. This is a deep and compelling script that
makes it a movie that you can get a new experience with each viewing. Which
reminds me, I still need my second, third, and fourth.
I
want
Inside Out to win here, but
Spotlight could win it too.
Inside Out
is one of the most complex and richest stories of the year that abound
with symbolism and emotion. I had a spiritual experience with my viewing both times and this
proved that animated fare can be more powerful and rewarding than most
live-action pictures. Right now I'll vote it wins, because that is where
my heart is at. I'm a pretty big champion for
Spotlight as well, but I still have strong hopes it is taking home a Best Picture.
Comments
Post a Comment