This Sunday February 28, 2016 will be the return of an event that I look forward to each year for the dedication to cinema and the pageantry and tradition of what the event has meant since 1927. This year marks the 88th installment of this event and it should be an interesting night. What I will do is post the main awards nominees: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress-these are the five I feel are the important ones, though I am always interested in Best Director (important, but I'm going to use the post to talk about the movies and the performances more from now on), Best Costumes, Best Score/Original Song, Best Visual Effects and Best Make-Up, they aren't necessarily the most important ones-just ones that interest me. I will post the ones I THINK/FEEL will win in bold. I will post the ones I WANT to win in italics. Keep in mind in one or more of these categories they may be one and the same for think and want. Then I will provide some commentary on my thoughts on the nominees involved.
BEST PICTURE:
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
This year's Best Picture nominees is a mix of different stories and themes. Whether it's looking at the financial crisis, spies during the Cold War, a girl torn between her native Ireland and Brooklyn, New York, a post apocalyptic adventure, a dangerous adventure in space, an ultimate test of survival and perseverance, looking at how big the world is through a small lens, and uncovering media stories that shake the foundation of the Catholic Church: each movie has something interesting about it. Overall, the nominees are good. I'm pleased with most of the selections. I think the movie from this list that should and will most likely win is Spotlight. The cast was phenomenal as they worked together to uncover dark secrets about the Catholic Church. Watching each step of their journey to gather information and create their news stories was intriguing throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I think the interviews, personal feelings, and ambitious nature of the characters created a solid movie deserving of nominations. I think the only other movie that has a great chance of winning is The Revenant. It won the Golden Globe, and personally, I thought this was phenomenal. This is such a physically exhausting movie for the cast involved, and I think ultimately this movie shows us the perseverance of the human spirit. Room is an excellent movie, and easily one of my favorites of 2015. It most likely won't win Best Picture, but the subject matter and the performances are well worth it. I thought it was incredible watching the world literally grow each step of the movie. We start in a small room and watch as the world expands before our eyes to a bigger, more colorful world. We see both the dark and the light explored in great detail in Room. Bridge of Spies is an underrated movie. I thought it had great tension throughout and you saw how both the United States and the Soviet Union dealt with spies. You saw how spies operated for both countries. It was really interesting to watch and the performances really bolstered a compelling story bolstered by two family men. Brooklyn did really well approaching life in two different countries with one girl's decision to choose between Ireland and New York. Capturing the Italian and Irish culture was fun to watch. You were given a sense of how different cultures mesh. Mad Max: Fury Road is so visually amazing. This is a movie that goes all out with costumes, make-up, and just an overall fun movie experience. The action is off the page exciting. Watching the different colors and visually amazing scenes take place is exciting. The Martian is interesting in terms of watching how Mark Watney adapts to life on Mars. The Big Short is a movie that explores the financial bubble of the mid-2000s. In terms of the cast, it's brilliant. In terms of the overall movie, it really isn't necessary to make this. Nobody wants to watch a movie about the financial crisis. I did laugh at the terrible fake beards throughout in this. I think the best movie of the year was omitted, and that is Ex Machina. Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, and Domnhall Gleeson all were stellar in this. The story overall was incredible, and the twist was pulled off so well. Nothing even came close to being as good as Ex Machina in 2015. I thought Ex Machina had a chance of being included, but it just didn't make the cut. If I was making the selections it would have been the first movie I included. I also think it's a shame that The Hateful Eight wasn't included. This was a great, character driven, dialogue heavy mystery movie that had me invested from the opening carriage ride. The Hateful Eight had very good story-telling, solid dialogue, humor (definitely dark at times), mystery, and lots of crimson. While it does bother me that Ex Machina and the Hateful Eight are not included, Spotlight is excellent and more than deserving of a Best Picture win. I'd be perfectly fine with Room, The Revenant, or Bridge of Spies winning as well.
BEST ACTOR:
Bryan Cranston-Trumbo
Matt Damon-The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio-The Revenant
Michael Fassbender-Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne-The Danish Girl
I think one common theme about the Best Actor list this year is perseverence. Each one of these performances in some way tested the resolve of the character. Is this the year? Could it finally be the moment? Will my favorite actor of all time finally win the award that has eluded him? I think this is the year Leonardo DiCaprio wins the Best Actor Oscar. The man has turned out solid work since 2002. In fact, Gangs of New York & Catch Me If You Can are both in my Top 5 favorite movies of all time, and DiCaprio was a lead in both of those movies. Even before 2002, he was putting out solid work in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (which he was nominated for), Basketball Diaries, Titanic, and The Man in the Iron Mask. I think his performance as Hugh Glass was incredible in The Revenant. This was a very physical performance. The audience felt the physical exertion on his body and mind throughout this movie. The pain and anguish was written on his face. I think DiCaprio did an amazing job showing the resolve of the human spirit.
He kept dusting himself off and finding a way back. There was so much intensity in the performance. DiCaprio is just a flat out good actor, and I'm always amazed to see how much he puts himself into his movies. I think this is a year where there is a definite winner for Best Actor, but with the Academy you never know. I'm really pulling for a DiCaprio win. Bryan Cranston is a great actor shaping one of the most iconic characters in television history as Walter White in Breaking Bad. He's more known for his television roles, but he can translate that to screen. I thought Trumbo was good simply because it was a great look at how Hollywood was affected by the red scare. Dalton Trumbo was a screenwriter that was blacklisted (which means he was labeled a communist). He was one of the highest paid writers. He refused to give names to HUAC on actors and writers that were rumored communists, which ultimately put him in prison. He used his writing to question to the government. Cranston did well capturing the look and mannerisms of Trumbo. While I don't see Cranston picking up the win here, I definitely think his performance was well done and indicative of a chaotic time in Hollywood and the United States in general. Matt Damon's Mark Watney was left behind on a Mars mission. In order to survive, he had to devise ways to grow food and figure out how to survive on another planet. Watching the physical toll it takes on him, while also using his intellect, he is able to grow potatoes and explore the planet to send messages back to Earth to get a rescue mission. Damon did well providing some great comedic lines to break the dramatic nature of Watney's environment. He also displayed the physical toll it took on him well. Damon balanced drama and comedy so well in this role. While there was a good supporting cast, this movie is all Damon. He sets the tone for the movie at the right intervals. I think the right person had to be on screen in order for the audience to be invested in Watney's journey, and Matt Damon is a great actor for that. Since Good Will Hunting, he's proven that he's a truly gifted actor. While I don't necessarily see Damon picking up the win, this easily is one of his best performances, and deserves to be praised by the Academy and by audiences throughout the world. While Michael Fassbender is one of my favorite actors, I didn't particularly like his role as Steve Jobs. Fassbender didn't seem to be interested in the performance he was in, and I could understand that. The writing is not Aaron Sorkin's best. He's capable of so much more. Fassbender felt wooden at many points in this movie, and the focus on his relationship with his daughter never should have been the focus.. They focused more on his relationships than the technological aspects of his life. Steve Jobs really never gets to that next level and kind of fell flat. We literally just saw a movie about Steve Jobs a few years back with Ashton Kutcher and that completely bombed. I think the reason is nobody really wants to watch a movie about Steve Jobs. Even Michael Fassbender understands that, and his performance reflected that. Fassbender should have been nominated for Macbeth instead. Eddie Redmayne is wise in the movies he agrees to be a part of. Last year, he pulled off the win for Stephen Hawking in Theory of Everything. I thought Michael Keaton had it in the bag for Birdman as did most people. Even Keaton was ready to spring out of his seat. Redmayne's transformation to Lile Elbe is intriguing to watch. It's a powerful movie for the transgender community. I still think that Redmayne's performance was pretty flat. Instead of The Danish Girl focusing on fear, inner conflict, and the close mindedness of society, it really just looked at the surface and focused on Eddie Redmayne in a dress. It touched on the elements I mentioned, but we never fully become invested in Redmayne's performance, because he never allows himself to go that extra mile. I think he will be capable of that with more performances in the next few years. I think this is going to be Leonardo DiCaprio's year, and I'm fully in support of that. The Revenant physically represents his resolve to keep pushing towards that podium. The physical exertion of all his hard work over the years should finally be realized this year. Let's Go Leo! I'm not ruling out a surprise victory from the other four, but I really think this is finally going to be DiCaprio's year!
BEST ACTRESS:
Cate Blanchett-Carol
Brie Larson-Room
Jennifer Lawrence-Joy
Charlotte Rampling-45 Years
Saoirse Ronan-Brooklyn
I am always invested in female movie and television performances. Every year I have a definite favorite of who I want to win in this particular category, and this year isn't any different as I am 100% in support of Brie Larson winning for her incredible role as Joy in Room. It's amazing watching Joy sacrifice herself in several ways both physically and mentally to nurture and protect Jack. Her stories are exciting and educate Jack. She creates fun adventures for him to fill his days, which helps him think and become more well rounded as an individual with limited resources at their disposal. It's amazing to watch Joy persevere despite the dark realities she faces at the hands of "Old Nick."Brie Larson is such a talented actress. Watching Joy in the small world she creates with Jack vs. the big outside world creates a dynamic, well-rounded character. Larson's interactions with Jack, "Old Nick", and her parents are all vastly different and demonstrate Larson's range as an actress. She more than deserves the nomination and win here. Jennifer Lawrence's role as Joy didn't feel like a performance to me. It just felt like Lawrence was talking to the audience as herself. I am not the biggest fan of Lawrence, but I understand the nomination for her taking a role that goes beyond a woman selling mops. It's a story about family and all the negative things she has to deal with. People are praising this performance, and I'm just not understanding it. Most of it has to do with the fact that I am not a fan of David O'Russell's work overall. I didn't particularly find Silver Linings Playbook or American Hustle to be anything great, and I felt the same way about Joy. Lawrence was front and center in this movie, and put her all into it, but at the same time I never became fully invested in the story. It jumps from a comedy to a drama to a crime story to comedy again. Make up your mind O'Russell! Lawrence tends to overact in her performances and you sensed it at certain points here. It's a huge reason why I disliked her role in American Hustle. The Academy is a fan of her and David O'Russell, so it's not surprising that this made the list. It's probably the biggest competition to Larson in this category I would think. Cate Blanchett is one of my all time favorite actresses. She was great in Carol, because she really set the tone for the movie. Her interactions with Rooney Mara were great-lots of this movie is carried by facial expression and building tension. That's why I think it was wise to have Blanchett in this role. She knows how to command the screen with her eyes and pull the audience in. Though Carol may be slow at times, I still was captivated by everything Blanchett did in her interactions with Therese and Kyle Chandler's (who in my opinion created one of the greatest male television characters of all time in Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights) Harge. Her scenes with Blanchett's steely gaze at Therese is intimidating, but amazing at the same time. The second half focuses on Carol with the situation with Rudin and the scenes with Harge. Blanchett is incredible! In my opinion, the last great female Oscar winning performance was Blanchett's work in Blue Jasmine. That was simply amazing work, and while this movie has a slower pace, the build-up and tension between Carol & Therese is simply excellent. I am going to be honest and admit that I haven't seen 45 Years. I am aware of Charlotte Rampling and I do know she is capable of delivering a good performance. She was the bright spot in Dexter Season 8 as Evelyn Vogel. I enjoyed Saoirse Ronan's performance as Eilis in Brooklyn. We follow this girl's journey as she learns to adapt in two different countries: her native Ireland & the United States-specificially in Brooklyn, New York. Ronan had to develop two different identities for each country while still maintaing her original blueprint as a character, and she succeeded. I enjoyed the Irish/Italian romance with Ronan and Emory Cohen's Tony. I thought she really meshed well with him and Domnhall Gleeson's Jim Farrell. Ronan sets the tone for the movie. She takes an ordinary character and manages to make it intriguing. It's a solid performance by a young actress that certainly deserves to be on this list. If I had to edit this list, I would remove Charlotte Rampling and replace her with Carey Mulligan's Maud from Suffragette. It was one of my 5 favorite female performances this year-with Alicia Vikander's Ava in Ex Machina, Daisy Ridley's Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Emma Stone's Jill in Irrational Man, and of course Brie Larson as Joy in Room being the other four. I was disappointed she wasn't nominated. I loved watching Mulligan's Maud evolve over the course of the movie. Her scenes in Parliament discussing wage raises and the women's vote, burning that chauvinist douche's hand with the iron, and the interrogation scene with Brendan Gleeson where you finally see how this vote and her rights as a mother would mean in the grand scope of things were incredible to watch. If we're supposed to be celebrating the best performances of 2015, then we need to include Mulligan's Maud. Carey Mulligan is in my Top 3 actresses. I've been impressed with all of her work since An Education. Even though Mulligan was criminally omitted, I do have a definite favorite I can rally behind, and that is Brie Larson! Go Brie! You more than deserve this nomination and hopefully a win.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Christian Bale-The Big Short
Tom Hardy-The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo-Spotlight
Mark Rylance-Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone-Creed
I think the Academy missed out big time on the Best Supporting Actor nominations. While there are definitely performances nominated here that I believe deserve to be here, there is a huge omission that bothers me a great deal. That omission is Jacob Tremblay for his role as Jack in Room. Nobody deserved a nomination for Best Supporting Actor more than him. Maybe they feel he is too young, but Anna Paquin was only a year older when she won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Piano. Tremblay was the heart and soul of this movie, and even Brie Larson has said this in multiple interviews and even thanked him in her Golden Globe speech for her performance. Tremblay uses the stories and valuable information that Joy teaches him in their little space together. He is able to eventually apply it to a big, outside world setting. Room is really seen through Jack's eyes. Watching the small, isolated world blended with the big, chaotic outside world through Jack's eyes and voice is incredible. For a young actor, he was able to show mature emotion and depth to his character of Jack that most actors 20 years older than him wish they could achieve. This list is far from being complete when the best supporting actor performance of the year was left off. I think the sentimental favorite, as well as the nominee most likely to win is Sylvester Stallone as he reprises one of the most iconic characters in movie history in Rocky Balboa. While Stallone may not necessarily be the best actor, Stallone puts his all into the Rocky Balboa role. In this movie, Michael B. Jordan filled his shoes as the fighter, and did well as Jordan usually delivers strong performances. If you need proof, check out his role as Vince Howard in Friday Night Lights or his work in Fruitvale Station. Stallone's best work has always been in the Rocky series, and his work as a mentor here is excellent. Many of his quotes are inspirational and it's one of those stories that make movie audiences excited, because in the end we know the story will be fulfilling for the characters. I think it would be awesome to see Stallone win as it will serve as a career achievement in shaping a character from start to finish over the course of five decades. Rocky won Best Picture in 1976, and Stallone wrote and directed it. Stallone getting the win for the actual performance just seems right. I would have no issues with Stallone winning at all. My favorite of the nominees is definitely Tom Hardy's John Fitzgerald in The Revenant. What I loved about Hardy in this role was how ruthless he was. He was a phenomenal antagonist. Hardy was actually a perfect person to play this role as he has the look of an absolute brute that just doesn't care. His interactions with Leonardo DiCaprio are excellent. To me, Hardy presents the yang of the human spirit-the dark side, how we're capable of terrible things, while DiCaprio represents the yin-he is the light, we're capable of shunning terrible things and fighting to get back from the dark. To me, that is the core of The Revenant-the human spirit, and Hardy's representation of the dark is simply amazing. He deserves a win for how sadistic he made the John Fitzgerald role. Another performance that I felt was good that could potentially win is Mark Ruffalo's work as Mike Rezendes in Spotlight. Realistically, Ruffalo is the actor we end up identifying with most as we follow him on his journey to bring down the despicable acts of the Catholic Church. His passion and energy he puts into his research is awesome to watch. I felt Rezendes anger through Ruffalo's drive to collect testimony and delve deeper into the theological corruption at hand. His outburst towards Michael Keaton's Robby Robinson was well timed and showed how the case was becoming personal to him. He was driven on this case. I would say this could be Ruffalo's best work of his career. While this movie features a tremendous ensemble cast, it's Ruffalo in the driver's seat for most of the movie. He sets the tone in many of the scenes and decides what direction Spotlight will take next. I felt as if Ruffalo became Mike Rezendes. That's the mark of a good performance-if you believe the actor on screen is invested in the character and the story. I was invested in everything Ruffalo did here, and a win for him would be well deserved in my opinion. Bridge of Spies was one of the most underrated movies of the years. Going along with that theme, Mark Rylance's role as the KGB Soviet intelligence officer Rudolf Abel is underrated as well. He was definitely guilty of being a spy, but I really liked how much the movie made me care about Rudolf Abel the person regardless of whether he was a spy or not. In reality, Abel is only doing what his country asked of him. He's a family man, and Rylance did really well displaying his role as an intelligent spy staying one step ahead of the law, but at the same time showed us how good hearted he is. We had the same type of situation going on over in Russia. I think this also showed how the justice system can be a beautiful thing when practiced in a balanced and fair manner. James B. Donovan did everything in his power as a family man to assist Abel and show that he is a family man as well. Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance had great chemistry. Their discussions in the prison were well written and presented how the United States and a foreign power can communicate in a peaceful, democratic way. I don't think Rylance has a chance at winning, but I was pleasantly surprised to see him on the list. I am not understanding the praise for The Big Short. Christian Bale's performance was eccentric, but Bale has always been like that. This isn't a great performance. It's Bale portraying an eccentric, lonely genius that quite frankly, much like the rest of the movie didn't pull me in at all. As I said, I don't want to watch a movie about the financial crisis. I thought we were supposed to go to movies to escape. The cast is solid in this, but I think they all signed up, because one or the other felt they had a chance to be nominated for an Oscar. If they wanted to nominate an eccentric, lonely genius character for Best Supporting Actor, they should have included Oscar Isaac's role as Nathan in Ex Machina. That was a compelling performance and didn't feel like I was reading a cue card with financial jargon on it. Isaac was omitted last year for his excellent performance as Llewyn Davis, so I shouldn't be surprised. I feel they just put Bale on the list, because they wanted The Big Short to be represented, and that's a shame really. Overall, the list for Best Supporting Actor is decent, however, not including Jacob Tremblay or Oscar Isaac is ridiculous quite frankly. Those are two performances that immediately came to mind when I hear this category. Sylvester Stallone will most likely pick up the win achieving every possible award he could for the Rocky universe, and it would be apropos in my opinion. I am hoping for a Tom Hardy or Mark Ruffalo win, as I felt those were the two most compelling performances from the nominees listed.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Jennifer Jason Leigh-The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara-Carol
Rachel McAdams-Spotlight
Alicia Vikander-The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet-Steve Jobs
There's alot of good performances nominated in the Best Supporting Actress list delivered by talented actresses. There's three performances here that I would like to see win, but I think there's a definite winner set for this category. I think this is a category where it's an easy win for Kate Winslet as Johanna Hoffman in Steve Jobs. That doesn't mean I thought it was a good performance. I like Winslet, but I think much like Fassbender and much like the audience they just weren't invested in the movie. I liked watching Winslet's look change from 1984 to 1988 to 1998. The different make-up and clothing designs through the years was more interesting than the performance I felt. Without Winslet, there probably wouldn't have been anything worthwhile in this movie. However, as you can tell I'm mostly talking about appearance when her performance should speak to the audience. Her performance just never pulled me in no matter how she stood up to Fassbender's Steve Jobs. I didn't find it compelling. The only reason I don't have a problem with her winning is the photos that could possibly happen at the after party with Leonardo DiCaprio posing with her after he hopefully wins. My pick would definitely be Jennifer Jason Leigh's over the top character of Daisy Domergue. Much of the movie revolves around the Daisy character. There's never a point in this movie where Daisy doesn't have a bruise on her face. She is so unladylike, but I think that element of her character is pretty interesting to watch. Quentin Tarantino has always created strong female characters, and Daisy is a great addition to the list. The bloody finale is amazing to watch. The resolve and the Just Bring It attitude of Daisy makes her larger than life. JJL was so animated in this movie, and I think with the nature of the movie it made perfect sense. I doubt she will win, but at least she was nominated for her intense performance. The only other performance I liked in this category would be Alicia Vikander's role as Gilda Wegenar in The Danish Girl. To me, Vikander is the heart of this movie. Her performance should have been conveyed through Eddie Redmayne's Lili Elbe character, but Vikander has more range as an actress and has a brighter future in my opinion, and I think Tom Hooper knows that. Vikander presented an artist's wife with concern and sensitivity to Lili's state of mind. It's a performance where even though the movie is about Lili, Gilda completely stole the show. I think Vikander should have been on the list, but I think she should have been nominated for her role as Ava in Ex Machina instead. Her ability to differentiate between being a robot and a human female was amazing to watch. I also love watching how intelligent the Ava character is, particularly with the twist at the end. While her work as Gilda was great, I would have nominated her for Ex Machina as it's her breakthrough role. Ava launched Alicia Vikander and is a big reason why she has been a force in the last year and a half. Rooney Mara's breakthrough role was as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo a few years back, which she was nominated for. I figured that the Academy would split the vote between her and Cate Blanchett. Realistically, it's the right call to put Mara on the Best Supporting list since Carol is the main character. Mara did well as Therese. She really did well displaying that nervous tension while slowly falling in love with Blanchett's Carol. If you watch the movie, the first half is great in terms of seeing the story through Therese's eyes. It's a performance that shows an actress in Mara evolving into a deep, emotional role. The love story is amazing just based on the dialogue used throughout. Blanchett acts as a guide, and Mara reacts to her whims. It worked well. While I like Rachel McAdams and the movie Spotlight, I didn't think McAdams character had enough screen time for me to become invested in her character of Sacha Pfeiffer. The overall premise of the character fell flat. Much of the movie was dictated by Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton, which didn't leave enough for McAdams to deal with. Had she been able to develop her character more or have a stand out scene, I would be more invested here. She did well with the interviews and taking the initiative to keep digging for stories, but her character fell flat, because of the lack of development. One performance I would have included here is Emma Stone's Jill in Irrational Man. I actually feel she might just be the best actress right now. In this movie, she commands the screen dealing with issues of commitment to Roy, as well as being drawn to the alluring mystery of the complicated Abe. Her energy and delivery of dialogue is always on point here. Her chemistry with Joaquin Phoenix was great. The dinner table scene discussing what happened to a prominent member ot the community was a great example. It showed how intellectual Jill is. It takes a great actress to shape Jill into a well-rounded character and Stone does this in her dealings with Abe and Roy, as well as her approach in dealing with issues that arise from Abe's actions whether physically, verbally, or emotionally. I think the Oscars should look at movies throughout the year when determining nominations as opposed to just the performances that come out in the fall months. I'd love to see Stone eventually win an Oscar. I think she will down the line, but for now I'll sit back and enjoy her work. Overall, there's an interesting mix of roles here with my favorite being Jennifer Jason's Leigh's Daisy Domergue, but Alicia Vikander and Rooney Mara did well in their respective roles. I would have loved to see Vikander nominated for Ex Machina, but she still gave a great performance in The Danish Girl. Kate Winslet most likely will walk away with the win here.
Now that I have covered thefive major categories I hope the readers of this blog will enjoy this look into the 88th Academy Awards. The only other thing I'd like to add is I hope to see Alejandro Innaritu win Best Director. I hope to see Inside Out win Best Animated Picture. Inside Out is incredible. I love the unique characters based in emotions as well as the entertaining journey Joy and Sadness embark on. I enjoyed writing this Oscars piece and hope you enjoy reading it. There are some really competitive categories, and it should be interesting to see what Chris Rock s does as the host.
