OK the title of this blog notwithstanding, I think this whole controversy is totally blown out of proportion. Let's keep in mind that 12 Years a Slave won a bunch of awards just two years ago, and I can't think of a more diverse film in recent memory. I didn't see a film this year with any performances from any non-white actors that deserved nominations....I realize I didn't see every film, but I saw quite a few.
As I do every year, I'm going to give my predictions on the awards as well as who I think SHOULD win. Here we go.
First off, I'm setting the over/under on time it takes Chris Rock to make a "white Oscars" joke at 4.7 seconds. And I'm betting the under.
Best Animated Feature Film
Anomalisa
Boy and the World
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie
When Marnie Was There
Who will win and who should win: Inside Out
This might be the lock of the night. Yes it's the only one of these I've seen, but it was so good it actually should be nominated for the big award of the night. It would be a complete stunner if it didn't win.
Achievement in Cinematography
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Sicario
Who will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Who should win: the Revenant
Full disclosure: Mad Max is the only one of the Best Picture nominees I haven't seen. Absolutely no interest in it whatsoever; but it has been very well received and I'm expecting it to win a bunch of technical awards including this one. The Revenant looked so incredible that the frozen wilderness actually became a character.
Achievement in Costume Design
Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Who will win and who should win: Cinderella
I'm just copying someone else's prediction here, I have no idea. The Revenant is the only one I saw here and it won't win this one.
Achievement in Directing
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Who will win: Alejandro G Inarritu, The Revenant
Who should win: Lenny Abrahamson, Room
It's almost impossible to win this award two years in a row but it's going to happen here, and I feel strongly that it shouldn't. While the direction and tone of Birdman was pitch-perfect, The Revenant felt over-directed and overwrought. Room was the film of the year, and probably the film of the decade, and it wouldn't have shone so bright without every note feeling 100% authentic. That's direction, ladies and gentlemen.
Achievement in Sound Editing
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Who will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Who should win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Another technical award for Mad Max but c'mon, Star Wars was a technical masterpiece and the sound was a character, and an important one.
Achievement in Sound Mixing
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Who will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Who should win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Ditto the above.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The Martian
Room
Who will win and should win: Room
It's not out of the question that I will set my living room on fire if this doesn't happen. Four of these films were excellent (and I am looking forward to seeing Carol) but this is a "man-against-boys" scenario.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Who will win and should win: Spotlight
Mad props to the team who penned the brilliant screenplay for Inside Out, but Spotlight was close to a perfect movie and would have been my choice for the best film of the year in almost every year but this one.
And what's this about the "all-white" Oscars?? The Screenplay for Straight Outta Compton was nominated!!! Clearly that is bullshit. (drops mic)
(picks up mic) The guy who wrote that screenplay is a white guy?? Never mind.
Achievment in Film Editing
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Who will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Who should win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Ditto the above. Again.
Achievment in Makeup and Hairstyling
Mad Max: Fury Road
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared
The Revenant
Who will win and should win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Just because I didn't see the film doesn't mean I didn't see pictures of the makeup and hairstyling. Wow.
Music (Original Score)
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Who will win and should win: John Williams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Williams is a legend and an Academy darling, and oh yeah it was a great film and one of the biggest of all-time.
Music (Original Song)
“Earned It,” Fifty Shades of Grey
“Manta Ray,” Racing Extinction
“Simple Song #3,” Youth
“Til It Happens To You,” The Hunting Ground
“Writing’s On The Wall,” Spectre
Who will win: BARF I'm actually afraid that Hip Hop idiot The Weeknd is going to win for that piece of trash song from a piece of trash movie Fifty Shades of Bunk
Who should win: Anyone but the above. Til It Happens To You is my favorite of a pretty mediocre lot.
Achievement in Production Design
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Who will win and who should win: The Revenant
As a total movie, it's overrated, but there is no questioning the the production design. It's amazing.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Who will win: Vikander had a big year, starring in both Ex Machina and The Danish Girl and earning critical praise for both. She's my pick to win in a close race.
Who should win: Leigh. What a fabulous, scenery-chewing performance from an actress who has probably not received the credit she's deserved for a long and illustrious career filled with terrific work.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Who will win: Stallone, in a tribute to an excellent career and (from what I hear) a fantastic performance in Creed which I am looking forward to seeing soon.
Who should win: Rylance, who provided a subtle, nuanced performance that propped up a really good film. If not him, then Bale....or Ruffalo....Hardy was also great. Holy crap, what an incredible field this is.
Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Who will win and who should win: If Brie Larson doesn't win this award (she's won every major award so far) I will jump off my balcony.
Actor in a Leading Role
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Who will win: DiCaprio, who really was quite remarkable
Who should win: Damon, by a whisker. He carried almost an entire man-lost-in-space movie by himself and made it funny and entertaining and that deserves a little golden statue IMO.
Best Picture
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Who will win: The Revenant, in a big disappointment. It has had all of the momentum and seems to be a pretty easy choice. It's not a bad film, in fact it's a very good film, but not deserving of this price.
Who should win: Room. DUH. By a freaking mile.
Lock of the night: Dicaprio
Possible Upset of the night: Jennifer Jason Leigh
Now that my predictions are over, here is my list of the best films of 2015:
10. The Revenant
9. Steve Jobs
8. The Martian
7. Bridge of Spies
6. Brooklyn
5. The Big Short
4. Inside Out
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2. Spotlight
1. ROOM
Disappointed to see so little Oscar love for Star Wars (Daisy Ridley deserved a nomination) and the lack of a Best Picture nomination for Inside Out is a crime, but otherwise, the Academy had a pretty good year, in my humble opinion.
Here's hoping 2016 is close to as good as 2015 was!
Get your popcorn ready, and enjoy the show!
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