Oscar Picks 2016
Before I begin this list, let me say that this is by no means a complete list. There are films, of course, which I haven’t seen among the nominees. I won’t address which films these are, but please consider, based on this, that what follows are my personal choices, what I believe the Academy will choose, and in most cases, why I’ve made these choices in many of the categories tonight. If you don’t want to deal with all my rambling, the most anticipated, larger categories are towards the bottom. Enjoy!
Documentary (Feature):
-Amy
-Cartel Land
-The Look of Silence
-What Happened, Miss Simone?
-Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom
My Personal Choice: Amy-With a subject recent enough in audience’s minds for them to care, a story which paints Amy Winehouse as a fully realized, tangible, and emotionally involving character, plus recent award momentum, Amy provides a fantastic and engrossing watch which the Academy should most certainly award in this category.
The Academy’s Choice: Amy-Same as above
Writing (Original Screenplay):
-Bridge of Spies
-Ex Machina
-Inside Out
-Spotlight
-Straight Outta Compton
My Personal Choice: Ex Machina-While Ex Machina was overlooked by the Academy in many of the major categories, I feel that it is one of the most original and awe-inspiring films to be released in recent memory. For that, I feel writer/director Alex Garland should receive the recognition in this category.
The Academy’s Choice: Spotlight-Upon its initial film festival releases, Spotlight was seen as a shoe-in frontrunner for Best Picture, and although it may have lost too much momentum to garner this top prize tonight, Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy will be awarded by the Academy for their extraordinarily well-written and engrossing story of the scandal that rocked the Catholic Church and the Boston Globe’s courage to print it.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay):
-The Big Short
-Brooklyn
-Carol
-The Martian
-Room
My Personal Choice: The Big Short-Much like Spotlight, The Big Short was at once time seen as the go-to choice for Best Picture, but many critics now feel it has lost momentum and slipped just behind. Even still, with their script, Charles Randolph and Adam McKay are able to provide laughs as well coupled with unrelenting entertainment in a film which stretches over two hours in run-time and for this, they will snatch up the Academy Award.
The Academy’s Choice: The Big Short-Same reasons as above
Directing:
-Adam McKay (The Big Short)
-George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)
-Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant)
-Lenny Abrahamson (Room)
-Tom McCarthy (Spotlight)
My Personal Choice: Alejandro G. Inarritu (The Revenant)-Just as was the case last year with his win for Birdman, Alejandro G. Inarritu helms a film complete with incredible performances, beautifully executed cinematography, and an entertaining story to tell. The added bonus of this story addressing an issue often ignored in the form of Native Americans and their ways of life, will put Inarritu over the top of his contemporaries in this category.
The Academy’s Choice: Alejandro G. Inarritu (The Revenant)-Same reasons as above
Cinematography:
-Ed Lachman (Carol)
-Robert Richardson (The Hateful Eight)
-John Seale (Mad Max: Fury Road)
-Emmanuel Lubezki (The Revenant)
-Roger Deakins (Sicario)
My Personal Choice: Emmanuel Lubezki (The Revenant)-The Revenant is, very simply, one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen, almost every shot of this film could be considered as one of the most beautiful images ever captured on film, and Emmanuel Lubezki’s stunning use of natural light will earn him his third Oscar in a row in this category.
The Academy’s Choice: Emmanuel Lubezki (The Revenant)-Same reasons as above
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)
My Personal Choice: Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)-Although I would have preferred to see Vikander be nominated for her performance earlier in the year in Ex Machina, Alicia Vikander represents one of Hollywood’s newest and brightest talents and her performance in The Danish Girl only solidifies this further.
The Academy’s Choice: Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)-Same reasons as above
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)
My Personal Choice: Tom Hardy (The Revenant)-In The Revenant, Tom Hardy gives a fantastic and believable performance as a man willing to go to any length to survive, and in scenes which call for a more sinister or humorous touch, he delivers time and time again.
The Academy’s Choice: Sylvester Stallone (Creed)-A reprisal of almost certainly his most popular and well-loved role of Rocky Balboa, an older actor possibly reaching the end of his career, and the momentum of his recent Golden Globe win will earn Sylvester Stallone the nod from Academy voters.
Actress in a Leading Role:
-Cate Blanchett (Carol)
-Brie Larson (Room)
-Jennifer Lawrence (Joy)
-Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)
-Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
My Personal Choice: Brie Larson (Room)-While Room had too small a release to be truly considered in garnering the top spot in the Best Picture category, it was a staggering and beautiful film and Brie Larson’s captivating and heartfelt performance is one of the driving forces behind this. Because of this, Brie Larson will overtake the previous Oscar darling, Jennifer Lawrence.
The Academy’s Choice: Brie Larson (Room)-Same as above
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)
My Personal Choice: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)-This is one of the most anticipated categories of the evening, and a lot has been said in the lead-up to the ceremony tonight. Most recently, a number of critics have voiced their opinion that a win for DiCaprio would be bad for acting as it serves to perpetuate an unfavorable trend. Many feel that awarding DiCaprio creates the ideology that one’s performance is less important than what one endures in the making of the film, as there have been numerous stories of DiCaprio swimming in frozen rivers, eating raw bison liver, and sleeping in a dead animal carcass. To separate these two, in my opinion, in simply unrealistic and ludicrous. Whatever goes into an actor’s performance is inherently part of their process but does not change the way one views the images up on the screen. In an almost wordless performance in The Revenant, a viewer feels and believes in the desperation and anguish of a man fighting for survival in the most harrowing of conditions and for this, Leonardo DiCaprio will garner his first Oscar win.
The Academy’s Choice: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)-Same reasons as above
Best Picture:
-The Big Short
-Bridge of Spies
-Brooklyn
-Mad Max: Fury Road
-The Martian
-The Revenant
-Room
-Spotlight
My Personal Choice: The Revenant-This category has provided me with the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in creating this list. Most of the films in this category have provided me with fantastic viewing experiences and any one of these films could take the top prize for its own different reasons. However, complete with remarkable performances, particularly from its two biggest stars Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio, some of the most beautiful cinematography of all time from Emmanuel Lubezki, and a thoroughly entertaining story that keeps viewers at the edge of their seats despite it’s almost three hour runtime, The Revenant will earn the Academy’s top prize.
The Academy’s Choice: The Revenant-Same reasons as above
