Unlike last year, however, I actually have something to say for quite a few of the other categories this year, so with that in mind, I'm also going to be bringing back the category-by-category discussion from 2015's post. Just one problem with this: this year's post is nearly 2000 words long. Now, I know that's not unheard of on this blog, but for an Oscar post, that is quite a lot (frankly, I'm just impressed that I managed to turn around a comprehensive post of this magnitude in only three days!). So buckle up, guys: this is gonna be a long one.
Best Picture
First, let's have a look at Arrival. I left it out of my top 5, but it's still a decent film, maybe just not quite as good as everyone keeps saying. The idea of linguistics being applied to understand a visiting alien species is fantastically creative, and the film was, on the whole, really well executed, but I felt the ending kind of lost me. It wasn't that it was confusing: I pretty much understood what was going on, it just felt a bit like it was being profound for the sake of being profound, kind of like Interstellar and its 'love is the 5th dimension' bullshit and that weirdness with the black hole (not spoiling, but if you've seen Interstellar, you know what I mean).
Of course, it wouldn't be the Oscars if there wasn't a token racism film, Fences. You know the drill: African-Americans living through the 20th century and facing racial discrimination, with the aim of teaching us all the innovative but bitter truth: racism is bad. Almost certainly to be forgotten, my apathy for Fences is only amplified by the fact it won't be playing in cinemas until 10th February.
If all goes to plan, I'll be checking out Hacksaw Ridge at some point this weekend, along with T2: Trainspotting (so much hype!). In the meantime, based on trailers and it's current position on IMDb's Top 250, there seems to be a fair amount of promise here. I get a sort of Saving Private Ryan vibe from it, only a little more colourful and luckily not quite as long. I don't think it'll win, but I'm interested to see it.
I'd very vaguely heard of Hell and High Water prior to the Oscar announcements. I've heard from a couple of people who have seen it that it is pretty good, and if it's anything like No Country for Old Men (which it kinda reminds me of), then there's a chance I might find some enjoyment here. If I've got a spare afternoon and it happens to be playing, I might go check it out.
I'm torn on Hidden Figures, because although it looks like more of your bog-standard Oscar-bait about contemporary social issues, in this case, a double-dosage of feminism and racism, I actually really like the sound of it. It follows a group of African-American women who played a key part in performing calculations for NASA's first space missions. With decent user and critic scores to boot, it looks like I might just be persuaded.
I think it's clear from just the sheer number of nominations it's got (a record-tieing 14), La La Land is going to be the critical darling at this year's ceremony. And you know what, I'm happy for it. La La Land was an absolutely fantastic and delightful modern update of the classic Hollywood musicals like Singin in the Rain, managing to perfectly blend modern cinematic visuals with the atmosphere and 'magic', for lack of a better word, of Hollywood's golden era, capturing the best of both worlds. My one niggle is that the film feels very much like a fantasy, somewhat divorced from reality, which is great, that's how this kind of musical should be. Which is why it falters a bit towards the middle when proper drama is introduced and it loses a little too much of its joy (probably the only time I'll ever criticise a film for not being light-hearted). In a similar vein, the ending bothers me too. But put that aside, and La La Land is a phenomenal achievement, and will, I imagine, remain my favourite of the Oscar picks: it's already become at least my second favourite film of 2016.
Before we get onto our last two serious candidates, there's Lion, more of your standard Oscar-bait. I've seen the trailer a couple of times, and frankly, it just bores me. I can't really see this being particularly memorable or talked about in the future, so why start now.
Which brings us to Manchester by the Sea, another film that I have actually seen. A poignant film about responsibility and family, I found it very enjoyable and actually quite funny, even despite its absolute sucker punch to the feels about half way through that really made this film stick in my mind. It's a worthy pick and well worth a watch.
Lastly, Moonlight, which is still weeks away from being released (the bastard), and the other big contender at this year's ceremony. Receiving absolutely glowing reviews from critics and festival audiences alike, this film is gearing up to be a very late highlight to the year. It's another story that features racial issues, but this one just looks so much more interesting and nowhere near as generic as Fences, for example.
Now, some predictions. Honestly? I think it's going to be between Moonlight, La La Land and Manchester by the Sea: I don't think any of the others are going to even come close. La La Land will sweep the technicals by sheer probability at least, I'm sure, and if I were a gambling man, then that's where I'd place my money for best picture, but Manchester by the Sea is certainly a plausible winner with its moving and down-to-earth drama: something the Academy often likes. Without seeing it, I can't say much for Moonlight right now, but something in my gut tells me it's in with a chance.
Best Actor
I imagine that Casey Affleck will snag this award, and he would deserve it, as his performance in Manchester by the Sea really held the film together and communicated his internal struggle and the pain of his past. A slight nitpick: I found he did a lot of mumbling throughout the film, probably could have done with a note saying that it's possible to do a tortured psyche whilst still maintaining clear diction.
As great as Ryan Gosling was (as he always is), I can't really see him getting the award this year, purely because I think Affleck achieved more with his role, but that's primarily because he had a more complex character to work with, so it's hardly Gosling's fault. One last note: until I looked it up, I honestly thought Captain Fantastic was another Marvel film, one that hadn't received its pocket money from Disney, causing it to ditch its marketing campaign in order to fund its prerequisite amount of destruction porn.
I imagine that Casey Affleck will snag this award, and he would deserve it, as his performance in Manchester by the Sea really held the film together and communicated his internal struggle and the pain of his past. A slight nitpick: I found he did a lot of mumbling throughout the film, probably could have done with a note saying that it's possible to do a tortured psyche whilst still maintaining clear diction.
As great as Ryan Gosling was (as he always is), I can't really see him getting the award this year, purely because I think Affleck achieved more with his role, but that's primarily because he had a more complex character to work with, so it's hardly Gosling's fault. One last note: until I looked it up, I honestly thought Captain Fantastic was another Marvel film, one that hadn't received its pocket money from Disney, causing it to ditch its marketing campaign in order to fund its prerequisite amount of destruction porn.
Best Actress
Amy Adams has done some pretty great work this year. She starred in both Arrival and the nearly-unmentioned Nocturnal Animals, which wasn't quite good enough to make into my top 5 but was still a notable and really engrossing film. Anyway, Adams turned in great performances in both of these, portraying two very different characters, each with their own emotional turmoil and each convincingly realised.
But fuck it, we're not going to give her an Oscar nomination. You know who does need one, though? Another one, that is? Meryl Streep. Of course. Ok, ok, fine. I'll admit, I haven't seen Florence Foster Jenkins, so it's kind of unfair for me to say that she doesn't deserve it, but it's a matter of principle. It seems Streep keeps getting nominated out of some kind of tradition, or perhaps laziness on the Academy's part. Either they put her name down because they can't think of anything else or they feel they have to nominate her just because it's the Oscars and her getting a nomination is just part of the checklist, like celebrity guest stars at the ceremony or thinly-veiled racism.
Amy Adams has done some pretty great work this year. She starred in both Arrival and the nearly-unmentioned Nocturnal Animals, which wasn't quite good enough to make into my top 5 but was still a notable and really engrossing film. Anyway, Adams turned in great performances in both of these, portraying two very different characters, each with their own emotional turmoil and each convincingly realised.
But fuck it, we're not going to give her an Oscar nomination. You know who does need one, though? Another one, that is? Meryl Streep. Of course. Ok, ok, fine. I'll admit, I haven't seen Florence Foster Jenkins, so it's kind of unfair for me to say that she doesn't deserve it, but it's a matter of principle. It seems Streep keeps getting nominated out of some kind of tradition, or perhaps laziness on the Academy's part. Either they put her name down because they can't think of anything else or they feel they have to nominate her just because it's the Oscars and her getting a nomination is just part of the checklist, like celebrity guest stars at the ceremony or thinly-veiled racism.
Best Animated Film
Think I'm gonna have to go with Zootopia on this. What can I say? It was just a wonderfully realised film that accomplished everything it tried to do and appeals well to both kids and adults equally. You couldn't really ask for more. I have yet to see Kubo and the Two Strings (although I'm hopefully going to attend a screening of it at my uni's student cinema), but I've heard incredible things, and I wish it luck, especially as a big fan and supporter (and even practitioner) of stop motion.
I've also seen Moana, and while it was good, it just felt a bit too much like the generic Disney formula to really stand out. Put it this way: if I can predict the key moments of your film's third act with near-complete accuracy, you might want to try and change it up a bit.
Best Director
I can't remember if I've mentioned it here, but since Denis Villeneuve is directing Blade Runner 2049, a sequel to one of the greatest films of all time and one of my personal favourites, I've been keeping a close eye on his work, watching Arrival and Sicario, and hoping to catch up on Prisoners, Enemy and Incendies in due time. What I've seen has impressed me, enough to be confident that Blade Runner's precious sequel is in safe hands, and I'd definitely say he deserves an Oscar.
At the same time, Damien Chazelle has also impressed me. Between La La Land and Whiplash, two of the most popular and critically acclaimed (and personal favourites) of their respective years, Chazelle is developing a pretty phenomenal track record, and already getting several well-deserved Oscar nods, and he's (hopefully) only just getting started. Overall, I think I'd rather Chazelle wins this year, but I'm sure they'll both get them in time, and I cannot wait to see what they do next.
Best Cinematography
Unfortunately nothing for Mr Deakins this year, but there has still been plenty of great cinematography on show. I think from the selection I'd have to pick La La Land, especially as I'm a complete sucker for long takes, of which it has several (and they're all magnificent), although Arrival still had some great efforts, especially in its establishing shots (just look at the poster!).
However, those who read my new year's post will be aware that my favourite film of the year was The Neon Demon, and part of what made me love it so much was its fantastic cinematography and use of music. Neither of which have got a nomination here. In fact, The Neon Demon has gone completely unmentioned in this year's awards. I guess I'm not massively surprised: I mean, it was hardly a mainstream film, and it didn't even do particularly well with the critics or even some audiences, but come on! This film is an audio-visual experience! I promise it's better than Lion!
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
I don't really have anything specific to say about this category. And regardless of how good Killer Croc's makeup was, I just wanted to note that Suicide Squad is now officially an Oscar-nominated film.
Suicide Squad....
Oscar-nominated....
Best Original Song
Another two nominations for La La Land. Moana had some pretty decent songs, but come on, the best song was clearly 'You're Welcome' by Dwayne Johnson; that song is awesome. Also, Trolls. Trolls is now also an Oscar-nominated film....
Best Original Song
Another two nominations for La La Land. Moana had some pretty decent songs, but come on, the best song was clearly 'You're Welcome' by Dwayne Johnson; that song is awesome. Also, Trolls. Trolls is now also an Oscar-nominated film....
Best Original Screenplay
It's bothering me that The Lobster has been nominated for an award. Nothing to do with the film itself: I have yet to see it, but this was by pretty much all accounts a 2015 picture? I mean, it began its cinema run before some of last year's winners like Spotlight and The Revenant. Just...rather confused, is all.
And there we have it, that's this years' nominations. Tune in in a months time to see my thoughts on the winners, along with a more accurate look at the films I haven't yet seen. You know, all the '2016' releases that don't begin their cinema run until the middle of February. And I thought I left my work to the last minute...
See you all next time!
And there we have it, that's this years' nominations. Tune in in a months time to see my thoughts on the winners, along with a more accurate look at the films I haven't yet seen. You know, all the '2016' releases that don't begin their cinema run until the middle of February. And I thought I left my work to the last minute...
See you all next time!
