Oscars 2016 - My Picks and Predictions

Alright! It's that time of year again, OSCARS NIGHT!!! I meant to post this yesterday, but better late than never I suppose. Here are my picks and predictions for tonight's ceremony!

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Bryan Cranston in "Trumbo"
Matt Damon in "The Martian"
Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Revenant"
Michael Fassbender in "Steve Jobs"
Eddie Redmayne in "The Danish Girl"

Out of all of the acting categories, this is the only one with a clear front-runner. Leonardo DiCaprio has been the favorite for months, and any kind of spoiler at this point seems EXTREMELY unlikely. Leo's going to win for three reasons... One, because he was really good in the movie. Two, because he's been a really good actor for years and has yet to win an Oscar. And three, because the dude nearly killed himself while filming The Revenant a number of times and... well, I think the Academy (and everyone else for that matter) would like to see him live into old age. The only other actor who really deserves to be on this list in Matt Damon. Fassbender and Cranston were good in their respective movies but nothing amazing. Eddie Redmayne though... I'm just not getting what people see in that guy. Would have preferred to see Jason Mitchell from Straight Outta Compton, Michael B Jordan from Creed, or Johnny Depp from Black Mass here. Leo was always going to win though either way.

Who Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio
Who Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett in "Carol"
Brie Larson in "Room"
Jennifer Lawrence in "Joy"
Charlotte Rampling in "45 Years"
Saoirse Ronan in "Brooklyn"

These are all actually really good picks, but also another fairly easy one to predict. While not as set in stone as Best Actor, it seems like this one is Brie Larson's to lose. She gave a powerhouse performance in Room that continues to blow everyone away. Saoirse Ronan is a possible spoiler for her devoted performance in Brooklyn, and MAYBE Jennifer Lawrence for existing (the Academy sure loves her). Though if it had to go to someone else, I'd be pretty thrilled if Charlotte Rampling won for her open, honest, and moving performance in the under-appreciated 45 Years. Safe bet though is Brie Larson.

Who Will Win: Brie Larson
Who Should Win: Brie Larson

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in "The Big Short"
Tom Hardy in "The Revenant"
Mark Ruffalo in "Spotlight"
Mark Rylance in "Bridge of Spies"
Sylvester Stallone in "Creed"

Steve Carrel should be here on this list instead of Christian Bale. Still, 4 out of 5 of these performances were actually pretty incredible. Stallone is the front-runner here, both because he was great in Creed and also for his overall legacy in the industry. Though I REALLY liked Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight. There's also something that to be said regarding Mark Rylance's nuanced understand performance as a Russian agent in Bridge of Spies. Let's also not forget that Tom Hardy had a killer year and he was great in The Revenant. Damn... this is a hard one. Well, if there's going to be a surprise tonight, it'll probably be in this category, but I still think Stallone is the one to beat.

Who Will Win: Sylvester Stallone
Who Should Win: Sylvester Stallone

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Jason Leigh in "The Hateful Eight"
Rooney Mara in "Carol"
Rachel McAdams in "Spotlight"
Alicia Vikander in "The Danish Girl"
Kate Winslet in "Steve Jobs"

Alicia Vikander had a killer year, and it seems like its going to an Oscar win for her role in the overrated movie The Danish Girl. That doesn't bother me THAT much, even though the movie was VERY mediocre, she was the only truly great thing about it. Though honestly, I would have liked to have seen her here for Ex Machina instead. EIther way my pick would either be Jennifer Jason Leigh or Kate Winslet. Leigh wasn't just really great in the role, but she spent most of it in the cold covered in blood (that's dedication) while Winslet the best thing in Danny Boyle's good but not great Steve Jobs.

Who Will Win: Alicia Vikander
Who Should Win: Jennifer Jason Leigh

Best Director
Tom McCarthy for "Spotlight"
Adam McKay for "The Big Short"
George Miller for "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for "The Revenant"
Lenny Abrahamson for "Room"

SO THRILLED to see George Miller on this list. Hands down one of the most visionary, ambitious, and under-appreciated filmmakers of all time, it's awesome he's once again getting some well-deserved recognition. My instincts first were saying that Inarritu was going to win this award for the second year in a row. That might happen, and it certainly wouldn't be the worst scenario if it did... but its Miller who really deserves this one. The recent buzz has made it sound like he probably will too... SWEET! Do with Tarantino was here for The Hateful Eight though... oh well, can't win them all.

Who Will Win: George Miller
Who Should Win: George Miller

Best Original Screenplay
Bridge of Spies
Inside Out
Ex Machina
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

Ummmm... you know, if any one of these films won, I'd be 100% fine with that. These are all REALLY well written screenplays. Plus its nice that Straight Outta Compton got a little love from The Academy. Wish The Hateful Eight was here though (though it was a crowded category). Spotlight is probably going to win for its cultural relevance, importance, and nuanced look at a sensitive yet worthy topic. My top choice would be Inside Out though.

Who Will Win: Spotlight
Who Should Win: Inside Out

Best Adapted Screenplay
Room
The Martian
Brooklyn
The Big Short
Carol

Also good choices, though not quite as perfect as the Original Screenplay category. My top choice would be either The Martian or Carol, though it seems like The Big Short is going to run off with this one. Whatever, I can live with that.

Who Will Win: The Big Short
Who Should Win: The Martian

Best Animated Feature
Anomalisa
Boy and the World
Inside Out
When Marnie Was There
Shaun the Sheep

I'll confess that I only saw two films on this list (Inside Out and Shaun the Sheep). Though Inside Out is going to take this one anyways. That's your safest bet of the night.

Who Will Win: Inside Out
Who Should Win: Inside Out

Best Film Editing
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
Spotlight
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

There's been quite a bit of buzz surrounding The Big Short winning this award, but I'm not really buying it. Gut is saying that Mad Max is going to take this one, as it should

Who Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Who Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Visual Effects
Ex Machina
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Only four picks huh? No love for Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, or Furious 7? Oh well. This is a tricky one, since while Ex Machina won't win (despite some impressive effects) the other three all seem like legitimate contenders. The Revenant is a little more Oscar bait-y, though everyone really loved The Martian, and Star Wars is... well, its Star Wars (need I say more). Gonna say Star Wars is going to win here (but don't be surprise if someone else takes it).

Who Will Win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Who Should Win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Picture
Spotlight
The Big Short
The Revenant
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Room

Eight picks out of 10... I gotta ask where's Inside Out and Creed??? Normally this category comes down to a two way race, but this year there are four films that all seem to be vying for the top honors. Spotlight was the early favorite, but then The Revenant and The Martian nabbed the Best Picture Golden Globes, followed by The Big Short winning a Producers Guild Award (which usually predicts the Best Picture Oscar). So... yeah, this is a hard one. My personal pick out of these would be either The Martian or Mad Max. Though A LOT of people are speculating that The Big Short is going to be the big winner but... I could be totally wrong here, but I'm not feeling it. Gut is saying The Revenant, brain is saying Spotlight, and that nagging voice that keeps popping up out of nowhere is saying The Martian. Eeeesh! Alright, I'm going to play against the odds here and say The Martian is going to win. I know that's a riskier bet than the other three but... maybe its just my own wishes but... I don't know, just got a feeling.

Who Will Win: The Martian
Who Should Win: The Martian or Mad Max: Fury Road

And below is a list of my predictions (though not necessarily my personal picks) for the awards I mentioned and the rest I didn't get to.

Best Picture; The Martian
Best Director: George Miller
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Actress: Brie Larson
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone
Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander
Best Original Screenplay: Spotlight
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Big Short
Best Animated Feature: Inside Out
Best Foreign Film: Son of Saul
Best Documentary Feature: Amy
Best Cinematography: The Revenant
Best Film Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Production Design: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Costume Design: Carol
Best Original Score: The Hateful Eight
Best Original Song: "Til it Happens to You" from The Hunting Ground
Best Visual Effects: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Sound Mixing: The Revenant
Best Sound Editing: The Revenant
Best Animated Short: World of Tomorrow
Best Live Action Short: Shok
Best Documentary Short: A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness

The Witch - Review

It's quite good... but don't blame me for any sleep you lose after watching it.

The Peanuts Movie - Review

You know, when I first heard that they were making a new cg-animated movie based on the late Charles Schulz' Peanuts series, I'll admit that I wasn't exactly stoked (to say the least). I won't go into the cultural ubiquity or significance of the comic (and subsequent TV specials, movies, etc), since that pretty much goes without saying, nor will I go too in deep about my personal feelings toward the series... though in short, I am a fan and have been since as long as I can remember. Its just when Schulz retired the strip (and died shortly thereafter), he made it pretty clear that he didn't want anyone else making Peanuts comics... so yeah, for that reason, I wasn't really on board. The thought of a major studio rolling out what (I feared) would be another Hollywood-ized, snarky, 21st century blockbuster family film that completely misses the spirit, soul, or heart of its source material (think the various Dr. Seuss adaptations) left me with some serious concerns. Even though the trailers didn't look all that bad, I still had no interest in seeing the film in theaters. Though now after finally seeing the movie, well... I admit that I might have been wrong... okay I'll say it, I completely and utterly misjudged the film and its intentions, because The Peanuts Movie is in fact good... really good actually.

The Peanuts Movie is essentially comprised of four short cartoons arranged and structured into one feature. You have all of the familiar characters that anyone who's ever read a few Peanuts strips in their lives (or seen at least one of the TV specials) should be able to recognize immediately. Though ultimately the movie's main connective tissue centers around Charlie Brown's pursuit of the newly arrived "Little Red-Haired Girl" who lives next door (okay, I don't know if the way I wrote that sound creepy or not... but gimme a break, its never presented as anything more than a cute and harmless elementary school crush). This girl inspires Chuck to improve himself and to be the best possible person he can be, though since this is Charlie Brown we're talking about, a character whose luck could not be worse, well... yeah you can see where this is going.

Okay, so based on that synopsis, you can probably already tell that The Peanuts Movie isn't exactly a particularly ambitious film. On purely a screenwriting level, its a thoroughly modest effort that relies on familiar and (to the adults watching anyways) predictable story beats. But you know what... it works! For starters, for those who were worried that the film was going to somehow disrespect and/or ignore its legacy, rest assured that it does not. As I learned during the credits, the script was written by Schulz's two sons, and its imminently obvious that they weren't going to let anyone tarnish their father's creation. The film very much feels like a classic Peanuts story, partially because the original content maintains the spirit and tone of the TV specials and admittedly because it also re-uses a variety of familiar story-beats. The movie clearly isn't shy about its nostalgic call-outs and fan service-y moments. Not only does it feature pretty much every familiar Peanuts character (Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, and the rest are all here), but almost all of the classic Peanuts gags are here as well... Lucy's psychiatric advice booth, the kite eating tree, a quick shout out to the Great Pumpkin, and of course what's arguably the strip's most beloved gag... Charlie Brown attempting to kick Lucy's football. I normally don't like it when movies try to distract audiences via constant fan service call-outs instead of delivering a real story (looking at you Star Trek Into Darkness), but I'd be lying if I said that those said moments didn't bring a huge smile to my face. Fortunately though, the script itself holds its own. Charlie Brown is still the good-natured though forever unlucky boy, who learns a series of life lessons via what's essentially eternal Job-like suffering (though it never goes too dark or depressing). And fortunately, the movie ends on an emotional high note and with a genuinely good message. There's also an amusing subplot involving Snoopy's battle with the infamous Red Barron. In the end, these are likable and enjoyable characters, the humorous moments made me laugh, and the movie is just so charming that it just comes together.

In terms of its visual style... this is actually the most interesting thing about the flick. Now obviously the Peanuts specials and previous movies have never exactly been heavy hitters in the animation department, but in a way that became one of its biggest strengths. The low-key (and at times rough) art style really fit with the specials' relaxed tone and demeanor, and created a very unique aesthetic. The Peanuts Movie, knowing that it needed to scale up its production values for the big screen, found a unique solution to both keep the classic Peanuts aesthetic with a bit more of a 21st century edge. It still keep the 2D look though via CGI with a emboss-like and frame-dropping effects. Its a nice update, but still manages to keep the classic Peanuts style animation in tact. Though special praise must be given to the Red Baron scenes for still keeping with the general style but offering a little more variety. Say what you will about the rest of the film, but there's no doubt that Blue Sky Studios did excellent work bringing the Peanuts to life in such unique yet familiar form.

As for what didn't work... honestly there's not that much. As I mentioned before, the Peanuts Movie isn't aiming particularly high in terms of ambitious storytelling. That's not in itself a bad thing but a film made up primarily of familiar tropes and themes without exactly shooting for the moon can't help but feel lesser compared to better and riskier family films like Pixar's recent Inside Out. Also, while Snoopy's Red Baron subplot is cute and a nice change of pace from the talkier bits (for the kids anyways), it doesn't contribute a whole lot to the overall story and does go on a little longer than it needed... but only a little. There's no incredible voice acting, but the young performers all do a solid job. The only celebrity voice, Kristen Chenoweth, gives a cute performance as Fifi the beagle, but its a such a short role that it feels like her talents could have been given a bit more. So overall The Peanuts Movie isn't perfect, but any flaws it does have are minor and easy to forgive.

So wrapping up, The Peanuts Movie isn't a masterpiece nor is it anything incredible. Its a cute, modest, and very old-fashioned animated film with a few modern touches. Honestly, aside for a few pop songs in the soundtrack, this film is about as old-fashioned as you could expect from a modern Hollywood family blockbuster. Not many celebrities voices, no massive conflict, not much action, no glib self-aware Robot Chicken-style asides... just a cute, sweet, and good-natured family film with enough content to appeal to both kids and adults. Is it a great movie? Yeah, I think it gets there. Its not aiming super high, but between its adorable story, endearing characters, and good messages, it ends up becoming something pretty special.

I give The Peanuts Movie 4 stars out of 5!