Subscribe
So ... I completely missed the Globes nominations. Very sad face inserted here. Where's Dr. Strange when I need a time rewind? My friend, Griz, did his due diligence and made the predictions. I have to post them here, it's only right. And since the nominations are actually out, even though I did not have a good look at them, it would be cheating for me to 'predict' something that's already out. Instead, I'll comment on the ones I would've guessed, as applicable for each category.
BEST MOTION PICTURE (DRAMA)
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
Silence
Alt: Arrival
Editor comment: My alternate would've been Hell or High Water. I remember people liking that film quite a bit. I would've taken out Fences from this list; I know nothing about Fences. In its place, I would have guessed Arrival to have its presence announced here, having seen the film. And I would have added Lion in place of Silence, thinking the Foreign Press would've liked a feely Nicole Kidman film. I would've kept Manchester, Moonlight and Hacksaw.
BEST MOTION PICTURE (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
20th Century Women
Deadpool
Florence Foster Jenkins
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land
Alt: The Nice Guys
Editor comment: Wow I would've sucked at this category. Let's see, I would've kept Hail Caesar and La La Land, and put The Nice Guys as an official third option, with Florence thrown in there because it's a Meryl Streep movie. The last spot would've probably gone to 20th Century Women. I would've not guessed Deadpool, because it was really raunchy. My alternate would've been Rules Don't Apply, for the Beatty factor. I would've wished The Lobster would've gotten in here. I love that movie.
BEST DIRECTOR
Damien Chazelle - La La Land
Barry Jenkins - Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester by the Sea
Martin Scorsese - Silence
Denzel Washington - Fences
Alt: Mel Gibson - Hacksaw Ridge
Editor comment: Okay, I'm getting sleepy ... heh. Pablo Larrain instead of Denzel Washington, and the alternate would've been Clint Eastwood.
BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA)
Amy Adams - Arrival
Isabelle Huppert - Elle
Ruth Negga - Loving
Natalie Portman - Jackie
Jessica Chastain - Miss Sloane
Alt: Taraji P. Henson - Hidden Fences
Editor comment: I would've concurred.
BEST ACTOR (DRAMA)
Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea
Joel Edgerton - Loving
Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge
Tom Hanks - Sully
Denzel Washington - Fences
Alt: Andrew Garfield - Silence
Editor comment: Jake Gyllenhaal in place of Joel Edgerton. Alternate: Joel Edgerton.
BEST ACTRESS (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Emma Stone - La La Land
Annette Bening - 20th Century Women
Meryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins
Sally Field - Hello, My Name Is Doris
Kate Beckinsale - Love and Friendship
Alt: Hailee Steinfeld - The Edge of Seventeen
Editor comment: I would've put Hailee there in place of Kate Beckinsale. And I probably would've gone for The Lobster's Rachel Weisz in place of Sally Field, for bias reason. Alt. Sally Field.
BEST ACTOR (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Warren Beatty - Rules Don’t Apply
Colin Farrell - The Lobster
Ryan Gosling - La La Land
Hugh Grant - Florence Foster Jenkins
Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool
Alt: Viggo Mortensen - Captain Fantastic
Editor comment: My friend said Captain Fantastic made her cry so ... probably Viggo trading place with Ryan Reynolds. I can't believe Ryan Reynolds got nominated - not that it was not a good comedic performance; it just didn't seem like an awards type of film/performance.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis - Fences
Greta Gerwig - 20th Century Women
Naomi Harris - Moonlight
Nicole Kidman - Lion
Michelle Williams - Manchester by the Sea
Alt: Felicity Jones - A Monster Calls
Editor comment: Lupita Nyong'o in place of Greta Gerwig. I've not seen either performance, but 'who's more famous here' would've been my reasoning.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali - Moonlight
Jeff Bridges - Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges - Manchester by the Sea
Liam Neeson - Silence
Dev Patel - Lion
Alt: Michael Shannon - Nocturnal Animals
Editor comment: I just wanna say, of the actors involved in Moonlight, the ones who deserve the most credit are the main character's actors. They should've been counted as 'supporting' or all three fore one role. Ali was okay, but it looked like he was picking up noms so I would've kept him in this group anyway. I would've put Ben Foster in there rather than Liam Neeson, as I did not hear anything about Liam but Ben was very showy in Hell or High Water. If anyone had seen Nocturnal Animals, which seemed to be picking up fewer awards than I would've thought, they would know that Michael Shannon's performance > Jeff Bridge's. But I would've put Jeff in because I would've been of little faith.
BEST SCREENPLAY
Fences
La La Land
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
Silence
Alt: Loving
Editor comment: La La Land, Manchester, Moonlight, agreed. Then, Nocturnal Animals and Lion. Alternate: Arrival.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
La La Land
La La Land
Moana
Sing
Trolls
Alt: Hidden Figures
Editor comment: I would have probably taken out Trolls and added Miss Sharon Jones. I don't know why.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Arrival
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land
Moonlight
Alt: The BFG
Editor comment: I would've put in Rogue One in place of Jackie, just because it's going to be massive if the premiere reactions hold up!
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Finding Dory
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
The Red Turtle
Zootopia
Alt: Trolls
Editor comment: I would've added Sing as the alternate.
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Elle (France)
The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki (Finland)
Julieta (Spain)
Neruda (Chile)
Toni Erdmann (Germany)
Alt: The Salesman (Iran)
Editor comment: I would not have guessed Neruda, based on the fact that I've seen it and I would not have thought it was Globes material. I would've gone for Sieranevada instead, based on the same fact.
Golden Globes Nominations Predictions
Tweet
TIFF 2106: a look back
Tweet
A summary of my ten days at TIFF'16.
But first, a few gripes:
- It's getting harder to be a TIFF patron, especially when they've not only raised the price to more than twice your regular ticket ($34/single ticket), but they've also increased it further when the tickets are in demand. My eyes felt a little gouged out this time around.
- Late comers expecting others to move to accommodate their wish to sit the whole family together, when perfectly available rows (albeit not as good) are theirs to move together to.
- Having to up my game to close to 2 hours line up time. People, you be killin' me.
All things considered, it was a pretty good TIFF, given that it only rained on my last day, and I only hated one of my 17 films (see below). And I got to be close to Werner Herzog! Except for my getting sick part, vacation well spent.
Films
ranked based on a mix of favouritism and superiority
01. Fuocoammare (Fire at Sea; Rosi)
02. Nocturama (Bonello)
03. Sieranevada (Puiu)
04. La Tortue rouge (The red turtle; de Wit)
05. Moonlight (Jenkins)
06. Umi yori mo Mada Fukaku (After the storm; Koreeda)
07. Hymyilevä mies (The happiest day in the life of Olli Mäki; Kuosmanen)
08. Toni Erdmann (Ade)
09. Divines (Benyamina)
10. Neruda (Larraín)
11. Forushande (The Salesman; Farhadi)
12. Nocturnal Animals (Ford)
13. Frantz (Ozon)
14. Into the Inferno (Herzog)
15. Bacalaureat (Graduation; Mungiu)
16. Smrt u Sarajevu (Death in Sarajevo; Tanovic)
17. Fuchi ni tatsu (Harmonium; Fukada)
Directors (and their winning bit)
01. Gianfranco Rosi / Fire at sea: he refuses to play within the documentary feature parameters, and makes a compelling story as seamless as that of a fictional narrative auteur. Winning bit: sound weaving in and out of the boat rescue, accompanying the slow, restrained camera work that's never exploitative or hurried. 02. Bertrand Bonello / Nocturama: Bonello gives Tom Ford a run for his money in the art of making things look cool and stylish, while staying bold and relevant with social discourse. Winning bit: making co-ordinated attacks (both from the teenagers, and later their hunters) feel exceedingly intense, complicated and disconcerting.
03. Cristi Puiu / Sieranevada: he makes me believe life goes on off camera. Winning bit: the camera pans away from a scene in a room, seemingly heading to another room when, unexpectedly, it pans back to the same scene in the room, giving the impression that we've been called back for further exploration.
04. Pablo Larraín / Neruda: fittingly, he peruses a poetic film structure to bring to life an unknown part of a poet. Winning bit: stringing emotional connections between scenes and characters by literally reframing these characters so that all other contextual elements disappear from the screen.
05. Maren Ade / Toni Erdmann: she brings a uniquely apt take on the challenging dramedy genre. Winning bit: Ines celebrates her birthday. Brilliant, hysterical bit of comedy mixed with shock and sadness.
Performances
01. Sandra Hüller - Toni Erdmann
02. Alex Hibbert / Ashton Sanders / Trevante Rhodes - Moonlight
03. Michael Shannon - Nocturnal Animals
04. Oulaya Amamra - Divines
05. Kirin Kiki - After the storm
Comments (to be written in future posts...)
The State of the World - Fire at Sea and Nocturama
Why Characters Matter - Harmonium and Death in Sarajevo
The Camera's Presence - Sieranevada, Neruda and Divines
Unexpected Stories - Toni Erdmann, The happiest day in the life of Olli Maki, Moonlight
R.I.P. Abbas Kiarostami - the Wind carries you now
Tweet
My heart is heavy in mourning of Abbas Kiarostami's passing, seemingly out of the blue (and from human errors?). I can't believe this news. What is with 2016?
His name lives in the pantheon of cinematic greats, and on the very modest list of personally beloved directors of mine.
Holding space for more coherent thoughts forthcoming.
Oscars 2016: In the name of diversity, here are some cookies
Tweet
It is often the case that the loudest kid(s) in the class gets the most attention. It is not to say that the kid doesn't need or warrant the help that (hopefully) comes with the attention. But too often those who also need help and attention but are quiet get ignored. On Oscars night, that's exactly what happened. In the name of diversity, African Americans (and those not from Africa but identified as Blacks) were pulled into the spotlight as the token ones. Why, yes, they did also bring out those couple of Asian kids and, uh, oh-my-gawd Lee Byung Hun! And, the lady from Quantico (Priyanka Chopra, but does anyone watch that show? why else is she there?). But they were sideshows to the token Blacks, which made the whole attempt rang of empty politics and ultimately really silly.
Nevertheless, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the show. I'm glad they addressed it - a little is better than none (though not sure if it should've taken up the whole show). I question though, how could they have known all these controversies to happen and hired Chris Rock, of all people, to MC? Could there have been a more apt host? Well, actually, maybe Margaret Cho would've been even better. Then the ratings would've been even worse, but they would've corrected everything! Oscars, you missed your chance!
Before I write of what I enjoyed, I want to mention first what I'm peeved about. As usual, I didn't read too much about the ceremony going into the broadcast Sunday night. I didn't read up on the boycotts either, other than the headlines about Will Smith. During the show, I was actually too busy to notice, but Griz pointed out later that there was indeed something more troubling (and telling) to me about the entire affair. The story was only told half in what the Oscars presented; what it omitted told an even better story.
While the producers did an admirable and excellent job in taking the time to bring us expertly stitched together and narrated clips of some of the talents (especially the sound, directing, and writing categories), they insulted the lesser known song nominees by completely cutting them out of the equation. Both Anohni and Sumi Jo, nominated for Racing Extinction and Youth respectively, did not get to perform, while Lady Gaga, the Weeknd, Sam Smith, and Dave Grohl (!) did. I don't understand this decision, given that year after year, the Oscars give space and time to the shorts that almost nobody watches! And I sit through these every year, including this one, amused by their dedication to highlight film crafts in spite of ratings. What's even more puzzling is that, given the banner of diversity hanging around the show and the Academy this year (not to mention the popularity of Transparent!), they cut out a transgender performer, and a South Korean soprano! It makes Sam Smith's win the worst of the night, even worst than the fact that it was not deserving of the win.
I guess what the Academy was trying to say is: "Sorry gals, there's no room for actual diversity, only room for political diversity. May the loudest voice wins!" The Token issue sucked up all the air time. They didn't even celebrate what a year it was for women!
Now that we've established the hypocrisy, here are a few things I was nevertheless happy about:
- Mad Max going gangbusters on all those tech awards! It really should've gotten more, but how fabulous is it that an action film takes home the most Oscars, including a film EDITING prize (the only "important" category it won in, traditional-Oscars-wise)! Years to come, we may appreciate what an achievement this film is in garnering as much love as it did in spite of its genre - nominations in Picture and Director!
- The sound categories clips were magnificent!
- Chris Rock skewered many people, including people I didn't think he'd be able to. Good on him. I liked the sorority racist distinction. I enjoyed the silly girls scout cookies skit, though it is a bit too similar to Ellen's pizza stunt.
- Louis C.K. telling what the award's attention is like for the nominees of less popular forms.
- Chris Rock interviewing moviegoers in Compton.
- The useful labels for presenters!
- Ali G!? Yes, he was utterly offensive, and on point. Was he necessary? Eh. What's one more in a whole show?
- The great dresses and the ladies who wore them beautifully! Olivia Wilde, Rachel McAdams, Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Isla Fisher, Olivia Munn, Priyanka Chopra, and, uh, Whoopi! And from the pictures that came out online: Amy Adams, Emilia Clarke, Elizabeth Banks, Jessica Biel. Lady Gaga's outfit looked like something that came out of a Georgia O'Keeffe paiting, minus the colours.
- Jacob Tremblay, Abraham Attah, Alicia Vikander, Brie Larson, Mark Rylance, Ennio Morricone and Margaret Sixels were such cutie pies.
- The shocker that is Ex-Machina winning visual effects against the effects-heavy blockbuster Star Wars! I had Ex-Machina as my alternate choice! How could you not vote for it though? Alicia looked like she was made of robot parts!
- The shocker that is Spotlight winning Best Picture despite only having one other award to its name. That's more of an amusing surprise rather than a wanted surprise, but it's good for the show anyhow.
There were wins I did not like (e.g. Amy over The Look of Silence), some cringe-worthy speeches (but fewer than other years?), and snubs I felt bad about (e.g. Charlize Theron and Emily Blunt not present in the actress race) but I expect and accept them by now. The Oscars is a popularity contest, albeit amongst industry people so it tends to favour at least "decent" choices if you can relate to their paradigm / taste. This 2016 show, though, despite its missteps, is one to remember, for good or for ill.
Oscars 2016 Winners: Mad Max wins the most, Spotlight wins the most important, Leo wins the internet
Tweet
PICTURE
Spotlight
DIRECTOR
Alejandro G, Iñárritu - The Revenant
ACTRESS
Brie Larson - Room
ACTOR
Leonardo di Caprio - The Revenant
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies !!
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Spotlight
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Big Short
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Son of Saul
ANIMATED
Inside Out
DOCUMENTARY
Amy
EDITING
Mad Max: Fury Road
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Revenant
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Mad Max: Fury Road
VISUAL EFFECTS
Ex-Machina !!!
SOUND MIXING
Mad Max: Fury Road
SOUND EDITING
Mad Max: Fury Road
MAKE UP & HAIRSTYLING
Mad Max: Fury Road
COSTUME
Mad Max: Fury Road
SCORE
The Hateful Eight
SONG
Spectre !!!
Oscars 2016 Winners Predix: May the hairiest bear win!
Tweet
PICTURE
The Revenant
Alt. Spotlight
The Revenant
Alt: Spotlight
Editor Predix: Well, what looked like a close three-horse race between Revenant, Spotlight, and the Big Short (thanks, Guilds!) now seems to be a runaway train for Revenant. I guess we're gonna find out which Guild got it wrong.
DIRECTOR
Alejandro G, Iñárritu - The Revenant
Alt. George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
Alejandro G. Iñárritu - The Revenant
Alt: George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
Editor Predix: I would be soooooo happy for Miller to win here, so I'm putting him in as a wishful gesture. But, Iñárritu is going to be hard to beat.
ACTRESS
Brie Larson - Room
Alt. Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
Brie Larson - Room
Alt: Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
Editor Predix: I cannot imagine Brie losing this one.
ACTOR
Leonardo di Caprio - The Revenant
Alt. Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
Alt: Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
Editor Predix: It's Leo's Oscar to lose, and he's gonna be King of the World.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
Alt. Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs
Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
Alt: Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs
Editor Predix: Alicia is going to win for a stellar year, unless Kate pulls a Globes surprise. Let's hope not, no matter what Titanics fans would give for a Jack and Rose award union.
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sylvester Stallone - Creed
Alt. Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone - Creed
Alt: Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
Editor Predix: It's a little strange that the Academy is going to award a "muscle man" actor like Stallone. Not that he doesn't deserve it (I can't say either way, Creed sight unseen), but the Academy is a little snooty and traditional when it comes to their choices, so ... Mark Rylance has a chance!
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Spotlight
Alt. Ex-Machina
Spotlight
Alt: Inside Out
Editor Predix: Spotlight coming home empty handed would be kinda cruel, so I think it'll take Screenplay. It's amazing how far a front runner has fallen.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Big Short
Alt. Room
The Big Short
Alt: The Martian
Editor Predix: Which surprising-director-nominated film will get the consolation screenplay prize, Room or The Big Short? I'm betting on the latter, for all those fourth wall breaks.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Son of Saul
Alt. Mustang
Son of Saul (Hungary)
Alt: Mustang (France)
Editor Predix: I'm betting on the only film to have survived Cannes until now. Plus, the Holocaust is the Academy's favourite subject?
ANIMATED
Inside Out
Alt. Anomalisa
Inside Out
Alt: Anomalisa
Editor Predix: Inside Out got this.
DOCUMENTARY
Amy
Alt. The look of silence
Amy
Alt: The Look of Silence
Editor Predix: I haven't seen Amy, but I really can not imagine it being better than the immensely moving Silence, the necessary companion to the masterful The Act of Killing. It's too bad Amy could just win on name recognition alone.
EDITING
The Big Short
Alt. Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road
Alt: The Revenant
Editor Predix: I know what I'm rooting for, but the Big Short is an "important message" movie with flashy editing and there's also the possibility of a Revenant sweep, so it's an uphill battle for Fury Road. I'm gonna cross my sore toes for it!
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Revenant
Alt. Carol
The Revenant
Alt: Mad Max: Fury Road
Editor Predix: This category is actually more open than others, considering the alternatives to Revenant are all viable winners.
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Mad Max: Fury Road
Alt. The Revenant
Mad Max: Fury Road
Alt: The Revenant
Editor Predix: Go Mad Max! I'm a little scared that it'll come home undeservedly empty handed, simply because of its "action" genre.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Mad Max: Fury Road
Alt. Ex-Machina
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alt: The Revenant
Editor Predix: I'm tempted to predict The Revenant for that bear fight (pretty good), but I'm gonna have faith that the tech categories will spread the wealth a little.
SOUND MIXING
The Revenant
Alt. Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Alt: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Editor Predix: This is where "epic" counts. Let the fight for tech wins begin: Mad Max vs. Revenant, to the golden death!
SOUND EDITING
Mad Max: Fury Road
Alt. The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alt: Mad Max: Fury Road
Editor Predix: I would've put Revenant again, but why not mix it up a little?
MAKE UP & HAIRSTYLING
The Revenant
Alt. Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Alt: Mad Max: Fury Road
Editor Predix: Making Leo look filthy? Oscar!
COSTUME
Carol
Alt. The Danish Girl
Carol
Alt: Mad Max: Fury Road
Editor Predix: This can be a surprising category, but the Academy tends to favour old timey costumes, so I'd say Carol inches ahead of The Danish Girl by Cate Blanchett's curls.
SCORE
The Hateful Eight
Alt. Star Wars
The Hateful Eight
Alt: Bridge of Spies
Editor Predix: Please let it not be Star Wars. The Hateful Eight's surest bet is this category. It'll be fun to see a Tarantino film's soundtrack recognized officially for once.
SONG
The Hunting Ground
Alt. Fifty Shades of Grey
The Hunting Ground
Alt: Youth
Editor Predix: The biggest obstacle against the Weeknd getting an Oscar is Lady Gaga. Between the two, I'm gonna bet on Gaga, who has been quite successful in gaining more "prestigious" recognition these days.
Cinemaps BEST OF 2015: Women on top
Tweet
 |
| Charlize Theron as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road |
Animation? Amy Poehler. Riley.
Comedy? Amy Schumer.
Action? Charlize Theron.
War on drugs? Emily Blunt.
Indie/crime/psychological thriller (of sort)? Brie Larson.
Romance? Saoirse Ronan.
Fantasy (of sort)? Jennifer Lawrence
Biography, fiction? Jennifer Lawrence.
Biography, documentary? Amy Winehouse.
Older people's sexual affair with younger people? Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.
Robots? Alicia Vikander.
Dinosaur? BLUE.
The new friggin' Jedi? Daisy Ridley.
Even my favourite film had a female judge as the main character in its best segment. Okay, so it's an all-white list, but hey, African American represents, Charlize! Also, there was no female lead in boxing / sports genre, but you could watch Rousey vs. Holm match and call it a day! My point remains: there's something to celebrate in 2015. How it gets sustained in the next while is another story. For now, let's throw our hands up and praise to the heavens for the sisters doing it for themselves.
 |
| As Mil e Uma Noites: Volume 2, O Desolado (Arabian Nights Volume 2: The Desolate one) |
01. As Mil e Uma Noites: Volume 2, O Desolado (Arabian Nights Volume 2: The Desolate one; Gomes) ****1/2 and As Mil e Uma Noites: Volume 1, O Inquieto (Gomes) ***1/2
I spent 6+ hours straight watching this film, and I don't regret it one bit. Well, maybe Volume 3 can use some judicial trimming. I didn't think I'd enjoy bird watching much and I was absolutely right (I gotta wonder if he was messing with the audience?). But the project is staggering in scope, sprawling in narrative, and utterly relevant in its superimposed stories. There are actually eight of those stories in this trilogy, each is pulled off with varying degrees of success (for a more detailed account of the stories and a review that reflects closely my feelings on the film, read this). My favourite segment (which the above picture comes from) is titled The Tears of the Judge, which plays out like a Shakespearean netherworld court where souls are judged and sent off to serve their eternal sentence. It is absurd, profound, exceedingly clever, but with much levity in its execution, which is how I'd describe most of the segments (I'm not so hot about the tone of The Enchanted One, which I feel goes off the deep end where I can't follow). Despite its pressing concerns about the state of the world, the trilogy - knee-deep in satire - retains a sense of wonder and a deep love of all that tries to exist. Gomes is confident in his style, astute in his observations, and generous in his spirit. One gets the impression that he throws in the kitchen sink at times, but what glorious opus it turns out to be anyway!
02. Mad Max: Fury Road (Miller) ****1/2
The film is a beautiful melding playground for contrasts. Fury Road looks sleekly produced and expertly edited, yet it dons a very B-movie sensibility (revenge plot, uninhibited exuberance, corny dialogue, etc.). It's an epic film dealing with "the big picture," but spends most of its time taking the audience through car chases. It features two quiet leads in loud action sequences. Feminism surges and weaves through its machismo elements seamlessly. We have a female warrior leaving a trail of sand dust behind her for an all men squad to contend with, as she takes off with what they consider even more precious than oil: the ability to give life, or more precisely, to give healthful life. As a side note, one may wonder, could she have done this all on her own? It could've been written that way, but it wouldn't be as rich. To get to peace and all that jazz, someone who is pragmatic yet sensitive like Max is important to the cause. He who is changed by the process to look beyond his own interests and extend a respectful helping hand will see to it that his fellow mates will survive and get to their destiny, too. Both Max and Furiosa are important - without one or the other, they would not have survived, or become their better self. In any case, George Miller pulls off, along with his wife who has been credited with profuse praise and due respect for her tremendous editing job, an incredible story of human survival in a barren, bleak, and imperfect time, all while leaving you at the edge of your seat. Cinema for the ages.
03. The lobster (Lanthimos) ****
I love this tender, beautiful, hilarious movie so, so much. Excellent acting job all around, including the great supporting cast of lovable fools played by John C. Reilly, Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux and Olivia Colman. Colin Farrell has built quite a career playing the sad man-child romantic leading man, and he's doubling down on his bets here. His David appears average, vulnerable, and unsure of himself. He has not had any luck with coupling, and eventually finds himself trying to survive the jungle of the coupling outcasts. He meets and falls in love with Rachel Weisz's "Short Sighted Woman," who's something of a square peg being really good at squeezing into a round hole herself. Their journey is that of surprising pain and sweetness that you'd have to witness to understand. Lanthimos' film is not to be taken at a literal level - otherwise you may not be able to sit through the strange and somewhat silly tale unfolding. What he is trying to say about the social preoccupation with coupling and the factions that it spawns is fairly obvious. It doesn't diminish what transpires; it'll leave an emotional imprint on those willing to go for the ride.
04. Hrútar (Rams; Hákonarson) ****
I picked this film to see at TIFF last fall, because I really felt like rams are my animals (along with sheep / lamb / emu / ostrich) and the story just sounded rife for a good giggle-cry (the best kind). I pegged it correctly: the film is light and sad, satirical and emotional, provincial and universal. The story unfolds kinda as promised by the premise (c/p from wiki): a hard-drinking Icelandic farmer (Theodór Júlíusson) and his estranged brother (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) band together to save their flocks of sheep from authorities who want the animals destroyed. It should be noted that the estranged brother's point of view is the audience's here, not the hard-drinking one. It's an important storytelling decision because un-pleasantry and hard feelings come in controlled doses until they pool together to a satisfying effect. Their brotherhood adventure is Rams' gentle, real, out-stretching heart, calling the estranged to find each other before they are ... well, you'd have to watch the film to find out!
05. Inside Out (Docter & del Carmen) ****
Pixar returns to its glorious throne with yet another growing pain story of having to "let go of these childish things." It feels elegant, fresh and effective in its execution. It's astonishing that an animated film manages to depict psychoanalytic theories and emotional science in simple terms without cheapening them or making them feel archival. The details do not need to be completely accurate; they just have to approximate the main themes/ideas, and they do. I may write more on this film later, because, um, this site is all about psychology and cinema? For this blurb, I'd just say: "take her to the moon for me." Commence tears.
06. La giovinezza (Youth; Sorentino) ****
It can be argued that every personal history is a revisionist history. We may assume what we know is the truth; neuroscience will tell you that is not so: we each have our truth, and our truth changes with time. As meaning making creatures, we edit and construct our life into being as is fitting with our narrative. Sorentino's Youth is about the construction of fleeting youth ideals, those that get stickier and hardened in the memory bank as one ages. To Fred, our aged protagonist, the life of his youth lives in songs and in love. With his love in a questionable state, he retires the music without and within, resigned to live out the rest of his life in resentment and denial. His good friend, Mick, also lives in denial and seems to be weighed down by the past. Unlike Fred, Mick's denial allows him to live on the borrowed time of his younger days. Between the two of them, both old white men of "culture" and "art," we have a fantasy that is sumptuous, filled with male-centered (necessarily so, considering our main characters) youthful idols and tremendous longing to go back to the time before they lost their vitality. When this veil is torn down, by the hand of their visitors both old and young, they must choose between falling into despair or allowing the past to live in the past. If you do not embrace the privileged, dream-like setting of the film, you may find it hard to care. If you do, you'd be rewarded with one of the most beautifully placed statements about "old farts"' art/music to grace the screen: Fred's Simple Song #3. You'd have to see it to feel what I mean.
07. The Hateful Eight (Tarantino) ***1/2
This is a thoroughly geeky young adult fare: raucous, funny, outrageous, wordy, and a little silly. What helps to lend an "epic" sense to the picture is that 70 mm experience, the gorgeous cinematography and score, and a touch of commentary on racism. For that last point, it's better that you'd see Django Unchained instead. For everything else, this is a good Tarantino picture, and his most play-like - both in the sense of a play, and playfulness.
08. Sicario (Villeneuve) ***1/2
I can not recall the last time I saw an action movie through the eye of a woman soldier as she enters darkness and has her morals and spirit so broken down, and yet not de-humanized. If anything, she gets a sympathetic, complex treatment of a hero whose humanity allows her to understand and struggle with the choices she makes (within the options she has little control over). As much as I love seeing in-charge-of-her-destiny woman characters, the film's bold and delicate decision to map her internal landscape like a real human being makes me feel good about the state of women in films. Here, we get to have a woman as a person with a distinct psychological and spiritual make up, braving her world without the weight of having it all, or be someone's all encompassing ideals. It's a bit downtrodden of a movie, but also very freeing to have Blunt tumbling forward all the way with us (although during the film, it can at times challenge your patience with her)! Oh, and the film looks fantastic and feels edge-of-your-seat thrilling to boot!
09. Mustang (Ergüven) ***1/2
To be clear, the film got on this list on its own merit, not because of its subject matter. The liberal honeypot - a story about oppressed females in a remote locale of the world - could've easily drowned the film in its moral righteousness and/or be accused of pandering to the "Western" world's view. But, by the miraculous talent of its writer/director, Mustang is a film that's better than it should have been. In the context of a very obvious feminist bent (not a dirty word), so much on the screen is anything but academic. Its cast of characters feels real, even if the circumstances seem surreal at times. The film's depiction of gender entrapment and its consequences are both sensational and nuanced, with its head and heart in most of the right places. While the older generation (of both genders) is criticized for its hand in the murdering of its youth's desires and spirits, Ergüven also ensures that there's compassion for these characters, given their context of systemic policing of gender roles. The sisters have great chemistry together. They appear to entrust who they are to the screen and lends it their much appreciated vitality in face of mounting adversities. Let there be fighting little girls everywhere, and perhaps they'll get us all out of the dark age.
10. Trainwreck (Apatow) ***1/2
I had real fears coming into Trainwreck that this raunchy rom-com was going to be dumber than it thought it was. On some levels, it does play to the usual tropes of a rom-com: girl meets boy, instant pairing, some initial challenges, girl and boy have funny and dopey sidekicks, problem, sad montage, intervention, main character tries to win the other person back, happily ever after. The film should've sunk, but instead, by some miracle, it feels right with the time. Apatow, the spokesdirector for the kid(ding)-adult generation, makes the wise decision to trust Amy's funny bone to rise above, and she does it with aplomb. She has help: the supporting cast is uniformly funny, starting with a sweet, straight laced Bill Hader as you've never seen him before. There's also a rotating set of athletes and macho-guy cameos that lends a surprisingly sincere tone to Amy's life tapestry (not to mention a smart move to bring in the guys eh?). But Amy's dramatic turn is what makes this good. She (along with Apatow) doesn't let Amy's cleverness gets in the way of her "learning." Amy has quiet moments to reflect (the film is surprisingly not as loud as I'd thought). It has the right mix of dramedy, culminating in a trampoline scene that just makes me laugh out loud while crying real felt tears. It surprises me enough to take a spot on this year-end list. That's some real achievement right here.
 |
| Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth: The Hateful Eight |
Grin and Pulse
The most fun I had watching a movie this past year
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
The Lobster
Trainwreck
Director
Confident storytelling, with a touch of "wow"
Miguel Gomes, As Mil e Uma Noites (Arabian Nights)
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Lobster
Grímur Hákonarson, Hrútar (Rams)
Denis Villeneuve, Sicario
Performance
I feel you
Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road
Emily Blunt, Sicario
Colin Farrell, The Lobster
Rachel Weisz, The Lobster
Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Hrútar (Rams)
Alicia Vikander, Ex-Machina
Benicio Del Toro, Sicario
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Jacob Tremblay, Room
The cast of Mustang, Mustang
Writing
Create interesting, layered, cohesive universe; would make for a great read on its own
Telmo Churro, Miguel Gomes, Mariana Ricardo, As Mil e Uma Noites: Volume 2, O Desolado (Arabian Nights Vol. 2: the Desolate One)
Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthymis Filippou, The Lobster
Akimi Yoshida (manga), Hirokazu Koreeda (screenplay), Umimachi Diary (Our little sister)
Paolo Sorentino, La giovinezza (Youth)
Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight
Editing
Interesting, effective cuts and stitches that support and move the story visually
Mad Max: Fury Road
As Mil e Uma Noites (Arabian Nights)
Sicario
Carol
Hrútar (Rams)
Cinematography
Takes my breath away
Mad Max: Fury Road
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Anomalisa
Nie yin niang (The Assassin)
Art Direction / Production Design
Transportive, impactful set design
Crimson Peak
La giovinezza (Youth)
Ex-Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
Nie yin niang (The Assassin)
Effects
Movie Magic
Mad Max: Fury Road
Ex-Machina
The Hunger Games: the Mockingjay Pt. 2
Anomalisa
Sound
Amplify the visuals and enrich my sensory experience
Mad Max: Fury Road
Sicario
The most fun I had watching a movie this past year
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
The Lobster
Trainwreck
Director
Confident storytelling, with a touch of "wow"
Miguel Gomes, As Mil e Uma Noites (Arabian Nights)
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Lobster
Grímur Hákonarson, Hrútar (Rams)
Denis Villeneuve, Sicario
I feel you
Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road
Emily Blunt, Sicario
Colin Farrell, The Lobster
Rachel Weisz, The Lobster
Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Hrútar (Rams)
Alicia Vikander, Ex-Machina
Benicio Del Toro, Sicario
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Jacob Tremblay, Room
The cast of Mustang, Mustang
Writing
Create interesting, layered, cohesive universe; would make for a great read on its own
Telmo Churro, Miguel Gomes, Mariana Ricardo, As Mil e Uma Noites: Volume 2, O Desolado (Arabian Nights Vol. 2: the Desolate One)
Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthymis Filippou, The Lobster
Akimi Yoshida (manga), Hirokazu Koreeda (screenplay), Umimachi Diary (Our little sister)
Paolo Sorentino, La giovinezza (Youth)
Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight
Interesting, effective cuts and stitches that support and move the story visually
Mad Max: Fury Road
As Mil e Uma Noites (Arabian Nights)
Sicario
Carol
Hrútar (Rams)
Cinematography
Takes my breath away
Mad Max: Fury Road
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Anomalisa
Nie yin niang (The Assassin)
Transportive, impactful set design
Crimson Peak
La giovinezza (Youth)
Ex-Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
Nie yin niang (The Assassin)
Effects
Movie Magic
Mad Max: Fury Road
Ex-Machina
The Hunger Games: the Mockingjay Pt. 2
Anomalisa
Sound
Amplify the visuals and enrich my sensory experience
Mad Max: Fury Road
Sicario
Saul Fia (Son of Saul)
The Hateful Eight
The Witch
Score
Was it memorable?
Mad Max: Fury Road
Sicario
The Revenant
La giovinezza (Youth; based on song alone)
The Hateful Eight
The Witch
Score
Was it memorable?
Mad Max: Fury Road
Sicario
The Revenant
La giovinezza (Youth; based on song alone)
Uncharted
Films I'm intending to see that could make a dent on the list above
Embrace of the Serpent
Theeb
Phoenix
When Marnie was here
The boy and the world
Charted
Ranked out of *****
****1/2
As Mil e Uma Noites: Volume 2, O Desolado (Arabian Nights Volume 2: The Desolate one; Gomes)
Mad Max: Fury Road (Miller)
****
The Lobster (Lanthimos)
Hrútar (Rams; Hákonarson)
Inside out (Docter & del Carmen)
La giovinezza (Youth; Sorentino)
***1/2
The Hateful Eight (Tarantino)
Sicario (Garland)
Mustang (Ergüven)
As Mil e Uma Noites: Volume 1, O Inquieto (Gomes)
Trainwreck (Apatow)
It follows (Mitchell)
Ex-machina (Garland)
Umimachi Diary (Our little sister; Koreeda)
Saul fia (Son of Saul; Nemes)
***
Spotlight (McCarthy)
The Revenant (Iñárritu)
The Witch (Eggers)
Dheepan (Audiard)
Room (Abrahamson)
Carol (Haynes)
The big short (McKay)
Bølgen (The Wave; Uthaug)
Where to invade next (Moore)
Anomalisa (Kaufman)
Dope (Famuyiwa)
**1/2
The Martian (Scott)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Abrams)
Straight outta Compton (Gray)
The Danish Girl (Hooper)
The Hunger Games: The Mockingjay Pt. 2 (Lawrence)
Nie yin niang (The Assassin; Hou)
Jafar Panahi's taxi (Panahi)
Beasts of no nation (Fukunaga)
As Mil e Uma Noites: Volume 3, O Encantado (Gomes)
Ant-man (Reed)
**
Crimson Peak (del Toro)
Spectre (Mendes)
Jurassic World (Trevorrow)
Tomorrowland (Bird)
* (Embarrassing)
45 years (Haigh)
Shan he gu ren (Mountains may depart; Jia)
R.I.P., Alan Rickman
Tweet
We lost a magnetic giant in the acting world today. How sad that he followed another Brit icon's (David Bowie, of course) death so soon. People may know him more widely as the darkly mysterious Professor Snape, but my favourite Alan Rickman's performance is in Sense and Sensibility. The Atlantic has a good article on a certain sentimental but complicated sensibility he's brought to his romantic leading roles.
Rest in peace. :(
Oscars 2016 Nominations: a wild pre-season comes to a snub-filled end
Tweet
With the caveats that the Academy nominations are based on popular votes by its members, which means the nominees tend to have "good"ish appeal to most people, rather than necessarily the "best" in its category by any one's biased measure, here are the snubs and strange nominations this season:
BIG SURPRISES
- Mad Max, although tipped off by precursors and critics' awards, is somewhat of a strange picture to receive that many nominations considering it is essentially a genre film, and one that belongs to the most looked-down-upon genre: action movies. The fact that it did not just receive all technical nominations, but that it also scored Director and Picture is a huge deal to that particular genre. It did what the Nolan pictures couldn't. It got not just the sound and visual effects nominations, but also nominations in categories traditionally belonging to "serious" fares, like cinematography and film editing. Amazing feats, really, and one of the better stories coming out of this awards season. However, it missed landing an acting nomination for Charlize Theron. That's a shame considering how central that character is in lending Mad Max that gravitas necessary to be taken seriously. I'm also peeved that its score was left out in favour of something familiar like Star Wars.
- Room did as well as it could, landing one of the biggest surprises of the season: Directing for Lenny Abrahamson. None of the precursors pointed to this outcome so this was definitely a curve ball (which we knew would happen in the directing category - the Academy Director branch is almost as singular as the Academy Foreign Film branch!).
- The Martian faced the biggest snub in directing. Considering Ridley Scott just won the Globes, it's surprising he didn't land at least a nomination here. Although we knew not all the DGA nominees would get it, he wasn't considered the shakey one.
- Carol failed to land in two of the biggest categories: Picture and Director. This must sting for its supporters.
- The Hateful Eight tanked with the exceptions of Jennifer Jason Leigh, cinematography and score. No Screenplay or Picture nomination. Weinstein must not be happy!
- Steve Jobs also under-performed, and lost out an expected biggie nomination in Screenplay.
- Beasts of No Nation lost out BIG time this season. By conventional logic, it should've picked up Supporting Actor for Idris Elba, at least. It's the kind of picture that would tend to do well broadly, if it's got any traction at all with the Academy. Of the snubs, to me, this seems to be the most puzzling omission because it's the kind of picture that would've been nominated for something had it been released in theatre.
- The Animated Features category screwed with us. Matters not, Inside out will win.
- Bryan Cranston broke the TV barrier and landed best actor for a little seen film that's accused of being TV-of-the-week type of film.
BETTER THAN EXPECTED
- The big short landed better than expected, with a bonus Director nod that was only slightly less surprising than Room's Lenny Abrahamson in the same category.
- Star Wars missed a Picture nom, but anyone who follows the race would know that it had little chance of nomination (this is the middlebrow Academy, after all, not the wild west). All things considered, it actually did pretty well with extra nods in film editing and score.
SLIGHTLY POORER THAN EXPECTED
- Brooklyn under-performed, only getting the sure-fire nods.
- Both Ex-Machina and Sicario did poorer than one would hope/expect, considering the support these two smaller indies seemed to gather before the announcement. They're playing like real indies in the race now too.
- Spotlight did not land Carrell a nod. It is no longer a front-runner, and that's disappointing for its people, I'm sure, even if Rachel McAdams rode the wave of support into a rather surprising nomination.
MINI PUZZLEMENT
- Given its dominance elsewhere, it was rather surprising that The Revenant missed out on Screenplay.
- The Danish Girl landed Alicia Vikander a nod in place of Ex-machina, which it really shouldn't but whatever. I'm sure she's happy with either.
THE RACE ISSUE
- Straight outta Compton's hope for awards glory was pretty short lived. On the one hand, wow it made Screenplay! On the other hand, it did not make best picture. However, when you really look at it, it makes sense that it would not. Consider the scenario where it is nominated for Best Picture: the only other nomination this "best picture" would have landed is Screenplay and nothing else. That's not a best-picture type of scenario. It was never going to happen, but SAG kinda raised false hope of diversity.
Oscars 2016 Nominations (Predix & Actual): Furiously wide open
Tweet
The Oscars nominations are happening tomorrow! How's that for a fast and furious award season? We just had the Globes. In this wide open year, anything could happen. We could even be right with some of our predix! Here they are, from me and my friend, Griz (in Purple).
Post announcement (PA) comments in Blue.
PICTURE
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol x
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Straight outta Compton x
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Editor Predix: If this was a field of 5, I'm certain we'd do better with our predictions. With so many iffy pictures, we could do really badly here comes tomorrow. If there's one sure thing, it's this: there will be snubs.
PA: Wow, only 8 nominees. They took up all the passionate votes, I guess. Yay Mad Max! Sad face for Hateful Eight.
DIRECTOR
Alejandro G, Iñárritu - The Revenant
Tom McCarthy - Spotlight
George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
Alt: Ridley Scott - The Martian
Todd Haynes - Carol
Alejandro G. Iñárritu - The Revenant
Tom McCarthy - Spotlight
George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
Ridley Scott - The Martian
Alt: Adam McKay - The Big Short
Editor Predix: I'm going wild here. If there's any passionate support for Son of Saul, I don't know how you could overlook its flashiest selling point: direction. McKay is the weakest in terms of prestige, and Scott has directed more 'respected' films (not to say that he couldn't be nominated based on respect for his name alone).
PA: I correctly predicted Ridley Scott, but did not see Todd Haynes missing. Adam McKay, moving on up! A surprising line up, for sure. Carol is not feeling the love.
ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett- Carol
Brie Larson - Room
Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
Alt: Helen Mirren - Woman in Gold
Cate Blanchett - Carol
Brie Larson - Room
Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
Alt: Charlotte Rampling - 45 Years
Editor Predix: I want so badly for Charlize Theron to get nominated here, but that would require such a huge wave of support and the precursors haven't indicated any of that. There's a bit of a category confusion here for Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander, so I'm not sure about my picking Alicia over Rooney. But Alicia brought me the tears!
PA: Charlotte Surprise! Ugh, I almost had this category! Griz correctly predicted Charlotte, while I let my bias against the performance clouded my prediction.
ACTOR
Matt Damon - The Martian
Leonardo di Caprio - The Revenant
Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl
Alt: Bryan Cranston - Trumbo
Bryan Cranston - Trumbo
Matt Damon - The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl
Alt: Johnny Depp - Black Mass
Editor Predix: I would've put in Johnny Depp, but he hasn't performed well in the precursors, which surprises me. I'd say Steve Carrell and Bryan Cranston can probably switch place. I'm not sure there's enough support to see Cranston go lead in the film (not TV) category.
PA: Griz's killing it! Wow, Cranston made the big leap.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara - Carol
Alicia Vikander -
Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs
Helen Mirren - Trumbo x
Alt: Rachel McAdams - Spotlight
Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara - Carol
Helen Mirren - Trumbo
Alicia Vikander - Ex Machina
Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs
Alt: Jane Fonda - Youth
Editor Predix: I was surprised that JJL did not get a SAG nom, but I trust that the Academy would reward this delish performance. Rachel McAdams' nom is a strange one, considering how subdued her role is.
PA: I don't know how to count this. Category confusion! I did predict Alicia for The Danish Girl, just in the wrong category?
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale - The Big Short
Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
Alt: Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight
Christian Bale - The Big Short
Idris Elba - Beasts of No Nation
Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight
Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone - Creed
Alt: Michael Shannon - 99 Homes
Editor Predix: Where the heck did Michael Shannon come from, and how much should we weigh the SAG's predictability here? I'm iffy about leaving Mark Ruffalo out, but his twitchy character in Spotlight seems a little different from the usual classy acting he's used to be nominated for.
PA: I was wrong about Mark Ruffalo. He's like the new Meryl Streep or something. Also, WHY did I not put Sylvester in? I thought he was going to win the Oscars!
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Bridge of Spies
Spotlight
Straight outta Compton
Alt: Ex-Machina
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Spotlight
Alt: Sicario
Editor Predix: I can't believe Tarantino missed with the Guilds here. But if there's support for The Hateful Eight (which I'm actually not sure about considering its reception), they would nominate him here.
PA: Well I was right about the (underwhelming) support for Hateful Eight. Yay for Inside out though!
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Big Short
Carol
The Martian
Alt: Room
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The Martian
Steve Jobs
Alt: The Revenant
Predix: I'm only putting Revenant in because at this point, I actually think it's the front runner for best picture. And a front runner can't have its screenplay omitted. Well it can, but that wouldn't look good?
PA: I suppose the Screenplay categories are where the Academy spreads the love. Shocking Aaron Sorkin did not make it for Steve Jobs. Even more shocking is the Revenant missed it here. How is it winning without a screenplay nomination?
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Embrace of the Serpent (Columbia)
Mustang (France)
Son of Saul (Hungary)
Alt: A war (Denmark)
The Brand New Testament (Belgium)
Mustang (France)
Son of Saul (Hungary)
Theeb (Jordan)
Viva (Ireland)
Alt: A War (Denmark)
ANIMATED FEATURE
Anomalisa
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie
Alt: Minions
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie
Alt: Minions
Editor Predix: I really can't see missing any from this category.
PA: Talk about eating crows! This is the most shocking of shocking categories this morning just in terms of how wrong we are and how out of the left field the nominees are.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Amy
Cartel Land
The Look of Silence
What happened, Miss Simone?
Alt: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Amy
Cartel Land
He Named Me Malala
Listen to Me Marlon
The Look of Silence
Alt: Where to Invade Next
Editor Predix: A truly blind set of guesses, other than Amy. Why is the Look of Silence on for this year? I shouldn't complain - I was sad when I thought it missed last year.
PA: There has been no buzz for Where to Invade next, probably because it's not out yet. So it's only my fault that I thought it would count. I've seen the film, and I would be surprised if it's not nominated if people have seen it. Did they see it? What do I know??
EDITING
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Alt: The Martian
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Alt: Spotlight
Editor Predix: I'm probably wrong for picking Sicario over The Martian, but whatever. Sicario is better edited, and also flashier.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Alt: Sicario
Bridge of Spies
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Sicario
Alt: The Hateful Eight
PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Alt: Crimson Peak
Bridge of Spies
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alt: The Danish Girl
Editor Predix: It maybe foolish to pick Crimson Peak as an alternate, but having seen that movie, it so deserves the nod.
VISUAL EFFECTS
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alt: Ex-Machina
Jurassic World
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alt: Ant-man
SOUND MIXING
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alt: The Hateful Eight
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alt: The Hateful Eight
PA: Our best category!
SOUND EDITING
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alt: The Hateful Eight
The Hateful Eight
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alt: Inside out
MAKE UP & HAIRSTYLING
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Alt: The Hateful Eight
Black Mass
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Alt: Mr. Holmes
PA: What the. lol
COSTUME
Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
Alt: Crimson Peak
Brooklyn
Carol
Cinderella
Crimson Peak
The Danish Girl
Alt: Mad Max: Fury Road
SCORE
Carol
The Hateful Eight
The Revenant x Star wars: The Force Awakens
Alt: Sicario
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alt: Spotlight
PA: Really? Star Wars over Mad Max?
SONG
Fifty Shades of Grey
The Hunting Ground
Spectre
Youth
Alt: Southpaw
Fifty Shades of Grey
Furious 7
The Hunting Ground
Spectre
Youth
Alt: Shaun the Sheep Movie
PA: Racing Extinction? Academy, you're weird.
Tally (noms per picture)
The Revenant 12
Mad Max: Fury Road 10
The Martian 7
Bridge of Spies 6
Spotlight 6
Carol 6
The big short 5
Star Wars: The Force Awakens 5
Room 4
The Danish Girl 4
Brooklyn 3
The Hateful Eight 3
Sicario 3
Inside out 2
Steve Jobs 2
Ex-Machina 2
45 years 1
100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared 1
Amy 1
Anomalisa 1
Boy and the World 1
Cartel Land 1
Cinderella 1
Creed 1
Embrace of the Serpent 1
Fifty shades of grey 1
The hunting ground 1
Joy 1
The Look of Silence 1
Mustang 1
Racing Extinction 1
Shaun the Sheep Movie 1
Son of Saul 1
Spectre 1
Straight outta Compton 1
Theeb 1
Trumbo 1
Ukraine fight for freedom 1
A war 1
What happened, Miss Simone? 1
When Marnie was here 1
Youth 1
2016 Golden Globes Winners
Tweet
Live!
In order of presentation:
Supporting Actress
Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs!!!
Wow, no-one saw that coming! Vikander splits vote, and support for Jennifer Jason Leigh is not that high? And I really thought Jane Fonda was going to win it.
Score
Ennio Morricone - The Hateful Eight
That Quentin speech! Haha.That "ghetto" comment may ruffle some feathers. Just how much does Quentin respect film score? Or the ghetto? Get the press on it!
Actor (Comedy)
Matt Damon- The Martian
He walked pass Fassbender and Leo, everyone.
Animated Feature
Inside out
Supporting Actor
Sly Stallone!
Standing O! Take note, Oscars, here he comes.
Screenplay
Aaron Sorkin - Steve Jobs !!
Spotlight is going down! Also, the Globes really liked Steve Jobs!
Foreign Film
Son of Saul
Song
Spectre - Sam Smith, Writing on the wall
Not doing so well on predictions... Now I can start saying "Youth was robbed." Because it was.
Director
Alejandro González Iñárritu - The Revenant
Yeah, the Revenant is winning it all.
Actress (comedy)
Jennifer Lawrence
That's nice.
Picture (comedy)
The Martian!
An old front-runner makes the race interesting again! But may be Scott, Ridley is going to speechify its chances away ...
Actress (drama)
Brie Larson
She will give me a thank you card. Okay.
Actor (drama)
Leonardo DiCaprio
The room erupted! He should've kept that speech for the Oscars.
Picture (drama)
The Revenant!
I knew it. I've seen the film, and I should've gone with my intestines.
It should be noted that both Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet won tonight.
2016 Golden Globes Winners Predix: Will Spotlight take the spotlight? Or the Revenant rises?
Tweet
PICTURE (DRAMA)
Spotlight
Alt. The Revenant
Spotlight
Alt: The Revenant
Editor: I've actually seen all the films in this category so I feel I should be able to predict this one. Yet, I'm not quite sold on my choice. Spotlight is about journalism, which is somewhat a home field for the Globes' members, so I'm betting on self-interest voting. HOWEVER, having seen the Revenant, if they'd like to throw their predictive support towards a heavy weight, Leonardo's epic film may take the ball from a more subdued Spotlight. The other films don't factor much into the race. Unless Mad Max wins everything! HA.
PICTURE (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
The Big Short
Alt. The Martian
The Big Short
Alt. The Martian
Editor: The race is between the crowd-pleasers Short and Martian. I'd say The Big Short because of a very hot McKay touch.
DIRECTOR
Alejandro González Iñárritu - The Revenant
Alt. George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
Alt: Alejandro González Iñárritu - The Revenant
Editor: I'd think the two show-y directorial presentations are the front runners, and AGI gets it for a more "artsy" film. Although, Ridley Scott may sneak in just because.
ACTOR (DRAMA)
Leonardo Di Caprio - The Revenant
Alt. Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
Leonardo Di Caprio - The Revenant
Alt. Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
Editor: It would be foolish for the Globes to reward this to anyone else but Leo. They like their TV viewership too much.
ACTOR (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Matt Damon - The Martian
Alt. Steve Carrell - The Big Short
Christian Bale - The Big Short
Alt: Matt Damon - The Martian
Editor: That Matt Damon, he's just so likable! He'll be rewarded for carrying that movie to the bank, though Globes probably cares more that he's so darn likable.
ACTRESS (DRAMA)
Brie Larson - Room
Alt. Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
Cate Blanchett - Carol
Alt: Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
Editor: Cate Blanchett basically reprises her Jasmine role from Blue Jasmine, so I'm not sure Globes would go for that. Alicia is the window to The Danish Girl, and the hot newcomer of the year. But, being nominated twice just means you're more likely to lose twice. It's Brie's to lose.
ACTRESS (COMEDY)
Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
Alt. Amy Schumer - Trainwreck
Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
Alt: Melissa McCarthy - Spy
Editor: There's a very good chance the red-hot new comedienne Amy Schumer wins against her new bestie, J. Law. But, it's J. Law. Her star power and the actingness of her role win hearts.
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Idris Elba - Beasts of No Nation
Alt. Sylvester Stallone - Creed
Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
Alt: Sylvester Stallone - Creed
Editor: I haven't seen Spies, and don't really want to so I have no idea how Mark Rylance got here, never mind winning. Wouldn't it be something if Stallone wins an ACTING award though? I think they'll give it to Elba, because Globes doesn't care if Beasts is not released in the theatre. And because Idris is handsome.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jane Fonda -Youth
Alt. Alicia Vikander - Ex-Machina
Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
Alt: Alicia Vikander - Ex Machina
Editor: Alicia's chance of winning is greater in this supporting category, but ... Jane Fonda. I think Globes likes the spitfire performance. It's very, um, European.
SCREENPLAY
Spotlight
Alt. The Big Short
Spotlight
Alt. The Big Short
Editor: Spotlight is more serious of the two, so given the Globes' recent trend of superseriousness, I'd say the strong contender Big Short loses out (probably not by much).
FOREIGN FILM
Son of Saul
Alt. Mustang
Son of Saul
Alt. Mustang
Editor: It's safe to say Son of Saul is going to win the Oscars. Globes ain't no stray cat.
ANIMATED FEATURE
Inside Out
Alt. Anomalisa
Inside Out
Alt. Anomalisa
Editor: It's too bad I couldn't make Anomalisa happen before the Globes, so I really can't tell how this category plays out. However, given that Inside Out is some kind of a heart-warming success, it's likely the forgone-conclusion winner here.
SCORE
The Hateful Eight
Alt. The Revenant
The Hateful Eight
Alt. Carol
Editor: Two powerful scores, one for the win. I'd bet on the famous Western composer.
SONG
Love & Mercy
Alt. Fifty shades of grey
Fifty Shades of Grey
Alt: Love & Mercy
Editor: I wish, wish so much that Youth would win its most deserving spot here, because that Simple Song is soul-shifting. Sigh. I am going for star-power instead.
