Oscar season! My favorite season of the year! I’m a total movie buff, and every year, I make an effort to watch all of the movies nominated in the “big” categories. (One year, I watched every single movie nominated for an Oscar, which was exhausting. So I set my sights a little lower.) Then, I make my predictions and choose who it is that I would vote for. (Typically a good deal different than the actual outcome.)
This year, I want to share my thoughts and predictions with you. I know there’s been a lot of controversy this year, but I am not going to get into that. I am going to focus on what I have to work with. So below are my predictions. They are listed in the order that I would vote for them (if I were an Oscar voter). The names in bold are who I think will actually win.
Best Picture
1) Room
2) Spotlight
3) Brooklyn
4) The Revenant
5) The Martian
6) Bridge of Spies
7) Mad Max: Fury Road
8) The Big Short
I love that there is no clear frontrunner in this category. Of them all, I thought that Room was the most gripping piece of cinema, buoyed by truly astounding performances from Jacob Tremblay and Brie Larson. It was an incredibly faithful adaptation of the book, which was nice to see. But I think that Spotlight will take the award home, which is fine by me. Brilliant script, gripping, and incredibly acted. The best part about the category this year is how different all of the movies are. The Martian was entertaining, Mad Max and The Revenant were artistic, Brooklyn was heartwarming. It’s like there’s a movie for everyone.
Best Actor
1) Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
2) Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
3) Brian Cranston, Trumbo
4) Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
5) Matt Damon, The Martian
Let’s be real. It’s Leo’s. There is nothing closer to a sure bet than this category. And as much as I enjoyed Fassbender’s performance, I think Leo deserves it too. It’s clear he worked hard, gave it his all, and he will be rewarded for it on Sunday. I would have liked to have seen Jacob Tremblay nominated in this category.
Best Actress
1) Brie Larson, Room
2) Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
3) Cate Blanchett, Carol
4) Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
5) Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Probably the second closest thing to a lock in these categories. Brie Larson’s performance was real, grounded, and heartbreaking. I cannot think of anyone else who more perfectly embodied a character this season. All of the ladies were good. I enjoyed all of their performances (Ronan’s soulful eyes, Blanchett’s poiser, Rampling’s fear, and Lawrence’s embodiment of her character), but Larson was a cut above the rest. She was fantastic.
Best Supporting Actor
1) Sylvestor Stallone, Creed
2) Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
3) Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
4) Christian Bale, The Big Short
5) Tom Hardy, The Revenant
I had a very difficult time deciding whose performance I want to win more, Stallone or Rylance. I’m a huge Rylance fan, so I think that I am secretly rooting for his wonderful performance to be recognized. However, it’s Stallone’s performance that I remember most. I have never seen a Rocky movie (what?), but you can see that Stallone’s heart and soul is in that character. Watching him age, and face that, was stunning.
Best Supporting Actress
1) Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
2) Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
3) Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
4) Rooney Mara, Carol
5) Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Oddly enough, this is the category I am most excited about. I had a lot of problems with The Danish Girl (and its category placements), but Vikander (who should have been nominated for Ex Machina, a movie I cannot say enough wonderful things about) was mesmerizing. If she wasn’t onscreen, I wanted her to be. She was entirely captivating. My heart broke for her. It might have been my favorite (nominated) performance of the year. However, Winslet was the heart and soul of Steve Jobs and did a wonderful job with the Sorkin dialogue. With several awards already to her name, I expect her to take it. (And my little shipper heart will be TOTALLY okay with seeing pictures of Kate and Leo together with their Oscars). Shout out to Jennifer Jason Leigh’s wonderfully cooky performance.
I might come back a little later and try predicting Best Director and the Best Screenplays. My brain is too exhausted right now. But enjoy my initial thoughts.
