Film - Oscars (The Grouch)

Steve Taylor-Bryant has a bone or several to pick with The Academy over their Oscar nominations this year and grudgingly gives his predictions...

I'm not late with this article I just didn't want to rush out my predictions without taking the time to fully absorb what to me was a shockingly poor list with some huge omissions. Predictable? Most definitely and that's okay, it's the Oscars, it's never going to be a huge shocking event that sees films from left field get surprising nods but, whilst not every film/actor/director can be nominated, this year has some very huge gaps where talent is missing. 

Ridley Scott is far from my favourite director, I'm on record as not really enjoying his stuff, but The Martian was one film that deserved the plaudits. It's up for Best Picture and Matt Damon for Best Actor but to not include Ridley in the Director group seems odd to say the least! Staying with director gripes and why no Spielberg? Bridge of Spies is possibly one of his best films since Schindler's List but no Best Director nomination and very few elsewhere is poor form on the Academy's part. Another glaring omission is Straight Outta Compton helmer F. Gary Gray. I totally get that N.W.A might not be everyone's cup of tea but surely awards are given not on subject matter but on film-making skills and Straight Outta Compton is a powerhouse of a film where the director has excelled and raised the cast from relative obscurity to a whole new level. I don't think it would have won but to not include it borders on criminal! Talking of criminal omissions where the hell is Tarantino? Quentin Tarantino has, at the very least, shown everyone there's more than just CGI and IMAX cameras to make a movie with.

Best Director

Lenny Abrahamson - Room
Alejandro G Inarritu - The Revenant
Tom McCarthy - Spotlight
Adam McKay - The Big Short
George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road

Will Win - Alejandro G Inarritu
Steve's Pick - Adam McKay


Moving onto the main actors market and again the only surprise is in the talent not included. Michael Fassbender was good as Steve Jobs but better than Will Smith in Concussion? Better than any of the guys in The Hateful Eight? I think not! Where is Steve Carell for The Big Short? Where is Idris Elba? Is it because Beasts of No Nation was a Netflix film and the Academy don't class them as film makers? Tom Hanks in Bridge of Spies? Good enough to get the movie a nod for best film but not better than the guys in the nominations? Anyway here's the lists for Best Actor and Best Actress and my picks...

Best Actor

Bryan Cranston - Trumbo
Matt Damon - The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl

Will Win - Leonardo DiCaprio
Steve's Pick - Leonardo DiCaprio 

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett - Carol
Brie Larson - Room
Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
Charlotte Rampling - 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn

Will Win - Jennifer Lawrence
Steve's Pick - Brie Larson


Best Picture is a great list but still lacks The Hateful Eight and Straight Outta Compton and perhaps The Danish Girl? Still not seen it yet but I'm told it's very Oscar orientated.

Best picture

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

Will Win - The Revenant
Steve's Pick - The Big Short

Supporting Actress has somehow forgotten Jane Fonda in Youth but is a powerful list still and Supporting Actor finds room for Bridge of Spies whilst the director and actor categories can't or won't but is still full of solid performances.

Best supporting actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara - Carol
Rachel McAdams - Spotlight
Alicia Vikander - Ex Machina
Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs

Will Win - Kate Winslet
Steve's Pick - Jennifer Jason Leigh

Best supporting actor

Christian Bale - The Big Short
Tom Hardy - The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight
Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone - Creed

Will Win - Tom Hardy
Steve's Pick - Christian Bale


The writing and documentary awards are my three. Whilst most of the audience are watching the stars, I watch the writing in a project and my love of documentary films is well known and two of the three categories have severely pissed me off this year! Best Original Screenplay is a stunning list and Straight Outta Compton gets rightly included, although Tarantino misses out, but then we come to Adapted Screenplay and there is no Aaron Sorkin for Steve Jobs? So you write a script that's great enough to get your cast in a winning position but not good enough for the writing award? Are you kidding me? Documentary gets the woeful Amy but there's no Alex Gibney nod for Going Clear? Are the Academy's voters just making it up as they go along now? 

I give up...

Best original screenplay
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

Will Win - Spotlight
Steve's Pick - Straight Outta Compton

Best adapted screenplay
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The Martian
Room

Will Win - The Big Short
Steve's Pick - The Big Short but only because there's no Sorkin!

Best documentary feature

Amy
Cartel Land
The Look of Silence
What Happened, Miss Simone?
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

Will Win - Amy
Steve's Pick - anything but Amy...

Images - Oscars website