Academy Awards Results 2015

And lo, the Oscars were once again conducted, the statuettes were unloaded, and everyone gave themselves a rather smug pat on the back. I didn’t get to see this year’s ceremony although through a cruel twist of fate I did listen to most of it, filtered through the BBC and their international media network. I’ve pretty much spent the entire weekend suffering in a horrendous vice of illness, feeling that my skull is being bayoneted should I turn my head too fast in one direction, afflicted with shivers and quivering chills, and the inability to hold down anything solid food wise for 72 hours – nice. As such my sleeping patterns have been all over the place, so a 8pm slither to bed meant that I was awake at 3am, hearing the results as they beamed live from the city of angels. My initial impressions are that Carol was locked out from every category which is a shame, although this failure is tempered with genre favourite Mad Max’s crushing clean sweep of the technical awards. I can’t comment on Chris Rock’s hosting prowess but he seems to have tackled the political sensitive’s head-on, and there was a few surprises and upsets to get the gossip sites and statistically stricken all excited – behold Chile’s first ever Oscar!! The first ever cinematography sequential trilogy win!! My showing, in terms of accurate predictions was by far my worst performance since I started this ridiculous exercise, I barely scrapped 40% which adds insult to injury of a fever stricken movie-fan, and given my current temperament makes me consider ceasing all operations of this nature with immediate effect – stupid awards, stupid ceremony, they’re all a bunch of racists anyway, I hate and it’s just all rubbish isn’t it? So, whatever, I’ve left in the matrix bold for those I’ve seen, italics for what I thought should have won and underlined for what I predicted would win, with a special gold marking the actual winner.

Best Picture

Did I get It Right? – No

Undoubtedly the biggest shock of the evening, but I’m glad to see this upset. At this stage in the evening The Reverent was pretty much a shoo-in after scalping best actor and director, but it hadn’t managed a screenplay nomination let alone a win, a sign that something might not be quite right among some strains of the Academy. It’s reminiscent of the Crash debacle of 2006 for some, except in this case Spotlight is a fantastic, well modulated and measured film, and I have to say I am surprised that the Academy has embraced such uncomfortable subject matter. Anything that brings the project, and its expose to wider audiences is to be welcomed, so I’m happy to be proven wrong here.

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Room

Spotlight

Best Actor In A Leading Role

Did I get It Right? – Yes 

That was the most flattering photo of Leo I could find, after the Vanity Fair party. Well he’s finally done it and I suppose it’s well deserved, he does strike me as someone who takes his draft extremely seriously and he’s cemented his position among the 1% of the 1% along with the two Tom’s, Harrison and Brad. It’s a shame he couldn’t have won for a film which actually retained any empathic charge as I simply didn’t find myself caring one damn jot for his furious quest for vengeance, so I guess its gonna be a couple of comfortably heated rom-coms on his slate for the foreseeable future…

Bryan Cranston – Trumbo

Matt Damon – The Martian

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant

Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs

Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl

Best Actress In A Leading Role

Did I get It Right? – Yes 

Brie Larson’s favourite films have been doing the rounds, making some of us cinephile’s swoon with appreciation. After Rampling’s ill-judged remarks she couldn’t really win it, and as mentioned ad-nauseum Blanchet shouldn’t even be in this bloody category in the first place for all the good it did her.  Like Leo this was a foregone conclusion, and it should be interesting to see where Brie goes next in terms of roles and profile….

Cate Blanchett – Carol

Brie Larson – Room

Jennifer Lawrence – Joy

Charlotte Rampling – 45 Years

Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn

Best Actor In A Supporting Role

Did I get It Right? – No

‘Would it help?’ Well yes Mark, I think it is fair to say that it did help, a great deal. . Upon reflection Rylance is the lynchpin of this film and seems a natural for a screen, remember although he’s a fine theatrical thespian with a strong reputation those skills don’t always translate over from treading the boards to the smaller, more nuanced and finessed screen work, where a raise of the eyebrow of dart of the eye can mean as much as full soliloquy. I widh I’d stuck with my gut and assumed Stallone wasn’t so widely beloved by his peers, but here we are….

Christian Bale – The Big Short

Tom Hardy – The Revenant

Mark Ruffalo – Spotlight

Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies

Sylvester Stallone – Creed

Best Actress In A Supporting Role

 

Did I get It Right? – No

That’s I have nothing but cold, dis-passionate  antipathy for this result, I haven’t seen the film so this isnt entirely fair, but I find it hard to believe that Leigh’s severe and Roony soulful performances have been surpassed by this. Still, I  must reserve judgement until then, so for now I’m accepting this travesty through gritted teeth.

Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight

Rooney Mara – Carol

Rachel McAdams – Spotlight

Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl

Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs

Best Director

Did I get It Right? – No

I am, however, somewhat less amendable to this decision. Inarritu mustered an amazing experience to be sure in The Reverent, but it was a hollow and somewhat empty spectacle, cleaving to the vision of directors as tyrants of the golden age, barking orders as minions freeze while literally defying the elements. Miller however managed the impossible – he made a sequel to an 1980’s franchise and created something wholly original and contemporary, bettering the original, and crafted one of the greatest action movies of, well, recorded history. The fact this his behemoth has hoovered up all the technical awards is testament to his leadership, with dirtector as captain of the ship, ensuring that all the functions are working at their peak performance in order to reach the destination safe and dazed, gasping for more. So yeah, I think Miller was robbed, and alas given his pedigree he’ll never get another chance. C’est la vie…..

Adam Mckay – The Big Short

George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road

Alejandro G Inarritu – The Revenant

Lenny Abrahamson – Room

Tom McCarthy – Spotlight

Best Cinematography

Did I get It Right? – No

Clearly I need my fucking head examined, as we all know by now that Roger Deadkins will never win an Oscar. Ever. I don’t know what he has done to offend the movie gods but Lubeski is also a worthy winner, so that takes the sting out of this failure. First person to win the award consecutively over three years – an historical achievement.

Hateful Eight – Robert Richardson

Mad Max: Fury Road – John Seale

The Revenant – Emmanuelle Lubeski

Sicario – Roger Deakins

Best Visual Effects

Did I get It Right? – No

The little boy, or rather more accurately girl in Ex Machina who could? Beating out the huge Hollywood SFX studios on a budget which would’ cover their proverbial catering bill is stunning, and proof that there is more than just pyrotechnics and digital carnage to this most neglected of art forms within the industry. Apparently this is the ‘first non-best picture nominee in the category to win over best picture nominees since “Tora! Tora! Tora!” topped “Patton” 45 years ago’. I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds faintly impressive…

Ex Machina

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Film Editing

Did I get It Right? – Yes 

As a I said last month I’m surprised the Academy even bothered nominating the other candidates as this is about as certain a prediction as possible. There is nothing else to be said.

The Big Short

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Spotlight

Best Production Design

Did I get It Right? – Yes

I thought there was a loose risk to going with the future world stuff here as generally the period specific stuff likes Spies and Danish would appeal to their peers, but it looks like this gamble paid off.

Bridge of Spies

The Danish Girl

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Best Original Screenplay

Did I get It Right? – No

I think I was trying to be a bit of a smart-ass for this one, assuming that some of that liberal guilt might buttress Compton’s chances, clearly I was wrong. Spotlight is a terrific, complex script so no complaints here.

Bridge of Spies

Ex Machina

Inside Out

Spotlight

Straight Outta Compton

Best Adapted Screenplay

Did I get It Right? – No

And again a rather clever, deft and biting script seems to win out over more direct, procedural fare. I was glad to see The Big Short get something as I liked it was well,  but this was always the best it could have hoped for, right?

The Big Short

Brooklyn

Carol

The Martian

Room

Best Original Score

Did I get It Right? – No

If I’d realised this that Morricone has never won a best score Oscar I may well have re-evaluated this prediction, I’m still faintly stunned that he has never picked up a statuette over his incredible and lengthy career. Once again this takes the sting out of this failure, and you’ve gotta give some love to QT for giving him one last shot at the big one……

Bridge of Spies

Carol

The Hateful Eight

Sicario

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Foreign Language Film

Did I get It Right? – Yes 

Another slam-dunk really, if you’re gonna be really cynical and balance the Academy’s racial heritage demographics against this categories subject matter then this, as they say, is a no-brainer. Great, powerful and harrowing film as well….

Embrace of the Serpent

Mustang

Son of Saul

Theeb

A War

Best Original Song

Did I get It Right? – No

Prosecution Exhibit A – the case against Hollywood having any relevance to the outside world is exemplified here. Everyone I know, even civilians whom I’ve discussed such things at work disliked that Bond crooning as some of the worst of his entire franchise run, yet here we are. Bizarre……

Earned It – 50 Shades of Grey

Til It Happens To You – The Hunting Ground

Writings On The Wall – Spectre

Manta Ray – Racing Extinction

Simple Song 3 – Youth

Best Documentary – Feature

Did I get It Right? – Yes

After Amy cleared up at the BAFTA’s and Golden Globes the writing was on the wall, and another fine well deserved win here.

Amy

Cartel Land

The Look of Silence

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

Best Costume Design

Did I get It Right? – No

Again, I played it safe with the historic period drama, more fool me. The lesson has been learnt for subsequent years.

Carol

Cinderella

The Danish Girl

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Best Sound Editing

Did I get It Right? – No

See below.

Mad Max : Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Sicario

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Mixing

Did I get It Right? – Yes 

It’s usually the way, if one film hits on the technical pathway it tends to dominate proceedings.

Bridge of Spies

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Documentary – Short Subject

Did I get It Right? – No

I got nothing.

Body Team 12

Chau, Beyond the Lines

Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of The Shoah

A Girl in the River

Last Day of Freedom

Best Makeup And Hairstyling

Did I get It Right? – Yes

Well, they certainly made these five broads look, like, totally hot, so another well deserved win.

Mad Max: Fury Road

The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Diasappeared

The Revenant

Best Live Action Short Film

Did I get It Right? – No

(shrugs). Nah, I got nothing.

Ava Maria

Day One

Everything Will Be Okay

Shok

Stutterer

Best Animated Short Film

Did I get It Right? – No

These are always a literal crap shoot when you haven’t even seen the product and therefore are unable to exercise any aesthetic judgement, literally any of these could have won for all I cared. Apparently Bear Story is Chile’s first Academy Award win during the industries 88 year history. Now, who was saying that diversity is dead in Hollywood?

Bear Story

Prologue

Sanjay’s Superteam

We Can’t Live Without Cosmos

World of Tomorrow

Best Animated Feature Film

Did I get It Right? – Yes 

No surprises here and a solidly deserved win, if a little predictable. I’m really looking forward to Anomalisa when it opens here next month, if sounds terrific.

Anomalisa

Inside Out

Shaun the Sheep

Boy and the Wild

When Marnie Was There