The results of the Academy Awards rarely produce surprising results for audience members or even the nominees themselves. The Academy, comprised mainly of older white men, tend to play it safe, leaning towards historic biopics and actors who have charmed the public throughout the awards season.
Nevertheless, the Oscars are still highly anticipated and awards predictions are produced on almost every media site, with slight variations depending on the company or website’s own angle. (Independent film sites tend to favor indies). Here are The News-Letter’s Oscar picks for the 2016 awards season.
Best Picture —
The Revenant
Arguably the most anticipated award of the night, Best Picture is announced in the show’s last minutes with producers and cast members at the edge of their seats, waiting for their lives and careers to change in an instant. The winner is rarely a complete shock, with obvious frontrunners based on the number of other nominations. A heartfelt narrative or greater social message can also increase a film’s chance. While the narrative surrounding The Revenant has been mainly been about the harrowing conditions of production, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Golden Globes speech turned the public attention to the strife of the First Nation populations that are portrayed in the film. This humanitarian angle may be enough to push this film, which has received widely positive reviews from critics, to the position of Best Picture.
Best Director — Alejandro González Iñárritu
Regardless of what might be said about its simplistic storyline or the amount of brutality, there is no doubt that The Revenant is an incredible feat of filmmaking. Iñárritu, the leader of this time-sensitive, intricately poetic production was able to draw deeply emotional performances from the actors while taking control of the difficult physicalities of the shoot.
He deservedly won in the same category last year, and the win called the public’s attention to his sincere, passionate approach to filmmaking, and he will most likely win again this year.
Best Actor in a Leading Role — Leonardo DiCaprio
At this point in his extensive career, there is no doubt that Leonardo DiCaprio is due for an Oscar. Last awards season, he came close to securing an Academy Award in 2014 for The Wolf of Wall Street, winning a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. This year he has once again been given the Golden Globe for his performance, as well as the coveted Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG) award, and he is closer than he has ever been.
With the grueling conditions and treacherous obstacles he faced during shooting, including eating raw liver, he was able to produce a hauntingly emotional performance, especially in scenes involving the murder of his son. Despite his recognizable features, the actor is completely lost behind the character. It is easy to forget the international movie star beneath the worn, hairy skin of the fur trapper we see on screen.
Best Actress in a Leading Role — Brie Larson
After winning both the Golden Globe and the SAG award, Larson is the obvious choice for this year’s Academy Award. While Room is unlikely to win any other awards on Sunday night, her performance, projecting both fragility and strength, will undoubtedly grant her the favor of voters.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role — Sylvester Stallone
This category is the weakest of the acting categories. Idris Elba, the winner of the SAG award, a traditional indicator of Academy Award success, was not even nominated. While Tom Hardy, who gave an engaging performance as the villain of The Revenant, or Mark Rylance, who won a BAFTA for his performance in Bridge of Spies, are possible competitors, Stallone’s nostalgic revival of the classic Rocky character may be among Academy members.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role — Alicia Vikander
While The Danish Girl was far from a perfect film or even a particularly good one, Alicia Vikander’s performance as a distraught yet compassionate wife of a gender-transitioning artist cannot be discounted. She completely immerses herself in the role and generates empathy in an otherwise cold film. Like Larson, this is Vikander’s first Academy Award nomination. Until now she has been featured in supporting roles in films like Anna Karenina, Ex Machina and The Fifth Estate.
Best Animated Feature Film — Inside Out
Pixar movies are historically favored by the Academy. Their innovative artistic elements and heartfelt, moral narratives produce quality films that audiences of all ages can connect to. With skilled voice acting, touches of humor and a powerful message on the significance of experiencing all emotions, Inside Out is Pixar’s best in years. Perhaps besides Anomalisa, whose recent release garnered a mass of positive reviews, the film is the clear favorite for this category.
Best Cinematography — Emmanuel Lubezki
Lubezki, also known as “Chivo,” is arguably the greatest cinematographer of our time. Master of the long take, he has crafted stunning imagery for a number of films, earning a number of awards including eight Academy Award nominations (two wins). He won last year for Birdman, in which he created a seemingly endless take throughout the film, and he deserves a win for his breathtakingly brutal compositions in The Revenant.
Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay — The Big Short
The screenplay for The Big Short, co-written by Charles Randolph and the film’s director Adam McKay, is an ideal adaptation of Michael Lewis’ 2010 book. It breaks through the convoluted jargon of the financial system, explaining the crisis riddled in unspeakable corruption and loss, without patronizing audiences. The script’s fast-paced dialogue, dark humor and celebrity guest appearances are also sure to secure its victory in this category.
Best Writing, Original Screenplay — Spotlight
In a diverse category that ranges from Inside Out to Straight Outta Compton, Spotlight stands out as a classic Oscar pick — it involves a historical narrative of moral corruption and a thrilling search for the truth. Written by Tom McCarthy, who is known for his work on independent films, and Josh Singer, who wrote the screenplay for The Fifth Estate, this screenplay is almost guaranteed a win on Sunday.
