tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40343543660202316102024-03-19T05:42:54.345-07:00CinemaRetrospective - By Dylan AndrewAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-2557518952916654342016-02-02T14:29:00.000-08:002016-02-02T14:29:32.413-08:00My Oscar Ballot: The Film Superlatives of 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Although it's been some time since the nominations for the upcoming Academy Awards were announced, I wanted to put my two cents in regarding what I thought were some of the best individual contributions to film in 2015, from the best performances of the year to some of the best below-the-line contributions. So I present to you my personal Oscar ballot for the 2015 movie year, covering every major category (well, most of them, anyway).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST PICTURE (in alphabetical order)-</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Anomalisa"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Creed"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Ex Machina"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Inside Out"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Martian" (runner-up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Revenant"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Room"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Sicario"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Spotlight"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"Steve Jobs" (winner)</b></span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaGScJiJ4DrlnceVLG56rAdctc7r9dQxhu5mMqAsgkJGzYW3MfcysbmXFKj3mjAH83opn1_uKQ8vmGo84DVFNEK2YaBAD4OpCb6Tmhy-API1QUtIx4A7WK2Ln1sI_gDLL-xTTgGufK2ml/s1600/top+films.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaGScJiJ4DrlnceVLG56rAdctc7r9dQxhu5mMqAsgkJGzYW3MfcysbmXFKj3mjAH83opn1_uKQ8vmGo84DVFNEK2YaBAD4OpCb6Tmhy-API1QUtIx4A7WK2Ln1sI_gDLL-xTTgGufK2ml/s640/top+films.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although it was a great year in film overall, narrowing down to "The Martian" and "Steve Jobs" as my top two was a relatively easy call. It was only upon re-watching both that "Steve Jobs" solidified its place as my favorite film of 2015 and my Best Picture winner here. It's a choice made easier by the fact that the film was snubbed in most major categories at the Oscars largely due to its failures at the box office, making it a film worth sticking up for as one of the best of the year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST DIRECTOR-</span><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ridley Scott "The Martian"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alejandro G. Inarritu "The Revenant" (runner-up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lenny Abrahamson "Room"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dennis Villeneuve "Sicario"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Danny Boyle "Steve Jobs" (winner)</b></span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5f9s9oGeXAgY7e_EZnuAyh5_uMUJxJHXX-Oqe5L6I8OTNj7KoR7qLBSI7oqE4Ica661upQvs04iCL37ceY6JFtzRCSxbNfeZ8SNBkOF8jhgYc-IfR5_NvbxiAxFPWZfVj2yVXOhr9uVrp/s1600/directors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5f9s9oGeXAgY7e_EZnuAyh5_uMUJxJHXX-Oqe5L6I8OTNj7KoR7qLBSI7oqE4Ica661upQvs04iCL37ceY6JFtzRCSxbNfeZ8SNBkOF8jhgYc-IfR5_NvbxiAxFPWZfVj2yVXOhr9uVrp/s640/directors.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While it was easy to narrow the top two for the best direction of 2015 down to the work the great Danny Boyle did on my favorite film of the year and the stunning achievement Inarritu pulled off with "The Revenant". That being said, picking between these two vastly different but very impressive achievements was a tough call. While I don't want to simply line up behind my favorite film of the year a just hand it every award, I believe Boyle's achievement, which has been under-appreciated, deserves a spotlight here. Boyle manages to make Sorkin's mile-a-minute script work as exciting, propulsive cinema and that's no short feat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST ACTOR-</span><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Michael B. Jordan "Creed"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jason Segel "The End of the Tour"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Matt Damon "The Martian" (runner-up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Leonardo DiCaprio "The Revenant"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Michael Fassbender "Steve Jobs" (winner)</b></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here, it's the two male leads of my two favorite films that stood out the most. It's hard to imagine another other actor carrying "The Martian" on his shoulders the way Matt Damon does, but this top spot was reserved for Fassbender the second I saw "Jobs". Sorkin has written a great role here and Fassbender just runs with it, reveling in the dialogue and never asking for the audience to like him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST ACTRESS-</span><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Saoirse Ronan "Brooklyn"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alicia Vikander "The Danish Girl"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Brie Larson "Room" (winner)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Daisy Ridley "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Emily Blunt "Sicario" (runner-up)</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a disappointing year for female-driven films in 2014, 2015 was a great improvement in the regard and that's reflected in the Best Actress category here. Emily Blunt delivers her best work to date as the moral conscious of "Sicario", but it's Brie Larson's breakthrough performance in "Room" that takes the cake here. I've been a fan of Larson for years and seeing her reach this level of attention and acclaim for such a great performance has been a highlight of this Oscar season. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR-</span><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sylvester Stallone "Creed" (runner-up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oscar Isaac "Ex Machina"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tom Hardy "The Revenant"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"Michael Keaton "Spotlight" (winner)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seth Rogen "Steve Jobs"</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Always a category with choices, I easily could have made this a five way tie. What each of these actors bring to their respective films is truly indispensable. I settled then on the two veterans, both at times in their careers big movie stars who find themselves returning to the conversation in a big way. Stallone has never been better as Rocky Ballboa than he is in "Creed", and if "Birdman" was Keaton's comeback role, than his work in "Spotlight" cashes in on that career revival with the best performance of his career.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS-</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Alicia Vikander "Ex Machina" (winner)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jennifer Jason Leigh "The Hateful Eight" (runner-up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elizabeth Banks "Love & Mercy"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rachel McAdams "Spotlight"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kate Winslet "Steve Jobs"</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE33xB9g9Bv2OS1wiLKEzhwbZXZAofnBSWJx7QDNOx1DkGFxt-hVJvSIAM8ju8xKh52HkUWJmL2yZgRPFpCiaWqn3nGFptqEk8UYCu-X1GQXFU7RnYXdHMJlyYsHJ-kJd0KVXnLyA1jdXp/s1600/supporting+actress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE33xB9g9Bv2OS1wiLKEzhwbZXZAofnBSWJx7QDNOx1DkGFxt-hVJvSIAM8ju8xKh52HkUWJmL2yZgRPFpCiaWqn3nGFptqEk8UYCu-X1GQXFU7RnYXdHMJlyYsHJ-kJd0KVXnLyA1jdXp/s640/supporting+actress.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This category is almost always unfortunately a little thin. That being said, all of these performances are terrific. I was let down in many ways by Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight", but Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance was an enormous highlight. It was another easy call for number one, as the revelation of Vikander in "Ex Machina" was one of the big highlights of 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY-</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Creed"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"Ex Machina" (winner)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Inside Out"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Love & Mercy"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Spotlight" (runner-up)</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though the selection of original screenplays this year was not nearly as strong as their adapted counterparts, these are each very deserving of recognition. "Spotlight" is a script dense with information that manages to avoid getting bogged down in all of that research. However, Alex Garland" delivered a truly original vision with his complicated, thoughtful and fascinating script for "Ex Machina". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY-</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Anomalisa"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Brooklyn"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Martian" (runner-up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Room"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"Steve Jobs" (winner)</b></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another category that boils down to my two favorite films of the year, but both "The Martian" and "Steve Jobs" are, above all else, great films because they are written so intelligently. Drew Goddard's work in adapting a novel heavy on technical jargon and making it dramatically compelling and witty without sacrificing the science at the center is a real achievement. In many years, "The Martian" would be an easy winner here, but you consider the structural ambition, dense dialogue and brilliantly crafted character arcs of Sorkin's "Steve Jobs" script, it becomes impossible to ignore as the best script of the year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST FILM EDITING-</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFx9lusPY2pS1Uy182p0PmnbVlwI22dVvP05dVSBtxFw_iQct388BcYgWCTamqpG6HFY91zACXNn2tMJSQ8GJTgPSVAgqcy2ZNpGrVni0eUEuPwRgJT6ahu7vmNMQxxtrcyrujPycIM_F/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFx9lusPY2pS1Uy182p0PmnbVlwI22dVvP05dVSBtxFw_iQct388BcYgWCTamqpG6HFY91zACXNn2tMJSQ8GJTgPSVAgqcy2ZNpGrVni0eUEuPwRgJT6ahu7vmNMQxxtrcyrujPycIM_F/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Big Short"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"Mad Max:Fury Road" (winner)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Martian"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Sicario" (runner-up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Steve Jobs" </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A great year for film editing, as the editing choices made in each of these films is vital to the cinematic experiences of each. Joe Walker's editing of "Sicario" does so much to ratchet up the tension in key moments, but it was truly impossible to deny the achievement here of "Mad Max: Fury Road". While I didn't love the film as much as most, I was blown away by what an incredible achievement in ed</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">iting it was. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY-</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Carol"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Mad Max: Fury Road"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"The Revenant" (winner)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Sicario" (runner-up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Steve Jobs" </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This category came down to two modern legends in the field, Roger Deakins' for his moody lensing of "Sicario" or Emmanuel Lubezki for his stunning natural light achievement with "The Revenant". As great as Deakins' work on "Sicario" is, this was one of the easiest calls of the year. Lubezki has a very good chance of winning his third consecutive Oscar for his work here and it would be very well deserved. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN-</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRAUywOcPeAcbBKIJghYa0QOamDBpXGiz_N70InTa1YSG2N5GRBmDW_yi2EEW1HkcAjZ_EHPUbX0tgWA2YXq97G03PWkgIja61alaVefiMHXBdyHjV53p3AqlgMPsYoGa2k4dm5oMCCl9/s1600/cdn.indiewire.psdops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRAUywOcPeAcbBKIJghYa0QOamDBpXGiz_N70InTa1YSG2N5GRBmDW_yi2EEW1HkcAjZ_EHPUbX0tgWA2YXq97G03PWkgIja61alaVefiMHXBdyHjV53p3AqlgMPsYoGa2k4dm5oMCCl9/s320/cdn.indiewire.psdops.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Carol"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Danish Girl"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"Inside Out" (winner)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Martian" (runner-up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Revenant"</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The role of production design in animated films is often ignored due to the computer-generated nature of the imagery. Although I appreciate the difficulty of creating physical sets from scratch, done brilliantly in my runner-up "The Martian", I can't ignore that "Inside Out" was the greatest achievement in visual design of any film this year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST COSTUME DESIGN-</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiry7NC27wc6OoAciEhc0Iwmk_F4oJwOFE1_7UlIfnvbqcvRaEL4yHlfOCWcZezbJ-psO8Oi-ZbjoMiZ_Sno9e1_chhYEyq1n-NvImPqenDvLLj6GUAvGYBjT-jV7oazzdi47wndnyUgLol/s1600/111815-brooklyn-movie-lead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiry7NC27wc6OoAciEhc0Iwmk_F4oJwOFE1_7UlIfnvbqcvRaEL4yHlfOCWcZezbJ-psO8Oi-ZbjoMiZ_Sno9e1_chhYEyq1n-NvImPqenDvLLj6GUAvGYBjT-jV7oazzdi47wndnyUgLol/s320/111815-brooklyn-movie-lead.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"Brooklyn" (winner)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Cinderella"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Crimson Peak"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Danish Girl"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (runner-up)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I often try to emphasize great achievements of costume design in more contemporary films (something the Academy often fails to do), but this year was a bit slim in that regard so here instead is a collection of great period and sci-fi/fantasy costuming. None of these nominees has the immediately iconic quality of the work done in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", but I opted instead for the wonderfully colorful costumes of "Brooklyn".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST ORIGINAL SCORE-</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbm-Z3hlwNWJIA626ZWIrvbQqRmXGzbmPERcsBFARk3jTu5QGWkh_1Ye75sXWvWzGXRIwUWsmwiZCguu7BXafk_NrvI5arAHtha8gsG5jLFwfKOzDe3Vc9E9yetYu9Yj3iqNhmb2x5MLr/s1600/115760_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbm-Z3hlwNWJIA626ZWIrvbQqRmXGzbmPERcsBFARk3jTu5QGWkh_1Ye75sXWvWzGXRIwUWsmwiZCguu7BXafk_NrvI5arAHtha8gsG5jLFwfKOzDe3Vc9E9yetYu9Yj3iqNhmb2x5MLr/s400/115760_original.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Ex Machina"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Inside Out" (runner-up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Revenant" </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"Sicario" (winner)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Steve Jobs" </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another category where each of the five made a compelling case for number one, as it was a great year overall for film scores. It was also a year of eclectic film scores, reflected in the sharp contrasts in style </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">of my top two. Though I loved the emotional delicacy of Michael Giacchino's work on "Inside Out", it was hard to go against the brooding atmosphere of Johann Johannsson's score for "Sicario".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST SOUND DESIGN-</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTvoT5vOjQsOYlh1McNJ6OLPQFpvrkBduXWiDKfyQKCdn4BkUXr7VR8aQ0DI7szhMybpsWjjZQbcKhkvjkxRa35vnZZ65-f13hHp3_gy5denF884rPlUzQxdkC1JfdRkXr97ZZljd3Y3O/s1600/revenant-horse-xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTvoT5vOjQsOYlh1McNJ6OLPQFpvrkBduXWiDKfyQKCdn4BkUXr7VR8aQ0DI7szhMybpsWjjZQbcKhkvjkxRa35vnZZ65-f13hHp3_gy5denF884rPlUzQxdkC1JfdRkXr97ZZljd3Y3O/s400/revenant-horse-xlarge.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Love and Mercy" (runner-up)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The Martian"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"The Revenant" (winner)</b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Sicario"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the easier calls on the list, but not for lack of other great options. "Love and Mercy" did a brilliant job both recreating the "Pet Sounds" recording sessions and also suggesting the sonic chaos swirling inside Brian Wilson's head. In another year I would've opted for it, but rarely has a film absorbed me so much with its use of sound as "The Revenant" did. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-71333661926367991722016-01-28T08:26:00.000-08:002016-01-28T08:26:46.839-08:00Top 10 Films of 2015 (Part II)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I have finally gotten around to finishing my write-up on the ten best films of 2015. I have already covered the first half of my list, and you can read about selections 10-6 <a href="http://cinemaretrospectivedylanandrew.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-top-10-films-of-2015-part-i.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Without any further delay, let's get into my top five films of 2015, starting with...</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>5) <b>"The Revenant"</b> (Dir. Alejandro G. Inarritu)-</u></span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6mi7c_w-nnYNphGzZminM1g0Rmwek3VBjUbxq03LSgmkbaeImIMfxRJsh8P5yhJD2xW-8eUkyugakTMhzo3DscUscEDNhwi29C8ao3R0dxDizOde3CrHTxR8gxP-IGD_ImzyCQfkeo0I/s1600/the-revenant02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6mi7c_w-nnYNphGzZminM1g0Rmwek3VBjUbxq03LSgmkbaeImIMfxRJsh8P5yhJD2xW-8eUkyugakTMhzo3DscUscEDNhwi29C8ao3R0dxDizOde3CrHTxR8gxP-IGD_ImzyCQfkeo0I/s320/the-revenant02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alejandro G. Inarritu is nothing if not an ambitious filmmaker, but his pretentions often threaten to get the better of him. I felt this quality of his somewhat diminished his previous film, the otherwise terrific "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance". This dichotomy between his ambitions and his self-importance are ever present in "The Revenant", but here I found the ambition of the film rather awe-inspiring to an extent that overcame it's flaws. Many will be put off by the film due to its excessive running time (roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes) and its unrelenting bleakness, but I found myself so immersed in visceral experience of Hugh Glass' quest from hell and back that these issues bothered me very little. The central performance of Leonardo DiCaprio as Glass, likely to net him that elusive Oscar, has garnered most of the attention by the general public for this film. It is a performance of obvious merit, especially when considering the grueling physical commitment, but the true star of "The Revenant" is the cinematography, courtesy of the great Emmanuel Lubezki. A modern master of the art form behind such visually groundbreaking films as "Children of Men", "The Tree of Life", "Gravity" and the aforementioned "Birdman", Lubezki has somehow managed to outdo himself with what he has achieved. Much has been made of the fact that "The Revenant" was shot entirely with natural light, but equally as impressive is the dazzling camerawork, often sustaining long-takes that lend an immediacy to every scene. "The Revenant" is also just as much of an aural experience as it is a visual experience, and the immersive quality of the film owes a great deal of credit to the sound design, which also includes one of the best scores of the year. I would be remiss in not also mentioning the outstanding villainous supporting turn offered here by Tom Hardy, who plays the throughly loathsome John Fitzgerald with a gleeful sense of humor that's indispensable to a film lacking much in the way of levity. </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>4) <b>"Spotlight"</b> (Dir. Thomas McCarthy)-</u></span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFKzc75ki4Q9wFXlP9bJXoEFTfqBxwi4pT2nyf-Z_MIoVxRzpun2X8gS8HHZHiIST7WNWDG_UCe05cOIXQ-JdGfUfGqgV96ayixAbSQoxS359slpzEuMJia4741XulX0u6g03b4n8HYEi/s1600/Spotlight-Trailer-01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFKzc75ki4Q9wFXlP9bJXoEFTfqBxwi4pT2nyf-Z_MIoVxRzpun2X8gS8HHZHiIST7WNWDG_UCe05cOIXQ-JdGfUfGqgV96ayixAbSQoxS359slpzEuMJia4741XulX0u6g03b4n8HYEi/s320/Spotlight-Trailer-01.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We see a dozen biographical movies like "Spotlight" every year, especially in the context of awards season, but what makes "Spotlight" stand out is director Thomas McCarthy's deft and intelligent handling of the material. A film focusing predominantly on the day-to-day minutiae of investigative journalism doesn't scream out for a cinematic treatment, but "Spotlight" makes it work by maintaining the tricky balance of not sensationalizing the true story at hand but never letting it become too dry and insular either. Much of what makes "Spotlight" compelling, in spite of the potential dryness of the material at hand, is the impressive ensemble that McCarthy has amassed. This is a perfect exhibit of ensemble acting, in the truest sense of the word. Each and every actor, no matter how small or large the role, eschews any actorly showboating (barring one minor exception) and strives instead for authenticity. That minor exception is Mark Ruffalo, who I'm usually a big fan of, but here crafts a performance that occasionally feels mannered and ticky in a way that sticks out from the otherwise spotless ensemble. That being said, my critiques of Ruffalo's performance are nit-picky and his acting only suffers in comparison to the other, pitch-perfect performances amongst the ensemble. The consistently underrated Rachel McAdams earned a deserved and somewhat surprising Oscar nomination as s supporting actress for her subtle but grounded turn as Globe investigator Sasha Pfeiffer, but the true standout performance of "Spotlight" is that of Michael Keaton, very unfortunately not nominated for his role as Globe investigator Walter V. Robinson. After nearly winning an Oscar for "Birdman" last year, Keaton continues to build on his career resurgence here with another outstanding performance. He serves in many ways as the moral lynchpin of the film, and his restrained but commanding work might be the finest of his long career. </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>3) <b>"Room"</b> (Dir. Lenny Abrahamson)-</u></span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJF-lmcoTfeF5rVgBJievk7It70pWuWiMt0Lueg7rf94VwWAUf1gQVWFXXwB1MqIoGu_2XbNEsF28yRKldXgc1i67DhQBMLhi7RfJtTW2KUNjyTVnSN8QW4Of5TAzcUidfKnPu0X0Bm8LP/s1600/room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJF-lmcoTfeF5rVgBJievk7It70pWuWiMt0Lueg7rf94VwWAUf1gQVWFXXwB1MqIoGu_2XbNEsF28yRKldXgc1i67DhQBMLhi7RfJtTW2KUNjyTVnSN8QW4Of5TAzcUidfKnPu0X0Bm8LP/s320/room.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Right alongside "Inside Out", Lenny Abrahamson's "Room" was one of the most emotionally devastating film experiences I had in 2015. There have been many films to explore horrific circumstances through the filter of a child's worldview, but "Room" takes on this idea but approaches it with a greater nuance, eschewing any blunt sentimentality. This is a film that seeks the light in a harrowing circumstance, but never for a second downplays the emotional toll and impact such a circumstance has on its characters. The film could be viewed through three separate acts </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">with each act operating as a different type of film, t</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">hough that wouldn't reflect how organically Abrahamson pulls of each of the subtle shifts in style through each act. The first is essentially a two-hander between a mother and a son, both locked in a confined space. This part of the film deftly builds the relationship between these two characters and fills in the background of how they ended up in this titular confined space very sparingly. Then, the film takes a sudden shift and becomes an escape thriller, and the escape is all the more tense because it's grounded in real emotional stakes established in the first act. This middle sequence is as good as any filmmaking I saw this year and left me an emotional wreck throughout. The last part of the film deals with the aftermath and the characters now having to cope with everything that they've been through and readjust to the world. While this section of the film doesn't have the same climactic tension as the previous, it is again handled with a delicate humanism by Abrahamson. In spite of the somewhat high concept framework, "Room" is really a film about the bond between a mother and her child, and that relationship is the core that holds the film together. Jacob Tremblay (9 years old) has to do a lot of dramatic heavy-lifting for such a young actor, but he's such a natural in the role that you forget he's even acting at all. Though Brie Larson was not the obvious choice for the much sought-after role of Ma, it's nearly impossible to imagine another actress playing such a complicated role to the degree of perfection that she does. It's one of the finest performances of the year and the breakthrough role of what will looks to be a very promising career.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It is entirely by accident, but the only films on this list that I wrote full length reviews of just happen to be </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">my top two films of 2015. For those selections, I will simply include a link to those reviews so as to not become redundant.</span><br />
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<li><u style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">2) <b>"The Martian"</b> (Dir. Ridley Scott)-</u></li>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">My full-length review <a href="http://cinemaretrospectivedylanandrew.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-martian-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>. But I would like to use this opportunity to again single Drew Goddard out for the extraordinary screenplay he wrote here, bringing a disarming levity and wit to the proceedings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">And, My number one film of 2015 is...</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>1) <b>"Steve Jobs"</b> (Dir. Danny Boyle)-</u></span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LVuPXxrQuqf8kaNs4EB7zHbOJT6ieXETgfJnq-P-SCLwesxmwhNjedJJGnO_g_LLoBY86lMehinUcy9pK31jZZIaZBYZwuBbVbbEJu7Z4nYnaWskrgMvXoySnqeXhRhPusIvaA26Nq6c/s1600/steve-jobs-movie-2015-holding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LVuPXxrQuqf8kaNs4EB7zHbOJT6ieXETgfJnq-P-SCLwesxmwhNjedJJGnO_g_LLoBY86lMehinUcy9pK31jZZIaZBYZwuBbVbbEJu7Z4nYnaWskrgMvXoySnqeXhRhPusIvaA26Nq6c/s320/steve-jobs-movie-2015-holding.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">My full-length review <a href="http://cinemaretrospectivedylanandrew.blogspot.com/2015/10/steve-jobs-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>. And again, I want to take the opportunity to single out the achievement writer Aaron Sorkin pulled off here (with much help from Danny Boyle's masterful direction). This script is incredibly dense and packs so much information into every line without ever slowing down so the audience can catch a breath. It's in many ways as exhilarating and exasperating a film as "Mad Max: Fury Road", but only replacing car chases with rapid-fire dialogue. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-54126591918091757632016-01-14T10:14:00.001-08:002016-01-14T10:14:58.825-08:00Reaction: The 2015 Academy Award Nominations<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The nominations for the 2015 Oscars were revealed this morning, and I was surprised by the relative lack of true surprises, if that makes any sense. The only omission that stood out to me as truly jarring and unforeseen was Ridley Scott, a veteran director championed by many throughout the season as a potential winner in that category, missing out for "The Martian". </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFZaMRt6U_HhKtpOL8RKrUFmLP8t0Y7PhZlUdBXvyhqG-FuSD5v85PIG_5vGphssNsXkjtE988xrl1fTFR1EW8_7U7xEdP6vk1RRgpVAhK6jg4a6YRKlKYb765L0OxiU05m64Fdp8Pr1u/s1600/000b7e88-630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFZaMRt6U_HhKtpOL8RKrUFmLP8t0Y7PhZlUdBXvyhqG-FuSD5v85PIG_5vGphssNsXkjtE988xrl1fTFR1EW8_7U7xEdP6vk1RRgpVAhK6jg4a6YRKlKYb765L0OxiU05m64Fdp8Pr1u/s320/000b7e88-630.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a fan of the film, it was disappointing to see Scott omitted, but there were some definite silver linings, namely that "Room" director Lenny Abrahamson scored a suprise nomination (filling the slot many presumed would go to Scott) for directing one of the best films of 2015. I have also been championing "The Martian" as a great achievement of writing (equally, if not more so, than as an achievement of directing), so it was delightful to see Drew Goddard edge his way into a very competitive Adapted Screenplay category. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again though, his inclusion in the category likely came at the expense of Aaron Sorkin, who failed to receive a nomination for the best script of the year with "Steve Jobs". That omission especially stings as he likely missed out because the film was tainted by its fumbling at the Box Office. In fact, "Steve Jobs" only registered with the actors, scoring expected and deserved nominations for Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was happy to see "The Revenant" do so well, leading the field with 12 nominations. The film (which just recently won the Golden Globe for Best Drama) appears to be surging, and I was happy to see that Tom Hardy got swept up in that surge. Hardy, who has failed to gain nominations at the precursors for his great supporting turn in the film, budged his way into a crowded Supporting Actor category. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His nomination likely came at the expense of Idris Elba (more on the lack of diversity issue later), but my biggest disappointment in this category was that it was Mark Ruffalo, and not Michael Keaton, representing "Spotlight". It has one of the oddities of the season that Keaton, who came so close to winning for "Birdman" last year, wasn't able to cash in on his recent goodwill and score a nomination (and potential win) for his acclaimed turn in the film that's most likely to win Best Picture this year. While I'm usually a fan of Ruffalo, I found his performance in "Spotlight" surprisingly unsatisfying. Keaton, who's truly the heart and soul of the film, would have been a more deserving nominee, in my humble opinion. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBpn-G0GQylBoaNlVNGpIendJ6qePJsoZ4Plph2UOVWUveaAPoBBSrKp7nuZO7viS4y8vXApicyaG90Na0zJwjcoIoN9OpaPs_bgXf_n-TpGG-Gft_kME981RKGniLzfDQAEA8nuQVrk_/s1600/spotlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBpn-G0GQylBoaNlVNGpIendJ6qePJsoZ4Plph2UOVWUveaAPoBBSrKp7nuZO7viS4y8vXApicyaG90Na0zJwjcoIoN9OpaPs_bgXf_n-TpGG-Gft_kME981RKGniLzfDQAEA8nuQVrk_/s400/spotlight.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, I was delighted to see that nominated alongside Ruffalo amongst the "Spotlight" ensemble was Rachel McAdams in Best Supporting Actress. I predicted early on in the season that she would receive a nomination for the film, but it was far from a given that that would actually occur until this morning. Many doubted if her subtle performance would register strongly enough with voters, so I was very happy to see that it did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I was disappointed to see that Alicia Vikander failed to translate her recent string of nominations for her brilliant work in "Ex Machina" into an Oscar nod (she was instead nominated in Supporting Actress for "The Danish Girl"), I was happy to see the film pick up a widely deserved nomination for Alex Garland's terrific original screenplay.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqb-G0-4WRD4VqItTZtA4cP5CvCNmFNsi-3KP_BoNKyWesb5pV9XkfwnF-9oFy9D_9PLaujDZi10k8KtSiszcbNYtc_vokIvb_PPyzF2MUXeHTgY4qkoHTmw4SXiV8NLCxlYMtDpOWekb0/s1600/sicario_nws3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqb-G0-4WRD4VqItTZtA4cP5CvCNmFNsi-3KP_BoNKyWesb5pV9XkfwnF-9oFy9D_9PLaujDZi10k8KtSiszcbNYtc_vokIvb_PPyzF2MUXeHTgY4qkoHTmw4SXiV8NLCxlYMtDpOWekb0/s320/sicario_nws3.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile in the below the line categories, both "The Revenant" and "Mad Max: Fury Road" were predictably dominant, but their were some pleasant surprises as well. While it was a shame that Michael Giacchino missed out on a nom for his "Inside Out" score, Johann Johannsson was an unexpected but utterly deserving nominee for his moody "Sicario" score. That film, one of my favorites of the year, also picked up a nomination for Best Sound Editing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, to one of the more controversial aspects of the nominations, the lack of diversity amongst the acting nominees. While there were several high-profile, acclaimed performances by minority actors this year (Michael B. Jordan in "Creed", Idris Elba in "Beasts of No Nation", Benicio del Toro in "Sicario", ect.), none of that translated into any Oscar nominations for actors of color. This was a significant talking point the previous year, when the same thing happened, and already the #AllWhiteOscars hashtag is making its rounds on twitter.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Lbhx8Q0TP6MTKR0M-ZX8bgHQFwLU8NNgB-PmYFOJaAXHSIIAV_93J-ly90RLp7Jx4sgLpgUDhqTf3dV0FeHS61RwDzF9Pxjar5gswO9ShG1_e2LQGS_X9_FVPMIm3EPQ7-39tYuegvxN/s1600/NzaAz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Lbhx8Q0TP6MTKR0M-ZX8bgHQFwLU8NNgB-PmYFOJaAXHSIIAV_93J-ly90RLp7Jx4sgLpgUDhqTf3dV0FeHS61RwDzF9Pxjar5gswO9ShG1_e2LQGS_X9_FVPMIm3EPQ7-39tYuegvxN/s320/NzaAz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lack of diversity amongst the acting nominees is unquestionably reflective of a larger problem, but I think what the problem actually is seems to get lost in the shuffle of the internet outrage. It's easy to aim the criticisms of this squarely at the Academy, who are routinely criticized as nothing more than a collection of "old white men". I believe that criticism does help to maintain some perspective on their choices, but it also unfairly paints the Academy as a monolithic body who make all of their choices in a vacuum. In reality, these nominations are reflective of a wide range of opinions and perspectives, and the lack of diversity in these nominations is more reflective of a larger problem in Hollywood. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's unfair to expect somebody to put Michael B. Jordan on their Oscar ballot if the genuinely believe there were five other performances by white actors that they preferred to his, even if they liked his performance. That is akin to tokenism and does nothing to solve the larger problem of diversity and the scarcity of roles for actors of color in Hollywood. We shouldn't be surprised that so often no actors of color are represented by the Oscars in a given year when there are so fewer high profile roles for minority actors even in the conversation. The way this problem gets solved is by having a greater diversity of roles for actors of color in a given year, which means more filmmakers of color given the opportunity to share their perspectives and tell their stories. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In that vein, one significant improvement from last year's nominations is the inclusion of several female writers in the screenplay categories, most notably Emma Donahue for "Room" and Phyllis Nagy for "Carol". Last year, the academy failed to nominate a single script written by a woman, so four women overall amongst the nominees in those categories is a marked improvement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, I'm fairly pleased with today's nominations, with every one of my favorite films of the year receiving at least one nomination (not sure if that's ever happened before). Over the coming weeks, I'll be writing up break downs for each of the categories.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-12177392091160824982016-01-13T19:45:00.004-08:002016-01-20T20:22:39.994-08:00The Top 10 Films of 2015 (Part I)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />2015 the year in film has now passed us by and I have caught myself up on the vast majority of the major titles released this past year. After a great deal of shuffling, I finally have a list of my 10 favorite films of the year that I'm content with.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The overall year in film was a strong one, and my list is dense with titles that made a compelling case for the top overall spot. That being said, some of the most acclaimed films of the year won't be found here, most notably George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road", which I admired tremendously for its audacious craftsmanship and strongly feminist perspective, but was ultimately left cold by the general campiness of the whole thing. Also, Todd Haynes' "Carol", another staple of these types of lists, left me cold as well with its overly refined and mannered approach to the material.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As far as films which almost made the cut, John Crowley's "Brooklyn" was a delightful and charming throwback anchored by Saorise Ronan's central performance. There was also Bill Pohlad's Brian Wilson Biopic "Love & Mercy", a brilliant exploration of a musical genius and a deeply fragile mind. It's also worth mentioning that J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was, for me, the strongest film of the Star Wars" franchise. However, that reflects more on my underwhelmed feelings about the franchise as a whole than on the newest installment, which is perfectly entertaining but formulaic and conventional. That being said, Daisy Ridley gives a breakout, star-making performance worth noting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But alas, without any further adieu, here are my first five selections for the top ten films of 2015...</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>10) <b>"Creed"</b> (Dir. Ryan Coogler)-</u></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On its surface, "Creed" is nothing more than a nearly flawless execution of the well-worn boxing picture formula. That's nothing to balk at, but it probably wouldn't be enough to place the film on this list alone. What makes "Creed" great exists outside of the frame and runs deeper in the DNA of the film itself. There is the presence of star Michael B. Jordan and writer/director Ryan Coogler, who broke through on their last collaboration with the deeply moving and socially conscious film "Fruitvale Station". A reboot of the "Rocky" franchise was an unexpected choice as a follow-up for these two rising talents, but it's clear Coogler wasn't just selling out and cashing in on his indie credibility. In his second collaboration with Jordan, Coogler has again written for him the type of complicated young black male character who so rarely gets to be the hero of a film, especially a mainstream studio film like this. Jordan brings out a sensitivity masking a boiling hot temper in his performance as Adonis Creed, and again reminds us all why the young Denzel Washington comparisons are warranted. There is also the fact that the film is an extension of the "Rocky" film legacy, as indicated by the presence of Sylvester Stallone reprising his most iconic film role. Stallone is not an actor who possesses great range, but there is an almost magical authenticity to his screen presence, especially in this role, that resists the inherent artificiality of cinema like teflon. Though Stallone has long been a wealthy movie star, he is able to slip into the persona of this blue collar Philadelphian with ease. He isn't playing Rocky Ballboa in "Creed", he just <i>is</i> Rocky Ballboa. In this iteration of the character, he offers up his finest performance to date. </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>9) <b>"Anomalisa"</b> (Dir. Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson)-</u></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's so rare that a film captures the mundane nature of our daily lives in a cinematically compelling way, but the great writer/director Charlie Kaufman ("Synecdoche, New York", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") and co-director Duke Johnson have managed to do so this year with "Anomalisa". While the power of animation is often in its ability to render impossible and imaginative environments, "Anomalisa" utilizes stop-motion animation to create an utterly ordinary world that feels identical to our own. Nonetheless, it's only through animation that this story could convey its thesis in such a unique and thought-provoking way. David Thewlis (in an achingly soulful voice performance) plays Michael Stone, a man in the midst of a midlife crisis who experiences his life and everyone in it as monotonous and just more of the same. In a clever bit of voice casting, Tom Noonan voices nearly every other character Michael encounters (be it his wife, his son or even the hotel desk clerk) with an identical inflection in his voice each time. The only exception to this is Lisa (voiced in another soulful performance by Jennifer Jason Leigh), whom Michael encounters in the hotel he is staying at and draws an immediate connection with because of the way she stands out against the crowd. This relatively daring approach to animation never takes away from the sense of realism imbued in the script, and Kaufman and Johnson even manage to pull off a disarmingly intimate and tender love scene. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though Kaufman maintains his singularly cynical world view, he continues to offer poignant insights about how we experience our daily lives.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>8) <b>"Sicario"</b> (Dir. Denis Villeneuve)-</u></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Director Denis Villeneuve's "Prisoners", both his first english language film and major studio film, was my #10 movie of 2013. With "Sicario", he continues to display his gift for crafting moody and tense genre films with a cerebral edge. "Sicario" takes on a political dimension in tackling the War on Drugs in Mexico and not pulling any punches in displaying what a tremendous waste of time and resources that war has been. The nihilism of "Sicario" could become overwhelming or hopeless to the point of indifference if not for the grounding presence of Emily Blunt as FBI agent Kate Macer, both the audience's narrative and moral lynchpin in a film otherwise lacking in that quality. Kate's gender makes her a unique but welcome commodity in a film of this ilk, and the possibility of re-writing her role for a male actor had been discussed before the film was made. Thank god that didn't happen, not only because woman deserve the same consideration as men for these types of roles, but also because the frequently underrated and under-appreciated Blunt is indispensable to "Sicario". She perfectly embodies the idealism of her character without it ever feeling out of place in this bleak environment and delivers the finest performance of her career to date. Though often praised first as a master craftman, which he certainly is, Villeneuve also deserves praise for his overall skill with actors. The supporting ensemble deserves laudits right alongside Blunt, with fine work delivered by the always dependable Josh Brolin as Kate's boss and especially Benicio del Toro (worthy of the Oscar buzz he's receiving) as a mysterious figure within Kate's task force. The below the line elements of this film are some of the finest of the year, with particular praise owed to Joe Walker's tense editing, the great cinematographer Roger Deakins' moody lensing and, especially, the eerie and chilling score composed by Johann Johannsson. </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>7) <b>"Inside Out"</b> (Dir. Pete Docter)-</u></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With modern classics like "Finding Nemo", "WALL-E" and "Up" under their banner, Pixar has established themselves as a pillar of cinematic excellence, animated or otherwise, in the 21st century. That being said, their last few efforts have fallen below that high standard with uninspired sequels like "Cars 2" and "Monsters University". "Inside Out" is a return to the Pixar gold standard, easily ranking as one of the finest achievements of a studio who has had their fair share of them. Like the best Pixar efforts, "Inside Out" not only avoids pandering to the young audience at which they are aiming to appeal to, but is also a film willing to explore complex themes and emotions (quite literally, in this case) that most adult films don't dare to address. The setting here of the inner recesses of a young girls' mind offers the creative minds at Pixar both a playground for the endless imagination that is their specialty, while also providing them a foundation to explore more challenging themes about adolescence and the integral role each of our emotions (even the ones we don't like) play in defining who we are. As children we are almost singularly defined by the emotion of joy, but as we begin to grow up, the other, more difficult emotions like sadness start to take on a more prominent role in our development. This is not the most upbeat subject matter for a film aimed at children, but it is an important idea for them to be able to understand and a concept we can all gain from better understanding at any age. The voices for each emotion are flawlessly cast, especially Lewis Black, who's entire act is boiled down to its purest essence here as Anger. The reliable talents of Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader are put to good use as Disgust and Fear, respectively, but the core of "Inside Out" rests in the relationship between Amy Poehler's Joy and Phyllis Smith's Sadness. Poehler's ability to play plucky without becoming grating is central to her performance, while Smith, whose voice so effortlessly suggests melancholy, is perhaps the true MVP. </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>6) <b>"Ex Machina"</b> (Dir. Alex Garland)-</u></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2015 was not just a great year for movies, but also a great year for the science fiction genre in particular, and signaling good things to come at the very beginning of the year was Alex Garland's "Ex Machina". Garland, a genre writer perhaps best known for his Danny Boyle collaborations "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine", makes his directorial debut here and it's an assured piece of work. "Ex Machina" is an intriguing work of science fiction for many reasons, chief among them being the way Garland keeps everything grounded and on a very intimate and human scale. The film could just as easily operate as a stage play (like a number of other films this year), taking place almost exclusively inside one location and centered around only three characters. Unlike the spectacle-driven sci-fi of which we are so accustomed, "Ex Machina" is an actor-driven film, offering its three stars juicy, complex roles to sink their teeth into. Domhnall Gleeson (having a remarkable run of films this year) plays Caleb, a computer programmer at a Google-like company where he is selected by Nathan (Oscar Isaac, in yet another great performance), the super-genius brainchild of the company, to come to his secluded manor and check out the new project he's been working on. That project is Ava ( Alicia Vikander, in the breakthrough performance of the year), a robot designed by Nathan who appears to be artificially intelligent. From this intriguing premise, "Ex Machina" goes in many unanticipated directions but never in a way that feels cheap or gimmicky. That is because "Ex Machina" is informed by character, and the actors (especially Isaac and Vikander) are able to suggest so much internally through subtle physicality. This is one of the most intelligently written and thought-provoking films of the year, exploring themes of human sexuality and man playing god in ways I've never seen done before in film. That being said, Garland never lets things get too heavy to the point of self-seriousness, showing a light comic touch at unexpected but vital moments. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My top five films of 2015 will be revealed in Part II, which will be posted in the next few days.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-29228755481201591552015-12-28T19:22:00.001-08:002015-12-28T19:24:05.469-08:00Updated Oscar Predictions<div class="p1">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The 2015 awards season is well underway now that the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Golden Globes have announced their nominees. While this has given us a better shape of the field, the selections by both groups demonstrate that this year is unusually wide open. Let's examine some of the key takeaways from both groups. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The SAG nominations were, quite frankly, a little baffling. The Best Ensemble category featured "Beasts of No Nation", "The Big Short", "Spotlight", "Straight Outta Compton" and "Trumbo". Of those films, only Spotlight was an expected nominee, while expected nominees like "Carol" and "The Martian" fell to the wayside. Meanwhile, the Best Actress category saw the inclusion of two contenders (Sarah Silverman in "I Smile Back" and Helen Mirren in "The Woman in Gold") that nobody saw coming.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bryan Cranston has unexpectedly become a solid bet for a Best Actor Oscar nom now after his lead performance in "Trumbo" received recognition from both bodies, as well as recognition from the Critics' Choice. Similarly, the expected choices of Leonardo DiCaprio ("The Revenant"), Michael Fassbender ("Steve Jobs") and Eddie Redmayne ("The Danish Girl") have all also secured nominations by each of these branches. However, the other expected choice of Matt Damon ("The Martian") didn't faire as well. While Damon received nominations from both the Globes and Critics' Choice, he failed to register with SAG, often the most indicative of the eventual Oscar nominees. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the Best Actress side of things, it appears as though the only solidified contenders at this point are Brie Larson ("Room"), Saoirse Ronan ("Brooklyn") and Cate Blanchett ("Carol"). The other two spots were occupied at SAG by the aforementioned Silverman and Mirren, while the Globes opted instead for Rooney Mara ("Carol") and Alicia Vikander ("The Danish Girl"), both of whom are campaigning as supporting at the Oscars. While Jennifer Lawrence ("Joy") has received nominations from both the Globes and Critics' Choice, her film, which is just starting to be seen widely, has gotten poor reviews (58% on RT) which could leave her vulnerable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although "Spotlight" has seemingly solidified its place as this years frontrunner, it's notable supporting players have struggled to garner the nominations they were expected to receive. Both Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo were perceived favorites to receive nominations for their performances in the film but between the two of them, the only major nomination received so far has been a Critics' Choice Supporting Actor nom for Ruffalo. Meanwhile, Rachel McAdams, seen as a less likely contender for her performance in the film, received a Supporting Actress nomination from both SAG and the Critics' Choice while missing with the Globes. She appears to be the films' best chance at an acting nomination now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the supporting categories, Supporting Actor feels wide open with the consistent absence of expected nominees Keaton and Ruffalo. The two most consistent nominees have been Mark Rylance ("Bridge of Spies") and Idris Elba ("Beasts of No Nation"). Michael Shannon has become a surprise contender in this race as his performance in "99 Holmes" has received nominations from all three groups. In Supporting Actress, the category fluctuations of Mara and Vikander have made things trickier to predict, but a group of six major possibilities has started to solidify with Kate Winslet ("Steve Jobs"), Jennifer Jason Leigh ("The Hateful Eight"), Rachel McAdams ("Spotlight") and Helen Mirren ("Trumbo") also in the mix. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now, my updated Oscar predictions in all major categories...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST PICTURE-</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Spotlight"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Carol"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Martian"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Revenant"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Brooklyn"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mad Max: Fury Road"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Big Short"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Inside Out"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Bridge of Spies"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Room"</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydsdrUxC3Aib0JnPYQLrQY3kndcZgMkzB1ejQKmKNL9x9LAYVXBhqmcrWxeFAGL6_8UGLaEUHNyiPXtywUggTTR4SuSsW3F-5wYN_4TkZgM1YZtN0Fan6lIw_byQ7iIfQig_LTMd42689/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydsdrUxC3Aib0JnPYQLrQY3kndcZgMkzB1ejQKmKNL9x9LAYVXBhqmcrWxeFAGL6_8UGLaEUHNyiPXtywUggTTR4SuSsW3F-5wYN_4TkZgM1YZtN0Fan6lIw_byQ7iIfQig_LTMd42689/s640/download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST DIRECTOR-</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ridley Scott "The Martian"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thomas McCarthy "Spotlight"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Todd Haynes "Carol"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">George Miller "Mad Max: Fury Road"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alejandro G. Inarritu "The Revenant"</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST ACTOR-</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leonardo DiCaprio "The Revenant"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael Fassbender "Steve Jobs"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eddie Redmayne "The Danish Girl"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Matt Damon "The Martian"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bryan Cranston "Trumbo"</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAaV6yzSvrMpLcvbfrNOm0Nd0jtLt9N5LuDxWSEZ9pEhS4Qo5NuygYDtglKIMJuWw_uJJm3sQHu9exvAc0ldeHTGYBOQOLSiAZnjzAnqNVhb05DtZ3tT1i8WqXvJiMpJ7pHR7iyUcfatH/s1600/2Q%253D%253D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAaV6yzSvrMpLcvbfrNOm0Nd0jtLt9N5LuDxWSEZ9pEhS4Qo5NuygYDtglKIMJuWw_uJJm3sQHu9exvAc0ldeHTGYBOQOLSiAZnjzAnqNVhb05DtZ3tT1i8WqXvJiMpJ7pHR7iyUcfatH/s640/2Q%253D%253D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST ACTRESS-</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brie Larson "Room"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saoirse Ronan "Brooklyn"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cate Blanchett "Carol"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alicia Vikander "The Danish Girl"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jennifer Lawrence "Joy"</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR-</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sylvester Stallone "Creed"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mark Rylance "Bridge of Spies"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Idris Elba "Beasts of No Nation"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael Keaton "Spotlight"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael Shannon "99 Homes"</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdVkndU7fvO4ZbYqORfU4G0aPOOcqV35c4hzolIqNZfGvxmx_F19gdI2IYMj9WNs-hfJxUBQBgEBBzi8x_HfA7Ole-WDknqpOwytXRHu-QHjKawdvSk4ZHyEvU6nyoEOLcg8PreA8pPsQ/s1600/9k%253D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdVkndU7fvO4ZbYqORfU4G0aPOOcqV35c4hzolIqNZfGvxmx_F19gdI2IYMj9WNs-hfJxUBQBgEBBzi8x_HfA7Ole-WDknqpOwytXRHu-QHjKawdvSk4ZHyEvU6nyoEOLcg8PreA8pPsQ/s640/9k%253D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS-</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rooney Mara "Carol"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jennifer Jason Leigh "The Hateful Eight"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kate Winslet "Steve Jobs"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rachel McAdams "Spotlight"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Helen Mirren "Trumbo"</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY-</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Spotlight"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Inside Out"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Bridge of Spies"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Hateful Eight"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Ex Machina"</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY-</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Steve Jobs"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Martian"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Big Short"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Room"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Brooklyn"</span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxgwLiI7tV5_X-oJmvPIxQbl-2z24bnXGuQ-lwN6YI6YC9ojBuk9FcD6H0_k6tzHD9PHpBBS8CRW6HN-bN2v3X_F2at8XcWJEiZONzIlKjasRe-vD-1IQ_8_-2O7McT8UveKxGMW5XR9N/s1600/steve-jobs_seth-and-michael-100620295-orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxgwLiI7tV5_X-oJmvPIxQbl-2z24bnXGuQ-lwN6YI6YC9ojBuk9FcD6H0_k6tzHD9PHpBBS8CRW6HN-bN2v3X_F2at8XcWJEiZONzIlKjasRe-vD-1IQ_8_-2O7McT8UveKxGMW5XR9N/s320/steve-jobs_seth-and-michael-100620295-orig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST FILM EDITING-</span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mad Max: Fury Road"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Martian"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Spotlight"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Big Short"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Revenant"</span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MeDC65VWzjQsOqBAeYbGKis3eB5PtJjO0BprkAjtZ4qrgtook_tcQJVqLx_bV2-iHkKv5jeuJjJaCIL0GPm6femCiVlccOOjwM88Urhbr-s2sJTmP9Wbyz75WiB6AsUBxRHv0N9MjRlJ/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MeDC65VWzjQsOqBAeYbGKis3eB5PtJjO0BprkAjtZ4qrgtook_tcQJVqLx_bV2-iHkKv5jeuJjJaCIL0GPm6femCiVlccOOjwM88Urhbr-s2sJTmP9Wbyz75WiB6AsUBxRHv0N9MjRlJ/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY-</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Revenant"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Sicario"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Carol"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mad Max: Fury Road"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Bridge of Spies"</span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_aI9-fzxGGDeP8deU-i-32CWdFC_gXHcU907WOG3FNMrnA8vrcJQe9H3aKBqV1DsY-r9DH4Qi7rygRrp4FeoYqaEh-qGDH3I__aQmumgPQPViKvBVSUpGnghb-xA5-O7hvioiXzvDW9G/s1600/revenant-gallery-15-gallery-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_aI9-fzxGGDeP8deU-i-32CWdFC_gXHcU907WOG3FNMrnA8vrcJQe9H3aKBqV1DsY-r9DH4Qi7rygRrp4FeoYqaEh-qGDH3I__aQmumgPQPViKvBVSUpGnghb-xA5-O7hvioiXzvDW9G/s400/revenant-gallery-15-gallery-image.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN-</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Carol"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Bridge of Spies"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Martian"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Star Wars: The Force Awakens"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mad Max: Fury Road"</span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2rRvGqLYUBf3umyhsc8byglOvI9kpJAqOqdU2KF2be8VMObdJbHl_0KbeEryRXlTZccr5gzt2uvrMAEnnZZDTsEcTISGCT2BVsXlNecixMiZAgdPQKyxu2-Rj6NSdw10iQlvvZs-8fLk/s1600/carol-movie-images-cate-blanchett-rooney-mara-.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2rRvGqLYUBf3umyhsc8byglOvI9kpJAqOqdU2KF2be8VMObdJbHl_0KbeEryRXlTZccr5gzt2uvrMAEnnZZDTsEcTISGCT2BVsXlNecixMiZAgdPQKyxu2-Rj6NSdw10iQlvvZs-8fLk/s320/carol-movie-images-cate-blanchett-rooney-mara-.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST COSTUME DESIGN-</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Carol"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Cinderella"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Brooklyn"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Danish Girl"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Crimson Peak"</span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76QqBMwZnmj4_1jlHxLLBN1gWP_W41bJ4CZU3I3EuKrPHw4hc1GqXU11cQDkA5dBJJ2wJ8da93DFWJjZDaS8fMIFAEdNJHs-oVQGB4ADUe62QCvw5dN9zR3WeNicD-oQqTWLBYOsxK0op/s1600/Cinderella-Stills-cinderella-2015-37820050-3000-2000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76QqBMwZnmj4_1jlHxLLBN1gWP_W41bJ4CZU3I3EuKrPHw4hc1GqXU11cQDkA5dBJJ2wJ8da93DFWJjZDaS8fMIFAEdNJHs-oVQGB4ADUe62QCvw5dN9zR3WeNicD-oQqTWLBYOsxK0op/s320/Cinderella-Stills-cinderella-2015-37820050-3000-2000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING-</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mad Max: Fury Road</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Revenant"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Black Mass"</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6n297yFi41GlKoUQpoOxV5Kp5t67cEp3nsSg09F6nqeN42-eXrxQXCQbiZqNJCQuDti2cG_cbNLdlo-vt4VY9FqRARoU_QjcNyeH50fTg9Ejk5r1ElgpQipJC0CjuI4ETDtK8Y9VGrIOp/s1600/black-mass-depp-1280jpg-32cad0_1280w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6n297yFi41GlKoUQpoOxV5Kp5t67cEp3nsSg09F6nqeN42-eXrxQXCQbiZqNJCQuDti2cG_cbNLdlo-vt4VY9FqRARoU_QjcNyeH50fTg9Ejk5r1ElgpQipJC0CjuI4ETDtK8Y9VGrIOp/s320/black-mass-depp-1280jpg-32cad0_1280w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST ORIGINAL SCORE-</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Star Wars: The Force Awakens"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Inside Out"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Bridge of Spies"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Hateful Eight"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Danish Girl"</span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInKvqSQG3q5tWCWyjL9tHYb3RvD6aSbVo5NswC2V_ESL0bqrM3IXwVlWs7WtB_BrlpxX5NYAFf3Auc3EUxOLXiNGfOmzq_E3L98UVKS5I_vdP5uat2ROfr7g4CKK7DFcylCoAR0nQ9CYL/s1600/forceawakens5-xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInKvqSQG3q5tWCWyjL9tHYb3RvD6aSbVo5NswC2V_ESL0bqrM3IXwVlWs7WtB_BrlpxX5NYAFf3Auc3EUxOLXiNGfOmzq_E3L98UVKS5I_vdP5uat2ROfr7g4CKK7DFcylCoAR0nQ9CYL/s320/forceawakens5-xlarge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST SOUND EDITING-</span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Star Wars: The Force Awakens"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mad Max: Fury Road"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Revenant"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Sicario"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Spectre"</span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaQIe0jyJYNA3zB_ASLTGg1We1nYOQbrBSu0TvMZSUh0M4OB73XW6waDCXo9DD6xZJ4uMXtiSLklj1f86HM-G3PwWfU6lEq-eO6kbQTUWcICNZ6-Sa_guN4W-VvkPqmGw1_P0Ghq-a4ek/s1600/sicario-trailer-screenshots-benicio-del-toro5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaQIe0jyJYNA3zB_ASLTGg1We1nYOQbrBSu0TvMZSUh0M4OB73XW6waDCXo9DD6xZJ4uMXtiSLklj1f86HM-G3PwWfU6lEq-eO6kbQTUWcICNZ6-Sa_guN4W-VvkPqmGw1_P0Ghq-a4ek/s400/sicario-trailer-screenshots-benicio-del-toro5.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST SOUND MIXING-</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Star Wars: The Force Awakens"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mad Max: Fury Road"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Martian"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Straight Outta Compton"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Revenant"</span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfECR_gGQyXTzT8inctTz3huGujZAnuRWzXC2cWBqWb_y-SSBUth6IjREzzRE9akD9_376Ba7RyM79TZnnV1mreDThzY9lLElT85OCuEvDiEwUF5n05gpuxjeIJAWZBewS53npgeetkSL/s1600/url.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfECR_gGQyXTzT8inctTz3huGujZAnuRWzXC2cWBqWb_y-SSBUth6IjREzzRE9akD9_376Ba7RyM79TZnnV1mreDThzY9lLElT85OCuEvDiEwUF5n05gpuxjeIJAWZBewS53npgeetkSL/s320/url.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST VISUAL EFFECTS-</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Star Wars: The Force Awakens"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Martian"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mad Max: Fury Road"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Jurassic World"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Walk"</span></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-73467766802053105652015-11-02T10:18:00.000-08:002015-11-02T10:18:01.101-08:00Early Oscar Predictions (Supporting Acting Races)<div class="p1">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR-</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Michael Keaton in "Spotlight" - This is the category with the largest number of legitimate contenders, and, therefore, the one that's the hardest to nail down. That being said, Keaton has a lot going for him here, both as a potential nominee and even winner, that will help him stand out from the pack. "Spotlight" is the BP frontrunner at this point and Keaton came very close to winning last year for his "comeback" performance in "Birdman". He's been singled out with raves amongst the impressive "Spotlight" ensemble and might be seen as due for recognition after failing to win last year. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Samuel L. Jackson in "The Hateful Eight" - It's tough to say who will pop in the ensemble of Tarantino's latest, but my bets are on his longtime collaborator Samuel L. Jackson. There's some suggestion that this is a borderline leading performance, but given how tough that field is to penetrate, I think the campaign would be smart to place him in supporting instead, as borderline lead performances have done well here before.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXOT3eT5XOvip4TkwB-7APDwZGDq2P6Y5KfY3RfE_f9M-ItedTScWLUjDDd5keFlJ7MmMG_k7dw29afRzQbI6GEdH8nZqhcSfZuqJruuEoYmY8BZ-1mKirSLohW6O2uRWKklNPhzDyj5W/s1600/file_608801_hateful-eight-pictures-6-640x427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXOT3eT5XOvip4TkwB-7APDwZGDq2P6Y5KfY3RfE_f9M-ItedTScWLUjDDd5keFlJ7MmMG_k7dw29afRzQbI6GEdH8nZqhcSfZuqJruuEoYmY8BZ-1mKirSLohW6O2uRWKklNPhzDyj5W/s320/file_608801_hateful-eight-pictures-6-640x427.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mark Rylance in "Bridge of Spies" - Rylance is not a name familiar to most, but he's a highly esteemed English theater actor and he's received stand-out reviews for his rare screen turn in Spielberg's latest. Given the overall popularity of the film, I think Rylance should be able to get nominated. What's working against Rylance is that he doesn't appear to be campaigning for it, which, could hurt him given his relative obscurity in Hollywood. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Harvey Keitel in "Youth" - I'm betting on Keitel here because of the film's obvious appeal to an older demographic, the borderline lead quality of the performance and the fact that Keitel has only received one nomination to date for his supporting turn in "Bugsy" back in 1991.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjWqrrUZHSaicJZ78D9nl_TxD_z0Q6Uyp1KYAAb9GggQLkymKRWbnuFBIvJM_C56QHpiK5GKssgBytFfmdm8RbWQnzwvBO-CaKvri_r-ENAQ8iprrdCw6tK3pOLMoRhg8fzwddSEI58JP/s1600/cdn.indiewire-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjWqrrUZHSaicJZ78D9nl_TxD_z0Q6Uyp1KYAAb9GggQLkymKRWbnuFBIvJM_C56QHpiK5GKssgBytFfmdm8RbWQnzwvBO-CaKvri_r-ENAQ8iprrdCw6tK3pOLMoRhg8fzwddSEI58JP/s320/cdn.indiewire-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tom Hardy in "The Revenant" - Hardy has delivered many acclaimed and high-profile performances over the past few years and an Oscar nomination seems a question of "when" rather than "if" at this point. While "The Revenant" looks like it might register more as a one-man-show for DiCaprio, if Hardy gets enough to do here, this could be just the right combination of role and film to get him that elusive first nomination.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XqWo2Jl-biKTG53xaUgYNVQJWVDOGDTtN6jswDvpn1KsIqFBN25d809qM1LB_5wTn0coaYE9-wn-sSyauRAZhoO6u4iKDlBoyEmVyqGRD-Q2CYktEZRfPmZSHWT7g7CD2Gz5MDaKiZ4D/s1600/cdn.indiewire-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XqWo2Jl-biKTG53xaUgYNVQJWVDOGDTtN6jswDvpn1KsIqFBN25d809qM1LB_5wTn0coaYE9-wn-sSyauRAZhoO6u4iKDlBoyEmVyqGRD-Q2CYktEZRfPmZSHWT7g7CD2Gz5MDaKiZ4D/s320/cdn.indiewire-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OTHER POSSIBILITIES: Idris Elba in "Beasts of No Nation", Seth Rogen in "Steve Jobs", Benicio del Toro in "Sicario", Robert De Niro in "Joy"</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS-</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rooney Mara in "Carol" - After winning Best Actress at Cannes, surprisingly over her more esteemed co-star Cate Blanchett, (in an equally acclaimed performance) Mara appeared to be the favorite to win here so long as the campaign chose to go supporting. Since they have officially pushed her for supporting, I see no likelier alternative. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyHD9AXxjHjQLYaOUw6RasdPdxBdRRWFNzHaizd1BglOX4UxdujeQiXMLFHLZ0uurouciOY6RLlwkVZaar6GNbRiV8nXmE1IFxhd3Ytfj5TtsJ2vbkXuRsNCLH0CUkqBzJ5hBZsQLFOa5/s1600/tumblr_npju8qs7ZT1sy3bdbo1_r1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyHD9AXxjHjQLYaOUw6RasdPdxBdRRWFNzHaizd1BglOX4UxdujeQiXMLFHLZ0uurouciOY6RLlwkVZaar6GNbRiV8nXmE1IFxhd3Ytfj5TtsJ2vbkXuRsNCLH0CUkqBzJ5hBZsQLFOa5/s320/tumblr_npju8qs7ZT1sy3bdbo1_r1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alicia Vikander in "The Danish Girl" - Like Mara, Vikander benefits from what is more a co-lead performance being pushed here as supporting. This has also been something of a breakout year for Vikander, with other high-profile roles in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Ex Machina", so this nomination would also be representative of that. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kate Winslet in "Steve Jobs" - Winslet's supporting turn as Joanna Hoffman will very likely earn the once-perennial nominee her a first nomination since winning for "The Reader" in 2008.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWC2txusQJAiMoznd_510pE72E_XFDqTIX3isez7kUndi4s4dwaCU-MoPfVb2VmOitLnVZmtsf8iK35or0yth0y_tYChdLcrYcgaYTOYl4WSuhL9ny0qCgkp8vIMI5EJg9qwZnrbZISh4n/s1600/kate-winslet-steve-jobs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWC2txusQJAiMoznd_510pE72E_XFDqTIX3isez7kUndi4s4dwaCU-MoPfVb2VmOitLnVZmtsf8iK35or0yth0y_tYChdLcrYcgaYTOYl4WSuhL9ny0qCgkp8vIMI5EJg9qwZnrbZISh4n/s320/kate-winslet-steve-jobs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jennifer Jason Leigh in "The Hateful Eight" - Tarantino tends to write strong female characters and the fact that Leigh is the only woman amongst this male heavy ensemble should help her to stand out.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukdOOV5Moz9RQagCxkZPNsSTk6BJuQoEaVnaJ-0nQ4HEv92-4nyIXQDJVhvYEiJLV3_R4UAjgD8beMQMrHft8ZIkRzuxiVr8p8lm_WQaSnTD-ACZ__wEbLMgnNsH9xiwwIcUjF_IkeZQN/s1600/jjlh8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukdOOV5Moz9RQagCxkZPNsSTk6BJuQoEaVnaJ-0nQ4HEv92-4nyIXQDJVhvYEiJLV3_R4UAjgD8beMQMrHft8ZIkRzuxiVr8p8lm_WQaSnTD-ACZ__wEbLMgnNsH9xiwwIcUjF_IkeZQN/s320/jjlh8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rachel McAdams in "Spotlight" - The film is a major contender and McAdams is a very well liked actress who has yet to receive a nomination. She's received strong notices for her performance here, along with strong notices for her work in "Southpaw" and the second season of "True Detective", which could accumulate into a body-of-work nomination vis-a-vie Vikander. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4joV7a4daNZIu-ZDYNAU1lcW7KStzWPszTG9MyhrUnkknvZXDvP6v1MrW0GnoU7-wY_Z3xwZr3N3p-WMOq5G9DmXocX4pXU5xV2zAvllBRKX_sNLuxDbHhcLEWUA9SfxN9MhsYJIfCQr/s1600/1438283740_rachel-mcadams-spotlight-zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4joV7a4daNZIu-ZDYNAU1lcW7KStzWPszTG9MyhrUnkknvZXDvP6v1MrW0GnoU7-wY_Z3xwZr3N3p-WMOq5G9DmXocX4pXU5xV2zAvllBRKX_sNLuxDbHhcLEWUA9SfxN9MhsYJIfCQr/s320/1438283740_rachel-mcadams-spotlight-zoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OTHER POSSIBILITIES: Jane Fonda in "Youth", Joan Allen in "Room", Julie Walters in "Brooklyn", Rachel Weisz in "Youth"</span></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-54833422439306699352015-10-22T13:00:00.000-07:002015-10-22T13:00:14.799-07:00Early Oscar Predictions (Lead Acting Races)<div class="p1">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST ACTOR-</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael Fassbender in "Steve Jobs" - Though there's no runaway front-runner as of yet in this category, it appears as though Fassbender is out in front right now for his stunning work as Steve Jobs. Though I suspect he will be the winner when all is said and done, the next name on this list might have something to say about that.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaG6zO6-yYaFRKcghKUPtt8vrVP-7HHQ7PE5t2t_R9o-KmfLZZ5UKcbRh54r5J9qrOX7Evl5dU8Ff6a8KeTAYoE6WVWqLV7IU8VJjFZeENiGknM629KXz-3moImvlPPAb45nvQ5L-Q-3c/s1600/jobs1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaG6zO6-yYaFRKcghKUPtt8vrVP-7HHQ7PE5t2t_R9o-KmfLZZ5UKcbRh54r5J9qrOX7Evl5dU8Ff6a8KeTAYoE6WVWqLV7IU8VJjFZeENiGknM629KXz-3moImvlPPAb45nvQ5L-Q-3c/s320/jobs1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Revenant" - With "The Wolf of Wall Street", the "give Leo and Oscar" campaign rose to a fever pitch. If this performance delivers on its on-paper potential (and that trailer certainly looks impressive), this just might be the one.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-H6EvkqoWmxSxwBl7jA6REih2TFbkPCjmLtAk90qsYcHs0YxJ5PvZU6IJzTvXj-BBg5gvopA-vKMyWq1aJlzYlhyphenhyphen9yyTN4EF4q3M6TMDREQDS1ZAVk6ooHWa9seq4_DnzjrNVlTKYQNa/s1600/The-Revenant-Leonardo-DiCaprio-1-1038x584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-H6EvkqoWmxSxwBl7jA6REih2TFbkPCjmLtAk90qsYcHs0YxJ5PvZU6IJzTvXj-BBg5gvopA-vKMyWq1aJlzYlhyphenhyphen9yyTN4EF4q3M6TMDREQDS1ZAVk6ooHWa9seq4_DnzjrNVlTKYQNa/s320/The-Revenant-Leonardo-DiCaprio-1-1038x584.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eddie Redmayne in "The Danish Girl" - This performance from the reigning champion in this category had high expectations which some felt it failed to meet coming out of the fall festivals. Regardless, most reviews were strong or at the very least for Redmayne and his popularity combined with the transformative nature of the role should carry it over the top. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3Wf0-qqAsQ4dqjfZ78DQ2v5OoAu7Gh5oyzZES2dcg_7NhNAcbMcXzVpKyyuoqH9BGGydTq9gl5aH0omXXgqr8MGnYQ6_2LvWIs6XS-2-9mZz6ltvpAkoRgfC6H_AroVOoB5XE2f7q26U/s1600/the-danish-girl1-759.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3Wf0-qqAsQ4dqjfZ78DQ2v5OoAu7Gh5oyzZES2dcg_7NhNAcbMcXzVpKyyuoqH9BGGydTq9gl5aH0omXXgqr8MGnYQ6_2LvWIs6XS-2-9mZz6ltvpAkoRgfC6H_AroVOoB5XE2f7q26U/s320/the-danish-girl1-759.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Matt Damon in "The Martian" - Still not sure if Oscar support for this film will amount to support for Damon, but it's a meaty central role in a hugely popular film and he's well-liked enough that I could see him getting in.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimASxNtDzZN56nmqZwtKiCM-fqXWg5ltVmAdWnczv7lbwKRBsM5AockjfpJr-TFY5srGfGu6Y1YYdP8qzB-VX-dFT5tJQ0DfQJJVowKWK8CWOTplyiRNNviQYM-EgAwbZzx9W7CHXMtGMP/s1600/Matt-Damon-as-Mark-Watney-in-The-Martian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimASxNtDzZN56nmqZwtKiCM-fqXWg5ltVmAdWnczv7lbwKRBsM5AockjfpJr-TFY5srGfGu6Y1YYdP8qzB-VX-dFT5tJQ0DfQJJVowKWK8CWOTplyiRNNviQYM-EgAwbZzx9W7CHXMtGMP/s320/Matt-Damon-as-Mark-Watney-in-The-Martian.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael Caine in "Youth" - Don't know much about this film, but Caine is a living legend and has gotten solid reviews for this film and looks to have a good chance at a nom here. Also, the subject matter should play well for the older-skewing Academy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDuEx3dIGhpMoIzOyMcM6umgFChN_nJ7Gi1izs-eb1KtEnWAdqz33Og28W4Wxc8-d_-H6kS7CcaVo_ZLMCrBanf4L6ztNVw2kbm90Qd7FCHYfbK1JwQhL0hyphenhyphens70jbZxTuU2Zjt_p-e4tK/s1600/youth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDuEx3dIGhpMoIzOyMcM6umgFChN_nJ7Gi1izs-eb1KtEnWAdqz33Og28W4Wxc8-d_-H6kS7CcaVo_ZLMCrBanf4L6ztNVw2kbm90Qd7FCHYfbK1JwQhL0hyphenhyphens70jbZxTuU2Zjt_p-e4tK/s320/youth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OTHER POSSIBILITIES: Johnny Depp in "Black Mass", Bryan Cranston in "Trumbo", Tom Hanks in "Bridge of Spies", Jake Gyllenhaal in "Southpaw"</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST ACTRESS-</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brie Larson in "Room" - From the film's debut at Toronto, she appeared to be a strong contender, and the popularity of the film has only seemed to increase since then. Also, her main competitor has very recently won her own trophy in this category which could work to Larson's benefit. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cate Blanchett in "Carol" - Seemingly a lock for a nomination, but with two wins under her belt already and one having come very recently for "Blue Jasmine", she seems unlikely to win again. Though there's been some suggestion that her other acclaimed performance this year in "Truth" could overtake "Carol" as her best shot at a nom, but "Carol" seems to be a stronger contender overall.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jennifer Lawrence in "Joy" - Whatever else happens to "Joy" this season, I would be very surprised if Lawrence doesn't get a nomination here. Her track record for Oscar noms under David O. Russell is still a perfect 2 for 2 (including 1 win), and after playing second fiddle in those previous outings, she appears to be fully front and center in "Joy".<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyhWdqm9OTTsirmjiZQBnxbBXRebO0EPwAzXd6d6uhrBa-RwK3L7BpZ_t0WqPXxsrVfjaWxQfd7W0L3SM2Q-wH3FtCF70qzGsYhzMIhd2zcdIXo3qjULtXLgLfk6Jb7Io4Zxp5MeMid0L/s1600/la-et-mn-joy-trailer-jennifer-lawrence-davd-o-russell-miracle-mop-20150715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyhWdqm9OTTsirmjiZQBnxbBXRebO0EPwAzXd6d6uhrBa-RwK3L7BpZ_t0WqPXxsrVfjaWxQfd7W0L3SM2Q-wH3FtCF70qzGsYhzMIhd2zcdIXo3qjULtXLgLfk6Jb7Io4Zxp5MeMid0L/s320/la-et-mn-joy-trailer-jennifer-lawrence-davd-o-russell-miracle-mop-20150715.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saoirse Ronan in "Brooklyn" - She's been getting strong reviews for her work in this film since Sundance, and this looks to be two-time reigning BP winner Fox Searchlights' strongest contender overall. The previous nominee for "Atonement" should be in.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Emily Blunt in "Sicario" - I think most people who make Oscar predictions are woefully underestimating Blunt's chances of scoring a nomination. "Sicario" is currently the highest-grossing Indie of the year and the film has gotten terrific reviews (93% on RT), many of which single her performance out. This is combined with the fact that she is a very well-liked and popular actress who has yet to receive a nomination and this is her most acclaimed and unexpected work to date.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLhQsZx1W4j-rCr6ZxMyOabcnUz5CNtL68IjG8aHI_zEJGxCZvzsdfVp15jSE4wy2oD8s5Mo6QsNQkLzDHY7oIKaYWIp7APj_oGU7psnqegIdKrdSp5mfsb98zSivwuHppy6kBHcHDRlj/s1600/sicario-emily-blunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLhQsZx1W4j-rCr6ZxMyOabcnUz5CNtL68IjG8aHI_zEJGxCZvzsdfVp15jSE4wy2oD8s5Mo6QsNQkLzDHY7oIKaYWIp7APj_oGU7psnqegIdKrdSp5mfsb98zSivwuHppy6kBHcHDRlj/s320/sicario-emily-blunt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OTHER POSSIBILITIES: Charlotte Rampling in "45 Years", Carey Mulligan in "Suffragette", Cate Blanchett in "Truth", Lilly Tomlin in "Grandma"</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-1446876307269803732015-10-19T10:43:00.000-07:002015-10-19T10:43:51.009-07:00Early Oscar Predictions (Best Picture)<div class="p1">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While it's still early in the Fall movie season, the Oscar season has really started to take shape in the past few weeks. Many of the big contenders have started to play for audiences, giving us a better sense of who will be in the conversation come February. While there are still a handful of on-paper contenders that have yet to play for either audiences or critics ("Joy", "The Hateful Eight", "The Revenant"), films which will be included in these predictions below, I feel comfortable in taking a stab at who some of the front-runners might be for a nomination. These predictions will likely change a great deal as the season moves along.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BEST PICTURE-</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApl3d2ydPOE_CkMg_dOOSXrIZ7JWB0gR7qCo5jnE0A-jMT2mkqWJePqibPv1X0qUNxOaxSKqibVA4pzSNyGmnSUPKGcpvRUCIrFIvxgreIo73JFrrZUxnQHTJ1RY9apGcM5RpZ7RwScwm/s1600/spotlight02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApl3d2ydPOE_CkMg_dOOSXrIZ7JWB0gR7qCo5jnE0A-jMT2mkqWJePqibPv1X0qUNxOaxSKqibVA4pzSNyGmnSUPKGcpvRUCIrFIvxgreIo73JFrrZUxnQHTJ1RY9apGcM5RpZ7RwScwm/s400/spotlight02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Spotlight" (Open Road Films) - This was the big audience favorite coming out of the fall film festivals. I haven't seen the film and don't know whether it will be able to maintain its front-runner status as the season goes along and the inevitable backlash sinks in, but for right now it appears to be at the top.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTlJddDBVtPTXN_9nlUgiMuJk8fZQUMtQ_LhTU44ln-zY9wxZCQFrzGrI5rBFfwEws7PrqLfkCNfrRg6VdKtjVr2ic0D5JqksPqqBrRapIlSGbSiHUP58miFT46q-Go3Q159biVKI1yYS/s1600/steve-jobs-movie-2015-holding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTlJddDBVtPTXN_9nlUgiMuJk8fZQUMtQ_LhTU44ln-zY9wxZCQFrzGrI5rBFfwEws7PrqLfkCNfrRg6VdKtjVr2ic0D5JqksPqqBrRapIlSGbSiHUP58miFT46q-Go3Q159biVKI1yYS/s400/steve-jobs-movie-2015-holding.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Steve Jobs" (Universal) - I've offered </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">up my enthusiastic thoughts about the film, and it is setting the box-office on fire in limited release. How it plays in wide release for mainstream audiences is yet to be seen, but "Steve Jobs" appears to be in the thick of the conversation.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPojqovS5mcR_4YKTg1D4eWfiJKl1Dl0HzeDeesjOl4WoWrpXolAAVz9wW-my9ERAxrhzTSaUb_WwnXSnOMzfo9oBPq5ZCl_gTDQ_DuhAWA_sx4oKRnC5W8L_AKYVcNw9P6imGCcumbBTn/s1600/The-Martian-viral-teaser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPojqovS5mcR_4YKTg1D4eWfiJKl1Dl0HzeDeesjOl4WoWrpXolAAVz9wW-my9ERAxrhzTSaUb_WwnXSnOMzfo9oBPq5ZCl_gTDQ_DuhAWA_sx4oKRnC5W8L_AKYVcNw9P6imGCcumbBTn/s400/The-Martian-viral-teaser.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Martian" (20th Century Fox) - On-paper, "The Martian" wasn't seen as a major Oscar contender, but with some of the best reviews of the year and outstanding Box-office, the film has forced itself into the conversation in a big way. If the Academy can overlook their bias towards sci-fi (which they nearly did with the similarly low-key "Gravity"), then this populist, uplifting film has a real chance for the win.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4TlR-bjOxSa8mm8_oWKiRellEkMPguQq426c7ueQohH4m55GXx9Zh-_LfIxGlLxWdt1tJCEy3DJQuC5NIDbZtycwpg9_1R9iN5E9uU9rgZc_dmOEpeyvoyduv1ZzAd0I1hRenH9meKIm/s1600/the-revenant-fn01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4TlR-bjOxSa8mm8_oWKiRellEkMPguQq426c7ueQohH4m55GXx9Zh-_LfIxGlLxWdt1tJCEy3DJQuC5NIDbZtycwpg9_1R9iN5E9uU9rgZc_dmOEpeyvoyduv1ZzAd0I1hRenH9meKIm/s400/the-revenant-fn01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Revenant" (20th Century Fox) - The first of the sight-unseen contenders in my predictions. Directed by </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alejandro González Iñárritu, the helmer of reigning BP champ "Birdman", and this looks to be a similarly ambitious film, if not even more so. If the film delivers on expectations, it will be a major awards player.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDW-iuyQNUSPweW-0OZSJrWNyAY6QPOCSAWRhN2GDJxdh72ZoISjzDBjY_qeCeeoSm0jMiLfZjZCYqSL3C67Nf8Y5-nM7rqEGgApJUqhv-KFJyo7JZq4M8rq2OyXfgtyfkYZ-JIfuXCgVA/s1600/o-BRIDGE-OF-SPIES-facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDW-iuyQNUSPweW-0OZSJrWNyAY6QPOCSAWRhN2GDJxdh72ZoISjzDBjY_qeCeeoSm0jMiLfZjZCYqSL3C67Nf8Y5-nM7rqEGgApJUqhv-KFJyo7JZq4M8rq2OyXfgtyfkYZ-JIfuXCgVA/s400/o-BRIDGE-OF-SPIES-facebook.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Bridge of Spies" (DreamWorks) - The reviews have been very strong and, like much of Spielberg's work, this looks like it will play very well to the old-fashioned Academy audience. Don't know if it's a potential winner, but it's definitely a contender. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Carol" (The Weinstein Co.) - There have been suggestions that the film might be a bit chilly for audiences, but this looks like actors fodder with Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara's performances. Also, this looks like the Weinstein's best play at the moment, and Harvey Weinstein is a pro at getting his horse in the race. </span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGC-L53S2euaiaWSjDeAQa5P1lSThKOeUCp9v7iAF2Ku-eMf1EsUuYqAnDmimDYCIbyJUos4WRkegYDaYfIfr1Lwa0Rp2ohibzhHnPghh8TPDYPKztfma04Gjx100b9Amq0pmjQi1bHykz/s1600/img_1593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGC-L53S2euaiaWSjDeAQa5P1lSThKOeUCp9v7iAF2Ku-eMf1EsUuYqAnDmimDYCIbyJUos4WRkegYDaYfIfr1Lwa0Rp2ohibzhHnPghh8TPDYPKztfma04Gjx100b9Amq0pmjQi1bHykz/s400/img_1593.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Room" (A24 Films) - The winner of the audience prize out of Toronto, which has been a benchmark for several previous Best Picture winners ("Slumdog Millionaire", "The King's Speech, "12 Years a Slave"), this has been a surprise entry into this Oscar season, given that it's a relatively small scale indie. </span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB520xK9kvrc7zkZHXiQxINl23k_MAR2OsL0X7H-KKkwHRJfbWiMrYhPvoTrBg33X69aSfFGsXa6Um0B_fHrmNa9KGqRguVTUJfx-ITepCvCuczUpi8y24gbWKhPZv1kOLNUrFxIH-oaV/s1600/the-danish-girl-tdy-pc-tease-ae_9feb44192d5a1d032e31c8f03c130f4f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB520xK9kvrc7zkZHXiQxINl23k_MAR2OsL0X7H-KKkwHRJfbWiMrYhPvoTrBg33X69aSfFGsXa6Um0B_fHrmNa9KGqRguVTUJfx-ITepCvCuczUpi8y24gbWKhPZv1kOLNUrFxIH-oaV/s400/the-danish-girl-tdy-pc-tease-ae_9feb44192d5a1d032e31c8f03c130f4f.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Danish Girl" (Focus Features) - Received mixed responses out of the film festival circuit, but looks like it will play better to mainstream audiences. Mixed reviews certainly didn't hurt Tom Hooper's last Oscar contender, "Les Miserables".</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Inside Out" (Pixar) - Easily the best reviewed Pixar film since "Toy Story 3", the last one to receive a nomination in this category. Will likely depend on how well the late entires play, but this looks like a strong possibility for a nomination. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Joy" (20th Century Fox) - David O. Russell's recent Oscar track record suggests I should put a lot of faith in this as a contender, but I'm still a little reserved on this one. With "The Martian" and "The Revenant" also on their slate, will Fox really be able to get 3 films in? And is this maybe more of a Best Actress play for Jennifer Lawrence.</span></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-21979181233416581212015-10-17T09:55:00.001-07:002015-10-17T09:55:29.391-07:00"Steve Jobs": Review<div class="p1">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hard to think of the last time I anticipated a movie as strongly as I did "Steve Jobs", and there are numerous reasons as to why that is. First, there's the presence of writer Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the brilliant, Oscar-winning script for "The Social Network", which is easily one of my favorite films of the last five years. Second, there's director Danny Boyle, who much like David Fincher, Sorkin's directorial collaborator on "Social Network", has a distinct visual style which makes an unlikely yet fascinating pairing with Sorkin's more verbose sensibilities. There was also the draw of an impressive and eclectic ensemble, featuring Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jeff Daniels and the great Michael Fassbender in the title role. This is to say that I was drawn to "Steve Jobs" mainly because of the various pieces involved in the larger puzzle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It shouldn't be surprising then that while watching "Steve Jobs", I was drawn into the individual components and the interplay between them more so than the overall product. That isn't to say that the overall product isn't satisfying, but "Steve Jobs" is such a unique film experience that you can't quite help but experience it through the pieces rather than the whole, which I actually found to be the films' greatest strength. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bottom line, all of the raw talent on paper brings their absolute A-game here, and it's just a thrill watching all of this talent at work. Though I hesitate to say this is a better script than "The Social Network", Sorkin has truly outdone himself here with this daring, one-of-a-kind approach to structure (more on that later). Boyle, who's films include "Trainspotting", "127 Hours" and Oscar-winner "Slumdog Millionaire", was an unlikely choice to direct this material, but he serves it beautifully without his signature style ever becoming diluted in the process. This is truly his best work as a director to date. Last but certainly not least, Fassbender, who's had a remarkable career trajectory in recent years with films like "Shame" and "12 Years a Slave", delivers the performance of his career here, tearing into this meaty role with unwavering commitment and focus. He is equally matched by his supporting cast, with Seth Rogen, in a role which requires the funny man to play it very straight and sincere, the unlikely standout as Steve Wozniak. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorkin's much talked about approach to this material, which was to present a portrait of Jobs through a three act structure with each act taking place in real time during three different Apple product launches, works like gangbusters. Though that framework would seem dramatically limiting, under the energetic direction of Boyle, it makes for an exhilarating cinematic experience. By stepping outside of his comfort zone with this material, Boyle demonstrates that the quality which makes him a great director isn't his visuals, but his humanist instincts. Jobs is not a warm character, but the film doesn't work without him registering some semblance of a human pulse, which Boyle manages to pull out of him by the end. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was nervous while watching "Steve Jobs" that, as entertaining as this all was, the structure wasn't working towards a satisfying dramatic conclusion. This fear was alleviated by the time the last act rolled around, where the revolving door of personalities in Jobs' life all seem to converge on him at the moment where he seems to have finally achieved true success. Having been characterized through the entire film as a visionary who would bulldoze over anyone to achieve his goals, these characters force Jobs to confront the realities of his cruelty in getting to where he is. It is in these moments where Sorkin, Boyle and especially Fassbender let us see a more vulnerable side of Jobs. Through just a handful of escalating face-offs with Fassbender, Rogen delivers a performance of great empathy and pathos as Wozniak. Without spoiling the moment itself, his final confrontation with Jobs is the dramatic highlight of the entire film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regardless of one's conclusions about the film, this is if nothing else a brilliant conceptual work. For me, I found this to be both immediately absorbing and, ultimately, a dramatically satisfying film experience. Easily one of my favorites of the year so far. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grade: A</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-70330388189689206402015-10-13T11:13:00.003-07:002015-10-13T11:13:42.802-07:00"The Martian": Review<div class="p1">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a late review, as Ridley Scott's "The Martian" has been in theaters for two weeks now (and is setting the Box Office on fire), but I wanted to take this opportunity to offer my two cents on what is the best film I've seen so far this year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lot has been said about how surprisingly great "The Martian" is given Scott's recent trend of misfires ("Exodus: Gods and Kings", "The Counselor"), and I think a lot of the credit for that ought to be given to Drew Goddard for his impeccable script. It was never that Scott, first and foremost a visual stylist, lost his touch, but there'd only so much even the most sophisticated technician can do when working with lousy material. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beyond the overall quality of the screenplay, what also helps to separate "The Martian" from other recent Scott films, as well as similar entries into the sci-fi genre like "Interstellar", is the undeniably light and surprisingly witty approach to what is essentially a survival story. At it's best, science fiction tends to be a pretty grim and cerebral genre (something Scott has demonstrated on his own two genre masterpieces, "Alien" and "Blade Runner"). In that sense, the tone of "The Martian" has less in common with Scott's previous sci-fi films, but is instead closer to something like Ron Howard's "Apollo 13". The film rides a fine line between sincerity and corniness, but it remarkably maintains that balance and never dips over into the later. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I've already sung the praises of the script in selling the humanism of "The Martian", a lot of credit is also due to Matt Damon, who gives one of the best performances of his career in a role that requires some dramatic heavy lifting while acting opposite only himself. He is tasked with playing a character with an almost absurd level of optimism in the face of dire circumstances, but he sells that aspect of his character every step of the way through both his intelligence and charisma. The rest of the large, diverse supporting cast are also uniformly solid in the moments where the film shifts away from Damon's one man show and onto what's happening back on earth. "The Martian" is a perfect example of how casting big names in what amount to smaller roles can help give us a sense of the characters as fully formed people and not just plot points. Every actor here is playing to type; Jeff Daniels is stern and authoritative, Jessica Chastain is determined with a maternal side, Kate Mara is bright-eyed and inquisitive, Chiwetel Ejiofor (perhaps the closest thing to a stand-out) projects empathy and intelligence and Donald Glover provides some springy physical comedy. That being said, nobody feels underutilized in these roles, marking this as a true ensemble cast, with every role working towards the larger story. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I had any reservations while watching "The Martian" it would be that it has such a light touch that I felt a lack of tension at times in what should be a tense premise. That being said, the optimistic, uplifting tone of the film felt authentic to me in so far as anybody in the position that Damon's character finds himself in would likely need that type of determination of spirit to survive that situation in the first place. The film also throws just enough curveballs our way in key moments to remind us of the true peril our protagonist finds himself in without ever becoming grim. "The Martian" is a survival story where the main tool our character has to survive is his own intellectual resourcefulness. As cheesy as that description sounds, "The Martian" sells it through a refreshing mixture of humor and humanism. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grade: A</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-77808942922055463422015-08-28T10:21:00.001-07:002015-09-01T12:18:25.821-07:00My Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of the Fall Season<br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the big fall festivals like Venice, Telluride and Toronto soon to be underway (and Awards season to follow soon after), I wanted to offer up my thoughts on my 10 most anticipated movies to be released in this last third of 2015. For me personally, anticipation for a movie is built off some combination of these factors:</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>a) I like the actors/cast</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>b) I’m a fan of the directors' work(and, sometimes, occasionally the writers')</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Though there are certainly a few titles coming out in the next few months that tick some of those boxes, I’m also finding that there are few films that I’m wholly anticipating without any skepticism (at least more so than in previous years). While my perception of the offerings this yearwill change drastically as these films start screening and a consensus starts to form around them, here are the ten titles that as of now, on paper, intrigue me the most, listed alphabetically.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Black Mass</i>-</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Director - Scott Cooper </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Cast- Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Dakota <span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Johnson, ect.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Premise</span><span class="s1">: A biopic of James “Whitey” Bulger (Depp) a notorious organized crime boss in Boston who served the FBI as an informant. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Intrigued</span><span class="s1">: The third trailer for the film was very solid and the supporting cast is formidable. The subject matter has cinematic potential and this has the potential to be a return to form for Depp.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Skeptical</span><span class="s1">: Cooper’s previous features, <i>Crazy Heart</i> and <i>Out of the Furnace</i>, indicates a competent but not great director who benefits from having impressive ensembles. Also, between the look and the voice of the character, I’m still not entirely sold on Depp as the right casting choice for Bulger.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Bridge of Spies</i>-</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Director - Steven Spielberg (Screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen) </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Cast- Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda ect.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Premise</span><span class="s1">: A Cold War thriller based on the 1960 U-2 incident.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Intrigued</span><span class="s1">: Spielberg’s last film, <i>Lincoln</i>, was rather unexpectedly my favorite film of that year and this one finds him in similar historical territory. The Cold War setting is an interesting historical backdrop.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Skeptical</span><span class="s1">: As much as I loved <i>Lincoln</i>, Tony Kushner’s script deserves a lot of the credit for that and Spielberg can be hit or miss with this type of prestige drama. Though the Coen brothers are great writers and inspired choices for this type of material, the same was said for <i>Unbroken</i> last year, so who knows?</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Creed</i>-</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Director - Ryan Coogler </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Premise</span><span class="s1">: The son of Apollo Creed seeks to be trained by Rocky Ballboa. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Intrigued</span><span class="s1">: After Coogler’s first feature <i>Fruitvale Station</i> (also starring Jordan), I couldn’t wait to see what he’d do next. The announcement that his follow-up would be a <i>Rocky</i> feature struck me at first glance as an indie talent selling out big time. However, after the impressive first trailer, Coogler seems to be trying to reinvigorate this tired franchise and harken back to the scrappier roots of the 1976 original. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Skeptical</span><span class="s1">: It’s very possible that what we saw was just a very nicely put together trailer, and I suppose this could end up being a fairly routine boxing picture.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XKF2SRrWhoXLtARKeW6-D1lHRGjlLgAMRLbY7bi7BpC8Xi98meQQIojdu6PcRPC8ui041To78xvWbz23LxvU_LKkeuseU94a6QxWsng8vFgPqRstDb1Vyg6T07xnNn9NJ__cedlk9-eC/s1600/hatefuleight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XKF2SRrWhoXLtARKeW6-D1lHRGjlLgAMRLbY7bi7BpC8Xi98meQQIojdu6PcRPC8ui041To78xvWbz23LxvU_LKkeuseU94a6QxWsng8vFgPqRstDb1Vyg6T07xnNn9NJ__cedlk9-eC/s400/hatefuleight.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Hateful Eight</i>-</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Director - Quentin Tarantino </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Cast- Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bruce Dern, ect.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Premise</span><span class="s1">: Eight strangers are stranded in a stagecoach stopover during a blizzard. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Intrigued</span><span class="s1">: I don’t automatically flock to whatever Tarantino does, but of his more recent output, <i>Inglourious Basterds </i>was my favorite film of that year and, though it had it’s flaws, I thought <i>Django Unchained </i>was also a triumph. The Western facade of <i>The Hateful Eight </i>suggests a common DNA with <i>Django</i>, but the bottle episode premise to me is more suggestive of his first feature, <i>Reservoir Dogs</i>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Skeptical</span><span class="s1">: While I’m hoping the stripped down narrative abates some of Tarantino’s more indulgent sensibilities, there’s also the possibility that this is minor Tarantino and won’t resonate as his more ambitious outings. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGvPuZ2kGzFiOhZaepkfXJic7T4EIGRQnsxXyl51zgLTEwVnNzeIkPCJlyeBRA__PL_pDFjiQ8fyEtKp3TUzYIyShKuWCjARZuUBIZu4M2IDWF07FO4NOla2sqaAFl5nnv_5dTSTyqAzz/s1600/jennifer-lawrence-is-all-over-the-place-in-this-awesome-trailer-for-joy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGvPuZ2kGzFiOhZaepkfXJic7T4EIGRQnsxXyl51zgLTEwVnNzeIkPCJlyeBRA__PL_pDFjiQ8fyEtKp3TUzYIyShKuWCjARZuUBIZu4M2IDWF07FO4NOla2sqaAFl5nnv_5dTSTyqAzz/s320/jennifer-lawrence-is-all-over-the-place-in-this-awesome-trailer-for-joy.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Joy</i>-</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Director - David O. Russell </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Cast- Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, ect.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Premise</span><span class="s1">: A biopic of Joy Mangano (Lawrence), a single mother and entrepreneur who builds her own business empire. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Intrigued</span><span class="s1">: Following a string of modern classics with <i>The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook</i> and <i>American Hustle</i>, Russell is on one hell of a hot streak. After a secondary lead performance in <i>Silver Linings</i> and a smaller supporting turn in <i>Hustle</i>, it’s nice to see Russell put his muse Lawrence front and center this time, especially given his knack for crafting strong female characters. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Skeptical</span><span class="s1">: While it’s hard for me to complain about Russell casting actors as good as Lawrence, Cooper and De Niro, their appearances in his movies might soon start to have diminishing returns. Russell’s gifts as an actors director shouldn’t exclusively extend to such a small handful of actors. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUxsffS6wEWIa4cQEfdsewCCZnoex_8V_TlqpuW_wtSYMGR7vbPdYb6bTCEOsnaKkOjlhVgqflH2-KQ3IPw30bskBSmg090Y2qtMqamYEg7o75Ss198dXJsO9hb4QJ7D1HLbQgENij5mj/s1600/The-Martian-viral-teaser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUxsffS6wEWIa4cQEfdsewCCZnoex_8V_TlqpuW_wtSYMGR7vbPdYb6bTCEOsnaKkOjlhVgqflH2-KQ3IPw30bskBSmg090Y2qtMqamYEg7o75Ss198dXJsO9hb4QJ7D1HLbQgENij5mj/s400/The-Martian-viral-teaser.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Martian</i>-</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Director - Ridley Scott (Screenplay by Drew Goddard)</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Cast- Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Mara, ect.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Premise</span><span class="s1">: An Astronaut (Damon) becomes stranded on Mars after a failed mission and is forced to survive in the harsh and inhospitable climate. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Intrigued</span><span class="s1">: Damon is a reliably strong leading man and the supporting cast is just as impressive. Goddard showed a knack for inventive genre filmmaking with <i>The Cabin in the Woods</i> and Scott has the craftsmanship to make this type of science fiction sing on screen.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Skeptical</span><span class="s1">: Many of the same qualities that look good on paper for this film (great ensemble, good screenwriter) were also true of previous Scott misfires <i>The Counselor </i>and <i>Prometheus</i>.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoLHq49C0TeJp_wkoExaoaKy6tBq9rKtFylEmKWZ3iDrrto9Xv60kv8ka5kIN4sMpfgfWBjvW9kywxZmi2w1F5NOlPr1Tahj-shiehWQPl8hTS1Iu7Cj0JiqiN_Q9c8VoQ7iGuczzI1Rs/s1600/the-revenant-fn01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoLHq49C0TeJp_wkoExaoaKy6tBq9rKtFylEmKWZ3iDrrto9Xv60kv8ka5kIN4sMpfgfWBjvW9kywxZmi2w1F5NOlPr1Tahj-shiehWQPl8hTS1Iu7Cj0JiqiN_Q9c8VoQ7iGuczzI1Rs/s400/the-revenant-fn01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Revenant</i>-</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Director - Alejandro G. Iñárritu</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Cast- Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, ect.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Premise</span><span class="s1">: A fur trapper (DiCaprio) is mauled by a bear and left to die by his men. He is forced to survive in the harsh wilderness. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Intrigued</span><span class="s1">: After last year’s <i>Birdman</i>, Iñárritu has shown himself to be a truly visionary director. The central role will give DiCaprio a lot to chew on as an actor.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Skeptical</span><span class="s1">: Even in his best work, Iñárritu has a tendency towards pretension. There have also been reports of a turbulent production, which can often be a bad sign. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5sWA-EA3HUCULepIDW7UWDrC_-iZjY8VR2usU0A9ZcCcTRRW6xeZwHlfL8Tngq5CXnFig8SoOZqTrc_WVexJ4L3G1Ncuj1P1f3B8kjVfI7Gs4cncTa7rGk4y6nYMBUGxkfwLKWFRyQ0G/s1600/maxresdefault-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5sWA-EA3HUCULepIDW7UWDrC_-iZjY8VR2usU0A9ZcCcTRRW6xeZwHlfL8Tngq5CXnFig8SoOZqTrc_WVexJ4L3G1Ncuj1P1f3B8kjVfI7Gs4cncTa7rGk4y6nYMBUGxkfwLKWFRyQ0G/s400/maxresdefault-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Sicario</i>-</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Director - Denis Villeneuve</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Cast- Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio del Toro, ect.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Premise</span><span class="s1">: An FBI agent (Blunt) joins a task force tracking down a Mexican drug kingpin. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Intrigued</span><span class="s1">: I was very impressed with Villeneuve’s film <i>Prisoners</i> two years back. I’ve heard good things about the film overall and particular praise for the performances by del Toro and the frequently underrated Blunt. Also, the great Roger Deakins, who was DP for <i>Prisoners</i>, is back again for this one.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Skeptical</span><span class="s1">: Not all of the reviews out of Cannes for the film were positive, with suggestions the direction is a lot stronger than the script.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqh7VY3ZDrI9o7WrPP3unhpN5_Y2hvRtVd5rDJ0fLNdf4GB_-p3kzvQKGD_SyMsXcDvlD47J46nfPrNTxPc-2QtJkbEdhreBkOI8iBeMIgZ_eCD4zfDgivtIGgi7ILWuLLRuyO_ALyhQdo/s1600/spotlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqh7VY3ZDrI9o7WrPP3unhpN5_Y2hvRtVd5rDJ0fLNdf4GB_-p3kzvQKGD_SyMsXcDvlD47J46nfPrNTxPc-2QtJkbEdhreBkOI8iBeMIgZ_eCD4zfDgivtIGgi7ILWuLLRuyO_ALyhQdo/s320/spotlight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Spotlight</i>-</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Director - Thomas McCarthy</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Cast- Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Stanley Tucci, ect.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Premise</span><span class="s1">: Follows the investigation of the Massachusetts Catholic sex abuse scandal by the <i>Boston Globe “s</i>potlight” team. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Intrigued</span><span class="s1">: This is a compelling true story and I’m a fan of movies centered on investigative journalism (<i>All the President’s Men</i>, <i>Zodiac</i>, ect.). The ensemble is deep with great actors.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span><span class="s2">Why I’m Skeptical</span><span class="s1">: Director Thomas McCarthy is coming off of the first critically panned film of his career with <i>The Cobbler</i>, but he looks to be in better territory here. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih443JIoONhmxzuKZHHxXay0FeUZiQyfCTZrsdh57LT7v0aunXUCv6Fhyl4cOm81K0_V7YLzIIg36SCkzesWSPucbBLZdggWtBZ7wxPCsyY8SC3wijGR_6tUxCOO61g4S7TbnCWrMUQsxy/s1600/1435778091_michael-fassbender-steve-jobs-zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih443JIoONhmxzuKZHHxXay0FeUZiQyfCTZrsdh57LT7v0aunXUCv6Fhyl4cOm81K0_V7YLzIIg36SCkzesWSPucbBLZdggWtBZ7wxPCsyY8SC3wijGR_6tUxCOO61g4S7TbnCWrMUQsxy/s400/1435778091_michael-fassbender-steve-jobs-zoom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Steve Jobs</i>-</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Director - Danny Boyle (Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin)</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-72194919443108567052015-08-12T14:42:00.001-07:002015-08-12T17:58:43.703-07:00A (Tepid) Defense of "Fantastic Four"<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not here to defend<i> Fantastic Four </i>as being a great movie, nor will I attempt to even defend it as an especially good one either. In reality, it’s a deeply flawed movie, marred by the scars of studio interference and as a result unable to make up its mind about what type of superhero movie it wants to be. That being said, we live in an age where a Rotten Tomatoes score can carry an enormous amount of weight (it appears to have had a devastating impact on the film’s box office). In this particular case though, I think the low RT score (currently at 9%) isn’t a strong representation of the more nuanced problems at the heart of the film.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Much of the conversation around the film’s negative reception has centered on it’s notoriously troubled production history, much of which has already been discussed <i>ad nauseam</i>. There was a large chunk of reshooting done on the film, resulting in the heavily reworked (and studio approved) ending that has been the main target of critical pans (and deservedly so). Though the reasons this production was troubled are numerous, a big factor was trepidation on the part of the studio regarding writer/director Josh Trank’s take on the source material. In interviews, Trank suggested his take on the characters was darker than previous iterations, skewing more towards hard science fiction with elements of David Cronenberg body horror also in the mix. Though darker takes on inherently corny superheroes can go horribly wrong (just look at <i>Man of Steel</i>), I think Trank’s take on this material could have resulted in a very interesting (though likely polarizing) film. Unfortunately, his vision is greatly compromised by the studio reshoots in the final product, resulting in a film that falls uncomfortably between Trank’s darker take and the more traditionally corny iteration of these characters. There is still evidence in the final cut of what Trank was initially going for, and I think that material makes <i>Fantastic Four </i>a more interesting watch than it’s RT score would suggest.<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Unlike <i>Man of Steel</i>, which failed to understand how a darker take on that character betrayed the fundamentals of who he was, Trank’s body horror vision actually suits the origin story of these characters quite well. Though the origin story here is altered slightly, the Fantastic Four traditionally gain their powers as the result of a science experiment/space expedition gone horribly awry (as was the case in the more traditional 2005 “Fantastic Four” movie). This follows in the vein of the body horror genre, particularly Cronenberg’s <i>The Fly</i>. Even John Carpenter’s <i>The Thing</i> shares its title with one of the Fantastic Four, and the particular circumstances of that characters’ transformation make for an inherently interesting study in body horror. Where other iterations of the Fantastic Four only slightly address the effect that these type of physical mutations would have on these characters, it seems as though Trank was aiming to take these issues head on in the film. As someone with no attachment to these characters at all, I think this darker take on the material is an intelligent and refreshing way to add a level of depth to these characters and eschew the traditionally corny tone of the series, which has failed to connect on the big screen.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, we will never get to see how the original version Trank envisioned, unmarred by a skeptical studio, would have played. I suspect that the film still would have had its issues, as the studio interference can only partially be blamed for the problems with <i>Fantastic Four</i>. Regardless, I imagine that film would have faired much better with critics, and, while it would have had some setbacks appealing to a wide, mainstream audience, I can’t imagine the box office would’ve been any worse than it ended up being. </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-9977385153805229112015-08-05T18:31:00.001-07:002015-08-06T10:04:28.875-07:00Performance Showcase: Ryan Reynolds in “The Voices”<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BY DYLAN ANDREW</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In lieu of writing a full-on review of Marjane Satrapi’s <i>The Voices</i> (released earlier this year), I’ve opted instead to do a more focused piece on the films’ central performance. There are several reasons for this, the main one being that my thoughts on the film, which I saw two days ago, haven’t really settled into a strong opinion of it as an overarching work. I mostly enjoyed the experience of watching <i>The Voices</i> (though “enjoy” is a strange word to throw at a film that’s often very disturbing), and I admire the ways the film attempts to be subversive. Though it operates as a dark comedy, there’s something very humanistic about <i>The Voices</i> in the way it treats its central characters’ mental illness. It was a bold move on Satrapi’s part to take the mental state of such a disturbed character so seriously in a film that otherwise operates on a heightened level. Nonetheless, when the film makes these shifts between fantastical dark comedy and a more grounded, compassionate reality, it starts to feel very glib in a way I don’t think it intends to be. Given the disparate elements in play, it’s miraculous that <i>The Voices</i> works on any level, and much of that is to the credit of the incredible performance Ryan Reynolds delivers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because of his impeccable, movie star good looks, Reynolds has been frequently pigeonholed as the serviceable-yet-boring leading man type in his more Hollywood outings (The Proposal, Green Lantern, ect.). As I never got around to seeing his acclaimed performance in the claustrophobic indie thriller Buried (the first suggestion their might be more to him than meets the eye), I took it on good faith that Reynolds was capable of good work, but I didn’t see the proof of that until <i>The Voices</i>. His performance as Jerry, an extremely odd but seemingly affable guy with latent psychological issues (to put it mildly), seems on the surface like the epitome of playing against type. However, I suspect that Reynolds’ skill-set, like Brad Pitt and Bradley Cooper before him, is actually best suited for roles that play against his leading man looks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though it would seem hard (if not downright impossible) to buy Reynolds from the outset as Jerry, he is utterly convincing in the role. Though it’s immediately clear upon our introduction to him that there’s something wrong (though the film takes its time in peeling back the psychological layers), Reynolds brings a disarming sweetness and vulnerability to the character that renders him enormously empathetic. Though Reynolds frequently portrays Jerry’s social awkwardness for uncomfortable humor, he is just as convincing in the moments where the film decides to take him and his mental illness seriously. Though the tonal shifts in the film are still apparent and somewhat jarring, Reynolds’ ability to balance these aspects of the character in his performance help to smoothen them out. Reynolds manages to make Jerry so endearing that he’s even able to turn him into a convincing romantic lead when the film decides to go in that direction. It helps that he’s paired opposite the always likable Anna Kendrick, but it’s still remarkable that we’re rooting for him, given how well-established the threat he poses to her is at that point in the film. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As if everything I mentioned above wasn’t more than enough for any actor to chew on, there’s a conceit to Reynolds’ performance that I’d be remiss not to mention. As the title of the film implies, Jerry’s mental illness entails him hearing voices, which manifest in the form of his two pets, a dog and a cat (operating like the angel and devil on his shoulders, respectively). Reynolds voices each of these psychological projections himself, and this aspect of his performance demonstrates an unexpected penchant for immersive voice acting on his part. He gives both pets a distinctive voice (the cat sporting a menacing Scottish brogue and the dog speaking in a drawl reminiscent of Cecil Turtle) and in either case it’s heard recognizing Reynolds’ usual speaking voice underneath. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever else my feelings about <i>The Voices</i>, Reynolds offers a tour-de-force performance that might very well end up being my favorite performance of this year. </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4034354366020231610.post-47730110036057063322015-08-05T13:20:00.001-07:002015-08-05T13:20:45.930-07:00“Trainwreck”: Review<div class="p1">
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Regardless of its desire to stretch the boundaries of the genre, or to stay safely within them, no romantic comedy works unless the chemistry between the central pairing is palpable. <i>Trainwreck</i>, the latest directorial effort from the current mastermind of American cinematic comedy, Judd Apatow, passes this litmus test with ease. The film benefits from it’s uniquely female-centric perspective (a nice change of pace for the usually male-centric Apatow), and the female at the center here is Amy Schumer (serving here as both star and screenwriter whilst playing a character who shares her name). Schumer’s prickly brand of comedy makes an unconventional match with what is otherwise a fairly traditional rom-com, but it’s a match that helps to elevate <i>Trainwreck</i>. Though she’s already a huge success on TV, this is Schumer’s first major film role (let alone star vehicle), and she carries the film with an effortlessness in balancing both the silly and sincere moments.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>As much as Schumer carries the film, it wouldn’t matter if she wasn’t well-matched romantically. Fortunately, Bill Hader (an equally bright comic talent whose often relegated to the sidelines in these types of films) is given the chance here to shine in his first romantic lead, owning the role of Aaron with a performance of great subtlety. It’s no small task for an actor to balance playing an affable guy while still making him interesting, but, like Schumer, Hader performance feels effortless in pulling off that balance. The genius of Schumer and Hader as a romantic pairing is that you buy them as a real couple with real emotional stakes, in spite of the genre trappings, precisely because neither of them are conventional romantic leads. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In <i>Trainwreck</i>, Schumer and Hader are doing an inversion of the conventional rom-com dynamic in that she’s the one who’s phobic of commitment, while he takes commitment more seriously. That the film in its conclusion advocates for commitment and monogamous relationships has been seen by some as a passing of judgement on Amy’s initial lifestyle. I personally didn’t see it that way, as Schumer and Apatow do a good enough job of establishing that without her being fully aware of it, this lifestyle is making Amy into a lonely, unfulfilled person. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>As is often the case with an Apatow film, the supporting cast of <i>Trainwreck</i> is a smorgasbord of stunt casting, and most the choices work improbably well. Even if you know going in that the usually pale Tilda Swinton is in this movie, you’ll be hard pressed to recognize her under a thick layer of spray tan as Amy’s icy boss (she shares a scene early on with her <i>We Need to Talk About Kevin </i>co-star Ezra Miller, and I was floored upon realizing that these were the same two actors from that film). Apatow also gets not one, but two terrific comic performances from athletes in the form of wrestler John Cena (as Amy’s muscle head ex-boyfriend) and, especially, LeBron James (here playing himself an unlikely iteration of the best friend archetype opposite Hader’s character). </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>One of the most disarming and unexpectedly moving performances in the film comes from comedian Colin Quinn as Amy’s abrasive, sickly father Gordon. Quinn is hilarious in conveying how unabashedly awful this man is (the film begins with him defending his own polygamous nature to his young daughters through a doll analogy), but underneath this abrasive exterior, Quinn manages to find the soul in this lonely man in a performance that’s ultimately very moving. The always wonderful Brie Larson (<i>Short Term 12</i>) also does solid work as Schumer’s younger sister. Though not the central framework of the film, the complicated dynamic of Amy’s family is where some of the best, most honest material in <i>Trainwreck </i>comes from. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>What holds <i>Trainwreck</i> back over are the many usual pitfalls of any Judd Apatow directed joint. These tendencies (scenes going on for too long, scenes that don’t add anything to the story, ect.) are so well established at this point that it feels cliche to even go over them, but nonetheless they are ever present in <i>Trainwreck</i>. Apatow is as capable as any modern comedic director of creating inspired moments, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that the same impulses that lead to these inspired moments are the same ones that lead also to some of more inept moments in his films (an awkward cameo scene featuring Chris Evert, Matthew Broderick and Marv Albert late in the film stick out in this regard). While the inspired moments continue to make up the difference, it’s a shame that these problems seem to be inherent, as they are the only thing holding these films back from being transcendent comedies as opposed to just really good ones. That being said, I will continue to welcome any really good comedy like <i>Trainwreck </i>(particularly one from a major studio) with an open embrace.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10185164269695405643noreply@blogger.com0