Academy Awards Nominations, Snubs, and Surprises

The following post is coverage of the Academy Awards (aka Oscars) nominations revealed last Thursday morning. As a movie fan, the Oscars are a huge deal to me. Take into consideration that all artistry is great in its own form, and that this is not a contest (even if to movie studios and some actors, it may be). Nonetheless, the Oscars give people a good way to be exposed to great movies that fly off the radar. Here are some snubs and surprises that I feel were deserved.

SNUB: Carol for Best Picture

I've seen Carol. My opinion aside, it was definitely a frontrunner for the entire awards season since Cannes. And I thought it was fantastic, so it truly deserved the nomination for Best Picture. It got nominations for both its leads: Cate Blanchett for lead, and Rooney Mara for supporting (more on that later), and four other technical categories. But it was glaringly omitted from the top award, which came as a huge surprise. Carol would have been one of the only completely female-centric movies nominated in years (Brooklyn is nominated this year), and there have always been rumors of the Academy not favoring women. Giving Carol's plot of a homosexual relationship between woman in the 1950's, it seems like Carol was slighted by industry politics.

SUPRISE: Mad Max: Fury Road dominates

While The Revenant got the most nominations (12), the real story was Mad Max: Fury Road scoring a remarkable 10 nominations across the board, from Best Picture, its costuming, editing, and directing. The movie shocked everybody upon its opening, and finished the year as the best reviewed movie on RottenTomatoes. But many fans feared it would get left behind because of its blockbuster and action movie status. Low an behold, the first critics circle gave it Best Picture, and that led to nominations by the National Board of Review and Golden Globes, and now it's a frontrunner to win! It's definitely a dream come true for Mad Max fans, and one that I never saw coming back in May.

SNUB: Ridley Scott for Best Director

The Martian is one of my favorite movies of the year, and there's no doubt directing is one of its strongest points. Director Ridley Scott, previously nominated for Black Hawk Down, Thelma & Louise and Gladiator (which won Best Picture), but he's never won. Many, including myself, thought it was his year. But as is the usual with the directing category, younger artsy directors get in over the perennial favorites. The others are deserved, but it's disappointing to see Scott left out again.

SURPRISE: Adam McKay and Lenny Abrahamson instead of Ridley Scott

I'm happy for them. There's no doubt Adam McKay strongly directed The Big Short into being the masterpiece it is. And Lenny Abrahamson had to work very hard to film chronologically and in most times confined to a small room. This continues a trend of younger artistic directors getting favored over frontrunners. Ben Affleck famously was snubbed in 2012, along with Kathryn Bigelow and Quentin Tarantino over Michael Haneke and Benh Zeitlin for two super independent films. At the end of the day, it's just a tough call.


SNUB and SURPRISE: The entire mess that is Best Supporting Actress

The Golden Globes called out awards campaigners for campaigning Rooney Mara in Carol, and Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl for supporting, when they were in fact lead performances. They subsequently both got Best Actress-Drama nominations there. I've seen The Danish Girl, and she's definitely a lead. I've head the same about Mara. Because of both of their inclusions in Best Supporting Actress, the whole category is mixed up. Presumed heavyweight Kate Winslet, winner of the Golden Globe for Steve Jobs, is now probably unlikely to win, and key supporting roles from Jane Fonda in Youth, Helen Mirren in Trumbo, and even Vikander's own clearly supporting role in critical darling Ex Machina, were left out in favor of leads masquerading in supporting. Very confusing.


SNUB (and SURPRISE?): Straight Outta Compton

Shamefully, I admit I still haven't seen Straight Outta Compton. I know I should, and I'll catch it on DVD, but I've heard this movie is nothing short of great. Awards buzz came super late, but when it hit it hit hard. Many people thought that it would get a coveted Best Picture nomination, and it would bring diversity to the all-white nominees. But it got nothing but...wait for it...Best Screenplay? Was this ever a contender there to begin with? It seems an awful lot like a consolation prize.

SURPRISE: Tom Hardy for Best Supporting Actor

It was a big day for The Revenant, with 12 nominations total. Along for the ride was Tom Hardy, who had largely been forgotten next to Leo's dominating performance. It's true early sources said Hardy was a contender, but other roles were predicted to take the final slots, and Hardy was probably the least talked about thing of The Revenant. You were more apt to see the bear get a Supporting Actor nomination than him, but here we are, and Tom Hardy is nominated. I'm a big fan of his, so I'm happy.

SNUB: Idris Elba for Best Supporting Actor

One of the casualties of The Revenant is Idris Elba. His performance in Beasts of No Nation, Netflix's original movie, was considered a lock predominantly because he was recognized by every single other guild. I personally believed a Netflix film would never contend at the Oscars, so I expected the snub, but for Elba, who I believe is one of the finest actors working today, this isn't very good.

SURPRISE: Ex Machina

In early April, a small sci-fi movie hit screens. This was Ex Machina, and it was instantly hailed by critics as the best original science fiction movie in recent memory, and one that will stand the test of time. But awards guilds took no notice. It's about a scientist who creates a sentient robot with a human-like appearance, who is ready for the Turing test, which will determine if it is an appropriate human counterpart. Breakout star Alicia Vikander was getting awards nominations, only for The Danish Girl. She did get nominated for the Oscar for that movie, but Ex Machina got nominations for Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Screenplay. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who says it's not original, but that it got nominated over blockbusters like Jurassic World is a true testament.


SNUB: Jacob Tremblay for Best Supporting Actor

Everyone is pretty much in agreement that it's Brie Larson's turn to win an Oscar. And she likely will for her complex and layered performance in Room, where she plays half of a mother-son duo held in captivity in a small room until their escape. But the other half, Jacob Tremblay is able to hold his own. Only 7 years old, Tremblay more than carries the movie on his small shoulders. He shows an emotional depth that I've rarely seen a child actor have. I thought that Larson's star quality and momentum would pull him in, since he's largely sat on the sidelines this awards season. I was wrong, and they missed an opportunity to nominate up and coming talent.

SURPRISE: Room's massive support

Room established a huge following when it won the Toronto Film Festival, but its awards prospects had been waning. Of course Brie Larson was a shoo-in for a nomination (and likely a win), but the rest was up in the air. Room walked away with four nominations Thursday, all in major categories. As previously stated, director Lenny Abrahamson was a huge wild card, and the screenplay nod coupled with the directing shows its clearly thought of as a frontrunner, a surprise to all, but well deserved.

SNUB: "See You Again" for Best Original Song

This one is just stupid. How does "See You Again", one of the most emotionally affecting, well-written, and commercially successful songs, not get nominated? The last adjective may be the answer. Favorite "Love Me Like You Do" from Fifty Shades of Grey was not included in favor of "Earned It", and Wiz Khalifa's track from Furious 7 also missed the cut. This one is just bizarre since it is such a well known and well loved song. It seems like the Oscars are trying to alienate fans.

SURPRISE: Charlotte Rampling for Best Actress

Charlotte who? That's probably what your reaction is. Rampling is apparently a veteran English actress with a slew of films in both English and French. She's never really bounded into any sort of attention until this year. While many (including myself) assume this is just the Academy rewarding a respected actress while they have the chance, those who've seen 45 Years, whatever it is, say she's great in it. So there's obviously a dark horse film I need to see.

SNUB: The Hateful Eight for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Makeup/Hairstyling

The Hateful Eight is without a doubt one of the most well-crafted movies this year. That being said, it's actually simple to see why the Academy wouldn't nominate it for its top prize. It plays out more like a stage play and seems less cinematic than Tarantino's previous efforts. And it may be the most shocking in its play with blood and gore than Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds. So it's easy to see why they'd stay away. But Tarantino is always a lock for his screenplays, and this is one of his most clever. It looks like the last-minute nod for Straight Outta Compton, to make them seem less racist, took its slot. And where is the nod for its makeup? Jennifer Jason Leigh's face was covered in blood and brains, with her teeth knocked out, and her hair in tangles. To me, that was one of the most obvious Oscar wins, but it's clear that the movie just didn't click with the Academy.

SURPRISE: Fifty Shades of Grey is an Oscar nominee

I never thought I'd ever be saying this. Fifty Shades of Grey is an Oscar nominee. I never saw the movie, for my personal beliefs that it was solely a marketing attempt, and because I heard it was just a terrible horrible movie. But the one thing I do love about the movie is its soundtrack. With music from Ellie Goulding, Sia, The Weeknd, and Beyoncé, the album perfectly blends R&B with sultry smooth vibes. For a theme so explicit, the music is pretty clean. While I personally believed Ellie Goulding would be nominated for her hit "Love Me Like You Do", instead The Weeknd is nominated for "Earned It". The Weeknd is a huge contender at the Grammys, and an up-and-coming talent, so it's no surprise they probably just wanted him to perform at the show. Nonetheless, this is a huge achievement for a movie with a reaction so polarizing with audiences. 

SNUB: Inside Out for Best Picture and Best Original Score

There is no doubt. Inside Out is definitely one of the ten best movies of the year, and deserves to be rewarded. Nearly everyone thought it would be with a nomination. After all, it's included in the Original Screenplay category for its sharply written, beautiful, and imaginative story. For whatever reason, it got left out, and another popular movie is slighted. Maybe it's faded from peoples' memories, but I really was pushing for this to get a Best Picture nod. And Michael Giacchino (Up, Lost)'s simple and elegant score for the film really set the tone. The figure skating scene is one of the most affecting scenes in film this year, and Giacchino's composition made the audience feel the emotion. It seems like Inside Out just wasn't a favorite this year, and it is a shame.

SURPRISE: When Marnie Was There for Best Animated Feature

I'd never really call myself an anime fan, but I definitely respect the beauty of the craft if it's executed correctly. While I don't think Inside Out has even a microscopic chance of losing Best Animated Feature (it was considered for Best Picture), Studio Ghibli films have fared well in the past. Spirited Away is undoubtedly the best animated movie of the 2000s, and while that was from Hayao Miyazaki's brilliant mind, Studio Ghibli has turned in very beautiful and touching movies over the years. This story about a distant girl who finds comfort in a haunted mansion and possibly spirit girl echoes many of Miyazaki's themes, and may prove to be a fantastic film.

SNUB: Star Wars: The Force Awakens for Best Picture

 Let's save the best for last. Well, at least the one most people can get behind. I truly believe Star Wars: The Force Awakens is good enough to get a nomination for Best Picture. However, I knew Thursday morning that it wasn't going to happen. First, the movie was basically released day and date on December 18, with critics seeing it two days prior at its worldwide opening. Other movies are shown months in advance to their releases, so the Academy likely got the screeners late. Second, while Star Wars was an Oscar darling, they've never rewarded a sequel the same way, not even the better follow-up The Empire Strikes Back. It did get 5 nominations in the technical categories, and it might win some there, but a Best Picture nomination was just not a possibility. Still, it's something hugely deserved and something I think alienates a lot of people.

Here are the full nominees:

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

Best Director
Lenny Abrahamson- Room
Alejandro González Iñárritu- The Revenant
Tom McCarthy- Spotlight
Adam McKay- The Big Short
George Miller- Mad Max: Fury Road

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

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

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

Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Jason Leigh- The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara- Carol
Rachel McAdams- Spotlight
Alicia Vikander- The Danish Girl

Best Original Screenplay
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The Martian
Room

Best Animated Feature
Anomalisa
Boy & the World
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie
When Marnie Was There

Best Foreign Language Film
Embrace of the Serpent (Columbia) in Spanish
Mustang (France) in Turkish
Son of Saul (Hungary) in Hungarian
Theeb (Jordan) in Arabic
A War (Denmark) in Danish

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

Best Original Score
Bridge of Spies
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Original Song
"Earned It" by The Weeknd- Fifty Shades of Grey
"Manta Ray" by J. Ralph & Antony- Racing Extinction
"Simple Song #3" by Sumi Jo- Youth
"Til It Happens to You" by Lady Gaga- The Hunting Ground
"Writing's on the Wall" by Sam Smith- Spectre

Best Costume Design
Carol
Cinderella
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant

Best Production Design
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
  
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
The 100-Year-Old-Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant

Best Film Editing
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Visual Effects
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens