FC: 2016 Oscar Nominations announced....

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

A few eye openers for me - especially Tom Hardy for Best Supporting Actor for The Revenant (love his work and one of my top two favorite actors working today, but all the buzz on this film has been about Leo and he hasn't been nominated for anything else prior to today), Rachel McAdams for Best Supporting Actress and Mark Ruffalo for Best Supporting Actor for Spotlight (ensemble has been getting a lot of love, though no individual stand outs), Jennifer Jason Leigh for Best Supporting Actress (that category is brutal) for Hateful Eight (and no Tarantino nomination for direction/screenplay), and Straight Outta Compton getting a Best Original Screenplay nod. Should be a fun night given there aren't really any strong or overwhelming frontrunners at this point. Here's a list of the Big Seven categories....

Best Picture

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Room

Spotlight

Best Director

Adam McKay, The Big Short

George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant

Lenny Abrahamson, Room

Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

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

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Best Original Screenplay

Bridge of Spies

Ex Machina

Inside Out

Spotlight

Straight Outta Compton

 

[BobPSU92]

Any BWI drama queens nominated?

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Any BWI drama queens nominated?

Lionrevival for Best Performance by an Obvious Pitt Fan

 

[Woodpecker]

Any BWI drama queens nominated?

We can nominate them here.

Maybe Tom could have his own Board Awards (The Tommys!). Any preferred categories?

 

[BBrown]

A few eye openers for me - especially Tom Hardy for Best Supporting Actor for The Revenant (love his work and one of my top two favorite actors working today, but all the buzz on this film has been about Leo and he hasn't been nominated for anything else prior to today), Rachel McAdams for Best Supporting Actress and Mark Ruffalo for Best Supporting Actor for Spotlight (ensemble has been getting a lot of love, though no individual stand outs), Jennifer Jason Leigh for Best Supporting Actress (that category is brutal) for Hateful Eight (and no Tarantino nomination for direction/screenplay), and Straight Outta Compton getting a Best Original Screenplay nod. Should be a fun night given there aren't really any strong or overwhelming frontrunners at this point. Here's a list of the Big Seven categories....

Best Picture

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Room

Spotlight

Best Director

Adam McKay, The Big Short

George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant

Lenny Abrahamson, Room

Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

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

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Best Original Screenplay

Bridge of Spies

Ex Machina

Inside Out

Spotlight

Straight Outta Compton

Interesting list. I haven't seen many of the movies.
I'm surprised about Fury Road it was ok but INMO not Academey Award worthy.
I liked Martian and thought Matt Damon was good.
I wasn't a fan of Hateful 8, it was ok but INMO ranks pretty low on my list of Tarantino films.
Looking forward to seeing The Revanant.
Right now the best movie I've seen has been Creed.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Interesting list. I haven't seen many of the movies.
I'm surprised about Fury Road it was ok but INMO not Academey Award worthy.
I liked Martian and thought Matt Damon was good.
I wasn't a fan of Hateful 8, it was ok but INMO ranks pretty low on my list of Tarantino films.
Looking forward to seeing The Revanant.
Right now the best movie I've seen has been Creed.

Same - have seen Carol, Brooklyn, Ex Machina, Mad Max, and The Big Short. Have a few I'm trying to get to soon though. I think Stallone is an early favorite for Best Supporting Actor to be honest - sort of full circle for him and Rocky.

Agree about Mad Max, but it was an awesome technical achievement from a stunt/cinematography standpoint.

 

[BBrown]

Same - have seen Carol, Brooklyn, Ex Machina, Mad Max, and The Big Short. Have a few I'm trying to get to soon though. I think Stallone is an early favorite for Best Supporting Actor to be honest - sort of full circle for him and Rocky.

Agree about Mad Max, but it was an awesome technical achievement from a stunt/cinematography standpoint.

Absolutely and I loved the "Polecats" scene towards the end. Very creative.

 

[Obliviax]

Lots of angst few, if any, people of color nominated. strait out of compton got two nominations but both people are white.

 

[simons96]

this is why I don't follow the Oscars.

THE most powerful performance I saw last year was Benicio del Toro in Sicario

not even nominated. Emily Blunt deserved a nod for that film as well.

at least Roger Deakins was nominated for the Cinematography and he damn well better win it

best movie I saw was Straight Outta Compton, only one nomination for best Screenplay . . .

 

[bmw199]

I saw The Martian last night and it was the best movie I've seen all year. I have yet to see The Revenant, but I just have a hard time believing anything is going to be better than the Martian or even that DiCaprio is better in The Revenant than Damon in The Martian.

 

[Obliviax]

this is why I don't follow the Oscars.

THE most powerful performance I saw last year was Benicio del Toro in Sicario

not even nominated. Emily Blunt deserved a nod for that film as well.

at least Roger Deakins was nominated for the Cinematography and he damn well better win it

best movie I saw was Straight Outta Compton, only one nomination for best Screenplay . . .

What was funny is that the Golden Globes classified "The Martian" as a "Musical or Comedy" so that they could win opposite some very good dramas.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

One of my favorite days of the year -- seeing which films, which actors, which directors, and which writers got nominations, and which ones were snubbed. I'll do a more thorough analysis as we get closer to Oscar Night, but here are some quick thoughts:

Best Picture

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

Each of the nominees are very good films. I don't feel there is an obvious frontrunner this year. It doesn't really surprise me that it wasn't nominated, but I think the Academy snubbed The Force Awakens -- hard to dispute how popular it is. I also thought Ex Machina might get a nomination. A strong case could also be made for Carol and for Steve Jobs.

Best Director

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

I'm somewhat surprised that Ridley Scott didn't garner a nomination for The Martian. I also thought that Todd Haynes would get serious consideration for Carol.

Best Actor

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

I thought that Will Smith would garner a nomination for Concussion, and while Black Mass was a mess of a movie, I thought that Johnny Depp might get nominated for his performance in that film. There's also the strange case of Jacob Tremblay. He was a central figure in Room, and was worthy of a nomination, but for whatever reason the the studio mounted a campaign for him as best supporting actor, where he was not nominated. One could also make a case for Michael B. Jordan deserving a nomination for his performance in Creed.

Best Actress

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

Some excellent performances got nominated. I'm surprised that Jennifer Lawrence got nominated for Joy. As for snubs, I felt Helen Mirren warranted a nomination for Woman in Gold, and her performance in Trumbo was also nomination worthy. And while it was always a long-shot, I thought Kresten Stewart might get nominated for Clouds of Sils Maria.

Best Supporting Actor

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

This is a tough competition. All of the nominees did very well. I'm somewhat surprised that Idris Elba wasn't nominated for Beasts of No Nation. A case could also be make for Michael Keaton for his performance in Spotlight, though he probably was penalized for his character being in the gray area between best actor and best supporting actor.

.

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

You could make a strong case for Alicia Vikander deserving a second nomination for her performance in Ex Machina.

Best Original Screenplay

Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton

I'm really surprised Aaron Sorkin didn't get a nomination for Steve Jobs.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

One of my favorite days of the year -- seeing which films, which actors, which directors, and which writers got nominations, and which ones were snubbed. I'll do a more thorough analysis as we get closer to Oscar Night, but here are some quick thoughts:



Each of the nominees are very good films. I don't feel there is an obvious frontrunner this year. It doesn't really surprise me that it wasn't nominated, but I think the Academy snubbed The Force Awakens -- hard to dispute how popular it is. I also thought Ex Machina might get a nomination. A strong case could also be made for Carol and for Steve Jobs.



I'm somewhat surprised that Ridley Scott didn't garner a nomination for The Martian. I also thought that Todd Haynes would get serious consideration for Carol.



I thought that Will Smith would garner a nomination for Concussion, and while Black Mass was a mess of a movie, I thought that Johnny Depp might get nominated for his performance in that film. There's also the strange case of Jacob Tremblay. He was a central figure in Room, and was worthy of a nomination, but for whatever reason the the studio mounted a campaign for him as best supporting actor, where he was not nominated. One could also make a case for Michael B. Jordan deserving a nomination for his performance in Creed.



Some excellent performances got nominated. I'm surprised that Jennifer Lawrence got nominated for Joy. As for snubs, I felt Helen Mirren warranted a nomination for Woman in Gold, and her performance in Trumbo was also nomination worthy. And while it was always a long-shot, I thought Kresten Stewart might get nominated for Clouds of Sils Maria.



This is a tough competition. All of the nominees did very well. I'm somewhat surprised that Idris Elba wasn't nominated for Beasts of No Nation. A case could also be make for Michael Keaton for his performance in Spotlight, though he probably was penalized for his character being in the gray area between best actor and best supporting actor.

.


You could make a strong case for Alicia Vikander deserving a second nomination for her performance in Ex Machina.



I'm really surprised Aaron Sorkin didn't get a nomination for Steve Jobs.

Agree with a lot of your thoughts here Tom. Ridley Scott and Idris Elba getting snubbed (and Beasts of No Nation as a whole) are big shockers. Also think Vikander could have been nominated twice - she was mesmerizing in Ex Machina. The supporting categories are always tough and this year is no different. I think Lawrence is just so fun and well regarded everyone sort of looked past the lukewarm reviews Joy got. Hardy is fantastic in everything but still, this nomination shocked me. Same with Ruffalo and McAdams. I also thought Anomalisa would get a Best Picture nod instead of being limited to Best Animated picture, and it'll be interesting to see how that category shakes out given Anomalisa is a very adult movie in a category usually reserved for kids films.

Have a lot to consider before making my picks but this is tougher, and more exciting than usual. Chris Rock is going to have a field day with the lack of diversity though.

 

[kgilbert78]

What was funny is that the Golden Globes classified "The Martian" as a "Musical or Comedy" so that they could win opposite some very good dramas.

I was wondering what was up with that. Must have been the old 70's music the commander left behind....

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

I was wondering what was up with that. Must have been the old 70's music the commander left behind....

The cool thing about the HFP is they make their own rules. They often put 'dramadies' in the comedy category so they can schmooze with more big stars. They can give Lawrence, Damon, DiCaprio, and Brie Larson an award instead of only having to give it to two of them.

 

[ColumbusNit]

A few eye openers for me - especially Tom Hardy for Best Supporting Actor for The Revenant (love his work and one of my top two favorite actors working today, but all the buzz on this film has been about Leo and he hasn't been nominated for anything else prior to today), Rachel McAdams for Best Supporting Actress and Mark Ruffalo for Best Supporting Actor for Spotlight (ensemble has been getting a lot of love, though no individual stand outs), Jennifer Jason Leigh for Best Supporting Actress (that category is brutal) for Hateful Eight (and no Tarantino nomination for direction/screenplay), and Straight Outta Compton getting a Best Original Screenplay nod. Should be a fun night given there aren't really any strong or overwhelming frontrunners at this point. Here's a list of the Big Seven categories....

Best Picture

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Room

Spotlight

Best Director

Adam McKay, The Big Short

George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant

Lenny Abrahamson, Room

Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

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

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Best Original Screenplay

Bridge of Spies

Ex Machina

Inside Out

Spotlight

Straight Outta Compton

I thought for sure Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton would be nominated for Black Mass!

Tom

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

One - and only one - worth mentioning. Everything else is just noise.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

One - and only one - worth mentioning. Everything else is just noise.

Love JLaw, but currently obsessed with Alicia Vikander....

 

[Tom McAndrew]

I also thought Anomalisa would get a Best Picture nod instead of being limited to Best Animated picture, and it'll be interesting to see how that category shakes out given Anomalisa is a very adult movie in a category usually reserved for kids films.

Yeah, lots of speculation about how Anomalisa would be handled. I haven't seen it, but I believe it's a combo of puppets and animation, and as you noted its an adult movie. I've read a number of pieces about the sex scene in the movie. Kind of hard to compare it to Inside Out, Shaun the Sheep Movie, Boy And The World (O Menino Eo Mundo), and When Marnie Was There. Inside Out is the only one of those that I saw, and I thought it was excellent.

 

[Judge Smails]

I watched The Martian last night on demand. What a snooze. I can't believe how many people liked this movie, or why the reviews were so good. I appreciate their scenes of Mars' landscape, ok. Oh my god, but every plot point was blatantly announced. "As long as nothing goes wrong". Gee, I wonder if something is going to go wrong. And Damon goes the entire movie staring at video cameras mouthing the most cliched movie lines. "In your face, Neil Armstrong!" Are you kidding me? "I'm going to science the shit out of it." "My balls are frozen." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Awful. To compare that movie to "The Right Stuff"...it's 1/10th the movie. It makes Apollo 13 seem exciting. No character development over 2.5 hours. Damon mentions his parents once. We never see them. The whole thing was like a long, bland TV show. To go along with a soundtrack that was just as predictable. "I Will Survive". C'mon, man.

Trite. Predictable. Boring.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

this is why I don't follow the Oscars.

THE most powerful performance I saw last year was Benicio del Toro in Sicario

not even nominated. Emily Blunt deserved a nod for that film as well.

at least Roger Deakins was nominated for the Cinematography and he damn well better win it

best movie I saw was Straight Outta Compton, only one nomination for best Screenplay . . .

I agree there is a lack of diversity, and I haven't seen Sicario or BONN to compare del Toro and Elba with other nominees, but if you have, who else do you think should have been nominated (Will Smith? Who does he bounce?)? I think expectations were pretty low for Straight Outta Compton given most of the actors were young/unknowns (including Ice Cube's son, who never acted before). I think it's one thing to knock the academy for making things too 'white', but I haven't heard too many compelling alternatives save del Toro and Elba (and I think Elba was hurt by his film being a Netflix release with a limited release in theaters).

 

[BBrown]

Agree with a lot of your thoughts here Tom. Ridley Scott and Idris Elba getting snubbed (and Beasts of No Nation as a whole) are big shockers. Also think Vikander could have been nominated twice - she was mesmerizing in Ex Machina. The supporting categories are always tough and this year is no different. I think Lawrence is just so fun and well regarded everyone sort of looked past the lukewarm reviews Joy got. Hardy is fantastic in everything but still, this nomination shocked me. Same with Ruffalo and McAdams. I also thought Anomalisa would get a Best Picture nod instead of being limited to Best Animated picture, and it'll be interesting to see how that category shakes out given Anomalisa is a very adult movie in a category usually reserved for kids films.

Have a lot to consider before making my picks but this is tougher, and more exciting than usual. Chris Rock is going to have a field day with the lack of diversity though.

This might be FC: worthy but I just saw that Beasts of No Nation is now available on Netflix.

 

[simons96]

I agree there is a lack of diversity, and I haven't seen Sicario or BONN to compare del Toro and Elba with other nominees, but if you have, who else do you think should have been nominated (Will Smith? Who does he bounce?)? I think expectations were pretty low for Straight Outta Compton given most of the actors were young/unknowns (including Ice Cube's son, who never acted before). I think it's one thing to knock the academy for making things too 'white', but I haven't heard too many compelling alternatives save del Toro and Elba (and I think Elba was hurt by his film being a Netflix release with a limited release in theaters).

IMHO del Toro was better than all 5 white guys listed for Best Actor

Elba was also mesmerizing in BONN, I'd easily bump Fassbender, Damon, and/or Redmayne for Elba

from Straight Outta Compton, I would have picked Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E) over the 3 white guys mentioned above

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

This might be FC: worthy but I just saw that Beasts of No Nation is now available on Netflix.

Yeah, it was the first Netflix feature film production. They had to release it in theaters for a few weeks so it could get Oscar consideration. Haven't watched it yet though.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

IMHO del Toro was better than all 5 white guys listed for Best Actor

Elba was also mesmerizing in BONN, I'd easily bump Fassbender, Damon, and/or Redmayne for Elba

from Straight Outta Compton, I would have picked Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E) over the 3 white guys mentioned above

Will get back to you after I see Straight Outta Compton. And Fassbender was a bit of a shock to be sure.

 

[simons96]

I'll also add some Oscar math. . . Stallone won a Golden Globe and an Oscar nod for Creed

Stallone is not a great actor. Michael B Jordan starred in the movie and is a better actor. no oscar nod

Ryan Coogler directed the film. the film where a not great actor gave a performance worthy of an Oscar nod. no nod for Coogler

F Gary Gray directed Straight Outta Compton, nominated for best original screenplay.

the two white guys who wrote the screenplay get an Oscar nod. but not the black director who made the best film I watched last year

 

[MontereyLion]

We can nominate them here.

Maybe Tom could have his own Board Awards (The Tommys!). Any preferred categories?

The Tommys......Hahahahahahaha

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

I'll also add some Oscar math. . . Stallone won a Golden Globe and an Oscar nod for Creed

Stallone is not a great actor. Michael B Jordan starred in the movie and is a better actor. no oscar nod

Ryan Coogler directed the film. the film where a not great actor gave a performance worthy of an Oscar nod. no nod for Coogler

F Gary Gray directed Straight Outta Compton, nominated for best original screenplay.

the two white guys who wrote the screenplay get an Oscar nod. but not the black director who made the best film I watched last year

Not discounting your points at all, but this is a very subjective process with many, many moving parts (not to mention many, many prejudices, preferences, etc.). In Stallone's defense, he has the following working for him - has never won, was an Oscar darling in '76 (nominated for Best Actor and Rocky received 10 nominations total), has been in a bit of a rut, and is doing the role that made him famous some 40 years later. The voters (which includes actors) consider all of that. For Jordan, he's a young guy and has his whole career ahead of him - they consider that too (and is probably why Edward Norton will never win an Oscar though he probably should have two). Then you have to compare the work to the other considered work and make your evaluation. Some actors are almost guaranteed nominations with even half decent performances, or if they tackle certain types of roles (Lawrence; and Fassbender as Jobs). Not fair, but the way it is. I can tell you I am a huge fan of Rooney Mara and have no idea why she was nominated for an Oscar despite a good performance (Blanchett too, though their sex scene may have enticed some voters ).

My favorite film last year was probably Ex Machina.

 

[simons96]

Not discounting your points at all, but this is a very subjective process with many, many moving parts (not to mention many, many prejudices, preferences, etc.). In Stallone's defense, he has the following working for him - has never won, was an Oscar darling in '76 (nominated for Best Actor and Rocky received 10 nominations total), has been in a bit of a rut, and is doing the role that made him famous some 40 years later. The voters (which includes actors) consider all of that. For Jordan, he's a young guy and has his whole career ahead of him - they consider that too (and is probably why Edward Norton will never win an Oscar though he probably should have two). Then you have to compare the work to the other considered work and make your evaluation. Some actors are almost guaranteed nominations with even half decent performances, or if they tackle certain types of roles (Lawrence; and Fassbender as Jobs). Not fair, but the way it is. I can tell you I am a huge fan of Rooney Mara and have no idea why she was nominated for an Oscar despite a good performance (Blanchett too, though their sex scene may have enticed some voters ).

My favorite film last year was probably Ex Machina.

I am on the record for saying the biggest Oscar snub was Martin Landau for Crimes & Misdemeanors . . . my point was just to show this year how white actors/writers were given more credit for projects where non-white actors/directors, etc . . . gave better performances.

yes, it does happen to white actors as well, but other white actors usually win those awards.

kind of interesting that I am currently watching the Guerilla Girls on Colbert talking about how art collections do not represent society as a whole, and are largely a reflection of the tastes of wealthy white male collectors. for all the criticism of Hollywood being this supposed "bastion of liberalism", it is still an enclave of the tastes of predominantly white America.