Oscar Predictions

We've had a good run at seeing most of the contenders for best picture but I feel more invested in the live and animated shorts and foreign language categories. Some of this is because I've seen more of the nominees but also because the storytelling is on another level in these categories. Movie making does not seem to improve within the Hollywood system and the diversity in these categories counteracts the #OscarsSoWhite. Here are my picks for the 2016 #WhiteOscars. I'll update this post with the results.

BEST PICTURE

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn (haven't seen it)

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant (haven't seen it)

Room -Winner

Spotlight

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ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo (haven't seen it)

Matt Damon, The Martian

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant (haven't seen it) - Winner

Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs (haven't seen it)

Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

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ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Cate Blanchett, Carol

Brie Larson, Room - Winner

Jennifer Lawrence, Joy (haven't seen it)

Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years (haven't seen it)

Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn (haven't seen it)

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ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Christian Bale, The Big Short

Tom Hardy, The Revenant (haven't seen it)

Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight

Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies -Winner

Sylvester Stallone, Creed (haven't seen it)

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ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight (haven't seen it)

Rooney Mara, Carol

Rachel McAdams, Spotlight

Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl - Winner

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs (haven't seen it)

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ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Anomalisa (haven't seen it)

Boy and the World  (haven't seen it)

Inside Out - Winner

Shaun the Sheep Movie (haven't seen it)

When Marnie Was There (haven't seen it)

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CINEMATOGRAPHY

Carol

The Hateful Eight  (haven't seen it)

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant  (haven't seen it) - Winner

Sicario  (haven't seen it)
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COSTUME DESIGN

Carol

Cinderella  (haven't seen it)

The Danish Girl

Mad Max: Fury Road - Winner

The Revenant (haven't seen it)

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DIRECTING

The Big Short

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant  (haven't seen it)

Room - Winner

Spotlight

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DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)

Amy - Not the Winner

Cartel Land  (haven't seen it)

The Look of Silence  (haven't seen it)

What Happened, Miss Simone? (haven't seen it)

Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (haven't seen it) - Winner?

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DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)

Body Team 12  (haven't seen it)

Chau, beyond the Lines (haven't seen it)

Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah (haven't seen it)

A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness (haven't seen it) Winner? 
Last Day of Freedom (haven't seen it)

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FILM EDITING

The Big Short - Winner

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant  (haven't seen it)

Spotlight

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

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FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Embrace of the Serpent  (haven't seen it)

Mustang - Winner!

Son of Saul  (haven't seen it)

Theeb

A War (haven't seen it)

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MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Mad Max: Fury Road

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared - Winner

The Revenant (haven't seen it)

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MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

Bridge of Spies  (haven't seen it)

Carol

The Hateful Eight (haven't seen it) Winner

Sicario (haven't seen it)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

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MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

“Earned It,” Fifty Shades of Grey

“Manta Ray,” Racing Extinction  (haven't seen it)

“Simple Song #3,” Youth (haven't seen it)

“Til It Happens To You,” The Hunting Ground (haven't seen it) Winner?

“Writing’s On The Wall,” Spectre (haven't seen it)

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PRODUCTION DESIGN

Bridge of Spies 

The Danish Girl - Winner

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant (haven't seen it)

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SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

Bear Story

Prologue

Sanjay’s Super Team

We Can’t Live without Cosmos

World of Tomorrow - Winner!!!! I love this movie.

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SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

Ave Maria

Day One

Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut) Winner! I think about this movie almost everyday

Shok

Stutterer

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SOUND EDITING

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant (haven't seen it)

Sicario (haven't seen it)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Winner
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SOUND MIXING

Bridge of Spies  (haven't seen it)

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant (haven't seen it)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Winner

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VISUAL EFFECTS

Ex Machina  (haven't seen it)

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant (haven't seen it) Winner

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

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WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

The Big Short

Brooklyn  (haven't seen it)

Carol

The Martian

Room - Winner

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WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

Bridge of Spies 

Ex Machina (haven't seen it)

Inside Out - Winner, sure why not?

Spotlight

Straight Outta Compton (haven't seen it)

Mustang

Movie: Mustang
When: 5:45 P.M. Saturday February 13
Who With: JL, JG, JG's mom
Movie Count: 14
Snacks: Popcorn with nutrition yeast and masala and a Double Haul

Reaction: This movie about a family of five orphaned girls growing up in rural Turkey with their uncle and grandma is full of spirit, adventure, tragedy and love. The audience feels like the 6th sibling, or perhaps one of their suitors. It's a lovely story with notes of The Virgin Suicides and Room. You rarely see young girls building off each other's power and capacity becoming stronger together. It's up for Best Foreign Language Film at the #WhiteOscars and with two other nominees coming soon to the Roxy, I'll reserve my pick.

We followed this up with an at-home viewing of Jurasic World. We went old school, obtaining it as a Hastings rental. We've built up a few stashes of in-store credit here and at the Book Exchange in our decrapification during the house selling/buying project. Our current relationship with stuff prioritizes access over ownership. Anyway, I was excited for JW in a low-expectations, let's-just-have-fun kind of way but was disappointed. There was something very flat about the whole thing and had the boringest part before anything happens (my favorite part of any movie). I also fell asleep but when JL told me how the movie beats up the lady's assistant to kill her in an exaggeratingly long scene just seems rude and gross. Lady bashing to the extreme, although, like I said, I did not actually see it. JL just told me there were 7 writing credits on this stupid movie. Smells like too many cooks! Bad bad bad movie. Let this one pass.

Recommendation: Let’s Go! | Let it come to you  | Let it pass
Next Up: Probably some Documentary Film Fest movies or those foreign film contenders.