Looks like it’s that time again.\u00a0Here are the nominations for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, presented with whatever commentary I feel like offering.<\/p>\n
Best Picture<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n I don’t have a single problem with this list.\u00a0Spotlight<\/em>,\u00a0Room<\/em>,\u00a0Bridge of Spies<\/em>, all fantastic movies that deserve to be listed among the year’s best. I don’t know if I’d necessarily call The Big Short<\/em> one of the year’s best, but it’s more than smart and well-made enough that I can’t begrudge its inclusion.\u00a0Yes,\u00a0The Revenant<\/em> may be pure Oscar-bait, but I’d much rather have seen that film nominated than\u00a0Pawn Sacrifice<\/em>,\u00a0The Woman in Gold<\/em>,\u00a0Black Mass<\/em>, or any of the other far inferior pleas for Academy attention.<\/p>\n Complain all you want about\u00a0Star Wars: The Force Awakens<\/em> getting snubbed — it never stood a chance anyway, and I’m sure the filmmakers are crying all the way to the bank.\u00a0Mad Max: Fury Road<\/em> got a nomination and that’s miracle enough. I’m also thrilled to see\u00a0The Martian<\/em> get a nomination, but its chances of actually winning without so much as a Best Director nod are slim.<\/p>\n As for\u00a0Brooklyn<\/em>… yeah, I know I’ve said a lot of awful things about that movie. But this nomination led me to do a lot of soul-searching<\/a> and I think I’m finally starting to come around. I still don’t like the movie; and I’d much rather have seen a nomination go to\u00a0Straight Outta Compton<\/em> or even\u00a0Creed<\/em>; but I’ve come to respect it enough that I’m okay with a nomination.<\/p>\n Best Actor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Looks like I’m gonna have to go see\u00a0The Danish Girl<\/em> now. Not that he stands a chance of winning a second year in a row against these heavy-hitters, but it amuses me that the Academy decided to double down on Redmayne instead of taking away his Oscar after\u00a0Jupiter Ascending<\/em>.<\/p>\n That aside, this is a perfectly serviceable list. Yes, it sucks that we’re stuck with yet another all-white roster of acting nominees. But on the other hand, Idris Elba still has a lot of great performances left in him. Plus, Michael B. Jordan and the lead cast of\u00a0Straight Outta Compton<\/em> are all young, crazy talented actors who haven’t even hit their stride yet. They will get another shot. That said, Will Smith (Concussion<\/em>) and Samuel L. Jackson (The Hateful Eight<\/em>) both put in way better work than Fassbender did for\u00a0Jobs<\/em>. Nothing against Fassbender, of course, but still.<\/p>\n Best Actress<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Okay, so a nomination for Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens<\/em>) was probably never going to happen, but this is seriously the best we could get? This was the only nomination for\u00a0Joy<\/em>,\u00a0Carol<\/em> neither got nor deserved a Best Picture nomination, and I don’t know if anyone has even seen or heard of\u00a045 Years<\/em>. Yet all of these actresses got token nominations while Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road<\/em>) got left in the dust.<\/p>\n If anyone other than Brie Larson wins, it’ll be a joke. I know Saoirse Ronan’s performance powered\u00a0Brooklyn<\/em>, but not like Larson powered\u00a0Room<\/em>.<\/p>\n Best Supporting Actor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I’ve heard it said that Hardy hates campaigning. I doubt he’ll win the award, not that he needs it. It’s great to see Ruffalo nominated for\u00a0Spotlight<\/em> instead of the inferior\u00a0Infinitely Polar Bear<\/em>. Christian Bale’s performance was okay, but he was overshadowed by too many other far superior performances. Mark Rylance’s performance was easily the best of this list, and I can’t think of another supporting performance this year to top it. But a legacy win for Stallone may be tough to resist.<\/p>\n Best Supporting Actor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This was a big year for Alicia Vikander. She proved herself to be an incredible young talent (even in the otherwise mediocre\u00a0The Man from U.N.C.L.E.<\/em>), and I’m sincerely thrilled that she had the good fortune to land an Oscar nomination in her breakout year. The girl is going places, and rightly so.<\/p>\n Winslet and McAdams were good in their respective movies, but not good enough or prominent enough to earn the nomination. Cate Blanchett shouldn’t win for\u00a0Carol<\/em>, and neither should Mara, though\u00a0it’s a pleasure to see her nominated. Leigh should rightfully be nominated for Lead Actress, as her character was one of the most crucial and enjoyable parts of\u00a0The Hateful Eight<\/em>. But if this is the best she could get, it’ll just have to do.<\/p>\n Best Director<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I’m very disappointed\u00a0that Ridley Scott didn’t get a nomination, but only because that means\u00a0The Martian<\/em> probably won’t win Best Picture. It also sucks that Ryan Coogler didn’t get picked up for\u00a0Creed<\/em>, but again: He’s an insanely talented young man whose star is only just beginning to rise, so I’m sure he’ll get another shot. David O. Russell got shut out, and I’m sure that has to sting. On the other hand, Tarantino also got snubbed for\u00a0The Hateful Eight<\/em>, and his presentation of that picture was marvelous.<\/p>\n Aside from all of that, this is a fantastic list. McKay deserves some major kudos for directing\u00a0The Big Short<\/em> in such a way that the finished product didn’t come flying apart.\u00a0The Revenant<\/em>,\u00a0Room<\/em>, and\u00a0Spotlight<\/em> are all examples of brilliant directors at work. It would really be a huge kick in the teeth if George Miller won, which is why he probably won’t, but it’s a joy to see him get nominated all the same.<\/p>\n Animated Feature Film<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Look, as much as I really really liked\u00a0Shaun the Sheep Movie<\/em>, it did not deserve a nomination over\u00a0The Peanuts Movie<\/em>. Miyazaki-sama gets his due nomination,\u00a0Anomalisa<\/em> gets thrown in to appease the critics, moviegoers everywhere get to learn exactly what\u00a0Boy and the World<\/em> is, and they all get to lose to\u00a0Inside Out<\/em>.<\/p>\n Costume Design<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Production Design<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Because\u00a0Bridge of Spies<\/em> had way better production design than\u00a0Crimson Peak<\/em>. Yeah fucking right.<\/p>\n Also, how can\u00a0The Revenant<\/em> even be nominated for this category when nearly all of its “production design” consisted of “move to where the snow is, and then shoot the scene”?!<\/p>\n Documentary Feature<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Documentary Short<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Makeup and Hair Styling<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Original Song<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n First of all — I never wanted to say this and I can’t believe I’m saying it now, but God help me, it’s the painful truth — Meghan Trainor should have been nominated for an Oscar. Seriously, “Better When I’m Dancin’<\/a>” was the most fun and upbeat song we got in any movie this year. Did anyone in the Academy even see\u00a0The Peanuts Movie<\/em>?!<\/p>\n I can’t believe that\u00a0Fifty Shades of Grey<\/em> is currently nominated for six Razzies and an Oscar, and I can’t believe that this pug-ugly song from The Weeknd (not a typo) was dignified with any kind of awards praise. “Writing’s on the Wall” has been a punchline since before\u00a0Spectre<\/em> even premiered. “Simple Song #3” is a total bore, though it might at least be kind of cool if they brought out Michael Caine to conduct it. That and “Manta Ray” will either put the viewers to sleep or\u00a0provide them with a convenient chance for a bathroom break.<\/p>\n If the Academy wanted to give Lady Gaga an Oscar, they could’ve just said so and I’m sure we all would’ve\u00a0been fine with that. There was no need to surround her song with the most dreary and lamentable list of candidates I’ve seen in years.<\/p>\n\n
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