By GIAN BARBARONA
(L-R) CATE BLANCHETT and ROONEY MARA star in CAROL. ©The Weinstein Company. CR: Wilson Webb.
Front Row Features
HOLLYWOOD—In just a few hours, the 88th Academy Awards will conclude awards season recognition of some of the remarkable achievements film has had in 2015. Despite contest and controversy, this year’s crop of nominees has been one of the best. Distinct and different, I took it upon myself to watch all 57 nominated films. With that, I offer my “predicted winners” and “preferred/potential spoilers” to each of the categories.
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
The Martian
Room
Predicted winner: The Big Short
Preferred spoiler: Room
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Bridge of Spies
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Predicted winner: Spotlight
Potential spoiler: Inside Out
VISUAL EFFECTS
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Predicted winner: Mad Max: Fury Road
Potential spoiler: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
SOUND MIXING
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Predicted winner: The Revenant
Potential spoiler: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
SOUND EDITING
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Predicted winner: The Revenant
Potential spoiler: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
(l-r) Nicholas Hoult, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Charlize Theron star in MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. ©Warner Bros. Entertainment. CR: Jasin Boland.
Mad Max: Fury Road
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
The Revenant
Predicted winner: Mad Max: Fury Road
Preferred spoiler: The Revenant
COSTUME DESIGN
Sandy Powell, Carol
Sandy Powell, Cinderella
Paco Delgado, The Danish Girl
Jenny Beavan, Mad Max: Fury Road
Jacqueline West, The Revenant
Predicted winner: Jenny Beavan, Mad Max: Fury Road
Potential spoiler: Sandy Powell, Cinderella
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Predicted winner: Mad Max: Fury Road
Potential spoiler: The Revenant
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
“Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey
“Manta Ray” from Racing Extinction
“Simple Song # 3” from Youth
“Til It Happens To You” from The Hunting Ground
“Writing’s On The Wall” from Spectre
Predicted winner: “Til It Happens To You” from The Hunting Ground
Potential spoiler: “Writing’s On The Wall” from Spectre
Carter Burwell. ©Tycho Burwell.
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Thomas Newman, Bridge of Spies
Carter Burwell, Carol
Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
Jóhann Jóhannsson, Sicario
John Williams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Predicted winner: Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
FILM EDITING
Hank Corwin, The Big Short
Margaret Sixel, Mad Max: Fury Road
Stephen Mirrione, The Revenant
Tom McArdle, Spotlight
Maryann Brandon & Mary Jo Markey, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Predicted winner: Margaret Sixel, Mad Max: Fury Road
Preferred spoiler: Hank Corwin, The Big Short
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
Bear Story
Prologue
Sanjay’s Super Team
We Can’t Live Without Cosmos
World of Tomorrow
Predicted winner: World of Tomorrow
Potential spoiler: Bear Story
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Ave Maria
Day One
Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)
Shok
Stutterer
Predicted winner: Shok
Preferred spoiler: Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
Body Team 12
Chau, beyond the Lines
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
Last Day of Freedom
Predicted winner: Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
Potential spoiler: Body Team 12
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Amy
Cartel Land
The Look of Silence
What Happened, Miss Simone?
Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom
Predicted winner: Amy
Preferred spoiler: The Look of Silence
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Anomalisa
Boy and the World
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie
When Marnie Was There
Predicted winner: Inside Out
Preferred spoiler: Anomalisa
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Embrace of the Serpent (Colombia)
Mustang (France)
Son of Saul (Hungary)
Theeb (Jordan)
A War (Denmark)
Predicted winner: Son of Saul (Hungary)
Potential spoiler: Mustang (France)
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Edward Lachman, Carol
Robert Richardson, The Hateful Eight
John Seale, Mad Max: Fury Road
Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant
Roger Deakins, Sicario
Predicted winner: Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant
DIRECTING
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Predicted winner: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Potential spoiler: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Predicted winner: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Preferred spoiler: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Predicted winner: Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Potential spoiler: Tom Hardy, The Revenant
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Predicted winner: Brie Larson, Room
Potential spoiler: Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Predicted winner: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Preferred spoiler: Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
BEST PICTURE
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Predicted winner: The Revenant
Potential spoiler: Spotlight
