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PREDICTING THE OSCARS...                        POTENTIAL CONTENDERS 2018

2/28/2017

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So awards season is at an end (WHAT A RELIEF!)...Until OSCARS 2018 that is! (eyes rolling!). Anyway anyone wondering what might be up on that long or should I say short list next year? Well, here's some that could well be getting attention at OSCARS 2018 (P.S it's almost impossible to predict the OSCARS!)
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Dunkirk (Out July 22nd)

Despite recent controversial news of it’s planned PG-13 rating, Christopher Nolan’s long-awaited, hugely-anticipated World War II epic has all the potential to be not only the thinking person’s blockbuster of Summer 2017, but the visionary auteur’s first major shot at making Best Picture OSCAR history. Despite Nolan’s unparalleled ability to seamlessly mesh arthouse and mainstream having blown holes through the minds of critics and movie-goers alike, the OSCARS have a notorious history of overlooking Nolan’s prestige status as arguably the most versitile, original and influential film-maker of the new 21st Century. Very much like his obvious spiritual predecessors Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock, Nolan’s magnificently unconventional style has often seemed too “out there” for the pretentious OSCARS and their eye-rolling over-fondness for safe, soppy, schmaltzy melodramas. ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008) was infamously not nominated despite almost universal opinion of it being the best film of it’s year and – while ‘Inception’ (2010) received a 100% deserved yet apologetic nomination – the mastermind behind it failed to even make the Best Director shortlist!
However – given the Academy seem to leap at the thought of a patriotic War effort – ‘Dunkirk’ seems far more up Mr.OSCAR’s street. With a stellar cast including Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy, this could finally well be Nolan’s shining moment in the awards spotlight. I have every hope that Nolan will take the overused concept of the War movie and cover it with his own personal, cerebral thumbprints we have come to love.
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​The Greatest Showman (Out December 24th)

Everybody loves a musical right?! Well that’s certainly what ‘La La Land’s blockbusting Box Office figures and passers-by whistling ‘City of Stars’ seem to suggest and – while the saxo-swinging swansong for the awards season might have been unexpectedly robbed of it’s trophy by ‘Moonlight’’s symphonic portrait of black masculinity – there’s no denying the OSCARS love to engage in a momument-parading dance show every now and then if previous Best Picture winners like ‘Chicago’ (2002) and ‘Oliver!’ (1969) are any indication. Well it’s perfect then that this year sees yet another musical showdown heading OSCAR way with this sing-along biopic following the pursuits of Circus founder P.T Barnum. Hugh Jackman takes on the titular “Greatest Showman” role clearly with Best Actor in mind and a star-studded supporting cast including Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zac Efron look set to take the multiplexes by storm. With musical numbers, a-list names playing real-life figures and likely a dollop of romance thrown into the mix, is there anything not “OSCAR-friendly” about this?! Could this be 2017’s ‘La La Land’?
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​Battle of the Sexes (TBA 2017)

​The wonderful, ridiculously talented Emma Stone may have only just won her ridiculously overdue OSCAR for her heart-melting performance in ‘La La Land’, but is it too much to wonder whether we’ll be seeing her up on that awards podium again this time next year? This high-flying sporty dramatization of the 1973 Riggs vs. King tennis match - which saw Billie Jean King go beyond any form of sexism in becoming  the first female tennis player to both play against and defeat her male counterparts – seems not only right up OSCAR road, but likely to be the feminist feel-good flick of the year. Steve Carrell puts in his new-found dramatic acting cap – in the wake of ‘Foxcatcher’ (2014) and ‘The Big Short’ (2015) – as the undefeated, sexist tennis champion Bobby Riggs with OSCARS clearly at the front of his mind. However all eyes will be on an almost unrecognisable Stone as feminist icon Billie Jean King to carry home that statuette once again - rather than simply handing the award to a new leading actress winner as previous champions seem to always do.

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Detroit (Out August 4th)

​With her low-budget Iraq War drama ‘The Hurt Locker’ (2009) having trumped the $2.7 billion Box Office behemoth of ‘Avatar’ (2009) to Best Picture status in 2010, controversial film-maker Kathryn Bigelow has the potential to claim the trophy again early next year with this likely gritty dramatization of the 1967 anti-Police, racially-motivated Detroit riots. Bigelow’s last film ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (2012) – which explored the decade-long manhunt for Osama Bin Laden – created a public outcry accusing the film of glorifying torture that arguably stripped the film of it’s prospected OSCAR victory. With themes of institutional racism rife in her latest project, it seems incredibly likely a similar sense of anguish will once again accompany Bigelow’s work once again. Still - given the OSCARS seem to be attempting to break away from their often-accused racial and gender prejudice – John Boyega’s leading man status along with Bigelow in the director’s chair looks set to make ‘Detroit’ a major contender in the 2018 Awards Race.
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Downsizing (Out December 22nd)

​Matt Damon – supported by a prestigious cast including Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis and Christoph Waltz – heads up this surreal Sci-Fi social satire as a disillusioned, middle-class American offered the chance to lead a more fulfilling life by “shrinking” himself to a miniscule size. If such a concept seems a little too  “alternative” for OSCAR’s typical tastes, let’s remember the Academy seem to have a bit of a soft spot for indie film-maker Alexander Payne whose previous efforts ‘The Descendants’ (2011) and ‘Nebraska’ (2013) both earned him Best Picture nods. However – while both those films represented two of Payne’s comparatively more conventional efforts – ‘Downsizing’ appears to be a return to the quirker territory of ‘Election’ (1999) and ‘Sideways’ (2004) which placed Payne on the map as one of the indie scene’s most inventive directing talents. Therefore it is possible the OSCARS may be a little too baffled by ‘Downsizing’s strangeness to consider it. Nonetheless this will certainly be one to watch coming across as a throwback to the suburban/office-based satires that dominted cinemas in the late 90s – not to mention a strong possibility of Matt Damon getting a leading actor nod.
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​The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara (TBA 2017)

​Alongside his seminal status as the pioneer of big-budget blockbuster cinema and one of the few film-makers whose very name on a poster provides an almost certain Box Office draw, Steven Spielberg found a niche in recent years for more “serious”, “awards-friendly” cinema. For every ‘Jaws’ (1975), ‘E.T’ (1982) and ‘Jurassic Park’ (1993) there has been a ‘Schindler’s List’ (1993), ‘Munich’ (2005) and ‘Lincoln’ (2012) which have darkened Spielberg’s perceived soft spot for sweet, schmaltzy and sentimental – they’ve certainly got the Academy on his side! Spielberg’s latest lower-budget historical passion project is this 19th Century period drama following a Jewish family’s attempts to covert their Jewish-born kidnapped son who has been forcibly converted to Catholic Christianity. Innevitable comparisons will be drawn with Martin Scorsese’s recent religious odyssey ‘Silence’ (2016) in Spielberg’s most personal film since ‘Schindler’s List’ and one that draws on his own Jewish family’s persecution during World War II. Definitely a potential awards contender with ‘Bridge of Spies’ Mark Rylance’s turn as Pope Pius IX likely to at least make the acting shortlist.
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​Mother (Out October 13th)

​Following his ponderous venture into big-budget blockbuster territory with the clunky biblical epic ‘Noah’ (2014), acclaimed auteur Darren Aronofsky suitably downscales for his latest project – a home-invasion thriller starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem and involving a happily-married, middle-class couple whose peaceful lifestyle is ripped apart when uninvited guests break into their tranquil house. If such a premise sounds little more than a trashy B-Movie, don’t be fooled. Aronofsky is a master at taking a simple concept and moulding it into something far more complex than we could ever expect and - if his previous nominations for ‘The Wrestler’ (2008) and ‘Black Swan’ (2010) are anything to go by – the Academy clearly recognises this too. Early indications suggest a dark, twisted portrait of suburbia is in store.
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The Glass Castle (TBA 2017)

​The supremely talented Brie Larson follows her OSCAR-winning performance as an adult child abduction victim in ‘Room’ (2015) with another turn as a victim of childhood trauma in this coming-of-age tale circulating around a dysfunctional family of poverty-stricken non-conformist nomads. Woody Harrellson stars as Larson’s destructive Alcoholic father while Naomi Watts takes on the role of the eccentric artist mother who inspires Larson to take up art as a way of escaping poverty and abuse. No doubt will this overtly melodramatic family drama get a look in by the sweet-toothed OSCARS, but Larson’s knack for realism suggests something a little meatier could be in store.
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Molly's Game (TBA 2017)

​Having penned the script for several OSCAR-friendly, statistic-savvy biopics including David Fincher’s ‘The Social Network’ (2010), Bennett Miller’s ‘Moneyball’ (2011) and Danny Boyle’s ‘Steve Jobs’ (2015) - along with the Emmy-winning ‘The West Wing’ (1999-2006) on TV, legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin steps behind the camera for his directorial debut which charts the rise and fall of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) – a former skier / failed Olympic hopeful who becomes a successful entrepreneur when setting up a high-stakes casino. Don’t expect an ‘Ocean’s Eleven’-style caper in Sorkin’s hands though in this promisingly ruthless portrait of gambling mentality, With awards favourite Chastain in a strong position for yet another Best Actress nom and a supporting cast including Idris Elba, Kevin Costner and Michael Cera, this looks set to combine all of Sorkin’s trademark love of connivingly cut-throat antiheroes, funky real-life drama and deliciously deadpan dialogue to terrific effect.
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​Murder on the Orient Express (Out November 22nd)

Kenneth Branagh puts his Shakespearian bravura behind the camera once again for a promisingly glossy, cranked-up update on the iconic Agatha Chrisite mystery classic. Branagh himself leads the way with a hopefully memorable spin on the majestically moustached French detective Hercule Poirot bumbling over the possible murderer of an unpopular billionaire (Johnny Depp) amongst a host of ridicuolously handsome suspects including Penelope Cruz, Olivia Colman, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Michelle Pfeiffer and Daisy Ridley. With a cast of that much talent, how can anyone – not to mention the OSCARS - not be interested?!
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REVIEWING THE OSCARS...THE WINNERS 2017

2/27/2017

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With everyone's "favourite" representation of the best in Film (yawn!) over for yet another year (a surprisingly solid one if I'm honest), here's my spin on the awes, wows and...gaffes of OSCARS 2017!
The closing montage of the OSCARS regularly has me heaving one gigantic sigh of relief at the prospect of the hideously drawn-out drama of awards season and it’s snobfest of old white men in suits attempting tell us what they consider to “the best Cinema has to offer” being over for good. This is the Academy that once voted ‘Shakespeare in Love’ (1998) to be the best film of its year! Of course it always comes at the cost of slagging off most films not released within the last 4 months of the year as “inelligable” and a rampant favouritism towards the safest, weepiest, most melodramatic of bets. In the meantime, there’s a constant refusal to recognize any film that dares to think outside the box, isn’t a self-indulgent drama and has a budget of over $50 million - such films are simply not “high-brow” enough! (ONE MASSIVE SIGH)

It’s pleasantly surprising then that – at least for me – Mr. OSCAR didn’t do entirely too badly this year. Yes. There were the almost obligatory oversights of big-budget popcorn blockbusters (those hoping potty-mouthed, limb-slicing ‘Deadpool’ would pull a ‘Mad Max’ and secure a Best Picture nod would certainly be disappointed!). Daring, bold, original films such as Tom Ford’s ‘Nocturnal Animals’ and Martin Scorsese’s ‘Silence’ were massively overlooked in favour of undemanding fare like ‘Lion’ or patriotic propaganda in the form of ‘Hacksaw Ridge’. Oh and obviously there was the usual head-scratching, puzzling, baffling nominations decisions that yearly make film lovers question whether these Academy voters should really be doing their jobs at all.
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Why was Viola Davis nominated for Best Supporting Actress for 'Fences' when she was clearly the movie's leading lady? Same for Dev Patel in the Best Supporting Actor category – is he not the poster boy of ‘Lion’? And what about Andrew Garfield? – nominated for the clunky ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ when clearly his best performance was to be found in the far better ‘Silence’. A classic case of the Academy favouring the wrong performance in the wrong film!

Yet – for me – the most unforgivable sins in this year’s snake pit of snubs were undoubtedly the outrageous overlooks of two of the year’s finest female performances. Neither awards favourites Amy Adams or Annette Benning managed to find their way onto the leading ladies’ longlists for some of the most adventurous turns of their careers – the former in both ‘Arrival’ and ‘Nocturnal Animals’ and the latter in ‘20th Century Women’. Once again the Academy’s very easily snort-worthy love affair with 68 year old 20-time nominee Meryl Streep largely stripped most of her younger contenders of any chance of recognition.

Those are pretty much the pompous unwritten rules we’ve come to expect year in, year out from the ceremony – along with an utterly dire host (in this case Jimmy Kimmel and his hatefully unfunny stabs at Hollywood Mr.Nice Guy Matt Damon!). However – if you could get past all that – when it came to awards night, Mr.OSCAR made some pretty decent picks for what they were. First of all, I couldn’t help, but be utterly delighted at the sight of Emma Stone skipping  rather than stumbling up the stage to collect her well-earned Best Actress award (following her unfortunate on-stage trip-up at the BAFTAS!).  While I personally may have considered Natalie Portman’s body-inhabiting rendition of Jackie Kennedy in ‘Jackie’ to be the slightly better performance, I was filled with joy to see Stone standing at the podium - gold-tinted OSCAR in hand.

I've long had a soft spot for Stone ever since witnessing her earliest roles in ‘Superbad’ (2007) and 'The Amazing Spiderman' films (2012-2014) – not only for her drop-dead gorgeous looks, but also for her adorably bubbly persona and wonderfully sassy sensibility.  Few actors or actresses have Stone’s ingenious ability to draw on personal experiences along with the unique kind of genuine giddy passion for her profession she brings to every one of her roles. This never felt more of the case than in ‘La La Land’ – a film which seemed almost entirely written as Stone’s road to awards glory.

​Having battled and overcome severe Social Anxiety in her adolescence, there frankly couldn’t have been anyone better suited to the role of an aspiring actress struggling with her self-confidence in a material-obsessed industry and one who uses their immense love of acting as way of breaking through their shell and into the limelight. While some may attempt to argue that Stone’s obvious cuteness is less “artistic” than some of her fellow Best Actress nominees, there’s no question that – when it came to the contender who’d slogged more tirelessly, more passionately and more heartachingly for that immaculate statuette in her handbag -  no one could claim this title more deservingly than Stone.
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​​Undoubtedly – other than a rather unfortunate fumble – there’s no question OSCARS 2017 will go down in history as quite possibly the most racially diverse awards season in the ceremony’s history. Having buried my face in my fists with deep-seated rage every bit as much as the rest of the world last year during the ludicrous #OSCARSSOWHITE Row, I couldn’t agree more with the sighs of relief and sheer pleasure reflected by the Best Picture nomination selection of black-led films (‘Moonlight’, ‘Fences’, ‘Hidden Figures’) and the further triumph on the night itself of Viola Davis scooping up her 100% Best Supporting Actress statuette for her extraordinary work in ‘Fences’.
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However OSCARS 2017 ultimately proved to be far more than just a reason to feel proud for the African American community. Not only was Mahershalla Ali’s rousing Best Supporting Actor victory for ‘Moonlight’ 100% deserving and a ‘stunning representation of black acting talent, but Ali will go down in history as the first Muslim actor ever to take home the big prize – a strong indication that the Academy are finally willing to put aside to their misguided social stereotypes and base their judgement purely on the quality of what’s seen on screen.
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The OSCAR’s political stereotypes were massively subverted too this year which saw Ashghar Farhadi’s ‘The Salesman’ bringing unexpected success for Iran in the Best Foreign Language Film department. I am yet to see the film so will wait to pass judgement yet – given animosity with Iran has never felt more relevant than it does currently – it’s a credit to the OSCARS for looking past American political opinion and judging a film on its own terms. Plus Director Farhadi's widely publicized decision to boycott the ceremony in protest of Donald Trump's 7 Country Travel Ban made me a very happy man indeed!

Oh and once again there was a hoard of “shocking” controversies involving the shady pasts of contenders which undoubtedly sent the attention-seeking social media hacks into Twitter meltdown. This year’s most “shocking” came within the last 4 days of the OSCAR campaign when details of previous sexual assault charges against Casey Affleck threatened to rob the actor of what had been - until then - pretty dead cert OSCAR glory for his magnificently understated performance in ‘Manchester By The Sea’. Thankfully this was not to be the case as Affleck climbed down the stage with that gold statue he really should’ve won a decade ago – though this didn’t stop Brie Larsson from refusing to clap for the alleged sex abuser. I can only imagine the tirades of violent verbal aggression from the world’s feminist extremists that populated the blogs and Twittersphere – branding the Academy “abuse-enabling monsters!”. OH GIVE ME A BREAK!
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Finally one cannot possibly look back over OSCARS 2017 with what I would actually consider to be the night’s finest example of diversity and triumphing over racism and conventionality. Sadly – for the masses however – the hysterical saga of #WRONGBESTFILMGATE will not only go down in history as the biggest on-stage cock-up in awards history, but yet another example of the OSCARS simply choosing the lesser film.

​Yes. ‘Moonlight’ – the little-seen, obscure tale of homosexual, adolescent black masculinity – trumped ‘La La Land’ – a musical crowd-pleaser of epic proportions that has captivated the romantic hearts of couples worldwide in a way few films have since ‘Titanic’ (1997) – to arguably the biggest prize of the night. However not before chaos erupted on stage when poor Faye Dunaway and a very confused Warren Beatty wrongly read the people’s favourite sensation as the 2017 Best Picture winner. ‘La La Land’s widely anticipated moment of on-stage golden glory was soon to be very quickly upstaged – however - when Producer Jordan Horowitz abruptly announced a gaping error – “Moonlight – you guys won Best Picture”. Of course chaos ensued as the stage became a laughable frenzy of panicky, embarrassed cast and crew members of both parties much to the sniggers, snorts and devastating cringes of virtually every viewer on the face of the planet. Oh dear, oh dear.
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Look. I’ll be honest. As some people might already know, I hated ‘La La Land’ (THE HORROR!) – apologies to virtually every ‘City of Stars’ singing superfan on the planet are in order. Beyond the fact that I have never been a musical man in the very slightest, I detested the film’s self-reverential celebration of cosmetic, fake tan-obsessed Hollywood as being the kind of dream lifestyle everyone should aspire towards. Frankly even Emma Stone’s glowing presence couldn’t save the film itself for me – regardless of how much I love her.

However – having spent the last 2 months hearing mostly nothing, but 5 star songs of love at first sight from even the most snob-mouthed of critics and seeing the film sweep up every award in it’s pathway – I couldn’t help, but feel a slight dose of of shock that the Academy didn’t award the film the prestigious Picture prize regardless of whether the gaffe happened or not and despite a swooning night of 11 OSCAR wins. After all, the OSCARS have a rather tedious fondness for feel-good flicks that play to the widest possible demographic. On this level, ‘La La Land’ certainly ticked every box. Not to mention the film’s glittery, gold-surfaced production design, lavish shots of L.A’s most beloved locations and pastiche of 1940s-50s American classics all gave the film an undeniable sense that it almost could’ve been made by the OSCARS themselves.

​For better or for worse, the Academy generally can’t resist shouting a HUGE “WELL DONE!” to themselves. Previous wins for the likes of ‘The Artist’ (2011), ‘Birdman’ (2015) and even ‘Argo’ (2012) – films that celebrate and critique the history of Hollywood – have all wholly indicated this. On top of this, who doesn’t root for the underdog, right? That’s usually what the OSCARS want to us to believe and frankly seems to have worked with the global multiplex audience whether I like it or not. With it’s $360 million knockout Box Office takings (which make the film’s modest $30 million budget look like mere pennies!), it simply seemed as though there was no way the Academy could possibly not honour it’s swansong. Given 2016 had made the masses question whether an apocalypse was nigh, the world was certainly in dire need of some old-fashioned escapism to cherish and ‘La La Land’s paved path to trophy glory looked set to do just that.
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Sadly – as we know - the grand moment for all those who gazed in loving admiration of Ryan and Emma came only to be stolen right from under it’s feet by a film with a budget of $1.5 million and a Box Office intake of $42 million – statistically the lowest costing and lowest grossing Best Picture winner in history. Whatever you thought of ‘Moonlight’ (I adored the film on every level), it’s difficult to claim it’s dark, dreary themes of bullying, systematic homophobia and status disillusionment are ideal material for a movie-going population quite frankly not in the mood for yet another saga of doom and gloom. There’s also the sad truth that a great number of particularly the American movie crowd are still yet to shrug off their own fundamentally racist and anti-homosexual stereotypes. This largely sums up my quite simple conclusion that the OSCARS really never seem to manage to please everyone as reflected time and time again over the course of history and I have no doubt 2017 will long be considered yet another example of this.

Unquestionably countless film critics have ragingly ranted for years that the OSCARS are simply a gigantic showcase for the mainstream face of cinema that refuses to recognize what are widely considered to be the altogether more revolutionary accomplishments of Auteurist Arthouse cinema. However – in the case of the general populous who usually view the cinema as pure, populist entertainment – there’s been a deep-seated hostility towards what is often seen as OSCAR obscurity over public popularity.
There’s no question of the fact that ‘Moonlight’s victory over ‘La La Land’ falls into the latter public OSCAR scepticism. The sobering facts remain that – in the years to come – I find it hard to imagine ‘Moonlight’ having much of a following in the history books - other than the aforementioned mess-up. Of course completely the opposite of ‘La La Land’ – which despite not achieving it’s wildest dreams – I don’t question for one second against the fact that it will no doubt become an enduring, instantly rewatchable cinematic classic. 

Ultimately, however, it all comes down to personal opinion and frankly I myself can’t tell you how utterly jumping with joy I was that for once the OSCARS got it pretty bang-on right. Whatever the future holds in store for it, ‘Moonlight’ is a swooning work of breathtakingly beautiful artistery and I cannot salute the Academy more for going beyond their underlying, installed racial / homophobic ideologies. For me, OSCARS 2017 was a ceremony to celebrate a cultural turning point in the Academy’s political and social agenda. It finally looks as though Mr.OSCAR might just be opening his mind a little bit and ‘Moonlight’s triumph tops this off with spectacular style. Hopefully this is not a just a sobbing apology for the offence caused last year and whether such diverse lack of bias will translate as successfully into next year’s awards remains to be seen. Yet for now – TWO THUMBS UP!


Best Picture: Moonlight
Best Actor: Casey Affleck for Manchester By The Sea
Best Actress: Emma Stone for La La Land
Best Director: Damian Chazelle for La La Land
Best Supporting Actor: Mahershalla Ali for Moonlight
Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis for Fences
Best Original Screenplay: Kenneth Lonergan for Manchester By The Sea
Best Adapted Screenplay: Barry Jenkins for Moonlight
Best Cinematography: Linus Sandgren for La La Land
Best Original Score: Justin Hurwitz for La La Land
Best Foreign Language Film: The Salesman (Iran)
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PREDICTING THE OSCARS...THE WINNERS 2017: PART II

2/26/2017

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​Best Supporting Actor

Mahershalla Ali for Moonlight
Dev Patel for Lion
Jeff Bridges for Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges for Manchester By The Sea
​Michael Shannon for Nocturnal Animals

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Will and Should Win: Mahershalla Ali for Moonlight
This year's award for Best Supporting Actor will almost unquestionably and 100% deservingly go to Mahershalla Ali who - despite appearing on screen for less than an hour - lingered long and hard in the minds and hearts of 'Moonlight''s audiences. As a morally ambiguous drug dealer with a heart of gold and a special soft spot for our angry adolescent protagonist, Ali delivers the supporting performance of a lifetime - taking the archetypal "hitman with a heart" trope and transcending it into gentle, fatherly-like kindness and quasi-spirituality. 
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Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis for Fences
​Michelle Williams for Manchester By The Sea
Nicole Kidman for Lion
Naomie Harris for Moonlight
Octavia Spencer for Hidden Figures
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​Will and Should Win: Viola Davis for Fences
Viola Davis boldly leads the pack in the most racially diverse pack of contenders of all categories. The addition of the completely deserving Naomie Harris ('Moonlight') and Octavia Spencer ('Hidden Figures') is a complete joy after the fury of last year's #OSCARSSOWHITE row; while Michelle Williams ('Manchester By The Sea') and Nicole Kidman ('Lion') round off one of the few surprisingly spot-on shortlists of this year's awards. With Mahershalla Ali almost surely taking home the Supporting Actor nod and the possibility of Barry Jenkins ('Moonlight') trumping 'La La Land''s Damian Chazelle last minute to the Director prize, Viola Davis's monster of a performance as a long-suffering wife of a controlling, Alcoholic husband in Denzel Washington's emotionally charged film version of Pultizer-winning stage play 'Fences' is a 98% certain to sweep the category floor and secure 2017's ceremony as the most racially diverse in history.


​Best Original Screenplay

Damian Chazelle for La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan for Manchester By The Sea
Taylor Sheridan for Hell or High Water
Mike Mills for 20th Century Women
Effthimius Phillipou and Yorgos Lanthimos for The Lobster
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​Will Win: Damian Chazelle for La La Land
Of all 'La Land''s record-breaking yet largely undeserved 14 nominations, none feel less deserving than this seemingly mandantory nod which feels largely like the Academy simply throwing in yet another nomination for their swansong as if to award themselves again. Even the most ardent, adoring 'La La Land' fans will likely struggle to come up with a valid argument that 'La La Land's flashy surface has more thematic depth than, say, 'Manchester By The Sea' - a matte, muted film where success almost entirely lies in the strength of it's sublime screenwriting.
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​Should Win: Mike Mills for 20th Century Women
Many critics are prediciting Kenneth Lonergan might just sneak his way to robbing 'La La Land' of at least one of it's golden goblets  for his powerhouse script work on 'Manchester By The Sea'. I'd be more than thrilled if that happens or indeed if any of the fellow nominees steal the spotlight from the heavyweight of the night. However - for my money - the most accomplished screenwriting achievement of the year is - without question - Mike Mill's deliciously dialogued '20th Century Women' which delivered some of the smartest, sharpest, slyest lines frankly I've ever heard!
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Best Adapted Screenplay

Barry Jenkins for Moonlight
August Wilson for Fences
​Eric Heiserrer for Arrival
Luke Davies for Lion
Andrew Knight and Robert Schenken for Hacksaw Ridge
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​Will and Should Win: August Wilson for Fences
Much controversy was raised this year over 'Moonlight's ineligibility to make the Best Original Screenplay. 'Moonlight' may have stemmed from an unproduced stage production, but that play was penned by Director Barry Jenkins himself which surely makes it an original screenplay? Clearly not. Thus Jenkin's own original idea has been shoved into Best Adapted Screenplay. Nonetheless - while I adored 'Moonlight' every bit as much as everyone else - it's quite obvious that it's greatest achievements lie in the areas of Cinematography and Direction as opposed to actual Screenwriting. 'Fences' - on the other hand - may feel a tad too theatrical, but virtually it's entire success rests in it's titanic showcase of words. Adapted straight from  the script of August Wilson's (who died in 2005) Pultizer-winning play, 'Fences' sees Denzel Washington and Viola Davis engaging in magnetic monologues wringing with emotional oomph in every syllable. It's really writing unlike anything seen before and therefore a posthumous OSCAR for the legendary African American social critic is both high likely and entirely necessary.


Best Cinematography

Linus Sandgren for La La Land
Bradford Young for Arrival
Rodrigo Prieto for Silence
James Laxton for Moonlight
Greig Fraser for Lion
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Will Win: Linus Sandgren for La La Land
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Should Win: James Laxton for Moonlight


Best Original Score

Justin Hurwitz for La La Land
Nicholas Brittel for Moonlight
Mica Levi for Jackie
Dustin O'Halloran and Volker Bertelmann for Lion
Thomas Newman for Passengers
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Will Win: Justin Hurwitz for La La Land
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Should Win: Nicholas Brittel for Moonlight
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PREDICTING THE OSCARS...THE WINNERS 2017:       PART I

2/25/2017

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With the 89th Academy Awards looming this Sunday night and Jimmy Kimmel looking set to deliver a comedic show of epic proportions, will 'La La Land' add 14 more golden statuates to it's award-flooded bathtub? Will Emma Stone trump Natalie Portman to her first ever Best Actress win? And is there a possibility that the sweeping symphony of 'Moonlight' surprise the masses and scoop up the top prize? Here's my picks...


​Best Picture

La La Land
Moonlight
Arrival
Manchester By The Sea
Hacksaw Ridge
Fences
Lion
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures

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Will Win: La La Land

​Despite my own personal dismay, I have no doubt that saxophone-heavy, sing-along, swaggering crowdpleaser that is 'La La Land' will scoop up arguably the biggest award of the night. I might personally believe the film is a self-congratulatory, material-minded chunk of hate-filled Hollywood propaganda. Yet that hasn't stopped the masses from covering it in kisses and cuddles as the knockout Box Office figures and giddy facebook statuses completely suggest. Not to mention rave 5-star reviews from even the snobbiest of critics and awards galore at pretty much every major ceremony in the run up to the grandest of them all on Sunday night. A rare awards contender that has captured the imaginations of the general public as much as it has the critics, it's almost certain that the Academy will deliver Damian Chazelle's unexpected blockbuster sensation the big prize of the night along with a handful of others - if only to give themselves a giant pat on the back!
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Should Win: Moonlight

​Frankly - for my money - any of those contenders on the list deserve to stamp out 'La La Land''s saccharine bitter-sweetness come Sunday night - especially the likes of 'Arrival' and 'Manchester By The Sea'. However the only one that really stands the tiniest shred of a chance at doing so is - no doubt - Barry Jenkin's extraordinary, beautiful coming-of-age homosexual odyssey 'Moonlight'. Wouldn't it be a an absolute joy if both a black-led and gay film was to surprise all and take the prize home come Monday morning? Especially after last year's #OSCARSSoWhite Row. This year's OSCARS seem to have largely made up for their travesty of mistakes last year by nominating not one, but four non-white films - 'Moonlight', 'Fences', 'Hidden Figures' and 'Lion'. However 'Moonlight' slays them all being a gorgeous sensory voyage through adolescence for a young black man and a staggering achievement in ground-breaking film-making technique. It seems very unlikely, but if 'Moonlight' was to pull the awards-laden rug from 'La La Land''s feet at the very last minute - there's no question the universal consensus would that of outrage that yet another obscure independent film snatching away the statuette from populist entertainment. Thankfully for most, the OSCARS are way too in love with the sound of their own voice to let that up - not to mention a burning desire for escapism in a year where the likes of Trump, Brexit and a cascade of celebrity deaths made 2016 feel like a childhood worst nightmare! Nonetheless I have a distinct feeling that - in the years to come - 'Moonlight' will stand the test of time far better than it's jazz-fuelled rival which will likely give people a reason to think "what was all that fuss about?!".
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Best Actor

Casey Affleck for Manchester By The Sea
Denzel Washington for Fences
Andrew Garfield for Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling for La La Land
Viggo Mortensen for Captain Fantastic

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Will and Should Win: Casey Affleck for Manchester By The Sea

2017 will undoubtedly be the year Casey Affleck takes home a very deserved first OSCAR after years of living in the shadow of his more famous yet frankly less talented brother Ben (who incidentally is up for a Golden Raspberry for worst actor in the clunking head-banger of 'Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice' (2016)!). His scenes with 20 year old Lucas Hedges's in Kenneth Lonergan's emotionally brutal 'Manchester By The Sea' are heart-wrenching and Affleck turns in a majestically understated performance that charts the transformation from gruff, disillusioned loner to lovingly protective father figure with tremendous unshowy conviction.


Best Actress

Emma Stone for La La Land
Natalie Portman for Jackie
Meryl Streep for Florence Foster Jenkins
Isabelle Huppert for Elle
Ruth Negga for Loving

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Will Win: Emma Stone for La La Land
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I may have ranted far too much about my dislike for the popular favourite 'La La Land', but if there's any of it's 14-time nominated awards that Damian Chazelle's cloying musical swansong truly deserves to take home - and most likely will - it's Emma Stone's touching, delightful whirlwind of a central performance as lovesick, aspiring actress Mia. Stone has won the hearts of millions worldwide putting her trademark deliciously sassy yet lovingly heartfelt enthusiasm to frankly the best we've ever seen it. It's a performance that will leave even the most dry-eyed of audiences a complete blubbering mess as Stone steals every scene from gloomy Gosling - evoking sexual frustration, body dysmorphia and status dissatisfaction. Stone cries out to every young woman who's immense talent seems crushed by a disgustingly materialistic industry favouring plastic surgery and fake tans over natural beauty - thus leading to Depression and body image anxiety. In many ways, Stone makes up the heart and soul of a style over substance picture. No doubt the Academy will favour her due to their love of weepy performances involving underdogs achieving their wildest dreams - not to mention Stone is playing a Hollywood actress!

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Should Win: Natalie Portman for Jackie

Arguably - in any other year - Natalie Portman's chameleon-like, scenary-chewing portrayal of Jackie Kennedy in Pablo Larrain's harrowingly emotive biopic would be a dead cert win. The OSCARS certainly have a fondness for actors embodying the roles of famous political figures if Daniel Day-Lewis's previous wins for 'Lincoln' (2012) or Meryl Streep winning for playing Margaret Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady' (2011) are any indication. Ever since earlier last year, early buzz surrounding Portman's central performance seemed to strongly suggest an easy, undisputed path to awards glory. However - in a year where the world appears to have lost faith in politics and an awards season intent on celebrating the history of Hollywood - Portman seemed to be massively overshadowed by that of the cheerier Emma Stone in the even cheerier 'La La Land'  at pretty much every awards show. Stone may be undeniably terrific, but isn't a smidgen of a patch on Portman's powerhouse psychological portrait of the emotionally damaged First Lady as a woman tittering on the edge of insanity due to a terrifying tragedy. Despite a somewhat lack of physical resemblance to the stateswoman, an awe-inspiring mix of sublime make-up work and small yet super-significant gestures see Portman blend into the role to the point where you fail to see the stunningly beautiful actress and only the historical figure she is masterfully playing - proving wrong once again any nit-pickers trying to suggest her painfully wooden acting in the 'Star Wars' prequels is the only representation of a far more talented acting career. I'd love to see Portman scoop up her second very deserved Best Actress award after her jaw-dropping turn in 'Black Swan' (2010). Not only does "unlikely" barely convey a shred of Portman's chances against Stone, but don't expect to see Portman skipping up the stage if she wins anyway - her new baby is due any day now!


​Best Director

Damian Chazelle for La La Land
Barry Jenkins for Moonlight
Denis Villeneuve for Arrival
Kenneth Lonergan for Manchester By The Sea
Mel Gibson for Hacksaw Ridge

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Will Win: Damian Chazelle for La La Land

Given - at least 95% of the time - the Best Director category more tends to reflect the OSCAR's fondness for the winning Best Picture nomination than it actually does for the best achievement in actual direction, it's pretty obvious that Damian Chazelle will scoop up his first OSCAR for Best Director at the tender age of 32 on only his second feature film. It's hard to argue 'La La Land' is a badly directed film. But best-directed film of the year? WHAT?!
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Should Win: ​Barry Jenkins for Moonlight

This was a difficult choice for me given how much I adored 'Arrival' and Canadian film-maker Denis Villeneuve's wondrous work in creating a romping, spectacle-fuelled Sci-Fi blockbuster with complex themes, heart and intellectual ambition to bare. However ultimately - if it was my choice - the Directing prize would have to go to Barry Jenkins for his first major feature film which simultaneously managed to capture the sexual conquests, systematic homophobia and status disillusionment faced by a homosexual black adolescent through a series of irridescent images and swoon-worthy sound. The direction on 'Moonlight' really is quite unlike anything ever achieved before!
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    Meet Roshan Chandy

    Freelance Film Critic and Writer based in Nottingham, UK. Specialises in Science Fiction cinema.

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