88th Academy Awards Predictions

Last year, when I inscribed my predictions for the Oscars of 2014, I was drastically wrong in virtually every category. I concluded that the reason for this was simple, I let my own opinions get in the way and forgot that the academy would not up haul their traditions that year. But then I realised, why is that a problem? Think about it, why would anyone just want to see me make the most accurate predictions I could only for them to all be right and then another article of me going “I told you so”.

Instead I’m doing the exact same thing I did last year, I’m basing my predictions off of a combination of factors. Firstly who I want to win and then secondly who I think will win. For the most part I’ll just revert to who I think will win, but should I find myself unsatisfied at such a possibility I will state who I would want to win the award. Will they be right? Probably no, but who cares?

Best Picture – Spotlight

Many seem to be backing ‘The Revenant’ to take home the award but more recently ‘The Big Short’ has come into contention as an outsider (which I would like as it would allow us to say “From the Oscar wining director, comes ‘Anchorman’”), meanwhile RogerEbert.com have placed all of their bets behind ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ taking home the statuette and if I was going for my personal choice alone I would pick ‘Room’. All of which are good choices, but in terms of a film that matches what I want to happen, and what I think will happen, I have to go with ‘Spotlight’ in important, heart-breaking and inspirational masterclass.

Best Director – George Miller

Yeah, I said it. You know why? Because Inarritu will have many chances to take another award (he already has three for ‘Birdman’) and just for once I want to see an Oscar go to a 70 year old Australian who started out making cheap exploitation movies funded by his night shifts in a hospital emergency room that would miraculously turn into a franchise, then moving on to movies about talking pigs and dancing penguins before returning to his exploitation franchise to craft a defining action masterpiece (seriously, just so I can say it one more time, ‘Fury Road’ joins the ranks of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’, ‘Die Hard’ and ‘Terminator 2’). Is that so much to ask?

Best Actor – Leonardo DiCaprio

I don’t like to think about what will happen if Leo doesn’t win, protests, boycotts, riots? If it were any other year I would bet on Michael Fassbender winning, but if he continues to make good choices his time will come. For now, it’s DiCaprio’s turn.

Best Actress – Brie Larson

If Larson doesn’t win this award there is no justice in the world. There’s nothing else to talk about, moving on.

Best Supporting Actor – Sylvester Stallone

40 years ago ‘Rocky’ swept the Oscars, winning awards for its director, producers, but not its writer or star, Stallone. We thought the moment had passed, but he’s back and maybe, just maybe he can change. Because if he can change, then we can change, everybody can change!

Best Supporting Actress – Rooney Mara

Mara is definitely in the wrong category here, she shares the limelight of ‘Carol’ with Cate Blanchett, but she’s been labelled a the supporting actress so she might as well get an Oscar out of it, right? I think so, but then again don’t discount Alicia Vikander or Kate Winslet (who won the category at the BAFTAs) snatching it away.

Best Original Screenplay – Inside Out

There are a lot of eligible winners this year ‘Bridge of Spies’, ‘Ex Machina’ (which should be up for Best Picture in my opinion), ‘Spotlight’ and ‘Straight Outta Compton’ all being promising candidates that wouldn’t disappoint me too much. But for me, none of them have the charm, the imagination of the subtle brilliance of Pixar’s latest classic.

Best Adapted Screenplay –The Big Short

Intelligent, satirical, dramatic, there’ nothing else to say really.

Best Animated Feature Film – Inside Out

That can’t come as a surprise, no other film is as universally accessible or uses the concept of animation to its fullest as much as ‘Inside Out’.

Best Foreign Language Film – Son of Saul

I admit I haven’t seen every nominee in this category (in a digital age distribution schedules remain baffling) but they would be hard pressed to be as good a ‘Son of Saul’.

Best Documentary Feature – Amy

Every year the Academy likes to say “we’re not old men, we’re down with the kids, we understand”. So this year that could mean a victory for the Netflix film ‘Winter on Fire’, which is excellent. But for every other reason, ‘Amy’ should win.

Best Original Score -  Ennio Morricone

Best Cinematography – Emmanuel Lubezki (Sorry Roger Deakins, for like the fiftieth time)

Best Visual Effects – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (because I want it to, that’s why)

But what do you think, can you do better? Leave a comment below if you do, also if you want to get angry at the Academy here’s an article I wrote on some of the best Hollywood directors who never won an Oscar, you won’t believe half of the name on this list http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-15-greatest-hollywood-directors-who-never-won-an-oscar/ Thanks and bye.