Tuesday, January 31, 2017

2017 GLAAD Awards Nominations Show Trials And Progress


So the nominations for the GLAAD Media Awards, which celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in the media, were recently announced. There was a lot to celebrate but I just wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge a category that stook out like a sore thumb. In the Outstanding Film- Wide Release category, there were literally two films. One of them is understandably Moonlight and the other is Star Trek Beyond which only features a snippet of the character of Hikaru Sulu and his husband.

There were five films in the Outstanding Film- Limited Release category: The Handmaiden, Naz and Maalik, Other People, Spa Night, and Those People. Almost all of them are about queer people of color. But the fact there were only two films in the Wide category shows how Hollywood has so much work to do.

When you look on the TV side, you'll see that in the categories for Best Comedy series and Drama series, there are 10 nominees in each category. So television has gotten steps ahead of film. Also, the fact that there were five film nominees in the Limited Release category shows how inclusive the independent film world is. There are films like The Handmaiden, Tangerine, and Weekend that come out each year. But nobody sees them because their studios don't have the marketing budgets for them to reach a wider audience.

Not only that, but when there is an opportunity to introduce a queer character into the mainstream like with Dr. Jillian Holtzmann in the new Ghostbusters and both Chirrut and Baze in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, whose sexuality has only been hinted at, the filmmakers go "Eh, the studios say otherwise" or "Fans can freely interpret that." But if these characters were to officially come out as gay, then the Outstanding Film-Wide Release category at this year's GLAAD Awards would have more than just two movies and it would show signs of progress.

Also, in a time where the Presidency is imposing threats on human rights, ranging from the Muslim ban to the defunding of Planned Parenthood, we need stories depicting people of different orientations, genders, creeds, races, and countries in a more positive manner now more than ever. We are seeing people from many different backgrounds coming together to march out on the streets in protest against the President. So it is only fitting for movies to reflect that unity amongst the people which is taking place. More movies like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Eye In The Sky, and Hidden Figures. Films with people of different genders and ethnicities uniting to achieve a common goal like what those of us trying to combat the violation of human rights are doing.

We may have seen the end of #OscarsSoWhite this year but as I have said before, we have a lot more work to do and given our current political climate, that work is needed now more than ever.


Sunday, January 29, 2017

Hidden Figures" Emerges Victorious at Screen Actors Guild Awards


The Screen Actors Guild Awards tonight were an interesting turn of events. One reason being the various politically charged speeches and another reason being how we saw expected winners mixed with jaw dropping surprises. 

First off, the big prize of the night, Best Ensemble In A Motion Picture, went to Hidden Figures. It was surprising yet not surprising given how the film is peaking at the right moment, reaching the century mark domestically, and how populist the cast is. Because it is nominated for Best Picture, does that mean it can derail current frontrunner La La Land? Eh, probably not. It only has three Oscar nominations (Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actress) and typically a Best Picture winner needs across the board support. If there's any film that can derail La La Land, (though highly unlikely at this point) it's Moonlight which won the Golden Globe for Motion Picture-Drama and has the right above the line support needed to become a Best Picture winner (Picture, Directing, Acting, Adapted Screenplay, Editing, and a few techs). But Hidden Figures winning here shows that the movie has its fans.

As for the other winners, Denzel Washington managed to bulldoze past frontrunner Casey Affleck by winning Best Male Actor In A Leading Role which is critical. You'd have to go all the way back to 2003 to find a Best Actor winner that didn't win at SAG when Johnny Depp won SAG for Pirates Of The Caribbean while Sean Penn won the Oscar for Mystic River. So Casey Affleck may likely win the BAFTA because Denzel Washington isn't nominated there. But it is far from over. Also, Mahershala Ali and Viola Davis asserted their frontrunner status by winning Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively, while Emma Stone claimed her status as the frontrunner for Best Actress by winning for La La Land over Natalie Portman who really needed this win to stay alive. But it looks like Emma Stone will get carried along with La La Land in the style of Jean Dujardin when he won for The Artist. 

Full list of winners down below:

Best Ensemble In A Motion Picture: Hidden Figures

Best Male Actor In A Leading Role: Denzel Washington, Fences

Best Female Actor In A Leading Role: Emma Stone, La La Land

Best Male Actor In A Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Best Female Actor In A Supporting Role: Viola Davis, Fences

Best Ensemble In A Drama Series: Stranger Things

Best Male Actor In A Drama Series: John Lithgow, The Crown

Best Female Actor In A Drama Series: Claire Foy, The Crown

Best Ensemble In A Comedy Series: Orange Is The New Black

Best Male Actor In A Comedy Series: William H. Macy, Shameless

Best Female Actor In A Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Best Male Actor In A TV Movie Or Series: Bryan Cranston, All The Way

Best Female Actor In A TV Movie Or Series: Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J.: American Crime Story


Thursday, January 26, 2017

2017 Screen Actors Guild Predictions

The Screen Actors Guild Awards will be airing on Sunday and I figured I would share my predictions for the film categories. Wh I think will take it as well as who could and should take it. Take a look:


Outstanding Cast In A Motion Picture:

Captain Fantastic
Fences
Hidden Figures
Manchester By The Sea
Moonlight

Will Win: Moonlight

Could Win: Hidden Figures

Should Win: Moonlight

Given the momentum that Moonlight has been getting with its Golden Globe win for Best Motion Picture-Drama and its 8 Oscar nominations, I think it'll continue here at the Screen Actors Guild Awards as it should. But don't be surprised if Hidden Figures takes this. It's peaking at the right moment, nearing $100m domestically at the box office, and because SAG is made up of actors from film and television, Hidden Figures could easily benefit from that given how its cast is made up of actors who have appeared in both mediums. It also has a very starry and established cast which could work in its favor.

Best Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role:

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

Will Win: Denzel Washington

Could Win: Casey Affleck

Should Win: Viggo Mortensen

I know Casey Affleck has been steamrolling his way through the awards season, winning almost every critics award imaginable as well as the Golden Globe. But let's keep in mind that the critics awards he won....are critics awards. These are industry voters and while critics can aid an awards contender, they don't vote in the industry. Also, Denzel Washington has never won a SAG Award and his film is up for Best Ensemble. Plus, Brie Larson's visible discomfort of Casey Affleck winning the Golden Globe is a possible indication that those within the industry aware of the harassment allegations may avoid voting for him because of that. I think we're in for a Michael Keaton/Eddie Redmayne-type switcheroo. But if Affleck does end up winning this, the Oscar is signed and sealed.


Best Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role:

Amy Adams, Arrival
Emily Blunt, The Girl On The Train
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Will Win: Emma Stone

Could/Should Win: Natalie Portman

I think because La La Land missed Best Ensemble and the industry has really responded to it given its 14 Oscar nominations, this is the place to reward the film. Although Natalie Portman's film is very performance-driven and her performance could be too big to ignore.

Best Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role:

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell Or High Water
Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
Lucas Hedges, Manchester By The Sea
Dev Patel, Lion

Will Win: Mahershala Ali

Could Win: Anyone except Hugh Grant

Should Win: Lucas Hedges

This is where things get super tricky. Mahershala Ali is slightly hanging onto his frontrunner status thanks to the strength of his performance along with the film itself. But Jeff Bridges could score a Robert Duvall in A Civil Action or Michael Caine in The Cider House Rules-type veteran win in this category. Also, Dev Patel could score a win due to slight category fraud or Lucas Hedges given how much they love Manchester By The Sea. Hugh Grant might have to just enjoy the ceremony, though, due to him being the only one who was left out of the Oscars.


Best Performance By A Female Actor In A Supporting Role:

Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester By The Sea

Will Win: Viola Davis

Could Win: Nobody

Should Win: Viola Davis

Signed and sealed.


Tuesday, January 24, 2017

A Year Of #OscarsNotSoWhite


Even though it has been expected, we won't be seeing #OscarsSoWhite this year. But I figured I'd use this opportunity to celebrate the inclusivity of this year's nominees.

Well, first off, we have 4 films about people of color in the mix for Best Picture: Fences, Hidden Figures, Lion, and Moonlight which is also an LGBTQ+ film. So it is refreshing to have even more representation reflected in this category along with a female-driven film like Hidden Figures. Not only that, but it is refreshing to see the nominated films that depict the black experience not be about slavery or servitude. Even though films about slavery and racism are important stories that should be told, they shouldn't be the only types of stories being cited during awards season. While Hidden Figures does depict the racism of the time period the film is set in, it is still very focused on the POV of the three main protagonists and their determination in accomplishing the main task.

Also, the acting categories are the most diverse in 10 years with actors of color making up seven of the nominations: Denzel Washington in Best Actor, Ruth Negga in Best Actress, both Mahershala Ali and Dev Patel in Supporting Actor, and Viola Davis, Naomie Harris, and Octavia Spencer all in Supporting Actress. In fact, we got to see Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer make history. Viola Davis is now the most nominated African-American actress in history with 3 nominations and Octavia Spencer is the first African-American actress ever to score a post-Oscar win nomination.

People behind the camera got to make history as well. Bradford Young who is up for Best Cinematography for Arrival is the first African-American to ever be nominated. Joi McMillan who is nominated for Film Editing for her work on Moonlight is the first African-American woman to ever be nominated in this category. Also, three writers of color are competing for Adapted Screenplay: August Wilson for Fences and both Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney for Moonlight. Meanwhile, not one, not two, not three, but FOUR filmmakers of color are competing for Best Documentary: Ava DuVernay for 13th, Roger Ross Williams for Life, Animated, Raoul Peck for I Am Not Your Negro, and Ezra Edelman for O.J.: Made In America. 

So we have a lot of African-American artists being recognized for their work this year. However, while Rodrigo Prieto is competing in Cinematography for Silence and Lin Manuel-Miranda in Original Song for Moana, a movie about an Islander princess, there is still an underrepresentation of Hispanic artists. Also, Asian talent is underrepresented even though Dev Patel did manage to get nominated. Even though Alison Schroeder was nominated for her writing on Hidden Figures, she is still the only woman nominated. Also, while Ava DuVernay will compete in the Documentary category and Maren Ade will compete in the Foreign Language Film category for Toni Erdmann, no woman is up for Best Director. So we still have ways to go so that this year with a rich amount of inclusivity doesn't feel anomalous.

Anyhow, I just wanted to use this opportunity to show my excitement over how inclusive this year is while also saying how there is still work to be done. Hollywood still has to allow more opportunities for women, POC, LGBTQ+, disabled people, etc. all year around and we as audience members still have to support the diverse content out there.


89th Academy Award Nominations Revealed


So the Oscar nominations are out and like any other year, they were chock full of surprises. Although first off, La La Land emerged victorious with a record 14 nominations, overperforming as expected. Also, Fences kind of overperformed having cracked the Best Picture lineup. I initially predicted 8 Best Picture nominees but I figured if any film would make it an odd 9, it would be Fences. Hacksaw Ridge also overperformed with Mel Gibson making the Best Director lineup over DGA Nominee Garth Davis for Lion as well as the likes of Tom Ford for Nocturnal Animals and Pablo Larrain for Jackie who wasn't a sure thing but I figured he'd get in on the foreign contingent that tends to take place in that category.

Now onto the underperformers. Arrival cracked the Best Picture lineup and Best Director. But apparently there's no lead actress in the film to anchor it because Amy Adams, who is in practically every scene, got left out of a crowded Best Actress field with Isabelle Huppert and Ruth Negga managing to leapfrog over Amy Adams and even Annette Bening whose film, 20th Century Women, only got a lone Screenplay nomination. Also, Nocturnal Animals underperformed with just a Supporting Actor nomination for Michael Shannon despite it having a strong BAFTA showing and a Golden Globe win for Aaron Taylor-Johnson who was ultimately left out.

Some positives, though, include Moonlight performing well as expected, Jackie getting in for Best Original Score despite being a serious underperformer, Hidden Figures managing to make the cut for Best Picture, and Lucas Hedges making Supporting Actor for Manchester By The Sea which was something I wasn't sure would for sure happen but it did.

Check out the full list of nominees:

Best Picture:
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell Or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester By The Sea
Moonlight

Best Director:
Denis Villeneuve, Arrival
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The Sea
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

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

Lead Actress:
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell Or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester By The Sea
Dev Patel, Lion
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

Supporting Actress:
Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester By The Sea

Original Screenplay:
Hell Or High Water
La La Land
The Lobster
Manchester By The Sea
20th Century Women

Adapted Screenplay:
Arrival
Fences
Hidden Figures
Lion
Moonlight

Best Film Editing:
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell Or High Water
La La Land
Moonlight

Cinematography:
Arrival
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight
Silence

Original Score:
Jackie
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight
Passengers

Best Makeup & Hairstyling:
A Man Called Ove
Star Trek Beyond
Suicide Squad

Best Costume Design:
Allied
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land

Best Production Design:
Arrival
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land
Passengers

Best Sound Editing:
Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Sully

Best Sound Mixing:
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi

Visual Effects:
Deepwater Horizon
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book
Kubo And The Two Strings
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Original Song:
"Audition" from La La Land
"Can't Stop The Feeling" from Trolls
"City Of Stars" from La La Land
"The Empty Chair" from Jim: The James Foley Story
"How Far I'll Go" from Moana

Documentary:
Fire At Sea
Life, Animated
I Am Not Your Negro
O.J.: Made In America
13th

Animated Film:
Kubo And The Two Strings
Moana
My Life As A Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Zootopia

Foreign Language Film:
Land Of Mine
A Man Called Ove
The Salesman
Tanna
Toni Erdmann

Documentary Short:
Extremis
4.1 Miles
Joe's Violin
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets

Best Live Action Short:
Ennemis Interiors
La Femme et le a TGV
Silent Nights
Sing
Timecode

Best Animated Short:
Blind Vaysha
Borrowed Time
Pear Cider & Cigarettes
Pearl
Piper

Monday, January 23, 2017

Final Oscar Nomination Predictions



The big morning is finally upon us. Ladies and gentleman, here are my final predictions for Nomination Morning tomorrow at about 8:18 a.m.. You can watch them on Good Morning America or stream them on Oscar.com, Oscars.org, or on any of their social media platforms.

Best Picture:
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell Or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester By The Sea
Moonlight

Best Director:
Denis Villeneuve, Arrival
Pablo Larrain, Jackie
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The Sea
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

I think Pablo Larrain will surprise given the foreign contingent within the Directors branch (Lenny Abrahamson for Room, Pedro Almodovar for Talk To Her, Michael Haneke for Amour, etc.). Also, he had Neruda and The Club out last year to likely help his cause. 

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

Best Actress:
Amy Adams, Arrival
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

This is the toughest one to predict. I think Adams, Portman, and Stone are safe while Streep is pretty safe. But Huppert won the Golden Globe while Emily Blunt scored a SAG and BAFTA nomination and is on the cusp of her first Oscar nomination. Also, Hidden Figures is peaking at the right moment so Taraji P. Henson could surprise. Who knows.

Best Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell Or High Water
Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
Lucas Hedges, Manchester By The Sea
Dev Patel, Lion

I still believe Lucas Hedges gets in but he is still a very vulnerable five. They loved Room last year yet they didn't nominate Jacob Tremblay. So they have a weird stigma against nominating young actors. If he doesn't get in, it'll be Golden Globe winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Best Supporting Actress:
Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester By The Sea

Same five as the Golden Globe and SAG.

Best Original Screenplay:
Matt Ross, Captain Fantastic
Taylor Sheridan, Hell Or High Water
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou, The Lobster
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The Sea

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Eric Heisserer, Arrival
Theodore Melfi and Allison Schroeder, Hidden Figures
Luke Davies, Lion
Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney, Moonlight
Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals

Best Film Editing:
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Manchester By The Sea
Moonlight

Best Cinematography:
Arrival
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight
Silence

Best Costume Design:
Allied
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land

Best Production Design:
Arrival
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
The Handmaiden
La La Land
Silence

Best Original Song:
"Audition" from La La Land
"City Of Stars" from La La Land
"Drive It Like You Stole It" from Sing Street
"How Far I'll Go" from Moana
"Runnin'" from Hidden Figures

Best Original Score:
The BFG
Jackie
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight

Best Sound Editing:
Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Best Sound Mixing:
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
The Jungle Book
La La Land
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Best Visual Effects:
Arrival
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book
Kubo And The Two Strings
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Best Makeup & Hairstyling:
Deadpool
Florence Foster Jenkins
A Man Called Ove

Best Animated Feature:
Kubo And The Two Strings
Moana
My Life As A Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Zootopia

Best Documentary Feature:
13th
Cameraperson
Gleason
I Am Not Your Negro
O.J.: Made In America

Best Foreign Language Film:
Land Of Mine (Denmark)
A Man Called Ove (Sweden)
The Salesman (Iran)
Tanna (Australia)
Toni Erdmann (Germany)

Best Animated Short Film:
Blind Vaysha
Inner Workings
Pearl
Piper
Sous Tes Doigts

Best Documentary Short Film:
Extremis
Joe's Violin
The Mute's House
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets

Best Live Action Short Film:
Nocturne In Black
The Rifle, The Jackal, The Wolf And The Boy
Sing (Mandenki)
Timecode
The Way Of Tea

Saturday, January 21, 2017

"20th Century Women" Is An Insightful Delight


  Even though 20th Century Women is set in the past, by the time it was over, it got me to reflect on my current present. It got me thinking about how those around me feel the need to fill an invisible void in my own life. The characters also talk about what may await them in the future which is also something I have pondered. So 20th Century Women carries a lot of insightful humanism along with its moments of joy and wit.

  Set in Santa Barbara back in 1979, 20th Century Women follows the story of a single mother named Dorothea played by Annette Bening who lives with her teenage son Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) and tries to figure out ways to guide him into the real world. By doing so, she has two generations of women: Abbie (Greta Gerwig), a tenant in their home who works as a photographer, and Julie (Elle Fanning), Jamie's rebellious classmate, give him their own forms of guidance as they all explore love and freedom.

  The film has a fitting title because this film belongs to the women. Annette Bening delivers another winning performance in impressive career as Dorothea, weaving in layers of magnetic warmth and contradictory reclusiveness. She appears all laid back and open yet she'll suddenly pull away when she lights and hoists a cigarette, calmly saying "You don't know what I'm feeling." Elle Fanning is a standout as the promiscuous Julie who always feels like she has everything and everyone figured out at her young age even though she's slightly oblivious to the feelings of those around her.

   As amazing as those two were, though, the MVP was Greta Gerwig who had a revelatory year with Jackie and this. As Abbie, a punk rock photographer who is also a cervical cancer survivor, Gerwig flawlessly acts as a bridge between the two generations of women, showcasing childlike abandon and wise yet hardcore femininity. I also really liked Lucas Jade Zumann who holds his own against his experienced female co-stars. He provides immense likability and I look forward to seeing where his career goes in the future.

   The humanism that these characters possess is thanks in large part to writer/director Mike Mills. Much like with his previous feature, Beginners which won Christopher Plummer his overdue Oscar, Mills has shown a knack for inducing cinephilic flare into a humanistic story. The editing and some of the writing is very snappy. Sometimes it'll be fast paced while other times, the film will cut to shots of a newborn baby, TV footage from the 60's or 70's, or a moving sketch to help create a rather philosophical tone. The snappy editing makes the film appear rather aimless. But the film still has an aim for character driven storytelling and it succeeds thanks to the actors and the way their characters were written.

   So in spite of its seemingly aimless nature, 20th Century Women is still a delight to watch thanks to the terrific performances as well as its 70's nostalgia. It might not be perfect but it is a perfect demonstration of life and its imperfections.

Grade: B

Friday, January 20, 2017

M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Is 'Split' Down The Middle


M. Night Shyamalan has become famous for his use of twist endings and having a slight career slump up until 2015 when he had a return to form with The Visit. But one big mystery involving his latest picture Split is whether or not this is a continuation of his return to form. Well the twist is.....eh, sort of.

Split follows the story of three female classmates (Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula) who are kidnapped by a man named Kevin with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) played by James McAvoy. Kevin has 23 personalities living inside him ranging from a reclusive OCD man named Dennis to a 9-year old boy named Hedwig to a mysterious and dangerous 24th personality known as "The Beast" that requires human sacrifice.

The film's greatest aspect lies in James McAvoy's performance. McAvoy really commits to pulling off a man with multiple personalities, making you believe him as the different personas living inside one being. The three actresses who play the kidnapped girls also do a very good job. In particular, Anya Taylor-Joy who broke out last year with The Witch. She pulls off plenty of quiet likability to her portrayal of a girl who underwent severe trauma that becomes revealed as the film progresses.

I also appreciated how the film was very character driven. There aren't many special effects or scenes of grotesque violence. Its main focus is on the girls trying to escape their prison as well as on Kevin's personalities that take over him in his day to day life. But the fact that it emphasizes so much on its actors is what makes McAvoy's portrayal so great. He has to continuously sell the frequent personality switches through facial and body tics yet he nails it.

All of that being said, though, there wasn't a whole lot of tension to be found. It goes on a lot longer than it needs to and without spoiling anything, it didn't feel like it had much of an ending. The ending drags on until it suddenly ends without much payoff. Also, don't go in expecting jump scares every few minutes. It is a very slow burn and requires plenty of patience. There are small chilling moments thanks to the screechy sound effects as well as occassionally dark cinematography that captures the unforgiving, closeted nature of the basement where the girls are being kept. But it's not too scary. So if you go see this, expect a suspenseful character study.

Overall, Split lives up to its title because it features a committed performance by James McAvoy and amazing work from the three main actresses. But it becomes brought down by its rather muddled storytelling and never ending climax. Not M. Night Shyamalan's worst but it's no The Sixth Sense either. Hopefully, he'll do a little better next time around.

Grade: C+

Thursday, January 19, 2017

A Specialty Market Proposal


While it finally made its way to my local theater on Christmas Day, I was quite flustered when I had to deal with La La Land having a slow theater rollout. People that have been able to see it have been raving about it while I've waited impatiently to finally check it out myself.

But that little frustration gave me a little idea. What if more certain movies hit streaming the day they hit theaters? By certain movies, I mean films in the specialty market with smaller distributors (A24, Bleecker Street, The Orchard, etc.) that have a slow expansion. If those films were available to viewers that don't live in major cities yet still want to see them to see what the buzz they receive is about, then the studio will have reached out to a wider audience even if the film is playing in a handful of theaters. Also, if a film struggles to expand, then viewers will have seen it anyhow on streaming.

Also, it would be an interesting way to create word of mouth. For example, if I really wanted to see Loving and I was able to pay for it on Google Play since I don't live in New York or Los Angeles, then if I loved it, I would probably tell my friends to see it and they might end up seeing it when it reaches our local theater, adding to the film's box office numbers. Not only that, but viewers would be able to see new releases at a cheaper price when streaming and not have to worry about watching a leaked copy online for free. 

I love going to the movies but my biggest gripe with going to the movies is how expensive it is. An afternoon show at my local downtown theater costs about $11.50 per ticket. I can rent about 3 to 4 movies on Google Play or iTunes for that price. So why pay almost 12 bucks to go to the theater, plus food and likely gas expenses, when you can watch a new release at a cheaper price in your own home? You wouldn't have to travel or buy food. 

However, there are plenty of specialty releases that have a short life in theaters and end up in streaming pretty quickly anyhow. But streaming services like Netflix have started to get into the film distributing business, releasing films in theaters the day they start streaming. So this could be something worth thinking about.

Maybe I'm speaking out of my own frustrations of having to wait for specialty films to play near me because I don't live in New York or Los Angeles. But I do think it would be beneficial for those that can't afford to go to the movies and/or can't see it because they can't find the time or don't live in major cities.

What do you guys think? Do you think this would be beneficial for moviegoers? Please feel free to write your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading!



Wednesday, January 18, 2017

How To Build A Best Picture Nominee


Typically, you need support from five major branches to win Best Picture. You need support from the Producers, the Directors, the Actors, the Writers, and the Editors. As of right now, there are four films that hit every major guild that they needed to among other below the line branches.

*PGA=Producers Guild
DGA=Directors Guild
SAG=Screen Actors Guild
WGA=Writers Guild of America
ACE=American Cinema Editors
ASC=American Society of Cinematographers
CSA=Casting Society of America
CDG=Costume Designers Guild
ADG=Art Directors Guild
CAS=Cinema Audio Society
VSE=Visual Effects Society

Here is our top 4 for Best Picture:

La La Land: (BFCA Win, GG Win, PGA, DGA, SAG, WGA, ACE, ASC, CSA, CDG, ADG, CAS)
Moonlight: (GG Win, PGA, DGA, SAG, WGA, ACE, ASC, CSA)
Manchester By The Sea: (PGA, DGA, SAG, WGA, ACE, CSA, ADG)
Arrival: (PGA, DGA, SAG, WGA, ACE, ASC, CSA, ADG)

These four films also made the cut for Best Film at the BAFTA Awards which do overlap with the American industry guilds. So this is our likely top 4 for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Those that hit the key guilds and are likely 5-10:

Lion: (PGA, DGA, SAG, ASC, CSA, CDG, ADG)
Hell Or High Water: (PGA, SAG, WGA, ACE, CSA, ADG)
Hidden Figures: (PGA, SAG, WGA, CSA, CDG, ADG)
Hacksaw Ridge: (PGA, SAG, ACE, ADG, CAS)
Fences: (PGA, SAG, WGA, ADG)
Deadpool: (PGA, WGA, ACE, CSA, VSE)

Even though Deadpool has plenty of guild support, I still have it at tenth because I do not know how the Academy is going to respond to it. 20th Century Fox is running a campaign for it, having recently released a For Your Consideration video for voters to consider it as they are filling out their ballots and the nomination process has just closed. The Producers Guild nominated it in Best Picture but they are partial to citing popular money makers (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Star Trek, etc.). Same with the Writers Guild who nominated Guardians Of The Galaxy a few years ago. Its Directors Guild nomination was for Best Debut Director for Tim Miller and its Editors Guild nomination was in Motion Picture-Comedy category and the Oscars only have one singular category. Lastly, if The Dark Knight getting snubbed showed us anything, it's that they might not be ready to honor a superhero film as one of the top films of the year.

I also didn't mention Nocturnal Animals which did very well with the BAFTA nominations despite missing Best Film. Mainly because it's had a poor guild showing, only having made the WGA, ADG, CSA, and CDG. The Writers are the only above the line guild to support it and it might be telling as to how it'll perform on Nomination Day, scoring a Screenplay nomination, a few crafts, and likely Supporting Actor for Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Anyhow, aside from the top four films in contention, here is what I'm predicting gets in for Best Picture:

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

In case it's 9 or 10: Fences and Deadpool

I'm predicting an even eight just like the last two years. Hacksaw Ridge and Hell Or High Water have hit places that they need to and are masculine films that will likely to appeal to what pundits like to call the "steak eaters" a.k.a. the older white males within the Academy. Hidden Figures is having an American Sniper-type late surge, peaking at number one at the right time for two weekends in a row. So it has both industry and crowd support. While Lion is doing adequately at the box office, never discount the "Harvey Weinstein" factor. He got Silver Linings Playbook to overperform on Nomination Day, including a surprise Supporting Actress nomination for Jacki Weaver even though she wasn't given much to work with. So he can really work the Academy.

I almost included Fences but I fear that it might suffer from the stigma of "It's like a filmed play." That's the kind of reaction I've heard and read from some people. But it's catching on better than other recent stage-to-film adaptations like August: Osage County and Doubt. Those two scored around $30m domestically while Fences is at around $46m. Also, Fences scored a PGA nomination which the other two films failed to do. So I think Fences is a definite 9th.

Anyhow, those are my predictions for Best Picture. What do you guys think? Do you agree or disagree? Please feel free to write your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading!


Monday, January 16, 2017

What Constitutes A Supporting Performance?

Category fraud is something that is continuing to run rampant through awards season. Even after last year, where Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander were controversially pushed for Supporting Actress in spite of their performances being lead roles, we still have category fraud running rampant. We even have cases that are causing debate as to whether or not they really are cases of fraud like Dev Patel in Lion and Viola Davis in Fences. Even if they are playing lead characters, there is debate in the awards blogosphere as to whether they belong in the Lead categories because of their screentime and how focused the stories are on their characters.


Then, there are more blatant cases of fraud like Hugh Grant who is getting a Supporting Actor campaign for Florence Foster Jenkins. While Meryl Streep is the title character, Hugh Grant is a co-lead. In fact, he might be more of a lead than Streep as he has more screentime and the film focuses greatly on his emotional journey and need go let his wife live out her dream. In spite of him playing the supportive husband, it doesn't mean he is a supporting actor. I'm sure those running his Supporting Actor campaign realize that and I feel they tried to use his supportive role as an excuse to justify his placement.


Compare him to Mahershala Ali in Moonlight. He only appears in the first third of the movie. But he not only supports the main character of Chiron but his absence lingers over the rest of the picture. One aspect of a supporting performance is when the actor makes the most within the constraints of his or her limited screen time.

Although the three actors playing Chiron (Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes) have understandably gotten a Supporting Actor campaign push. They may be playing the lead character but they're not necessarily lead actors. They're supporting the main singular narrative which is unlike Hugh Grant in Florence Foster Jenkins. Grant can't be supporting the narrative because he IS the narrative.


Another aspect of a supporting performance is when the supporting character helps set up the main narrative or inhibits the emotional arc of the main character. Take for example, Laura Linney in Nocturnal Animals. She may only have one scene. But within her one scene as the mother of Amy Adams' character, she serves as a shadow of what Adams' character doesn't want to become. Yet after Linney says "We all turn into our mothers," Adams herself slowly starts to become her. Also, because her screentime is so limited, she leaves you wanting more.

So to me, what makes a true supporting performance is one that not only supports the main narrative or the main character but one where the performer makes the most within the constraints of their limited screentime, allowing their presence to linger over the rest of the picture when they don't appear.

What do you guys think? What do you feel constitutes a supporting performance. Please be sure to write your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading!



Friday, January 13, 2017

"Silence" Speaks Pretty High Volumes


Martin Scorsese is the greatest director working today. He is one of the few directors working where no matter what film he does, I'm ready to buy a ticket. The fact I would see a 3 hour meditative film about religion because he did it is a huge testament to his drawing power and having seen the film, I can say it is a challenging yet rewarding film watching experience.

Silence is based on a novel by Shusaku Endo about a couple of 17th century Jesuit priests named Father Rodrigues and Father Garupe (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who travel from Portugal to Japan to find their mentor Father Ferrera, played by Liam Neeson, who has abandoned his faith. As they try to find him, they attempt to spread their Christian faith in what is a rather unforgiving land with religious persecution being used on those who practice Christianity.

Religion is what plays a prominent role in the film's story and it also philosophically plays a part in the film's title. There is a scene where Father Rodrigues is trying to pray to God but asks "I pray but I am lost. Am I just praying to silence?" Do we get our answers from above by talking or from within our thoughts? In what ways do we prove our faith? Through physical, non-verbal acts or by verbally devoting our faith to those we worship? Those are the kind of questions the film asks us.

Not only that, but there are plenty of points where cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto lets the camera roll on the faces of the actors to demomstrate their conflicted faith with hardly any dialogue. There is plenty of expositional narration given but because it is heard rather sparsely throughout the picture, it is never overbearing and never feels unneeded.

As for the actors, they all do a very good job. Despite fluctuations with his Portuguese accent, Andrew Garfield does give a very raw and unflinching performance as Father Rodrigues, a priest who is constantly being pushed to the edge as he is questioning his faith and morality. Adam Driver and Liam Neeson are also effective in their supporting roles but a few standouts include a few of the Japanese actors.

One is Yosuke Kubozuka as Kijichiro, an alcoholic fisherman who abandons the Christian faith yet continuously pleas to Father Rodrigues for forgiveness. The other is Issei Ogata who plays Inuoe Masashige, a villainous inquisitor who pushes Rodrigues to abandon his faith through mental and physical torture. Even though Ogata plays a very sneery and sinister character, he is a very magnetic presence when he is on screen.

I will admit, the film is longer than it perhaps could've been. If it had been trimmed by about 20 to 25 minutes, it probably could've been perfect. But other than that, I can hardly find amy flaws with this picture.

Silence is a quiet and meditative yet ultimately rewarding film watching experience. Even if you don't undergo the physical pain they do, it'll still likely have you questioning your faith the way the characters do by the time the credits roll. Master Scorsese, you have done it again!!

Grade: A

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

"Deadpool" A Possible Best Picture Nominee? How Warranted Is The Outrage?


Back in 2008, there were cries heard around the world when The Dark Knight was snubbed for Best Picture and Best Director. The snub was so outrageous and anger-inducing that it caused the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to expand their Best Picture lineup from 5 to 10 so that more commercial fare can be recognized. But even with an expanded lineup, they've had difficulty embracing commercial fare like the last Harry Potter movie and Skyfall. 

Now there might be a chance that a comic book film could be nominated for Best Picture with Deadpool. It was nominated at the Golden Globes and it even has support from the guilds: the Writers Guild, the Editors Guild, and even the Producers Guild of America. So if it has support from the industry, it could translate to Oscar love. But as Deadpool does get announced at the different guild nominations, I've noticed a lot of anger and flack that it's caused on Twitter.

The reason I bring this up is because even after audiences accuse the Academy of being snobbish with genre fare, now that a comic book film can break into Best Picture, it causes outrage. I'm not saying that the people that are outraged are silly or wrong. I'm just making a point.

I did enjoy Deadpool for what it was. It's a fun edgy self-aware superhero film. I don't think it's Best Picture material by any means or merits a nomination over the likes of Jackie, The Handmaiden, or Captain Fantastic. I also don't think that this should be the first comic book movie to be nominated for Best Picture. But I don't think it's a bad movie. Personally, I do think that The Dark Knight should've been the first comic book movie to get nominated for Best Picture because it had more of a thematic voice to it. It had a lot more to say about themes of terrorism and cultural anxiety. While Deadpool did attempt to break the mold for the superhero genre with its constant self-awareness, I feel that it didn't really have a thematic voice behind it. 

I do champion them nominating blockbusters. I was riveted when they nominated Mad Max: Fury Road, a summer blockbuster sequel and even The Martian which shows how smart and character driven blockbusters can be. While I'm not necessarily behind them nominating Deadpool, the one and only upside is that it shows that voters are willing to continuously think outside the box. 

I may be as uneasy about the idea of Deadpool being in for Best Picture like many other people. But let's not forget that a lot of us felt the same outrage when The Dark Knight, another comic book movie, was left out of Best Picture. The same thing happens with the comedy genre. We often rag on them for being snobbish with comedies. But when Marisa Tomei won the Oscar for My Cousin Vinny, it inspired a lot of speculation that Jack Palance announced her name as a joke. So people ragged on them for awarding a performance in a genre that they often ignore.

Whether you guys agree or disagree, please feel free to write your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading!!

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

"La La Land" Leads Annual BAFTA Nominees


The British Academy Of Film Television Awards have announced their annual list of nominees and they certainly have done a lot of shaking up in this awards race. First I'll get into the biggest surprises. One is the love for the British drama I, Daniel Blake which scored Best Film, Best Director (Ken Loach), and Supporting Actress (Hayley Squires). Also, Nocturnal Animals got a surprising amount of love while Fences and Hidden Figures got only one nomination a piece; Emily Blunt managed a Best Actress nomination over Annette Bening, Isabelle Huppert, and Ruth Negga; Loving and Silence aren't anywhere to be found.

Some other surprising snubs include Barry Jenkins for Best Director for Moonlight and Denzel Washington for Best Actor for Fences. Thankfully, Barry Jenkins still got nominated for Original Screenplay and also Moonlight got in for Best Film. As for the Denzel snub, I figured he would be the one to derail frontrunner Casey Affleck. But in 2010 when the BAFTAs nominated The Fighter, they ommitted Melissa Leo who went on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. So if Denzel can take SAG, there is a chance or he can surprise the way he won over Russell Crowe in 2001 for Training Day. His spot ended up going to Jake Gyllenhaal for Nocturnal Animals and if his spot is going go anybody, I'm more than happy to see it go to Jake Gyllenhaal.

Anyhow, here are the nominees:

Best Film:

Arrival
I, Daniel Blake
La La Land
Manchester By The Sea
Moonlight

Outstanding British Film:

American Honey
Denial
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
I, Daniel Blake 
Notes On Blindness
Under The Shadow

Best Director:

Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals
Ken Loach, I, Daniel Blake
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The Sea
Denis Villeneuve, Arrival

Best Actor:

Casey Affleck, Manchester By The Sea
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nocturnal Animals
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic

Best Actress:

Amy Adams, Arrival
Emily Blunt, The Girl On The Train
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Supporting Actor:

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell Or High Water
Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
Dev Patel, Lion
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals

Best Supporting Actress:

Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Hayley Squires, I, Daniel Blake
Michelle Williams, Manchester By The Sea

Best Original Screenplay:

Hell Or High Water
I, Daniel Blake
La La Land
Manchester By The Sea
Moonlight

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hidden Figures
Lion
Nocturnal Animals

Best Cinematography:

Arrival
Hell Or High Water
La La Land
Lion
Nocturnal Animals

Best Film Editing:

Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Manchester By The Sea
Nocturnal Animals

Best Original Music:

Arrival
Jackie
La La Land
Lion
Nocturnal Animals

Best Makeup and Hair:

Doctor Strange
Florence Foster Jenkins
Hacksaw Ridge
Nocturnal Animals
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Best Costume Design:

Allied
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land

Best Animated Film:

Finding Dory
Kubo And The Two Strings
Moana
Zootropolis

Best Production Design:

Doctor Strange
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land
Nocturnal Animals 

Best Documentary:

13th
The Beatles: Eight Days A Week- The Touring Years
The Eagle Huntress
Notes On Blindness
Weiner

Best Sound:

Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land

Special Visual Effects:

Arrival
Doctor Strange
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
The Jungle Book
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Outstanding Debut:
Mike Carey (Writer), Camille Gatin (Producer)- The Girl With All The Gifts

George Amponsah (Writer/Producer/Director), Dionne Walker (Writer/Producer)- The Hard Stop

Pete Middleton (Writer/Director/Producer), James Spinney (Writer/Director), Jo-Jo Ellison (Producer)- Notes On Blindness

John Donnelly (Writer), Ben Williams (Director)- The Pass

Babak Anvari (Writer/Director), Emily Leo, Martin Roskill, Lucas Toh (Producer)- Under The Shadow

Best Film Not In The English Language:

Dheepan
Julieta
Mustang
Son Of Saul
Toni Erdmann

British Short Film:

Consumed
Home
Mouth Of Hell
The Party
Standby

British Short Animation:

The Alan Dimension
A Love Story
Tough

EE BAFTA Rising Star:

Laia Costa
Lucas Hedges
Tom Holland
Anya Taylor-Joy
Ruth Negga

Monday, January 9, 2017

How To Prepare For Nomination Day


Hello, everyone! I am glad to say that this is my, get this.....my 900th post for Film Guy Reviews. Film Guy Reviews has been active for almost four years and I am pretty amazed that how far it has come. For this post, I wanted to give some tips for us Oscar watchers going into Nomination Day on January 24th and even a reminder for the Oscar season in general.

When the nominations are announced, keep in mind that there will always be snubs. No matter how good of a year it was for film and 2016 was a good year, there are always going to be great films, directors, performances, etc. left out in the cold. So be sure to keep your expectations open and be aware that a favorite performance of yours that has a chance of making it in may not.

If a film you like or a performance you may like doesn't make the cut, you'll probably be upset about it at first. But it doesn't mean you should appreciate the film and/or performance any less and at the end of the day, the world still spins. I still reel over the fact that The Lego Movie was snubbed for Best Animated Feature. But I would still watch it whenever it's on and still quote it from time to time.

Next, I want to go into another point that ties into the awards season in general: You can like more than one movie. As somebody who is team Moonlight, I still sing along to La La Land and find myself emotionally taken by Manchester By The Sea. So even if you root for one movie to win big in the awards race, you can still be content with another one that you enjoyed being the big winner. The Oscars may be a competitive race, but we don't want to let them take a hold of our love for all types of stories, and being transported into different worlds on screen, too much.

Also, the Oscars are the most significant awards ceremony devoted to cinema and whoever wins will have a place in the history books. But even films that have never won or even been nominated for Best Picture like 2001: A Space Odyssey or Rear Window are still being studied in film classes. The Oscars celebrate a year in film but the films in each year will still live on even after the ceremony is over.

So those are my quick tips going into the Oscar race and I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading and here's to 900 more posts!!

"La La Land" Sweeps 74th Golden Globes



The Golden Globes took place last night and I must say that they once again showed how crazy and unpredictable they can get. For instance, the first award of the night went to Aaron Taylor-Johnson for Best Supporting Actor In A Motion Picture for Nocturnal Animals over frontrunner Mahershala Ali. Plus, La La Land not only was the big winner but it swept every category it was nominated for while Isabelle Huppert shook up the Best Actress race by winning the Globe for Best Actress In A Motion Picture-Drama for Elle.

Also, despite not winning any other award, Moonlight still won Best Motion Picture-Drama. With Moonlight winning over Manchester By The Sea, I'd say it's now La La Land's biggest competitor for the Best Picture race. La La Land missing Best Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild was very critical so Moonlight and even Manchester By The Sea could still be thr dark horse to threaten its thunder.

Here are the winners:

Best Motion Picture-Drama: Moonlight

Best Motion Picture-Musical Or Comedy: La La Land

Best Director: Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Best Actor In A Motion Picture-Drama: Casey Affleck, Manchester By The Sea

Best Actress In A Motion Picture-Drama: Isabelle Huppert, Elle

Best Actor In A Motion Picture-Musical Or Comedy: Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Best Actress In A Motion Picture-Musical Or Comedy: Emma Stone, La La Land

Best Supporting Actor In A Motion Picture: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals

Best Supporting Actress In A Motion Picture: Viola Davis, Fences

Best Screenplay: Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Best Animated Feature: Zootopia

Best Foreign Language Film: Elle 

Best Original Score: Justin Hurwitz, La La Land

Best Original Song: "City Of Stars" from La La Land

Best TV Series-Drama: The Crown

Best TV Series-Comedy: Atlanta

Best Actor In A TV Series-Drama: Billy Bob Thornton, Goliath

Best Actress In A TV Series-Drama: Claire Foy, The Crown

Best Actor In A TV Series-Comedy: Donald Glover, Atlanta

Best Actress In A TV Series-Comedy: Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish

Best Miniseries Or TV Movie: The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Best Actor In A Miniseries Or TV Movie: Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager

Best Actress In A Miniseries Or TV Movie: Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Best Supporting Actor In A TV Series, Miniseries, Or TV Movie: Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager

Best Supporting Actress In A TV Series, Miniseries, Or TV Movie: Olivia Colman, The Night Manager

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Top 10 Actresses A Role Or Two Away From Their First Oscar Nomination

So yesterday, I did my list on 10 actors that are a role or two away from their first Oscar nomination. Now it is time for the ladies. Much like with the actors list, there were actresses that are in contention this year that I left out in case they do end up making the cut. So here are ten ladies that have plenty of potential to make it in the future. Possibly the near future. Take a look:


10. Zoe Saldana: While Zoe Saldana has carved out a strong niche for herself in science fiction tentpoles like Guardians Of The Galaxy, Star Trek, and Avatar, she still fits in time to make small indie fare. Some of the small films she's done like Blood Ties, Out Of The Furnace, and Infinitely Polar Bear haven't made a lot of waves and Live By Night, which was a surefire Oscar contender on paper, isn't quite landing. But if she continues to work with the right directors like Ben Affleck and pursue the right kind of roles, she could very well build momentum for a nomination while the studio tentpoles she's involved in help boost her profile.


9. Jennifer Aniston: Jennifer Aniston had to have been a close sixth for Best Actress for Cake which gained traction a little too late in the game. But her upcoming film The Yellow Birds where she plays the suffering mother of a soldier away at war and which premieres at Sundance, could do wonders for her. If not, then if she continues boosting her indie cred a la Matthew McConaughey, the right vehicle will likely come along.


8. Sarah Paulson: Sarah Paulson has made a name for herself in television, even winning a recent Emmy thanks to her work on The People v. OJ Simpson. But when it comes to her work in film, it doesn't seem to go as well-noticed. Even in films that were Oscar contenders like 12 Years A Slave and Carol, she sadly never received the same kind of traction as her co-stars. But that could change with the upcoming J.D. Salinger biopic Rebel In The Rye which premieres at Sundance. She also has the upcoming Ocean's Eight which will likely not be a surefire Oscar contender but will hopefully lead to better film opportunities if it does well.


7. Katherine Waterston: Fresh off of Inherent Vice, Katherine Waterston's stock has taken a pretty meteoric rise. She followed up Inherent Vice with a small but meaty role in Steve Jobs and a spot in not one, but two established franchises: The Harry Potter franchise with Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them and Alien with Alien: Covenant. Along with Covenant this year, she has the starry ensemble comedy Logan Lucky for Steven Soderbergh and historical Oscar bait biopic The Current War about Thomas Edison opposite Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicholas Hoult, and Michael Shannon. She's also the daughter of actor Sam Waterston who's an Oscar nominee himself and it never hurts to have those kinds of connections.


6. Kristen Stewart: She may still have the dark cloud of Twilight hanging over her head. But judging by the projects she's been working on, she has definitely been working hard to break free of that stigma. Right off of Twilight, the likes of Ang Lee, Olivier Assayas, Kelly Reichardt, and Woody freaking Allen have all taken note of her talents. While not all of the projects with those projects have completely landed with audiences and/or with critics, if more A-list helmers start calling her up and she continues boosting her artistic cred, then her shot with Oscar will come for sure.


5. Margot Robbie: With the commercial fame she has enjoyed as Harley Quinn, with some of the projects she has on the horizon outside the DC Cinematic Universe, it looks like she's starting to throw her hat in the Oscar ring. One film she has is the biopic I, Tonya where she plays Olympic skater Tonya Harding and the other is Goodbye Christopher Robin where she'll play the wife of Winnie The Pooh author A.A. Milne. If there's one thing Oscar is a sucker for, it's supportive wife roles. With how fast her star has risen, it would seem like a great time for Oscar to anoint her as one of their own.


4. Alison Janney: Alison Janney feels like a Supporting Actress winner waiting to happen. She gives me vibes of J.K. Simmons. A hard working character actress who is beloved and gets her Oscar ticket with the right role. Her upcoming supporting role in I,Tonya as the mother of skater Tonya Harding could give her a lot to chew on.


3. Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Gugu Mbatha-Raw had a stunning one-two punch with her lead roles in Belle and Beyond The Lights back in 2014. Unfortunately, she couldn't quite translate her breakthrough buzz into Oscar love, a la Carey Mulligan, despite a less competitive year due to little support from the studios behind her films. But thankfully, she's been consistently working and slowly catching the attention of moviegoers. She didn't have much to do in Concussion and she might've been a scene or two away from being more of a factor in the Supporting Actress race for Miss Sloane. But kind of like Felicity Jones, when she finally broke through with Oscar for The Theory Of Everything, I think if she gets the right role in the right year, she'll finally break through as well.


2. Elizabeth Olsen: In a weaker year for Best Actress, Elizabeth Olsen probably could've gained more traction for Martha Marcy May Marlene. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has gotten a hold of her since Martha, thankfully this year, she'll get to sink her teeth back into the indie circuit where she first made her breakthrough and she has about three films lined up: Ingrid Goes West, Wind River, and Kodachrome. The first two films will premiere at Sundance like Martha did. Can magic strike twice?


1. Scarlett Johansson: Scarlett Johansson is somebody who has the career that every actor wants. She has a billion dollar franchise under her belt, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, appearances on "Sexiest Women" lists, and plenty of artistic credibility. All that's missing is an Oscar nomination. While the upcoming Ghost In The Shell and Rock That Body aren't likely to be her ticket to the Dolby Theater, her upcoming Zelda Fitzgerald biopic could. It is her first Oscar-y role in quite a while and given how she's arguably become a bigger star since her breakthrough in 2003, it feels like it could be her time to finally reward her.

Honorable Mentions:

Emily Blunt
Rose Byrne
Kirsten Dunst
Isabelle Huppert
Margo Martindale
Robin Wright
Ziyi Zhang

Please share your thoughts in the comments section on what you think of this list and feel free to share who you think is a role or two away from Oscar glory. Thanks for reading!

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Top 10 Actors A Role Or Two Away From Their First Oscar Nomination

While these actors will likely not see their names announced on Nomination Day which is January 24th, I still wanted to do an early forecast of who we could see score their first Oscar nomination in the future. The near future. Here are ten actors that might be a role or two away from their first Oscar nomination. On a side note, I was tempted to include names like Andrew Garfield and Joel Edgerton on here. But because they are in contnetion this year and may likely get their first Oscar ticket, I decided to leave them off for now. Anyhow, let's take a look at my top 10:


10. Chris Pratt: The Guardians Of The Galaxy and Jurassic World films likely won't get him to the Dolby Theater. But given how he's currently at the height of his fame, if he lands the right revelatory serious role, we could see him join the Oscar club. Think back to when Tom Cruise was nominated for Born On The Fourth Of July and Harrison Ford for Witness. They scored their first nominations for a serious role at the height of their fame. That could do wonders for Pratt.


9. Adam Driver: Adam Driver is someone who already has a resume most actors probably dream of. He's involved in a billion dollar franchise with Star Wars, he's worked with the likes of Baumbach, Jarmusch, Scorsese, the Coens, and Soderbergh, and he's an Emmy nominee thanks to his work on Girls. So he's got plenty of box office and industry cred. Silence and Paterson might not do the trick for him this year but it'll likely happen soon I think.


8. Matthias Schoenaerts: He had a slight breakout with Rust and Bone back in 2012 but it was the more established co-star Marion Cotillard who had most of the acclaim. Still, he's been building a Hollywood profile ever since, dipping his feet in gritty indies like The Drop and Blood Ties and Oscar bait like The Danish Girl. While he wasn't given much to do in The Danish Girl, his involvement showed how he's picking the right projects to build a trajectory towards his first nomination and he's got a handful of projects on the horizon. One includes spy thriller Red Sparrow opposite Oscar club members Jennifer Lawrence and Jeremy Irons coming out later this year.


7. David Oyelowo: While Selma didn't quite do the trick for him due to bad timing since the film had such a late surge, at the very least, more people became familiar with his name. He still managed to garner an Emmy nomination for his work on Nightengale and while Queen of Katwe failed to garner a wider audience, the trajectory for his first Oscar nomination is still there. The biopic A United Kingdom is coming out next month and it might not garner much buzz due to coming out so early. But again, it shows how he's picking the right type of projects.


6. Channing Tatum: I have a feeling some may be fighting a gag reflux or scratching their heads over this one. But I believe it is bound to happen. While he may be known for his work in the Jump Street and Magic Mike, he's still been working with established directors like Tarantino, the Coens, Bennett Miller, and Steven Soderbergh. Steve Carell got all of the Best Actor attention for Foxcatcher and his films with Tarantino and the Coens, The Hateful Eight and Hail, Caesar!, didn't offer him much to do. But those directors often work with the same people. So maybe they'll return to him with bigger and better roles in the future.


5. Anthony Mackie: Anthony Mackie has been around since 2002 when he made his film debut as Papa Doc in 8 Mile. But his popularity has grown since then thanks in large part to his involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Falcon. He's also been involved in Best Picture winners like Million Dollar Baby and The Hurt Locker directed by Kathryn Bigelow who he will reteam with on the currently untitled film about the 1967 Detroit police riots. Depending on what kind of role he has, he could finally be given his due.


4. John Goodman: I think it's an absolute head-scratcher that John Goodman has not been recognized. He's been around forever, has worked with the right directors, and starred in the right projects. But thankfully, because he keeps so busy and even has about seven projects coming this year, they have plenty of chances to cite his talent. If he gets the right role and perhaps the right campaign to remind his acting peers that he's never been nominated, this will finally happen.


3. Ben Mendelsohn: He's been working steadily in Australia since the late 80's. But it was 2010 where he finally made his American breakthrough with Animal Kingdom. Since then, he's been seeking his years of dedication effort paying off thanks to his involvement in blockbusters like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the upcoming Robin Hood origin movie where he plays Sheriff of Nottingham, and his Emmy win for Bloodline which has amassed him plenty of industry goodwill. Now that Bloodline is coming to a close, it'll allow him to continue working in films and he's got plenty on the horizon like the film adaptation of Ready Player One for Steven Spielberg and the Oscar bait biopic Darkest Hour for Joe Wright where he plays a supporting role as King George VI.


2. Oscar Isaac: Another actor whose name has boosted in commercial popularity, thanks to his involvement in Star Wars, while building a trajectory towards his first Oscar nomination. Even though he's worked with the likes of the Coen Brothers and J.C. Chandor on Inside Llewyn Davis and A Most Violent Year, respectively, he has still come up short on Nomination Day. But with the projects he has set for release this year: Star Wars: Episode VIII, Annihilation where he reteams with Ex Machina director Alex Garland, the George Clooney-directed Suburbicon opposite Matt Damon and Julianne Moore, and The Kidnapping Of Edgardo Montara by a guy named Steven Spielberg, we'll probably see him at the Oscars soon.


1. Idris Elba: Right after his Oscar snub for Beasts Of No Nation, he still took home the Screen Actors Guild for Best Supporting Actor as well as the award for Best Actor In A Miniseries Or TV Movie for Luther the same night. So he's amassed plenty of goodwill from his fellow actors and with his upcoming projects that show awards promise, he could end up getting his ticket. One project is a supporting role in Molly's Game from Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin who writes and makes his directing debut while the other film is the romantic drama The Mountain Between Us opposite Kate Winslet where they play survivors of a plane crash lost in the wilderness. He'll also play the lead role in the film adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Dark Tower to help boost his visibility.


Honorable Mentions:

Steve Buscemi
Joel Edgerton
Ben Foster
Andrew Garfield
James McAvoy
Ewan McGregor
Alfred Molina
Michael Pena
Peter Sarsgaard

Please feel free to share your thoughts on this list in the comments section and who you think might be a role or two away from finally getting nominated. Thanks for reading!