Oscars 2017

[RobertR]

The Academy Awards nominations come out next week, always a good excuse for a movie discussion topic. I'd say that the following are the frontrunners for the Best Picture nominations, probably in about this order of likelihood.

 

LA LA LAND

MOONLIGHT

ARRIVAL

MANCHESTER BY THE SEAS

HELL OR HIGH WATER

FENCES

LION

HIDDEN FIGURES

HACKSAW RIDGE

 

I'd say that the top five are virtual locks and there's some play in the rest. I suppose that JACKIE, LOVING, 20TH CENTURY WOMEN, and surprisingly DEADPOOL are the wild cards that could sneak in as well.

 

I'll have more to say later, but any thoughts on the potential nominations or 2016 in film in general?

[jerichoholicninja]

Only heard of 3 of those and seen none.

[homer]

Only heard of 3 of those and seen none.

 

Your loss

[nodakfan17]

I really haven't been a fan of the Academy Awards since A Beautiful Mind edged out The Ladies Man for Best Picture back in 2001.

[GAME05]

If you like drama, the speeches this year are sure to be entertaining.

[pacopete4]

Hidden Figures was awesome. The fact that it's a story most have never heard is so sad for women and for black people. Just shows how distorted history can be.

[danzig6767]

Hell or High Water was my favorite movie of the year.

[RobertR]

Here are the nominees.

 

Best picture:

“Arrival”

“Fences”

“Hacksaw Ridge”

“Hell or High Water”

“Hidden Figures”

“La La Land”

“Manchester by the Sea”

“Lion”

“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”

 

Best director:

Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival”

Mel Gibson, “Hacksaw Ridge”

Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”

Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”

Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”

 

Animated feature:

“Kubo and the Two Strings”

“Moana”

“My Life as a Zucchini”

“The Red Turtle”

“Zootopia”

 

Animated short:

“Blind Vaysha”

“Borrowed Time”

“Pear Cider and Cigarettes”

“Pearl”

“Piper”

 

Adapted screenplay:

“Arrival”

“Fences”

“Hidden Figures”

“Lion”

“Moonlight”

 

Original screenplay:

“Hell or High Water”

“La La Land”

“The Lobster”

“Manchester by the Sea”

“20th Century Women”

 

Cinematography:

“Arrival”

“La La Land”

“Lion”

“Moonlight”

“Silence”

 

Best documentary feature:

“Fire at Sea”

“I Am Not Your Negro”

“Life, Animated”

“OJ: Made in America”

“13th”

 

Best documentary short subject:

“Extremist”

“4.1 Miles”

“Joe’s Violin”

“Watani My Homeland”

“The White Helmets”

 

Best live-action short film:

“Ennemis Interieurs”

“La Femme et le TGV”

“Silent Nights”

“Sing”

“Timecode”

 

Best foreign language film:

“A Man Called Ove”

“Land of Mine”

“Tanna”

“The Salesman”

“Toni Erdmann”

 

Film editing:

“Arrival”

“Hacksaw Ridge”

“Hell or High Water”

“La La Land”

“Moonlight”

 

Sound editing:

“Arrival”

“Deep Water Horizon”

“Hacksaw Ridge”

“La La Land”

“Sully”

 

Sound mixing:

“Arrival”

“Hacksaw Ridge”

“La La Land”

“Rogue One”

“13 Hours”

 

Production design:

“Arrival”

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”

“Hail Caesar!”

“La La Land”

“Passengers”

 

Original score:

“Jackie”

“La La Land”

“Lion”

“Moonlight”

“Passengers”

 

Original song:

Audition, “La La Land”

Can’t Stop the Feeling!, “Trolls”

City of Stars, “La La Land”

The Empty Chair, “Jim: The James Foley Story”

How Far I’ll Go, “Moana”

 

Makeup and hair:

“A Man Called Ove”

“Star Trek Beyond”

“Suicide Squad”

 

Costume design:

“Allied”

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”

“Florence Foster Jenkins”

“Jackie”

“La La Land”

 

Visual effects:

“Deepwater Horizon”

“Doctor Strange”

“Jungle Book”

“Kubo and the Two Strings”

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

[FVBrewerFan]

Loved Hell or High Water. Was stoked to see Arrival, at the time RT had a score of like 98% or something. It was good, and yes I think I picked up on most of the messages, just didn't love it. I will see Hacksaw Ridge at some point, doubt I will see any other of the best picture nominees. No, I won't be watching the Oscars.

[RobertR]

I have the afternoon off, so I'm going to start catching up. Of the nominees, here is what I've seen.

 

“Arrival”

“Hell or High Water”

“Moonlight”

"Loving"

“Toni Erdmann”

“Life, Animated”

“OJ: Made in America”

“Hail Caesar!”

“Doctor Strange”

“A Man Called Ove”

“Star Trek Beyond”

“Suicide Squad”

“Jungle Book”

"Zootopia"

“Kubo and the Two Strings”

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

“The Lobster”

“20th Century Women”

 

I regret not finding time in my schedule for "Tanna" at the Milwaukee Film Festival.

 

Based on what I've seen and read, this is a pretty solid list of nominees. Albeit, Amy Adams was robbed. Finding Dory was not, IMO.

 

Smaller/genre films that didn't have a chance that are worth looking for: "The Witch" for Art Direction, "The Love Witch" for Costumes, "Green Room" and "The Fits" for just being excellent films, "Sing Street" for Best Song (pick one), and John Goodman for Best Supporting Actor for "10 Cloverfield Lane". Otherwise, I don't think there's really all that much to complain about this year.

[nate82]

John Goodman for Best Supporting Actor for "10 Cloverfield Lane". Otherwise, I don't think there's really all that much to complain about this year.

 

Goodman was the only good thing in that movie.

[bjkrautk]

Like the past 2 years, I haven't seen any of the Oscar picks yet...because I'm going for the Marcus Theaters film festival / crash course on the best picture nominees. (Why does it have to be 9 films...do they realize how hard that is to cram into a couple Saturdays?!?)

 

Honestly, "La La Land" is the only one of the nine I would have dropped $5 for a Tuesday evening viewing...if I hadn't been virtually certain it was going to be nominated. "Whiplash" wasn't my favorite film while watching the nominees 2 years ago, but it's certainly the one which stuck with me, so I'm curious to see Chazelle's next project. (...and having Emma Stone in it doesn't exactly hurt, either.)

[RobertR]

I expect that the marathons will be a better watch simply because there's a musical, western, war film, and science fiction film mixed into the usual bunch of dramas. Even among the dramas, I expect that Hidden Figures will be a very different experience than Manchester by the Sea.

 

They nominated the wrong supporting actor from HELL OR HIGH WATER, imo. I don't know how you can watch that film and not think Ben Foster is the standout.

 

Documentary is a strong category this year. That O.J. documentary was riveting over its whole run time.

 

Animation is also very deep this year. Pixar didn't get a nomination and it may have been entirely justified. I'm expecting ZOOTOPIA to win, although maybe KUBO is a dark horse.

 

I think TONI ERDMANN is the frontrunner in foreign language film. Those expecting MRS. DOUBTFIRE type hijinks based on the rough description should be warned that it's a lot more extreme than that type of humor. The latest political kerfuffle might help THE SALESMAN though, albeit it might be a bit too soon after A SEPARATION for a repeat foreign language film winner.

[homer]

Yeah Ben Foster was incredible in Hell or High Water.

[DuWayne Steurer]

In the past few weeks I've managed to catch Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, and Arrival. I'd have to say Hell or High Water was my favorite of the three.

 

Jeff Bridges is a national treasure.

 

I'm going to make time to work down the list this year.... something I've not done in years past, and get outside my comfort zone. See what I'm missing out on.

[RobertR]

I've seen La La Land. I like La La Land. I don't know how I feel about it being the frontrunner.

 

Certainly it's better than The Artist and Chicago for 21st century throwbacks in form. Still, I'd really like a musical to blow me away with at least one number and I don't think anything rose above "very good". In terms of songs, I liked Sing Street better. But, Stone is great, Gosling is very good, there's a bit of meat on the story, and you can't say it isn't ambitious, trying to appeal to a young modern audience and trying to uphold the form of a classic Hollywood musical, an original no less, at the same time. And bonus points for pulling the camera back. But, ultimately it's a movie that I like more than love. Still, worse movies have won Best Picture.

[RobertR]

Here are my predictions:

 

Here are the nominees.

 

Best picture:

“La La Land”

 

Lead actor:

Denzel Washington, “Fences”

 

Lead actress:

Emma Stone, “La La Land”

 

 

Supporting actor:

Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight”

 

Supporting actress:

Viola Davis, “Fences”

 

Best director:

Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”

 

Animated feature:

“Zootopia”

 

Animated short:

“Piper”

 

Adapted screenplay:

“Moonlight”

 

Original screenplay:

“Manchester by the Sea”

 

Cinematography:

“La La Land”

 

Best documentary feature:

“OJ: Made in America”

 

Best documentary short subject:

“Joe’s Violin”

 

Best live-action short film:

“Ennemis Interieurs”

 

 

Best foreign language film:

“Toni Erdmann”

 

Film editing:

“La La Land”

 

 

Sound editing:

“Arrival”

 

Sound mixing:

“La La Land”

 

Production design:

“La La Land”

 

 

Original score:

“La La Land”

 

 

Original song:

City of Stars, “La La Land”

 

Makeup and hair:

“Star Trek Beyond”

 

Costume design:

“La La Land”

 

Visual effects:

“Jungle Book”

 

 

************

 

FWIW, I'm up to 5 of the 8 BP nominees watched with Manchester by the Sea added to my list. I think it's pretty terrific, as it avoids most of the melodramatic pitfalls it could find itself victim of. In many ways, it's the anti-The King's Speech.

[superfly]

I'm not big on these "social issues" and such, but I hope Hidden Figures wins a bunch of stuff. What a fantastic movie (and fantastic acting).

[bjkrautk]

I'm not big on these "social issues" and such, but I hope Hidden Figures wins a bunch of stuff. What a fantastic movie (and fantastic acting).

 

Hidden Figures and Arrival were my favorite of the 9 best picture nominees (now that I've seen them all).

[pitchleague]

I got 15 of 24 correct, which is considerably better than last year's abysmal 5-correct evening.

 

A friend got 19 of 24 correct.

[Dean Machine]

That was a dreadful ceremony and 3 years from now nobody will even remember what won this year.

[pacopete4]

The Oscars need to take a look at how they do things. There is no reason for that thing to last 3+ hours.

[FVBrewerFan]

The Oscars need to take a look at how they do things. There is no reason for that thing to last 3+ hours.

 

It is quite amazing they haven't figured that out. I imagine advertisers pay big money at the very beginning and very end during the biggest awards 99% of people care about. But they must lose a ton of audience by then, heck it's Midnight on the East Coast by the time they're done. No reason they can't condense the show to a tidy two hours.

[pacopete4]

The Oscars need to take a look at how they do things. There is no reason for that thing to last 3+ hours.

 

It is quite amazing they haven't figured that out. I imagine advertisers pay big money at the very beginning and very end during the biggest awards 99% of people care about. But they must lose a ton of audience by then, heck it's Midnight on the East Coast by the time they're done. No reason they can't condense the show to a tidy two hours.

 

Maybe hold a smaller Oscars acceptance for the awards no one really cares about and then a two hour Oscars with the main awards with some musical performances within.

[FVBrewerFan]

Yea, they actually do that already. They have a separate Oscars for most of the technical categories. Other than the "Big 6" people don't really care. Sure, you can add in a few more and still easily keep it within 2 hours.