NIGHT 5: TOP AWARDS – 2018 Oscar Blog/Podcast

March 4, 2018

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Call Me by Your Name - James Ivory
• Logan - Scott Frank, James Mangold, Michael Green
• Molly's Game - Aaron Sorkin
• Mudbound - Dee Rees, Virgil Williams
• The Disaster Artist - Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber

Who I’d vote for: Logan – Hands down. This is the only chance to vote for one of my Top 5 films of the year. It’s a shame that this is its only nomination; at the very least Patrick Stewart should have also been nominated. Though Deadpool’s R rating opened the door for this, Logan’s screenplay nomination has changed the game for the superhero genre. Allowing for graphic violence and a little salty language only amplifies what you can do in this realm of motion picture. Logan is essentially a Western in X-Men clothing; paying respect to the classics, most notably Shane. We will now be able to enjoy different genres within the superhero community instead of the typically one note “have to save the world from evil” mentality. Case in point: 2018’s The New Mutants set in the X-Men universe will be the first true horror film from Marvel. Logan also boasts the best ending to a script in all of 2017. It was a perfect goodbye to Hugh Jackman’s ‘Wolverine’.
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Who will win: Call Me by Your Name – Logan, Mudbound and The Disaster Artist will all be on the outside looking in on the battle between Molly’s Game and Call Me by Your Name. At first, I thought that Aaron Sorkin (West Wing, Social Network, and Moneyball) was a lock in this category for his magnificently paced screenplay for Molly’s Game. Sorkin has the ability to make a biopic feel like an action film. The pace never lets up and if you love poker (like I do) than you’ll love this movie. But I believe the Academy will ultimately hand the hardware to James Ivory’s script for Call Me by Your Name. It is the only film in this category that is nominated for Best Picture; a huge advantage over the other nominees. There’s also that poignant soliloquy given by Michael Stuhlbarg at the end of the film. Stuhlbarg (playing Chalamet’s father) comforts and explains to his son that it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. All children (straight or gay) should receive this kind of support from their parents. The legendary Ivory (previously nominated for Best Director for Room with a View, Howards End and Remains of the Day) will finally win his first Oscar; this time for screenplay.

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Best Original Screenplay

• Get Out - Jordan Peele
• Lady Bird - Greta Gerwig
• The Big Sick - Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon
• The Shape of Water - Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Martin McDonagh

Who I’d vote for: Lady Bird – This category may be the only chance for Lady Bird to walk away a winner on Sunday. That statement is extremely surprising considering Lady Bird is the best reviewed film of 2017, at one time registering a perfect 100% on RottenTomatoes.com. The script moves effortlessly through teenage angst and drama to absurd comedy. But at the core of the film is the relationship between parent and child. We must never forget the sacrifices our parents have made for us; never take them for granted. That’s right, go and call your mother right now!

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Who will win – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – This is one of the toughest categories to predict. We have four Best Picture nominees and the independent comedy darling The Big Sick. Each script will get a ton of votes so this could very well be a pentagonal coin flip. I think Three Billboards will narrowly scrape by the other nominees for its timely subject matter. The script touches on themes that resonate with the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements simultaneously. The Academy tends to decide their winners based on the current political, cultural and social climate. Expect Three Billboards to come away with Original Screenplay for those very reasons.

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Best Achievement in Directing

• Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk
• Greta Gerwig - Lady Bird
• Guillermo del Toro - The Shape of Water
• Jordan Peele - Get Out
• Paul Thomas Anderson - Phantom Thread

Who I’d vote for: Christopher Nolan – It’s shocking to me that this is Christopher Nolan’s first nomination for Best Director. The genius behind Memento, The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, and Interstellar finally gets his due with this nomination. Dunkirk is a truly unique film in structure; three separate perspectives over three different time frames told simultaneously through one cohesive story. The intense and innovative style of Dunkirk is second to none in this category.

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Who will win: Guillermo del Toro – Unfortunately for Nolan, his film came out the same year that The Shape of Water did. Guillermo del Toro seems destined to win Best Director after taking home the prize at the majority of the previous ceremonies including the Director’s Guild Awards. That’s usually a solid indication of things to come. And he deserves it. His direction has made audiences buy into a love story between a woman and a fish-man. Yes, it evokes and perhaps borrows the same themes of Beauty and the Beast and Creature from the Black Lagoon but it feels less like fantasy and more like reality thanks to del Toro’s adept and masterful hand.

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Best Motion Picture of the Year

• Call Me by Your Name: Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges, Marco Morabito
• Darkest Hour: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten, Douglas Urbanski
• Dunkirk: Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan
• Get Out: Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Jordan Peele
• Lady Bird: Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Evelyn O'Neill
• Phantom Thread: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison, Daniel Lupi
• The Post: Amy Pascal, Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger
• The Shape of Water: Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin, Martin McDonagh

Who I’d vote for: Dunkirk – Since they are not nominated for Best Picture, I cannot vote for Blade Runner 2049, Baby Driver or Logan. Therefore, I go to the next one in line on my top films of 2017 list…Dunkirk. I cannot express enough how I love the structure of this film. A lot of people were thrown off by the different timelines but for me, it clicked instantly. Anytime you can bring innovation to film I am going to shout your praises from the mountaintop. Out of the 9 nominees, Dunkirk is the best of the bunch.

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Who will win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – In the overall past history of the Oscars, the winner of Best Director typically lined up with the winner of Best Picture. But in recent years the Academy has spread the awards around like it is little league where everybody gets a trophy. I see that trend continuing this Sunday. While I feel that The Shape of Water has an excellent shot of winning the top honor, I believe it will be Three Billboards who walks away triumphant at the end of the telecast. Think about the past two award ceremonies. Spotlight beat out Mad Max: Fury Road. Moonlight beat out La La Land. Mad Max & La La Land both won an armful of awards before inexplicably losing Best Picture. Again, this is the socio-political statement that Hollywood loves to make. Expect Martin McDonagh, Frances McDormand and company to be the last image you see on stage this evening.

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Thank you for reading and hopefully listening to our Oscar 2018 predictions. Check back in the near future for an Oscar 2018 Recap where we will see just how right or wrong we were.

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NIGHT 3: VISUALS – 2018 Oscar Blog/Podcast

March 2, 2018

Best Animated Feature Film

·         Coco - Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson

·         Ferdinand - Carlos Saldanha

·         Loving Vincent - Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Ivan Mactaggart

·         The Boss Baby - Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito

·         The Breadwinner - Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo

Who I’d vote for: Coco – Admittedly, I haven’t seen some of these but I don’t think it would matter one bit. I did think there weren’t enough musical numbers (perhaps Moana spoiled me) but there was no lack of visual stimulation. The colorful world built by the animators delivered on all levels. The visual feast would have been enough to dazzle me but the theme of never forgetting your ancestors still resonates. Disney did it again… surprise, surprise.

Who will win: Coco – Sometimes there is a colossal upset in this category where the barely seen independent or foreign film topples the big budget or domestic frontrunner. Loving Vincent could do just that since it can boast being the first fully painted animated film. That’s right, I said painted. The film was shot in live action and then painstakingly painted by hand in the style of Van Gogh. The Academy could reward this innovation but ultimately I think Coco wins. Hollywood will relish the opportunity to crown this cultural film in Trump’s America. Plus, it’s a pretty moving film that could ultimately help a generation of kids understand death a little better.

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Best Achievement in Visual Effects

·         Blade Runner 2049 - John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover

·         Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Daniel Sudick

·         Kong: Skull Island - Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Michael Meinardus

·         Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi - Ben Morris, Michael Mulholland, Neal Scanlan, Chris Corbould

·         War for the Planet of the Apes - Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon, Joel Whist

Who I’d vote for: War for the Planet of the Apes – This is one of the toughest categories for me to decide on. I’m tempted to say Blade Runner 2049 because it should win any award with the word visual in the title. Kong: Skull Island was extremely realistic despite the far-fetched premise. But I have to give credit where credit is due: War for the Planet of the Apes delivers on a massive scale.

Who will win: War for the Planet of the Apes - This ground-breaking trilogy revolutionized motion capture. The previous two installments were both nominated but ultimately lost out on Oscar night; which is pretty hard to believe. I think the Academy rights those wrongs by rewarding this statuette to the third and final installment. Hail Caesar!

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Best Achievement in Film Editing

·         Baby Driver - Paul Machliss, Jonathan Amos

·         Dunkirk - Lee Smith

·         I, Tonya - Tatiana S. Riegel

·         The Shape of Water - Sidney Wolinsky

·         Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Jon Gregory

Who I’d vote for: Dunkirk- Three different perspectives: one week on land, one day at sea, one hour in the air coming together in a perfect crescendo. Christopher Nolan has always had a fascination of playing with time in his films: Memento, Insomnia, Inception, and Interstellar. But this time he has outdone himself.

Who will win: Dunkirk – I think Baby Driver and The Shape of Water have a real chance here but there has never been a film put together like Dunkirk. Lee Smith, the film’s editor, deserves to take home his 1^st Oscar on his 3^rd nomination. All the other editors are first-time nominees, so that may enhance Smith’s odds even more.

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Best Achievement in Cinematography

·         Blade Runner 2049 - Roger Deakins

·         Darkest Hour - Bruno Delbonnel

·         Dunkirk - Hoyte Van Hoytema

·         Mudbound - Rachel Morrison

·         The Shape of Water - Dan Laustsen

Who I’d vote for: Blade Runner 2049 – I have two favorite cinematographers of all time: Conrad L. Hall and Roger Deakins. There is no living DP who I respect more. Deakins’ collaboration with the Coen Brothers is second to none in my humble opinion but his work with Denis Villeneuve is slowing creeping up. No film this year was as beautifully shot as Blade Runner 2049.

Who will win: Blade Runner 2049 – While it would be tempting to vote for Rachel Morrison, the first women ever nominated in this category, I believe this is the year Deakins finally takes home his Oscar. There have been 14 nominations over the years for the legendary cinematographer for films including Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, No Country for Old Men, Skyfall, and Sicario. Deakins is due and the members of the Academy are well aware of it.

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Check back tomorrow for Part 4: Acting!

NIGHT 2: SOUND – 2018 Oscar Blog/Podcast

March 1, 2018

 Tonight we focus on the aural. Music and sound are instrumental to filmmaking and allow for some of our favorite movie moments. Dunkirk & Baby Driver are two of my top films this year; both utilized their sound designs to the fullest. Let’s check out the nominees and what to expect in the music and sound categories…

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

·         Dunkirk - Hans Zimmer

·         Phantom Thread - Jonny Greenwood

·         Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi - John Williams

·         The Shape of Water - Alexandre Desplat

·         Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Carter Burwell

Who I’d vote for: The Shape of Water – Del Toro’s masterpiece crosses many genres: science fiction, romance, comedy, horror and heist are at the core of this film. I’m especially drawn to the moments that are reminiscent of French new wave cinema. Desplat’s score seamlessly maneuvers between genre switches and gives the film a consistent tone.

Who will win: The Shape of Water – This is Alexandre Desplat’s 9^th Oscar nomination and will likely be his 2^nd win (The Grand Budapest Hotel). John Williams got his unprecedented 51^st nomination with The Last Jedi but Hans Zimmer’s experimental score for Dunkirk and Jonny Greenwood’s luscious composition for Phantom Thread are the only real threats to Desplat’s chances. Still, I see this being one of multiple awards taken home by the crew of The Shape of Water.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

·         Call Me by Your Name - Sufjan Stevens “Mystery of Love”

·         Coco - Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez “Remember Me”

·         Marshall - Common, Diane Warren “Stand Up for Something”

·         Mudbound - Raphael Saadiq, Mary J. Blige, Taura Stinson “Mighty River”

·         The Greatest Showman - Benj Pasek, Justin Paul “This is Me”

Who I’d vote for: The Greatest Showman – If it were up to me Pasek and Paul would win their 2^nd Oscar in as many years (La La Land). “This is Me” is a catchy showstopper that will have you humming it all the way home. It also has a message of acceptance, tolerance and self-empowerment sung by a bearded-lady; everyone should be looking forward to Keala Settle’s performance this Sunday.

Who will win: Coco – The songwriters behind Frozen’s “Let it Go” will likely win their 2^nd Oscar instead of Pasek & Paul. “Remember Me” is the beautiful spine of this animated film that deals with death so poignantly. The song entertainingly drives the film’s point home that our ancestors should never be forgotten.

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Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

·         Baby Driver - Tim Cavagin, Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater

·         Blade Runner 2049 - Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, Mac Ruth

·         Dunkirk - Gregg Landaker, Gary Rizzo, Mark Weingarten

·         Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi - Michael Semanick, David Parker, Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce

·         The Shape of Water - Christian T. Cooke, Glen Gauthier, Brad Zoern

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Who I’d vote for: Baby Driver – Although Dunkirk’s sound design is pretty incredible, I’m inclined to back one of my favorite films of the year, Baby Driver. Director Edgar Wright had a clear sound design long before the script was ever written; he wanted the actions to follow the music and vice versa. Baby Driver’s sound mixing is a thing of poetic beauty. Watch this film intently and see how many actions match the sounds and music; the symphony is something to behold.

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Who will win: Dunkirk – This film has a minimalist script with very little dialogue and still comes away as one of the best films of the year. Why? The sound design. Whether on land, sea or air the audience is put right in the middle of this harrowing event from World War II. War movies are always a safe bet in the sound categories; this year is no different.

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Best Achievement in Sound Editing

·         Baby Driver - Julian Slater

·         Blade Runner 2049 - Mark A. Mangini, Theo Green

·         Dunkirk - Richard King, Alex Gibson

·         Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi - Matthew Wood, Ren Klyce

·         The Shape of Water - Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira

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Who I’d vote for: Baby Driver – See above. This is my favorite sound design for a film in many years. This is a unique take on a musical. It’s not a musical in the traditional sense but a musical nonetheless. Every scene and plot point is propelled by music; and eclectic music at that. This wasn’t the hackneyed collection of radio hits so many films mindlessly use (I’m looking at you Suicide Squad). Baby Driver showed the world that a popcorn movie can also be intelligently crafted.

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Who will win: Dunkirk – Again, see above. How can a film be so riveting with little to no dialogue? The intensity comes from the sound design and, of course, Hans Zimmer’s score. Dunkirk will likely lose out on most of its other nominations which is certainly a shame for Christopher Nolan, who finally got his 1^st Oscar nod for directing. The Academy will make sure that Dunkirk won’t go home empty-handed by rewarding the film with both Sound statuettes.

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Check back in tomorrow for Night 3: Visuals!