Best Actor
There, I’ve said it. I’ll probably incur the wrath of numerous Leo fans but I sincerely believe that the American actor and serial model dater should not win the Best Actor award in the 2016 Oscars. If there was a Trials and Tribulations Award, then by all means grant it to Leonardo DiCaprio; he would certainly deserve it.
Let’s be honest. The only reason why Leo is in the running for this year’s Best Actor award is on the strength of a global Internet campaign to give him that midget bald statue. The man is an excellent actor. I watched his evolution from a wide-eyed boy in Titanic and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape to his stellar dramatic turns in Gangs of New York and The Departed , and his villanious roles in Django Unchained and Wolf of Wall Street. Each and every one of those roles were deserved of the praise heaped on them, and if I had to choose one to win an Oscar, it would be his supporting role as Arnie, a boy with a developmental disability in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.
As for The Revenant, it was essentially a Michael Bay-esque film but with sceneries instead of explosions. Granted, the film had gorgeous cinematography but there were barely any character or relationship development (did you feel anything for Leo’s relationship with his son?), the plot was plodding at best and the only reason why Leo took the role was because the director was famous and served his best chance to win that coveted Oscar.
There are far more deserved winners in this year’s race, not least Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs and Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl, two excellent roles that left me feeling overwhelmed after the end credits ran.
My pick: Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs but based on the previous award shows, it would probably go to Leonardo DiCaprio in, my opinion, his weakest role to be nominated for an Oscar yet.
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Best Picture
I am rooting for Mad Max: Fury Road simply because it was surprisingly in-depth and entertaining at the same time. What other film had you on the edge of your seats while still bringing up questions of power, gender stereotypes and governmental oversight?
The Big Short was also a hugely entertaining film on the 2008 financial crisis, largely fuelled by an amazing Christian Bale. Seriously, this man is incredibly underrated as an actor simply because he shuns the limelight.
And of course The Revenant, which is the frontrunner and which I feel does not deserve an Oscar.
These are the three films jostling for the crown and I think it goes to…
My pick: Mad Max: Fury Road but it would probably go to The Revenant based on its win in the quite predictive Directors Guild of America.
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Best Actress
Hands down this award will go to Brie Larson in Room, unless something shocking happens. The unknown American actress swept every award show before today’s Oscars and while the other nominated actresses, not least the young and extremely talented Saoirse Ronan, are in with a shout, the panel of judges for the Oscars do tend to follow popular sentiment.
My pick: Brie Larson in Room
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Best Director
This is a real toss up and all the directors nominated all have a strong case for winning the Oscar. Tom McCarthy’s nuanced handling of real-life events in the investigative film Spotlight deserves mention as well as Adam McKay’s ability to turn a thorny issue into an understandable, entertaining and smart film in The Big Short.
However, the Oscars tend to follow the lead of the Directors Guild of America, so that means the bald-headed midget will be handed to Alejandro G Innaritu for The Revenant even though I’m hoping against hope that George Miller will somehow trump him for Mad Max: Fury Road.
My pick: George Miller for Mad Max: Fury Road or Alejandro G Innaritu for (urgh) The Revenant
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We’ll find out in just a couple of hours. Feel free to toss eggs or laurel wreaths at me, depending on whether you agree or disagree with my picks. If you’re at work follow a textual livestream of the Oscars here.