Though many are not happy about it, the Academy Awards are seen as the ultimate mark of quality in the film industry, just beating the MTV Movie Awards in terms of prestige. Amidst racial controversy comes the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday, hosted by Chris Rock, and we’re here to give you the rundown on what to expect from the #OscarsSoWhite Academy Awards. Arts editor Alex Furrier and senior reporter Alex Guyton go head-to-head over who should win, and who will win, in the major categories.
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Who Should Win
Alex Furrier: Whoever ends up winning this will be a deserving recipient. Although it’s tough to pick just one, I would like to see Mark Rylance win for his performance in “Bridge of Spies.” His character was one that rarely (if ever) wins Oscars. He could be summed up in one word: understated.
Alex Guyton: “The Dark Knight Rises” co-stars reunite in this category, with Christian Bale and Tom Hardy being nominated for “The Big Short” and “The Revenant,” respectively. I would like to see either one of them win.
Who Will Win
Furrier: This one is truly a tossup, but I’m going to have to go with Sylvester Stallone for his return as the iconic Rocky Balboa in “Creed.” When in doubt, go with the award voters’ childhood icon.
Guyton: Based on the Golden Globe Awards, it looks like this is going to Stallone. Members will love the chance to honor him as Balboa one final time.
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Who Should Win
Furrier: In this category I run in the gang of Jennifer Jason Leigh’s psychotic Daisy Domergue. Blood and guts usually sway the voters’ opinions and the visceral portrayal of the character certainly did for me. If not Leigh, Alicia Vikander had quite a year with her nomination for “The Danish Girl,” after a thought-provoking mainstream arrival in “Ex Machina.”
Guyton: I favor two performances here that are on opposite poles. There is Rooney Mara’s quiet, longing performance in “Carol.” Then there is Leigh’s cackling, snarling and spitting villain in Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.” I’ll give the nudge to Leigh, because she’s coated in an obscene amount of blood, guts and brains by film’s end.
Who Will Win
Furrier: The momentum is behind Vikander in this one and it never hurts to star opposite the winner of last year’s Best Actor in a Leading Role, in this case, Eddie Redmayne.
Guyton: Unfortunately, my two preferences don’t seem to have a hope, as it’s looking like Kate Winslet in “Steve Jobs” has this locked up, which is fine since she was very good in that.
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Who Should Win
Furrier: This is a weird situation where the supporting acting categories seem to be closer races than the leading roles. For once, Leonardo DiCaprio is not stuck in a loaded field of heavyweight nominees. While he gave a truly “Oscar-worthy” performance full of screams and anguish, DiCaprio fully deserves this one.
Guyton: A large part of “The Revenant” was a one-man show, a responsibility that was placed squarely on the shoulders of its leading man. The physical taxation of shooting in the biting cold would almost be enough for a win, but it’s the turmoil and struggle that plays on his face is what brings it home. On a side note, I would have no qualms with Michael Fassbender winning for “Steve Jobs,” even though he should have been nominated for “Macbeth” instead.
Who Will Win
Furrier: Kim Kardashian claimed to have broken the Internet, but that moment will truly arrive when Leonardo DiCaprio’s name is finally called Sunday in his long-awaited win for Best Actor.
Guyton: I agree with you, Alex. The “Leo-never-winning-an-Oscar” memes will finally be put to rest when DiCaprio takes home the gold. I can’t wait to see what the “Leo-finally-winning-an-Oscar” memes will look like.
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Who Should Win
Furrier: As leader of the Brie Larson fan club, this one is a no brainer. If she somehow doesn’t win, expect an unofficial boycott of the Academy Awards from me, complete with a Twitter rant and an appropriate hashtag. Seriously though, Larson deserves this one and I will be a human sad emoji if she doesn’t win.
Guyton: I agree with you again, Alex. Are you accepting new members into your fan club? She, along with young co-star Jacob Tremblay, was heart-wrenching in “Room.”
Who Will Win
Guyton: As someone who considers Jennifer Lawrence one of the best young actresses, God help me if she repeats her Golden Globe Award win as rags-to-QVC-riches Joy Mangano. She haphazardly dropped in and out of a Jersey accent throughout the entire movie. The academy awards Brie Larson.
Furrier: I definitely agree with all that. Lawrence is great, but she needs to try something new before she makes it back onstage. Larson made a pretty clean sweep of this category across the awards circuit, so I would be shocked if someone else usurps her.
BEST DIRECTOR
Who Should Win
Furrier: I’m surprised it’s taken this long for my irrational love of the “Mad Max” films to come out. My vote here is for George Miller, but I think the academy’s goodwill was largely spent just putting him among the nominees. Action and comedies still have a second-tier art stigma at the Oscars, but Miller created a masterpiece of adrenaline with “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Not to mention Miller had to fight to make the film as far back 1997. All those years of hard work certainly paid off in the final product and it would be nice to see the academy recognize that.
Guyton: Prior to “The Big Short,” Adam McKay directed “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and “Step Brothers.” Let that sink in for a moment. In his Academy Award-nominated film about the global economic meltdown of 2008, he not only relays complex financial concepts effectively to the audience, but does so with side-splitting laughter.
Who Will Win
Furrier: Alejandro González Iñárritu because, as we learned from the “The Revenant,” the world is a cruel place that exists to crush your dreams, specifically dreams that involve the director of “Happy Feet” winning best director.
Guyton: This is a two-person race between Miller and Iñárritu, and I believe the academy gives the nod to the director of “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Miller is 70 years old and he came in and directed circles around every other contender with “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The action is just bonkers. Also, Iñárritu won last year for “Birdman” and the academy doesn’t like to repeat.
BEST PICTURE
Who Should Win
Furrier: “Mad Max: Fury Road” or “Room.” Why? Those were two of my favorite movies from 2015. It’s as simple as that. Will they win? No; but that’s OK. It’s nice to see great movies that don’t fit into the traditional Oscars mold get some love. The fact that a big-budget action film and a small, character-driven indie flick are among the nominees gives me hope.
Guyton: “The Big Short” is the only movie on the Best Picture list that I saw twice and did so gladly. When I had heard that a friend hadn’t seen it yet, I was the one who suggested we go, even though I had seen it already. It was the most enjoyable time I had at a theater in 2015.
Who Will Win
Furrier: “The Revenant,” because the Oscars are all about taking two steps forward and one step back. The film checks most of the boxes of a Best Picture film: a director with a track record (Iñárritu won Best Director for last year’s “Birdman”), lots of “ACTING!” moments and a grueling production in the name of greater art.
Guyton: It’s either going to be “The Revenant” or “The Big Short,” although I put down $10 on “Brooklyn.” You just can’t pass up the payout on 100-1 odds.
Academy of Alex Awards
Guyton: I feel a partial affinity to this film and its connection to the southwest, but how in the world did “Sicario” just fall off the face of the Earth? I consider it one of the best, if not the best, movie I saw last year. It was well-directed, well-acted, timely and intense.
Furrier: I agree. It’s perplexing that “Sicario” got zero recognition on the awards circuit. In my kingdom, Jacob Tremblay as Jack in “Room” would have won for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. His performance was the linchpin that held the film together, a feat impressive for any actor, let alone a 9-year-old one. I also would have liked to see “The End of the Tour” get more love as a film that is more or less a two-hour conversation that manages to captive and engage the entire time. Jason Segel took a risk outside his wheelhouse by taking on the role of the enigmatic David Foster Wallace and somehow managed to transform from the lumbering, gentle giant character archetype he’s known for into the soft-spoken, multi-layered Wallace.
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