Mike’s Fearless 2016 Oscar Picks

Mike’s Fearless 2016 Oscar Picks

I am picking who I think will win, not who I want to win. I also, when necessary, I pick a possible upset winner.
Best Short Film, Live Action

Shok – A man relives his painful childhood.
Possible Upset – Stutterer

Best Short Film, Animated

World of Tomorrow – Funny film about a girl who comes from the future to talk to her 5-year old self.
Possible Upset – Bear Story

Best Documentary, Short Subject

A Girl in the River – Only category that I did not see but I heard great things about this film.
Possible Upset – Body Team 12

Best Documentary

Amy – I wasn’t a fan of Amy Winehouse till I saw this film, then I fell in love with her.
Possible Upset – The Look of Silence

Visual Effects

Mad Max: Fury Road – Because so much of the film wasn’t done with a “Green Screen.”
Possible Upset – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Sound Editing

Mad Max: Fury Road – You have the pick the film with the guy playing an electric guitar on the hood of a truck going 80 mph.
Possible Upset – Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Sound Mixing

Mad Max: Fury Road – Once again guitar playing at 80 mph.
Possible Upset – Star Wars; The Force Awakens

Best Song

“Til It Happens to You” The Hunting Ground – Lady Gaga’s co-writer of this song is Eight-time nominee Diane Warren, it’s time.
Possible Upset – “Earned It” Fifty Shades of Grey

Best Score

Ennio Morricone – The Hateful Eight – Musical overture at the beginning of the film set the tone for the rest of the movie.

Make-up and Hairstyling

Mad Max: Fury Road – A lot of dust and short haircut and still Charlize Theron looked amazing.

Best Costume Design
Carol – Made the 1950’s seem cool. Plus costume designer Sandy Powell has been nominated ten times, winning three.
Possible Upset – Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Production Design
Mad Max: Fury Road – Cool cars flying around the desert.

Best Editing

The Big Short – Editing helped make this film shorter than it’s 2 hour 10 minute run time.
Possible Upset – Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Cinematography

Emmanuel Lubezki – The Revenant – The film was shot only with available light.
Possible Upset – The Hateful Eight

Best Foreign Language Film

Son of Saul – The movie about the Holocaust will haunt me for years.

Best Animated Feature

Inside Out – Pixar has lost the last two years but not this year.
Possible Upset – Anomalisa

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Big Short – The film made finance sexy and smart.

Best Original Screenplay

Spotlight – Great conversation scenes made this film work incredibly well.
Best Supporting Actress

Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl – Toped off an amazing year for Vikander with this film.
Possible Upset – Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs

Best Supporting Actor

Sylvester Stallone – Creed – One heck of a performance for Sly.
Possible Upset – Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies

Best Actress

Brie Larson – Room – Larson has become one of the best actresses out there.
Possible Upset – Charlotte Rampling – 45 Years

Best Actor

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant – Hollywood will finally reward Leo for a role where he spoke more Pawnee than English.
Possible Upset – The Bear – The Revenant

Best Director

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu – The Revenant – Turned a huge mess of a production into a huge hit.
Possible Upset – George Miller – Max Max: Fury Road

Best Picture

The Big Short – No real frontrunner helped this film in the end.
Possible Upset – The Revenant

 

Check out what Tampa CW film critic T.M. Powell here.

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