Team Experience: Personal Favorite Oscar Nods
Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 1:30PM While I update the charts I asked the team to share their single favorite Oscar nomination of the day. And I hope you'll pick a single nomination to praise in the comments to. What most delighted you?
And now the favorite things hoopla begins...
Mad Max: Fury Road - Best Picture
Back in May, critics and cinephiles, myself included, fell in love with Mad Max: Fury Road. It wasn’t just lust or infatuation. It was the kind of love that breeds doubt that others could see in the movie what we saw. Perhaps for that reason, a chorus of moans immediately went up about how not only is the Academy so often forgetful of Spring films, but that Mad Max was probably too fun, too action-y, too daring, hell, too feminist, for the academy to acknowledge it come Oscar season. Then, over the course of the summer, it didn’t even become the blockbuster many expected it would. Domestically speaking, it barely recouped its $150 million budget. (That may sound like a lot, but in the summer of “gigantosauri,” as Mark Harris called it, it was runtish.) How wonderful then today, to see a movie as exciting as it is smart get its due. - Kyle Stevens
Lenny Abrahamson, Room - Best Director
Every moment is so carefully considered. His touch is so gentle that he earns every tear he's coaxed out of us by patiently setting up character and context. He makes Room feel so big and the real world so oppressively small. You can feel that the film was constructed by someone with a deep well of compassion and a profound understanding of what presentation the story demands to impact us. I had hoped that he could make it in, but so rarely does the director's branch award solid quiet observation. - Chris Feil
Ex Machina -Visual Effects
::Oscar Isaac dancing gif::
I keep looking at the category's history for any type of precedent but I can't find one. Death Becomes Her perhaps comes closest in that it was smart and story-driven but still featured impressive effects. Either way, this is a great way to honor Alex Garland's beautiful and sleek sci fi fable. - Manuel Betancourt
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years - Best Actress
Charlotte Rampling's career spans over 50 years, multiple languages, and memorable performances, but she has never received a single Oscar nomination - until today. That it comes for not only one of the best performances of the year, but perhaps a career-best in a filmography not lacking in quality, is even more satisfying. After the flurry of awards season has passed, it's the work that still stands. And Rampling's quietly intense, devastating turn in 45 Years will be remembered long after.
Plus, something about being able to say "Academy Award Nominee, Charlotte Rampling" just seems so right. - Abstew
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies - Best Supporting Actor
As we left Bridge of Spies, I said, ‘That’s the kind of great performance that always gets overlooked.’ It’s not showy, it’s deeply internal, and it’s by a relative unknown. In recent years, Oscar loves to give its Supporting Actor nominations to former or current leading men, and indeed, the other four nominees are exactly that. Rylance, by contrast, is a true character actor. There’s no shouting, no big dramatic moment, no tears, just silences full of complexity. It’s not just an extraordinary performance, it’s extraordinary that it’s getting all this recognition. - Deborah Lipp
Jóhan Jóhansson, Sicario - Best Original Score
The internet’s prayer circle for Charlotte Rampling worked, praise Ozon, but given how confident many (Nathaniel included) seemed to be in that nomination, it was less a delight than a relief. So instead I’m going to flag up a nomination that really made me tweet four exclamation marks: the nod for Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannson’s breathtaking Sicario score. While the composer was welcomed into the Oscar club for his Theory of Everything soundtrack just last year, I had much less confidence in this dissonant, unnerving piece of work gaining him the same recognition. No need to worry, because the music branch did us proud this year, jettisoning Nat’s prediction of the overwrought Danish Girl score for this superb one. It’s so essential to the crisp, ghostly rhythms of Sicario, a coiled snake beneath every scene, a perfect accompaniment to the cold menace and brusque confusion above ground. - David Upton
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight - Best Supporting Actor
The single biggest whoop heard in my house this morning was for Phyllis Nagy’s nomination for adapting Carol. However to prove that I've actually seen more than one movie this year, I’m going with Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight. This has been a long love affair, since I first noticed him in You Can Count on Me (2000). That performance remains my favorite of his, and he should’ve won the Oscar for it. Alas he wasn’t even nominated. His two other nominated performances in The Kids Are All Right (2010) and Foxcatcher (2014) were my favorites in their categories and definitely get my vote as best of their years. I’m not as enamored with his Mike Rezendes - my favorite performance in Spotlight is Liev Schreiber's. But so happy that Ruffalo earned his third Oscar nomination this year. Surely that makes him a strong competitor for the win. He’s always a winner in my book. -Murtada Elfadl
And we'll close out with a longtime contributor who cheated a little bit and picked an entire Academy branch to praise...
The Academy's Animation Branch
Despite the obvious disappointments, there are actually many nominations that I am super happy for. Phyllis Nagy and Emma Donoghue getting screenplay nominations when it seems like only one could make it. Brooklyn sneaking into the best picture category on a wave of teary-eyed heartstrings that Academy members obviously didn’t quite get from Carol. I’m also obviously super happy for all the Mad Max: Fury Road people, but especially husband-and-wife team George Miller (director) and Margaret Sixel (editing).
However, if I had to pick a favorite category, it would be Best Animated Feature. That branch have seemingly thrown off the shackles once and for all of Hollywood conformity with nominations like Surf’s Up and Treasure Planet and now march proudly to the beat of their own drum. Ditching The Good Dinosaur and Peanuts for Brazilian oddity Boy and the World and the Japanese When Marnie Was There as well as an American box office flop, the superbly delightful British silent stop-motion Shaun the Sheep Movie? That's inspired. Plus World of Tomorrow in the shorts race? Pure bliss. - Glenn Dunks
Reader Comments (47)
Can't do just one - I love them both equally:
Ed Lachman and Charlotte Rampling
Phyllis Nagy, CAROL - Best Adapted Screenplay.
By far my favorite nomination of the morning (I SCREAMED when her name was called). She’s the one that fought the long hard battle to get “Carol” to the screen and wrote a brilliant enough adaption that secured Cate Blanchett even before Todd came aboard. And she actually knew Highsmith. Congrats to her and THANK YOU writers branch—still, the most daring and refined in taste of all AMPAS.
I found myself really happy for Rachel McAdams who has quietly been building her self up for years, going up and down, but always a reliable talent.
Always happy to see overdue actors get their first noms: Charlotte Rampling, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bryan Cranston, Tom Hardy (though it should've been for Legend)...
In addition to the above, Carol for Cinematography (relief) and Room for BP (unexpected) - a thoughtful little bright spot spot in the lineup.
Equally thrilled that Tarantino failed to land either Director or Original Screenplay nominations as that Brooklyn did land a Best Picture nomination! Please let the Academy's love affair with that childish pornographer be over. Three cheers for Brooklyn!
Jennifer Jason Leigh and Charlotte Rampling getting in is all that matters.
I was relieved to see Brooklyn get in for best picture, and thrilled that Mad Max made it, too.
Glad about seeing such an impressive best actress lineup (although Rooney would have improved it.)
Ecstatic about Rampling and Leigh getting to put Oscar nominee on their resume, finally.
Feeling good about the Tarantino snub.
And also smiling about Marnie, Shaun the Sheep, Mustang, Amy, Sicario's score and Inside Out's and Carol's screenplays.
I think my fave was Lawrence in Joy simply to get the hate going for her cos then I can laugh at how undeserved it is,way to go Hardy too,even those of us who are not bloggers or industry types can see the Oscar race just as well,we know our stuff.
My least favourite category is S/Actress 2 frauders,one coastar,one career nod (for that film,wHY??? and 1 truly great supporting perf in Kate.
I second the Lenny Abrahamson love. Though it might have cost Ridley Scott his nomination, the quiet, lived-in compassion of Room was such a testament to his careful consideration for these characters and their world - be it one room or the oppressive world beyond.
I was stoked by all the Canadian content. Much of "The Revenant" (the fort, etc.) was filmed less than 15 kms from my house. Happy that it was recognised in so many categories, although unaware if any of the tech nominees were Canadian. Also happy for "Room" and its Canadian screenwriter. And for Rachel McAdams. Congrats, Canada!
apart from others that have been mentioned already, the one that thrilled me the most was "earned it" for best song. i was predicting it to be nominated since i first heard the song back in february, but i had my doubts as it hadn't made the precursors, nor was it mentioned in most predictions i had read. but it is a beautiful and interesting song as far as movie songs go, and the weeknd is one of the more fascinating and fun pop stars today. plus i liked the movie and i'm glad it can count itself an oscar nominee :P hope it wins!
I can't decide:
Rampling
Hardy (although I haven't seen it yet)
Fassbender
Nagy
Three-time Oscar nominee Christian Bale (who ever would have thought it be from those two directors?)
Mad Max: Fury Road for Best Picture
I think I might've been most happy about Adapted Screenplay. Two female nominees writing about women's experiences (Carol and Room) and one male nominee writing about a woman's experience (Brooklyn). After last year (sorry, Gone Girl and Wild), this is actually somewhat of a surprise.
Carter Burwell's first oscar nom!
As a HUGE Jennifer Jason Leigh fan, this is too little, too late for me. Nothing about this category or the Academy's selections is remotely credible—it's turning me into a Winslet stan. And I've never even love-loved her.
Theeb, best foreign language film.
Oh yeah, Carter Burwell! That one is awesome!
Happiest Nomination: Abrahamson managing a surprise nod.
Most Disappointing Nomination: Redmayne still happening.
Happiest Snub: Black Mass missing in Makeup. Transformative makeup jobs, unless they're for non-human characters or Elephant Man style freak shows, shouldn't look that alien.
Most Disappointing Snub (any category): JLaw Status Quo instead of Amy Poehler Landmark. (Though they don't report how these things happen, I'm guessing JLaw happened this year, almost exclusively, on the back of the 20-35 set of the acting branch having no live-action options if they were turned off by Brie Larson's work. Also, critics groups: Start putting voice work in the discussion. Acting is acting, even if you're not on a set. Note: I'm also guessing that the relative youth vote is why McAdams and JJL got in over Fonda and Mirren.)
Most Disappointing Trend: #OscarsSoWhite. Again. Yeah. Simultaneously more and less disappointing than last year. There's no Oyelowo level obvious example to cite (he's playing MLK! How does that miss!?), but substantially worse performance work coasted in on the implicit racism and/or ignorance. (Everything but Damon in Lead Actor? Ruffalo, Bale and Hardy in Supporting?)
Yeah no nods for Tarrantino, who has been doing one annoying movie after another and getting way too much attention for it.
Sorry, but I really disliked The Martian (I know I am in the minority) so happy Scott didn't get a Director nod, opening the way for Room's director instead.
Really happy Charlotte Rampling got a BA nod.
Best Picture - Brooklyn. I thought I was going to cry. So in love with this film. Come on Saoirse!
RJL: Don't forget the Weeknd.
Even though I was 5 for 5 in predicting Animation, and have been predicting Charlotte Rampling for what seems like months (years?), I was still super thrilled with these nominations.
P.S. Charlotte is going to win it all!
Also no Tarentino!!!
Mike In Canada: Shh. Don't mention the incomprehensible category that is Original Song.
Yeah for Charlotte! Mark R annoyed the hell out of me in Spotlight...but he's still super cute.
Saiorse Ronan in Brooklyn :)
As a HUGE Jennifer Jason Leigh fan, this is too little, too late for me. Nothing about this category or the Academy's selections is remotely credible—it's turning me into a Winslet stan. And I've never even love-loved her.
Jennifer Jason Leigh is polarizing and middle aged. Best Supporting Actress is an ageless free for all. And it does not matter if her performance and the vehicle is housed in is strange this is either her one chance or the beginning of them recognizing her in this category. She plays Lady Bird Johnson in a Rob Reiner movie coming out this year. Get happy or get off.
Charlotte Rampling
+Shaun the Sheep -
+ Nick Hornby for best adapted screenplay -Brooklyn
+ (Tarantino not getting a screenplay nod -thank god)
= Much Happiness
C H A R L O T T E !!!!!!
"Brooklyn"
George Miller
Sylvestor Stallone
"Spotlight"
Best director for Room! Awesome. So pleased. Also Carol's and Room's screenwriter nods. So great.
Phyllis Nagy and Charlotte Rampling, I guess. But how could they not nominate “Carol”? In the year of a glorious Supreme Court decision and the 10 year anniversary of “Brokeback”, it’s utterly CRUSHING to see they left a hugely acclaimed same-sex love story out of their Best Picture lineup
Thrilled for the Charlotte Rampling nomination. It should have happened 50 years ago for Supporting Actress in Georgy Girl! I mean seriously look at the nominations in the field that year, I'm sure Sandy Dennis would have still won but Jocelyne Lagarde in Hawaii over Rampling? What the hell was that about? Of her later difficulty getting the acknowledgement I think part of it is that many of her most acclaimed performances came in films that either were in a foreign language, Under the Sand, or perceived to be, Swimming Pool. I'm not sure about her chances of actually winning but I'm so happy she's at least in the running.
Beside her I was happy but far less surprised to see Mark Rylance's name announced.
joel, Ms. Rampling should have been nominated for Stardust Memories. Dayum!
Carter Burwell's score for "Carol" actually made me grin from ear to ear. If the film itself isn't nominated, at least the score -- which captures the discovery, hope, despair, melancholy, and desire of the movie so well -- is an amazing encapsulation of the movie as a whole.
I can see that the JLaw nom will be polarizing, which makes sense, but I just want to say that I don't think anyone voted her in as an alternate to someone else or some sort of default. There are definitely huge fans of her work in "Joy," and I imagine the Academy contains many of them. She may have even been higher than their 5th choice.
Glenn, I have similar feelings about the Animated Feature category. It was the only category where I predicted with 100% accuracy, and I put in MARNIE and SHAUN THE SHEEP at the last minute because I WANTED them to get nominations. Pretty happy.
Elated for Charlotte, Cate, Phyllis, and JJL, but still deeply disappointed with the snubs for Todd and Carol in Best Picture. Abraham Attah and Ian McKellen would have been more deserving than some of those nominated for Best Actor.
I'd have to agree with the animation nominations. It was great seeing two foreign films on the list over two middling American films (although I'll admit I enjoyed Peanuts Movie) and for one of them to be Studio Ghibli's final feature. I'm also glad to see Don Hertzfeldt nominated again after being snubbed for all of his films in the It's Such a Beautiful Day Trilogy. I wasn't brave enough to predict it, going for the French Chez Moi instead.
Add my voice to the chorus for not having any Tarantino. Wasn't he saying some time ago how he wanted to be the person with the most screenplay wins?
Looking at the screenplay nods, I'm suddenly very afraid that The Big Short will beat those 3 great female led films.
I'm glad that Fassbender got in despite a probable close call. Ditto Rampling.
The one nomination that had me punching the air in celebration was THEEB for Foreign Language.
This is the first time EVER I saw a FL film BEFORE it got a nomination and I recall after watching it that I thought 'SHOULD get nominated but won't "
Very happy for first time nominees Carter Burwell, Charlotte Rampling, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Lenny Abrahamson. Also exicted for all the love for Mad Max and Brooklyn.
But if I get this correctly, they honored Carol's music, costumes, writing and two central performances, yet felt it appropriate to snub the directing and the movie? I don't get that. I don't get that one bit.
Very happy for Brooklyn's nominations, Mark Ruffalo, all of Carol's nominations, the animation category, Theeb, Charlotte Rampling.
Happy for all of the MMFR noms but especially hair and make-up. My daughter is currently studying to get into the movie hair and make-up biz and she was over the moon about this.
Close second fav moment - Ex Machina for Visual Effects. So deserved.
I'm so happy for Boy and the World!!!
Yay to
1) Rampling (finally!!! a huge sign o relief)
2) all the Carol noms (Nagy, Burwell, Powell, Lachman, Mara & Blanchett) [This really makes the snub of BP & Haynes v glaring]
3) JJL, Fassbender & Hardy(Although I was rooting for Dano)