The 88th Academy Awards nominees have been announced — here are some of our predictions for the Oscars
The past year was spectacular for movie-goers (although it seems 2016 might totally win our hearts over), giving us treats like Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Jurassic World, Spectre and the record-smashing Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Now it’s time to award the best of the best. The 88th Academy Awards will take place on Feb 28 in the United States (Feb 29 in Singapore), and you can catch it live.
In the week leading up to the Oscars, HBO will air the 2015 Oscar-winning movies every night at 9pm.
Then, on Feb 29, 9.30am, the Academy Awards will be broadcast live on HBO, with a live stream on HBO Go (on StarHub Go) and an encore at 8pm. The awards show will be hosted by comedian Chris Rock at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Until then, here is our list of predictions for which major films and actors will walk home proud. Our prediction last year shows that we’re pretty accurate!
Best Motion Picture
Our prediction: The Revenant (directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu)
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu (left) with Leonardo DiCaprio on the set of The Revenant. (Photo: Twentieth Century Fox)
It’s a tight, tight race for this category, what with strong contenders such as Bridge of Spies, The Revenant, Mad Max: Fury Road, Room and The Martian vying for the top spot.
We’d love to wax lyrical about the epic cinematography, editing, score and (method) acting in The Revenant, but we don’t need to. At the recent Golden Globes, The Revenant clinched the Best Motion Picture award when pitted against Mad Max: Fury Road and Room, so we’re banking on this blockbuster.
The Revenant has received 12 Oscar nominations and, if we’re right, this will be Alejandro Iñárritu’s second consecutive Oscar for Best Picture. Birdman won the Oscar last year.
The next strongest contender would probably be Room (starring Brie Larson), but, as mentioned, it is a tight race.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Our prediction: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
For The Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio battled with a bear, was buried alive and ate raw liver. (Photo: Twentieth Century Fox)
Have you heard what this man put himself through for this movie? His character in The Revenant was put through the meat grinder (almost literally): He was attacked by a bear, mauled by Tom Hardy (only marginally less terrifying than a grizzly), buried alive, frozen, fed raw liver and forced to sleep in the still-steaming carcass of a horse.
None of it was staged. DiCaprio explained in a TimeOut interview, “The fake liver they gave me didn’t look real… I had to give [raw liver] a shot. But I only did it twice, and my reaction is up on screen.”
DiCaprio and the rest of the crew lived nine months in Canada and Argentina like that, and some of the team have described the experience as “a living hell”.
DiCaprio won Best Actor at the Golden Globes. After so many Academy Awards snubs that we’ve lost count, come on, just give that man an Oscar already!
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Our prediction: Cate Blanchett (Carol) or Brie Larson (Room)
Cate Blanchett in Carol. (Photo: flavorwire.com)
Brie Larson in Room. (Photo: eonline.com)
This might seem like a no-brainer: Brie Larson (who will also star in Kong: Skull Island) delivered a riveting performance in Room as a captive mother imprisoned in a windowless room with her only son.
To prepare for her role, Larson also ‘imprisoned’ herself in real life. The 26-year-old actress revealed to BBC, “I stayed at home for a month… I meditate twice a day.” She also met psychologists to gain insight into the trauma of captivity, and even wrote three diaries as her character aged 10, 14 and 17.
However, Carol, featuring Cate Blanchett, received six nominations including Best Actress, and scored numerous prizes at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and the New York Film Critics Circle Awards last week. Carol is that underdog you’d least expect to rise, so we’re divvying our bets here.
Best Animated Feature
Our prediction: Inside Out
Inside Out is an animation about the emotions inside a young girl’s mind. (Photo: moviecitynews.com)
There’s not a shadow of doubt in this prediction. Inside Out wasn’t just a simple animation or comedy; it took a multi-faceted and multi-layered storytelling approach to emotional development and the importance of feeling sadness.
Inside Out not only moves adults to tears; it also teaches children how to acknowledge and deal with their emotions and channel seemingly negative ones into constructive action. And it did all that with colourful humanoid blobs on a screen.
There should be a few close fights but these are some of our predictions. What do you think of them? Who do you think will win big at the Oscars?
By Pamela Chow
Catch the 88th Annual Academy Awards ‘live’ on Feb 29 at 9.30am on HBO, with a live stream on HBO Go (on StarHub Go) and an encore at 8pm.
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