Is that time already? Oscar predictions are due. To say that this year has been highly unpredictable is an understatement. Unlike past year, no film has lead the pack. In fact, in the guild awards in January and February, the choices have been divisive between The Big Short, Spotlight and The Revenant. The night's big winner on Oscar Sunday will genuinely end up a surprise to many. The acting races might hold less suspense, as nostalgia is leaning towards Leo and Kate and the comeback kid Sylvester Stallone to possibly end up on the podium. Host Chris Rock might have a lot to say on the year's biggest controversy, the lack of diversity in the nominations and the presenters list looks to make up that. But the big question on everyone's minds is always going to be on the actual winners and the new take on the speeches (are they really going to have a thank you scrawl on the bottom of the screen?). Until then, let's speculate one more time on the predictions. Here goes...
BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
The Big Short: Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers
Bridge of Spies: Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers
Brooklyn: Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
Mad Max: Fury Road: Doug Mitchell and George Miller, Producers
The Martian: Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer and Mark Huffam, Producers
The Revenant: Arnon Milchan, Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mary Parent and Keith Redmon, Producers
Room: Ed Guiney, Producers
Spotlight: Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin and Blye Pagon Faust, Producers
Should win: Spotlight
Will win: The Revenant
My take: From a solid bunch of best picture nominees, Spotlight really resonated with me. A solid cast, a strong true to life story about a bunch of journalists uncovering a scandal and trying to wrong a right over a period of time. But the tide seems to be turning for The Revenant who leads all the nominees with 12 nominations. The film, its director and star all are leading as more and more watch the astonishing film. And it is a stunning achievement. But Spotlight is the better film for me.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Bryan Cranston in Trumbo
Matt Damon in The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant
Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl
Should win: Michael Fassbender
Will win: Leonardo DiCaprio
My take: There is no doubt that this is Leo's year. Is this his best performance? No, I think he was outstanding in The Wolf of Wall Street and the Academy missed an opportunity there. Michael Fassbender looked nothing like Steve Jobs but in some moments in Danny Boyle's film, he inhabited Jobs's essence and his unending drive. Surprisingly that going into this Oscar year, the story was all about Eddie Redmayne's repeat of last year but look how the narrative has changed.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christian Bale in The Big Short
Tom Hardy in The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight
Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone in Creed
Should win: Mark Ruffalo
Will win: Sylvester Stallone
My take: This category is a real lock. Stallone has got this in the bag. But it's no secret that Ruffalo is standout from the ensemble cast of Spotlight. If anyone is upsetting Stallone, it's him.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Cate Blanchett in Carol
Brie Larson in Room
Jennifer Lawrence in Joy
Charlotte Rampling in 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn
Should win: Brie Larson
Will win: Brie Larson
My take: Unfortunately, I haven't yet seen Carol. Brie Larson has won every major award going into the Oscars and I don't think anyone's is beating her this time. Again, it's great to see Charlotte Rampling here at all.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara in Carol
Rachel McAdams in Spotlight
Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs
Should win: Kate Winslet
Will win: Alicia Vikander
My take: Alicia Vikander, who's having a great couple of years, could prove that she's really arrived. But as emotional as her performance was in The Danish Girl, I thought Kate Winslet was outstanding in Steve Jobs. She completely disappeared into becoming Joanna Hoffman in the film. Sidenote: How awesome would it be if Kate and Leo both won the same night? Sorry, I just digressed to be being a teenager again.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
Anomalisa: Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli
Boy and the World: Alê Abreu
Inside Out: Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera
Shaun the Sheep Movie: Tomm Moore and Paul Young
When Marnie was There: Hiromasa Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura
Should win: Anomalisa
Will win: Inside Out
My take: Pixar's brilliant Inside Out is a definitely a game changer. Making the movie all about Amy Poehler's Joy, it turned Phyllis Smith's Sadness into the film's real heroine. But I was so moved by Anomalisa when I saw it last year, it's a profound stop-motion feature with great ambition and such tender emotion at times, it's hard not to root for it. One day, people will look back and say, what a missed opportunity!
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol: Ed Lachman
The Hateful Eight: Robert Richardson
Mad Max: Fury Road: John Seale
The Revenant: Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario: Roger Deakins
Should win: Roger Deakins
Will win: Emmanuel Lubezki
My take: Emmanuel Lubezki is about to make history as he goes for his third Oscar after Gravity and Birdman, with The Revenant. But Roger Deakins, the master cinematographer, sits with zero Oscars to his name. I hope that someday his great work will be recognized.
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
Carol: Sandy Powell
Cinderella: Sandy Powell
The Danish Girl: Paco Delgado
Mad Max: Fury Road: Jenny Beavan
The Revenant: Jacqueline West
Should win: Jenny Beaven
Will win: Jacqueline West
My take: It comes down to a frontier from the past to a future ravaged by water wars in the costume design department. And I have a feeling that The Revenant will edge out here.
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
The Big Short: Adam McKay
Mad Max: Fury Road: George Miller
The Revenant: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Room: Lenny Abrahamson
Spotlight: Tom McCarthy
Should win: Tom McCarthy
Will win: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
My take: Last year's winner Iñárritu is virtually a lock to make it two in a row. But if there's an upset, I'd like to see former actor Tom McCarthy win it for the true-blooded journalism film, Spotlight.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Amy: Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees
Cartel Land: Matthew Heineman and Tom Yellin
The Look of Silence: Joshua Oppenheimer and Signe Byrge Sørensen
What Happened, Miss Simone?: Liz Garbus, Amy Hobby and Justin Wilkes
Winter's Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom: Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara
Should win: Amy
Will win: Amy
My take: Asif Kapadia's Amy is my personal pick here. But this category does seem ripe for upsets.
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Body Team 12: David Darg and Bryn Mooser
Chau, beyond the Lines: Courtney Marsh and Jerry Franck
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah: Adam Benzine
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Last Day of Freedom: Dee Hibbert-Jones and Nomi Talisman
Should win: Last Day of Freedom
Will win: Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
My take: Based on Internet research, this is what the frontrunner looks to be, I could be wrong.
ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
The Big Short: Hank Corwin
Mad Max: Fury Road: Margaret Sixel
The Revenant: Stephen Mirrione
Spotlight: Tom McArdle
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey
Should win: Margaret Sixel
Will win: Margaret Sixel
My take: Still not over the high that was Mad Max: Fury Road and that's largely due to Sixel's (also George Miller's wife) superb editing work.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
Embrace of the Serpent: Colombia
Mustang: France
Son of Saul: Hungary
Theeb: Jordan
A War: Denmark
Should win: Son of Saul
Will win: Son of Saul
My take: Hungary's Son of Saul has been the virtual frontrunner since Cannes. I don't see it losing tonight.
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Mad Max: Fury Road: Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared: Love Larson and Eva von Bahr
The Revenant: Siân Grigg, Duncan Jarman and Robert Pandini
Should win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Will win: Mad Max: Fury
My take: One word: Furiosa! Mad Max: Fury Road has got this in the bag.
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Bridge of Spies: Thomas Newman
Carol: Carter Burwell
The Hateful Eight: Ennio Morricone
Sicario: Jóhann Jóhannsson
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: John Williams
Should win: John Williams
Will win: Ennio Morricone
My take: It's the battle of the musical maestros Morricone and Williams and it looks like Morricone has the slight edge here. Personally, I would love to see John Williams win on his 50th nomination.
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)
Earned It from Fifty Shades of Grey
Music and Lyric by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Jason Daheala Quenneville and Stephan Moccio
Manta Ray from Racing Extinction
Music by J. Ralph and Lyric by Antony Hegarty
Simple Song #3 from Youth
Music and Lyric by David Lang
Til It Happens To You from The Hunting Ground
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren and Lady Gaga
Writing’s On The Wall from Spectre
Music and Lyric by Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith
Should win: Til It Happens To You
Will win: Til It Happens To You
My take: I've got no opinions on the song here, it's appalling that not all of the nominees will performing onstage. But it looks like the star power wins here.
ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
Bridge of Spies Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Rena DeAngelo and Bernhard Henrich
The Danish Girl Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Michael Standish
Mad Max: Fury Road Production Design: Colin Gibson; Set Decoration: Lisa Thompson
The Martian Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Celia Bobak
The Revenant Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Hamish Purdy
Should win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
My take: Mad Max will be quite a force in the tech awards. It leads in production values.
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Bear Story Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala
Prologue Richard Williams and Imogen Sutton
Sanjay’s Super Team Sanjay Patel and Nicole Grindle
We Can’t Live without Cosmos Konstantin Bronzit
World of Tomorrow Don Hertzfeldt
Should win: Sanjay's Super Team
Will win: World of Tomorrow
My take: I would really love Sanjay's Super Team to win but I have a feeling that World of Tomorrow might win the big prize.
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Ave Maria: Basil Khalil and Eric Dupont
Day One: Henry Hughes
Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut): Patrick Vollrath
Shok: Jamie Donoughue
Stutterer: Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage
Should win: Day One
Will win: Day One
My take: Based on Internet research, this is what the frontrunner looks to be, I could be wrong.
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
Mad Max: Fury Road: Mark Mangini and David White
The Martian: Oliver Tarney
The Revenant: Martin Hernandez and Lon Bender
Sicario: Alan Robert Murray
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Matthew Wood and David Acord
Should win: The Revenant
Will win: The Revenant
My take: Sound always wins it in twos, editing and mixing. The Revenant was the most reliant on it.
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
Bridge of Spies: Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Drew Kunin
Mad Max: Fury Road: Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo
The Martian: Paul Massey, Mark Taylor and Mac Ruth
The Revenant: Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Randy Thom and Chris Duesterdiek
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson
Should win: The Revenant
Will win: The Revenant
My take: See above.
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
Ex Machina: Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett
Mad Max: Fury Road: Andrew Jackson, Tom Wood, Dan Oliver and Andy Williams
The Martian: Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Chris Lawrence and Steven Warner
The Revenant: Rich McBride, Matthew Shumway, Jason Smith and Cameron Waldbauer
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould
Should win: Mad Max: Fury Road
Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road
My take: Sorry grizzly bear, it looks like Mad Max: Fury Road's turn.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Big Short: Screenplay by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
Brooklyn: Screenplay by Nick Hornby
Carol: Screenplay by Phyllis Nagy
The Martian: Screenplay by Drew Goddard
Room: Screenplay by Emma Donoghue
Should win: The Big Short
Will win: The Big Short
My take: It's hard to make a financial comedy about the global meltdown of 2008 but the writers of The Big Short nailed it.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Bridge of Spies: Written by Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Ex Machina: Written by Alex Garland
Inside Out: Screenplay by Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; Original story by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen
Spotlight: Written by Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy
Straight Outta Compton: Screenplay by Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff; Story by S. Leigh Savidge & Alan Wenkus and Andrea Berloff
Should win: Spotlight
Will win: Spotlight
My take: The ode to journalism should win best screenplay.
