With the awards season in full swing it’s time to get ready for the most prominent of them all, the Academy Awards. The nominations were announced Thursday and speculation around who are going to be this year’s big winners are underway. Golden Globes, which usually provide a good clue, were a mixed bag this year with favourite Carol snubbed and box office failure Steve Jobs coming out with 2 globes.
Nonetheless, Golden Globes Best Picture winner The Revenant came out on top in the Academy Awards nominations with a grand total of 12. That tally could signal an end to Leonardo DiCaprio’s long wait for the Best Actor award, and could see Alejandro G. Iñárritu replicate last year’s success in the Best Director category, which he won for the excellent Birdman.
The Revenant, based on a true story of survival in a hostile American wilderness may appear to be the favourite, but Leo shouldn’t pop his champagne just yet. He will still have to fend off Eddie Redmayne who is again a hot contestant for Best Actor with his performance as a transgender pioneer in The Danish Girl. The film has, however, not done as well as expected in the nominations. Could it be a bit too provocative for the conservative Academy?
Survival in hostile environment seems to be a recurring theme this year as second with 10 nominations came Mad Max: Fury Road, although the majority of its nominations were in technical categories. It has, however, picked up a nomination for Best Picture, and Best Director for veteran filmmaker George Miller. The Martian also did well, picking up seven nominations, and Matt Damon will be fighting for Best Actor.
Apart from The Revenant, Mad Max and The Martian, the most closely watched category Best Picture also includes Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, Spotlight – which features a great performance by Mark Ruffalo – Room, and Brooklyn.
In the Best Music category Sam Smith’s Bond theme tune Writings On The Wall could easily replicate the Globes success.
Last year’s awards were notable for the outcry about the lack of diversity in the nominations and this year will be no different. The nominations include 0 (yes, zero) non-white actors. It is true that this year lacks films with strong African American topics such as last-year’s Selma, but there’s no escaping the fact that the Academy is systematically ignoring minority actors.
The ceremony will take place 28th February with Chris Rock as the host.
For the full list of nominations, click here: http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2016
Jakub Kuban
Featured image: 20th Century Fox