Oscars 2017: The Predictions

 'Tis the season to hand out all kinds of awards to people who're in the movie business. There's this particular lavish award ceremony hosted by a certain Academy I have this annual routine of predicting wins for. Though the world around us is rapidly changing (and none for the better it appears), I see no reason to change this routine any time soon and thus, what follows below is my usual round of Oscar predictions. I've seen many of these movies (not all of them have been released here yet) and know a fair amount about the rest, so let's see whether I can nail who wins what better than last year. Even with the odd random guess, I'm bound to get a few of 'em right. It's true!

Best Film:
First Choice: Moonlight. A daring view of a troubled young man's existence told in three chapters and acted out by three wholly different but equally brilliant actors. Not to mention issues of race, gender, 'nature versus nurture' and destiny. An inexperienced director weaving all of this together seamlessly. This film works on so many angles it would suit the Academy well to reward it for many of them. However, all those angles conspire to deny the film the award as well, since there's the risk of a few of them not sitting well with more conservative Academy members. If not Best Film, than Best Director for sure.
Second choice: La La Land. Because it's just what the world needs in this particular period of history.

Best Actor:
First Choice: Casey Affleck. Ben got his due, Casey had to stick with nominations. Until now I bet. The other lead actors all did a good job, but Casey's just sticks out.
Second choice: Denzel Washington. I'm rooting for Viggo Mortensen, but Washington is a safer bet. There's this enfant terrible quality to Viggo that just makes him an unlikely winner.

Best Actress:
First Choice: Natalie Portman. That was one hell of a transformation, downright to the silly voice. if you can get away with carrying a motion picture on such intense emotional levels with that voice and  pink outfit, an Oscar is well deserved.
Second choice: Ruth Negga. Huppert's picture is too controversial, Streep is too conservative and Stone's acting just wasn't special enough, so Negga remains. Admittedly, I have yet to see Loving.

Best Supporting Actor: 
First Choice: Mahershala Ali. Playing a drug dealer you can only love despite everything is quite a feat.
Second choice: Jeff Bridges. I've never seen such a loathsome likable character, apart, from Ali's above.

Best Supporting Actress:
First Choice: Naomie Harris. I've never felt such a revulsion for such a lovely and talented actress.
Second choice: None of the others really stand out of this crowd of four. Randomly, I'd say Octavia Spencer.

Best Director:
First Choice: Barry Jenkins. For the same reasons as Best Film.
Second choice: Damien Chazelle. But these two could easily be vice versa, as is the case for Best Film. I doubt either of them will win both.

Best Screenplay:
First Choice: Manchester by the Sea.
Second choice: La La Land. I'm rooting for this film, even though I think it's not the script that carries this film, despite the bittersweet ending. 

Best Adapted Screenplay:
First Choice: Moonlight. Finally a category where this film and La La Land are not in each other's way. Sure win.
Second choice: Arrival.

Best Animated Film:
First Choice: The Red Turtle. Simple but beautiful and hugely emotional animation, no speaking parts throughout. Something else entirely. The rest is good, but not as unique. I nearly cried, you know.
Second choice: Kubo and the Two Strings. Some of the finest stop motion animation ever.

Best Foreign Film:
First Choice: Toni Erdmann. Can't see this one lose.
Second choice: The Salesman. If it wins, I consider it more of a political statement.

Best Cinematography:
First Choice: La La Land. Not only is the musical back in business, so are the sweeping shots that are a part of its DNA since the Golden Days of Hollywood.
Second choice: Arrival.

Best Editing: 
First Choice: Moonlight.
Second choice: Arrival.

Best Production Design:
First Choice: La La Land.
Second choice: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Best Costume Design:
First Choice: Jackie. The extreme faithfulness to the iconic dresses, suits and hats matters at least as much as Portman's portrayal to this period piece. And they look equally gorgeous in black and white.
Second choice: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Best Hair and Make-up:
First Choice: Star Trek Beyond. Not because I agree, but because it's the safer bet.
Second choice: Suicide Squad. Because it deserves it. So the movie wasn't great, but the make-up sure deserves credit. Just look at Killer Croc, waah...

Best Score:
First Choice: La La Land. It's the songs that you remember, but the music that accompanies them that makes them great.
Second choice: Jackie.

Best Song:
First Choice: La La Land. Nominated twice, so an unlikely loser.
Second choice: Moana. Disney songs, eh?

Best Sound Mixing:
First Choice: Rogue One. Never bet against the sounds of the Star Wars universe.
Second choice: La La Land.

Best Sound Editing: 
First Choice: La La Land.
Second choice: Arrival.

Best Visual Effects:
First Choice: The Jungle Book. Because it makes the actual jungle a replaceable thing to many people and that's a scary thought. But it goes to show the innovation here.
Second choice: Doctor Strange. VFX rarely got this trippy.

Best Documentary: 
First Choice: O.J.: Made in America. Introducing a new genre: the epic documentary.
Second choice: Life, Animated.


That's it for this year. There are certain wins for La La Land, Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight, it's unavoidable. It's just the exact categories that are harder to determine. Or maybe I am just completely wrong and the Oscars will go to movies I never even considered worthy of the nominations (Lion, Hacksaw Ridge). I've got a feeling the Academy won't have that many surprises in store for us this year though. February 26 will prove me right or wrong.

Today's Mini-Review: Thor: The Dark World

The Odinson returns in his second solo venture, more grandiose than the last, but still very close in narrative make-up to its predecessor, despite a change of director. Kenneth Branagh declined the offer to helm this second installment while female director Patty Jenkins was fired early on, at which point Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor took over the reins, and quite successfully so. The Shakespearean overtones are nevertheless kept in, only enlarged by his Martinian experience with grand halls, epic battles and conniving siblings, all too similar in nature to the subject matter so far. After leaving the Avengers and returning home with his captive brother Loki, Thor (Chris Hemsworth more beefed up than ever) has been kept busy for two years fighting rampaging marauders and other dangers to cosmic stability across the Nine Realms. Meanwhile, his human love Jane (Natalie Portman) also hasn't taken time off in search for her divine boytoy by using every scientific means at her disposal. On investigation in Britain, she stumbles upon a portal to another place where she is infected by the Aether, a dangerous, ancient material that is the key energy source of the largely extinct Dark Elves that once battled the Asgardians for dominance in times immemorial, and lost. Sensing the Aether has awoken, the few remaining members of this shadowy race prepare for another shot at universal power grabbing under the leadership of the wrathful Malekith (Christopher Eccleston wearing creepy make-up). When they unexpectedly assault Asgard and kill Thor's mother, the distraught wielder of the powerful hammer Mjölnir disobeys his heavenly father's commands and recruits his untrustworthy brother Loki (an impeccable Tom Hiddleston, again playing the trickster god with the usual vigour that makes him the most fascinating Marvel villain of them all) to defeat the Dark Elves before their nefarious plans for Jane and the universe are brought to their catastrophic conclusion. The only bond that shares them at this point in their overly tumultuous relationship is the mutual love for their mother's memory: otherwise there is no trust or love lost between them. Will Thor manage to save his girlfriend and everything else, without ending with a knife in his back at the hands of his seemingly imbalanced brother, or crushed by the ever stronger Malekith? It will remain to be seen during a bombastic battle in the British capital (instead of set in the States, as has been usual in Marvel movies thus far).

The problem audiences might have with Thor: The Dark World is the fact it doesn't dare to leave its established comfort zone and therefore sticks suspiciously close to what we have already seen in the previous film. Though Thor's cosmic portion of the Marvel Universe is certainly expanded in terms of scope and story, thematically speaking there's little to be found that feels new. The nature of heroism, the love for a mortal woman, the rivalry between brothers: it has all been done before, but at least The Dark World doesn't do it badly. In terms of style Asgard has never looked so glorious to behold: a sharp contrast to the dreadful dead soil of the barren world of Svartalfheim that had to be conquered and annihilated for the Norse gods to rise to power – which makes you rethink how much of 'the good guys' they really claim to be – as we are told in a fabulous prologue that feels a lot like the opening of a certain Peter Jackson fantasy blockbuster. Apart from the many predictable but entertaining scenes of supernatural action The Dark World provides, also ever present is the level of humour that reminds us we ought not to take any of this too seriously, as well as keeping us from forgetting we're watching a comic book adaptation. Key in this is a reversal of the dynamics between Jane and Thor seen previously, where he was cast out of his world in order to come to terms with a “lesser state” of existence for his own good. This time it's Jane's turn to be a stranger in a strange land as she's swept to Asgard where her Earthly unsophisticatedness causes many a merry moment: not because she's overwhelmed by it all, but due to her impulse to make scientific sense of her new environment, which startles the Asgardian natives somewhat. Those who hoped for more Asgardian style dialogue, as present in the comics, will find themselves disappointed though, as the gods unfortunately speak as much of a contemporary language as our own. Thor and Jane make a decent on-screen couple, but it's the supporting cast that succeeds the most in keeping us engaged, with Hiddleston worthy of most praise. It is often said a movie is only as good as its bad guy, which should have made The Dark World a very good movie, but Loki is forced by the plot to be submissive in terms of villainy to Malekith, despite the fact Loki far exceeds this new villain in being interesting (no criticism on Eccleston's performance it must be stated), mostly thanks to his almost heartfelt loss of his mother, which for a moment makes you think he genuinely wants to help Thor in exacting revenge. And by pulling that off convincingly, Hiddleston again reveals why he was such a good choice for this loveable rogue. Dark or not, it's Loki's world, and we would do well never to underestimate him as everyone else does.

And be sure to stick with the credits a while longer to witness a largely unrelated but neverthless hugely intriguing typical Marvel 'bridge' to next year's Guardians of the Galaxy, which will expand the cosmic corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe even further. It stars Benicio Del Toro with a funny accent and a silly hairdo, so you have no valid reason to miss out on it, really.

Today's Double News: if posters come I'm ready!

Got a double dip of news today, thanks to my own forgetting to post half of it earlier this week (that's so not like me!). So there's a bit of older news here as well, but I can live with that. Today, posters are in my blood!

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/148993/nieuwe_poster_thor_the_dark_world

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/148972/nieuwe_posters_300_rise_of_an_empire

A lot of new one-sheets, thus. And a lot of me doing free advertising for these movies on MovieScene, and now on this mine own blog. I ought to get at least a Christmas cards from the studio execs.

Let's start with the older news. The 300 posters (yes, I know there's only six of them, I was referring to the title) were already spotted earlier at Comic-Con, which in online terms makes them ancient history by now, but hey, I have yet to see them adorning walls in theatres and the movie is still more than half a year away (even though originally, it was supposed to be released in fall 2013). Say what you will about them, at least they offer consistency compared to the character posters released for the predecessor in 2007, which took a very similar route. The big difference is these are only showing heads while their original counterparts also showed the rest of the characters depicted. Guess not more is needed here. The silly taglines - 'Athens will burn', is that some sort of cleverly hidden social commentary on Greece's internal affairs? - and the gritty faces set the mood perfectly; as if that was needed, since people who saw the first film will know exactly what they can expect, while I doubt this flick will draw many audiences unfamiliar with the first 300. Gotta love these expressions. Eva Green looks utterly pissed off. Me thinks she's still mad about "her" TV show Camelot getting cancelled after only one season, so shooting this movie no doubt provided some violent therapy to blow off some steam for her. Cersei Lannister Lena Headey by contrast appears reserved and calculating, yet regal as ever. She's not done playing queen yet, returning to her role from the first film. Good to see she can also play a nice queen instead of only the scheming, bitchy variant we've all come to love on Game of Thrones. That is, if you can sincerely call a queen who orders her men to go out and spill rivers of blood in excessively disturbing manners in any way 'nice'. But then, the alternative we see in Xerxes (poor Rodrigo Santoro in dubious bling-bling make-up again) isn't such a good option either. After the stuff he pulled in the first film you sure know you don't want him to be your monarch. In summation, these character posters will do a decent job preparing people's expectations for 300: Rise of an Empire (I'm still unsure what empire is being referred to exactly, but it's clear the people behind these films don't give a rat's ass about historical accuracy, nor will the general audience). I'm moderately excited about this film myself. I gotta admit I hated 300 the first time I saw it, but it grew on me in later viewings as I came to understand what the film was all about: gratuitous violence relayed through hyperstylized imagery. Who could say no to some more of that?

Now, if it's visual spectacle you want in your posters, there's the latest one-sheet of Thor: The Dark World for ya. By Odin's beard, this is something else entirely! It looks utterly fabulous and rich, even if it's in many ways simply a few heads put together. Nevertheless, it clearly showcases its stellar cast (and Tom Hiddleston's Loki's back, yay!) and its continuing journey into the epic fantasy realms of Marvel's take on Norse mythology. And as a bonus for movie aficionados like myself, it also undeniably hearkens back to the good old poster art the likes of Drew Struzan (except photoshopped instead of hand drawn). There's also a definite Lord of the Rings vibe to the piece, which is never a bad thing. If this poster is any indication, I'd say Thor: The Dark World is in good hands, courtesy of Alan Taylor. Who happened to direct no less than six episodes of Game of Thrones, thus taking us full circle to the previous bit of news, thanks to the number six and Cersei Lannister Lena Headey. If that's not a sign from the gods I don't know what is.