Burning Questions from the 2016 Oscars

Odds on #OscarsSoLong trending by the end of the night?

Odds on when the "end of the night" will be?

After how poorly I did with last year's predictions, should I have just closed my eyes and pick names?

Wasn't that montage kind of great?

Am I just saying that because Room was so prominently featured?

"White People's Choice Awards?"

Wasn't Chris Rock right about previous years being just as much of a whiteout?

Didn't the crowd seem more receptive to Rock than they have been to any other recent host within the first few minutes?

Did he kill it with that monologue or what?

How about "Bittersweet Symphony" being played by the Oscar orchestra?

Couldn't Ryan Gosling's jokey description of qualifications for Best Adapted Screenplay actually apply to The Revenant?

The Oscar-winning writer/director of Anchorman?

So, we're going to do that thing again with inserting actors into movie clips?

But with black comedians?

Wasn't The Danish Girl with Tracy Morgan pretty funny? 

Did you forget for a second that Kristen Wiig was actually in The Martian?

Yeah, I got it, but wasn't that Stacey Dash thing weird anyway?

Sorry, but isn't Sam Smith Spectre theme completely forgettable?

Did you even recognize Sam Smith?

Isn't it nice that we can all remember that J.K. Simmons won Best Supporting Actor last year?

Isn't Supporting Actress consistently the most challenging category to get right each year?

Did you hear the collective groans of everyone getting it wrong?

Did you get the feeling Alicia Vikander wouldn't be the first winner played off during her speech?

Especially considering the pace they're moving at?

Wasn't that Oscar "scroll" at the bottom ridiculous?

Especially considering how infrequently it worked?

Didn't Mad Max really deserve to clean up in all those technical and craft categories?

Anyone else expect Margot Robbie to lecture us on the housing market and credit crisis?

So, was Jonah Hill in that bear costume?

Wasn't the Suge Knight gag funny?

Isn't it unreal Lubezki has won cinematography three years in a row?

And Deakins has now lost thirty in a row?

(Jack) Black History Month?

Get it, it's because no people of color were nominated this year?

Remember that year they really did attempt to explain the difference between Sound Editing and Mixing? 

Is this an impressive haul of statues (6!) for Mad Max or what?

Were you thinking The Revenant might be in trouble?

Ex Machina for visual effects?!

How great was it when they cut to Jacob Tremblay in the audience when the droids came out?

Was I the only one wondering what happened to C3PO's red arm?

Droids AND Minions?

Were you worried Mad Max would  take home Best Animated short?

Then beat Trump and Hillary?

Doesn't Pete Docter kind of resemble a Pixar character?

But doesn't he seem like a legitimately good guy?

Anyone worried they'd show clips of Fifty Shades of Grey during The Weekend's performance?

I can't be the only one who loved that rock, paper, scissors Android commercial with the St. Elmo's Fire song?

Shouldn't that have won Best Animated Short?

Aren't they beating this Oscar controversy humor into the ground?

Did you fall out of your seat when they announced Mark Rylance's name?

Were you too shocked to study Stallone's expression? 

Could you literally hear all the air being sucked out the room when Rylance spoke?

And you thought you had problems remembering Patricia Arquette won last year?

Did that screw up my ballot?

And Stallone's life?

And our night?

So, was it Escape Plan or The Expendables 3 that killed his chances?

Can Louis CK host next year?

Isn't it about time they made a joke at the expense of the Price Waterhouse guys?

Can anyone tell me what exactly Cheryl Boone Isaacs' said?

Was I the only one expecting her to lecture us on stealing music?

Or do I have this confused with another overlong awards show? 

Were you worried they'd scroll the In Memoriam across the bottom of the screen to save time?

Dave Grohl singing The Beatles?

But didn't he do a good job?

So wait, they had Jacob Tremblay present Live Action Short so they could make a short joke?

Were you worried Joe Biden's speech on sexual abuse would introduce Room rather than Lady Gaga's performance?

Remember when everyone thought her career was floundering?

Was that Biden's first scripted TV appearance since Parks and Rec?

So, did Lady Gaga appear on enough awards shows, and win enough awards, this year?

Did Oscar voters apparently think so?

Can you believe that Bond song won!?

And after THAT performance?

Weren't you relieved that Tarantino wasn't accepting the award for Morricone?

Do you think I envisioned Ali G introducing Room?

Too late to get Biden back up there?

Did we officially reach the end of the Fury Road when Iñárritu won Best Director?

Boy, did they play him off fast or what?

Was "Flight of the Valkyries" this year's Jaws theme?

Didn't that look like a big spoiler for Carol?

How upset would I be if they played Brie off?

Wasn't I relieved when they didn't have to?

Did you half-expect her to take Jacob Tremblay up there?

Not a question, but I just want to type, "Academy Award Winner Brie Larson."

Didn't that clip from Trumbo kind of play like a comic version of Breaking Bad, complete with a bathtub?

Was Leo up there before it was even announced?

Have you ever seen anyone get to a stage so fast?

Were you excited to hear about climate change?

Is Leo the rare star exempt from being played off? 

Spotlight...Best Picture??!!!!

Am I burning my Oscar ballot right now?

Everyone else must have missed that, right?

What was that I said about closing my eyes and just randomly picking winners?

Do you realize Michael Keaton has now starred in two Best Picture winners in a row?

So, is it too early to start predicting for next year?

Aren't you glad you stayed awake?

Wasn't that one of the more newsworthy shows in years?

Given all those upsets, should I just be glad Brie escaped the building with her statue?

So, did Chris Rock earn an invitation back?

Has any other recent host done as well?

Will everyone still look for something he did to complain about?

Wouldn't it be interesting to see how he'd do next year without such a hot-button controversy to play off of?

2016 Oscar Predictions

While the Academy Awards seem steeped in more controversy than ever this year, there's no debating that they're still very much a big deal. If they weren't, no one would care, and there certainly wouldn't be as much discussion and outrage as there's been over the past couple of months surrounding the nominations. If nothing else, Chris Rock shouldn't have any shortage of material in his opening monologue. And those watching definitely won't have a shortage of things to talk and laugh about when he's finished. Long considered a thankless job that's sunk even the most talented of comedians, actors, and TV hosts, Rock has the unusual benefit of this year's jokes sitting right over the plate for him. But as we know, it's always a tough room for any host, regardless of the circumstances 

Complaints about a lack of diversity in the nominations has already caused one unfortunate, unintended consequence: The conversation shifting away from all the deserving nominees that were recognized and the acknowledgement that, more often than not, the Academy does recognize quality. And occasionally, they even get around to rewarding it. This 88th year is no different than any other. Sometimes your favorites get in. Sometimes they don't. All you can do is sit back, enjoy the ride, taking pleasure in the tiny victories that do come your way as a movie fan. Like knowing your favorite film of the year may be recognized with a Best Picture nomination. Or celebrating a talent whose career you've followed from jump street, or in this case, since before 21 Jump Street.

There are 8 nominees this year for Best Picture, and despite my recent inactivity, I've seen over half of them. I meant to get a review up for the frontrunning The Revenant before the show, but will instead have to unfortunately settle for cramming in a last minute viewing. That race is still far from locked up though, as more than a few categories are still up in the air. It hasn't been one of the more enthralling Oscar races in recent years, but it's all over the place, making the prognostication game tougher than usual. The closest I've come to a clean sweep was missing two categories in 2014. Don't expect that this time. All predictions are below, accompanied with analysis where warranted. This time, I saved the big ones for last. As usual, I'm reserving the right to adjust these right up until the start of the show. But judging from the poor results of my flip flopping last year, that's a luxury I should probably restrain from indulging in.

*Predicted Winners 
        

Best Original Song
“Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey
“Manta Ray” from Racing Extinction
“Simple Song #3” from Youth
“Til It Happens to You” from The Hunting Ground
“Writing’s on the Wall” from Spectre

Best Cinematography
Ed Lachman, Carol
Robert Richardson, The Hateful Eight
John Seale, Mad Max: Fury Road
Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant
Roger Deakins, Sicario

Best Documentary Short
Body Team 12
Chau, Beyond the Lines
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
Last Day of Freedom

Best Documentary Feature
Amy
Cartel Land
The Look of Silence
What Happened, Miss Simone?
Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

Best Costume Design
Sandy Powell, Carol
Sandy Powell, Cinderella
Paco Delgado, The Danish Girl
Jenny Beavan, Mad Max: Fury Road
Jacqueline West, The Revenant

Best Sound Editing
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Sicario
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Mixing
Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Makeup and Hairstyling 
Mad Max: Fury Road
The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
The Revenant

Best Live-Action Short
Ave Maria
Day One
Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)
Shok
Stutterer

Best Animated Short
Bear Story
Prologue
Sanjay’s Super Team
We Can’t Live Without Cosmos
World of Tomorrow

Best Animated Feature
Anomalisa
Boy and the World
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie
When Marnie Was There

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone, Creed

*With performances in Mad Max: Fury Road, Legend and The Revenant, Tom Hardy's nomination for his diabolical turn in the latter represents the culmination of a creatively fruitful year. He'll get his Oscar. Just not now. Bale and Ruffalo are in similar spots as standouts in large ensembles, but if you're putting odds on an upset, Bale's wild performance, his history and The Big Short's surprising momentum gives him a better than decent shot here. Some think Mark Rylance can win for Bridge of Spies and he theoretically can. But who's talking about that movie? His victory narrative just isn't exciting enough. That leaves us with Creed's Stallone, for whom we can all agree the narrative is most definitely exciting enough, potentially winning gold for reprising the character he created over thirty years ago. Everyone loves a comeback and voters won't be able to resist hearing that music as Rocky takes the stage. The place will go nuts.      

Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

*Spotlight's Rachel McAdams is a non-starter, relegated to background player in an ensemble role that should have been developed enough to earn her this. If they're interested in giving out a career award, there's no better option than Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is somehow only now receiving her first nomination. But The Hateful Eight's lack of presence in other major categories and Tarantino hate still running strong would prevent me from putting any money on it. And as much as I admire Steve Jobs and Kate Winslet's chameleon-like performance, the subtlety of it will probably be lost on Academy members who prefer the actress in bigger, showier roles. So, it's a battle between two ingenues in Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander. Given Oscar's storied history of anointing the the next "It Girl" in this category, Vikander's 2015 double shot of The Danish Girl and Ex Machina (for which many believe she should have been nominated instead) puts her over the top. If just barely. As usual, be wary of a possible upset in what's annually been the tightest contest.      

Best Visual Effects
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Film Editing
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Production Design
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant

Best Adapted Screenplay
Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, The Big Short
Nick Hornby, Brooklyn
Phyllis Nagy, Carol
Drew Goddard, The Martian
Emma Donoghue, Room

*In a perfect world, Room's Emma Donaghue would easily take this for pulling off the rare trick of successfully adapting her own novel. She would be my choice, but unfortunately three other adaptations fit more squarely into the Academy's wheelhouse. It isn't Drew Goddard, who's the odd man out with The Martian's inexplicable inclusion, with his script being that film's weakest aspect. Nick Hornby and Phyllis Nagy may be in the same boat for Brooklyn and Carol, respectively. Both are well regarded without being well regarded enough to take this. But don't count either out, especially Brooklyn, which, like Room, was liked enough to earn a Best Picture nod. The winners will likely be The Big Short's Chris Randolph and Adam McKay, who accomplished the seemingly impossible feat of adapting Michael Lewis' impenetrable book about the housing and credit bubble into a more easily digestible (if still impenetrable) piece of entertainment.   

Best Original Screenplay
Matt Charman, Joel Coen, and Ethan Coen, Bridge of Spies
Alex Garland, Ex Machina
Pete Docter, Megg LeFauve, and Josh Cooley, Inside Out
Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff, Straight Outta Compton

*Just the names "Joel and Ethan Coen" over Bridge of Spies' credits assures at least the chance at a potential upset. The challenge will be in reminding voters they had anything to do with that script. When praising Inside Out, everyone seems to place an emphasis on its surprisingly deep and insightful script. Unfortunately, the Animated Feature category exists partially to prevent the film from winning in categories like these. Ex Machina is a really inspired choice but it came out too early in the year and it's doubtful enough voters saw it. Besides, it's just too cool for them, which is a shame since Garland's script is probably the most deserving here. There's NO WAY voters are honoring the two white writers of Straight Outta Compton while the film was overlooked in every other category. Just imagine how that would go over. That leaves us with Spotlight, which has to win something. This is likely it.

Best Original Score
Thomas Newman, Bridge of Spies
Carter Burwell, Carol
Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
Jóhann Jóhansson, Sicario
John Williams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Foreign Language Film
Colombia: Embrace of the Serpent
France: Mustang
Hungary: Son of Saul
Jordan: Theeb
Denmark: A War

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

*It's great when the Academy gets it right. Brie Larson's going to win and most definitely deserves to, making for my most appreciated outcome of the night, and easily the past few years. I could waste time dwelling on all the nominees' chances (in short: Joy flopped hard, Rampling blew what little shot she had with controversial diversity comments, Blanchett just won this and Ronan's nod feels more like an invite into an exclusive club) but this space is better served recognizing an actress I'm not only a big fan of, but have actually written A LOT about. What's most amazing is that most of these are supporting roles and it still doesn't cover even smaller ones like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Greenberg or The Spectacular Now, where she also made huge impressions. 

In honor of Brie's potential win, I gathered a collection of choice review quotes of mine praising her work, including an eerily accurate prediction from 2014's The Gambler, a unique, underrated remake I seem to appreciate more and more each time I think back to it. Searching for an excuse to talk about it again, I couldn't be more pleased it's happening under these circumstances While some feel Brie's part was a throwaway or underdeveloped, it's a testament to her talent that even its director has apologetically admitted that's exactly the reason she was needed to do it. And she's really good, regardless of how anyone feels about the film, which does rightfully have its supporters. 

Incorrectly dubbed an overnight sensation, Larson's actually been kicking around in the industry for over 15 years, starting as a child actor and sometimes pop star, sharing the screen at various points with co-stars as insanely eclectic as Bob Saget, Toni Collette, Jimmy Buffett, Chris Kattan and Tony Danza. Looking and acting so completely different from film-to-film that few could pick her out of a lineup, it wasn't until the brilliant Short Term 12 a couple of years ago that she really turned the corner and exploded. And now, here we are. So, congrats in advance to one of my absolute favorites, somewhat easing the blow of what happened to Michael Keaton last year. Not many Oscar wins have me jumping out of my seat. This one will.

"....the biggest credit to the maturity and wit Larson brings to the role is that we're genuinely rooting for Hill's character to win this girl over and laughing too hard to even consider the moral and legal ramifications of an undercover cop picking up a high school student."- from 21 Jump Street review (8/9/12)

"And doing a complete 180 from her recent role in 21 Jump Street, an almost unrecognizable Brie Larson goes head to head with Harrelson in the emotional family scenes as his rebellious daughter" -from Rampart review (8/14/12)

One of the toughest things to convey as actor are hidden reserves of surprising strength or deep pain. Larson is able to do both, sometimes at once, and because we start with so much respect for the character and her relationship with her boyfriend and these teens, when she's forced to finally pull back the curtain on her life, the reveal is almost unbearable to take." -from Short Term 12 review (4/26/14)

"In a nearly wordless, dialogue-free performance, Brie Larson's face may be buried in her phone texting as Jon's sister, Monica, but conveys more with an occasional eye roll or sideways glance than most other actresses would with pages of dialogue." -from Don Jon review (5/28/15)

"Larson captivates as usual in the limited role, further confirming suspicions that Jennifer Lawrence probably needs to watch her back in the years ahead."-from The Gambler review (8/2/15)


"As Kim, Brie Larson is given an arguably undeveloped role she still manages to do a lot with, allowing us to see through her how Amy turned into such a disaster." -from Trainwreck review (9/16/15)

"...Larson really plunges the depths of this character in much the same way she did a couple of years ago in Short Term 12, taking a strong-willed caregiver and completely unraveling her as inner demons take over. Before long, it's apparent she's plummeted into a near-helpless state."-from Room review (1/18/16)

Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

*It's time. He's due. The planets have aligned. Whichever phrase you want to use, Leo is taking home the Oscar and the only remaining question is which of the remaining nominees stand the best chance of pulling an upset that won't happen. Eddie Redmayne won last year and he won't be repeating given that The Danish Girl was even more poorly received than The Theory of Everything, but lacking the goodwill his performance in the latter had. Damon's work in The Martian is fun, but hardly Oscar worthy. In a stronger year, he's not even here. Fassbender gave the best male performance of 2015 in Steve Jobs, but too many people are inexplicably put off by the film, which flopped.

If DiCaprio somehow doesn't win, they would go for the popular Cranston who's popular enough in the industry to come one step closer to winning the EGOT. His biggest competition might not be DiCaprio, but Walter White. How do you top that? If only Trumbo were a better film and this wasn't Leo's year. But it is. And he's winning. Very few could claim he doesn't deserve it and we shouldn't be surprised if he wins a few more before he's done. And though it partially is, this doesn't feel like a "career achievement" award because the performance itself is deserving. The physicality he brings to the role of The Revenant's Hugh Glass stands out as being completely different than anything else he's done before.    

Best Director
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

*Only two filmmakers have managed to win back-to-back directing statues in Oscar history so it can be done. And while I'm not sure how I feel about Iñárritu joining the exclusive company of John Ford and Joseph Mankiewicz when so many legendary directors have none, he will pull it off. There's no reason he shouldn't given the wave of momentum The Revenant is currently riding. Voters are more likely to be impressed he quickly followed up Birdman with something dramatically different than grouchy he's winning two in a row. If anything, it shows his range and they'll want to reward that.  

Spotlight isn't a director's film at all. The phrase, "The nomination is reward enough" has never been more applicable than it is this year to The Big Short's Adam McKay. Considering the skill it takes to direct two actors (one of them a child) in a single contained space for half the film and make it that compelling, Lenny Abrahamson should be seen as a bigger threat. Oddly, he's not. The strongest competition is Mad Max's 70-year-old George Miller and if we're talking purely about direction, he arguably accomplished the biggest feat of the year. If there's a Picture/Director split, he's winning. But there won't be. Iñárritu has this in the bag.      
Best Picture
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight

*We can agree right away that Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn and The Martian (which shouldn't be here) don't stand a chance, with each just not having enough critical or commercial support to go the distance. We can pretty much cross out any films that don't have a corresponding directing nomination, which makes this much easier. And as painful as this is for me to admit, we have to eliminate my beloved Room, which lacks that all-important film editing nod. This leaves us with Spotlight, The Big Short, Mad Max and The Revenant. Logic would indicate the Revenant lacking a screenplay nomination (or some would argue even much of a story) and The Big Short winning the Producer's Guild award, makes the latter an odds on favorite. Then common sense took over and people started to realize you can't just rely on statistics. The Big Short is polarizing and confusing. Movies like that don't win Best Picture, and especially if it's classified as a comedy.

The Academy would never give Best Picture to a genre film, even one as great as Mad Max, and still be able to look at themselves in the mirror the next day. Consider the fact that this and The Martian got a nominations a huge achievement in itself. Spotlight is a strong, solid choice if only it wasn't missing something. Namely a "wow" factor that all previous Best Picture winners have had. It doesn't feel BIG or emotional enough. Understated qualities that critics appreciate are sometimes not shared by the Academy, which is clearly the issue here. No matter what you think of it, The Revenant does feel big enough, containing the necessary scope, vision and emotion that most previous winners possess. It also boasts the most impressive filmmaking. Looking at the 8 nominees, it's tough to imagine voters won't feel it's the one, checking all their boxes, and making Iñárritu the only director in history to have his films win back-to-back Best Picture Oscars.

Room

Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, Sean Bridgers, William H. Macy, Tom McCamus
Running Time: 118 min.
Rating: R

★★★★ (out of ★★★★)

                                         **Spoiler Warning: The Following Review Contains Major Plot Details**

The events that unfold in Lenny Abrahamson's Room are something we see frequently covered in the news, but without ever truly understanding or processing its ramifications or how it affects the victims involved. In fact, there's probably a good chance the actual crime is happening somewhere right now as I'm typing this. A young girl or woman is abducted, being held captive in some undisclosed location by her kidnapper. Her family eventually gives up hope. Years later, she's found. The media descends. The requisite interviews take place. The family rejoices. Everyone rides off into the sunset and goes on with their lives.  

Room isn't about any of this. It's a movie that makes us read between the lines to see and feel the psychological and sociological implications of being trapped in that scenario. And then it dares to go even further, satisfying those like myself who believe the best part of Cast Away was when he returned "home," and had to not only adjust to a new world around him, but live with the memory of an experience that made him an entirely different person than before he left. It takes that basic idea and ups the ante, adding another component that's absolutely gut-wrenching in how it organically pulls and pushes your emotions to the breaking point without a hint of manipulation.

The plot details of the screenplay (adapted by Emma Donoghue from her own best-selling 2011 novel) are almost incidental, as the commercials and trailers freely gave away what most would consider spoilers under different circumstances. It's also an ordeal, albeit one built on the foundation of logic and sound decision making by the filmmakers. And none of it comes together without the two performances at its center, functioning as a single unit. One from an exceptionally gifted child actor and another from an actress who's work has steadily been building to this for a while now, filling in the final piece of the puzzle that should deservedly garner her all the acclaim and attention she deserves.

Kidnapped seven years ago, a young woman (Brie Larson) is being held in a small shed with her young son Jack (Jacob Tremblay), whom he refers to as "Ma." With a ceiling skylight and television being their only limited exposure to the outside world, she creates a small universe for him inside this confined space, which fosters his often fantastical imagination. Their captor is a bearded man they've nicknamed Old Nick (Sean Bridgers), who keeps the boy paralyzed with fear in his bed with his nightly rapes of Ma, one of which he resulted from.

After reaching his milestone 5th birthday, Ma decides Jack's now old enough to know the truth of how they got there, while also realizing she'll need his help and cooperation to escape. After failed attempts at this in the past, she's formulated a plan she feels could work if both demonstrate the necessary courage and resourcefulness to carry it out. And they do. But what happened in that room is only the beginning, as their adjustment to the real world carry challenges Ma couldn't foresee, proving to be as formidable a challenge as any obstacle they both faced in Room.

What's most appreciated is how the film gets into it right away, trusting the performances to tell a story no amount of exposition or flashbacks could convey as effectively. Initially, we have no idea who these two are other than that they are mother and son and can only guess at why they're living in this small room, though the cards start falling quickly into place. As does this wonderful, stream of conciousness narration from Jack, which would in any other circumstance come off as the babblings of a possibly dim child with a limited concept of the world around him. But because this room is all he knows and his world literally begins and ends with it, they could in this context be viewed as perfectly reasonable questions and often fascinating observations

Besides not knowing what's out's there, Jack doesn't even know what "out there" means, making the first hour of the film play as this fascinating sociological experiment of sorts, seeing how a mother would raise her child within the confines of four walls and a skylight. It's Larson who makes this dynamic so compelling, right up until the moment it's time to come clean to her son and enlist his help, regardless of his anger at the idea. But it's only valuable to analyze as an experiment until it isn't, which is any time the shed door unlocks and Old Nick makes an appearance. Then it's just plain terrifying. Because we're seeing everything through small Jack's eyes, the glimpses we get of their bearded, twisted captor and the control he exerts, seem only that much worse. You envision that the person who did this must be as evil and twisted as can be, and Bridgers' brief appearances fill the quota, even as some of his worst actions take place off screen or through wardrobe closet door slats.

If my heart was in my throat up to this point, the escape has it nearly pounding out of my chest. Without giving away too many details, the screenplay takes what should be a completely implausible plan into the realm of total plausiblity by presenting a logical series of events that don't go down without a hitch or two, but just well enough to not stretch credibility too far. Extremely competent police work, a few (but not too many) lucky breaks and one really smart bystander basically converge to create the most excitingly filmed and performed sequence of the year.

Shot completely from the perspective of 5 year-old Jack seeing the outside world for the first time, every camera shake has your palms sweating in anticipation of how things will pan out. And all this tension is created despite our general knowledge of the outcome. Reaching its emotional crescendo and fully invested in two characters we've known a mere 30 to 40 minutes, there's already been more than enough substance to fill an entire feature. But then the realization hits that Abrahamson is just getting warmed up and most movies would end where this one arguably begins.

Seamlessly shifting from nail-biting, single location thriller to moving coming-of-age tale, Joy Newsome (Ma's real name) is reunited with her mom and dad, returning to a reality in which she's lost 7 years of her life and her parents (brilliantly played by Joan Allen and William H. Macy) now have a grandson. And it doesn't skirt the fact that to some he could be viewed as a living, breathing, walking symbol of an event that destroyed everyone's lives.

Here's where it's important to tread carefully in revealing details because Abrahamson's commitment to making even the tiniest of them resonate is what makes the rest of the picture so special. And it's here where Larson really plunges the depths of this character in much the same way she did a couple of years ago in Short Term 12, taking a strong-willed caregiver and completely unraveling her as inner demons take over. Before long, it's apparent she's plummeted into near-helpless state.

Mother and son quite nearly switch roles, with Jack having to stay strong for her as he's exposed the endless possibilities of the world ahead of him. Ironically for Joy, despite no longer being a prisoner, she's as trapped as ever, with the walls rapidly closing in on her in ways they never did inside that room. None of this is outright acknowledged, but instead conveyed by Larson and Tremblay's potent performances, which hit completely different notes than in the film's first half. While he stays clear of any precociousness that could have seeped into the role had another child his age taken it, she has these quietly devastating moments that let us know how much of her identity is gone.We see it in conversations with her parents or reaction upon returning to her childhood bedroom and looking at an old picture.

Joy must also have to deal with public perceptions and living this new life, at least temporarily, inside the media's fish bowl. There's a point during the third act when she's confronted by a surprising and seemingly ruthless question that causes her to go off the deep end. But once you get past the coldness of it, the question is just as surprising to us since it's a seemingly obvious observation we never considered either, inviting serious introspection to come up with a valid answer.

Whether it was a deviation from Donoghue's novel or not, the decision to start the film where it does and forego backstory to focus primarily on the aftermath was a valuable one. It's also a relief that we never see the initial kidnapping, which now looms so terrifyingly large in our minds that no scene, no matter how expertly filmed, could possibly match it. And it's Larson's performance, which brought this reviewer to the edge of tears throughout, that renders any additional narrative or explanations unnecessary. It's true that without Tremblay it couldn't be possible, but even truer that it couldn't all come together without Abrahamson's inventive direction, which is far more creative than expected given the claustrophobic subject matter. He previously directed last year's Michael Fassbender wears a giant papier-mâché head music biopic, Frank, and while that was a decent enough watch, there weren't many previous hints he had something like this in him.

Upsetting and polarizing for good reason, this was far from a slam dunk by description alone, but on screen it all converges in a gripping, ingeniously structured way few literary adaptations have managed. When films put characters through horrific ordeals, it's rare we get to see an aftermath, much less a detailed one. This takes care of one of my biggest pet peeves by crafting this giant epilogue, spending all the time available letting us inside the heads of these characters. While much of the conversation will undoubtedly revolve around the emotional power of the mother-child bond and its two shattering performances, Room inspires far more thought and contemplation than it's getting credit for.
                         

2016 Oscar Nominations (Reaction and Analysis)

Bright and early this morning, the 88th Annual Academy Award nominations were announced live in Beverly Hills by AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs and actor John Krasinki. Despite maybe one or two fairly big surprises, I wouldn't say there were any real "shockers" that couldn't be explained away by the Academy's usual voting patterns. I thought it was a thin (though not necessarily weak) year with some categories barely filling the required slots, so any conversations regarding snubs need to, as usual, be taken with a grain of salt. And of course, we have what's become the annual debate about the lack of diversity in the nominations. But I'll assume that detractors really mean to say that the INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE needs to present more opportunities for minorities to be put in a position where they can be nominated.

With a smaller pool to choose from, it's inevitable there will be omissions, so simply "diversifying" the nominations for the sake of it really doesn't address the problem. I wish the media would phrase it like that, instead of hurling accusations of racism at an entire voting body of industry professionals who missed a few of nominations.  And as usual, each alleged "snub" should be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. That seems fairest, especially since it's impossible to recognize everyone's favorites. But as we know, the Academy is more often than not out of step with the general moviegoing population and sometimes even the critics. So let's assess the damages and talking points:

-The Revenant is the one to beat, leading with 12 (!) nods. And barring a huge upset, Leonardo DiCaprio is finally getting his Oscar. 

-No Star Wars: The Force Awakens for Best Picture. I loved it and would have been pleased to see it there but let's be honest: This was a real long shot. A special set of circumstances surrounded the 1977 original being nominated, and even that didn't win. The Empire Strikes Back wasn't even nominated. In my mind it's a four-star movie but a different kind of one than what's typically nominated for the top prize, even with 8 nominees. Instead, they went for two other populist entertainments in its place. 

-J.J. Abrams also gets shut out. Again, no surprise there. The film's notices predictably came in the technical categories, while 83 year-old John Williams becomes a nominee yet again for his magnificent score, which expertly combined the old with the new.  
 
-Carol not being nominated for Best Picture or Best Director (Todd Haynes) is as close to a shock as we'll get. Then again, if you go back through the Academy's history, this isn't a subject matter they're particularly comfortable with. Though, Eddie Redmayne got in for playing a transgender in The Danish Girl, so who knows?

-Cate Blanchett is in for Best Actress while Rooney Mara goes supporting for Carol. Some category fraud  there but given the picture being snubbed, things could have been worse for them.

-Jennifer Lawrence gets in for Joy, despite the film's lukewarm (at best) reception. But she was never really at risk. At 25, she's now officially the youngest actor ever to earn four Oscar nominations. Not bad. They do love her, but she won't be winning one again this year.

- ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE BRYAN CRANSTON. Didn't think this would happen for him this soon after Breaking Bad but boy am I glad it did, as he inches closer into EGOT territory.

-The Martian is nominated for Best Picture, becoming my least favorite contender in that category in years. Ridley Scott doesn't get in for Best Director, which I can live with. But his direction and Damon's performance were the best things about it.

-Matt Damon in for Best Actor. He was kind of on the bubble, but made it. I have mixed feelings, as I enjoyed what he did with the role, but question whether it's actually award-worthy.

-George Miller takes Ridley Scott's Best Director spot for Mad Max: Fury Road, which is also in for Best Picture. The rare sci-fi movie to earn such a designation. Of course, that's assuming we're still counting The Martian as a comedy.  

-Michael Fassbender gets in for Steve Jobs. Would have also liked to see a surprise Best Picture nod, but I'll take it. And Winslet's expected supporting nod. Can't believe they overlooked Sorkin's script though.     

-No Will Smith for Concussion but how many people were really raving about that performance or the film? It may be great for all I know, but it had very few supporters.

-The Big Short gained incredible momentum when the ballots went out, as a comedy gets in for Best Picture and the man who helmed Anchorman (Adam McKay) gets nominated for Best Director. Now THAT qualifies as a shocker.

-Surprise supporting nominees: Rachel McAdams for Spotlight, Tom Hardy for The Revenant and, to a slightly lesser degree, Christian Bale for The Big Short (I think most suspected Steve Carrell to get in instead).

-No Idris Elba supporting nomination for Netflix's Beasts of No Nation or Kristen Stewart for Clouds of Sils Maria. Both of these were longer shots than they actually appeared because of all the enthusiasm and support behind them. Enthusiasm that unfortunately didn't carry over to industry voters.

-No Peanuts Movie for animated feature? Charlie Brown really can't catch a break, can he? Good grief.

-Once again, Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone, for returning to the role he made famous over thirty years ago in Creed. Here's hoping he uses this as a launching pad to do more character-driven work moving forward. 

-The omission of Creed's Michael B. Jordan is probably the strongest case that can be made for a flat-out snub in the Best actor category, even if few seem to have predicted him

-Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's Paul Walker tribute track "See You Again" from Fast and Furious 7 fails to to snag a Best Original Song nomination. Are they ever going to get these song categories right?

-At least they didn't screw up the documentary category this year, as the beloved Amy Winehouse doc, Amy, justifiably gets in.

-I had to do a double take to even notice Spielberg's Bridge of Spies was nominated for Best Picture. That's how talked about it's been. In some ways it's the biggest shock of the morning, included mainly out of obligation to who directed it.

-Brie Larson. Brie Larson. Brie Larson. That is all.

-Not only does Room get in for Best Picture, but Lenny Abrahamson is nominated for Director.

-As if the reaction to Tarantino's Golden Globes speech wasn't indication enough, the full brunt of the backlash has finally hit. He's snubbed for writing and directing for The Hateful Eight, which also failed to get a Best Picture nod. It did get cinematography and a somewhat surprising (but welcome) first nomination for Jennifer Jason Leigh in supporting. 
     
-Sorry, but it's tough to be surprised Straight Outta Compton wasn't nominated for Best Picture. The reviews, while very good, weren't entirely rapturous, and we know the Academy's taste and makeup. That it even got a writing nod (presumably knocking out Tarantino) is pretty damn impressive enough though.    

-Much to my chagrin, Love and Mercy is overlooked in all categories, most disappointingly Paul Dano's transcendent performance as Brian Wilson.

-I clearly have a lot of cramming to do before February 28th.