In case you didn't know, the Academy Awards are approaching. So if you're still not sure who to root for on Sunday, 28 February, we provide you with a neat collection of all our reviews on films that were able to grab a nomination this year. Just follow the links below and you'll be sure to hold your ground on every Oscar-themed watching party. Additionally, you can find our full list of all the nominees here.
Brooklyn
Nominated for 3 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominated for 10 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design
Nominated for 12 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design
Writing: John McNamara; based on the biography Dalton Trumbo by Bruce Cook
Cinematography: Jim Denault
Cast: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Louis C.K., Michael Stuhlbarg, Elle Fanning, Alan Tudyk, David James Elliott, Dean O’Gorman, Stephen Root, John Goodman
“Friends? What friends? Who the hell has the luxury of friends? I’ve got allies and enemies. There’s no room for anything else.”– Dalton Trumbo
The early Cold War period is not only the time in which the USA fought the Soviet Union in a proxy war far away in Korea. It is also the time in which they heavily prosecuted their own people right at home. Men and women who were suspected of favouring socialist views and communist doctrines found themselves indicted, imprisoned, shamed, blacklisted, sometimes even deported. McCarthyism scarred lives, destroyed careers and endangered one of the pinnacles of modern democracy: the freedom of speech.
Jay Roach’s biopic Trumbo tells the story of one of those men who suffered under a regime dominated by oppression and the Red Scare. In the film, Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston), a celebrated Hollywood script writer, is under scrutiny for his passionate support of organised labour and his membership in the Communist Party of the USA. When summoned in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee and questioned about his political views, Trumbo refuses to answer and, in 1947, is convicted for contempt of Congress. Blacklisted after an eleven-month prison term, he has a hard time finding work and keeping his family afloat. Yet, continues to try.
Let me state right away, Trumbo is definitely flawed. Attempting to depict both a significant historical era and the personal struggle of a talented writer and dedicated family man, the film hardly moves beyond the surface. We see a man up against a tyrannical regime, we see a father working his butt off trying to earn money for his wife (Diane Lane) and three children (Elle Fanning, amongst others), we see a man facing betrayal by the hand of a very good friend. There’s a pretty basic formula at work here, guiding us through cornerstones of Trumbo’s life story, channelling some soapy drama, teary eyes and tenacious defiance while doing so. The characters fall rather flat, and an effort to explain McCarthyism rests on pointing out that everybody is plainly hysterical and nuts. Not to say that this isn’t true at its core, but a more in-depth look at the machinery behind this malicious political agenda would have been nice and could have helped to elevate the film out of triviality. Despite the overly simplistic approach, however, I can’t claim that I didn’t enjoy Trumbo. While its triviality prevents the film from really gaining ground, it also offers a rather engaging 101 on the McCarthy era and its influence on Hollywood. The reason why I say ‘engaging’ is that I found myself perfectly intrigued by the way in which the film brings the classic movie industry of the 1940s, 50s and 60s to life. The set and costume design is lovely. Characters such as John Wayne (David James Elliott) and Kirk Douglas (Dean O’Gorman) appear. The use of fictional as well as actual radio and movie footage gives the whole thing a documentary style and evokes Hollywood greatness. For example, the voices of Lucille Ball and Gregory Peck are featured, and scenes from Roman Holiday (1953) and Spartacus (1960) incorporated. Combined with the at times vivid editing, the film boasts a rich and energetic atmosphere that is fun to watch.
Besides, the cast manages to move beyond the platitudes of the script and deliver memorable performances. Cranston’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of Trumbo carries the film through a bumpy script. He brings a loveable, slightly neurotic charm to the character, presents wit and passion with ease and has me invested in his journey from start to finish. Helen Mirren shines as fancy-hat-wearing, gossip-spreading Hedda Hopper. A character that could have easily been a mere evil-minded broad becomes a complex, classy, quick-witted evil-minded broad in her capable hands. She spices up the screen every time she’s on it. Furthermore, John Goodman delivers a fun stint as foul-mouthed B-movie producer Frank King, Louis C.K. adds some dry humour as fellow blacklisted screen writer Arlen Hird, and Michael Stuhlbarg steals the show as (apparently historically inaccurate) treacherous actor Edward G. Robinson.
Story- and character-wise Trumbo keeps things very much on the lighter side. It’s thanks to the atmospheric execution, dedicated cast and witty one-liners that the film makes for engaging and entertaining popcorn cinema after all. Trivial it may be, but never incomprehensible or alienating. In the end, Dalton Trumbo and his spirit of defiance against a ramshackle political system resonate strongly.
The Globes, Oscars et al. are closing in on us. And while the previous months have already given us a bunch of good movies highly eligible to take home one prestigious statue or the other (I'm basically talking about you, Sicario and Mad Max: Fury Road), there are still some award-bait-y films at the ready which have yet to be released in either or both the UK and the USA.
So, if you're resident in one of those regions, and you're anxious to know which movies you shouldn't miss in the upcoming weeks in order to take part in a hearty award race discussion, fret no more. Here are the flicks to watch out for:
Creed
Director: Ryan Coogler | Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone
Release: 25 Nov 2015 (USA) | 15 Jan 2016 (UK)
Remember when Rocky won best picture at the Oscars in 1977? It outdid Alan J. Pakula's All the President's Men and Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver. Maybe Creed, a spin-off/sequel to the popular boxing franchise, can become the victorious odd one out this year. With a charismatic Jordan in the lead and Stallone in his far-famed role as Rocky Balboa, who knows what can happen?
Room
Director: Lenny Abrahamson | Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers
Release: 25 Nov 2015 (USA) | 15 Jan 2016 (UK)
This film tells the story of a mother and her five-year-old son who both have been trapped in a single room for the entire span of the boy's life. When the two manage to escape from their confinement, real life awaits them with all its joys and troubles. While it has still to be seen whether the film itself can leave a mark in the race, Brie Larson's raw, powerful performance is most certainly set to turn her into one of the Best Actress top contenders of the year.
Black Mass
Director: Scott Cooper | Starring: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard, Adam Scott, Corey Stoll, Julianne Nicholson, Juno Temple
Release: 25 Nov 2015 (UK)
Black Mass is a slow, visually appealing crime thriller about real-life gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger that ultimately lacks innovation and a truly gripping story angle. Depp's cold-blooded performance has received some praise, though, and Edgerton will probably not stand a chance in the award race but still delivers an engaging performance as naive FBI agent John Connolly, an eventual accomplice to Bulger's crimes.
Bridge of Spies
Director: Steven Spielberg | Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan
Release: 27 Nov 2015 (UK)
Probably the most Oscar-bait-y film in the competition this year, Steven Spielberg's newest piece features war, moral conflicts and lots of heavy music playing in the background. While the historical aspects of the plot and the talented cast might turn this into an engaging Cold Warspy thriller, the trailer makes the whole thing look like a bloated mess of melodramatic proportions. Still, major award juries might take to it, so a Best Picture nomination is actually not out of the question.
Adapted from a Patricia Highsmith novel, Carol tells the story of a young shop assistant falling head over heels for an older married woman in the New York of the 1950s. Domestic drama is about to unfold in beautifully composed pictures, and the two leading ladies Blanchett and Mara are bound to impress.
The Danish Girl
Diretor: Tom Hooper | Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard, Ben Whishaw, Matthias Schoenaerts
Release: 27 Nov 2015 (USA) | 1 Jan 2016 (UK)
After winning Best Actor for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything last year, Eddie Redmayne is determined to go for the big prize once again. As real-life transgender woman Lili Elbe, one of the first people to undergo sex reassignment surgery, Redmayne will most certainly stun audiences yet again with another emotional, transformative performance. If the trailer is any indication, Hooper's film will impress with beautiful visuals, interpersonal drama and a wonderful supporting cast led by Alicia Vikander.
The Big Short
Director: Adam McKay | Starring: Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Marisa Tomei, Selena Gomez, Melissa Leo Release: 23 Dec 2015 (USA) | 22 Jan 2016 (UK)
This certainly looks a bit like a tamed version of The Wolf of Wall Street, but it remains to be seen whether The Big Short can really hit it big at the awards. With the Financial Crisis of 2007-2010 at its centre and a promising cast along with it, who knows? The film might win over juries with topicality and star power.
45 Years
Director: Andrew Haigh | Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay
Release: 23 Dec 2015 (USA)
Shortly before their 45th wedding anniversary, a man and a woman's life are changed by the arrival of an unexpected letter. British actors Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay are both masters of their craft and get to unleash all their talent in this small, yet engaging-looking marital drama. Rampling, especially, has the potential to land a nomination.
Joy
Director: David O. Russell | Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro, Elizabeth Röhm, Dascha Polanco, Virginia Madsen, Édgar Ramírez, Isabella Rossellini
Release: 25 Dec 2015 (USA) | 1 Jan 2016 (UK)
FINALLY another film made by David O. Russell starring Jennifer Lawrence! And if you think I'm being ironic here, I'm not. We already know that Russell knows how to bring out the best in Lawrence, and her take on real-life business woman/matriarch Joy Mangano, who invented the Miracle Mop, by the way, will certainly be a sight to behold. And since award juries love Russell and Lawrence just as much as I do, nominations should be a given. And rightly so. Seeing Lawrence channel her inner Michael Corleone at the end of the trailer makes my heart giddy with, well, joy.
The Hateful Eight
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kurt Russell, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Channing Tatum
Release: 8 Jan 2016 (UK & USA)
Tarantino is back, and with a western no less. Big awards seem to have a hard time favouring the unconventional film maker, so we have to wait and see how The Hateful Eight will fare with them. However, it's always good to have him shake up the competition with his fun, engaging mash-up odes to cinema. Maybe someone from the impressive cast can snag a nomination. Jennifer Jason Leigh has some buzz going for her.
The Revenant
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu | Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter
Release: 8 Jan 2016 (USA) | 15 Jan 2016 (UK)
BSPeeps, I'm happy to announce that Leo has never been closer to winning an Academy Award. Everything is pointing into his direction right now, but I'm not gonna jinx it by saying that he'll definitely win. I'll just sit in my quiet, little corner and cross my fingers for him. Besides, I'm happy to see how well Tom Hardy is doing in the polls. A Best Supporting Actor nomination might be heading his way and, hell, we all know it's about time. Having said all this, I can only add that I'm fully willing to make love to this trailer. The Revenant simply looks Spec.Tac.U.Lar. Epic cinematography - as we've come to expect from Iñárritu - breathtaking scenery and special effects, and a gut-wretching story about abandonment and revenge. Did I mention that this looks epic?
Our Brand Is Crisis
Director: David Gordon Green | Starring: Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Joaquim de Almeida
Release: 22 Jan 2016 (UK)
Our Brand Is Crisis flopped in the USA. Maybe it can score some points with UK audiences. While Bullock certainly makes for a charming lead, Mackie for a likeable anchor and Thornton for a charismatic antagonist, I guess awards buzz is over for this flick. Bad reviews aren't helping either. But, hey, it could still be worth a try.
Spotlight
Director: Tom McCarthy | Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci
Release: 29 Jan 2016 (UK)
Unlike Our Brand Is Crisis, Spotlight has gained critical acclaim and seems to be set for a Best Picture nomination (some might even say win). The film about the real-life Boston Globe reporters who investigated multiple cases of child abuse by Roman Catholic priests is an ode to the freedom of press and the power of journalism. Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton have chances in the Best Actor categories.
Concussion
Director: Peter Landesman | Starring: Will Smith, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Stephen Moyer, Alec Baldwin, Luke Wilson, Eddie Marsan
Release: 25 Dec 2015 (USA) | 29 Jan 2016 (UK)
Bennet Omalu is the forensic pathologist who found out that repetetive brain trauma can lead to CTE, a degenerative brain disease. The film follows his struggle with the National Football League which tried to surpress his research on CTE in professional football. While the film has gained mostly average reviews, Will Smith has gained momentum in the lead and could land a Best Actor Nomination for his dedicated portrayal.
Trumbo
Director: Jay Roach | Starring: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Michael Stuhlbarg, Ellen Fanning, Alan Tudyk, Louis C.K., John Goodman
Release: 5 Feb 2016 (UK)
Dalton Trumbo has written the screenplays for movies such as Roman Holiday, Spartacus and Exodus. But even though he was a celebrated writer, he was also blacklisted and imprisoned during the McCarthy era. This, however, didn't stop him from winning two Academy Awards. In this year's awards race, Bryan Cranston's performance as Trumbo has garnered some attention. Competition is tough, though, but maybe the man who knocks stands a chance. In any case, it's nice to see Michael Stuhlbarg be so present this year. He also stars in Steve Jobs, which came out a few weeks ago.
Alrighty, this is it. Now you should be all set for the upcoming weeks in which we get closer and closer to the finish line of this year's awards race. Which movies are you looking forward to? Which actors and actresses do you think stand a chance to win? Feel free to let us know below.
