Nominations, snubs, thoughts

So we are at the movie awards’ season homestretch, with the recently concluded golden globe awards, and as we all know the nominations for the 88th annual academy awards were announced recently and as you would expect there was the usual cheer for our favourite movies and actors as well as the expected ‘wetin dis Oscar award people dey think?’ for the snubs that were sooooooooooooo obvious. Over the next couple of paragraphs we shall to the best of our ability break down the various categories. These are OUR opinions o! make una no abuse our family.

JUSTIN, MAYOWA and CHIKEEnjoy.

BEST PICTURE CATEGORY

The Big Short

Mayowa (not yet seen)

Justin – you should totally see this movie, great acting all through and great directing also. They make me understand why we're all broke now.. Of course it's down to corruption and greed. Everything is nowadays anyways.

Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Will Carell, Brad Pitt all delivered top-notch performances. Especially Will Carell.. he was great.

(one of my favs, but to win Best Picture? Maybe Not)

Chike - I think this is a great movie. For a movie to go on and on about Wall Street and The Economic Meltdown that happened in the US and still somehow find a way to carry us laymen along with brilliant casting and explanations, I was blown away. Steve Carell was brilliant. Add this to his work in Foxcatcher and this comedian is totally reinventing himself. Christian Bale was superb as always. The way he changed the way he talks, walks and reacts to situations is the mark of a great actor. Brad and Ryan Gosling was good too. Will it win Best Picture? I don't think so.

Bridge Of Spies

Mayowa - Directed by Grandpa Stephen Spielberg (I mean, this man is the Gandalf of film makers) and starring Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, etc etc. it is a political drama/thriller with a very deep plot line and as expected, a very compelling performance by Tom and Mark. I personally didn’t enjoy it much but o well….its Tom Hanks (Captain Philips ov laiv!)

Justin – You didn’t enjoy… you didn’t??? Moving on

Chike: I was fascinated by Mark Rylance character. Movie benefited from the direction of the Godfather of directors, Stephen Spielberg. Compelling Performance all round but you just kinda feel that the movie lacked something that would have pushed it to the top of the pile.. Nice movie though.

Mad Max ; Fury Road

Mayowa - IMMORTAN JOE! MORSOV! WITNESS ME! Raaaaaaaa! If you never see this movie ehn! The ginger was just on fleek! Ahnahn! I’m pumped up just thinking about the movie. Max came out and just cleared everyone’s doubts, this is how you make an action movie! My second favourite pick for best picture. I can go on and on about how awesome this movie is but space no dey. WHAT A DAY! WHAT A LOVELY DAY!

Justin – The way I was hyped after I saw this movie ehn… the guitar player was my fav character. Tom Hardy’s acting was also great; he could have easily gotten an Oscar nod (but I think he’d be ok with the best supporting he got for The revenant). I kind of agree with Mayowa, My 3rd pick for Best Picture

Chike: Now, this is one of those movies where u come out from with your blood racing. YES! The movie was that good. Tom Hardy was superb. Personally, I believe Charlize Theron deserved a nomination for best actress for her role in this movie. Definitely amongst my top 3 movie of 2015.

Brooklyn

Mayowa (not yet seen)

Justin – saw this twice, cause I was distracted the first time, second time got me appreciating the movie and the writer. Was a really good script with good acting. But this movie wouldn’t win Best Picture.

Chike: This movie was beautiful. The way it focused on a lady on a quest for greener pastures, her family, their struggles, the way she tried to settle in the USA and finally, her Journey to Love and the way she almost gave it up just for the sake of Family. I am not a romantic man but this movie stirred things in me. Nice movie.. best Picture nomination, cool.. Will it even come close to winning? Nah

Room

Mayowa - (not yet seen)

Justin – Good movie… I think the academy needs to go back to nominating just 5 movies though. This Is just a ‘filler’ when you look at it. Brie Larson is Bae and the suspense was crazy.

People were held hostage and we didn't know.

Chike: Justin says "Good movie"..I disagree..I think this movie was a lil bit above good. Many minutes into the movie and u still don't realize the mum and her son are hostages. You are just stuck trying to figure out what kinda Wierd movie is this and then all of a sudden, BANG!! The movie turns on it's head and unfolds into some of the most brilliant acting done this year. Jacob Tremblay deserved a best supporting actor nod. Young boy but the whole hinged on his performance and he delivered. Brie Larson was superb too and I believe she has the best actress category sown up.

Spotlight

Mayowa - (not yet seen)

Justin – BEST PICTURE….

Don’t argue if you haven’t seen it. I’m a Roman Catholic, so it’s awkward for me to love and tip this movie

Chike: Justin, I am a Catholic here too and in as much as this movie made me feel awkward too, it was so well done and thought provoking that I couldn't fault the movie. This is my Pick to win Best Picture.

The Revenant

Mayowa - Let me start by saying Leonardo di caprio is a cinematic god! I was glued to my couch for over 2 hours just appreciating the genius that is Leo. The grizzly bear scene had me like hhhhheeeeeyyyyyy! It is a very strong contender, and seeing that it won best picture at the globes, the academy might just add the icing to the cake (doesn’t usually happen though).

Justin – This is one of the best I’ve seen recently. This is a classic Man v Nature movie and only Leo (or maybe Johnny Depp) could have interpreted that role to perfection… I want this movie to win so bad… so bad, but let me make it my 2nd pick for best picture.

Chike: Truth be told, I sat through this movie and kept thinking to myself, "just imagine what Leo put himself through". Give the man an Oscar to keep his sanity intact. The Director is the same one who directed Birdman last year so I wasn't surprised at how beautiful and gory it was. What was up with Tom Hardy's accent though? Lol. I might just put that man directly behind Johnny Depp when talking my Favourite actor. My second favourite choice for Best picture because the Director's movie "Birdman" won best picture last year. I don't see a back to back happening here.

The Martian

Tied with Sicario as my favourite movie of 2015, The Martian delivers an out of this world experience (pun intended) to its viewers. Ridley Scott crafted one the absolutely bestest (pardon my gbagaun) works of his directorial career in balancing geekiness and totally relatable humour to us all…and Matt Damon? AMAZING! My own pick for best picture sha.

Justin – I loved the Martian.. This Is not Man v Nature (or is it? more like Man v Outer Space). I watched the Hollywood Foreign Press Association categorize The Martian as ‘comedy’. How is someone being stuck in another planet funny. Being Alone in Surulere wouldn’t be funny to me, just saying. Great acting by Damon, and it’s cruel for Ridley Scott to not have an Oscar nom. Baba needs to go probe The Academy Of Motion Picture, Arts and Science for corruption.

Chike: Great acting. Nice directing but it was just Matt Damon being Matt Damon. Ridley Scott was snubbed in the best director category. What was that about? Movie was a hit at the box office and a critical darling and got a nomination for best actor, best director and some others technical categories. How doesn't that translate to a best director nomination for the director? I don't just understand

NOTABLE SNUBS

Straight Outta Compton

Mayowa I don’t even want to start, cos e dey pain me I no go lie.

Justin – Lol…. Leave sentiments, Its not always about Race… Was SOC better than the movies nominated? Would SOC have won even if it had been nominated? Anyways, dem for consider sha, seeing as the Academy can nominate as much as 10 movies in Best Picture.

Chike: Good Movie but I don't think it really deserved a nomination unless u want to listen to this #OscarsSoWhite people and give them something

Sicario

Mayowa - That US - Mexico border scene sef dey enough to make this movie eligible for contention.

Justin – Benicio Del Toro is a god…. This over SOC sef… but lets not talk before they say I’m racist.

Chike - I agree with Justin.

Ex Machina

Mayowa - I know, it might look weird, but ex machine deserves some major props yo

Justin – Oscar Isaac Baba Nla. This was a good film IMO but not a snub

Mayowa: Now… lets talk about Best Director..

Justin – Really, that’s all the snubs? You put Sicario in there and that’s all? Anyways listing my snubs

Creed

This movie has a great lead in Micheal B. Jordan, was great and loved by All. I actually loved Stallone in a movie, THIS MOVIE and nobody is talking, but we’re all Sparta for SOC.

The Hateful Eight

Tarantino is my best filmmaker and The Hateful Eight has the best dialogue I have seen in a movie recently. This is a crime, the Academy should be PPunished.

Chike: don't even get me started on this particular snub.

Carol

it is obvious the academy does not support romance. And it’s cool. Let’s not push

--

Mayowa: Can we talk about best Director now?

Justin: I guess so, seeing as the force isn’t with Star Wars…

Chike : *laughs*

BEST DIRECTOR CATEGORY

Mayowa: Truth is I can’t say much on this category because I have only seen 2 of the filmmakers’ works (the revenant and mad max) so I feel it would be unfair to critique this category.

Justin: I’m just sad Ridley Scott didn’t get a nom for The Martian. Maybe next year for ALIEN?

I think The Revenant or Mad Max would fight this one out.

Adam McKay: The Big Short

George Miller: Mad Max

Alejandro González Iñárritu: The Revenant

Lenny Abrahamson: Room

Tom McCarthy: Spotlight

BEST ACTOR CATEGORY

Bryan Cranston – Trumbo

Mayowa (I never watch am…..yet)

Justin – just like Breaking Bad? of course you haven’t, Well Trumbo is a movie about Hollywood – So it’s basically about the people the old academy voters knew when they were still alive, so it was definitely a movie that was showered with lots of love. The acting here was good, My best scene was where he was trying to explain communism to his little daughter.

Frank King: Are you fucking with me? Because if you are, I WILL fuck you.

Dalton Trumbo: I've heard that line before.

It sounded better in prison.

Chike: Seeing as Steve Jobs flopped which did Michael Fassbender no favours,

I see this as the major contender to the frontrunner who is Leo.

Matt Damon – The Martian

Mayowa - I feel Matt doesn’t get the recognition he deserves sometimes and this nomination really made me happy. I saw The Martian and I felt connected to Matt’s character, he took us along on an amazing space journey and taught us to always see the positives in the direst situations.

Justin – Only retards don’t rate Damon. He’s a damn good actor and deserves his slot. Don’t see him winning though. But his interpretation of the character was flawless. That scene when his Potatoes got spoilt, omo I feel the guy pain from Lagos. But you have to give him an A for Optimism.

“I don't want to come off as arrogant here, but I'm the greatest botanist on this planet.”

“I admit it's fatally dangerous, but I'd get to fly around like Iron Man.”

“In the face of overwhelming odds, I'm left with only one option, I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this”

Chike: I don't want to talk about this nomination because he took Johnny Depp's spot.

Justin: I don't think he did though. Great acting can only do so much, Depp had a ridiculous support cast and the movie was released too early IMO. He's my fav actor too.

Micheal Fassbender – Steve Jobs

Mayowa - I am yet to see Steve Jobs, but I read the reviews and it got wide critical acclaim although that didn’t reflect in the box office. What I find interesting though is Fassbender as the enigmatic Steve Jobs, I mean, we all know him as big bad Magneto. Hehehe. Congratulations to him on the nom though, e no easy to enter this category.

Justin – Fassbender is one of my favs. You saw how Kate Winslet was gushing about him at the Golden Globes. I would Pay to watch Fassbender anyday. Deserves this for trying his best in a weak movie. TBH Jobs didn’t have content and that’s sad cause I expected more.But what they lacked in content and scenes, they filled with Dialogue…

Fassbender Quotes from Jobs –

“Musicians play their instruments. I play the orchestra.”

“God sent his only son on a suicide mission, but people like him because he made trees.”

Chike: Fassbender is just unlucky his movie flopped. General Consensus seemed to be too much tech babble. Nice script though. He really was in with a good chance to win till his movie got buried at th box office

Leonardo Di Caprio – The Revenant

Mayowa - I mean, it is Leonardo Di Caprio! I’m pretty sure 85% of people who know Leo are hoping he wins it this time around, including yours truly. He was on god-mode in The Revenant, and seeing as he won best actor at the globes…….fingers crossed.

Justin – The Leo fan boy in me wants this to be the time… But I feel his acting was better in The Aviator as well as The Wolf Of Wall Street.. or his not winning was down to the movie and not his persona? Anyways, he is a cinema god and is sure to make your movie a Box Office Hit. I pray he wins. I mean he set his throat on fire afterall and fought off a bear  , I really hope he wins

“All I had was my boy... but he took him from me, you understand? He's afraid. He knows how far I came to find him”.

Chike: He had done much better acting in Wolf of wall street, the Aviator and What's eating Gilbert Grape but this time, he is working in the perfect movie and the movie is selling the story that he put himself through hell. He is the critics' favourite and I think he has this category sown up.

Eddie Redmayne – The Danis Girl

Mayowa - The academy tends to be biased towards actors who play real life characters (Foxx won for Ray, Redmayne won for Stephen Hawkings, Smith almost won for Ali, and Forest Whitaker won for…..you get the drift shey?) so I would not be surprised (but pained) if he wins it. Playing a transgender role is not a joking sturvs.

Justin – Fam! Redmayne is winning it Back To Back… Remember our discussion with Chike in October? Anyways, for those of you that do not know Eddie Redmayne, he won in this category last year and he’s getting another.

He played 2 roles sef.

“I love you, because you are the only person who made sense of me. And made me, possible.”

Chike: Yea, I remember us discussing that. His role totally tilts things in his favour but if you have been following the US Media, the buzz about his role seem to have died down and everyone seems to be rooting for a first win for Leo. The fact that Eddie just won is doing him no favours too. That Back to Back stuff will be accredited to only Tom Hanks for a long time. Nice Performance though.

SNUBS

Justin: I am ok with the category… Tom Hardy for Mad Max, Michael B. Jordan for Creed, Will Smith for Concussion and Tom Hanks for Bridge Of Spies were all outside shots… Not Snubs

Chike: Slow this down, Way Down.. Lol..That was a line from The Hateful Eight. Johnny Depp's performance in Black Mass deserved a nomination.

Justin: Lol. . Warren was great in The Hateful Eight... Let's slow it down, way way down...

BEST ACTRESS CATEGORY

Mayowa: Guys , you got this right?

Justin: Yup

Well I was confused as to where the academy would place Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) and Rooney Mara (Carol) but seeing as those 2 dropped to supporting, I would tip Brie Larson ahead of J. Law for this.

First off J. Law is a screen goddess and she pretty too… and people tend to look away from her acting.

Saoirse Ronan was amazing in Brooklyn and it’s between those 3 in my opinion.

Chike: Jennifer Lawrence was great in an otherwise averagely acclaimed movie so she is not in with a shot.. It is between Brie Larson and Saoirse but seeing as Cate Blanchett is nominated and her movie which everyone thought would get a best Picture nomination was not nominated, she might be in with a shot. But she just won for that Woody Allen movie so that might not favour her.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mayowa: Guys you got this too.

Justin: Really? You have nothing to say? There’s A Batman vs Bane Fight in this Category and you have nothing to say….

Anyways…

BEST SUPPORTING (ACTOR)

This is very tough, Christian Bale was perfect in The Big Short, Tom Hardy has had a great year, Mad Max, Legend, The Revenant and is likely the man to beat. This is Stallone’s best performance since I can remember and While he deserved to win at the Globes, here is another level entirely. Ruffalo and Rylance were good too, but I honestly thought Samuel L. Jackson (the Hateful Eight) and Micheal Keaton (Spotlight) should have gotten the slot instead. Even Idris Elba (Beast Of No Nation)

Chike: Idris Elba, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Keston were snubbed. Kinda pissed me off but it was a hotly contested category. My heart wants Rambo to win it but I think Mark Rylance will get it. He was so controlled and restained in his performance in Bridge of Spies. It was beautiful to watch

BEST SUPPORTING (ACTRESS)

Justin: Finally, something for The Hateful Eight.. Anyways, J.J. Leigh wouldn’t win here (although I hope she does as she was magnificent as one of the ‘guys’ in The Hateful Eight). Vikandar and Rooney Mara are on the rise, and were in amazing Studio movies where luckily for them, they had good support cast. Kate Winslet is an Oscar winning Veteran, which might count against her, although she won the Globes.

I think it will be between Rooney Mara and Alice Vikander.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY CATEGORY

Bridge of Spies

Mayowa - A successful attorney, hired by the United States Government to help in negotiations with a not-so-cooperative government. The dialogue at times felt too long and vague, but I am not going to take away the brilliance of the story crafted with this story.

Ex Machina

Mayowa - Before I saw this movie, I had already read reviews and everyone was gushing about it so as you can imagine my interest was really piqued. Well, I finally saw it and boy did it blow me away! My favourite in this category. It is a dark, thought provoking, scary reminder of how artificial intelligence can and will change humanity. The script was 100!

Inside out

Mayowa - The best part about this brilliance of a script is the irony. Sometimes its the things we don’t like or regard that end up helping us. A movie made for kids but ends up teaching everyone a very ironic lesson. *cries in irony*

Straight Outta Compton

Mayowa - Okay, SOC met and surpassed all my expectations. BLACK PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO MAKE GREAT MOVIES! The screenplay connected everyone who is a fan of rap music as well as scoring major points with the sceptics. Brilliant.

Spotlight – not yet seen.

Justin – All I have to say is that Quentin Tarantino’s snub was ridiculous and BS, that is of course With all due respect to the Academy. Anyways, INSIDE OUT deserves everything it gets and was on of my favs last year. I hope they win.

Even Aaron Sorkin was snubbed for Jobs…lol

BEST SOUND EDITING CATEGORY

The Martian

Mayowa - Sometimes, it’s not just the movie and its characters, it’s the effect the various sounds fuse with these aforementioned points that really bring out those emotions in us, and for a movie like The Martian the sound effects sure brought out all sorts of emotions in us.

The Revenant

Mayowa - Short, intermittent bursts of the orchestra playing while di caprio was trying to survive some kain evulz made me have goosebumps. Too mad! My pick.

Mad Max, Fury Road

Mayowa - Its like everyone wey mix this movie sipped somethings. What a beautiful arrangement of sounds! Full ginger! WITNESS!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Mayowa - I mean, its star wars. Some intergalactic sound mixing shi was going on here.

Sicario

Mayowa - Another pulsating, deep, what-is-going-to-happen-next sounds throughout this awesome flick. I was legit scared during some scenes cos of the effects the sound had on me.

JUSTIN - People don’t appreciate the little things that make a movie great, and sound is very vital. When you see Lord Quentin waxing Lyrical when The Hateful Eight won best Original Score at The Golden Globes and you’d respect the sound guys. Look at Sicario and when they were going in that tunnel…Fam.. Or Mad Max and all the Ginger.

It’s between Mad Max and The Revenat for me though. Star Wars with an outside shot.

Hope You enjoyed this article,

Connect with us on twitter @justinessien @themayowa_ @Chike____