Thursday, March 12, 2015

2015 CinSpec Awards Predictions

Knight of Cups could be my film of the year.

Last year I tried to predict my awards, so I've taken a stab at it again. Since this year seems as packed as 2014, I've also included a lot of other films/performances I'm anticipating. I expect several of these films will be bumped to 2016, but here's what I'm expecting to love.

Note: I'm thinking films like Flashmob (Michael Haneke), The Lost City of Z (James Gray), Love (Gaspar Noe), The Ferryman (Wong Kar-Wai), and Silence (Martin Scorsese) will be 2016 releases.

BEST PICTURE:
Knight of Cups*
Lost River
Macbeth
The Martian
The Revenant


Other contenders: The Light Between Oceans, The Other Side of the World, The Hateful Eight, '71, Carol, Bridge of Spies, Far from the Madding Crowd, 45 Years

BEST DIRECTOR:
Ryan Gosling, Lost River
Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant
Terrence Malick, Knight of Cups*
Ridley Scott, The Martian
Orson Welles, The Other Side of the World


Other contenders: Derek Cianfrance, The Light Between Oceans, Justin Kurzel, Macbeth, Steven Spielberg, Bridge of Spies, Todd Haynes, Carol, Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight, Thomas Vinterberg, Far from the Madding Crowd, Yann Demange, '71

BEST ACTOR:
Tom Courtenay, 45 Years
Matt Damon, The Martian*
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Macbeth
Jack O'Connell, '71


Other contenders: Michael Fassbender, The Light Between Oceans, Bruce Willis, Labor of Love, Jack Reynor, Glassland, Colin Farrell, The Lobster, Jake Gyllenhaal, Demolition/Southpaw, Ian McKellen, Mr. Holmes, Johnny Depp, Black Mass, Christian Bale, Knight of Cups, Gael Garcia Bernal, Desierto, Tom Hardy, Legend, Ethan Hawke, Born to Be Blue, Tom Hiddleston, High-Rise, Shia LaBeouf, Man Down, Michael Shannon, Midnight Special, Matthew McConaughey, The Sea of Trees, Ralph Fiennes, A Bigger Splash, George Clooney, Money Monster

BEST ACTRESS:
Cate Blanchett, Carol*
Nicole Kidman, Strangerland
Carey Mulligan, Far from the Madding Crowd
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Alicia Vikander, The Light Between Oceans


Other contenders: Juliette Binoche, Clouds of Sils Maria, Rooney Mara, The Secret Scripture, Emily Blunt, Sicario, Charlize Theron, Dark Places, Elizabeth Moss, Queen of Earth, Katherine Waterston, Queen of Earth, Rachel Weisz, The Lobster, Lola Kirke, Mistress America, Brie Larson, Room, Kristen Stewart, Equals, Tilda Swinton, A Bigger Splash, Carey Mulligan, Suffragette, Zoe Saldana, Nina, Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn, Lily Tomlin, Grandma, Michelle Williams, Suite Française

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Joel Edgerton, Jane Got a Gun
Brendan Gleeson, Trespass Against Us
Tom Hardy, The Revenant*
Jude Law, Genius
Ken Watanabe, The Sea of Trees


Other contenders: Jack O'Connell, Money Monster, Jack Reynor, The Secret Scripture/Macbeth, Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation, Russell Crowe, Fathers and Daughters, Ben Mendelsohn, Lost River, Christoph Waltz, Spectre, Joel Edgerton, Midnight Special, Michael Fassbender, Slow West, Clifton Collins Jr., Man Down, Jai Courtney, Man Down, Matt Smith, Lost River, Gary Oldman, Man Down, Benedict Cumberbatch, Black Mass, Michael Keaton, Spotlight, Samuel L. Jackson, The Hateful Eight, Forest Whitaker, Southpaw

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Toni Collette, Glassland*
Marion Cotillard, Macbeth
Julianne Moore, Maps to the Stars
Kristen Stewart, Clouds of Sils Maria
Rachel Weisz, The Light Between Oceans


Other contenders: Naomi Watts, Demolition, Kate Mara, Man Down, Rooney Mara, Carol, Greta Gerwig, Mistress America, Monica Bellucci, Spectre, Jessica Chastain, The Martian, Sienna Miller, High-Rise/Black Mass, Keira Knightley, Everest, Emma Stone, Irrational Man, Tilda Swinton, Trainwreck, Kirsten Dunst, Midnight Special, Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight, Ellen Page, Freeheld, Kristin Scott Thomas, Suite Française

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Carol
High-Rise
The Light Between Oceans*
The Revenant
The Secret Scripture


Other contenders: Far from the Madding Crowd, Spectre, Macbeth, The Martian, Our Kind of Traitor, Paper Towns, Steve Jobs

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Clouds of Sils Maria
45 Years*
The Lobster
Midnight Special
Money Monster


Other contenders: The Hateful Eight, Labor of Love, Bridge of Spies, Irrational Man, Mistress America, The Sea of Trees, Glassland, Dope, '71, Lost River, Man Down, Maps to the Stars, Inside Out, Appropriate Behavior, Little Accidents

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:
Beauty and the Beast
Carol
Crimson Peak
Macbeth*
Pan


Other contenders: Far from the Madding Crowd, The Hateful Eight, Jupiter Ascending, Bridge of Spies, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Far from the Madding Crowd
Knight of Cups*
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
Lost River
The Revenant


Other contenders: Macbeth, Carol, Equals, The Light Between Oceans, The Water Diviner, The Hateful Eight, The Martian, Pan, Bridge of Spies

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
Beauty and the Beast*
Carol
Cinderella
Madame Bovary
Pan


Other contenders: Far from the Madding Crowd, Jupiter Ascending, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, Crimson Peak, Macbeth, Lost River, Ricki and the Flash, Victor Frankenstein, A Royal Night Out, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

BEST FILM EDITING:
Black Sea
Dope
Knight of Cups
Lost River
Spectre*


Other contenders: The Martian, Bridge of Spies, The Hateful Eight, The Revenant, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
Bridge of Spies
Far from the Madding Crowd
Lost River*
Pan
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens


Other contenders: Black Sea, Macbeth, Beauty and the Beast, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, In the Heart of the Sea, Inside Out, The Light Between Oceans, The Water Diviner, Tomorrowland, Carol

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:
Beasts of No Nation
Inside Out
Paper Towns
Sing Street*
Spectre


Other contenders: Ricki and the Flash

BEST MAKEUP:
Beauty and the Beast
Jupiter Ascending
Pan*


Other contenders: The Danish Girl, Cinderella, Mad Max: Fury Road, Victor Frankenstein, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

BEST SOUND (MIXING AND EDITING):
Black Sea
The Hateful Eight
Mission: Impossible 5
Spectre
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens*


Other contenders: Mad Max: Fury Road, Jurassic World, The Revenant, Tomorrowland, Pan

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
Jurassic World
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens*
Tomorrowland


Other contenders: Jupiter Ascending, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Pan, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Chappie, Fantastic Four

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out*
The Little Prince


Other contenders: Kung Fu Panda 3, Minions, The Peanuts Movie, Monster Trucks

12 comments:

  1. This year has me so excited! You reminded me that I wanted to stan for Bruce Willis too! Labor of Love sounds like bait for someone like Willis, who NEEDS an Oscar nom.

    If I had to predict, I'd say my personal ballot could look like this:

    45 Years
    Beasts of No Nation
    Knight of Cups
    Macbeth
    The Water Diviner

    But I'm sure something foreign will get in.

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    1. I doubt Labor of Love will come out this year, but let's hope so!

      Usually something foreign sneaks in for me too, but I've no idea what. I'm surprised Carol isn't in your predicted top 5. Ha, I don't have that much confidence in The Water Diviner, unfortunately. Not sure what to make of Beasts of No Nation. I loved Sin Nombre and True Detective, and I liked Jane Eyre. Maybe Beasts will do better at the CinSpecs than I predicted. :)

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    2. CAROL! I knew I forgot about something. That will probably make it in...

      LOL, I have to have faith. It does look GORGEOUS, so, cinematography for sure...right? It also is super baity, and it sounds like one of those kinds of baity stories I respond to (I mean, it's all about being a devoted father, so, like, you got me by the heartstrings already)...and it's CROWE!!!

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    3. The Water Diviner looks TOO pretty to me. I'd prefer a more earthy look to the film, which looks too modern in its pristine picture quality. That said, maybe the whole film will strike me differently than the trailer.

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  2. I think Knight of Cups will be my favourite of the year as well. I have a feeling 2015 will be a year in which there are so many potentially great movies that come out, but just end up either falling short, being disappointing or, in the case of the films that people might not expect much from, great surprises.

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    1. Haha, that's basically how I've felt about most recent years in film. I think Knight of Cups will be great, though. I haven't given any Malick film less than an A yet.

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  3. Interesting predictions. Nice to see you're excited for Glassland. I love Toni Collette.

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    1. Thanks. Glassland looks VERY good. I almost predicted Jack Reynor in my Best Actor lineup, but that category might be too crowded.

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  4. This is very difficult to predict so early on what will be great, but good on you for trying :)
    I have high hopes for many of these, especially Derek Cianfrance's The Light Between Oceans. As you know, I loved Place Beyond The Pines(my #1 of 2012).

    I think I'll go in with modest expectations for Star Wars 7, I hope they capture the spirit of the original trilogy.

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    1. Haha, thanks! I have a feeling The Light Between Oceans will just miss my top 5 (like The Place Beyond the Pines did), but I could be wrong.

      Yeah, Star Wars might be a letdown, but I think it could score CinSpec noms for score, sound and visual effects at least.

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  5. I'm so excited for Knight of Cups. Funny story: I was in a bar the other night, and the look of the place really struck me. Like I had been there before. I told the bartender about it, and he was like, "Well, they filmed all the club scenes for the new Terrence Malick movie here." And I was like, "That's it!"

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    1. That's awesome! I can't wait for Knight of Cups. I haven't given ANY Malick film less than an A, so I hope it delivers!

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