I’ll be honest – 2016 was not my favorite year for film. While movies like American Honey, The Edge of Seventeen, Moonlight, and Manchester by the Sea astonished me (and Lion made me cry uncontrollably from the first five minutes until the end of the credits), I find myself less impressed with most of this year’s Oscar hopefuls. La La Land, which my fiance and I have nicknamed “Blah Blah Bland,” is just another example of Hollywood autoanilingus. (Does anyone even remember The Artist?). Arrival and Hell or High Water are both solidly written and Hidden Figures is a fun crowd-pleaser, but that’s as far as they go for me. Previews rendered Hacksaw Ridge and Fences so cardboard-like I couldn’t even muster the energy to force myself to see them. But in a year rich with performances, artistic innovations, and stunning scripts, I still find myself swept away in the majesty of award season. The Academy Awards are my Super Bowl.
I doubt we’ll see many surprises in a year where La La Land will likely dominate, but I’m still rooting for Isabelle Huppert, my favorite malevolent sprite, to wrench that trophy away from Emma Stone’s thirsty fingers. (In my dreams she also pulls an Adele and breaks off half to given to Annette Bening for her 20th Century Women snub. The nerve!)
If I had my choice, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Screenplay would all go to Manchester by the Sea. And Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay to Moonlight. Considering my predictions, I’m sure I’ll get lucky somewhere in there.
Without further ado, my 2017 Oscar picks:
Best Picture
Will Win: La La Land Might Upset: Moonlight Should Have Been Nominated: Deadpool
Best Director
Will Win: Damien Chazelle (La La Land) Might Upset: Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Should Have Been Nominated: Garth Davis (Lion)
Best Actor
Will Win: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) Might Upset: Denzel Washington (Fences) Should Have Been Nominated: Adam Driver (Paterson)
Best Actress
Will Win: Emma Stone (La La Land) Might Upset: Isabelle Huppert (Elle) Should Have Been Nominated: Annette Bening (20th Century Women)
Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Might Upset: Dev Patel (Lion) Should Have Been Nominated: David Oyelowo (Queen of Katwe)
Best Supporting Actress
Will Win: Viola Davis (Fences) Might Upset: Michelle Williams (Manchester By the Sea) Should Have Been Nominated: Riley Keough (American Honey)
Best Original Screenplay
Will Win: Manchester by the Sea Might Upset: La La Land Should Have Been Nominated: Kubo and the Two Strings
Best Adapted Screenplay
Will Win: Moonlight Might Upset: Arrival Should Have Been Nominated: Queen of Katwe
Best Animated Feature Film:
Will Win: Zootopia Might Upset: Kubo and the Two Strings Should Have Been Nominated: Your Name
Best Foreign Language Film:
Will Win: Toni Erdmann (Germany) Might Upset: The Salesman (Iran) Should Have Been Nominated: Elle (France)
Best Documentary – Feature:
Will Win: O.J.: Made in America Might Upset: 13th Should Have Been Nominated: Tickled
THE BEST OF THE REST
Best Animated Short Film: Piper Best Cinematography: La La Land Best Costume Design: La La Land Best Documentary – Short Subject: 4.1 Miles Best Film Editing: La La Land Best Live Action Short Film: Ennemis Interieurs Best Makeup and Hairstyling: A Man Called Ove Best Original Score: La La Land Best Original Song: “City of Stars” (La La Land) Best Production Design: La La Land Best Sound Editing: Hacksaw Ridge Best Sound Mixing: Hacksaw Ridge Best Visual Effects: The Jungle Book
My Top 10 Films Released in 2016:
1. American Honey 2. The Edge of Seventeen 3. Moonlight 4. Only Yesterday (English re-release) 5. Manchester By the Sea 6. The Hunt for the Wilderpeople 7. Kubo and the Two Strings 8. Author: The JT Leroy Story 9. Rats 10. Queen of Katwe
Top 10 Older Films I Saw in 2016:
1. Lena [2011] 2. Jude [1996] 3. Rocky [1976] 4. Zero Motivation [2014] 5. Return of the Secaucus 7 [1980] 6. Sleeper [1973] 7. Ponette [1996] 8. Fill the Void [2012] 9. Crazy Love [2007] 10. When Marnie Was There [2014]
#AcademyAwards #AdamDriver #GarthDavis #HairsprayLive #AHauntinginCawdor #Arrival #RileyKeough #TheWitch #ViolaDavis #TheHandmaiden #89thAcademyAwards #TheWave #DevPatel #AMomentofSilence #MichelleWilliams #ManchesterbytheSea #TheLoversandtheDespot #13th #HacksawRidge #SausageParty #HellorHighWater #TheJungleBook #DamienChazelle #YourName #LivingLost #TheDressmaker #HighStrung #WethePeopleTheMarketBasketEffect #Moana #Neighbors2 #EmmaStone #HiddenFigures #ToWalkInvisible #BarryJenkins #XMenApocalypse #Paterson #TaleofTales #Elle #HailCaesar #CaseyAffleck #KuboandtheTwoStrings #41Miles #Lion #IsabelleHuppert #OnlyYesterday #AnnetteBening #MikeandDaveNeedWeddingDates #Piper #20thCenturyWomen #LeftonPearl #GreenRoom #OJMadeinAmerican #BlackWomeninMedicine #Fences #Rats #EdgeofSeventeen #QueenofKatwe #SuperBowl #FlorenceFosterJenkins #WelcometoHappiness #EnnemisInterieurs #BabyCobra #Moonlight #FantasticBeastsandWheretoFindThem #Tickled #FindingDory #CityofStars #MahershalaAli #Antibirth #Deadpool #Jackie #AuthorTheJTLeroyStory #Oscar #LoveampFriendship #DenzelWashington #MorrisfromAmerica #TheHuntfortheWilderpeople #DavidOyelowo #Zootopia #Ghostbusters #EverythingisCopy #TheArtist #AmericanHoney #FrontCover #ThingstoCome #SingStreet #AManCalledOve #TimetoChose