Oscar Predictions

This year I am very disheartened by the Academy Awards – by the whiteness of this year's nominees, by the Americanness of the films, by the idiotic bowing to big blockbusters, by the lack of imagination among the Academy's voters. In short, this year's laziness on the part of the Academy has me very close to skipping the show altogether. I am going to watch, still, and I still watched all of the movies, but this year I want to list my favorite movies for each category as well as these winners, because to my mind these winners are mostly very poor choices indeed. Below, then, I am charting the distance between my own favorites and my actual predictions. 

No one really knows anything, so, in truth, there could be quite a few surprises, including the big award itself. But here's what I think will happen:

Best Picture: The Revenant

My favorite movie of the year: Son of Saul

Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, The Revenant

My favorite director: László Nemes, Son of Saul

Best Actress: Brie Larson, Room

My favorite actress: Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

My favorite actor: Géza Röhrig, Son of Saul

Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

My favorite supporting actress: Nina Kunzendorf, Phoenix

Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone, Creed

My favorite supporting actor: Harvey Keitel, Youth

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Big Short

My favorite adapted screenplay: Beasts of No Nation

Best Original Screenplay: Spotlight

My favorite original screenplay: White God

Best Animated Feature: Inside Out

My favorite animated movie: Anomalisa

Best Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul

My favorite foreign language film: Son of Saul

Best Animated Short Film: We Can't Live without Cosmos

My favorite animated short: We Can't Live without Cosmos

Best Live-action Short Film: Stutterer

My favorite live-action short: Shok

Best Film Editing: The Revenant

My favorite editor: White God

Best Cinematography: The Revenant

My favorite photographer: The Revenant

Best Production Design: Mad Max: Fury Road

My favorite designer: Saint Laurent

Best Costume Design: Carol

My favorite designer: The Assassin

Best Original Score: The Hateful Eight

My favorite score: The Revenant

Best Original Song: "Writing's on the Wall" from Spectre

My favorite song: "Simple Song #3" from Youth 

Best Sound Mixing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Sound Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Visual Effects: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Documentary Feature: Amy

Best Documentary Short Film: Body Team 12