Best Picture

Elias – The Revenant

The Revenant stands out among the nominees as a true work of art. Its symbolic approach to the story of humanity’s carnal properties, astounding nonverbal performance by Leonardo DiCaprio and blend of technical skill and artistry compile a tense, beautiful (in the most pure sense of the word) and intrinsically relatable masterpiece by director Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

Max – Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: Fury Road is not typical in any way.  What is truly remarkable is that the radically unconventional structure and style of the film is still successful in conveying its message. George Miller’s revolutionary approach to cinematic storytelling is a true master class in filmmaking.  A fiery, feminist manifesto, Mad Max: Fury Road is one of those rare exceptions to the summer blockbuster rule that deserves its Oscar nomination.

Best Lead Actor

Elias and Max – Leonardo DiCaprio

This is your year, Leo. Granted, I may be biased because I love Leo and I am still resentful over his loss in 2004 for Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator. However, my bias does not expunge the merit of DiCaprio’s performance. DiCaprio, who is known for the intense research he conducts before shooting, entirely devotes himself to becoming Hugh Glass, thus expelling any doubt within the viewer and centralizing their attention on the story being told—the piece de resistance being that he achieves all this with no dialogue for a majority of the film! Leo may have some competition from Eddie Redmayne’s nuanced performance in The Danish Girl, but I am confident that Leo’s performance will finally get him the Oscar he deserves.

Best Lead Actress

Elias – Brie Larson

I have never seen a more true and uncensored performance depicting motherhood than that of Brie Larson in Room. The film is implicitly told through the point of view of her five-year-old son Jack, played by Jacob Tremblay (who also deserved a nomination). Given this perspective, it delivers the details of the turmoil felt by Larson’s character with grand subtlety. However, it in no way skips the effects of torture felt by Larson’s character. Likewise, the film focuses on the dichotomic and sometimes frustrating relationship between mother and son. When you mix these opportunities for a honest portrayal and a talented actress like Larson, you get the performance of a lifetime.

Max – Cate Blanchett

Blanchett delivers a mature and deeply emotional portrayal of her character’s romantic relationship.  Even though Carol was snubbed by the Academy for a Best Picture nomination, Blanchett should get some deserved respect.

Best Supporting Actor

Elias and Max – Mark Ruffalo

When exiting the theater after seeing Spotlight, I told my dad, “I have never been more affected by a drama.” The reason for this is in part due to the ensemble cast. Ruffalo feeds off the performances of his many co-stars and excels as spotlight journalist Mike Rezendes, so much so that his performance warrants more attention than that of acting veteran Michael Keaton. One of the most memorable points in the film was melting into my seat as Ruffalo expertly delivered his monologue at the climax of the story. In my opinion, this performance outshines the rest in the category.

Best Supporting Actress

Elias – Kate Winslet

The best word to describe Winslet’s performance is effortless. Kate Winslet portrays Joanna Hoffman, confidant and handler to Apple visionary Steve Jobs. Similar to Apple’s revolutionary products, Winslet’s performance is outside of the traditional form of acting. She has found a new way to portray a modern character without irony. What follows is a complex human element to her character that Winslet portrays with ease.

Max – Jennifer Jason Leigh

Leigh is a gem in an otherwise dull film.  Her raw, racist exterior never completely hides her more tender interactions with Kurt Russell’s character.  As an older actress, Leigh brings a level of experience to a character that was meant to be toughened by her frontier life.  While overlooked for most of her career, Leigh steps out as a talented actress and earns her nomination.

Achievement in Cinematography

Elias and Max – Emmanuel Lubezki – The Revenant

I’ll be honest: I was pretty split between The Revenant and The Hateful Eight in this category. I will never forget the hauntingly slow move outward from the crucifix in the snowy landscape at the beginning of The Hateful Eight. However, The Revenant exceeds The Hateful Eight by a slim margin. Emmanuel Lubezki chose to stick to close-ups during the battle sequence at the beginning of the movie, thus capturing a more visceral and personal note to the slaughter. He sticks to close-ups throughout the most intense moments of the film, keeping the audience engaged with the action and giving them a new definition to tension. Also notable, were the shots gazing into the sky as if we were getting a glance into heaven. These shots correspond perfectly with the film’s themes of God. These reasons, paired with the starkly beautiful landscapes give Lubezki the slight edge on Richardson.

Achievement in Costume Design

Elias and Max – Paco Delgado – The Danish Girl

I was most engaged by all the surrounding details in this movie. Every outfit worn in The Danish Girl is elegant, but more importantly, they are used as an immersion tool. You may not notice it, but the clothes are what make you feel comfortable in the world in which the story takes place. In addition, the dresses worn by Eddie Redmayne’s character Lili Elbe grow increasingly bold as she becomes more comfortable with herself as a woman.

Best Director

Elias and Max – Tom McCarthy – Spotlight

When watching Spotlight for the second time I likened it to a live performance because of all the concentration, control and attention to detail that it took to tell this story as seamlessly as the way Tom McCarthy did. When analyzing the feature, one can see McCarthy’s vision play out onscreen without a hitch. He is a natural-born storyteller.

Achievement in Editing

Elias and Max – Hank Corwin – The Big Short

Editing is timing, and there is never a wasted moment in The Big Short. Even with the breaks to explain the economic concepts, the pacing remains intact. Corwin mastered the art of comedic delivery and dramatic pacing in The Big Short.

Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Elias and Max – Siân Grigg, Duncan Jarman and Robert Pandini – The Revenant

In the scene where Hugh Glass returns and speaks with Captain Henry, I couldn’t help but notice DiCaprio’s chapped lips. They were made to perfectly reflect the struggle for survival he had just endured. Likewise, Tom Hardy’s character had been partially scalped and the patchy hair on his scarred scalp reflected that. Not a single gruesome wound or detail was skipped by these makeup artists.

Best Original Score 

Elias and Max – Ennio Morricone – The Hateful Eight

I had the pleasure of seeing the roadshow version of the film on Christmas Day, which included an overture of the film’s score. I sat in the theater absorbing the haunting sounds made by 87 year-old legend Ennio Morricone, who has not scored a good western in almost 60 years. Later seeing those haunting sounds match their foreboding images was a godly experience.

Achievement in Production Design

Elias and Max – Eve Stewart – The Danish Girl

Similar to its costumes, the sets in The Danish Girl are used as an immersion tool to make the audience comfortable in the setting. From the quaint Danish apartment of the Wegeners to the gold office of Hans Axgil, each room makes the audience feel comfortable as a part of that world.

Achievement in Sound Editing

Elias and Max – Martin Hernandez and Lon Bender – The Revenant

The most entrancing moment in the movie was at the end hearing DiCaprio’s breath linger after the final shot had faded to black. This movie went beyond sound editing as a technical necessity and took it to new creative measures, establishing it as the art form it can be.

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Elias and Max – Charles Randolph and Adam McKay – The Big Short

No one ever said finance was sexy. However, Randolph and McKay have found a way to take bland subject matter and fill it with life through comedy, most notably by having celebrity guests break the fourth wall and explain banking terms directly to the audience.