Student predicts next Oscar winners

Vivek Kasubaga, News Editor

The award show that everybody knows for not giving Leo an award, is back! Chris Rock will be hosting the Oscars on February 28, and the prestigious film ceremony has taken a few turns since its first introduction back in 1929. This year, the normal art house theme of the Academy Awards was infiltrated by a surprising mix of indie, science-fiction, and action movies. However, for the second year in a row, the Oscar ballot features only white contenders in the acting categories. For that reason, many celebrities, such as actress Jada Pinkett Smith and flmmaker Spike Lee, have decided to boycott the event.

The Best Picture category is filled with both low-budget movies and blockbusters, something that rarely happens at the Oscars. The highest grossing film nominated for Best Picture last year was American Sniper, which raked in $248 million at the box office. The highest grossing nominee this year was Ridley Scott’s return to science-fiction The Martian, which reached over $650 million. Last year’s Best Picture, Birdman, only made $103 million even after winning the award. Director Alejandro G. Inñaritu, recipient of Best Director at last year’s Oscars, recently released The Revenant, a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio that centers on the survival of a fur trapper in the mid 1800s. Having already won both a Golden Globe and a BAFTA and based on viewing and critical acclaim, The Revenant is most likely going to win Best Picture at the Oscars, as well.

The Best Director category ranges from Mad Max megadirector George Miller to Room’s indie director Lenny Abrahamson. In addition, the list includes aforementioned Alejandro G. Inñaritu, Spotlight director Tom McCarthy, and The Big Short director Adam McKay. Although all of these directors have achieved success in their identifed niches, such as Tom McCarthy’s characters, Adam McKay’s humor/tonal shift, and George Miller’s practical effects, the best overall directorial effort should go to Alejandro G. Inñaritu, for his movie The Revenant. The film had an amazing assortment of long, breathtakingly beautiful scenes that added to the tone of a barren survival piece.

The nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role are Jennifer Lawrence for Joy, Charlotta Rampling for 45 Years, Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn, Brie Larson for Room, and Cate Blanchett for Carol. Although Brie Larson won the Golden Globe for Room, the Academy will probably award two-time winner Cate Blanchett for her role playing a bisexual character

The Best Actor in a Leading Role is the easiest award to choose. After viewing all of the nominees in their roles, none took it as seriously as Leonardo Dicaprio. The five-time Oscar nominated actor will most likely receive his very first Oscar in 2016. Other nominees include Eddie Redmayne, Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon, and Michael Fassbender. Although each of these actors should be commended for their work in their respective roles, none put on a show like Dicaprio.