Hollywood has spoken. The Academy Award nominations are out. Here are five instant reactions to the decisions.
*Best Supporting Actor category is rightly packed and has so many contenders. Glad Academy saw Ruffalo’s brilliant work in Spotlight yet I am still pulling for Stallone’s career best work in Creed. Mark Rylance and Tom Hardy are also very deserving.
**Side Note: Can Hardy have his own category? For the second straight year, he has rocked three completely different roles. Mad Max: Fury Road, Legend and The Revenant. Magnificent talent.
*Hat tip to George Miller. Fury Road is one of the top nominated films and scored Best Picture and Director nods. 71 years old. Went back to the desert. Made an original film and did so his way. He won’t win for Best Picture but deserves a fair look.
*Sicario‘s cinematography is brilliant. Benicio Del Toro gave the best performance in 2015 that wasn’t going to be nominated. However, the way that film was shot is almost as good as Mad Max.
*Best Actor was packed and Will Smith/Johnny Depp did get snubbed. However, Damon’s ability to blend comedy/drama was superb. Leo was a must. So immersive. Fassbender was underrated as Jobs. Redmayne can’t be denied. 2015 was a great year for film and it showed in the snubs.
*Quietly hoping Thomas Newman gets the award for his brilliant and poignant Bridge of Spies score. He won’t. Morricone will win for Hateful 8. Still, Newman is great.
Extra thought: Cate Blanchett has the best actress award in her handbag already but it would be nice to see out of nowhere Brie Larson steal it for her phenomenal work in Room.
Yes, Quentin Tarantino did get snubbed and Spotlight deserves best picture.
Rest and peace and salute to Alan Rickman, who died Thursday morning at the tender age of 69 years young. He was most memorable as his work in Die Hard and the Harry Potter series, but he was also very good in Michael Collins, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Truly Madly Deeply, Sense and Sensibility and Love Actually(poor cheating Harry!). He may be remembered for shouting “Where are the detonators?” and sporting the best tailored suit and beard ever known to man, but he put in 37 years of work that spanned 70 different roles. He will be missed and marks the second 69 year old performer who was taken by cancer this week along with David Bowie. Cancer truly sucks.
Come back for more entertainment news this weekend. Thanks for reading.
Dose of Buffa 