- Christian Bale (The Big Short)
- Tom Hardy (The Revenant)
- Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight)
- Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
- Sylvester Stallone (Creed)
WHO SHOULD BE HERE: Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation)
You can maybe make an legitimate argument that the reason for #OscarsSoWhite is because Creed led a horrible Oscar campaign and Straight Outta Compton really wasn’t that good of a movie. However, there is no good excuse for why Idris Elba (or even Jason Mitchell who plays Easy-E in Compton, aren’t here) Obviously Compton ran an Oscar campaign considering the other nods it got, and I find it hard to believe Netflix didn’t run a fierce campaign for Beasts (Netflix even ran the film in traditional theaters just so it was Oscar eligible).
in Beasts of No Nation, Idris Elba plays The Commandant, a warlord in a fictionalized war-town African country that leads a group of very young boys into battles. Elba’s charisma that inspires his “troops” also sucks you into and engages you throughout the entire film. He’s a despicable man and does horrendous things (both to the opposition and to his own soldiers), yet you’re never not entertained. Elba gave one of the best acting performances of the year (even his fellow actors thought so) and it’s a damn shame The Academy didn’t recognize it.
THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS ON THE NOMINATIONS:
CHRISTIAN BALE: Oscar winner Christian Bale feels like the Bill Belichick of actors. He’s always incredible and he’s always playing on a higher playing field than everyone else. Yet, when it comes to awards, the recognition goes to a man that was just a teensy bit better. Ron Rivera was the NFL Coach of the Year in 2015, yet we all know if you could only pick one guy to coach your team you would choose Belichick. Maybe there were better performances out there (like Bale’s co-star Steve Carell), but you know Bale is the best in the business.
TOM HARDY: If you told me this nomination was for everything Tom Hardy did in 2015 (Mad Max: Fury Road, Legend) then I’d be OK with this nomination. If you told me this nomination was for everything Tom Hardy has done since Inception then I’d be OK with this nomination. If you told me this nomination is solely based upon Tom Hardy’s work in The Revenant, then this nomination is a pile of crap. In The Revenant, Hardy grumbles his way through a two-dimensional character who’s sole purpose is to be the protagonist’s foil- which is why he wasn’t nominated for anything for his work in The Revenant before the Oscars.
MARK RUFFALO: When Ruffalo was nominated last year for his work in Foxcatcher, I said this about his nomination:
"I thought Mark Ruffalo was fine in the film, but I think he's fine in everything he does. Whether it's a dumb teen comedy like 13 Going on 30, an action flick like Marvel's The Avengers, or a modern classic like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Mark Ruffalo brings his A-game to whatever he does. Ruffalo brought that same level of professionalism to Foxcacther, which is good, but if you're not going to say his other performances I just listed off are not Oscar-worthy, I don't know that this one is either. I don't mean to shit on Mark Ruffalo as I really, really enjoy him as an actor and I love the work he's doing, but I just don't know if I'd go so far as to say his work in Foxcatcher warrants this nomination."
Replace "Foxcatcher" with "Spotlight" and change the negative tone to a positive one, and that is why I feel about Ruffalo's nomination this year.
MARK RYLANCE: Mak Rylance is a long time Broadway actor who got his breakthrough role as a captured Russian spy in Bridge of Spies. I thought Rylance was fine in the fine, but I never thought "holy shit, this performance is great, give this man an Oscar immediately!". However, I think people's love of the film plus Rylance's long acting history propelled him to a nomination. I also think he has a great shot to win this category because I don't know that Sly, the favorite in this category, is really a lock.
SYLVESTER STALLONE: I can’t believe I’m essentially alone on an island, but this nomination is ridiculous. I loved Creed, but Stallone’s performance is like the 15th best part of the film. Maybe because I’m not a fan on the Rocky franchise (I’ve only seen the original film- which I enjoyed), but I don’t understand how Stallone earned himself a nomination let alone made himself the favorite. Let’s just hope he thanks the director Ryan Coogler (who had to force Stallone to greenlight Creed) for directing him to another Oscar win at this award show.
IF I HAD AN OSCAR VOTE:
- Christian Bale (The Big Short)
- Steve Carrel (The Big Short)
- Emory Cohen (Brooklyn)
- Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation)'
- Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight)
WHO SHOULD WIN (ENTIRE ELIGIBLE FIELD): Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation)
WHO SHOULD WIN (ACTUAL NOMINEES): Christian Bale (The Big Short)
WHO WILL WIN: Sylvester Stallone (Creed)
DO YOU THINK SYLVESTER STALLONE DESERVES TO WIN FOR HIS PERFORMANCE IN CREED? LET US KNOW ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE!
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