As I write this post, the date is January 13, 2016, also known as Oscar Nomination Announcement Eve in the movie world. In yet another year full of phenomenal films with excellent performances in countless soon-to-be classics, the biggest accolade anyone in this year's race can ever put on their resume is "Oscar-nominated" or, better yet, "Oscar winning." Film critics and pundits have spent the past few months giving out their own awards, and on the morning of January 14, 2016, the granddaddy of them all will recognize the most deserving films from 2015.
Today, I want to assume the role of an Oscar voter. Obviously, I am not one nor will I probably ever be one, but for the purposes of this post, I want to reveal what my ballot would look like for some of the major categories if I had a say in this year's Oscar race. I'm not going to give out every single award, but I am going voice my opinion on what I think was some of the best of the best from 2015. Keep in mind, this is my personal ballot, so you may (you probably will) disagree with some of my selections, but that's the beauty of the Oscars: everyone has an opinion, and everyone's opinion matters. This is not what I think the Oscars will look like; this is what I want the Oscars to look like.
Now, the strange thing about my ballot is that I will not be revealing my votes for Best Picture. The reason being is that on a later date, I will posting an entirely new post about my top ten films of 2015. Therefore, if I reveal my top ten on this post, you have no reason to come back and read that one, and I want you to read that one too. So for this post, we'll stick to the main awards except for the biggest prize of them all.
So without further ado, let the voting begin!
Best Supporting Actress
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Rebecca Ferguson, Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Lea Seydoux, Spectre
Honorable Mentions: Tessa Thompson, Creed; Julie Walters, Brooklyn; Cate Blanchett, Cinderella; Elizabeth Banks, Love & Mercy; Elizabeth Olsen, Avengers: Age of Ultron
WINNER: Alicia Vikander
RUNNER-UP: Kate Winslet
One of the first great films of 2015 was Ex Machina, and it all worked because of the outstanding performance of the breakout star of the year, Alicia Vikander. Primarily using only her voice and facial expressions, Vikander's nuanced performance is one for the ages in the science fiction genre. As for the other nominees, Ferguson did the unthinkable and stole a Mission: Impossible movie away from Tom Cruise. She's the highlight of one of the most entertaining films of the year. Winslet goes toe to toe with Michael Fassbender and Aaron Sorkin's dialogue and shines like never before. McAdams completes the full ensemble of Spotlight and boasts some of the best moments of a nearly flawless film. Finally, Seydoux is the best thing about the newest James Bond installment, and coming from me, that's saying something considering I loved everything about Spectre.
Best Supporting Actor
Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Michael Keaton, Spotlight
Benicio Del Toro, Sicario
Honorable Mentions: Harrison Ford, Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight; Jacob Tremblay, Room; Tom Hardy, The Revenant, Oscar Isaac, Ex Machina
WINNER: Sylvester Stallone
RUNNER-UP: Idris Elba
Stallone triumphantly returned to the most iconic role of his career and turned in one of the best performances in modern history. Every line holds so much importance to Stallone and the furtherance of the story, and the interactions with Michael B. Jordan's Adonis Creed are worth the price of admission alone. Additionally, Elba rolled the dice of Beasts as Netflix's first original film, but luckily for the world, Elba's tremendous talent is evident even on the online streaming service. He's haunting and captivating at the same time. Mark Rylance does so much with so little screen time, a testament to his on screen presence and the nuances of the performance. Keaton leads the way in Spotlight and gives one of the best performances of his career. Del Toro is terrifying yet empathetic. His eyes can pierce through a soul while also instilling hope in us all, a truly remarkable balance.
Best Actress
Brie Larson, Room
Daisy Ridley, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Emily Blunt, Sicario
Honorable Mentions: Lily James, Cinderella; Cate Blanchett, Truth; Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2; Alicia Vikander, Testament of Youth; Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road
WINNER: Daisy Ridley
RUNNER-UP: Brie Larson
To be the best part by far of the latest installment in biggest franchise in the world is no small feat, but Ridley's Rey is an instant movie icon, and Ridley brings her to life so simply and yet so powerfully. The reason I have now seen the movie three times is due in large part to Ridley. I almost gave this award to Larson, whose performance in Room is one for the ages. Never has a movie been more hopeful in the midst of certain adversity. I was not dying to see Brooklyn by any stretch, but I would gladly see it again because of Ronan's terrific performance. Lawrence is the queen of Hollywood, and she proves that yet again in Joy. Finally, Emily Blunt's deeply layered performance in Sicario may just be the best of her already illustrious career,
Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Johnny Depp, Black Mass
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Matt Damon, The Martian
Will Smith, Concussion
Honorable Mentions: Jake Gyllenhaal, Southpaw; Steve Carell, The Big Short; John Boyega, Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Tom Hanks, Bridge of Spies; Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation
WINNER: Leonardo DiCaprio
RUNNER-UP: Michael Fassbender
How can anyone deny the magnificence of Leo's performance in The Revenant? To do so much with so little dialogue is something Leo accomplishes as if it were no problem whatsoever. This film is one that'll have books being written about it in the future, and the majority of those writings will be talking about Leo's greatness. Fassbender portrays the legendary innovator with such ferocity and grace, commanding every single scene and demanding the audience's attention for the entire length of the film. Depp turns in one of the best performances in his filmography in Black Mass by bringing raw emotion to every line. I had to remind myself constantly that Matt Damon was in fact acting because his role in The Martian is so effortless to him because of his natural charisma and ability, and Will Smith's bold risk on this hugely important film pays off greatly as his performance is the best he's given the world in a decade or so.
Best Director
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Alejandro G. Inarritu, The Revenant
Ryan Coogler, Creed
Adam McKay, The Big Short
JJ Abrams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Honorable Mentions: Ridley Scott, The Martian; Cary Joji Fukunaga, Beasts of No Nation; Steven Spielberg, Bridge of Spies; Danny Boyle, Steve Jobs; Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen, Inside Out
WINNER: JJ Abrams
RUNNER-UP: Ryan Coogler
The selection is based solely on the fact that Abrams did what many considered to be the impossible: resurrect Star Wars from the dead. However, not only did Abrams do that by giving us an exhilarating and extraordinary film, but he did it with so much joy and admiration that it's hard not to applaud his work. He had a monumental job on his hands, and he pulled it off so gracefully. Coogler, on a smaller scale, had the same problem on his hands as Abrams in regard to the Rocky franchise. No one was really clamoring for another Rocky movie, but when audiences began seeing Creed, they instantly knew why this film needed to be made, not only because of the excellent story but because the world needed to be formally introduced to the talents of Ryan Coogler. McCarthy brings an extremely tough subject matter to life in tremendous fashion and perfectly directs a flawless cast ensemble to career best performances all around. Every choice Inarritu makes is sublime and is instantly up for study and teaching. Plus, directing Leo to a career best performance deserves praise in and of itself. Finally, who knew the guy behind Anchorman and Step Brothers could make a movie about the collapse of the housing market so exciting and worth seeing? McKay's work is so bold and daring, and the biggest miracle of them all is that it made me truly care about mortgages and loans.
There you have it folks! If I were an Oscar voter, that's what my ballot would look like for some of the major categories. Now, I'll wait to see if the Academy agrees with me! Stay tuned for the reveal of my top ten films of 2015 coming soon!
-Cody Fleenor
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