Here are my picks for tonight's Oscars!

I'm ready for the Oscars!  Here are my bold predictions, marked with gold stars.  The red hearts are for the ones I liked the most.

Best Picture

• The Big Short
• Bridge of Spies
• Brooklyn ♥
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Martian
• The Revenant ★
• Room
• Spotlight

There is a real chance that Spotlight or The Big Short could take this prize.  But The Revenant has the epic, timeless qualities of many past Best Picture winners.  Meanwhile, I’m a sucker for a well-made coming-of-age story, and Brooklyn is a very fine example. 

Best Director

• Adam McKay, The Big Short
• Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant ★
• George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
• Lenny Abrahamson, Room ♥
• Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

I’m confident that Iñárritu will win Best Director for the second year in a row.  My heart goes to Abrahamson for drawing out spectacular performances from Brie Larson and particularly young Jacob Tremblay.

Best Actress

• Brie Larson, Room ★
• Cate Blanchett, Carol ♥
• Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
• Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
• Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

A tremendous year for lead actresses! How about a five-way tie?

Best Actor

• Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
• Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl ♥
• Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant★
• Matt Damon, The Martian
• Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Should have been nominated: Jacob Tremblay, Room; Ian McKellen, Mr. Holmes.

Best Supporting Actress

• Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl ★
• Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
• Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs ♥
• Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
• Rooney Mara, Carol

Vikander and Mara had leading roles, so it’s unfair to compare them against the other three nominees.  In my perfect world, the nominee from Carol in this category would be Sarah Paulson.

Best Supporting Actor

• Christian Bale, The Big Short
• Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
• Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies ♥
• Sylvester Stallone, Creed ★
• Tom Hardy, The Revenant

Rylance is stunning in Bridge of Spies, and he might be the upset winner.  But Stallone is ready for his lifetime achievement award.  Should have been nominated: Michael Shannon (99 Homes); John Cusack (Chi-Raq).

Best Adapted Screenplay

• The Big Short★ ♥
• Brooklyn
• Carol
• The Martian
• Room

Best Original Screenplay

• Bridge of Spies
• Ex Machina
• Inside Out ♥
• Spotlight ★
• Straight Outta Compton

Compton is ambitious and creative, but some of the dialogue is embarrassingly bad.  Ex Machina is revolting.  Bridge of Spies has old-fashioned charm.  Spotlight is elegant and forceful.  Inside Out is wonderful.

Best Visual Effects

• Ex Machina
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Martian ♥
• The Revenant
• Star Works: The Force Awakens ★

Best Production Design

• Bridge of Spies
• The Danish Girl
• Mad Max: Fury Road ♥
• The Martian
• The Revenant ★

Best Original Score

• Bridge of Spies
• Carol
• The Hateful Eight★ ♥
• Sicario
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Original Song

• “Earned It” from 50 Shades of Grey
• “Manta Ray” from Racing Extinction ♥
• “Simple Song #3” from Youth
• “Til It Happens to You” from The Hunting Ground ★
• “Writing’s On The Wall” from Specture

If you haven’t listened to “Manta Ray,” pull it up on YouTube.  Still, I’m excited that Lady Gaga will be taking home the Oscar.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

• Mad Max: Fury Road ♥
• The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
• The Revenant★

Best Costume Design

• Carol ★ ♥
• Cinderella
• The Danish Girl
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Revenant

I’m obsessed with Jake Lacy’s boxy plaid overcoat and matching boxy plaid red scarf, Rooney Mara’s plaid stocking cap, Sarah Paulson’s plaid knit suit, and so many other plaid outfits in Carol.

Best Cinematography

• Carol
• The Hateful Eight
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Revenant ★ ♥
• Sicario

Best Film Editing

• The Big Short ★
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Revenant
• Spotlight ♥
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Editing

• Max Max: Fury Road
• The Martian
• The Revenant ★ ♥
• Sicario
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Mixing

• Bridge of Spies
• Mad Max: Fury Road ★
• The Martian
• The Revenant ♥
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Foreign Language Film

• Embrace of the Serpent
• Mustang ♥
• Son of Saul ★
• Theeb
• A War

Best Animated Feature

• Anomalisa
• Boy and the World
• Inside Out ★ ♥
• Shaun the Sheep Movie
• When Marnie was There

Best Animated Short

• Bear Story ★
• Prologue
• Sanjay’s Super Team
• We Can’t Live Without Cosmos
• World of Tomorrow ♥

Best Live-Action Short

• Ave Maria
• Day One ★
• Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)
• Shok ♥
• Stutterer

Best Documentary Short                                                      

• Body Team 12
• Chau, Beyond the Lines
• Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah ★
• A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness ♥
• Last Day of Freedom

Best Documentary Feature                                                   

• Amy★
• Cartel Land
• The Look of Silence ♥
• What Happened, Miss Simone?
• Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

I hope you all enjoy the show! 

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