Best Actor
Johnny Depp’s Whitey Bulger is the stuff of nightmares. The actor has taken us to the depths of the human psyche before but never quite so ferociously as he does with this performance. He plays not just a cold blooded killer, but a guy who believes his rules are the only rules. He doesn’t have much of a heart but when his son lands in the hospital, Depp’s Bulger plummets to his most dangerous self. It is a captivating, mesmerizing, haunting performance – and surely to be among the best of the year. Scott Cooper’s Black Mass so far isn’t getting the kinds of reviews it should be getting. That isn’t surprising, considering the quick takes that can come from festivals. It is a major leap forward for Cooper as a director who finally has a grasp on storytelling. It was there with Crazy Heart but Out of the Furnace was almost a good movie. Black Mass makes good on the promise of that film. Even though the film, like so many others screened here at Telluride, is full of standout performances in this tight ensemble, the focal point and the reason to see it is Depp.
Competing with Depp for Best Actor here has to be Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs. Like Depp, we’ve seen some exceptional performances from Fassbender before – how do you top Shame? Yet Fassbender’s Jobs is as unpredictable as it is thrilling to watch. His is a bravura performance top to bottom. What is most surprising about Fassbender’s work is how he gives us glimpses into Steve Jobs’ fleeting moments of compassion and kindness. He isn’t an evil man, like Depp’s Whitey Bulger, but he isn’t a nice man either. There is a price to be paid, it seems, for power — whether that power is control the mob in Boston or to revolutionize the tech industry. One is a story of redemption and the other a study in damnation. Both of these actors are going to be tough to beat, though there are so many male lead performances coming up in what is the most crowded Best Actor race in a while — and given the fact that every year is a crowded race for Best Actor, that’s really saying something. It will also be hard to drive out of Telluride without thinking of both of these performances as the standouts.
Best Actress
It is looking more and more likely that Rooney Mara is going to run in the lead category and Cate Blanchett in the supporting category. That’s going to be a tough rabbit to pull of out their hats because both Blanchett and Mara are really co-leads. In Supporting, Mara could win but she is also a formidable contender in lead. Twhree very strong contenders have come out of films seen here who will join Mara (or Blanchett). Brie Larson, Carey Mulligan and Charlotte Rampling who knock it out of the park with their wrenching performances. They’ve each been widely praised and buzzed about here in the mountains of Telluride. Mulligan isn’t here because she’s busy having a baby, but Brie Larson has been out and about, doing Q&As. Charlotte Rampling is incandescent in 45 Years, in role some are saying is the best of her distinguished career.
Kate Winslet is a standout in Steve Jobs and could theoretically be in the lead actress category but could also run supporting. A place in line must held for Jennifer Lawrence for Joy and Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn. Also making waves but probably for supporting is Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl out of Venice. As the grandmother in Room, Joan Allen delivers a devastating portrait of unflinching resilience in the face of unthinkable loss.
Best Picture
It should be said that Spotlight is probably going to be the film that emerges from Telluride as the most successful in terms of people liking it. It is currently — an unpredictably — holding the Argo slot where most are underestimating its Best Picture chances but EVERYONE is saying they like it. That makes it a flying under the radar threat. In terms of Best Picture so far, Spotlight, Steve Jobs, Black Mass, Carol, and Suffragette seem to have the most heat at the moment, with Room also being one of the better films, and highly acclaimed of the festival. There are so many more movies upcoming that it’s hard to imagine just these films will fill the Best Picture slot come December — but many of them will be as beloved by industry viewers as they have been by festival goers. This year’s Cannes Grand Prix winner, Son of Saul, retains every ounce of the impact that inspired Peter Bradshaw to call it “a horror movie of extraordinary focus and courage.” It’s a holocaust drama so fierce, director László Nemes may very well find himself nominated for Best Director as well.
Out of Venice, The Danish Girl made a big enough splash to be strongly considered for Best Picture.
Supporting Performances/Ensemble
One of the big question marks this year is how many lead performances will be put in supporting as an overflow category. This festival has been all about the ensembles. This is true of all of the strong Best Picture contenders making it not so easy to determine who might get a supporting nod versus a lead. In Spotlight, for instance, Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Stanley Tuccie and Rachel MacAdams are all magnificent but especially so as part of an ensemble. Keaton would seem to be the obvious choice for lead but with so many bravura, emotional performances looming he might do better in the supporting category. Perhaps Mark Ruffalo could be the lead but he is really supporting and seems, according to many people here, the most likely nominee. The same goes for Black Mass – with all of those great supporting turns by Joel Edgarton, Corey Stoll to name just two., Steve Jobs has Seth Rogan and Jeff Daniels, both nomination worthy.
Screenplay
Aaron Sorkin may have his second Oscar win with his one of a kind screenplay for Steve Jobs. But Carol is another obvious contender for screenplay, as is Spotlight. Adapting her own novel for Room, Emma Donahue takes us on a searing journey to hell and back with emotional aftershocks almost worse than the quake itself.
One thing seems certain about Oscar contenders here in Telluride – you can’t really know their full impact until all the films are seen by year’s end. Nothing so far has seemed like it will take the season, but then again that’s how it always feels coming out of Telluride.
Documentary
Telluride is increasingly a great place to find docs. There are several playing here worth noting. At the top of that list would be He Named Me Malala, and Charles Ferguson’s A Time to Choose, about climate change. There is also Laurie Anderson’s The Heart of a Dog about loss and grieving, and Pamela Tom’s Tyrus about Chinese American artist Tyrus Wong.
I actually don’t see this as being such a strong year for Best Actor, not compared to last year. I mean, I’m sure the Academy will be able to fill out a category no problem, but I think this could actually be a better year for Best Actress. All relative, of course, but looking at my lists in each category thus far my Actress list is on the whole stronger, while my Best Actor list drops off pretty badly after the first 4 or 5.
“…great supporting turns by Joel Edgarton, Corey Stoll to name just two.”
Yes, it would be great to see some new life pumped into what has become a pretty stodgy category lately. These two would make great great additions.
“There is no way “Black Mass” gets best picture nomination buzz.”
???
Ah biopics! It’s so easy for them to coast on the “true life story” and “believable performance” comments that come with each glossy production. Then the filmmakers can point to artistic license if/when questions are asked about accuracy. Their cake is so delicious and easy to make.
I wish Oscar would scrutinize these movies a bit more and toss the run-of-the-mill awards bait out the window – stuff like The King’s Speech, Ray, The Theory of Everything, The Blindside – and focus on original or adapted fiction. Save biopic nominations and wins for incredible films like 12 Years A Slave or The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
I hope films like Brooklyn, Carol, The Hateful Eight, and The Revenant cleanup this year. Unless Black Mass, Steve Jobs or The Danish Girl do something “different”, I hope they just fade away – instead of winning AND THEN fading away like so many of them often do.
There is no way “Black Mass” gets best picture nomination buzz.
“but this film is exceedingly plain visually, while Howard Shore’s low-key score becomes monotonous.” THR
This verdict. It simply can not be the best film.
This verdict. It simply can not be the best film.
yeah, because a few negative reviews always ALWAYS destroy a movie, right?
That THR review was written by a guy who’s ordinarily pretty sharp, but what kind of skunk weed was he smoking when he decided the best way to refer to habitual child rapists is to crack lame jokes about “robes up pants down” and breezily call them “misbehaving clergy.”
https://twitter.com/filmystic/status/640700404909608960/photo/1
This Mara/Blanchett category placement thing is Roberts/Streep in August: Osage County 2.0. The diference is that Mara will easily win Supporting and likely (less than Supporting) win lead. As both nominations are locks, the choice will be based on where Mara’s chances are higher and that’s why she most definitely will go supporting.
I am a lot more curious about the placement of Michael Keaton and Idris Elba. The choices of those two are game changers… Snub is very likely if they go lead. But in Supporting, both could win.
Spotlight has a negative review from THR
“I asked her agent” tweeted by Anne Thompson should serve as solid proof that Cate Blanchett is campaigning in lead for Carol.
They’ll wait for the Truth reactions this weekend and depending on the outcome the course of action will either stay the same or reform.
It’d be nice if Truth, a first-time-director film with zero clips/tasers, turns out to be brilliant and bitch-slaps most of the competition away.
Blanchett is a Queen and I want the better performance of the two to find her a place in the Leading Actress race.
Blanchett’s agent confirmed to Anne Thompson that Cate will be lead for Carol
No love for Beasts of No Nation? I feel that, by the least, Elba should be considered as a strong contender for supporting actor.
Bushido Bryce
Sasha is seeing Beasts of No Nation tonight, right now, I think.
“It is looking more and more likely that Rooney Mara is going to run in the lead category and Cate Blanchett in the supporting category. ”
No it’s not. Don’t repeat an assumption by Feinberg as truth.
In what language does ‘it is looking more and more likely’ mean ‘it is irrefutable, verifiable, incontrovertible truth’?
“It is looking more and more likely that Rooney Mara is going to run in the lead category and Cate Blanchett in the supporting category. ”
No it’s not. Don’t repeat an assumption by Feinberg as truth.
Anne Thompson: https://twitter.com/akstanwyck/status/640428022261157888
Anne Thompson tweeted that Blanchett is leading for Carol.
And what waves is making Vikander? She barely got noticed for her performance
Oh this is good news. Honestly, what I want to know most about is Joel Edgerton. I can’t stop pulling for THE GIFT to somehow get some recognition somewhere. So if his role in BLACK MASS is worthy I really hope he gets the nod there. At least it will be reward for a great year of work. I also want to know more about Mr. Depp’s performance. But then again I don’t. 12 more days…. btw, I liked OUT OF THE FURNACE much better than CRAZY HEART.
Oh I’m so excited to see all these great performances. 😀
Loving the mix of RELATIVELY FRESH and VETERAN OSCAR names that will largely make-up the noms this year:
Fassbender, Redmayne, Hardy (Legend and Revenant), Edgerton, Elba, Mulligan, Larson, Mara, Vikander etc.
mixed with …
DiCaprio, Depp, Caine, Keaton, McKellen, Blanchett, Winslet, Tomlin, Ladd, Rampling, etc.
I’m just excited by the prospects of these actors/actresses in the films that are coming down the pike.
Seen everything… Unfortunately I think Carey Mulligan is SUFFRAGETTE’s best option. Loved the film, not sure it has what it takes to pull off a best pic nod though. At present, I’m thinking Rooney should go lead and hope for the win. Blanchett is unbeatable in supporting, I would think.
REALLY hoping Johnny Depp takes the Oscar this year. Black Mass looks like a return to form for him.
It’s sad that there’s a generation of filmgoers who don’t know that Depp can be a real thespian when he wants to be.
I know The Revenant will have Best Picture and Director nominations to boost its inevitable best actor nod, but I’m hoping Black Mass’s nod for Johnny will power through.