Mad Max is surprising everyone by taking the lead, at least so far, in the critics race. I’m going to blame second level chaos theory for this because no one really wanted to be the group that did the predictable thing by giving the Oscar frontrunner, Spotlight, the top prize. That turns out to be a good thing for Spotlight AND a good thing for Mad Max, which has suddenly become the new favorite. It seems to be a combination of things — a kind of buzz that took hold. Once that starts there is no way to slow it down. There is also no telling, by the way, if Mad Max, or George Miller could turn out to be the industry’s choice. History tells us that the industry choice will not match the critics, however. This is a year where anything can happen. It is, at least right now, wide open.
Both the National Board of Review and the Washington DC critics – two of the most “populist” of the critics groups, went for Mad Max. It won the NBR and was one of two movies that was nominated for both Picture and Director at WAFCA. Meanwhile, Spotlight and The Martian were split in both groups. The Martian won Director, Screenplay and Actor at NBR and was nominated in all of those categories by WAFCA. Spotlight has Picture in both groups but not director. Meanwhile, George Miller and Mad Max, along with Alejandro G. Inarritu and The Revenant are the only two that got both.
Neither of these things seems to indicate where the Best Picture race is going just yet. We’re still in the critics phase and, as you all know, the pattern lately has been that the critics go one way and the Oscars go another. The only possible dynamic that could be happening here is a pre-ordained Picture/Director split. In which case, some movie — most likely STILL Spotlight — would win Best Picture but a virtuoso and overdue director might win in the director category (Anne Thompson has already suggested this might happen), like George Miller, or Ridley Scott (who is woefully overdue).
Either way, if Mad Max continues to win — as it’s expected to do tomorrow, unless the LA or the Boston critics go a different way, it could turn into a situation where it’s too big to ignore, which would tip the scales for Miller and not Scott — two brilliant veterans who’ve been directing films for years and years.
Mad Max and The Martian are both films about two futures — distant and near. Both are stories of a future where hope and determination prevail. One is fast and loud and groundbreaking with visual effects and sheer audacity. The other is brilliantly written and sends you out of the theater feeling hopeful and alive. Both of these films are easily among the best of the year. Only one seems to have sexy film critic cred. The industry might agree – and it might not. We will find out when the first big industry awards happen next week with the Screen Actors Guild.
One thing seems certain – the idea that Spotlight was going to be the critics darling has been upended. Carol could still become that favorite but it really does feel like there is just too much hum around Mad Max and it’s not stopping any time soon. It’s thrilling to watch, as there was a time when no one really thought Mad Max would do well – not at the box office, not in the Oscar race. As we wrote back in October, in The Case for Mad Max it’s one of the best representations of modern and future Hollywood – where the artful meets the blockbuster.
The Best Picture race begins December 18. Period, end of sentence. And if the movie coming out that day is beyond great, and the Oscars snub it for arthouse fare like Carol and Spotlight, Lord help their ratings in February.
Star Wars has about as much chance of winning Best Picture as Jeb Bush does winning president.
Relax everyone, Mad Max is this year’s Boyhood, a masturbatory critical choice that will have no bearing on the Oscar race. Remember how Birdman was MIA in most critical balloting last year? The Oscars will be a two-horse race between Spotlight and The Martian, take that to the bank and earn interest with it!
Remember when Gravity took most of the Oscars except best picture and still won director? I don’t think Mad Max will win best picture. But director is a high possibility.
Mad Max is the best movie of the year, it should be getting all the awards. Charlize Theron should win best actress at the Oscars.
All the feminist mumbo jumbo aside is it just me or is mad max fury road just a movie about a bunch of people being chased to death?
For me it feels like a film miller salvaged by adding the feminist slant that was then completely over hyped due to the no “cgi in this movie at all and it’s all the better for it” angle. Despite the fact the movie is color graded until it looks like a graphic novel come to life.
As for theron her performance felt hammy, the now that i drive a war rig scene was fairly embarrassing and like dialogue out of a cheap exploitation corman movie and hardy’s accent is all over the place, it feels cobbled together. That’s my take anyway i know it was largely popular but if this movie wins best picture what would it be for? what would it represent? what does it have to say? what does it achieve that many other movies haven’t? It’s essentially a film that is a cross between the last 45 minutes of the avengers with some weird social commentary about the patriarchy that people seem to think equates to reality, it’s not anymore deeper then your typical marvel film.
Here’s a list of movies that work along the same lines that i feel are superior movies, black hawk down (pretty much the same film, no script and loads of spectacular action) aliens, ripley and vasquez are two characters that immediately jump out and weaver was doing the whole furiosa thing before theron was kicking about and a lot better, mad max 2 (better storyline) every movie john carpenter made up until they live.
I didn’t think it was a bad film, it’s far from it but ultimately all the snazzy stunts and effects aside it’s pretty hollow.
That’s my opinion anyway and i understand everybody has different tastes, so i’m not looking to stir up an argument but i can’t be the only person who is following the oscar race who thinks this.
I’ll just add that the martian did the whole men and women of all colors working together to make the world a better place much more subtly and actually made you feel more positive about the world, i know chastains part was small but her character was still pivotal in the movie. Far from a masterpiece but i still think it succeeds on a lot more levels then fury road did, it also feels far more fresh and like scott made a movie outside of his usual bleak world view comfort zone.
I like The Martian a WHOLE LOT more than Mad Max: Fury Road…
But yeah, not a masterpiece for me, either.
You’re not the only person who thinks this. 🙂 Even though I don’t feel quite as strongly about some of the points you raise as you do, overall I agree with your assessment and I feel like we probably rate Mad Max: Fury Road about the same. (For me it’s a touch above 3/5 stars, which is more or less where I had Argo – meaning I would be very disappointed if this won Best Picture. Been saying it ever since I saw it.)
I’ve been saying for more than one month that MMFR had the advantage over The Martian… too big & loud to be ignored. Being hailed the BEST in the action genre, ever… and let’s recall Oscar goes big for sequels/remakes/reimaginations when they exceed expectations, the list is quite impressive… the 3 Best Picture winners that took 11 Oscars home, were remakes, sequels or final chapters in a triptic. Add to this, the 5 top prizes for Silence of the Lambs (#2 in the Hannibal Lecter franchise, with new creative team), The Godfather Part II, Oliver! and I’m sure I’m forgetting some. Once you realize this, you get the notion that both Creed and Mad Max Fury Road, have huge actual chances of taking Best Picture home.
It’s not what it usually happens, but it does happen, from time to time.
“the 3 Best Picture winners that took 11 Oscars home, were remakes, sequels or final chapters in a triptic.”
Wait, what? I get your point about Return of the King and Ben-Hur, but it seems like a stretch to call Titanic a remake of A Night to Remember (assuming that’s the film you’re referring to here).
it’s a new version of the sinking of the Titanic. Seen that before, in a different fashion and with a different excuse of a story. But it’s just a new version. I forgot to add “The Departed”, which was also a remake.
Mad Max was the most fun we’ve had in a theater in ages and now it’s making awards season the most fun to watch in ages.
Charlize Theron gave such an iconic performance. .if you’re gonna nominate Sigourney weaver for aliens you might as well nominate her. …feel like this sudden push for best pic could ultimately push her towards a nomination. .plus they owe her from missing out in young adult. I admire her versatility and her ability to not be afraid to get down and dirty..think this …..monster and north country..great actress. .
Weaver’s character had faaaar more to do than Theron’s. While she was great in the role it was pretty paper-thin. The movie was more about action. Aliens was about (some) action but also a mother who gets the 2nd chance to be a mother. With Fury Road having few quiet moments it was tough for Theron to do anything but be a part of the action.
Mad Max: Fury Road is my favourite film of the year so far (though there’s a bunch of major contenders that I haven’t seen). I have no expectation of it winning Picture, but I’d be over the moon if the current critical support translated into some key nominations in the above-the-line categories (Picture and Director, mainly).
MMFR is my second favourite, but what people don’t see is that it has a clear weakness if it is to win Best Picture. It lacks strong a Screenplay. It’s difficult for it to win without winning Best Screenplay and almost impossible if it’s no even nominated. Even “The Artist” was nominated for Best Screenplay.
While most people know that Best Direction almost always goes with Best Picture, what they don’t know is that Best Screenplay goes with Best Picture even more. The three are linked and since 2000, there has only been one film, “Chicago”, which has won Best Picture without winning either Best Direction or Screenplay. The Oscars reward the Best Picture winner with both Direction and Screenplay, so MMFR could win Best Picture and Direction, or “Spotlight” could win Best Picture and Screenplay. Either of those two combinations could happen but “Spotlight” still remains favourite, for me, because it has best chance of any film to win a combination of Best Picture, Direction and Screenplay.
Completely agree.
I loved Mad Max upon first viewing, so damn energetic and such a change from totally driven CG effects so-called action pics which look and feel like they’ve been cooked in a lab. Sadly haven’t yet seen Spotlight although reviews are all positive, it might come around my neck of the wood if it gets nominated. Holding out for The Revenant, always impressed with Inarritu in his pre- Birdman phase. Birdman was a virtuoso achievement but the story was slight even though the acting was stellar.
This is a fantastic news! MMFR is my second favourite film, behind “Inside Out”, so I’m so happy that it’s incredible achievements are being recognised. “MMFR” is George miller’s masterpiece, while Ridley masterpieces, “Blade Runner” and “Alien” have already come and gone. You can’t give awards for previous great films over a present great film. So it’s Miller who should be recognised for the breath taking “MMFR” instead of Scott for a mundane film like “The Martian”. The case is becoming more and more obvious: Even if MMFR isn’t good enough to win Best Picture, Miller must win Best Direction.
I watched black hawk down recently and the action in that is breath taking, like mad max fury road there is little in the way of any script and it concentrates purely on the action whilst using minimal cgi, but ron howard won that year. The year scott was up for gladiator (which was a box office juggernaut and was one of the most talked about movies of the year when it was released, probably more so then mad max fury road) he was beaten by soderberg. If one thing can be taken from this it’s that rarely does a director actually get rewarded for his directing skill, normally the oscar goes to a film with a solid screenplay that’s about something topical where the actor does all the work, kramer vs kramer vs apocalypse now springs to mind.
As for the martian i personally thought it was far from mundane but different strokes, i wouldn’t put it on the same level as gladiator or the other two movies you’ve mentioned but ridley scott has been a critical whipping boy for years and genre film makers don’t usually get any credit and if he won the oscar it wouldn’t annoy me. I think the main difference between scott and miller is scott has made a handful of classics and miller hasn’t got that many big movies on his resume, will that hurt miller? nope because like i said it will probably go to a soderberg type. Scott winning on past glories will probably be one of the only times that a director of this kind will win the oscar. Peter jackson i guess broke the mold a bit but he had to director a nine hour trilogy in order to do so.
Black Hawk Down is one of the rare kinetic war movies with a fantastic screenplay. I can quote it for days.
“where the artist meets the blockbuster…” Well said. Hope it is the future.
Hieronymous Bosch comes to mind. Velazquez’s “The Surrender of Breda”. The Tiepolo ceiling paintings. The Sistine Chapel, of course. Raphael’s School of Athens. For every blockbuster masterpiece in the history of painting, I can think of a hundred smaller, simpler pieces that are admired at least as much as the blockbusters. (And they were rolled out in much like a Hollywood premier).
Nonetheless, artist meets the blockbuster is the holy grail. The great historical epic films, Lawrence or Napoleon, for example are the forebearers. LotR, of course.
MAD MAX will not get the same reactions from Academy voters as BOYHOOD did because I think many AMPAS voters have already seen MMFR so, if anything, it will convince them to revisit it. I feel it won’t get the thats-it reaction also because it’s such an outlier choice for a critics darling that no serious backlash can dent its chances.
I see MMFR winning LA and some of the other circles. DC may go for Picture and Miller, or split it with REVENANT or SPOTLIGHT.
I haven’t seen SPOTLIGHT but if I were its campaign manager I’d me much more worried about MAD MAX’s surge than CAROL. In a year where the Oscar ratings plummeted big time because of massive arthouse presence at Oscar night, a final duel between the important but little movie (SPOTLIGHT) and the artistic, revolutionary, box-office action movie (MMFR) could see the latter emerge, making everyone happy: the moviegoers who will finally see a box-office success triumph, the sci-fi genre finally getting Oscar recognition, the Academy looking cool again 10 years after Lord Of The Rings.
A tide is rising and it doesn’t look good for SPOTLIGHT.
PS: Until I watch ROOM and my beloved Brie, GO FURIOSA!
MMFR as critics pick vs The Martian as Guilds/televised precursors pick and sci fi makes history as BP winner. Doesn’t matter which one wins. History will be made. Now is the time.
MAD MAX is going the way of GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL–is so deservingly well liked that it is remembered at the end of the year and earns BP and BD nominations. And wins some technicals.
reasonable analogy
only Wes Anderson doesn’t have the baggage George Miller has. Remember Anderson films tend to be uniformed, while Miller has a broader range, and he’s been successfull in everything he tried… Mad Max, Witches of Eastwick, Lorenzo’s Oil, Babe (1&2) and Happy Feet. That’s RANGE. And at 70, he even makes his best film to date. Wow.
And Anderson images can be found in the dictionary under “unbearably twee” and Miller isn’t as easily pigeonholed
– “THE MARTIAN” VS. “MAD MAX ” and SIR RIDLEY SCOTT VS. GEORGE MILLER –
Hi Sasha ! It’s nice to see that both films and their directors are doing very well in the critics race. It seems to me that Hollywood has now become two represantatives of our “MODERN DAY”. But from my point of view I think that “The Martian” and Sir Ridley Scott will have the bigger acclaim from the industry. We’ll find this out when the first big industry awards happen next week with the Screen Actors Guild. Coming now to the directors race, I can see a hudge advantange going for Ridley Scott vs. George Miller.
But The Martian has its own advantages: it’s made by the man who’s the clear favorite to win the best director Oscar (Ridley Scott), and that usually goes along with best picture (excepting Argo and 12 Years a Slave in recent years); it’s upbeat and entertaining; and it’s a huge box-office success (like Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), writes Scott Feinberg from The HollywoodReporter-,” and I do totally agree with all. Starting early this Award season our beloved Editor, Sasha Stone, has always mentioned, that “THE MARTIAN” will probably be her BP winner at the OSCARS. Let’s hope that this scenario comes true!
Overall : My pics ! = VERY HIGHLY PROBABLE =
BP -“THE MARTIAN” and BD – SR RIDLEY SCOTT, both will stll remain my hot favorites for the OSCARS 2016.
Oh, please don’t forget for BA – LEONARDO Di CAPRIO, – (Nespresso -What else?)
– “Find out soon,”, as George Clooney has taken himself out of the OSCAR market, Who else?) :)))
Best Direction Oscar is not a lifetime achievement award, so if Scott win it for “The Martian”, that’s what it will be. Scott’s masterpieces, “Blade Runner” and “Alien” have come and gone, but Miller’s masterpiece is this year, therefore, Miller should win it Best Direction.
I’m loving this utterly. I don’t want to get my hopes up too much, but if Max gets a Best Picture nomination, I’ll be happy. I don’t even need it to win. That would be amazing, but this would be one case where the nomination truly would be the reward.
One quibble, though. With all the praise for the film, for Miller, Theron, Junkie XL, etc…I see no great attention for Nicholas Hoult, who makes the most of Nux’s pathos and redemptive arc. I’d argue he gives the best performance in the film (nothing against Theron, who deserves to be nominated as well), and it’ll be a shame if the Academy goes for it but leaves him out. Especially since–unpopular opinion ahead–I would nominate him over Mark Rylance. Rylance is fine, but I didn’t get the same connection with him that I did with Hoult.
Months from now, when everyone has forgotten about Hoult, I for one will remember this articulate plea (and yeah, he was strong)
The whole cast was strong. Sucks that Critics circles announce so close to SAG announcements but if there was a month of this build-up, perhaps SAG Ensemble wouldn’t be out of question. Cast was no weaker than The Martian (where nobody stood out in Damon’s shadow).
I do expect PGA/DGA to put it right and fingers crossed BAFTA goes for it too. I fully expect HFPA and SAG to go for more traditional nominees (bloody Steve Jobs resurrection looming).
C’mon WB! This is your BP/BD/BActress contender! Rally up behind it!
I don’t know in what world The Martian could be considered “brilliantly written.” Paper thin characterizations, stilted dialogue, downright hokey lines from Matt Damon and others. Yeah, brilliantly written sure does describe such magnificent lines like “In your face, Neil Armstrong!” and “Fuck you, Mars.” Very sophisticated stuff.
Well, that’s reductive. With The Martian Drew Goddard manages to do several things that are each so hard to do that they are rarely – if ever – completely accomplished. It’s scientifically accurate (with a concession or two made to storytelling) and flat out wonky while still being fun and never taking itself seriously (I’m looking at you, Interstellar). Those lines do what great lines do. They reveal both story and character. The reason Watney is such a beloved protagonist is that he refuses to let his insane situation destroy either his resolve or his personality. The Martian manages to be intelligent, tense and suspenseful, and laugh out loud funny. If you think that’s an easy thing to accomplish as a writer you don’t know squat about writing.
It’s hardly in the same league of difficulty as, say, Phyllis Nagy’s adaptation of The Price of Salt. The scientific accuracy could be researched by anyone, and the story development can be lifted straight out of the book. And we already know humour is Drew Goddard’s game anyway. But there’s not rly any excuse for clunky dialogue in a film that wants the viewer to invest in it as anything even close to realism. I wouldn’t say what Oliver wrote is reductive, nor would I say that Oliver claims that The Martian was easy to write. I’d say what Oliver wrote is a pretty succinct summation of what I thought about that film’s script – for me, it was among its weakest elements.
You can’t compare oranges and apples. Two very different source materials. Two very different treatments required. A strong script isn’t all about clever lines and dialogue. It’s also about knowing when not to be clever (plus a host of other things).
I’d consider Phyllis Nagy to have displayed a great deal more cleverness in her script for Carol than Drew Goddard displayed in his for The Martian. I’ll gladly compare apples and oranges, not least since that’s what voters do throughout Oscar season. Personally, I prefer oranges.
You’re right, voters probably do just that, when they’d be wiser and better at their job – particularly in the Adapted Script category – if they really read the source novels (or whatever) and compared the script (and the resultant film) in order to assess the work done. I know, I know, and pigs might fly ….
Same here. I didn’t have THAT much of a problem with it (nowhere near as much as with Gravity, though that IS an extreme example), but I definitely didn’t think it was strong or awards-worthy, either.
I thought The Martian’s script was mostly great in pacing and the funny way Damon’s character described the science behind everything. That said those one-liners, were it not for Damon going all in on the cheesiness, bordered horrendous.
Unless there’s a compelling reason for a film to contain such stilted dialogue, like a Eugene Green film, it simply spoils the film overall.
I definitely hear you – and on a certain level I might agree – but although a film is a very different creature to a novel or short story, I feel that the screenwriter has to remain true to the spirit of the original work. Otherwise it’s not ‘adapted from’ or ‘based upon’ but more like ‘we thought we’d jump on the bandwagon of this book being really popular and use its title to attract people to the film, but we’re going to do whatever we want anyway …’
I’d say that Drew Goddard stayed pretty true to Andy Weir’s characterisations. He gave Watney the kind of lines that Watney (the mega-smart scientist but pretty ordinary Joe when it comes to speechifying and social interaction) would say. Different types of films require different types of treatment and Goddard’s treatment of The Martian is spot-on. It’s not about sophisticated remarks and cocktail party chatter. It’s about an ordinary guy (but smart at his job) in an extraordinary situation. Someone who comes out with the kind of everyman exclamations that we all might when under pressure. It would have been much less believable if Goddard had placed eloquent, philosophical, ‘sophisticated’ phrases in the mouths of his characters.
I remember hearing Stephen Sondheim lament the lyrics he’d written for ‘I Feel Pretty’- the song from West Side Story. He said that the witty phrases and neat, clever rhyme schemes were simply not believable coming from the character of Maria, an uneducated young girl from Puerto Rico who’d just arrived as an immigrant in the USA. He was right – and I thought it was really refreshing and honest to hear someone of his stature self-criticise like this. Goddard got it right in terms of tone, simplicity and honesty. He has every right to be up there with the top nominees.
I am starting to realize that MAD MAX FURY ROAD will have almost the same cult following as Star Wars had in the 1970s. There is already a sequel planned and funny enough, the makers of both share the same first name – George… 😉
Mad max fury road is now the leader in this unpredictment critics choice and hfpa race.
C
I am not sure that the Globes will nominate it though. I am not predicting it at SAG and at the Globes. But I’ve already moved it up to Number 5 in my predictions for the Oscars. If it wins both LAFCA and Washington (over Spotlight and The Revenant), it’s going further up the rankings… 😉
Good point about SAG – I honestly see no way a movie like MMFR is ever getting nominated for SAG Ensemble, so I guess this should confirm what was already pretty obvious, that it remains just a critics’ darling (which was thoroughly expected anyway), but (likely) not a true BP contender.
Globes…I say it will miss best drama picture but Miller and the Junkie XL score will make it in. SAG will award it best stunt work which will still give it massive exposure since the stunt work is what made the movie quite the word of mouth.
I don’t think this is a shocker at all…
MAD MAX, INSIDE OUT and CAROL were perceived as the top contenders for the major critics’ prizes for months now, I think.
The big surprises thus far are the strength of CREED, which hadn’t really been seen as a possibility a few weeks back, and the general underperformance of JOY.
Critics are hating on Joy and Hateful Eight because they were literally the last 2 movies in the door and they’re still trolling critics with embargoes. The Revenant got smart, came in a bit earlier and they’re letting people write about it. I wonder why that one is doing better with critics???
Critics are not hating on H8 since it had much better showing with awards so far than no shows Revenant and Joy. So don’t put it in the same category with the other two. H8 won with NBR and appeared on several Top 10s.
Revenant and Joy were seen by biggies and simply ignored. I guess those circles didn’t like them enough to make Top 10 but they aren’t critics circle movies anyway.
Joy definitely wasn’t seen by lesser critics circles that nominated almost everyone and everything (yeah, as if they would snub such big player)
if anyone should be really REALLY afraid, it’s Big Short which was seen by everyone and is a total no show even on long lists (that Joy and sometimes Rev didn’t make cause they weren’t seen by those groups).