Now that the summer movie season is officially over, “Oscar season” is upon us. This means most of the contenders will be released around this time. This is a normal custom, however, as studios want their films to be remembered around December and January, when voting takes place. This year, many films wait in the wings for their shot at glory, along with those that are already released.
The earliest Oscar contender was May’s “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which received rave reviews when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. “Mad Max” is in a rare position, as blockbusters are normally considered anti-Oscar films – awarded in the technical categories (like Best Visual Effects or Sound Editing), but largely ignored in the major categories. Since its release, it has been considered a contender for many categories including Best Picture. Following it, is Pixar’s “Inside Out,” an animation that quickly became the frontrunner for Best Animated Feature (no other film is even expected to win).
The month of August brought us the record-breaking blockbuster hit, “Straight Outta Compton,” directed by F. Gary Gray. After a controversially un-diverse year last year, there are still very little opportunities for African-American filmmakers to be recognized this season. The only other shots belongs to “Dope," Rick Fayumiya’s dramedy about a “black geek” who gets caught up in a drug scandal, and “Creed,” the forthcoming “Rocky,” spin-off directed by Ryan Coogler (director of “Fruitvale Station”). Also in the conversation, though it isn’t black-directed, is the NFL-based “Concussion,” starring Will Smith.
The Best Actor race has no true frontrunner, yet, though it includes Will Smith, Johnny Depp for “Black Mass,” last year’s winner, Eddie Redmayne in “The Danish Girl,” and Michael Fassbender as the title character in “Steve Jobs.” However, many are hoping that it finally goes to Leonardo DiCaprio. Poor Leo, who has been nominated four times before, has a real shot this year for his performance in western epic, “The Revenant,” for which he apparently slept in an actual animal carcass for research. Even before its release, the film itself would appear to be a contender due to its direction by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, winner of last year’s Best Director award (for “Birdman”).
Female artists have a bit more representation than last year’s season. The Todd Haynes-directed “Carol” was written by Phyllis Nagy, and follows the forbidden relationship of two women in the 1950s. stars Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett and Oscar-nominee Rooney Mara, both considered frontrunners in the acting categories. There is also the film “Suffragette,” written and directed by women (Abi Morgan and Sarah Gavron, respectively), documenting the 20th Century Womens’ Rights movement in the United Kingdom. Amy Schumer’s summer comedy “Trainwreck” could also receive the rare comedy nomination. There is also this December’s “Joy,” which stars Academy-favorite Jennifer Lawrence, who's three past nominations, and win, would make her a safe bet for a nom this year
Many are still wondering if the highly-anticipated blockbuster “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” will receive major nominations. Though the original film was nominated for Best Picture in 1977, the rest of the series has not been recognized outside of technical categories since. Perhaps the rebranding of the series will return the series to Oscar glory. Like “Star Wars,” there are major threats to the race, especially Quentin Tarantino’s “Django” follow-up “The Hateful Eight, that have yet to be released and only time will tell what makes the cut come December. For film lovers like myself, Oscar season is akin to football season – complete with stats, MVP's, and events leading up to the Academy Awards, the Super Bowl of it all. For fans, this year is looking to provide an incredibly exciting race.
