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Best Cinematography

This year, the most memorable cinematography was that of Mad Max, which was joined by The Revenant, Carol, The Hateful Eight, and Sicario. The photography of a movie can be the difference between a memorable and a forgettable experience. This is one of those prestigious technical awards that has gone to a Best Picture nominee 20 times in the last 25 years. That does not bode well for Sicario or Carol’s interesting but at times muted cinematography. Sicario has some amazing panoramic and fast-action shots across the border and the caves, as well as the night shots, but I wonder if most members appreciated that. Carol’s cinematography is actually a character in the movie, alternating between blurry, somber and vivid, depending on mood. It is subtle like the movie’s emotions themselves.

The Hateful Eight has a beautiful cinematography that is up against and may compete with the votes for The Revenant - both outdoors, snow-ridden sceneries. Indeed, The Revenant has the most impressive cinematography in a way - the locations are simply stunning and memorable. The movie lives and dies by its scenery. Its cinematographer, Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezski, has won two Oscars in a row - for Gravity and Birdman - and could become the only person ever to win three straight here.

I am actually betting against him not because of the statistical improbability (for the last time: his name is not on the ballot so most voters won’t notice it) but simply because the diverging and changing color palette of Mad Max sticks out in my mind. Then again, if most voters see Mad Max on screeners and The Revenant in theaters due to its later release date, no doubt the latter will win. Another close call.

Will win: Mad Max
Could win: The Revenant

Best Film Editing

We come at last to what many Oscarologists consider the most important of the technical races, given that 21 of the last 25 winners are Best Picture nominees and 13 of those are outright Best Picture winners. This year the nominees are basically the Best Picture frontrunners, Mad Max, The Revenant, Spotlight, The Big Short, and Star Wars. Although the times that a non-BP nominee has defeated leading movies have resulted in wins for intense action sequences—The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Bourne Ultimatum, etc. - I don’t think Star Wars is flashy enough in this context to win.

The obvious candidate here is The Big Short - it has the cut sequences and the fast moving scene cuts. In a way, however, a win for Editing for The Big Short would be somewhat embarrassing for the Academy, given there are at least two noticeable editing errors that result in items showed out of order (the Jenga blocks fallen over the table, then stacked up again) or twice over (Margot Robbie picking up the champagne glass and then again). Meanwhile, the much more methodically edited Spotlight seems to be in third place, particularly given that it missed a nomination at the Editors Guild awards. Mad Max, therefore, stands to benefit from its status as a Best Picture nominee plus action movie.

The award could be indicative of things to come later in the night - or then again maybe not. Gravity and The Social Network won here, only to lose the ultimate prize later in the evening. But, given that the Big Short only has a clear path to victory for one Oscar other than Best Picture (for screenplay), it's going to win that, it better win here too.

Will win: The Big Short
Could win: Mad Max

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