The Curious Case of Leonardo DiCaprio

With each Oscar season that passes us by, Leonardo DiCaprio remains Oscar-less. It’s become a tradition of sorts, for the Academy to bestow the award to any one of the other actors nominated alongside DiCaprio. No matter how batty the role is, no matter what he had to do to prepare for it, or how hard he campaigns for it, nothing can seem to win the former teen heartthrob his beloved trophy.

At the risk of setting the actor up for failure, this might just be the year he takes home the gold. DiCaprio is starring in Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu’s followup to the Oscar-winning “Birdman.” “The Revenant,” which co-stars Tom Hardy, focuses on a fur trapper, Hugh Glass [DiCaprio], in the 1820’s who is betrayed, robbed and left for dead by his accomplices following a deadly bear attack. The film follows Glass as he attempts to get his revenge. 

Though not opening to audiences until early next year, following a limited release starting on Christmas Day, buzz is naturally following the film and DiCaprio’s involvement. Reports say that awards analysts have been hired to strategically campaign the film for Oscars and see the film turns a profit after filming delays led to an expanded budget of $135 million. 

It remains to be seen if this will all come to pass, and whether or not DiCaprio’s past ‘snubs’ can carry him to a win after four losses. But has the actor really been ‘snubbed’ like everyone likes to think, or was the competition simply better? Let’s take a look by examining his nominated performances through the years. 

Eddie Redmayne is Front and Center on "The Danish Girl" Poster

We're still on the fringe of Oscar season, but all of the contenders are beginning to fall in place. Eddie Redmayne, our most recent Best Actor winner, is already predicted by many experts to be our frontrunner.

Redmayne's back with another transformative performance, this time as Lili Elbe. Elbe was the first recipient of sex reassignment surgery in the 1920s after being a stand in for a female model in one of her wife's paintings.

Though we've discussed why Redmayne's casting over actual Trans actresses is problematic, there's no doubt in my mind the Academy will take notice. Again, Redmayne won an Oscar just a few months ago, which means a buzzy role like this is likely to provide an 'afterglow' nomination. Not to mention that the film is being directed by Academy Award Winner Tom Hooper.

The film also stars Alicia Vikander, who is being poised as the newest it girl; hot off her success with "Ex-Machina", she will also star in the newest installment of the "Bourne" series. It's also possible she will follow in Felicity Jones' footsteps and land a nomination for playing Redmayne's wife.

Take a look below at the poster for the film, which will screen at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival before being released on November 27.

Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet & Seth Rogan Aim for Oscar in "Jobs" Trailer

It's almost strange to see Michael Fassbender take such a conventional biopic choice given his very eclectic early role choices ("Shame", "Fish Tank" and "12 Years A Slave"). But here's to hoping his performance as Apple creator Steve Jobs is filled with the same fire and energy he's brought to his previous performances.

He's already won raves for his work in "Macbeth", so I think having this role to measure against that one is a good way to lead him into the Oscar race for something, whichever role appeals more to voters (which I feel will be this one).

Other than an almost unrecognizable Kate Winslet (could this bring her back into Oscar's warm graces since her win in 2008 for "The Reader"?), Seth Rogan seems to be making a play for a Jonah Hill Best Supporting Actor play of sorts; voters love it when comedians take on serious roles with some humor still lingering.

The screenplay by Aaron Sorkin is reminiscent of "The Social Network"; almost at a lightning quick pace. How do actors manage to spout off that much in almost seconds?

Time will tell if this is better than the ill-fated "Jobs" starring Ashton Kutcher, or if it's a critical success much like "The Social Network". Take a look at the trailer below.

First Trailer for "Macbeth": Intense, Dark and Beautiful

Justin Kurzel's "Macbeth" was a big surprise coming out of the Cannes film festival, being better than previously anticipated. Though stars Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender won acclaim for their performances as the infamous plotting couple, Kurzel's direction and the film as a whole were praised.

Ultimately, I do fear if the film gets any awards attention (it is being distributed by Weinstein after all) it'll center around Fassbender and Cotillard. But after watching the new trailer, I see what a shame that would be, because it looks gorgeously rendered. There are a number of "money shots" to pull from the short teaser, and the overall tone is incredibly morose and intense, in the best way possible. Here's to hoping the film can find some success outside of the performances come awards season.

Watch the trailer below. "Macbeth" is scheduled to be released later this fall.

Why Eddie Redmayne starring in "The Danish Girl" is a Problem

Eddie Redmayne will play Lili Elbe in the film directed by Academy Award winner Tom Hooper. 

If you were worried that Eddie Redmayne would disappear the way of Adrien Brody after winning the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role, then fear not! The first image for his next high-profile project has just been released (pictured above). The actor will headline "The Danish Girl", a biopic about Lili Elbe, the first woman to undergo a sex-change operation.

The film will be the second collaboration between Redmayne and director Tom Hooper, who previously worked together on the Academy Award winning "Les Miserables". The film's screenplay has been adapted from David Ebershoff's novel of the same name, by Lucinda Coxon. It's no doubt a high-profile project; buzz is pretty loud given Redmayne's newly coronet status as an Oscar winner and Hooper's own Oscar past. But this is anything but good news, and I'm here to tell you why.

If I Had A Ballot: My Academy Award Nominees (Acting)

I will never understand how the driving topic of the past year was how weak of a year it was for actresses. There must've been a thousand think pieces published by dozens of outlets on how embarrassingly dry the respective actress categories were as opposed to the men's.

But I would argue, that this was a marvelous year for actresses, that is, if you were able to look past Oscar's own playing field, which leaves little to be desired for what they determine to be Oscar-worthy roles/performances. Once you open your surroundings, you'll find a wealthy field of contenders, each with a more interesting, complex turn than the last. I think it's fair to say that the industry failed women, not so much Hollywood.

This year, we watched Scarlett Johansson as a silent alien seductress, Jennifer Aniston as a pill popping, chronic pain victim suffering from depression, Anna Kendrick as a modern and complex princess Cinderella, and Reese Witherspoon traveling the P.C.T. finding her long-reported missing inner leading lady along the way. And that's only scratching the surface of what women did this year, I did't even mention Rosamund Pike's unforgettable Amazing Amy, or Meryl Streep's incomparable Witch.

And despite that male-centric Best Picture field, there were also deeply moving, enjoyable projects either made by a woman, or told women's stories. An honest, refreshing look into abortion ("Obvious Child"), a critique of the music industry and the selling of sex and the 'female pop star' ("Beyond the Lights"), a period piece starring a woman of color in the title role ("Belle")... the list goes on.

Not to say that it wasn't a great year for the boys, because who will be able to look back and not remember Michael Keaton in "Birdman" or David Oyelowo in "Selma"? Two of the greatest performances in recent history that will most definitely be discussed and studied for years to come. But a lot of the celebrated turns by men this year, I found, to land pretty flat. I loved Eddie Redmayne in "Les Miserables" as much as everyone else, and sure, his transformation into Stephen Hawking was brilliant... but it left him little to no room to actually turn in a performance.

But I digress, I've procrastinated long enough. My choices in the acting contenders are:

Producer's Guild and Screen Actor's Guild: The Race is Wide Open

Move aside "Boyhood", we have a new frontrunner on our hands. 

If you thought that this year's Oscar race was getting a little boring (like me), then this weekend was exactly what you needed. After winning nearly every critic's prize and the Golden Globe, it seemed "Boyhood" was getting ready to steamroll its way to the Oscars. But with announcements from the Producer's Guild and the Screen Actor's Guild, its path just got a little more obscure.

Theory of Everything is too Conventional for its Own Good

Both Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne have been on the brink of career breakthroughs for several years now. Jones won acclaim for her naturalistic performance in 2011's "Like Crazy", which failed to nab her substantial awards attention, and any success with meaty roles. Redmayne has been apart of several high profile projects, namely 2012's "Les Miserables" which, I believe almost nabbed him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

So, it makes no sense then that 2 actors on the verge of mainstream success team up in a buzzy, high-profile biopic detailing the relationship between the brilliant Stephen Hawking and his incredibly strong (now ex) wife Jane. Directed by James Marsh, the film has enjoyed much acclaim, especially for Redmayne's performance. which requires a vast amount of physical commitment from the young actor.

But despite the Oscar buzz, "Theory of Everything" is far from relevatory, and in fact, is just an ordinary biopic.

Some Takeaways From TIFF & Telluride

Both the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals have become feverishly important events in the Oscar race, especially in recent years. Though some winners peak early in the year (for example, 2011's Best Picture winner, "The Artist" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival), more and more often it seems that Telluride and (especially Toronto) are 2 of the biggest places to build buzz.

It should come as no surprise then, that in the near aftermath of these 2 festivals, several contenders have built enormous amount of buzz, buzz that should very well carry them over the finish line.

Though the People's Choice Award (Toronto Film Festival's highest honor) has yet to be announced, here are some things we've learned over the last few days as films have had their premieres:

Oscar Race: Turning Up the Heat

The end of the summer is upon us, and with the Venice Film Festival just around the corner (starting on the 27th and ending on the 6th of September), we're really about to get in the thick of Oscar season.

Of course, the summer has been dominated (mainly) by buzz; none of the films that are being predicted to be heavyweights in the season have premiered to the masses yet, except for Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" (more on that later). Of the films predicted to do well this season, even fewer have had premieres at all ("Whiplash" had Sundance, "Foxcatcher" had Cannes, "Birdman" will open Venice in a week's time); we've mainly been restricted to pictures, hearsay and trailers.

So, where does that leave us now?

Meryl Streep's Song Reportedly "Cut" From Into the Woods & Unbroken Test Screens

Meryl Streep as The Witch and Mackenzie Mauzy as Rapunzel in Disney's "Into the Woods".

Remember that wonderful news that composer Stephen Soundheim wrote a new song just for Meryl Streep for the onscreen adaptation of "Into the Woods"? Remember how excited she was? Remember how excited we were? Well unfortunately, director Rob Marshall ("Chicago") tells us that the song has been cut from the film.

The Rest of Our Acting Contenders: Old and New Faces

Emma Stone and Michael Keaton could receive their first Oscar nominations for "Birdman"

A few days ago, I ran through our long list of Best Actress contenders (a list that doesn't even really encompass all of the hopefuls this season has to offer, just those with the best chances at even being recognized). Though Best Actor is even more stacked than last year's massive pool, the Supporting categories are as weak as ever (at least they are right now), especially Supporting Actor.

"Birdman" has 3 contenders hoping for a nomination; leading man Michael Keaton, best known for his role in Tim Burton's "Batman" films, along with co-stars Ed Norton (a previous 2 time nominee) and Emma Stone (it would be her first Oscar nomination. She also will be seen in Woody Allen's "Magic in the Moonlight"), while the men of "Foxcatcher" all seem like safe bets in their respective categories; at this point, Leading Actor is between Steve Carrell and Channing Tatum, with Carrell having a slight edge (he has goodwill from being left out for "Little Miss Sunshine" a few years ago).

But enough yammering on, let's go through the rest of the acting categories. Take a look at my FULL list of nominations here

Get Used to the Phrase: 'Oscar Nominee Channing Tatum' (Feat. New Trailer)

There are still so many people who aren't aware of actor Channing Tatum's unusually talented gifts as an actor. Mistakenly labeled as simply "a meathead", "pretty face", etc, Tatum receives a lot of unwarranted flack despite consistently turning in very nuanced and unshowy work; in "21 Jump Street" (and its sequel), Tatum delivers the laughs and intricate character work. He's proven time and again he's capable of carrying films, and who remembers the surprising quality of "Magic Mike" (which Tatum helped produce)? 

Given his healthy box office receipts and the position of his career, one could certainly agree that an Oscar nomination is on the way. Good thing "Foxcatcher" is on its way then. And what's better? Distributor Sony Pictures Classics is focusing much of the marketing campaign on Tatum.

"I'm Here... I'm really here"

I caught up with Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler" the other day, a film criminally underrated during its run in the 2008 awards season. I had forgotten what a tour-de-force this film was for everyone involved. It was unlike anything Darren Aronofsky had done in his career thus far, proving he was capable of much more than the "triply drug movie director" people took him to be after Requiem For A Dream. The Wrestler is a much subtler piece of art; it's simply a character study about a past his prime wrestler played by Mickey Rourke.

Rourke's character, Randy "The Ram" Robinson isn't too far off from Rourke's own Hollywood persona. Before the film came out, many had Rourke pinned as a has-been, and a washed up actor who had his 15 minutes. In the film, just about everyone is ready to give up on The Ram. To say Rourke was simply "inspired casting" is underplaying the magic of The Wrestler, as the art truly reflected Rourke's life on the screen.

Worst Oscar Winners: The Case of the Leading Men Who Won for the Wrong Roles

After a little bit of a hiatus, I'm back! The past week has been something of a roller coaster (for more than one reason). I wanted to take the time to just soak in the post-Oscar time; as anyone who keeps up with the Academy Awards knows, it's a lot of posting, all the time, which doesn't sound tiring but when you're the one doing it, trust me, it can be. 

Today also marks the start of my Spring Break, so I wanted to get something worthwhile out just in case I don't post for a few more days. I haven't been home really at all this semester, so I have a lot of people I need to catch up with, which doesn't leave me a whole lot of time to write or cover much (who am I kidding, I'm sure I'll find some time to post over break, I'm not that popular). 

So while I enjoy a school free week (and hopefully you are too, unless you had your Spring Break last week) enjoy my penultimate post in the Worst Oscar Winners series: with Best Actor in A Leading Role. Next month, the final category will be Best Supporting Actor. 

Enjoy! 

Fandor Breaks Down Major Oscar Races: Who Really Deserves to Win?

Kevin B. Lee of Fandor.com has published his video essay on the major acting races. I've got to to say, watching Lee break down the performances, right down to the screen time, had me reevaluate my own choices for who deserves to win the Oscar... especially in the case of Supporting Actor. Even if you disagree with his preferences, you can't deny he presents very persuasive reasons for his case(s).

I would even recommend watching his entries from last year's race, which you can find on his Youtube channel.

Check out the analyzations below.

Link It Up: Cool stories in the Movie World!

Here are just 5 of the interesting updates happening in Hollywood/the film world/Oscar circuit at this time. Enjoy!