MovieMuse Academy Awards 2017 – Part 3/3

In the final part of our MovieMuse Academy Awards feature we bring you the big ones as we crown 2016’s best of the best in acting, direction and film…


Best Actor

Nominees: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge), Ryan Gosling (La La Land), Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic), Denzel Washington (Fences), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nocturnal Animals).

Winner: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

What we said: “A film as melancholic as Manchester By The Sea immediately runs the risk of falling over the edge into misery and without such a pitch perfect performance from Affleck we would no doubt not be talking so highly of the film as a whole. With an unnerving frost and a completely transparent sadness, Affleck never lets his guard drop throughout the film to the point where you wonder if he is just a miserable bugger in real life. I feel for Ryan Gosling, who’s wonderful performance in La La Land far exceeded Emma Stone’s, though she takes home an award. Fortunately for her though, she wasn’t up against Casey Affleck at the absolute top of his game.”.

 

Runner Up: Ryan Gosling (La La Land)

 

Oscar Winner: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

BAFTA Winner: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)


Best Actress

Winner: Isabelle Huppert (Elle)

Nominees: Amy Adams (Arrival), Emily Blunt (The Girl on the Train), Isabelle Huppert (Elle), Ruth Negga (Loving), Emma Stone (La La Land), Natalie Portman (Jackie), Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins).

What we said: “It was disappointing not to see Paul Verhoeven’s disturbing drama, about a successful business woman drawn into a dangerous liaison with her attacker, in the best picture nominations. Huppert’s performance is simply stunning as she displays an amazing air of calm and strength that is masking her obvious loneliness and vulnerability. The film covers a very divisive subject and it takes a strong and brave actor to play a role like this, but Huppert is both and more.”

 

Runner Up: Natalie Portman (Jackie)

 

Oscar Winner: Emma Stone (La La Land)

BAFTA Winner: Emma Stone (La La Land)

 


Best Animated Feature

Winner: Zootopia

Nominees: Finding Dory, Kubo and the Two Strings, Moana, My Life As a Zucchini, The Red Turtle.

What we said: “Whilst not up against the strongest line up of animated movies, Zootopia should not be underestimated. This buddy cop drama takes on some serious and timely subjects as it delivers an often hilarious tale of a Bunny Cop and her nemesis, a Fox, as they team up to take down the bad guys. Dispelling myths and stereotypes along the way and proving one again that there is more than joins us than separates us, the scriptwriters have created a timely tale that speaks in a language that both children and adults can understand, whilst the animators have once again produced a beautiful new world for us to play in.”

 

Runner Up: Kubo and the Two Strings

 

Oscar Winner: Zootopia

BAFTA Winner: Kubo and the Two Strings


Best Director

Winner: Damien Chazelle

Nominees: Denis Villeneuve (Arrival), Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge), Damien Chazelle (La La Land), Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake), Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals).

What we said: “It takes a brave man to try and singlehandedly resurrect a long gone genre and La La Land is a testament to the American Academy’s youngest ever Best Director winner that he not only got a studio to believe in him, but that he succeeded beyond all expectation. Not simply a caricature, La La Land honours and steals from many of the classic musicals of the 40s and 50s to create something brand new. This is a film that could complete remove the song and dance sections and remained a thoroughly entertaining movie. But with those excellently put together moments the story is elevated as it gives its leads their opportunity to shine (and shine they do).”

 

Runner Up: Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)

 

Oscar Winner: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

BAFTA Winner: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)


Best Film

Winner: Moonlight

Nominees: Arrival, Fences, Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures, I Daniel Blake, La La Land, Lion, Manchester by the Sea, Moonlight.

What we said: “Based on Tarell Alvin McCraney.’s unpublished play ‘In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue’, Moonlight is an intensely personal portrayal of 3 stages in the life of a black boy/teen/man as he comes to term with family, identity and sexuality. It is such an assured film, from its perfect melding of the three faces of its main character on the poster to the wonderful performances from a very talented cast. But it is the display of vulnerability in a masculine world the that make it shine. Mahershala Ali  is fantastic as the hard man with a conscience, but with all the hype around Ali’s performance and Jenkins’ screenplay and direction it is easy to forget the three lead actors. In their roles as Little, Chiron and Black they each compliment a profoundly misunderstood and misunderstanding character. In particular Trevante Rhodes stands out for his understated and touching performance.

With a superb script, fantastic performances and some tender direction, Moonlight may have shocked many when it took the big award at the Oscars, but not us.”

 

Runner Up: I, Daniel Blake

 

Oscar Winner: Moonlight

BAFTA Winner: La La Land


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