Sundance has come and gone this year, with many interesting pieces of film bursting out onto the scene for film critics and fans alike. Three major motion pictures stood out at the film festival this year. These films were, Alejandro Innuritu’s The Revenant, Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight, and Adam Mckay’s The Big Short. All three films are up for Oscars in several categories including Best Director and Best Actor in a Leading or Supporting Role. Each film is special, following a true story at different periods of time.
The Revenant is a testament to the human spirit and the will to survive. This blood- pumping narrative follows the real life Frontiersman, Hugh Glass, as he is mauled by a bear and left for dead by his fellow countrymen in the early 1820’s. He then treks over 200 miles to find the man that murdered his son while out on the frontier to achieve retribution. The Revenant is up for 12 Oscars, all of which the film deserved. If Leonardo DiCaprio wins for Best Actor in a leading role, it will be his first Oscar in a long, arduous career.
While The Revenant follows one man, Spotlight is all about ensemble work. Set in Boston in the 1970’s, Spotlight focuses on the true story of the Boston Globe and how it uncovered the disgusting truth of child molestation in the local Catholic Archdiocese. Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Liev Schreiber turn in impressive individual performances. However, it is their coming together and working off each other in each scene that makes Spotlight stand out. It has been nominated for Best Picture of the Year, along with five other nominations.
Last but certainly not least there is The Big Short. This film is about four every-day citizens that predict the economic crash of 2008. In doing so, they bet all their Capital against the Big Banks of America who are feeding one big lie to the American people by telling them to invest in housing across the country. In the years leading up to the crash, the housing market was declining at an alarming rate. However, the government hid the real numbers from the American public. Nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture of the Year and Best Achievement in Directing, The Big Short holds a very good chance at taking home the gold medal in the acting world.
All three films are neck in neck with one another. At this point, the most coveted awards for the Industry are anyone’s. Due to the SAG awards and the other film festivals held around the world, voters have cast their ballots for any of the above three they would like to see win. Who will it be? Tune in February 28 and see for yourself.
