Universal has taken a cautious approach to Steve Jobs, Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin’s unconventional biopic of the late, great groundbreaker. After select fall-festival pitstops, including Telluride and New York, the studio started screening Steve Jobs for NY and LA audiences, choosing to go wider this Friday, October 23.
As it turns out, Steve Jobs very much proves to be worth the wait.
I finally caught Boyle’s three-act history lesson at a local press screening, and eyeballed it specifically for its awards potential. After all, we’d already reviewed the film, and our own Nick Romano has been sharing insights from the cast and crew collected at the London press junket. But would the film really deliver on its Oscar promise? As it turns out, I likely was underselling the movie’s odds on my early Awards Blend charts… even though I had it in the Frontrunner slot in several key categories.
Steve Jobs strikes me as the type of movie that the industry will appreciate, though the general public might not. There’s nothing to warm up to in Boyle’s film, no hero to champion or mission to fully embrace. And yet, you can't take your eyes off of it. Using every word of Aaron Sorkin’s blistering script as a map pointing the way to a treasure, Steve Jobs dissects the career of Apple’s co-founder with the cold and calculated precision that went into his tech creations. Sorkin’s script, as is usually the case, brings out the best in the ENTIRE cast – from Michael Fassbender in the lead role to Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen and Jeff Daniels in crucial supporting turns. Boyle’s direction isn’t flashy. In fact, he does very little, perhaps fearing he’d distract from Sorkin’s words, or the performances that are bringing them to life. But the pace on the 2-hour verbal sprint is masterful, and should be enough to land Steve Jobs nominations in numerous key Oscar categories as the marathon rolls along.
With that being said, here’s where I think the Oscar contenders sit on October 21:
| BEST PICTURE |
The FrontrunnersSpotlightSteve Jobs
The ContendersBridge Of SpiesBrooklynCarolConcussionEx MachinaThe Hateful EightInside OutJoyMad Max: Fury RoadThe MartianThe RevenantRoomTrumbo
The Dark HorsesAnomalisaBeasts of No NationThe Big ShortBlack MassBy The SeaCreedThe Danish GirlThe End Of The TourIn The Heart of the SeaLove & MercySicarioStraight Outta Compton
The LongshotsThe 3345 YearsFreeheldMe and Earl and the Dying GirlOur Brand Is CrisisStar Wars: The Force AwakensSuffragetteTruthThe WalkYouth
Several familiar faces are making a play for Best Director nods this season. Steven Spielberg has a real chance at Oscar recognition for his Cold War-era political thriller Bridge of Spies, a movie that will remind veteran Academy members of the films they grew up on, the ones starring Jimmy Stewart or Gregory Peck. In addition to Spielberg, previous winners such as Ridley Scott, Alejandro Inarritu, Danny Boyle and Quentin Tarantino are bringing headline-grabbing features to theaters in the final quarter of 2015. Who’ll prevail when the nominations are revealed?
| BEST DIRECTOR |
The FrontrunnerDanny Boyle, Steve JobsTom McCarthy, Spotlight
The ContendersLenny Abrahamson, RoomAlejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, The RevenantGeorge Miller, Mad Max: Fury RoadDavid O. Russell, JoyRidley Scott, The MartianSteven Spielberg, Bridge of SpiesRobert Zemeckis, The Walk
The Dark HorsesRyan Coogler, CreedScott Cooper, Black MassJohn Crowley, BrooklynCary Fukunaga, Beasts of No NationAlex Garland, Ex MachinaF. Gary Gray, Straight Outta ComptonTodd Haynes, CarolTom Hooper, The Danish GirlRon Howard, In the Heart of the SeaAngelina Jolie, By The SeaPeter Landesman, ConcussionJay Roach, TrumboQuentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight
The LongshotsJ.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Force AwakensPeter Docter, Inside OutDavid Gordon Green, Our Brand is CrisisAdam McKay, The Big ShortBill Pohlad, Love & MercyJames Ponsoldt, The End of the TourPeter Sollett, Freeheld
Last season, Best Actor was a ridiculously competitive category, with just as many worthy candidates left on the outside of the category looking in as there was five eventual nominees. This year looks equally impressive, though there are a number of films yet to drop. Is this the year that Leonardo DiCaprio finally wins? Or could Matt Damon’s The Martian performance prove to be the spoiler?
| BEST ACTOR |
The FrontrunnersMichael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
The ContendersBryan Cranston, TrumboMatt Damon, The MartianJohnny Depp, Black MassLeonardo DiCaprio, The RevenantTom Hanks, Bridge of SpiesEddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
The Dark HorsesMichael Caine, YouthSteve Carell, The Big ShortJohn Cusack, Love & MercyJoseph Gordon-Levitt, The WalkO’Shea Jackson, Straight Outta ComptonMichael B. Jordan, CreedIan McKellen, Mr. HolmesBrad Pitt, By The SeaEdgar Ramirez, JoyWill Smith, Concussion
The LongshotsAntonio Banderas, The 33Bradley Cooper, BurntRichard Gere, Time Out Of MindJake Gyllenhaal, SouthpawTom Hardy, LegendChris Hemsworth, In The Heart of the Sea
There have been a few interesting developments in the Best Actress race, which we’ll continue to track. Cate Blanchett may end up competing against herself (we call that "Pulling a Soderbergh") if her performances in Carol and Truth continue to get recognition. And buzz has reached a deafening level for Brie Larson in Room, allowing me to move her into the Frontrunner category. (We gave the movie a perfect 5-star grade.) As for the rest of the category? Take a look.
| BEST ACTRESS |
The FrontrunnerBrie Larson, Room
The ContendersCate Blanchett, CarolCharlotte Rampling, 45 YearsSaoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
The Dark HorsesEmily Blunt, SicarioSandra Bullock, Our Brand is CrisisMarion Cotillard, MacbethAngelina Jolie, By The SeaJennifer Lawrence, JoyJulianne Moore, FreeheldCharlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road
The LongshotsCate Blanchett, TruthBlythe Danner, I’ll See You In My DreamsHelen Mirren, Woman in GoldCarey Mulligan, Far From The Madding CrowdCarey Mulligan, SuffragetteAmy Schumer, TrainwreckSarah Silverman, I Smile BackMaggie Smith, The Lady in the VanLily Tomlin, Grandma
Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies goes wide this week following its premiere at the NYFF, and early buzz continues to swarm around character actor Mark Rylance, whose portrayal of a captured Soviet steals scenes throughout Spielberg’s sturdy Cold War drama. Expect to hear his name often as this category continues to develop.
| BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR |
The FrontrunnersMark Ruffalo, Spotlight
The ContendersPaul Dano, Love & MercyMichael Keaton, SpotlightMark Rylance, Bridge of SpiesSeth Rogen, Steve JobsLiev Schreiber, SpotlightJason Segel, The End of the TourJacob Tremblay, Room
The Dark HorsesChristian Bale, The Big ShortJim Broadbent, BrooklynAlbert Brooks, ConcussionBradley Cooper, JoyTom Courtenay, 45 YearsRobert De Niro, JoyBenicio Del Toro, SicarioBruce Dern, The Hateful EightJoel Edgerton, Black MassIdris Elba, Beasts of No NationRyan Gosling, The Big ShortTom Hardy, The RevenantOscar Isaac, Ex MachinaSamuel L. Jackson, The Hateful EightJason Mitchell, Straight Outta ComptonBrad Pitt, The Big ShortKurt Russell, The Hateful EightMichael Shannon, 99 HomesMichael Sheen, Far From the Madding CrowdSylvester Stallone, CreedBilly Bob Thornton, Our Brand is Crisis
The LongshotsJohn Goodman, TrumboHarvey Keitel, YouthSir Ben Kingsley, The WalkRobert Redford, Truth
Will the real Danish Girl, please stand up? Most going in to Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl likely expected to be blown away by Eddie Redmaye’s transformation. (And he is in top form, for sure.) But chatter continues to swirl around the devastating performance by Redmayne’s co-star, Alicia Vikander, who is having an incredible year – and one that, I believe, will be topped off by her first Oscar nomination. Who will join her? Let’s discuss.
| BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS |
The FrontrunnerAlicia Vikander, The Danish GirlRooney Mara, Carol
The ContendersJoan Allen, RoomElizabeth Banks, Love & MercyJane Fonda, YouthJennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful EightRachel McAdams, SpotlightKate Winslet, Jobs
The Dark HorsesMelanie Laurent, By The SeaMelissa Leo, The Big ShortHelen Mirren, TrumboGugu Mbatha-Raw, ConcussionEllen Page, FreeheldMarisa Tomei, The Big ShortJulie Walters, BrooklynKatharine Waterston, Steve Jobs
The LongshotsJessica Chastain, The MartianDakota Johnson, Black MassDiane Ladd, JoyJulianne Nicholson, Black MassTilda Swinton, Trainwreck
