Welcome to Week 4 of Oscar Coverage. Yes, this is starting pretty earlier considering the actual Awards Shows don’t actually start up until January, but there’s always something to talk about, so let’s get to it:

“Steve Jobs”: http://ragingfilm.com/2015/10/17/steve-jobs-review/

For me, “Steve Jobs” is a love-it or hate-it movie. I am part of the former group, while the majority of people are feeling the latter. Michael Fassbender is magnificent as Jobs—he may not look like him, but he certainly has his bite. Of all of the things this movie has to offer, Fassbender’s performance is the one thing I would place money on if I were making bets on nominations.
The script, for as good as it is, will continue getting flak about its…liberties…in the story it is telling. The film takes place over three acts, all of them occurring before a Keynote Address, but due to this format a bunch of liberties need to be taken. None of the events that happened in the film occurred at the time they are said to have—some may argue that they never happened at all—but this isn’t a biopic, and people are forgetting that. What it is, is a character study, not a look at the life of Jobs. Kate Winslet may get a nom as well. The other nominations it may get are directing (Boyle) and writing (Sorkin), but unfortunately the supporting cast might be too overshadowed to stand much of a chance.

“Crimson Peak”: http://www.seattleweekly.com/film/961263-129/crimson-peak-guillermo-del-toros-house

“Crimson Peak” will certainly not be up for the big awards, “that much I know.” It will, however, play a major contender in the smaller categories like Production Design, Visual Effects, and other ones that most people don’t normally care about. The thing with “Crimson Peak” is that the trailers make it out to be this super scary, haunted mansion flick when it is really a Gothic romance with a mystery thrown into the mix. Guillermo del Toro is a genius when it comes to pacing, and he deliberately plays with the audience as the movie progresses and messes with your expectations of what the movie actually ends up being. Mia Wosikowska is fantastic, as is Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain (who I hope gets a Supporting Actress nomination because she is just so good.)

That’s it for this week, do try to check out Crimson Peak this weekend for Halloween, it is quite good if you allow it to tell you its story.

Happy Watching!

Coming soon…”Beasts of No Nation” and “Room.”