With the Oscars just around the corner, it is no surprise that huge excitement is brewing in Hollywood. What will win best film? Who will win best actor and actress? With so many great films in the running this year speculation has never been so rife, so here is a lowdown of this year’s frontrunners so that you can hedge your bets:
1. La La Land
Unless you’ve been avoiding all forms of television, Internet and radio coverage for the past few months you can’t have failed to notice the hype around this film. With its classic yet simultaneously ground-breaking approach to cinematography, not to mention the fact it stars famed co-stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, this movie has got timeless hit written all over it.
Image source: amazon.com
2. Hacksaw Ridge
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Andrew Garfield and it would seem it’s been worth the wait for his new wartime thriller Hacksaw Ridge, which tells the true story of Desmond Doss, a soldier in WWII who refused to kill people but still received the ‘Medal of Honor’ for saving 75 of his comrade’s lives.
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3. Lion
Starring Dev Patel (who you might remember for his award-winning performance in Slumdog Millionaire), Lion tells the story of a five year-old Indian boy who loses his brother in Calcutta and goes on to be adopted by an Australian couple (enter Nicole Kidman who stars as his mother). This film has had such rave reviews it’s impossible to ignore its prominence in awards season this year.
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4. Manchester by the Sea
Widely proclaimed as Casey Affleck’s breakthrough performance, Manchester by the Sea follows the harsh reality of a life-changing event that sees Lee Chandler (Affleck) forced to take in his nephew Patrick. Michelle Williams’ performance is also set to take the awards season by storm.
Image source: independent.co.uk
5. Nocturnal Animals
Not only is Nocturnal Animals one of the most anticipated thrillers of the year but also one of the most stylishly shot. And it’s no wonder really considering it is fronted by award-winning actors Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal, and directed by none other than fashion icon Tom Ford.
Image source: teaser-trailer.com
6. Arrival
One of the more subtle cinematic masterpieces of recent months, Arrival follows the plight of Louise Banks (Amy Adams’ second academy award-nominated role this year) and her plight in communicating with 12 alien spacecraft that have landed across the world. Suffice to say, this film has some larger themes at play.
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7. Moonlight
One of my personal favourites, never before has there been such a beautifully stylised movie, depicting such harsh subject matter. Set in a perilous Miami neighbourhood, Moonlight follows the story of a young black boy growing in to a man and coming to terms with his homosexuality.
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8. Hell or High Water
As we well know, some of the best movies out there are based on real people facing desperate circumstances. This is very much the case in Hell or High Water (starring Chris Pine and Ben Foster), wherein two brothers resort to extreme measures to protect their family’s legacy.
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9. Fences
A film starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis was never going to be taken lightly by the Academy, but Fences in particular has caused huge ripples in Hollywood and will no doubt be widely recognised on the award front. Dealing with the difficulties of life in the 1950s, Washington and Davis give a spectacular performance as a married couple facing a bitter impact on their lives.
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10. Hidden Figures
Now this is a movie you do not want to miss. Starring the inimitable Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe, Hidden Figures tells the unknown true story of three African American women working at NASA, who had a resounding impact on its first successful space mission.
Image source: schmoesknow.com
