Captivity Brings Home Gold at 2016 Oscars- Op Ed

Captivity was a big winner at the 2016 Oscars held on Feb. 28, 2016.

Mad Max:  Fury Road brought home 6 Oscars (the most of the evening).  It won for Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, and Best Production Design.  However, it was snubbed for Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, and Visual Effects.  Fury Road was the non-stop thrill ride of 2015.

The Revenant took home 3 Oscars.  Leo DiCaprio finally won for Best Actor. Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu won his 2nd Oscar as Best Director; he won for Birdman at the 2015 Oscars.  However, Emmanuel Lubezki won his 3rd Oscar in a row for Best Cinematography.  Lubezki won previously for Birdman and Gravity.

Brie Larson bring home a well deserved Best Actress Oscar for Room.

Adam McKay & Charles Randolph brought home a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for The Big Short.

Ex Machina brought home an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.  Also, Alicia Vikander didn’t win or get nominated as Ava.  However, she took home Best Supporting Actress for The Danish Girl.

Captive and displaced emotions won an Oscar as well.  Inside Out won for Best Animated Feature.

However, the biggest surprises of the evening came with two awards:  Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor.

Spotlight won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.  It was a tight race between The Revenant, The Big Short, and this film for Oscar gold.  The film focused on The Boston Globe’s expose on the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal.

Sylvester Stallone was thought to be a stone cold lock for Creed.  However, Mark Rylance won Best Supporting Actor instead for Bridge of Spies.  His role was Rudolph Abel was subtle yet emotionally understated.  However, Rocky Balboa has been long overdue for a statue.  Yet, I’m glad that both of these humble actors were nominated.

In summary,  2015 captured captivity in many forms on film.   They included a captive mother/son, sexually captive man, a traitor, real estate traders, bold reporters, and mixed emotions.  Let’s Toast The Winners!  Cheers to another great year at the movies!

WCW Futurist Celluloid- Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max: Fury Road  is the long awaited fourth installment in the series.  Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) is having flashbacks of his pre-apocalyptic/apocalyptic memories.  However, he is in for a rude awakening and a car jacking.  The Half-Lives are coming to take him away but there’s no Ha-Ha, Ho-Ho, Hee-Hee to this.  Their main purpose is serving Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne).  Also, they enjoy attaining certain blood donors.  However, the donors are treated more likes slaves than patients.  The donors (particularly O+ in Max’s case) are branded, drained, and chained.  No, Christian Grey would even be disgusted by this human exploitation.

Fear not, Futurist Fanboys!  All is not lost for Max or is it?  However, a new sheriff is in town with a new agenda.  Fanboys start drooling.  Meet Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron)!  Not so fast gents, she’s a dame quick on the trigger and the throttle.  No, a pistol and a gear shift; guys get those heads out of the gutter.  Her agenda involves resettling Joe’s concubines/wives unbeknownst to him.  How will she pull this off?  Will Max get back to full life or just be a host?

Fury Road is brilliantly directed, produced, and co-written by George Miller.  He is to Futuristic Epics what Ridley Scott is to Outer Space.  Viewers seeking only fast cars and explosions will be pacified.  However, true sci-fi fans will go for the action and the subliminal commentary.  Miller covers current issues such as human trafficking, rationing, women’s sexual rights, and gun control.  Remember laughing at water rationing in The Road Warrior and saying “I’ll never pay for bottled water.”  Who’s Laughing Now?!  No, he doesn’t own a percentage of any water company (as far we know).

Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) is a perfect physical and emotional fit for Max.  Miller was going to continue with Mel Gibson but had second thoughts after the recent scandals (one beer and a few inappropriate comments).  We’ll miss Mel but Hardy will have a fun time with this franchise.  However, Max isn’t the star of his own movie?

Charlize Theron (Monster) steals this film and some men/women hearts with this performance.  Furiosa is one of the best anti-heroine’s since Ellen Ripley.  She is a bold, brainy broad that would win Gloria Steinem’s heart in an instant.  Theron goes on a physical and spiritual journey that’s on par with her Oscar winning turn in Monster.

Fury Road is one of 2015’s Ten Best Films.  It wins over audiences with great thrills, explosions, and commentary.  John Seale’s camera work should garner him a second Oscar.  Don’t be surprised to see this film garner multiple nominations at the 2016 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Editing.  Gather some fuel, rations, weapons, ammo, and a huge heart for this Must See Epic.

Fury Road won 6 2016 Oscars:  Best Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Makeup, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlize_Theron