“Forgotten Hollywood”- My 2016 SAG Ballot…

Posted on January 22, 2016 by raideoman1 | No Comments

Manny P. here…

   For the seventh straight year, here’s my ballot for this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. I thought 2015 was a remarkable year for cinema. And, several folks and movies in most of the categories should be considered for the specific awards. Let me explain:


   Manny Pacheco Tin Type   generic_sagawardslogo_noyear_horitzonal_copy

   OUTSTANDING MALE:  Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)

All of the critical buzz is for Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant. He will probably win a career award for a solid performance (my actual second favorite of the year). But, Michael Fassbender was quite mesmerizing in the little-seen Steve Jobs. Aaron Sorkin has a knack for writing great scripts (remember The Social Network). Bryan Cranston, Eddie Redmayne, and Johnny Depp received well-deserved mentions; it’s just not their year to hold a statuette.

   OUTSTANDING FEMALE:  Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

For me, this is the closest race! Saoirse Ronan and Brie Larson are really the class of this year’s tough field. And, my opinion might not change if Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander would have been appropriately placed in the Outstanding Female category, since their roles were starring parts. Cate Blanchett and Helen Mirren are quite good, but round out this list. I choose Ronan edging Larson only because Saoirse carried Brooklyn by herself, while Brie shared wonderful screen time with Jacob Tremblay in Room. I didn’t enjoy Sarah Silverman’s performance, truth be told.

   OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING MALE:  Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)

With all do respect, Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight), Tom Hardy (The Revenant), and Sylvester Stallone (Creed) should have received nominations, as they did for this year’s Oscars. Stallone is the well-deserved critical darling; however, my slightly favorite performance this year was delivered by Ruffalo. That said, Mark Rylance is really good in an understated role. He literally steals the movie from Tom Hanks. I also loved Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation. Jacob Tremblay might be a sentimental choice for certain SAG voters. Michael Shannon was a standout. Steve Carell is really great in The Big Short, and should have gotten the nod instead of Christian Bale, if the wind was blowing in that direction.

   OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING FEMALE:  Rooney Mara (Carol)

As I just mentioned, Rooney Mara in Carol and Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl are starring roles. It’s a crime the movie studios campaigned for their placement in this category. Kudos to the Golden Globes, which got it right. That said, Mara is the heart-and-soul of Carol. Kate Winslet blends into each characterization, which makes her one of the great actors of any year. This year, she does not disappoint in Steve Jobs. Based on screen time, Rooney Mara very slightly edges out Kate Winslett. Helen Mirren was essentially more fun to watch in Woman in Gold than in Trumbo. Finally, in my estimation, Alicia Vikander attempted to upstage Eddie Redmayne, really overacting in every scene. I wasn’t impressed.

   OUTSTANDING CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE:  Spotlight

Spotlight is an understated workmanlike motion picture. This story is told so well, and the ensemble delivers. Particularly impressive are Mark Ruffalo, Stanley Tucci, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Bryan D’arcy James, and Liev Schreiber. With regards to the rest of the nominees: Beasts of No Nation is a top-notch Netflix production; however, only two stars dominate and the supporting cast have very brief roles. The Big Short is impressive, but the script, direction, and editing really dictate this smart comedy. Trumbo provides traditional storytelling; while Straight Outta Compton is a well-acted, vignette-oriented production.

~ 2015 Top 10 Movies:  1. Spotlight  2. Carol  3. Steve Jobs  4. Beasts of No Nation  5. Brooklyn  6. Bridge of Spies  7. The Big Short  8The Martian  9. Woman in Gold  10. Room / The Revenant (tie)

   The SAG Awards will air on January 30th on TNT and TBS. Carol Burnett will appropriately receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. And, we’ll see how I do this year…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

This entry was posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2016 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.


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