Top 8: Where they soar, where they fall short
The wait is over: Eight movies will compete for the top prize at the Academy Awards (Feb. 28). USA TODAY’s Brian Truitt breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of each nominee:
‘THE BIG SHORT’
STRENGTH: Timing. The bank-fail dramedy has caught fire recently with its Alist cast and entertaining handling of the mortgage crisis. “The Big Short is the movie on everyone’s lips right now,” Fandango.com Oscar expert Dave Karger says. “And it’s the only ( best picture candidate) that truly is a comedy.”
WEAKNESS: Spotlight. Erik Davis, managing editor of Fandango.com and Movies.com, thinks it and Big Short are similar in that they have great ensembles and compelling true-life stores. Big Short “does an exceptional job explaining some of these high-end financial terms no one’s ever heard of, but Spotlight is the movie where you’re crying as the end credits roll.”
‘BRIDGE OF SPIES’
STRENGTH: Steven Spielberg. If his name is on the movie poster, people pay attention.
WEAKNESS: Momentum. Initial heat around the Cold War drama has died except for raves for Mark Rylance’s nominated supporting role. “It’s not a movie that has enough buzz or people pushing it for best picture,” Karger says. “It doesn’t really feel like a best picture.”
‘BROOKLYN’
STRENGTH: Heart. The romance of an Irish girl (Saoirse Ronan) and a New York City boy (Emory Cohen) is a multi-hankie affair about the immigrant experience. “I always think a film that lingers is the film that has you crying at the end,” Davis says.
WEAKNESS: Being overwhelmed. It’s a one-woman show that has so far been overshadowed by bigger, meatier flicks.
‘MAD MAX: FURY ROAD’
STRENGTH: Game changer. George Mil- ler’s post-apocalyptic reboot deftly melds insane action and incomparable artistry. Also, earning 10 nominations “is not something a lot of people saw coming when it came out,” Davis says.
“That’s a fantastic thing.”
WEAKNESS: The Revenant. Both are gutsy, risky, crazy movies to watch “and Revenant is just standing a little taller right now,” Davis says.
‘THE MARTIAN’
STRENGTH: Ambition. Ridley Scott’s stranded astronaut tale will remind voters of a time when the world was all about exploring space. “It might be the greatest crowd-pleaser” of the bunch, according to Davis.
WEAKNESS: Populism. The movie’s feelgood nature could be seen as a detri-
ment to its dramatic subject matter.
‘THE REVENANT’
STRENGTH: Filmmaking. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Golden Globe-win- ning epic combines excellent technical skill with Leonardo DiCaprio’s tour de force performance. Adds Davis: “It’s a very impressive movie to watch.”
WEAKNESS: Brutality. “For every person who think it’s a brilliant work of art, there might be someone else who thinks it’s just too tough to watch,” Karger says.
‘ROOM’
STRENGTH: Craftsmanship. Best actress front-runner Brie Larson wowed everybody as an imprisoned mom devoted to her son, and surprise directing nominee Lenny Abrahamson creates “a ridiculously compelling movie in such a tiny space,” Davis says. “It’s a movie people will want to root for.”
WEAKNESS: Lack of audience. Critics loved it, but no one else saw it — the movie’s $5.2million box office is the lowest of any best picture contender. And like Brooklyn, Davis adds, it’s “a little small to win the big prize.”
‘SPOTLIGHT’
STRENGTH: Acting. The journalism drama has arguably the deepest cast of the bunch, with Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Liev Schreiber and Rachel McAdams. Plus, a true story and hot-button topic (Catholic Church sex scandal) make it “your best picture winner on paper,” Davis says.
WEAKNESS: Loss of momentum. It peaked too soon, Karger says, and Revenant is now the front-runner with 12 Oscar nods. But “you can’t count it out,” he says. “Argo didn’t have the most nominations, but it won. This is not over.”