Metro Manila Film Festival 2016

The organizers of this year's Metro Manila Film Festival, which began in 1975, promised a reinvigorated festival whose slate of competing films has been determined based on the quality of a complete script and not on box office potential of unfinished screenplays, as has been the questionable tradition in recent years. This decision, which ultimately resulted in the ineligibility of traditional fare (long-running comedy and drama franchises of doubtful quality), did not sit well with everyone, of course. However, there has been a general buzz of excitement especially among cineastes about the potential of a festival that actually celebrates the excellence of Filipino cinema and is worth missing foreign films for (there is a moratorium on these during the festival run). 

By and large, it is a success. This year's eclectic mix of mainstream and indie films is exciting and inspiring. Here are my thoughts on the films:

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: #ForeverIsNotEnough
Director: Marlon Rivera
Writer: Chris Martinez
Cast: Eugene Domingo, Kean Cipriano, Cai Cortez, Khalil Ramos, Joel Torre, Jericho Rosales, Agot Isidro

This is the sequel to Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, the country's entry to the Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film category some years ago. It's a laugh riot almost from start to finish, in part because its celebration and criticism of mainstream Pinoy cinema are so on point, but mostly because of the predictably spectacular performance of the brilliant Eugene Domingo. It's her show. Its technique is very similar to the first, where Domingo's casual conversations with the director (Cipriano) are interspersed with imaginary sequences of the film that they're setting out to make, and as with the first film, the transitions are flawless. Those who liked the first movie would also enjoy this a lot, probably more so. Because as fun as it is to poke fun at indie cinema, it's so much more fun to do so at mainstream movies even as we realize why we've been enjoying them all this time.

Die Beautiful
Director: Jun Lana
Writers: Jun Lana, Rody Vera
Cast: Paolo Ballesteros, Christan Bables, Joel Torre, Gladys Reyes, Luis Alandy

It's a touching film that benefits from fine pacing and direction (the non-linear approach works well), particularly the restraint in handling this subject matter, which could have certainly (and understandably) gone into camp territory. Having said that, just a tiny bit more campiness would have been welcome.
I was worried going in that Paolo Ballesteros's performance would be more style over substance despite the big award that he got in Tokyo, because we know that he performs these transformations in real life, but he handles dramatic scenes quite well. No histrionics, but the sadness and the pain get across. Still, Christian Bables, who plays his best friend Barbs, is the real scene-stealer. He should be in serious consideration for the Best Supporting Actor award.

Kabisera
Directors: Real Florido, Arturo Sam Agustin
Writer: Real Florido
Cast: Nora Aunor, Ricky Davao, JC de Vera, Jason Abalos, RJ Agustin, Victor Neri

It would be difficult to argue that there's a more important film to see among this year's MMFF film than Kabisera. I applaud the makers of the film for their strong, clear, and brave statement. That initiative is definitely lacking in mainstream media, especially among celebrities. The film unabashedly condemns extra judicial killings, and if only for that reason, it's a must see.
It's rather unfortunate that it's weighed down by trappings and cliches of Pinoy mainstream dramas, such as a lot of intense crying, a lot of unnecessary and sappy scoring, and a need for better trimming. It's a fine ensemble, though, with no weak spot among the actors. Nora Aunor is great as always, but don't expect anything particularly revelatory or game-changing with the performance.

Oro
Director: Alvin Yapan
Writer: Alvin Yapan
Cast: Joem Bascon, Irma Adlawan, Mercedes Cabral, Sue Prado, Sandino Martin

The film is meant to disturb its audiences, and that it did. The callousness and impunity of the corrupted and the helplessness of the oppressed take many forms in both real life and fiction. The film probably resonates now much more than it would have just a year ago because of the local and international socio-political climate. That's not to say that the film's message could have just been tacked on to any issue with the same effect. The economic and environmental issues of the mining industry (more to the point, how "protecting the environment" is used as an alibi for more nefarious, self-centered acts) are effectively tackled here and brought to life by a fine ensemble. Irma Adlawan and Mercedes Cabral are the standouts, as expected, and indie regular Sandino Martin lends solid support. Joem Bascon is ok but I can't help but wonder who else could have given the role more heft and authority. The villains of the piece are one-dimensional and quite loathsome, but I think that's intentional: these people are rotten to the core and there is need to justify their actions. That this is based on a true story (the "Caramoan Massacre" of 2014) and the case remains unresolved to this day is truly troubling.
I feel that something must be said about the last sequence of the film without giving away any plot detail. I'm inclined to think that it's unnecessary and lacks the subtlety that marked the imagery of past Alvin Yapan films. To be honest, it took a lot of power out of everything that preceded it. I'd love to hear what others think about it.

Saving Sally
Director: Avid Liongoren
Writer: Charlene Sawit-Esguerra
Cast: Enzo Marcos, Rhian Ramos, TJ Trinidad

Absolutely charming movie. And it's obvious with every frame that so much love was poured into making the film. There's so much geeky joy throughout the movie. The mix of live action and animation is organic and unobstrusive, and the animation itself is clean and adorable. It helps a lot that the lead, Enzo Marcos, is such a natural. He's just like that geeky friend that you have in school who's cooler than he thinks he is.
And Rhian Ramos? Never has her charm been put to better use. So adorkable. You know those cool independent tough geeky girls that guys into comics or gaming or anime wish they'd meet? Her Sally is one of those.
I've been supporting this film since it was first announced as a passion project many years ago. So glad to see it finally come to life and in such an awesome way.

Seklusyon
Director: Erik Matti
Writer: Anton C. Santamaria
Cast: Ronnie Alonte, Rhed Bustamante, Neil Ryan Sese

The reason why I think Mike de Leon's Itim is the best Filipino horror film of all time is its use of religion and religious imagery--so ingrained in our culture--to evoke a sense of the sinister and otherworldly. So as soon as I saw the trailer of Seklusyon, I began to really look forward to it. Anyone who has seen Itim would have had some sort of reaction to a particular scene in the trailer involving a statue...
Seklusyon is creepy in parts, diabolical in others, and chilling all throughout. There is no joy in this movie. Which is not to say that it's not a beautiful film. It is in fact visually stunning. Aurally as well (topnotch score reminiscent of Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar-winning score for The Omen).
Most importantly, it is SUBVERSIVE. That, I believe, is the word that encapsulates its theme. I can't say too much without giving away the main plot, but its subversion of religion and the Catholic Church is insidious.
The main gripe I have with the film, however, is the casting. Setting aside the slightly distracting fact that the four deacons look more like a boyband than priests-in-training, their acting ranges from uninspired to wooden. Too bad that they got Ronnie Alonte for the central role. I could only imagine what a Sid Lucero or Sandino Martin or Paulo Avelino could have done with it.
However, they DID get something VERY RIGHT with the casting, and that's Rhed Bustamante. I'm generally not impressed with child actors of the Philippines. It's scary how great and mature her acting in this movie is, and that's just right because it's a huge role.

Sunday Beauty Queen
Director: Baby Ruth Villarama

Truly wonderful. Moving, beautifully lensed, and finely edited. A lot of films about overseas contract workers (OFWs) have been made, but few can be as poignant as a documentary. The medium isn't very popular here outside of news documentaries on local television, but I hope this film has shown enough people here that it can be powerful and even very entertaining, as this one was. A definite must-see especially to those who personally know OFWs.

Vince & Kath & James
Director: Theodore Boborol
Cast: Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia, Ronnie Alonte

I admit it: I only decided to see this film because I wanted to complete the set of eight competing films. I tried not to come into the theater with any expectations, though the trailer didn't impress me at all.
Through the first fourth of the film, I was thinking to myself, this is cute. Not bad. A little formulaic, but not bad. But then as the film progressed, I felt more of my defenses break down, and so I just let myself enjoy it. And it's really a fun, charming film that isn't so formulaic after all, and in large part that's because of the truly affecting side-story of the character Vince. I'm not ashamed to say that I cried over several parts of the movie because of that. The actor who plays Vince, Joshua Garcia, is a revelation. Was I the only one who thought he sounds and acts somewhat like a younger John Lloyd Cruz? I hope this kid gets a lot of opportunities to show his acting chops because he's got a lot of that.
Also, Julia Barretto. She's also very good in this movie, effective in both the dramatic and the comedic scenes. And just like Rhian Ramos in Saving Sally, she's the quintessential cinematic dream girlfriend: pretty and simple and just a bit tomboyish. I mean, she works in an auto repair shop for crying out loud! I also hope she gets a lot of good roles.
The weak link in the cast: yeah, it's Ronnie Alonte again. Granted, he's got the self-centered but not altogether bad varsity player shtick down pat, but he can't get a lot of emotions across in his performance, and that sticks out like a sore thumb in the presence of Garcia and Barretto.
Still, a very charming and "kilig" film.

My choices for the top awards:

BEST PICTURE
1. Saving Sally
2. Seklusyon
3. Sunday Beauty Queen
4. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: #ForeverIsNotEnough
5. Die Beautiful

BEST DIRECTOR
1. Erik Matti (Seklusyon)
2. Avid Liongoren (Saving Sally)
3. Jun Lana (Die Beautiful)
4. Alvin Yapan (Oro)
5. Marlon Rivera (Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: #ForeverIsNotEnough)

BEST ACTRESS
1. Eugene Domingo (Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: #ForeverIsNotEnough)
2. Rhed Bustamante (Seklusyon)
3. Irma Adlawan (Oro)
4. Rhian Ramos (Saving Sally)
5. Julia Barretto (Vince & Kath & James)

BEST ACTOR
1. Paolo Ballesteros (Die Beautiful)
2. Joshua Garcia (Vince & Kath & James)
3. Enzo Marcos (Saving Sally)
4. Ricky Davao (Kabisera)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Mercedes Cabral (Oro)
2. Shamaine Buencamino (Vince & Kath & James)
3. Sue Prado (Oro)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Christian Bables (Die Beautiful)
2. Jericho Rosales (Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: #ForeverIsNotEnough)
3. Sandino Martin (Oro)
4. RJ Agustin (Kabisera)
5. Neil Ryan Sese (Seklusyon)

BEST SCREENPLAY
1. Charlene Sawit-Esguerra (Saving Sally)
2. Chris Martinez (Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: #ForeverIsNotEnough)
3. Anton C. Santamaria (Seklusyon)
4. Alvin Yapan (Oro)
5. Jun Lana, Rody Vera (Die Beautiful)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Neil Bion (Seklusyon)
2. Dexter Dela Peña (Sunday Beauty Queen)
3. Carlo Mendoza (Die Beautiful)

BEST EDITING
1. Jay Halili (Seklusyon)
2. Chuck Gutierrez (Sunday Beauty Queen)
3. Saving Sally*

BEST MAKEUP
1. Die Beautiful*

BEST MUSICAL SCORE
1. Francis de Veyra (Seklusyon)
2. Emerzon Texon (Sunday Beauty Queen)
3. Saving Sally*

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
1. Ericson Navarro (Seklusyon)
2. Saving Sally*
3. Angel B. Diesta (Die Beautiful)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
1. Saving Sally*
2. Seklusyon*

BEST CHILD PERFORMER
Rhed Bustamante (Seklusyon)

BEST SHORT FILM
1. "Mga Bitoon sa Siyudad"
2. "Mitatang"
3. "Momo"
4. "Birds"

5. "Passage of Life"

*not listed in IMDb

Will Your Name. continue the LAFCA streak in Oscar?

Makoto Shinkai's mega-hit Your Name. (Kimi no Na Wa) has a statistic going for it: since 2002, the first year that the Academy awarded an Oscar to the year's Best Animated Feature, ALL the winners of that award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) have gone on to be nominated for the Oscar. Your Name. fans: Let's keep our fingers crossed that the streak continues this Oscar year.

FYC: Your Name

2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations

From: https://www.sagaftra.org/nominations-announced-23rd-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards%C2%AE

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
CASEY AFFLECK / Lee Chandler – “MANCHESTER BY THE SEA” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
ANDREW GARFIELD / Desmond Doss – “HACKSAW RIDGE” (Lionsgate)
RYAN GOSLING / Sebastian –“LA LA LAND” (Lionsgate)
VIGGO MORTENSEN / Ben – “CAPTAIN FANTASTIC” (Bleecker Street)
DENZEL WASHINGTON / Troy Maxson – “FENCES” (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
AMY ADAMS / Louise Banks – “ARRIVAL” (Paramount Pictures)
EMILY BLUNT / Rachel – “THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN” (Universal Pictures)
NATALIE PORTMAN / Jackie Kennedy – “JACKIE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
EMMA STONE / Mia – “LA LA LAND” (Lionsgate)
MERYL STREEP / Florence Foster Jenkins – “FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS” (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
MAHERSHALA ALI / Juan – “MOONLIGHT” (A24)
JEFF BRIDGES / Marcus Hamilton – “HELL OR HIGH WATER” (CBS Films)
HUGH GRANT / St Clair Bayfield – “FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS” (Paramount Pictures)
LUCAS HEDGES / Patrick Chandler – “MANCHESTER BY THE SEA” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
DEV PATEL / Saroo Brierley – “LION” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
VIOLA DAVIS / Rose Maxson – “FENCES” (Paramount Pictures)
NAOMIE HARRIS / Paula – “MOONLIGHT” (A24)
NICOLE KIDMAN / Sue Brierley – “LION” (The Weinstein Company)
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Dorothy Vaughan – “HIDDEN FIGURES” (20th Century Fox)
MICHELLE WILLIAMS / Randi Chandler – “MANCHESTER BY THE SEA” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (Bleecker Street)
ANNALISE BASSO / Vespyr
SHREE CROOKS / Zaja
ANN DOWD / Abigail
KATHRYN HAHN / Harper
NICHOLAS HAMILTON / Rellian
SAMANTHA ISLER / Kielyr
FRANK LANGELLA / Jack
GEORGE MacKAY / Bo
ERIN MORIARTY / Claire
VIGGO MORTENSEN / Ben
MISSI PYLE / Ellen
CHARLIE SHOTWELL / Nai
STEVE ZAHN / Dave

FENCES (Paramount Pictures)
JOVAN ADEPO / Cory
VIOLA DAVIS / Rose Maxson
STEPHEN McKINLEY HENDERSON / Jim Bono
RUSSELL HORNSBY / Lyons
SANIYYA SIDNEY / Raynell
DENZEL WASHINGTON / Troy Maxson
MYKELTI WILLIAMSON / Gabriel

HIDDEN FIGURES (20th Century Fox)
MAHERSHALA ALI / Col. Jim Johnson
KEVIN COSTNER / Al Harrison
KIRSTEN DUNST / Vivian Mitchell
TARAJI P. HENSON / Katherine G. Johnson
ALDIS HODGE / Levi Jackson
JANELLE MONÁE / Mary Jackson
JIM PARSONS / Paul Stafford
GLEN POWELL / John Glenn
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Dorothy Vaughan

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
CASEY AFFLECK / Lee Chandler
MATTHEW BRODERICK / Jeffrey
KYLE CHANDLER / Joe Chandler
LUCAS HEDGES / Patrick Chandler
GRETCHEN MOL / Elise
MICHELLE WILLIAMS / Randi Chandler

MOONLIGHT (A24)
MAHERSHALA ALI / Juan
NAOMIE HARRIS / Paula
ANDRÉ HOLLAND / Kevin
JHARREL JEROME / Kevin (16)
JANELLE MONÁE / Teresa
TREVANTE RHODES / Black
ASHTON SANDERS / Chiron

TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
RIZ AHMED / Nasir “Naz” Khan – “THE NIGHT OF” (HBO)
STERLING K. BROWN / Christopher Darden – “THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY” (FX Networks)
BRYAN CRANSTON / President Lyndon B. Johnson – “ALL THE WAY” (HBO)
JOHN TURTURRO / John Stone – “THE NIGHT OF” (HBO)
COURTNEY B. VANCE / Johnnie Cochran – “THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY” (FX Networks)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD / Lacie – “BLACK MIRROR” (Netflix)
FELICITY HUFFMAN / Leslie Graham – “AMERICAN CRIME” (ABC)
AUDRA McDONALD / Billie Holiday – “LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR & GRILL” (HBO)
SARAH PAULSON / Marcia Clark – “THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY” (FX Networks)
KERRY WASHINGTON / Anita Hill – “CONFIRMATION” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
STERLING K. BROWN / Randall Pearson – “THIS IS US” (NBC)
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister – “GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)
JOHN LITHGOW / Winston Churchill – “THE CROWN” (Netflix)
RAMI MALEK / Elliot Alderson – “MR. ROBOT” (USA Network)
KEVIN SPACEY / Frank Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / Eleven – “STRANGER THINGS” (Netflix)
CLAIRE FOY / Queen Elizabeth II – “THE CROWN” (Netflix)
THANDIE NEWTON / Maeve Millay – “WESTWORLD” (HBO)
WINONA RYDER / Joyce Byers – “STRANGER THINGS” (Netflix)
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ANTHONY ANDERSON / Andre Johnson – “BLACK-ISH” (ABC)
TITUSS BURGESS / Titus Andromedon – “UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT” (Netflix)
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
WILLIAM H. MACY / Frank Gallagher – “SHAMELESS” (Showtime)
JEFFREY TAMBOR / Maura Pfefferman – “TRANSPARENT” (Amazon)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren – “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK” (Netflix)
JANE FONDA / Grace Hanson – “GRACE AND FRANKIE” (Netflix)
ELLIE KEMPER / Kimmy Schmidt – “UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT” (Netflix)
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / President Selina Meyer – “VEEP” (HBO)
LILY TOMLIN / Frankie Bergstein – “GRACE AND FRANKIE” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
THE CROWN (Netflix)
CLAIRE FOY / Queen Elizabeth II
CLIVE FRANCIS / Lord Salisbury
HARRY HADDEN-PATON / Martin Charteris
VICTORIA HAMILTON / Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
DANIEL INGS / Mike Parker
BILLY JENKINS / Prince Charles
VANESSA KIRBY / Princess Margaret
JOHN LITHGOW / Winston Churchill
LIZZY McINNERNY / Bobo Macdonald
BEN MILES / Peter Townsend
JEREMY NORTHAM / Anthony Eden
NICHOLAS ROWE / Jock Colville
MATT SMITH / Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
PIP TORRENS / Tommy Lascelles
HARRIET WALTER / Clemmie Churchill

DOWNTON ABBEY (Masterpiece/PBS)
SAMANTHA BOND / Lady Rosamund Painswick
HUGH BONNEVILLE / Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham
PATRICK BRENNAN / Mr. Dawes
LAURA CARMICHAEL / Lady Edith Crawley
JIM CARTER / Charles Carson
RAQUEL CASSIDY / Baxter
PAUL COPLEY / Mr. Mason
BRENDAN COYLE / John Bates
MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley
KEVIN DOYLE / Joseph Molesley
MICHAEL FOX / Andy
JOANNE FROGGATT / Anna Bates
MATTHEW GOODE / Henry Talbot
HARRY HADDEN-PATON / Bertie Pelham
ROBERT JAMES-COLLIER / Thomas Barrow
SUE JOHNSTON / Miss Denker
ALLEN LEECH / Tom Branson
PHYLLIS LOGAN / Mrs. Hughes
ELIZABETH McGOVERN / Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham
SOPHIE McSHERA / Daisy Mason
LESLEY NICOL / Mrs. Patmore
DOUGLAS REITH / Lord Merton
DAVID ROBB / Dr. Clarkson
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham
JEREMY SWIFT / Spratt
HOWARD WARD / Sgt. Willis
PENELOPE WILTON / Isobel Crawley

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
JACOB ANDERSON / Grey Worm
DEAN CHARLES CHAPMAN / Tommen Baratheon
EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister
LIAM CUNNINGHAM / Davos Seaworth
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei
KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
LENA HEADEY / Cersei Lannister
CONLETH HILL / Varys
KRISTOFER HIVJU / Tormund Giantsbane
MICHIEL HUISMAN / Daario Naharis
FAYE MARSAY / Waif
JONATHAN PRYCE / High Sparrow
SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
CARICE VAN HOUTEN / Melisandre
GEMMA WHELAN / Yara Greyjoy
MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark

STRANGER THINGS (Netflix)
MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / Eleven
CARA BUONO / Karen Wheeler
JOE CHREST / Ted Wheeler
NATALIA DYER / Nancy Wheeler
DAVID HARBOUR / Jim Hopper
CHARLIE HEATON / Jonathan Byers
JOE KEERY / Steve Harrington
GATEN MATARAZZO / Dustin Henderson
CALEB McLAUGHLIN / Lucas Sinclair
MATTHEW MODINE / Dr. Martin Brenner
ROB MORGAN / Officer Powell
JOHN PAUL REYNOLDS / Officer Callahan
WINONA RYDER / Joyce Byers
NOAH SCHNAPP / Will Byers
MARK STEGER / The Monster
FINN WOLFHARD / Mike Wheeler

WESTWORLD (HBO)
BEN BARNES / Logan
INGRID BOLSØ BERDAL / Armistice
ED HARRIS / Man in Black
LUKE HEMSWORTH / Ashley Stubbs
ANTHONY HOPKINS / Dr. Robert Ford
SIDSE BABETT KNUDSEN / Theresa Cullen
JAMES MARSDEN / Teddy Flood
LEONARDO NAM / Felix Lutz
THANDIE NEWTON / Maeve Millay
TALULAH RILEY / Angela
RODRIGO SANTORO / Hector Escaton
ANGELA SARAFYAN / Clementine Pennyfeather
JIMMI SIMPSON / William
PTOLEMY SLOCUM / Sylvester
EVAN RACHEL WOOD / Dolores Abernathy
SHANNON WOODWARD / Elsie Hughes
JEFFREY WRIGHT / Bernard Lowe

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler
KALEY CUOCO / Penny
JOHNNY GALECKI / Leonard Hofstadter
SIMON HELBERG / Howard Wolowitz
KUNAL NAYYAR / Rajesh Koothrappali
JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper
MELISSA RAUCH / Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz

BLACK-ISH (ABC)
ANTHONY ANDERSON / Andre Johnson
MILES BROWN / Jack Johnson
DEON COLE / Charlie Telphy
LAURENCE FISHBURNE / Pops
JENIFER LEWIS / Ruby Johnson
PETER MACKENZIE / Mr. Stevens
MARSAI MARTIN / Diane Johnson
JEFF MEACHAM / Josh
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS / Rainbow Johnson
MARCUS SCRIBNER / Andre Johnson, Jr.
YARA SHAHIDI / Zoey Johnson

MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS / Lily Tucker-Pritchett
JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett
NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy
SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy
JEREMY MAGUIRE / Joe Pritchett
ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix)
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren
ALAN AISENBERG / Baxter “Gerber” Bayley
DANIELLE BROOKS / Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson
BLAIR BROWN / Judy King
JACKIE CRUZ / Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales
LEA DeLARIA / Big Boo
BETH DOVER / Linda Ferguson
KIMIKO GLENN / Brook Soso
ANNIE GOLDEN / Norma Romano
LAURA GOMEZ / Blanca Flores
DIANE GUERRERO / Maritza Ramos
MICHAEL J. HARNEY / Sam Healy
BRAD WILLIAM HENKE / Desi Piscatella
VICKY JEUDY / Janae Watson
JULIE LAKE / Angie Rice
SELENIS LEYVA / Gloria Mendoza
NATASHA LYONNE / Nicky Nichols
TARYN MANNING / Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett
JAMES McMENAMIN / Charlie “Donuts” Coates
ADRIENNE C. MOORE / Cindy “Black Cindy” Hayes
KATE MULGREW / Galina “Red” Reznikov
EMMA MYLES / Leanne Taylor
MATT PETERS / Joel Luschek
LORI PETTY / Lolly Whitehill
JESSICA PIMENTEL / Maria Ruiz
DASCHA POLANCO / Dayanara “Daya” Diaz
LAURA PREPON / Alex Vause
JOLENE PURDY / Stephanie Hapakuka
ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ / Aleida Diaz
NICK SANDOW / Joe Caputo
ABIGAIL SAVAGE / Gina Murphy
TAYLOR SCHILLING / Piper Chapman
CONSTANCE SHULMAN / Erica “Yoga” Jones
DALE SOULES / Frieda Berlin
YAEL STONE / Lorna Morello
LIN TUCCI / Anita DeMarco
SAMIRA WILEY / Poussey Washington

VEEP (HBO)
DAN BAKKEDAHL / Roger Furlong
SUFE BRADSHAW / Sue Wilson
ANNA CHLUMSKY / Amy Brookheimer
GARY COLE / Kent Davison
KEVIN DUNN / Ben Cafferty
CLEA DUVALL / Marjorie Palmiotti
NELSON FRANKLIN / Will
TONY HALE / Gary Walsh
HUGH LAURIE / Tom James
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / President Selina Meyer
SAM RICHARDSON / Richard
REID SCOTT / Dan Egan
TIMOTHY SIMONS / Jonah Ryan
JOHN SLATTERY / Charlie Baird
SARAH SUTHERLAND / Catherine
MATT WALSH / Mike McLintock
WAYNE WILDERSON / Wayne

STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
“DOCTOR STRANGE” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
“HACKSAW RIDGE” (Lionsgate)
“JASON BOURNE” (Universal Pictures)
“NOCTURNAL ANIMALS” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
“GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)
“MARVEL’S DAREDEVIL” (Netflix)
“MARVEL’S LUKE CAGE” (Netflix)
“THE WALKING DEAD” (AMC)
“WESTWORLD” (HBO)

Thoughts on Loving

I wish I loved Loving as much as many other people do. To me, only the acting was special. Speaking about that, Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga were great. Negga's quiet dignity was stirring.

The 15 Best Performances in Horror Movies

Scream queens like Jamie Lee Curtis have made careers out of expressing their characters' fears through that most primal of responses: a bloodcurdling, hair-raising shriek. No knock on those actors whose vocal cords are their primary arsenal, but there is so much more that horror film actors have at their disposal to show abject terror: facial spasms, nervous ticks, wide bloodshot eyes, tears, catatonia, etc. In the history of cinema, horror film actors have not been given as much respect as they deserve for convincing audiences that what they are experiencing--terrifying, sometimes supernatural assaults on the mind, body, or spirit--is real. There are many acting gems in horror cinema, ranging from eerily subtle to full-on unhinged mania. Here are the 15 best, in my view:

15. VERA FARMIGA (THE CONJURING, 2013)

Role: Lorraine Warren, a paranormal investigator and psychic

Citations:
Nomination, Best Scared-As-Shit Performance, MTV Movie Awards

Vera Farmiga already showed in another horror movie, Orphan, how good she is at playing scared. But the role of Lorraine Warren, burdened by a strange power and sense of obligation, beset by both internal and external demons, is a much more challenging and plum one that used the best of her considerable talents. You can see in Farmiga's eyes how some of the things that Lorraine has seen have shaken her to her very core, but she retains a steely, warm strength all the same. She gives a similarly strong performance in the sequel.

14. CATHERINE DENEUVE (REPULSION, 1965)

Role: Carol, a beautician who is repulsed by sex and spirals into depression and mania

Citations:
3rd Place, Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle

You've probably heard of someone being described as "unraveling" or "coming undone." That is exactly what Catherine Deneuve, one of the legends of French cinema, does over 105 minutes of this Roman Polanski classic, and it's painful to watch. But it's also never short of mesmerizing. As the film progresses and Carol falls further away from reality, you won't be able to help but feel yourself unraveling just a little bit, too. That's largely due to the expert direction of Polanski, but it would have been much less disconcerting and powerful if handled by a less capable actress than Deneuve.

13. JULIE HARRIS (THE HAUNTING, 1963)

Role: Eleanor Lance, an unstable and insecure clairvoyant

Citations: None

In the best of all haunted house movies, revered theater, film, and television actress Julie Harris plays a mousy clairvoyant somehow convinced to brave the horrors of Hill House. She easily becomes our gateway to the creepy mysteries of the mansion, and it is her fears that we also feel because they're so palpable and real. Starkly contrasting with the bluster of Theodora (Claire Bloom), Eleanor is all nerves and brittle vulnerability. Who can't feel empathy toward a character who could so easily break at any moment, and one portrayed so convincingly by one like Julie Harris?

12. BETTE DAVIS (WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?, 1962)

Role: Baby Jane Hudson, a former child vaudeville star who torments her paraplegic sister

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Nomination, Best Actress - Drama, Golden Globes

Everything is crumbling and decaying in the decadently horrifying Grand Guignol piece called What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, most of all its eponymous character. The grand Bette Davis, one of Hollywood's best ever, is scary as Baby Jane Hudson in almost the same way as a vicious monster clown is, though this one has been wasted away by time, misery, and loathing. Her creepiest moment: when she sings "I've Written a Letter to Daddy" with wistful, child-like, pitiful nostalgia. Yes, that and not the moment with the rat. Davis is a powerhouse and is awesome at playing angry, but it's in the more restrained moments that the dementia is most eerie.

11. KATHY BATES (MISERY, 1990)

Role: Annie Wilkes, obsessed super-fan of author Paul Sheldon

Citations:
Win, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Nomination, Best Actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Win, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, Golden Globes
Win, Best Actress, Chicago Film Critics Association
Win, Best Actress, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
3rd Place, Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle

Kathy Bates's Annie Wilkes is still the standard by which crazy obsessed fans are set. No wonder since she made sledgehammers extra scary (and she apologized for it in her Oscar acceptance speech). Bates's handling of the Wilkes character is nothing short of astonishing, as outwardly she's jolly and unobtrusive, but as the film progresses, the veneer slowly drops and the monster emerges. But it's never jarring; the transition is unnerving because it's so smooth and deftly done by both director Rob Reiner and the woman who held Wilkes's reins. Bates has gone on to portray more deranged characters, primarily in television ("American Horror Story"), but it's hard to match the level of batshit crazy that Annie Wilkes attained.

10. JASON MILLER (THE EXORCIST, 1973)

Role: Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit priest who faces diabolical forces

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Academy Awards

Jason Miller got a very well deserved Oscar nomination for his performance as the Jesuit priest with a crisis of faith, but I'd still say that his is an underrated turn in a movie with a grieving mother and a vomit-spewing, head-spinning possessed child getting almost all of the attention. But Miller handles the character's emotional and spiritual crises with astounding skill. You can easily feel his weariness and his loss of hope, primarily with the slump of his shoulders and the ways his eyes change. It's an amazing performance.

9. SIGOURNEY WEAVER (ALIENS, 1986)

Role: Ellen Ripley, the alien-busting heroine of the Alien franchise

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Win, Best Actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Nomination, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, Golden Globes

That very rare Oscar nomination for a performance in science fiction/horror hybrid was achieved by Sigourney Weaver because of her iconic, badass portrayal of embattled but never defeated Ellen Ripley, a warrior woman for the ages. At times maternal and vulnerable, at others vicious and almost superhero-ish, she is never less than human, and that's what makes her turn so, so memorable, especially as she's surrounded by so much emptiness and abomination. Along with Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and Furiosa (Charlize Theron), Ellen Ripley is a grand manifestation of feminine strength. One can't imagine the role in the hands of any actress other than Weaver.

8. CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG (ANTICHRIST, 2009)

Role: She, a grieving mother and wife whose retreat to the woods brings out the unspeakable

Citations:
Win, Best Actress, Cannes Film Festival
2nd Place, Best Actress, Central Ohio Film Critics Association

Such a bravura performance! Even critics' or journalists' groups that shunned the film itself lauded Charlotte Gainsbourg for her bravery. The pain, anguish, self-loathing and terror are all so raw, like a delicate fresh wound. There is a certain helpless, apathetic vulnerability to the character that only Gainsbourg's understated and subdued acting style can portray. The demonic forces of nature would not have been as unsettling had a more fiery actress taken on the role. Gainsbourg and Lars von Trier are a perfect match, as they also proved in Melancholia and Nymphomaniac.

7. NICOLE KIDMAN (THE OTHERS, 2001)

Role: Grace Stewart, a woman who lives in a dark house with her two photosensitive children

Citations:
Win, Best Actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Nomination, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, Golden Globes
Nomination, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, BAFTA
Win, Best Actress, Kansas City Film Critics Circle
Nomination, Best Actress, Online Film Critics Society
Nomination, Best Actress, Phoenix Film Critics Society

In the same year that saw her get an Oscar nomination for playing the tragic Satine in Moulin Rouge!, Nicole Kidman gave another excellent, award-worthy performance (some, like myself, would have preferred a nomination for this one). Luminous and ethereal, Kidman's Grace Stewart is nevertheless solidly grounded, fiercely maternal. A lesser actress would not have been able to give Grace the fragility that gave the now infamous twist such a heart-rending poignancy to it.

6. HALEY JOEL OSMENT (THE SIXTH SENSE, 1999)

Role: Cole Sear, a boy who sees dead people

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Academy Awards
Win, Best Performance by a Younger Actor/Actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Nomination, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, Golden Globes
Nomination, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Screen Actors Guild
Win, Best Child Performance, Critics Choice Awards
Nomination, Best Supporting Actor, Chicago Film Critics Association
Win, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Win, Best Supporting Actor, Kansas City Film Critics Circle
Win, Best Supporting Actor, Online Film Critics Society
Win, Best Supporting Actor, Southeastern Film Critics Association

"I see dead people." Who can forget those immortal words uttered by an equally unforgettable Haley Joel Osment? Precociously and frighteningly good, Osment portrayed the perturbed, harassed Cole Sear with warmth and innocence that made us want to tell him "Everything will be ok" even as restless spirits assailed him. He is aces in all scenes, but the one with his mother (played superbly by fellow Oscar nominee Toni Collette) in the car is the best of them. Here he shows us that despite Cole's supernatural talent and Osment's own, they are just kids. That makes it all the more impressive.

5. ANTHONY HOPKINS (THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, 1991)

Role: Dr. Hannibal Lecter, former psychiatrist and now cannibalistic serial killer

Citations:
Win, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Win, Best Actor, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Nomination, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, Golden Globes
Win, Best Actor, BAFTA
Win, Best Supporting Actor, Boston Society of Film Critics
Win, Best Actor, Chicago Film Critics Association
Win, Best Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Win, Best Actor, Kansas City Film Critics Circle
Win, Best Supporting Actor, National Board of Review

Few roles in horror cinema are as iconic as Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter, and while several other actors have portrayed him (Brian Cox, Gaspard Ulliel, Mads Mikkelsen), it's Anthony Hopkins's deliciously wicked turn that is definitive. He won an Oscar for less than 16 minutes of screen time (the second shortest performance to win a Best Actor Oscar) but that's not surprising given how unforgettable Hopkins made the character. His obvious brilliance and insanity, his amorality, his words and ticks...all of these get under the skin of not only Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) but our own. It's truly insidious.

4. SISSY SPACEK (CARRIE, 1976)

Role: Carrie White, a friendless and lonely telekinetic

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Win, Best Actress, National Society of Film Critics
3rd Place, Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle

Another truly iconic role in horror films? The titular character Carrie White, one of Stephen King's most brilliant creations. Long known for her range, Sissy Spacek, already in her late 20s when she portrayed 17-year-old Carrie, truly made the character her own: shy, naive, repressed...and uncontrollably vindictive. Carrie has an innocent fragility all the way until the floodgates of horror are opened, but the transition is entirely realistic. In fact, audiences can't help but cheer on the cathartic carnage because we feel that Carrie has been wronged. That would not have been possible if Spacek had not made her so sympathetically ordinary before the metamorphosis.

3. ESSIE DAVIS (THE BABADOOK, 2014)

Role: Amelia, a single mother who's at wit's end due to her husband's violent death and her child's psychoses

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Win, Best Actress, Central Ohio Film Critics Association
Nomination, Best Actress, Detroit Film Critic Society
Nomination, Best Actress, Houston Film Critics Society
Nomination, Best Actress, London Critics Circle
Win, Best Actress, North Caroline Film Critics Association
Nomination, Best Actress, Online Film Critics Society
Nomination, Best Actress, San Francisco Film Critics Circle

Is her very high ranking in my list due to the film having been a recent release? Perhaps, but to attribute it to that would be to undermine the sheer brilliance of the performance. The maternal--whether protective or smothering--has long been a fixture of horror cinema, and Essie Davis brings this in spades to the excellent film. She is so genuine as both a sympathetic figure and a terrifying embodiment of the "monstrous feminine" as she comes undone. That the film was directed and written by a woman (Jennifer Kent) probably made the difference, but that she had such an amazing actress in the lead role made the film transcendent.

2. ELLEN BURSTYN (THE EXORCIST, 1973)

Role: Chris MacNeil, film actress and mother of a child possessed by a demonic force

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Nomination, Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, Golden Globes

Talk about mothers in horror films! The Exorcist's primary conceit is that a mother is forced by desperation to go against her [lack of] belief just to save a daughter assaulted by inexplicable forces. Ellen Burstyn's Chris MacNeil is a strong, confident, and rational actress who is also an agnostic. She is, above all, a loving mother, and this always comes across to the audience. So does her terror when she realizes what her fragile daughter is coping with. She does not accept the failure of medicine and psychiatry and turns to a faith that she has largely abandoned. The anguish within her is real and keenly felt. With six Oscar nominations and a win to her name, Burstyn has long been one of Hollywood's most respected actresses, and while this would not necessarily be her most iconic role, it is surely one of horror cinema's most effective.

1. ISABELLE ADJANI (POSSESSION, 1981)

Roles: Anna, an unhinged wife and mother; and Helen, a gentle school teacher

Citations:
Win, Best Actress, Cannes Film Festival
Win, Best Actress, César Awards

We've heard of actors being described as committed to their craft. For me, commitment is nearly three full minutes of physical contortions, screaming, and emission of blood and other fluids in a dingy subway. It's having a sex scene with an otherworldly tentacled monstrosity. It's spending practically the whole film contorting one of world cinema's most beautiful faces to a visage of confusion, terror, and desperation. Just as there is no other film like the mind-boggling puzzle that is Possession, there is no other performance in a horror film--or perhaps even outside the genre--like Isabelle Adjani's. Unhinged and mercurial, Anna is an actress letting go of all ego. She also delivers a deranged monologue after the subway scene where she says, among other strange things, "What I miscarried there was sister Faith, and what was left is sister Chance." Truly unnerving. On top of that, she also plays a different character, the gentle teacher Helen, whose fate at the end of the film is nevertheless as mysterious as the rest of it. Today, Adjani is rightly recognized as one of the true greats of French cinema. No one less capable would have plumbed the depths of Anna the way she did.

Can Doctor Strange break the MCU's Oscar-less streak?

If any film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) stable can break through and finally win the Achievement in Visual Effects category of the Oscars, that's Doctor Strange. The visuals are trippy, mesmerizing, fantastic, and ultimately important to the mystical world being set up in the latest MCU installment. It's unlike anything that's been seen before in MCU...or perhaps even outside of it.

The following MCU films have been nominated in this category before:

Iron Man (81st Academy Awards, 2009)
Iron Man 2 (83rd Academy Awards, 2011)
The Avengers (85th Academy Awards, 2013)
Iron Man 3 (86th Academy Awards, 2014)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (87th Academy Awards, 2015)
Guardians of the Galaxy (87th Academy Awards, 2015)

I am predicting a nomination for Doctor Strange (as many others are), and I also feel like this is finally the year when we'll have an MCU movie win in the category. The likeliest competition for the film are Arrival, Captain America: Civil War, The Jungle Book, Passengers, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

A win for Doctor Strange would also be the first Oscar for an MCU film.

I believe that aside from the Visual Effects category, the film also has quite a good chance of being nominated in Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Production Design, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. Even just three out of these seven potential nominations would put it on top of all other MCU movies; only Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy have more than one nomination (two for Iron Man: one for Visual Effects and another for Sound Editing; two for Guardians: Visual Effects, Makeup and Hairstyling). With its Oscar-friendly release date and glowing reviews, it stands the best chance of achieving this feat (especially if it becomes a box office hit).