SAG Award Analysis

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

from esquire.com

Cranston is definitely the surprise here as thus far he hasn't reached anything near the publicity, critical acclaim/attention of the other four nominees, taking the place I expected to go to Tom Hanks for Bridge of Spies or Matt Damon for The Martian. I think it's almost a foregone conclusion that DiCaprio is going to win the Oscar anyway so it's just formalities for the other nominees; personally I was hoping that the likes of Ian McKellen and Jason Segel could've snuck in but oh well. Looks like Biopics are the theme of the year as all five nominees are to one extent or the other, portrayals of real-life people.

BRYAN CRANSTON / Dalton Trumbo – “TRUMBO” (Bleecker Street)
JOHNNY DEPP / James “Whitey” Bulger – “BLACK MASS” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / Hugh Glass – “THE REVENANT” (20th Century Fox)
MICHAEL FASSBENDER / Steve Jobs – “STEVE JOBS” (Universal Pictures)
EDDIE REDMAYNE / Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe – “THE DANISH GIRL” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role



one of these two ladies is not the lead she should be nominated as

Larson, Blanchett, and Ronan are essentially locks at this point. I can definitely say the latter two are completely deserving, and everything I've heard indicates that Larson gives a barnstormer of a performance in Room. Carey Mulligan's performance in Suffragette is losing momentum with every awards snub it's getting, although I could see it picking up more recognition come big awards time if they surround her with more publicity. Mirren and Silverman are definitely the surprises here; the former was good but nothing incredible in Woman in Gold and I haven't seen Silverman yet.

CATE BLANCHETT / Carol Aird – “CAROL” (The Weinstein Company)
BRIE LARSON / Ma – “ROOM” (A24)
HELEN MIRREN / Maria Altmann – “WOMAN IN GOLD” (The Weinstein Company)SAOIRSE RONAN / Eilis – “BROOKLYN” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
SARAH SILVERMAN / Laney Brooks – “I SMILE BACK” (Broad Green Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

from variety.com

I'm kind of intrigued by The Big Short now. The topic matter doesn't really interest me but if Bale's a scene-stealer, well that's enough to compel me to watch it. I've heard both favourable and unfavourable things about Shannon's performance in 99 Homes but he seems to be gradually picking up more and more momentum as we go along. Tremblay by all accounts is category fraud but hell, I hear he gives an amazing performance. Rylance is a very deserving nominee, as is Elba. Big surprise is definitely none of the Spotlight players getting in, which I could see as being a result of splitting votes; I could see Tom Hardy in The Revenant as having missed out on account of there being too much focus on campaigning DiCaprio, and maybe they just didn't like Creed enough to nominate Stallone.

 CHRISTIAN BALE / Michael Burry – “THE BIG SHORT” (Paramount Pictures)
IDRIS ELBA / Commandant – “BEASTS OF NO NATION” (Netflix)
MARK RYLANCE / Abel Rudolph – “BRIDGE OF SPIES” (DreamWorks)
MICHAEL SHANNON / Rick Carver – “99 HOMES” (Broad Green Pictures)
JACOB TREMBLAY / Jack – “ROOM” (A24)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

usatoday: McAdams for the Oscar nom? Better believe it.

MARA IN SUPPORTING IS CATEGORY FRAUD. On the plus side she has a high chance of winning since from what I've seen none of the other nominees makes nearly as incredible an impact as she does. Vikander is apparently a category fraud too but I'm just glad she got recognition in some way (even if she also needs a LOT more love for her work in Ex Machina and Testament of Youth). Winslet gave a solid supporting turn in an Oscar-baity film which I'll assume is the same case for McAdams. Mirren in Trumbo is apparently a scene-stealer so I'm not surprised at all to see her get in.

ROONEY MARA / Therese Belivet – “CAROL” (The Weinstein Company)
RACHEL McADAMS / Sacha Pfeiffer – “SPOTLIGHT” (Open Road Films)
HELEN MIRREN / Hedda Hopper – “TRUMBO” (Bleecker Street)
ALICIA VIKANDER / Gerda Wegener – “THE DANISH GIRL” (Focus Features)
KATE WINSLET / Joanna Hoffman – “STEVE JOBS” (Universal Pictures)

  
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

straightouttacompton.com Really need to see this.

I'm most intrigued by the love Beasts of No Nation is getting here since the reviews I've read on it have basically focused solely on Attah and Elba. The Big Short and Spotlight, as well as Trumbo don't particularly surprise me, Spotlight in particular. Straight Outta Compton is a film I really need to check out; by all accounts its a flawlessly performed ensemble piece.

 
BEASTS OF NO NATION (Netflix)
 
THE BIG SHORT (Paramount Pictures)
 
SPOTLIGHT (Open Road Films)
 
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (Universal Pictures)
 
TRUMBO (Bleecker Street)