THE red carpet is out, the frocks are on and the stage is set today for one of the most unpredictable Academy Awards in years — not only insofar as which movies will win, but what outrageous things host Chris Rock will have to say about the Oscars’ diversity problem.
Australia is holding its breath to see whether a record number of nominations for an Aussie film — Mad Max: Fury Road’s 10 — will be converted into gold statuettes when the Awards kick off today in Los Angeles, at 12.30pm AEDT.
Bookies consider Mad Max: Fury Road a $51.00 longshot to win Best Picture, but George Miller’s odds of taking Best Director are brighter: he’s at $7.00 to The Revenant helmer Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s $1.15.
Cate Blanchett is once again vying for Best Actress for her role in the drama Carol, but she’s a distant $17 bet. Room star Brie Larson is considered unbeatable in this category by most Hollywood pundits and is a firm favourite with betting agencies.
Host Rock has reportedly been testing out his Oscars material at surprise stand-up gigs in LA and definitely won’t be afraid to take aim at #OscarsSoWhite — the controversy surrounding the lack of nominations for non-white performers and filmmakers.
The outspoken comedian and actor, long fearless when it comes to race, is said to have bits about how to encourage diversity at the Oscars, the pay gap between male and female actors, the tired “who are you wearing?” red carpet question, jokes about specific stars as well as opinions on those who have said they’ll boycott the ceremony.
Fellow actor Don Cheadle told US Weekly that Rock’s Oscars gig “is a perfect opportunity to take everyone to task — and nobody does that better than Chris ... It could be an amazing moment.”
The night’s big prize, Best Picture, is considered a three-horse race. Bookies have epic wilderness adventure The Revenant a heavy $1.50 favourite after already winning at the BAFTAs, SAG Awards and Golden Globes.
Spotlight ($3.50), which dramatises the real-life reporting of the Catholic Church’s child abuse scandal, and The Big Short ($7.00), which paints a quirky portrait of the global financial collapse, are the only other real contenders.
Mad Max: Fury Road is expected to dominate the technical categories (including Cinematography, Film Editing, Sound, Make-Up and Hairstyling and Production Design) in a close tussle with The Revenant.
With Best Actor also considered a lock for the so-far Oscarless star of The Revenant, Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s up to the Supporting acting categories to deliver the Oscar night surprises.
While sentimental favourite Sylvester Stallone’s comeback performance as an ailing Rocky in Creed has him at $1.40 with the bookies to win Supporting Actor, industry insiders are refusing to rule out a win for actor’s actor Christian Bale (The Big Short) or the loveable Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight).
Young Swede Alicia Vikander leads the odds for Supporting Actress at $1.40 and already has Critics Choice and SAG wins for her performance in The Danish Girl. Yet veteran awards bait Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) isn’t far behind in the betting, having trumped Vikander at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs.
The 2016 Oscars screen live on Channel 9 today from 12.30pm. Red carpet arrivals start 9.30am on Foxtel channel E!
THE OSCAR ODDS
(SOURCE: TAB)
BEST PICTURE
The Revenant $1.50
Spotlight $3.50
The Big Short $7.00
Room $12
Mad Max: Fury Road $51
The Martian $51
Bridge of Spies $67
Brooklyn $67
BEST ACTOR
Leonardo DiCaprio — The Revenant $1.02
Eddie Redmayne — The Danish Girl $11
Michael Fassbender — Steve Jobs $15
Matt Damon — The Martian $34
Brian Cranston — Trumbo $34
BEST ACTRESS
Brie Larson — Room $1.05
Saoirse Ronan — Brooklyn $9.00
Cate Blanchett — Carol $17
Jennifer Lawrence — Joy $21
Charlotte Rampling — 45 Years $34
BEST DIRECTOR
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu — The Revenant $1.15
George Miller — Mad Max: Fury Road $7
Adam McKay — The Big Short $11
Tom McCarthy — Spotlight $15
Lenny Abrahamson — Room $51
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sylvester Stallone — Creed $1.40
Mark Rylance — Bridge of Spies $3.00
Tom Hardy — The Revenant $17
Christian Bale — The Big Short $21
Mark Ruffalo — Spotlight $26
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Alicia Vikander — The Danish Girl $1.40
Kate Winslet — Steve Jobs $3.50
Rooney Mara — Carol $6.00
Jennifer Jason Leigh — The Hateful Eight $26
Rachel McAdams — Spotlight $81
Originally published as Countdown to the Academy Awards