This category becomes tougher and tougher for me every year. As mentioned in yesterday's prediction (of Chivo's soon-to-be historic 3rd consecutive win), we are indeed in a golden age for the art of
Cinematography. Shamefully, my top five are nearly identical to the consensus formed by the ASC, BAFTA, and Oscar, but I could swap them out for another five and still have a tremendously rich ballot. There's just too much good stuff out there:
CAROL (Edward Lachman)
Exquisite, dreamy, but most of all narratively meaningful. Every shot can be analyzed for how the composition, blocking and focus tells part of the story without it needing to be stated.
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (John Seale)
Maintains the film's visual assault without sacrificing coherence, and even lends surreal beauty to this stark and violent landscape with scorching oranges and chilling teals.
THE REVENANT (Emmanuel Lubezki)
The directorial decision to shoot the film the way it's shot – pretty for pretty's sake – doesn't make much sense, but it's still amazing work. Only Chivo could have made an ugly film look this beautiful.
SICARIO (Roger Deakins)
Composes every frame with grace and grit. The camera shifts elegantly between POV and objective angles – sometimes within the same shot – placing us square in the danger zone.
SON OF SAUL (Mátyás Erdély)
The design of the photography brilliantly keeps the horrors of the Holocaust obscured and unfocused, smartly lit and meticulously staged in long takes around a central character.
JUST missed:
Room (Danny Cohen)
Other strong considerations:
Creed (Maryse Alberti)
Far from the Madding Crowd (Charlotte Bruus Christensen)
The Hateful Eight (Robert Richardson)
The Look of Silence (Lars Skree)
