TWCWhat It Could Win: Best Cinematography Southpaw is a vastly underrated summer film and although the story is bogged down by redemption journey clichés, that should have no bearing on the technical qualities the film possesses. Visually, Southpaw feels like an Oscar heavy hitter (no pun intended), as the shots look achingly real, painful and so grisly that it deservedly belongs in the same group as Raging Bull and Rocky. Dark Horse Nominations: Best Actor Jake Gyllenhaal A lot of complaints were made about Southpaw failing to be original, but lets be honest, in cinema these days is anything truly original? That being said, Jake Gyllenhaals performance as boxer Billy Hope was hailed by critics as the best part of the film, with his raw, spirited and almost scary performance easily standing out as the best performance by a male actor that summer (well get to actress shortly). With Michael Fassbenders take on Steve Jobs gaining all the momentum right now, it is highly unlikely a summer film performance will even be nominated, but since Gyllenhaals work on Nightcrawler was very wrongly absent from the Oscar ballot form, the Academy could well try and make amends.
An aspiring filmmaker, writer, traveller, and avid comic book fan, with an undying passion for calligraphy and chopping boards shaped like fruit. Genuinely enjoys receiving your hate mail.
