Matt at the Movies: 2016 Oscars Edition

So here we are. The 88th annual Academy Awards just days away. As with any year, it is another fantastic group of movies and nominees. But before I get into my picks and Best Picture rankings, let me address the elephant in the room: the lack of diversity.

It is a bit disconcerting that in 2016, there is not one single non-White actor or actress nominated. That is a fact. But what is also a fact is that there were not a ton of performances that warranted a nomination as well. Yes, there were some (Michael B. Jordan in Creed, Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation, Benicio Del Toro in Sicario to name a few) but not enough. And that brings up a bigger point of that there are not enough roles being written for non-White actors or actresses. So instead of blaming the Academy for not recognizing the few performances that may have deserved a nomination, I'd rather blame the movie industry or not opening enough opportunities.

And with that, let's get to ranking the 8 Best Picture nominees, from least favorite to most favorite.

8. The Martian

I had such high hopes for this movie. Seems like every movie about space lately has been outstanding. This one was not though. Matt Damon saves this movie from just being okay. Every great scene involves him and he's the perfect guy to play the role. This movie misses though on other points.

For one, I can never tell if this is supposed to be a drama or comedy. Maybe it's supposed to be both but for me, it didn't work. Secondly, casting mistakes. I love Kristen Wiig but this role wasn't right for her. Donald Glover is also a great actor, but not in this. Both had somewhat major roles too which is too bad. And finally, the movie had this weird rhythm of presenting a potential problem and instantly, it would happen. It became incredibly predictable. In fact, at one point, I audibly groaned in the theater. Kudos to Matt Damon for his performance. But that's it.



7. Bridge of Spies

Had low expectations for this movie but it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Was it spectacular? No. But it was entertaining. Tom Hanks is solid as usual, playing a role he's very good at playing -- the everyman with the moral compass but the willingness to get his hands dirty for the common good. Mark Rylance was a revelation for me, playing a Soviet spy. It's an understated performance but when he's on the screen, he commands your attention.

There's a good amount of action and suspense and the story moves without any lull. So it's a fine movie. Is it Oscar worthy? That's up for debate. I have a feeling the Hanks-Spielberg names may have propelled it to this point. But I know a couple of other movies that were more deserving.


6. Mad Max: Fury Road

This is not a movie I would normally see. In fact, when I saw the preview, I knew I would never see it. But then the Oscars nomination forced my hand to see it...and I'm glad it did. George Miller directed quite the movie here. Action-packed from start to finish. There is a never a dull moment and the acting is superb. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron are two of the best around these days.

If there is a negative, it's just that's it's a bit crazy and weird. But this movie takes you on a wild ride and never lets you go. That's my kind of movie. It's a real spectacle.


5. Brooklyn

I would have never guessed I would like a romantic movie this much but as I thought about it, I realized this movie is about much more than a love story. It's about the pain of moving away from home, the difficulty in fitting in among a new culture, and personal growth. It's a movie that you find yourself emotionally invested in, even though it takes place 60 years ago.

Saoirse Ronan is simply outstanding in the lead role. She's just 21 years old and this is her second nomination. She is supremely talented. And the rest of the cast is top notch as well, especially Emory Cohen as the love interest. This movie won't win any awards and won't be remembered as one of the best ever -- but do yourself a favor and check it out. You'll be glad you did.


4. The Revenant

There are not enough words to describe the amount of respect I have for director Alejandro Inarritu, his cinematographer and the entire cast and crew for the way they shot this movie. Extremely cold temperatures. Waiting for the exact right shot because the whole movie was filmed in natural light. That is real dedication to the craft and part of what makes the movie so compelling to watch.

The movie was a bit slow in parts (especially as Leo's character was in the crawling only phase) but when there was action, there was action. Leonardo DiCaprio was amazing as usual. Seirously, the guy hasn't had a bad performance. he commands the screen in this movie and might only say 100 words in the entire film. Tom Hardy might be even better though in his supporting role.


3. The Big Short

So you want to make a movie about the bank's failing back in 2008? Good luck making that an entertaining watch. Thankfully, Anchorman director Adam McKay took the challenge and succeeded with flying colors. With hilarious but insightful cameos that explain the most complicated of banking terms and a script that keeps the action moving, you find yourself being educated, entertained and enraged all at the same time.

The acting in this movie is top notch. Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt all have great turns. The pace of this movie is fast too, so it keeps you interested. And above all, this movie finds a way to make you laugh at a topic that is all too sobering. Kudos.


2. Spotlight

A movie about newspaper writers. Sounds boring huh? Except when it's all about how those writers hunt for answers to a huge story. and huge probably isn't a strong enough word. This movie about how the Boston Globe broke the story of how catholic priests had been abusing children for years. It's a story that shook not just a religion, but a nation and world. And to see how it all came together from conception to completion was truly fascinating.

Of course, it's not just the story that is captivating. It's the acting as well. Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams are wonderful in their roles. But the star of this movie is Mark Ruffalo. He is the one who really stirs the drink, so to speak. This is another movie that will make you angry but also give you hope. One of the best movies I've seen in a long time.


1. Room

I'll be honest. I did not read one word about this movie before I went to see it so I had not one idea of what is was about. I'm glad I did because right form the start, I was immersed into this new world that is Room. This is not a comfortable movie to be watch. That's just the truth. But my mark of a great movie is that it affected me in some way. This movie did that. I left the theater thinking about this film for hours. I felt emotionally invested in the story and the characters. I wanted to know more about them. I was satisfied with the ending but I could have sat in that seat watching this film for another hour easily.

The story is amazing but the real star of this movie is the acting. Brie Larson does everything right in displaying the emotions of a young mother in a toxic and trapped environment. You could read every emotion on her face. Jacob Tremblay is the heart and soul of this movie. The 9-year-old actor plays the role with the perfect amount of innocence, naivete, and joy/sorrow. You root for him and you cry with him throughout the film. He's that good.


Alright, so there are the Best Picture nominees in order. Now to my Oscar predictions for the six major categories.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Will win: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Should win: N/A
--- I only saw one movie among the five nominees so it's not really fair to have an opinion.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Will win: Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Should win: Tom Hardy, The Revenant
--- Don't get me wrong. Stallone was outstanding and I want him to win. He was robbed 39 years ago. But in a year where I saw all 5 performances and all were great, it's really splitting hairs. I would pick Hardy by a slim margin over Stallone. Hardy will win one in due time though.

BEST ACTRESS
Will win: Brie Larson, Room
Should win: Brie Larson, Room
-- With apologies to Saorise Ronan, who was so good in Brooklyn, Larson was just too good to not give her the golden statue.

BEST ACTOR
Will win: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Should win: Jacob Tremblay, Room
-- I know, I know. What am I thinking? I want Leo to win just as much as anyone else. He's possibly the best actor in my generation. But Tremblay's performance I remember and affected me the most. The fact that he was not even nominated is absurd.

BEST DIRECTOR
Will win: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Should win: Adam McKay, The Big Short
-- Popular opinion says Alejandro Inarritu will win for The Revenant. I'm going with Miller though, because I need at least one pick that's a bit against the grain. But I'd give my vote to McKay. I just think that was such a cool way of telling that story and he executed it masterfully.

BEST PICTURE
Will win: Spotlight
Should win: Room
-- Obviously, I'd be fine with either of these two winning. I'm not sure either will though. Spotlight has a chance and if it doesn't, it'd be very deserving of the top honor.

So that's a wrap (pun very much intended) on this year's Oscars post. Enjoy the show!

Matt In The Morning!

WARNING: This is a lengthy post. But in an effort to talk out my thoughts and give you the complete picture behind such a massive decision in my life, a post without word limits seemed appropriate.

So in case you haven't heard, starting January 11th, I will become the morning co-anchor for NBC4 Today. That's right. I'm doing the news from now on. Not sports. For real. Really.

So what brought about this move? Valid question. The easy answer is opportunity. The job opened, I expressed interest and the powers that be thought I would be a good fit.

But I assume that doesn't answer your question of why I would make this move. Well, that one is a bit more complicated. So let me try and explain because this was not a simple yes/no decision.

Let me start by saying I've been fortunate to hold my dream job for the last 5 and a half years. And I mean that wholeheartedly. Ask just about anyone who knew me when I was as young as 6 years old what I said I wanted to do. I said I wanted to be on TV talking about sports. Then, the dream was ESPN. I had a framed magazine article of Stuart Scott in my bedroom. I would mute the TV as I played Madden or NCAA Football and would announce the game myself. Yeah, I was a weird kid.

As I grew older, the allure of ESPN (and living in Connecticut) wore off but the desire to be a sportscaster did not. I changed the goal to working in Columbus, my hometown. It seemed like a simple enough goal at the time. It only took my first year of college to know just how hard it is to move up in this business, not to mention working in one specific market. It takes talent, hard work, an opportunity, and to a degree, a little bit of luck.

So by my senior year, I tweaked the goal one more time: Get to Columbus by the age of 30. That would make it likely my 3rd or maybe even 4th job out of college. That would require a lot of moving but when you set a goal, you do whatever it takes to achieve it right?

So after college, I packed up for my first job in Augusta, GA. I couldn't have asked for a better station and better group of people to work with for my first professional TV job. What I learned there and who I met there is priceless. Friendships that have lasted and will last until the day I die. But lo and behold, the day after Christmas in 2009, I got a call that would change my life forever.

It was from Jerod Smalley, the sports director at NBC4. I interned with Jerod in the summer of 2007, going into my senior year. It was only for 6-7 weeks but I learned so much from him and Omar Ruiz, the weekend sports anchor during that time. Much of my writing style and on-air delivery came from what I picked up during that internship. I kept in touch with both men after I left, sending my updated work to them to critique because you can never get too much constructive criticism from someone who is better than you in this business.

So when I got the call from Jerod, I was happy to hear from him, even though I had no idea why he would be calling. He told me Omar had resigned and he wanted me to send my reel to the station ASAP. First off, the fact that he called me blew me away. I'm 23 years old, only 18 months into this business, and he thinks I'm worthy of that position! What a feeling. The second thing I thought - get your butt to the station and start editing a reel. I did just that, staying until 3am. It was in the mail the next day.

What followed was a very nervous time for me. My dream job was open. The sports director thought I would be a good fit. But it wasn't ultimately up to him. It was up to the news director. He called in January and we talked. He wanted me for a news/sports role and to start soon. In my heart, I didn't want to do a split role but hey, it's Columbus. I'd do it. But I also knew starting in January or February wasn't going to happen. I was under contract until mid-June and leaving before the Masters in April wasn't happening. So after that conversation (which went well), I waited.

He didn't call back until late March. Jerod had kept in touch with me, keeping me abreast of what was happening thankfully. He always let me know I was still very much in the running but it might take some time for the news director to come around. In March, he had. He called and wanted me to fly up for an interview. This time, the position was full-time sports, much to my relief.

The interview went well. I thought I would be more nervous but funny what happens when you see the downtown skyline you are so familiar with. You smile and relax. This is where I wanted to be. There is where I was supposed to be. This is home. He offered me the job before I left on April 1, 2010. I remember calling my mom first. She was uh, thrilled to say it lightly. There may have been tears. I began calling and texting friends in town who had no idea I was even there for an interview (I kept it very secretive). Some didn't believe me, thinking I was playing a practical joke (again, it was April Fools Day). I did all of this at the Max and Erma's at Port Columbus Airport. I still smile thinking about that day.

I broke the news to my news director in Augusta the next day, having no idea how she would take it. To my surprise, she was overjoyed for me. She knew how much it meant to me. And after hugging me, I will never forget the words she said to me after that: "So let's figure out how soon we can get you out of here". Yes, I was under contract until mid-June but that wasn't a sticking point. She was thinking about me first, not the company. I don't know about you but that's a boss I would love to work for and will vouch for any day. I respect her to this day for what she did for me.

We agreed to let me leave at the end of the final weekend of May sweeps. It was perfect timing, seeing that the Memorial Tournament began in Columbus the next week. I anchored my last show on a Sunday. I left Augusta on Monday. I began working at NBC4 in Columbus on Wednesday. I was on the air on Friday. And I was at Muirfield Village Golf Club the entire week after that. What a crazy 2 weeks.

And since then, it's been a wild ride. From covering that 2010 Memorial Tournament (won by Justin Rose) to now, I've covered more in the last 5 and a half years than I ever could have imagined. And I don't write the following to gloat by any means but to instead, give you an idea of just how fortunate I have been to work this job.

I've covered 6 Memorial Tournaments (a 7th as an intern), a Presidents Cup, 2 Masters tournaments (in Augusta), an MLS Cup, the MLB All-Star Game, the Field of Dreams MLB event in town where I met the likes of Johnny Bench, Rickey Henderson and more, IndyCar and NASCAR races at Mid-Ohio, the NHL Draft (as an intern), the NHL All-Star Game, Cavs preseason games at the Schott, the NBA Finals, 2 Sugar Bowls, a Sweet 16 with my Bobcats, a Final Four, and a Super Bowl.

But I would trade all of those for these 3 things I got to experience as well. First, watching my high school Bishop Hartley win not one, but two state championships in football. I know, it seems small but for me, it's not. I would have hated to miss those if I was working in another city/state. Secondly, being in the building when the Blue Jackets won their first ever playoff game AND their first ever home playoff game. Those are memories that will never be taken away from me. And finally, an Ohio State football national championship. As sweet as that was, it was made all the more sweeter in that my Dad was in the building with me, watching it happen.

So I've seen a lot. I've covered a lot. I'll be the first to tell you I am blessed and lucky to be doing what I have been doing. And with that said, it's never been a better time for a change.

When people have asked me the past few years about my long-term career goal, I say the same thing: I don't know. My long-term goal was to get to Columbus by the age of 30. I did it by age 23. So instead of making a new goal, I kept telling myself I would re-evaluate my career goals at age 30. And so when the opportunity came to take the morning show job, I honestly saw it as a calling from God.

I know, I know. I'm not one for the publicly religious talk but it felt that way. This was a sign. I've always been intrigued by the job. I've always been a newsie, watching more CNN, MSNBC and Fox News than people would even fathom I would do in my spare time. And I've also been realistic about my prospects at my own station.

I work for the best sportscaster and sports director in the market in Jerod Smalley. He's the nicest, funniest, hardest-working guy I know and he's damn good at his job. He's not leaving his job anytime soon and shouldn't. I don't want him to and would do just about anything for the guy. I mean, look what he did for me! But with that in mind, I want to further my career in Columbus. This just seems logical to me.

I also realize this will be a substantial change in many ways. My workload will change. My days off will change. My sleep schedule will surely change. And my responsibilities will change as well. I need to be a trusted and respected voice when it comes to the biggest news of the day. I need to be knowledgeable on topics ranging from politics, the economy, the environment and more. It's a challenge sure, but one I'm ready to take on with all I have.

So with that, it's time. I'm excited for the move. I'm excited to bring the news to the people of my hometown at 4:26am. I'm excited to become a more active member in the community. I'm excited to (continue to) tell inspiring and uplifting stories. I'm excited to watch sports as a fan again and not always as a journalist. I'm excited to have weekends off. But above all, I'm excited for personal growth.

There is a lot of faith being put in me. And I know I have a lot of supporters both inside and outside of my station. I have no plans on letting any of you down. I wouldn't take the job if I thought that was the case.

This is an exciting time for me. And I thank each and every one of you for supporting me through this massive change in my life. Please pray for me as I begin this journey on January 11th. And trust me, no matter how stressed or tired I may get making this move, my life motto still stands. Hakuna Matata.