This Sunday February 22, 2015 will be the return of an event that I look forward to each year for the dedication to cinema and the pageantry and tradition of what the event has meant since 1927. This year marks the 87th installment of this event and it should be an interesting night. What I will do is post the main awards nominees: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director-these are the six I feel are the important ones, though I am always interested in Best Costuming, Best Score/Original Song, Best Visual Effects and Best Make-Up, they aren't necessarily the most important ones-just ones that interest me. I will post the ones I THINK/FEEL will win in bold. I will post the ones I WANT to win in italics. Keep in mind in one or more of these categories they may be one and the same for think and want. Then I will provide some commentary on my thoughts on the nominees involved.
BEST PICTURE:
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
This year's Best Picture nominees are very diverse. Every movie has a big theme to it whether it's about post traumatic stress, identity crisis, experiences as you grow up, eccentric hotel owners, cracking the Nazi code, one of the major voices of civil rights, the big bang theory, or an intense music school. I think it's an interesting list of movies, but at the same time, there were many on the list that I didn't particularly enjoy. I personally would like to see The Grand Budapest Hotel pick up the win here. The story was so over the top, which is a trademark of Wes Anderson. I thoroughly enjoyed Moonrise Kingdom a couple of years ago and this was no exception. The cast created animated, entertaining characters that kept me invested in the story. I also love the use of color in the movie. It just adds to the overall zany nature of the movie. If I had to pick another movie from the list, I'd like to see win it would definitely be Birdman. I thought the movie's dark nature exploring alter egos was intense, and well acted. I really hope people see this movie. It may be dark, but it's just a really well done movie that feels fresh since it isn't a biopic or some movie with a political/civil rights agenda to it that we've seen over the last few years. I'm not saying these movies are bad. It's just great seeing something authentic. It's also a huge reason why I'm a big supporter of the Grand Budapest Hotel-I think the ensemble cast & the eccentricity of the plot make this the frontrunner for me. There are many movies I can see winning this award, but I think Selma has the best chance of winning. I can see this winning, because there were protests all over social media infuriated that David Oyelowo wasn't nominated for portraying Martin Luther King, Jr. I compare this backlash to Ben Affleck being snubbed for Best Director for Argo. Argo would end up winning Best Picture due to all of the noise about that snub, and I definitely agreed with that. I don't really think Oyelowo was that good in the role personally, but I get people's passion and it's really awesome to see people getting so invested in an actor's performance. I certainly discuss performances all the time on this movie blog, twitter, or facebook. Movies are my passion. I think Theory of Everything & Boyhood are the other big possibilities to win. I felt these two movies were extremely dull. People were praising these movies so much over the last few months, and I have to say I don't believe the hype. While Boyhood had some type of story going for it, I just never was able to get into the 3 hour ordeal. Theory of Everything's poster is next to the word boring in the dictionary. I gave the movie to scientists trying to concoct a cure for insomnia. The results were overwhelmingly positive on multiple test subjects. I was frustrated to see that Gone Girl & Interstellar were excluded from the list. Those were two movies I felt deserved to be on the list. They were two of my favorite movies of 2014. While I see three possible winners for Best Picture with Selma leading the charge, I'm definitely in favor of seeing a truly entertaining, over the top movie like Grand Budapest Hotel or Birdman picking up the win.
BEST ACTOR:
Steve Carell-Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper-American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch-The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton-Birdman
Eddie Redmayne-The Theory of Everything
With the exception of Steve Carell, I think everybody on this list has a chance at winning. I'm not taking anything away from Carell's performance as John du Pont, because quite frankly it was really well done, and I think he captured the eccentric nature of the man quite well. It's just that not many people actually have discussed his performance. They've really been talking more about his physical appearance than the actual performance. Personally, I don't think anybody on this list delivered a better performance or deserves it more than Michael Keaton's Riggan character. The intensity of his performance mixed with the bizarre nature of his personality was so compelling. This is possibly Keaton's finest work. My all time favorite movie when I was growing up was Beetlejuice, so I've been a Keaton guy since about 6 years old. What I really found to be clever about this performance was the subtle undertone of Keaton himself putting the Batman character in his past in this character. That's what I see when I watch this. If you haven't seen this performance, you really need to. It's one of the best male performances in years. It's probably my favorite Oscar acting performance since Jean Dujardin in The Artist about three years ago. I definitely can see him winning. The good news is people are seeing this performance and agreeing with his nomination. One performance that seems to be a heavy favorite is Eddie Redmayne's role as Stephen Hawking in Theory of Everything. Here's my thing with this performance: Great job in terms of physical appearance, but I wouldn't necessarily call this an acting performance. I hate to say it, but it was really a guy mumbling in a wheelchair in a movie where nothing happened. I can't get behind the actual acting part of this, because there really wasn't any acting. It was kind of a lazy performance that would easily garner a nomination. Like I said, he nailed the physical look of Hawking, but the performance lacked any sort of substance. One movie that has gotten a ton of buzz is American Sniper. I absolutely loathed this movie. It was unnecessary. The events in this movie regarding Chris Kyle have been debated over (I'm not getting into this-because this isn't a politics/current events blog), but people saying Cooper should win probably didn't see the performance. His accent was laughable & the performance was very wooden. I like Cooper, but to me he didn't seem to be into this role. I could understand that based on the subject matter. It felt like The Hurt Locker in so many ways, and for the record, I didn't like that movie either. I don't like when movies with some type of agenda get nominated. That was the year Avatar didn't win Best Picture. I was fuming about that, but sometimes the Oscars will throw you for a loop and surprise you. I may not always like the result, but it's great when there's a surprise win. Benedict Cumberbatch is a definite dark horse. My friend & movie blog buddy Jacqui made a bold prediction that Cumberbatch will win if Keaton doesn't. I didn't get why she was so on board with this, but then she explained it to me. There are so many complex things about Alan Turing. I think the complexity of Turing mixed with Cumberbatch's great performance definitely could be a surprise win. We'll see what happens. Go Keaton!! For Jacqui's case-Go Cumberbatch haha!!
BEST ACTRESS:
Marion Cotillard-Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones-The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore-Still Alice
Rosamund Pike-Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon-Wild
Everybody knows how much I value female performances in movies & television. This year, much like the Best Actor nominees, I think we have three possible winners. I think that Julianne Moore is picking up the victory. For years, Moore has been one of my favorite actresses. She has delivered great performances in so many projects. Since The Hours, I've really been enamored with her work. She did a phenomenal job as Alice Howland. Watching Moore from the first shot to the last shot is something that students of theater should study. Constantly changing showing the effects of losing who you are as a person is the overall theme of Still Alice. While it deals with the serious nature of Alzheimer's disease, I think Moore's performance took the movie beneath the surface & showed physical & emotional pain of losing herself. Her intelligence is waning. Her ability to differentiate between people, places, and things is diminishing. She captured the trauma & devastation caused by the disease. She provided substance to a movie that could have fallen flat, but through her performance and some other great supporting cast members, this movie flourishes. Performances make or break a movie. Moore's certainly made a movie. I would certainly agree with her winning Best Actress, and I think she definitely is the frontrunner. If you know me well or you've seen my tweets or status updates, then you know my favorite female performance of 2014 was Rosamund Pike's insanely awesome role as Amy Dunne. The truly psychotic nature Pike brought to the character was so intriguing. While she portrayed Amy Dunne during the whole movie, the fact of the matter is she had to change her personality to match the situation she was in whether it was with Ben Affleck, pretending to be from New Orleans, or how hauntingly crazy she was in the scenes with Neil Patrick Harris. It was just an incredible femme fatale character that will be a favorite of mine always. Massacre at Desi's is the most memorable scene in years. Everything Pike did was on point. Her facial expressions showed that she was always thinking. Just watch her eyes-there's so much going on behind those blue eyes. It's actually quite intimidating at many points. I've always been a fan of her as well. Amy Dunne is Pike's breakthrough performance. Her actions were memorable & kept you engaged throughout the movie. I'd really love to see Pike win. I think Reese Witherspoon is the dark horse winner. I didn't particularly find the woman vs. nature motif to be interesting at all. However, that motif is integral to putting her problems in the past. I knew Reese would be on the list for sure this year. The reason she goes on this journey is to become the woman her mother wanted her to be. It focused mostly on one night stands & heroin use. Reese did a decent job with the role for sure, but it was tough to watch this movie. Since we're talking about the performances, she should be nominated, but I think that Pike & Moore deserve the win over her. Reese's performance relies too much on the morbid past of Cheryl's character, which as a viewer isn't what you want to see. You want to see the character keep that behind them. We don't want to be reminded of her dark passengers. Cheryl is shown standing on the bridge at the end of the journey. It could be the scene that helps Reese pick up the win. It's definitely a three way race. I think Moore has the best chance. I want to see Pike get the win. Reese's performance had many layers.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Robert Duvall-The Judge
Ethan Hawke-Boyhood
Edward Norton-Birdman
Mark Ruffalo-Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons-Whiplash
This is the only category where I can see a definite winner, and that is J.K. Simmons awesome Fletcher character in Whiplash. He had some of the best dialogue in 2014 cinema. He was so believable in his role & really made the movie for me. I could have just had a movie of him yelling at the screen the whole time. His tough as nails exterior was amazing to watch. The intense nature of his passion for music was like Mr. Holland's Opus with the voltage turned up. I'd highly recommend watching this for that performance. I think he's definitely picking up the win. He had basically cleaned house at all the other major awards shows, and I think he definitely deserves his nomination. I wouldn't have a problem with him winning at all. It was such an awesome performance. While Simmons will most likely win & deserves to, I'd personally love to see Edward Norton pick up the win for his role as Mike in Birdman. I loved the pomposity Norton had in this character. He took every stereotype of a stage actor and turned the voltage up. Norton is definitely a favorite actor of mine. If I had to pick a favorite male movie performance of all time, it's his role as Derek Vinyard in American History X. This role as Mike was a look at Norton himself, much like Riggan was a look at Keaton. Many people tend to say Norton has an arrogance about him, and Norton took that and simply ran with it. I loved it. The verbal spars him and Keaton had were gold. I loved the scene where Norton says: "Who are you going to get to play me now? Ryan Gosling?" His scenes with Emma Stone were well done also, especially the ones on the roof. That's where you saw more substance in Mike & combining who he really is to the person he feels he has to be makes a complete character. If you watch Birdman, all the main characters have that theme, and I think it's brilliant. Norton is a solid actor & the fan in me just wants to see him win. If you saw The Judge, Robert Duvall gave a good performance. It was tough to watch his character suffer so much, especially in the bathroom scene, but it showed how good Duvall is. I don't agree with Mark Ruffalo being on the list, because they should have gone with Channing Tatum as Mark Schultz instead. Tatum gave one of the best performances of his career in Foxcatcher. He deserves to be recognized for that. I also think Tatum was technically the lead character, and perhaps Carell should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor instead. It's like what happened with the Godfather. I agree with Al Pacino when he says that he should have been nominated for Best Actor while Marlon Brando should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The Godfather is all about Michael's rise, and he is integral to everything that happens. I'm not discussing Ethan Hawke, because even though he brought some depth to Boyhood as the father, it's not really a memorable performance. A lot of his performance felt unnatural and much like the film was quite poor. I definitely think Simmons will win the award, and I wouldn't have a problem with it at all. I'd personally like to see Edward Norton win, because he's a favorite actor of mine & he did an excellent job portraying the Mike character in Birdman.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Patricia Arquette-Boyhood
Laura Dern-Wild
Keira Knightley-The Imitation Game
Emma Stone-Birdman
Meryl Streep-Into The Woods
Even though the movie is called Boyhood, in a lot of ways it's about Olivia (Mason's mother). It can be rather dull over the three hour run mark. Her journey can get boring throughout the movie, since the actual movie definitely is dull. I think the reason Arquette may have been so believable in her role was because she borrowed off her own life experiences while shooting this. I still don't think it was good enough to warrant a nomination. I knew that she would be on this list, because she had such a passion for this movie, and critics really liked her work. I just wasn't enamored with it. I never really found Arquette to be a great actress, and I think anybody could have played the Olivia character to be honest. I don't make the decisions on who or what gets nominated though. The performance that I think is most deserving is Emma Stone's Sam character. All I have to say is to watch the dialogue between her and Michael Keaton where she basically tells him he's nothing. What an amazing scene. That scene gave me goosebumps when I first saw it. Stone has become one of my favorite actresses over the years. Her work as Sam showed how talented she really is. Her character may be rebellious, but at the same time she is the one character that can keep it together more than anyone else. She tells it like it is. She is such a huge presence in the entire movie. Watching her mature as an actress over the last few years has been great. The Help is where she really broke through, even though Easy A was the launching pad to The Help. Stone deserves this win for how captivating she was in every scene she appeared. Every scene she appeared in is a critical turning point in character arcs. It's absolutely amazing. Emma Stone has a bright future, and this is just one example. I see Arquette winning, but Stone deserves it. Those are the only two people I see it coming down to: Stone & Arquette. I don't think anybody else really has a chance. Streep is always on the list. The last time she won at the Oscars should have been Michelle Williams night for My Week With Marilyn, but what can you do? If there was one person I felt should have been nominated that wasn't, it's Kristen Stewart's performance as Lydia in Still Alice. This performance shows how much she matured as an actress. I have always been a K-Stew guy, but in 2014, I've seen her turn out some really good performances. Her role as Lydia is the second most important character in Still Alice. Throughout the movie, it's really Lydia that seems to care the most about her mother's well-being. That's my view any way. I see her putting her acting pursuits aside to move across the country to help Alice. That face to face at the end with the poem was so powerful. I really think she should be on the list instead of Streep or Dern. Check out Stewart in The Clouds of Sils Maria. I thought her role as Valentine was really well done. The point is K-Stew should be on the list. I've followed her work since Panic Room, and really became a big fan when she portrayed Em in Adventureland. This year I'm all about Emma Stone winning Best Supporting Actress. I am fully prepared to see Patricia Arquette win, though.
BEST DIRECTOR:
Alejandro G. Inarritu-Birdman
Boyhood-Richard Linklater
Foxcatcher-Bennett Miller
The Grand Budapest Hotel-Wes Anderson
The Imitation Game-Morten Tyldum
Best Director is always an interesting category, because you never really know what style will be appreciated more. Personally, nobody on this list deserves this more than Alejandro G. Inarritu. The long takes, especially the one where he follows the long hallway and the way he shot the main characters on stage, backstage, or on the street were all compelling shots & really brought the audience into the scenes. You feel like you're in the actual theater watching the play as its happening. Inarritu has won a couple Best Director awards this season, including the Golden Globe, so I'm hoping lightning strikes twice and awards a man that worked hard to create a masterpiece with a cast that absolutely blew me away in Birdman. Unfortunately, the movie I can see picking this up is Richard Linklater for Boyhood. The method he used was a gimmick. It wasn't creative. To me, it shows he had no creative ideas for 12 years. I tend to dislike Linklater movies, and this was no exception. I don't like his style. I don't like the shooting once every 12 years idea. It's not incredible film making. It's lackluster & makes Linklater look lazy in many ways. David Fincher being snubbed for Gone Girl (as well as Best Adapted Screenplay) is just ludicrous. The way he shot this reminded me of his work in the 90s with Seven & Fight Club. He brought audiences right into the movie. His fade outs in Gone Girl worked so well with the events on screen. They created a type of cliffhanger to the next chapter in the movie. I am still befuddled how he was snubbed, but sometimes the Academy doesn't think things through. I can only comment on what is nominated, but since this is my blog, I will point out the errors of their ways & point out their snubs. Inarritu-Keep on rolling!! Linklater-Cut!!
Now that I have covered the six major categories I hope the readers of this blog will enjoy this look into the 867th Academy Awards. The only other thing I'd like to add is I hope to see Big Hero 6 win Best Animated Feature as well as Everything Is Awesome for Best Original Song. I am so picky on animated movies, but Big Hero 6 was just so amazing. I love the unique characters as well as the entertaining plot. I enjoyed writing this Oscars piece and hope you enjoy reading it. There are some really competitive categories, and it should be interesting to see what Neil Patrick Harris does as the host. I'm fully expecting the show to start with an opening musical number. It's NPH-it's happening people!!
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