2015 Oscar Nominations - Part Two

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

Nominees:

Robert Duvall - The Judge

Ethan Hawke - Boyhood

Edward Norton - Birdman

Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons - Whiplash

Duvall in The Judge can be summed up fairly simply. A great actor, giving a good performance, in a mediocre film. This is Duvall's 7th Oscar nomination (he won one of those), and I don't feel bad about saying he doesn't stand a chance of winning his second in 2015. Hawke's performance as the father in Boyhood was very good, and like most awards that Boyhood is nominated for, you feel inclined to give it to them purely for the grandiosity of the project itself, but Ethan's 4th nomination, will not be netting him his 1st win. He was believable, he was heartfelt, and when he was on the screen, you felt like you were watching a person, not an actor or a character - it was human. When discussing actors who should've won an Oscar by now, but haven't, you can't not mention Edward Norton; Fight Club, American History X, The Illusionist; Norton should have one by now - and if it was any other year, I'd say he stands a good chance. His character in Birdman (a clever parody of his real self) was hilarious, and incredibly well acted, testament once again to the quality of this man. The nomination of Mark Ruffalo is surprising; it's not that he was bad, on the contrary he was quite good - but I think there were several performances more deserving of a nomination, and his part in Foxcatcher certainly wasn't one of the highlights. When J.K. Simmons gave his performance as the almost psychotic conductor of a prestigious music academy in Whiplash, everyone who saw that film knew instantly, that the competition for this category was over. He embodies his character so well, he delivers his lines with such intensity and passion, and he is so unbelievably believable. I didn't think he could top J. Jonah Jameson, but he did, and in spectacular fashion.

In David Ayer's Fury, youngster Logan Lerman gave what was, without a shadow of a doubt, the best performance of his entire career. He absolutely nailed his character; he felt so raw, and vulnerable, and he made us feel for him. His efforts should've been recognised here.

Will Win: J.K Simmons

Could Win: Edward Norton

Should Win: J.K Simmons

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

Nominees:

Patricia Arquette - Boyhood

Laura Dern - Wild

Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game

Emma Stone - Birdman

Meryl Streep - Into The Woods

It's a piece of rather depressing common knowledge amongst film award enthusiasts, that on many occasions, this is one of the weakest categories at the Academy Awards. Why? Well, everyone has a different reason or theory, but that's enough discussion for a whole other article. Much like Hawke's performance as the father, Arquette's performance as the mother in Boyhood was impressive, and is being met with considerable praise; the difference between those two performances, is that Patricia Arquette is currently the favourite to win in her category, and that speaks volumes. Ignoring the fact that I thought Wild was one of the most boring, and poorly made films of the year, Laura Dern's performance was so insignificant and anything but memorable; it feels like it's only there to fill space. Keira Knightley gave a good performance as Joan Clarke in The Imitation Game, but once again, it wasn't a great performance. Emma Stone was a huge surprise for me in Birdman, because prior to this I had never really rated her highly as an actress, comedic or serious. In Birdman, she proved that she was more than capable of doing both, very well. The speech she gives her dad (Michael Keaton) about his reasons for doing the play is fantastically written, and her frantic delivery is outstanding. Finally we have Meryl Streep for Into The Woods, and no, that's not a joke. I don't have much to say on this, because at this point in time, Streep could appear in the commercial for the new Transformers movie, and would probably get an Oscar nomination. 

Thought I'd forgotten about Gone Girl? Think again! Carrie Coon as Nick Dunne's sister Margo was just wonderful. She inhibited her character so well, and gave such a wonderful since of reality and believability to it. If nominated, I think she'd have been a clear cut winner.

Will Win: Patricia Arquette

Could Win: Emma Stone

Should Win: Emma Stone

Best Actress in a Leading Role:

Nominees:

Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night

Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore - Still Alice

Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl

Reese Witherspoon - Wild

The only performance in a foreign film, nominated for an acting role in this year's Academy Awards; Marion Cotillard should be proud of that. Her performance as a mother and wife, struggling to keep her job was very good. It was believable, it was raw, and it was emotional. One of the problems I had with it though, was that I had a hard time sympathising with her character, for some of the things she did and said; I didn't feel bad for her, and it made me care less about her situation, and the film. Felicity Jones was highly impressive as Jane Hawking in The Theory of Everything, but once again I had difficulty feeling anything for her character, mainly because Jane Hawking comes across as a bit of a bitch; but that's just a personal opinion. Jones nailed her character, and gave an overall wonderful performance. Julianne Moore is this year's raved about performance as a linguistics professor suffering from Alzheimer's disease in Still Alice, and whilst Moore does do a great job, it's no secret that critics have a soft spot for a character with a disability. Is it the best performance here? Maybe. Will she win the Oscar? Most likely. Finally, a nomination for Gone Girl, and a well deserved one at that. Rosamund Pike plays the completely psychotic wife of Nick Dunne, Amy; and boy does she nail that role. It is the best performance of her career to date, and I cannot imagine anyone else as her character. It really is her character. Last and most definitely least, Reese Witherspoon in Wild. A bad film, a terrible casting choice, of a very mediocre actress. I struggled to finish Wild, and Witherspoon did not help.

Will Win: Julianne Moore

Could Win: Rosamund Pike / Felicity Jones

Should Win: Rosamund Pike 

Best Actor in a Leading Role:

Nominees:

Steve Carrell - Foxcatcher

Bradley Cooper - American Sniper

Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game

Michael Keaton - Birdman

Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything

Before I start discussing this category, I'm going to list performances by males in a leading role, that were worthy of a nomination, and didn't receive one. Ready? David Oyelowo for Selma, Ben Affleck for Gone Girl, Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler, Ralph Fiennes for The Grand Budapest Hotel, Miles Teller for Whiplash, Ellar Coltrane for Boyhood, Matthew McConaughey for Interstellar, and Chris Pratt for Guardians of the Galaxy; I think that just about covers it. What I'm getting at, is that 2014 was filled with absolutely incredible performances, and this category could've easily had a dozen nominations, without a single questionable decision. Instead we have Bradley Cooper nominated undeservedly once again, over any of those amazing performances listed above. Cooper was so utterly bland in American Sniper, it was like watching a muscly cardboard cutout of a man act in a movie. I enjoyed Steve Carrell's performance as John E. du Pont in Foxcatcher; he really captured the creepy, unsettling ways of du Pont, and proved to audiences that he was more than just Michael Scott from The Office. There aren't many actors out there right now who are killing it as consistently as Benedict Cumberbatch; even if Alan Turing is basically a gay Sherlock from the 1940's, he did an excellent job bringing the British genius to life, and gave the role so much humanity, emotion, and depth. This isn't Cumberbatch's year, but it will be soon. Keaton and Redmayne are the current favourites to win this one, and for good reason. Michael Keaton's performance as washed-up superhero actor Riggan Thompson (get it? Because he used to play Batman!?) is hands down, some of the best acting I have ever seen in my time watching movies. I said a similar thing about McConaughey last year for Dallas Buyers Club, and look what happened there. Eddie Redmayne won't go down without a fight however, and his performance as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything is truly incredible, and as I've said before, it's no secret that the Academy likes to play favourites with disabled characters. That's not to take away from Redmayne; like I said, his performance was masterful. You have to wonder if his shocking acting in Jupiter Ascending will hurt his chances though.

Will Win: Michael Keaton

Could Win: Eddie Redmayne / Bradley Cooper (Please Don't)

Should Win: Michael Keaton

BEST PICTURE:

Nominees:
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

This is it, the big one, the one we've all been waiting for. The Best Picture of 2014. Let's get stuck into it. As I touched on briefly above regarding Bradley Cooper's wooden performance, and Clint Eastwood's directing which I discussed in Part One; I wasn't the biggest fan of American Sniper. It was advertised as "not just another war movie about shooting brown people" and promised serious discussion of the aftermath of the war on a soldier's life, living with PTSD, and the "harsh realities" of combat. That's not what we got. We got another war movie about shooting brown people, and the occasional shot of Bradley Cooper sitting down and looking a bit sad, that's it. If it wasn't Cooper, and it wasn't Eastwood, and it wasn't so "Murica", the Academy wouldn't care. The most debated topic in film critique circles in recent months has been Boyhood or Birdman, and understandably so; these two films are the favourites there's no doubt about it. On one hand you have Boyhood, the story of Mason, beginning at age 5, and following him through his journey of life until the age of 18. As I said previously, if that was it, you'd wonder why it's nominated for best picture, but as I also said previously, what Linklater has created is not just a movie, not just a story; but a landmark in filmmaking history, that's why I've called him for Best Director. Birdman on the other hand is a very dark, very clever and witty, satirical dark, dramatic comedy, that has so much to say on everything. Actors, the movie industry, film critics, popular culture, audiences, parenting, growing old; but it's not in your face, it's subtle enough to enjoy the film on a purely entertainment value level, but also prominent enough that if you scratch the surface, you uncover a whole new world within the story. It's already a classic, and will remain one of the greatest films of the time period. Whilst The Grand Budapest Hotel gave us some fantastic performances, wonderful dialogue, a brilliant story, and just an overall beautiful film, I don't think it's strong enough to stand up for Best Picture, not against the two forerunners. The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything, as I did mention in Part One, are both very good films, with great performances and adapted scripts, but they're both just not special enough to grab the big prize, not this year. I do wonder about the inclusion of Selma in here, considering it has no other nominations, whereas Foxcatcher has 5, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Director, and has no Best Picture nomination. Many people were claiming they only nominated Selma as to not come across as racist, but the people who make those claims have clearly forgotten that 12 Years a Slave won the award for Best Picture last year. I enjoyed Selma, I thought David Oyelowo did a fantastic job, but I don't think it should be up there - Foxcatcher should have the spot instead. I am utterly in love with Whiplash, and I cannot remember the last time I felt so passionate about a film. Everything from the directing, the editing, the cinematography, the story, and of course, the phenomenal acting from Simmons and Teller. I wish this film could just sweep up this year's Academy Awards, but I know it won't. It'll do well, I've predicted a few going its way, but it just picked a very tough year. Whiplash is my personal favourite film of 2014, but it is not the best film of 2014. Would've liked to have seen them make full use of their 10 available nominations, and given the nod to Gone Girl, Nightcrawler, and or Interstellar, all of which I enjoyed greatly.

Will Win: BIRDMAN

Could Win: BOYHOOD / WHIPLASH (Miracle)

Should Win: BIRDMAN

2015 Oscar Nominations - Part One

So I had originally planned to make a video on this topic, but with the 87th Academy Awards less than 48 hours away (as of me writing this), time is not on my side, and thus I'm reduced to a written format. This piece will involve me giving my opinions on the nominations in some of the major categories at the 2015 Oscars, specifically ones where I have viewed all the nominations, and have enough knowledge to form a coherent analysis, as well as making a prediction for what is most likely to win, what could win, and what I believe in my opinion should win. I'll also be touching briefly on some things that weren't nominated and I believe should have been, as well as some things that were nominated and I believe shouldn't have been. Without for ado, let's begin, shall we?

Best Original Score:

The Nominees:

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Alexandre Desplat

The Imitation Game - Alexandre Desplat

Interstellar - Hans Zimmer

Mr. Turner - Gary Yershon

The Theory of Everything - Johann Johannsson

Poor Alexandre Desplat; he's had a great 2015, receiving his 7th and 8th Oscar nominations for two wonderfully fitting, original, and memorable soundtracks, in two absolutely stunning films; but once again, I simply don't think this is Desplat's year. Whilst the scores for both films were excellent (The Imitation Game being my slight favourite of the two), they both lacked a certain, flair. Zimmer, like Desplat is no stranger to praise in film music, having won an Oscar for the score of The Lion King, and as per usual he's done a wonderful job with the soundtrack for Interstellar; it fit the movie very well, added a whole new dimension to certain scenes, but would it be wrong of me to say it was run of the mill for Hans? Interstellar's score was very good, but it wasn't great. Gary Yershon is by far the least well known name in this list, but that didn't stop him from putting out a very good score for Mr. Turner, a film which I didn't manage to see unfortunately; having not watched it, I can't give too much of an opinion, but as a standalone soundtrack, Yershon did a great job, though it does pale in comparison to the competition. Finally we have Johann Johannsson, who I first became aware of after he scored Dennis Viellenueve's 2013 thriller Prisoners, a great film, with an exceptional score. Now, Johannsson is nominated for his work with The Theory of Everything, a film I thoroughly enjoyed, with a stellar soundtrack to boot. It is everything that a score should aspire to be, and for me it's a clear winner, especially after winning the Golden Globe.

I'm surprised to see no nominations for Gone Girl, Whiplash, and Birdman. Gone Girl marks Trent Reznor's fourth interaction with director David Fincher, and it may be the Nine Inch Nails' front-man's best work to date, it's such a dark and powerful score, perfect for the film, and if nominated would've been a serious contender. Whiplash is a film you sort of forget has a score, due to a lot of diegetic musical audio, but the soundtrack from Justin Hurwitz is exceptional, and the jazz instrumentals give the film a whole new level. Finally, Birdman's unusual drum only score, which is used to great effect, and creates mood, tone, tension and emotion that you'd think impossible from a single percussion instrument, but they did it, and it was, for lack of a better word, awesome.

Will Win: The Theory of Everything

Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel / The Imitation Game

Should Win: The Theory of Everything

Best Film Editing:

The Nominees:

American Sniper

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Whiplash

Whilst I thought that both American Sniper and The Imitation Game were edited well, it was only to a standard you'd expect from a major production with a massive budget. It was clean, concise, and made the film flow well. It wasn't anything particularly groundbreaking. Boyhood is an interesting one because of the whole "filmed over 12 years" thing, it should win purely on principal that it takes a damn good editor to cut down 12 years worth of footage, into a coherent and entertaining film, just shy of 3 hours. The Grand Budapest Hotel, like almost all of Wes Anderson's films can be described as immaculate, each shot done to perfection, and that's clear in the editing; it is easily one of the best looking films of the year. Finally, Whiplash. Just, wow. The editing really stood out to me throughout the film, and thinking about the final act of the film, I can't even begin to imagine how that was shot and edited. A technical masterpiece. 

I thought that Gone Girl deserved a nomination here again, Kirk Baxter (David Fincher's editor for his last four films) did a wonderful job as always. Birdman is nominated in 9 categories, and this isn't one of them much to my amazement. The difficulty that must've been involved in successfully making that film look like one continuous shot is astounding, and deserves to be recognised.

Will Win: Boyhood

Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel / Whiplash

Should Win: Whiplash

Best Cinematography:

Nominees:

Birdman

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Ida

Mr. Turner

Unbroken

Following an Oscar in 2014 for Gravity, Emmanuel Lubezki looks set to steal the show again, with his absolutely stunning work in Birdman. The whole film is fantastically shot, lit, and composed. It's pristine. Wes Anderson's usual cinematographer Robert Yeoman is nominated here for The Grand Budapest Hotel, a film I've already stated is quite simply one of the best looking films of the year. The style is very clear, and very memorable for anyone who's seen an Anderson film before. Whilst Ida was, much like living in Poland where the film takes place, quite boring, dull, and depressing; one thing it had going for it was that it looked fantastic, but it's a black and white film, competing against four very vibrant, and colourful contenders. Once again, I haven't had chance to see Mr. Turner, so I can't really say much for the cinematography; the nominees name was however mispronounced as "Dick Poop" instead of Dick Pope, so that was pretty cool I guess. Finally we have one of cinemas greatest cinematographers Roger Deakins, working on a fairly okay film in Unbroken. The fanboy in me wants this to go to Deakins, purely because it's him, I don't think his brilliance was able to truly shine with Jolie's directing, and the films often bland settings. 

I'm being to sound like a broken record, but once again I think Gone Girl deserved a nomination here. Jeff Cronenweth did a wonderful job, and the film just looks so good. 

Will Win: Birdman - Emmanuel Lubezki

Could Win: Unbroken - Roger Deakins

Should Win: Birdman - Emmanuel Lubezki

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Nominees:

American Sniper

The Imitation Game

Inherent Vice

The Theory of Everything

Whiplash

I will be preface this by saying I have not read of any the material from which the screenplays for these films were adapted. If there were Oscars for the most overrated and the most controversial/polarising film of the year American Sniper would win this hands down. It's another average film from director Eastwood who between this, J. Edgar, and Jersey Boys, has been really hit or miss. Do the Academy love it though? Absolutely. Did I? No. The Imitation Game was a highly enjoyable film, and the writing was very good, same goes for The Theory of Everything (the other British biopic about a genius, released this year). The problem which both of them suffered from though, for me personally, is that they just weren't special enough. They did nothing to push the boundaries or try something new, they were simply very good films, that were very safe. Inherent Vice on the other hand, did push boundaries, did try something new, and did let itself get a little weird at times. It was funny, emotional, and written well; anything it lacked in quality it made up for in ballsiness. Whiplash nailed it, as far as screenplays go. The writing was phenomenal, and J.K. Simmons has some of the best lines I've heard in a movie since In Bruges. The characters felt so real, and the dialogue was very well done.

Okay, hold on a second; can we just talk about how insane it is that Gone Girl isn't nominated here? I'll admit it, I have a bit of a Fincher bias, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it was one of the best films released in 2014, and it was an extremely well done adaptation from Gillian Flynn's novel of the same name. If it was nominated, it'd have my vote for sure, but it isn't.

Will Win: Whiplash

Could Win: Any Of The Other Nominees

Should Win: Whiplash

Best Original Screenplay:

Nominees:

Birdman

Boyhood

Foxcatcher

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Nightcrawler

This is definitely one of the most hotly contested categories at this years Academy Awards. Whilst Birdman and Boyhood are battling it out for best picture, each of the nominees for this Oscar stand a good chance of winning. Birdman's dialogue is nothing short of perfection, and it is probably one of the most original and entertaining story ideas I've seen, not only this year, but ever. It's comedy and a social commentary, and neither quality feels lacking for the other. With Boyhood, Linklater takes a fairly ordinary story, of a young guy growing up, and the struggles he faces with family, friends, himself, and just life in general; but the fact that we spend 12 years with these same characters, played by the same people, adds a whole new depth to it all. It gives it so much more reality, so much more emotional weight. It seems odd to find Foxcatcher in this category, considering that it's a biopic (one of about a dozen released this year it seems), but nonetheless; it's here. The story is interesting, it's original, it's non-conformist. The dialogue is excellently written and delivered, and the progression of the story is beautifully paced, albeit slow for some. If any film is going to cause trouble for Birdman, it's The Grand Budapest Hotel. This is Anderson's third nomination in this category, and it's by far his best film, and his strongest entry. The quick-witted, snarky, and surprisingly touching dramatic comedy has been sweeping up awards alongside Birdman, and for good reason. It's going to be a close race. I do feel sorry for Nightcrawler. It's a fantastic film. Highly original, with a wonderful screenplay; but in every other category, it seemed to finish in 6th place, and in the Oscars 6th place is basically the same as last place. The story is gripping, and the dialogue is hilarious and dramatic. I would love for Nightcrawler to win, and on a weaker year it probably would, but it's up against some serious competition.

The most shocking thing about this category is the lack of a nomination for Interstellar, Christopher Nolan's 2014 sci-fi epic. Too scientific for the Academy? Who knows. 

Will Win: Birdman

Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel / Boyhood

Should Win: Birdman / The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Directing:

Nominees:

Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel

Alejandro González Iñárritu - Birdman

Richard Linklater - Boyhood

Bennet Miller - Foxcatcher

Morten Tyldum - The Imitation Game

Of the 5 directors nominated for this prestigious award, only 2 have been here before, and unless you're a bit of a movie nerd, it won't be the two you think; Iñárritu and Miller. To start off, it's no surprise to see Anderson here, he's a critical success and The Grand Budapest Hotel is an incredibly good film, earning the most nominations (9), along with Birdman; and whilst I think it has a very good chance of picking up several of those (including Best Original Screenplay), this category is pretty much a two horse race. Perhaps another year Wes. After his nomination in 2006, Bennet Miller is back again. Foxcatcher is a strange film; you don't see many people talking about it, I can't imagine people raving about it still in a year, but it was surprisingly good. I'm surprised Tyldum is up here, because as I said earlier, as good as The Imitation Game was; it wasn't anything special. The directing was not one of the stand out areas of the film, for me at least. Iñárritu's directing of Birdman is on another level entirely. He threw conventionality right out of the window and turned everything we thought we knew about movies on its head; I am so genuinely excited to see what he does next. As incredible as his directing was however, he's up against Linklater, for Boyhood. Boyhood is a landmark in film-making. It is a testament to the infinite capacity of an artist's creativity. Its scope and the sheer magnitude of the project was unheard of before this. It was a massive risk what he did, and a lesser director would've quickly crumbled, but Linklater persevered, for 12 years, and created a milestone movie. Something so prolific, it will be held aloft as some of the greatest directorial work in cinematic history.

I would've liked to have seen David Fincher finally get his much deserved director nomination, especially over someone like Miller or Tyldum, but sadly it was not to be. Also surprised to once again, see no sign of Christopher Nolan.

Will Win: Richard Linklater

Could Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Should Win: Richard Linklater