Oscar Fever 2015

The 2015 Academy Awards

Poster for the 87th Oscar Ceremony - Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris

    Every year, around mid January, the Oscar nominees are announced. As always, there's an inevitable backlash against the collection of nominees; over who deserved something but didn't get it, or vice versa. Usually, I can sympathize with the detractors, but, (aside from a few glaring exceptions), the nominees this year are pretty spot on. While you can find the nominee list in full here, below are my predictions and commentary on who will win what, as well as who should. Below the main categories, I've simply stated my choices for winners and should-be winners. Read on, let me know what you think, and what your predictions are! 

BEST PICTURE

     While the list of nominees is pretty solid, (each film is deserving of it's place), it's a wonder as to why Interstellar was left out, (what did Christopher Nolan do to piss off the Academy?). Visually transcendent and intellectually brilliant, Interstellar was my vote for best film of the year, and is arguably the best sci-fi since Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Still, there's a plethora of great films to choose from this year. 

Who Will Win: It's an extremely tough race this year. No film stands out as a clear winner, (unlike the dazzling and brutal 12 Years a Slave last year), but it seems like Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman has built up enough solid buzz to come out with the trophy. I have yet to see the film, but I've been told that it's a brilliant display of virtuoso acting and technical wizardy. Plus, it's got the always underrated Michael Keaton, and it's about time people took notice of the man's talent. It's possible that Boyhood could pull off an upset, but I just don't think it's a good enough film to pull off that kind of trick.

Who Should Win: Interstellar, obviously. But it's not even nominated. The nominees are all fantastic, (sans Boyhood), but the subject matter, the execution and the overall cinematic experience of Selma show me that it's the clear winner here. Still, The Grand Budapest Hotel or The Imitation Game coming out on top would be just delightful.  

BEST ACTOR

     What the hell. In a year full of amazing talent in front of the screen, two of the finest performances are missing a nomination. Out of all the categories, the only disappointing one is Best Actor. Both Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler as well as Chadwick Boseman as James Brown in Get on Up blew everyone else away this year. Aside from Eddie Redmayne, they're light years ahead of the other nominees.  And where the hell is David Oyelowo?! 

Who Will Win: Michael Keaton. He's been a fantastic actor his entire career and while he hasn't had the best luck in finding great roles, it sounds like he finally found his match in Birdman. The Academy also loves rewarding actors for their bodies of work rather than individual performances, so I really think Keaton has the upper hand here. 

Who Should Win: Eddie Redmayne, by far. In The Theory of Everything, the young actor pulled off a physically demanding performance without giving up the personable aspects of his character. It was a multi-layered, brilliant and masterful performance. Hopefully Redmayne will pull off an upset, but I doubt it. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Who Will Win: While Robert Duvall has the upper hand by having a resume of cinema classics, The Judge just isn't a good enough film to have him come home with the trophy. JK Simmons has the added bonus of a brilliant performance, (or so I hear), as well as a long career under his belt. It's his time to shine. 

Who Should Win: While it'd be nice to see Mark Ruffalo, (one of the better actors of his generation), come home with something, I think it's still got to go to Simmons. 

BEST ACTRESS

    Why is Marion Cotillard even in this category? Her performance flew so far under the radar, I'm not even sure it exists. She's an amazing actress, but I have no idea why she won the coveted nomination this year. 

Who Will Win: Rosamund Pike. She's just too good. Even if Gone Girl has it's faults, Pike's Amy Dunne is the role of a lifetime, and Pike fills Amy's veins with an ice cold performance that could stab through the heart of any Academy member with a heart that's still beating. Pike is by far the best actress. It's no question. Moore might have a bit of a chance due to her history, but in all honestly, this is a no-brainer. 

Who Should Win: Rosamund Pike. If she doesn't win, then I'll write a very strongly worded letter to the Academy. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

     We all know Meryl Streep is a brilliant actor, and is likely the best in her generation, (regardless of gender). Can we stop giving her awards now? Not every performance is a game changer; especially one that's a fairy tale musical starring captain Kirk and directed by the dude who helmed the sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean. 

Who Will Win: Streep must have dirt on the Academy, because there's no way she's coming home with anything this year. While I thought the film itself wasn't all that great, Patricia Arquette in Boyhood was brilliant. Along with Ethan Hawke, she raised Boyhood from mediocrity into something special. 

Who Should Win: Keira Knightley. She`s proved she has talent in films like A Dangerous Game and Begin Again and finally proves she`s one of the better actresses to hit the scene in a long time in The Imitation Game. She adds weight and interest to a film that could have merely been a one man show. Still, if Arquette walks home with the Oscar, it`s not like she doesn't deserve it.  

BEST DIRECTOR

    This is another disappointing category. The amount of time, effort and passion Christopher Nolan poured into Interstellar was mind boggling and paid off handsomely. The least the academy could have done was given him a nomination. He's one of the few directors still willing to take risks on a large scale, and we need more directors like him. As well, Ava DuVernay proved she's immensely talented as well as gutsy with Selma. I'm honestly shocked she didn't receive a nomination, because I had her pegged as winning best director. 

Who Will Win: Richard Linklater. While I question his motives and ethics, the Academy will likely reward Linklater for taking such a risky route with Boyhood. 12 years of filming in and of itself is an amazing feat, and I can see the academy rewarding Linklater for that, especially when he's been such a fringe favourite for years. 

Who Should Win: Wes Anderson. While I find Anderson's films hit and miss, he's been hitting nothing but home runs lately. Moonrise Kingdom was a brilliant exploration of adolescence, (take notes, Linklater), and he finally hit his peak with The Grand Budapest Hotel. Mixing quirky hilariousness with brutal violence as well as love with the inevitability of death, Anderson made a film that's unique and memorable but still somehow speaks to universal themes. Add in the massive cast, technically brilliant set design, and you have a master of his craft. Anderson is the clear winner, in a just world. 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Who Will Win: Big Hero 6

Who Should Win: The Boxtrolls. The sheer amount of work that went into this flawlessly animated film deserves some recognition. 

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
I'll be honest here, I haven't seen any of these, but neither have most of the academy:
Who Will Win: The Bigger Picture
Who Should Win: The Bigger Picture

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Who Will Win: Citizenfour
Who Should Win: Citizenfour

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
Who Will Win: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Who Should Win: Crisis Hotline Veterans Press 1 

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Who Will Win: Birdman

Who Should Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel

COSTUME DESIGN

Who Will Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Who Should Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel

EDITING
Who Will Win: Boyhood
Who Should Win: The Imitation Game

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Who Will Win: Leviathan 
Who Should Win: Leviathan 

MAKEUP
Who Will Win: Guardians of the Galaxy
Who Should Win: Foxcatcher

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Who Will Win: Interstellar
Who Should Win: Interstellar

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Who Will Win: "Everything is Awesome" (The Lego Movie)
Who Should Win: "Glory" (Selma)

PRODUCTION DESIGN
Who Will Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Who Should Win: The Imitation Game

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Again, I haven't seen any of these, but I'm picking the one with the best title:
Who Will Win: Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)
Who Should Win: Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)

SOUND EDITING
Who Will Win: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Who Should Win: Interstellar

SOUND MIXING
Who Will Win: Interstellar
Who Should Win: Interstellar

VISUAL EFFECTS
Who Will Win: Interstellar
Who Should Win: Interstellar

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Who Will Win: American Sniper
Who Should Win: The Imitation Game

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Who Will Win: Boyhood
Who Should Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Oscars 2015 Advertisement: "Illusion"

A Little taste of what's to come this year.