Here we go with another year of Oscars. Where we can either love and praise them, hate and rebuke them, or just plain confusing where you’re asking, “What just happened?” Every year I had one of these feelings when it comes to the Oscars. Last year I was slightly satisfied with it, and was surprised when Lupita N’yongo won the Best Supporting Actress over Jennifer Lawrence. We’ll see what happens this year, but first it is time for some of my predictions which I will put it in the bank as well (and I will go on some rants of how the Oscars snubbed some very deserving people.) So here we go.
Best Picture
Here is my lineup of this year’s nominees with which I believe was the best to which I believe was the worst of the best. (With my star ratings on the side.)
Birdman 4.5 Stars
Selma 4.5 Stars
Whiplash 4.5 Stars
Boyhood 4 Stars
The Imitation game 4 Stars
The Theory of Everything 4 Stars
The Grand Budapest Hotel 4 Stars
American Sniper 4 Stars
First of let me say that this year’s Oscar nominated movies were some of the best I’ve seen since i can remember. Last year I said it too, but this year has exceeded my appreciation for this movies. maybe it’s because my opinions have matured in recent years, but not one movie was really hated by me, and that’s a rarity.
Rant: I believe they could’ve gone 9 nominations with Gone Girl, and maybe even 10 with The Lego Movie (will rant on this profusely later). However, I can’t really complain this year because all this movies deserve their nominations.
American Sniper was my least favorite because it is not even close to my favorite war movie in Saving private Ryan, and it was more a movie of thrilling moments than a good movie itself. (Plus the conservative views from Clint Eastwood can be a little bothersome for a liberal like me.) The Grand Budapest Hotel was definitely witty and amusing. Not a big fan of Wes Anderson (dodges a shoe), but this movie had to be one of my favorites with his direction. The Theory of Everything was a movie of superb acting. once you get through the British educated jargon, you can really enjoy watching how the life of Stephen Hawking unfolded and why he is considered a one of a kind genius. The Imitation Game was a very interesting movie, and seeing Benedict Cumberbatch acting very weird and eccentric was amusing to watch. Showing how genius minds can really be hard to work with but create great results. Boyhood might be a gimmick which I was ready to tear apart, but it was a pretty good movie that really teaches you on philosophies of how you should live your life, and how your perspective can change as you grow up. Whiplash was a pleasant surprise for me which I greatly enjoyed, and appreciated the great acting in this movie. Watching Whiplash was almost like watching a sports movie with the final game going down to the wire, where the hero wins with all odds against him. Selma was my favorite biopic of this year as you see what civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. had to go through to have equal voting rights for everyone. This movie packs a very emotional punch in the gut to see that people would actually do such evil things to you by your race, but why you should keep fighting, even if it kills you. Lastly, Birdman was just a great, unique, and artful movie with some tremendous acting and surprising moments that really keeps you engaged from beginning to end. You don’t see movies about how Broadway shows are put together, and seeing washed up actors trying to fight their past demons and make their lives matter again.
Dark Horse Winner: (Make a small bet and see if you get lucky in this category if you were a betting man.) Selma for the reason to prove that the Oscars don’t have a race issue. (For the record, I don’t believe they do, but this year really didn’t help their case whatsoever.)
Who I Like to Win: (Whoever I choose in this category, make a double bet if you were a betting man) Birdman to me was the most fun movie I have watched this year, and the Oscars love artful and unique movies.
Who Will Win: (Make the bet here as the sure bet if you were a betting man) Boyhood, the Oscars really love two things biopic and gimmicks. So put this one on the gimmick win. (At least this gimmick wouldn’t be as bad as the gimmick in the year The Artist won.) Boyhood is getting all the steam, and wouldn’t be too surprised if Birdman gets it, but Boyhood will get the winning nod. 90% Sure of this.
Best Director
Nominees
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman
Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game
Rant: I strongly believe that Ava DuVerney deserved a nomination for Best Director. She should’ve been in over Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher. I mean, how this guy get a best Director nod and the movie wasn’t even nominated for Best Picture is beyond me. This was a mistake from the Oscars part in this snub.
Bennett Miller doesn’t deserve to be there, and Morten Tyldum is just happy to be nominated. Wes Anderson definitely has a taste for art when he creates the movie and The Grand Budapest Hotel was very artful and colorful. As for Richard Linklater, the movie Boyhood shows how hard he worked on this movie for it to happen, and the big risks he took to get this movie done. 12 years is a very long time, and he deserves for his hard work at the very least. However, a movie that showed both artful and hardworking film was Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Birdman. I believe he created a masterpiece that was great for the eye, and entertaining.
Dark Horse Winner: Wes Anderson, but honestly this is a very big long shot for him to win it.
Second Place: (Almost like the bet for Who I want to win, but just do a regular bet not doubled, if you were a betting man.) Richard Linklater, hard work does pay off, but unfortunately he will come up short this year.
Who Will Win: You can easily flip flop for Richard Linklater and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, but Inarritu made the better movie that fits the Oscars standards. I’m 75% sure of this.
Best Actor
Nominees
Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Rant: Probably the biggest snub of the Oscars is David Oyelowo playing Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma. Honestly, he had a decent chance of winning it as well. Oyelowo acted better than Bradley Cooper and Steve Carell in their respected roles. the Oscars really dropped the ball on this snub.
Bradley Cooper and Steve Carell (though I’m happy for him to actually get nominated) are easily overrated to deserve a nomination. Cooper gained weight for this role but looked fat than fit, and Steve Carell had a great make up artist that probably deserves an Oscar nod than Carell himself. Benedict Cumberbatch was fun to watch in The Imitation Game, but it goes down to Michael Keaton and Eddie Redmayne.
Second Place: Michael Keaton. I’m glad for his success with this movie, but I just don’t think it was enough for him to win it all. Maybe in other years, but just not this year he comes up short. Hopefully he has a mini acting comeback in making good movies.
Who Will Win: Eddie Redmayne. The Oscars love to reward people that play with a disability, and playing a historical biopic character, Eddie Redmayne did just that in playing Stephen Hawking, and how the disease of ALS really deteriorate his body. Rumor has it that the real Stephen Hawking had a tear coming out of his eye watching this movie. That shows great acting in my opinion. I’m 90% sure of it.
Best Actress
Nominees
Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Didn’t see Two Days, One Night and really don’t care for it cuz I know the beautiful Marion Cotillard will not win it. Felicity Jones was good, but nothing spectacular. Just good chemistry with Eddie Redmayne. Reese Witherspoon was fun to watch, and shows that she worked hard in this role, but this year was not enough to get a win. Rosamund Pike acted tremendously as a psychopath which really creeped me out in watching her act in this movie. Possibly the greatest twist in movies this year. Julianne Moore’s acting was the best part in watching a subpar movie. Sometimes that is more than enough to win it.
Dark Horse Winner: Rosamund Pike. This is another big longshot, but psychopaths do merit winning consideration. Unfortunately for Pike, not this year.
Who Will Win: This is time for Julianne Moore to finally win an Oscar. Oscars love to award people who act with disabilities, and seeing Moore deteriorating with Alzheimer’s disease will be enough for her to win it. I’m 95% sure of it.
Best Supporting Actor
Mark Ruffalo was overrated and probably (and I still can’t believe I’m saying this) Channing Tatum deserves more of a nod than him. Ethan Hawke was the cool and relatable father in Boyhood was nothing spectacular. Edward Norton was cool and a key part in making the movie Birdman so great, but he didn’t do anything spectacular. Robert Duvall really showed his acting chops in The Judge and showing good chemistry with Robert Downey Jr. which is no easy task. However, J. K. Simmons really stole the show as a psychopathic jazz director in Whiplash that really made the movie great. I will always love him for playing a great J. Jonah Jameson in the Spiderman movies, but seeing him in Whiplash made me love him even more.
Who Will Win: J. K. Simmons is the scene stealer out of all the nominees, and I’m 100% sure of this.
Best Supporting Actress
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Rant: This years nominees is kind of weak if you ask me.
Keira Knightley will always be Elizabeth Swan from Pirates of the Caribbean to me. Laura Dern just reminded me that the lady that played Dr. Ellie Sattler in Jurassic Park is still alive. Meryl Streep always finds a way to get nominated and should just change the Oscars name to the Streeps, but not even the great Meryl Streep was that spectacular. Patricia Arquette showed great emotion in Boyhood, but to me all I see her a a whiney and complaining lady in the whole freaking movie. Emma Stone was a vital and funny role that also helps contribute in making the movie Birdman a great movie, and it is time to see her get nominated at the very least.
Who I Want to Win: Emma Stone. That one scene telling her father he doesn’t matter was great to watch.
Who Will Win: Patricia Arquette. I’m hearing all the hype of her being the front runner to win it. So I’m really basing it on that. I’m 50% sure of it.
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Imitation Game – Graham Moore
Inherent Vice – Paul Thomas Anderson
The Theory of Everything – Anthony McCarten
Inherent Vice was a confusing movie, so I can only imagine how confusing the book was. I hate confusion. The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game are good, but I want to keep this award American for this year. Whiplash was great but I feel this belongs more to an original screenplay because it was based off a short movie by the same writer. American Sniper made it thrilling, but as some people say that the movie really made the protagonist a good man, and the book he really is a psychopathic killer. (Depends on how you look at it.)
Second Place: Whiplash will come a close second.
Who Will Win: American Sniper, whether it is true or not that the movie made Chris Kyle more of a good guy than he really is. The movie was still a thrill to watch, and that comes with good writing. I’m 50% sure of it.
Best Original Screenplay
Birdman – Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo
Foxcatcher – E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness
This is a pretty good list. Foxcatcher should award their their trailer editor for making the trailer more interesting than that boring movie. The Grand Budapest Hotel would really work well in a animated feature to have a chance this year. Nightcrawler was definitely unique, but not enough to win it. It is down to Birdman and Boyhood to really win it for Best Original Screenplay and it is almost a coin flip.
Who I Want to Win: Birdman, took three guys to make this masterpiece. So that’s one third of the work for these three guys.
Who Will Win: Boyhood. Richard Linklater really showed how much he worked hard for this role, and if he doesn’t win fro Best Director, he should win it for Best Original Screenplay (and this year for Best Gimmick), or vice versa with Birdman in the same category. I’m 60% sure of this.
Best Animated Feature
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Rant: Another snub that is a great travesty as well is how the heck The Lego movie did not get nominated. I mean really now, who the heck heard of Song of the Sea and The Tale of Princess Kaguya. NOBODY. I understand for The lego movie not to get nominated for Best Picture, but not for Best Animated Feature where I believe it should win it as well. This year the Oscars have pissed me off on just their nominations, and I don’t care what these people say. It deserves an Oscar for being funny, emotional, and entertaining. Most of all kids are still singing, “Everything is Awesome.”
As I said before, nobody cares for Song of the Sea and The Tale of Princess Kaguya. Who they paid off to be nominated? The Boxtrolls and Big Hero Six was fun but it was no where near The Lego Movie status. How to Train Your Dragon 2 had some great emotional impact and graphics, but The lego Movie shows more effort in creating this movie.
Who Will Win: The Lego Movie. (Unfortunately I’m joking) How to Train Your Dragon 2 will get it, and give their award to The Lego Movie. (I sound like Kanye West now.) I’m 100% sure of it.
Best Foreign Language Film
Ida (Poland) in Polish – Paweł Pawlikowski
Leviathan (Russia) in Russian – Andrey Zvyagintsev
Tangerines (Estonia) in Estonian and Russian – Zaza Urushadze
Timbuktu (Mauritania) in French – Abderrahmane Sissako
Wild Tales (Argentina) in Spanish – Damián Szifrón
Now we’re getting to the part of the Oscar awards where I have no idea about, because for most of these movies, I haven’t seen them, so your guess is good as mines.
Who I Want to Win: Wild Tales, only because it was made in Argentina where my dad comes from.
Who Will Win: I’m hearing a lot about Ida, so I’m going with that. I’m 30% sure of it.
Best Documentary Feature
Haven’t seen any of these documentaries, let alone heard of them.
Who Will Win: Last Days in Vietnam sounds like a movie I would be interested in watching. I’m 20% sure of it.
Best Documentary Short Subject
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Same as the last category. Really have no opinion on them.
Who Will Win: Our Curse sounds interesting enough. I’m 20% sure of it.
Best Live Action Short Film
Butter Lamp (La Lampe au beurre de yak)
Another category that I have no idea about.
Who Will Win: The Phone Call sounds interesting. I’m 20% sure of it.
Best Animated Short Film
No clue to even merit an opinion.
Who Will Win: Feast sounds good enough. (What I need right now.) I’m 20% sure of it.
Best Original Score
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Alexandre Desplat
The Imitation Game – Alexandre Desplat
The Theory of Everything – Jóhann Jóhannsson
Finally an award category I like to opiniate on. Mr. Turner was probably the most overhyped movie I’ve seen. So boring that their music puts me to sleep. The others are all pretty good in their own way, and it is really hard to choose.
Who I Want to Win: Hans Zimmer (after John Williams) is one of my favorite movie music composers, and I really enjoyed his creepily good score in the movie Interstellar. Actually brings space to your screen.
Who Will Win: This is the category where The Grand Budapest Hotel will get it’s due. Their score is very original and really what made this movie a joy to watch like you are watching a cartoon. I’m 60% sure of this.
Best Original Song
“Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie – Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson
“Glory” from Selma – Music and Lyric by John Legend and Common
“Grateful” from Beyond the Lights – Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me – Music and Lyric byGlen Campbell and Julian Raymond
“Lost Stars” from Begin Again – Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois
This really comes down to two songs, and they happen to be the two songs I know. The rest, not really.
Second Place: “Everything is Awesome” The only nomination for The Lego Movie (disgraceful). I personally like this song, but for other people they find this song really annoying. However I don’t believe this song is good enough to win it. It is not even on “Let It Go” status, or even on “Happy” status.
Who Will Win: “Glory” by John Legend and Common. I’m a big fan of both artists who really do try to make good music. I remember watching Selma, and when the movie ended they put on this song where it really brought out an emotional hit on you after watching a powerful movie. This is also a political movie after the events in Ferguson. I can see it already when this song wins, you will see the Black Lives Matter and I Can’t Breathe T-shirts, and probably mention the Oscars race problem. If they don’t win (which I really doubt), hell is going to break lose cuz the movie Selma deserves one accolade at the very least. You better believe once this song wins and they have their speech on stage, you will see a Latino guy with his fist in the air. I do support their cause and protest.
Best Sound Editing
American Sniper – Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
Birdman – Martin Hernández and Aaron Glascock
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Brent Burge and Jason Canovas
Unbroken – Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro
This is a tough one to pick, because they are all pretty good. Birdman to me is a visual movie than a sound movie. Everybody is so over with these Hobbit/Middle Earth movies. Unbroken, though pretty good doesn’t compare to my final two.
Second Place: American Sniper. Their sound does make this movie thrilling, but just like the movie, it was more a movie of moments and not so much as a whole.
Who Will Win: Interstellar. Probably the best scify movie this year. I just like the way they make the movie creepily good with their sound that brings out the effect of watching this movie. I’m 60% sure of it.
Best Sound Mixing
American Sniper – John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
Birdman – Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga
Interstellar – Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten
Unbroken – Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee
Whiplash – Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley
Another tough one, but this category is more clear cut for me.
Dark Horse: American Sniper for the same reasons as the last award category.
Second Place: Whiplash. The mixing of music and sound to really bring out the thrilling joy of this movie has been great on my ear. Any other year they would win it, but I believe one movie is better.
Who Will Win: Interstellar. If it doesn’t win for Best Sound Editing, it definitely should for Best Sound Mixing. One of my favorite parts of this movie is how they make space so eerily silent with the actor talking. The silence really makes it gripping for you to watch this movie cuz it takes you to a mind of unknown of what is going to happen. Their sound really brings out the movie more than their visual effects,
Best Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Adam Stockhausen (Production Design); Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration)
The Imitation Game – Maria Djurkovic (Production Design); Tatiana Macdonald (Set Decoration)
Interstellar – Nathan Crowley (Production Design); Gary Fettis (Set Decoration)
Into the Woods – Dennis Gassner (Production Design); Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration)
Mr. Turner – Suzie Davies (Production Design); Charlotte Watts (Set Decoration)
Interstellar, Mr. Turner and The Imitation Game are just happy to be nominated.
Second Place: Into the Woods. They have some very good production sets in this movie which brings out the fairy tales to life. Especially that one scene where the Princes were singing on a waterfall. however, when it comes to production designs, one movie is better.
Who Will Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel. Even though I’m not a fan of Wes Anderson (dodges another shoe) he does have a knack for getting the right team to create artful production sets. Their sets is what really brings out in the movie, and why they will win this.
Best Cinematography
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Robert Yeoman
Ida – Łukasz Żal and Ryszard Lenczewski
This category is pretty clear cut to me.
Who Will Win: Birdman should hands down win with their cinematography. The way they capture New York City is awesome. The close ups on the actors where great. The way they make this movie look it was captured all in one take was excellent. They should win this cuz that is what made this movie great. I’m 100% sure of this.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Foxcatcher – Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier
Guardians of the Galaxy – Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White
The Grand Budapest Hotel isn’t really known for their make up.
The Dark Horse: Foxcatcher. If there is one thing this movie did well was their makeup. They really made Steve Carell look like somebody else. I will give them props for that.
Who Will Win: I might be going out on a limb here, but I believe Guardians of the Galaxy should get this. The way they made Drax and Gemora and all the other aliens are pretty awesome and should get known for that. I’m 60% sure of this.
Best Costume Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Milena Canonero
Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood
Mr. Turner – Jacqueline Durran
Rant: Inherent Vice? Really now? I don’t see it.
Mr. Turner is just happy to actually be nominated for such a boring movie. Maleficent was great but not really that original.
Second Place: The Grand Budapest Hotel. This was a coin flip but I believe when it comes to costume designs, one movie is slightly better.
Who Will Win: Into The Woods. Their costumes bring these childhood fairy tales to life. Not a fan of the musical, but their designs for costumes and set really made this movie tolerable to watch. I’m 60% sure of it.
Best Film Editing
American Sniper – Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Barney Pilling
The Imitation Game – William Goldenberg
Rant: The one thing I was sure that Birdman will get nominated for and even win it is for Best Editing. How can a movie that looks like it was all done in one take not get nominated. I mean that was the best part of this whole movie and that comes with great editing. Am I missing something here?
The Imitation Game and The Grand Budapest Hotel are just happy to be here.
The Dark Horse: American Sniper. Their editing is another reason that made this movie really good. However, I don’t think is enough to win it.
Second Place: Boyhood. One gripe I have about Boyhood was their editing. When they were moving on from one year to the next. Their lack of transitions really made it confusing for me to see that they are moving on with their movie lives.
Who Will Win: Whiplash, but this is more of who I want to win as well. Whiplash really had some good moments going from the psychopathic jazz conductor to the drummer. Very clean, and might just take it.
Best Visual Effects
Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grilland Dan Sudick
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett andErik Winquist
Guardians of the Galaxy – Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawknerand Paul Corbould
Interstellar – Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
X-Men: Days of Future Past – Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer
One of my favorite award categories which I love to end this article on. This a very great group that had some great special effects.It is hard to choose but it’s easy for me to pick out the unique special effects.
The Dark Horse: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. In my opinion, the Best movie this year so far. The way they motion captured these apes not only physically, but emotionally. Their war scenes were some of the best I’ve seen in recent years, however, their down to Earth special effects are not enough.
Second Place: I personally would put Dawn of the Planet of the Apes over Interstellar, but the odds are in Interstellar’s favor. I’m not really sure why, cuz as I said before Interstellar is great for their sound than their visual effects.
Who Will Win: I believe Guardians of the Galaxy was awesome for their great intergalactic special effects. They really brought life to Groot and Rocket Raccoon. Yes, they brought a talking tree and raccoon to life. The space battles can be labeled as this year’s Star Wars. They deserve to win this for sure. I’m 70% sure of this.
Well, these are my picks. Feel free to comment so we can banter one these awards, and i hope you all enjoy the Oscars show tonight.
Real Movie Critic 