Yet another post that, much the same as the usual ‘best of’ and ‘looking forward to’ lists, just has to be done each year. Yep, it’s the Oscar’s run down. Now, I haven’t seen numerous pictures in the running, including Whiplash, American Sniper and The Theory of Everything. But I have seen a fair few others so, I’ll go ahead and make some predictions anyway! My prediction is in bold, although my personal preference is in italics.
BEST PICTURE
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Summary: My heart says either Boyhood or Grand Budapest Hotel due to my love of the directors of both of those movies. I do think Birdman may just edge it though, although it would be great to see a film as imaginative and original as GBH win a best picture Oscar.
BEST DIRECTOR
Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Bennett Miller – Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game
Summary: I think any of GBH, Boyhood and Birdman could win best director, as they were all really original films in different ways. But I think Linklater’s achievement of shooting a film over 12 years just about trumps the others.
BEST ACTOR
Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Summary: I haven’t seen The Theory of Everything, but I hear Redmayne’s portrayal as Stephen Hawking is a shoe-in for the statue. Personally, being a big fan of Michael Keaton, and Birdman in general, I hope he scoops it.
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
Summary: I’ve only seen Gone Girl within this category, so by default I better put Rosamund Pike down as my personal preference! She was good but I actually didn’t think she did enough to win it because of her lack of screen time. Julianne Moore is the front runner, no complaints here if she wins her first Oscar.
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Duvall – The Judge
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
JK Simmons – Whiplash
Summary: I’ve not seen Whiplash but I read that it’s a formality that JK Simmons wins this award. My own personal preference would be for any one of Hawke, Norton or Ruffalo who I thought were all superb in their given films. Norton may just edge it for me though.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Laura Dern – Wild
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Emma Stone – Birdman
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
Summary: I really like Meryl Streep, and her Oscar nomination haul of 19 to date is impressive. But a nomination for Into The Woods??? Really?? When you consider some of the people and films who have missed out this year, it seems like more of a ‘habit’ nomination. Personally I would love to see Arquette win for Boyhood. And I think she will.
BEST ANIMATION
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Summary: I’ve only seen Boxtrolls out of these, which I thought was OK, but I hear How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a worthy winner. I, like most people, can’t believe that The Lego Movie wasn’t included in this list. Personally I would have nominated Frozen again, even though that was last year!
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Emmanuel Lubezki – Birdman
Robert Yeoman – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski – Ida
Dick Pope – Mr Turner
Roger Deakins – Unbroken
Summary: The inventive camera work in Birdman was a real technical achievement, so I have to go for that.
Obviously there are a million other categories in the ceremony, but I’m running out of enthusiasm to list them all, so that’s all your getting! May the best film/actor/actress/cinematographer etc win!!