Oscars tonight!
I just got off a plane from LA this morning with girljim and we're back just in time for the red carpet for the Oscars. I want to record some thoughts and predictions before the awards get handed out, so I've got to move fast.
I did O.K. in my annual frenzied catch up (during the most busy season of the year at work). Every year I make a list of all the nominations, excepting documentary, foreign, and short film categories (because life is too short; although if I get a chance to catch the short films, I always enjoy them). In the remaining 21 categories, I have seen 20 of the 36, or 56%, of the films with at least one nomination, including all eight films nominated for Best Picture. These films account for 73, or 75%, of the 97 nominations.
What were my favorites? Spoiler: I really like BIRDMAN and BOYHOOD. In fact, BIRDMAN or BOYHOOD? is the question of these Academy Awards, and is a question I've been thinking a lot about (do I have enough time left to write up all of these musings? Sadly, no). These two films are the movies of the year; the others are also-rans. However, I also really liked FOXCATCHER, GONE GIRL, INTO THE WOODS, and THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES. Which films am I most bummed that I haven't had a chance to see yet? All four of the films nominated for Best Animated Film (except HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, which was a good time at the movies), especially THE BOX TROLLS and SONG OF THE SEA, and also IDA, WILD, NIGHTCRAWLER, and STILL ALICE.
Time to record my picks. Best Picture, as I mentioned earlier, is a two picture race. Here's the good news: the Academy agrees, and the films are small, experimental films. One is BIRDMAN, by Mexican director Alejandro Iñárritu, and is a showoff virtuoso piece for the actors, writers, and camera operators. The other is BOYHOOD, by Richard Linklater, which manages to invent a new form of storytelling by shooting over 12 years and being unlike every film ever.
I've gone back and forth with this question. BIRDMAN is a great movie, that swings for the fences in every frame. But for me, it's BOYHOOD. Richard Linklater is also my choice for Best Director. BOYHOOD is a film that doesn't look like it was as hard to make as BIRDMAN; but I think it was just as hard to make, and it's a great film.
AMERICAN SNIPER was a very well-made movie, but it's also a propaganda piece; I didn't believe any of it. But I did believe Bradley Cooper's great lead performance. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL was fun, but probably my fourth favorite Wes Anderson movie. Other nominated films were slick and well-made and told gripping, even important, historical (or quasi-historical) stories. But they were not the best films of the year.
For Best Actor, I resisted this choice--but I think that Bradley Cooper is worthy of the honor for AMERICAN SNIPER. He is an incredibly versatile actor who disappears into the role in a way that makes you forget Rocket the Raccoon completely.
Best Supporting Actor is Edward Norton for BIRDMAN, without question. His career will benefit from his work in this film, even if the award goes to J.K. Simmons, as is expected. Simmons was very good, and he is always a welcome presence on screen. I still think about his supporting role in BURN AFTER READING.
I've only seen two out of the five nominated performances for Best Actress, and Rosamund Pike in GONE GIRL owns Felicity Jones in THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING. The expected winner is Julianne Moore for STILL ALICE.
I've seen four out of five nominated performances for Best Supporting Actress, and while they were all strong, I don't see any of them jumping out of the pack as an obvious favorite. I think the not-so-flashy but brave and rock-solid work by Patricia Arquette in BOYHOOD deserves the award.
I'm skipping Best Animated Film, because I've only seen HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2. Which was great, but not as good as the first one, which was a real surprise delight.
I've only seen two of the Best Cinematography nominees. BIRDMAN is astonishing in this category. I wouldn't cry if THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL got recognized, however.
I don't know if I'm qualified to opine about costume design. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL really had to stick this (and a lot of other details!) for Wes Anderson's film to work, and it is my choice.
Film editing? Gotta be BOYHOOD. Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling? Gosh, I don't know--give it to GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.
Best Original Score? The only one that I can recall standing out for me particularly was in THE IMITATION GAME, so that (edit: they played a snippet of INTERSTELLAR during the broadcast, and I immediately reacted "Oh yeah! That score was awesome!").
I'm skipping Best Song. I would give the Best Production Design Oscar to either INTO THE WOODS or THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL. If I had better taste, I would probably say THE IMITATION GAME instead.
Sound editing? What's that again? I pick THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES. Sound mixing? Durrrr... how about INTERSTELLAR.
Of the nominated films for Best Visual Effects, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is probably the most impressive, but I just don't love the movie. I don't have the sense that the Academy does either. I'll say CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER.
Finally, we have the absolutely crucial Adapted Screenplay and
Original Screenplay categories. In the former, I pick THE IMITATION GAME for being slick and cleverly put together. The Original Screenplay caterogy is the most competitive. Here I will pick BIRDMAN over BOYHOOD. BIRDMAN or BOYHOOD--which do you think?
I did O.K. in my annual frenzied catch up (during the most busy season of the year at work). Every year I make a list of all the nominations, excepting documentary, foreign, and short film categories (because life is too short; although if I get a chance to catch the short films, I always enjoy them). In the remaining 21 categories, I have seen 20 of the 36, or 56%, of the films with at least one nomination, including all eight films nominated for Best Picture. These films account for 73, or 75%, of the 97 nominations.
What were my favorites? Spoiler: I really like BIRDMAN and BOYHOOD. In fact, BIRDMAN or BOYHOOD? is the question of these Academy Awards, and is a question I've been thinking a lot about (do I have enough time left to write up all of these musings? Sadly, no). These two films are the movies of the year; the others are also-rans. However, I also really liked FOXCATCHER, GONE GIRL, INTO THE WOODS, and THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES. Which films am I most bummed that I haven't had a chance to see yet? All four of the films nominated for Best Animated Film (except HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, which was a good time at the movies), especially THE BOX TROLLS and SONG OF THE SEA, and also IDA, WILD, NIGHTCRAWLER, and STILL ALICE.
Time to record my picks. Best Picture, as I mentioned earlier, is a two picture race. Here's the good news: the Academy agrees, and the films are small, experimental films. One is BIRDMAN, by Mexican director Alejandro Iñárritu, and is a showoff virtuoso piece for the actors, writers, and camera operators. The other is BOYHOOD, by Richard Linklater, which manages to invent a new form of storytelling by shooting over 12 years and being unlike every film ever.
I've gone back and forth with this question. BIRDMAN is a great movie, that swings for the fences in every frame. But for me, it's BOYHOOD. Richard Linklater is also my choice for Best Director. BOYHOOD is a film that doesn't look like it was as hard to make as BIRDMAN; but I think it was just as hard to make, and it's a great film.
AMERICAN SNIPER was a very well-made movie, but it's also a propaganda piece; I didn't believe any of it. But I did believe Bradley Cooper's great lead performance. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL was fun, but probably my fourth favorite Wes Anderson movie. Other nominated films were slick and well-made and told gripping, even important, historical (or quasi-historical) stories. But they were not the best films of the year.
For Best Actor, I resisted this choice--but I think that Bradley Cooper is worthy of the honor for AMERICAN SNIPER. He is an incredibly versatile actor who disappears into the role in a way that makes you forget Rocket the Raccoon completely.
Best Supporting Actor is Edward Norton for BIRDMAN, without question. His career will benefit from his work in this film, even if the award goes to J.K. Simmons, as is expected. Simmons was very good, and he is always a welcome presence on screen. I still think about his supporting role in BURN AFTER READING.
I've only seen two out of the five nominated performances for Best Actress, and Rosamund Pike in GONE GIRL owns Felicity Jones in THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING. The expected winner is Julianne Moore for STILL ALICE.
I've seen four out of five nominated performances for Best Supporting Actress, and while they were all strong, I don't see any of them jumping out of the pack as an obvious favorite. I think the not-so-flashy but brave and rock-solid work by Patricia Arquette in BOYHOOD deserves the award.
I'm skipping Best Animated Film, because I've only seen HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2. Which was great, but not as good as the first one, which was a real surprise delight.
I've only seen two of the Best Cinematography nominees. BIRDMAN is astonishing in this category. I wouldn't cry if THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL got recognized, however.
I don't know if I'm qualified to opine about costume design. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL really had to stick this (and a lot of other details!) for Wes Anderson's film to work, and it is my choice.
Film editing? Gotta be BOYHOOD. Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling? Gosh, I don't know--give it to GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.
Best Original Score? The only one that I can recall standing out for me particularly was in THE IMITATION GAME, so that (edit: they played a snippet of INTERSTELLAR during the broadcast, and I immediately reacted "Oh yeah! That score was awesome!").
I'm skipping Best Song. I would give the Best Production Design Oscar to either INTO THE WOODS or THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL. If I had better taste, I would probably say THE IMITATION GAME instead.
Sound editing? What's that again? I pick THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES. Sound mixing? Durrrr... how about INTERSTELLAR.
Of the nominated films for Best Visual Effects, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is probably the most impressive, but I just don't love the movie. I don't have the sense that the Academy does either. I'll say CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER.
Finally, we have the absolutely crucial Adapted Screenplay and
Original Screenplay categories. In the former, I pick THE IMITATION GAME for being slick and cleverly put together. The Original Screenplay caterogy is the most competitive. Here I will pick BIRDMAN over BOYHOOD. BIRDMAN or BOYHOOD--which do you think?