The 15 Oscars we will be talking about next week

At long last, here is the second and more interesting section of this year's Oscar nominees.  As well, if I had a ballot or were a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, here is whom I would vote for.


Best Costume Design

Coleen Atwood - Into The Woods
The Grand Budapest Hotel - costumes designed by Milena Canonero
Inherent Vice - costumes designed by Mark Bridges
Maleficent - costumes designed by Anna B. Shepard
Mr. Turner - costumes designed by Jacqueline Durran

Although my preference would be for Canonero or Bridges to receive this award; I must admit it will be very difficult to topple Coleen Atwood.  Ms. Atwood, even with a not great yet still well made movie like Into the Woods, has become one of the most important designers in film.  This award is Coleen Atwood's for the taking.

Best Cinematography

Roger Deakins - Unbroken
Emmanuel Lubezki - Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel - Robert Yeoman, director of photography
Ida - Lukasz Zal & Ryszard Lenziewski, directors of photography
Mr. Turner - Dick Pope, director of photography

Even though Roger Deakins has his 12th nomination, he will not have his first win.  The clear winner is Emmanuel Lubezki; having shot and filmed a movie that for the most part seems as if it was shot in one take.  I was particularly impressed in the camera movements Birdman had achieved, and thus I think Mr. Lubezki is most deserving to win Best Cinematography.

Best Documentary Feature: the award going to the movie's primary filmmakers

Laura Poitras,  Mathilde Bonnefoy & Dirk Wilutsky - Citizen four
Wim Wenders,  Laila Wanick Salgado & David Rosier - The Salt Of The Earth
Finding Vivian Maier - directed by John Maloof  & Charlie Siskel
Last Days In Vietnam - directed by Rory Kennedy & Keven Mcalester
Virunga - directed by Orlando von Einseindel & Joanna Natasgera

Wim Wenders is one of the most important and influential filmmakers of our time.  Yet he has never won an Oscar.  Having seen The Salt Of The Earth a while back; I am hopeful Mr. Wenders will be able to finally receive his Oscar.  Perhaps as a way for AMPAS to compensate for not even considering Paris, Texas and Wings Of Desire all those years ago.  Citizen four could be an upset, though it is rather doubtful.

Best Song

Glen Campbell & Julian Raymond - I'm Not Gonna Miss You - Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
Common and John Legend - Glory - Selma
Diane Warren - Grateful - Beyond The Lights
Everything Is Awesome - The Lego Movie - music and lyric by Shawn Patterson
Lost Stars - Begin Again - music and lyric by Gregg Alexander & Danielle Brisebois

This award is going to Common and John Legend, and rightly so.  Like many, I am still peeved that Selma only received 2 nominations; and not any for acting, director, or technical achievement.  It is cold comfort, yet it is much deserving. 

Best Original Score

Alexandre Desplat - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alexandre Desplat - The Imitation Game
Hans Zimmer - Interstellar
Mr. Turner - music by Gary Yershon
The Theory Of Everything - music by Johan Johansson

I think Alexandre Desplat should be in the vicinity to win an Oscar, particularly with respect to The Grand Budapest Hotel.  Yet, Mr. Desplat being nominated twice might be a cancellation of ballots.  So, I would not be surprised to see Hans Zimmer win another Oscar for his interesting score for Interstellar.  Mr. Zimmer of course is much deserving of acclaim and appraisal. 

Best Animated Film: awarded to the primary filmmakers

Dean Deblois & Bonnie Arnold - How To Train Your Dragon 2
Isao Takahata & Yoshiaki Nishmura -  The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya
Big Hero 6 - directed by Don Hall,  Chris Williams & Roy Conti
The Boxtrolls - directed by Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable & Travis Knight
Song Of The Sea - directed by Tomm Moore & Paul Young

Although I really liked How To Drain Your Dragon 2; I found the Isao Takahata movie The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya to be more interesting once I had gotten a chance to see it.  Bear in mind, I am quite a fan of anime and Studio Ghibli anime in particular.  Thus this cerebral film is of more qualification to receive this award.

Best Foreign Language Film: awarded to the directors

Pawel Powlikaski - Ida
Abderrahammne Sissako -  Timbuktu
Zaza Ushadze -  Tangerines
Leviathan - directed by Andrey  Zyginiftsev
Wild Tales - directed by Damian Szifron

Having seen recently the Pawel Polwlikakski film Ida; I am certain this will deservedly win Best Foreign Language Film.  I also feel it could have contended for many of the leading Oscar categories.  Ida was well made and quite moving.

Best Original Screenplay

Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo - Birdman
Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Foxcatcher - screenplay by E. Max Frye & Dan Futterman
Night crawler - screenplay by Dan Gilroy

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and his co writers might be able to win this Oscar; considering Birdman went through numerous ideas that would not be found in a conventional movie.  I would much more prefer Richard Linklater to receive this Oscar, however.  Once again, the uniqueness of Boyhood is quite prevalent for movies in 2014.  Wes Anderson may need to wait a bit longer.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Paul Thomas Anderson - Inherent Vice - from the Thomas Pynchon novel
Damian Chazelle - Whiplash - from Chazelle's initial short movie
Chris Kyle, Jim DeFelice & Scott McEwen - American Sniper - adapted for the screen by Jason Hall
The Imitation Game - screenplay by Graham Moore from the Andrew Hodges biography Alan Turing: The Enigma
The Theory Of Everything - screenplay by Anthony McCarten from the Jane Wilde Hawking memoir Traveling To Infinity: My Life With Stephen

As odd as it may seem, Paul Thomas Anderson has never won on Oscar.  Not for Sydney, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood or The Master.  If for adapting Thomas Pynchon to the big screen, Anderson would be deserving to win.  Yet, Damian Chazelle did expand upon his student film to detail the hard life of a jazz musician.  So I would not be surprised if Chazelle's expansion of Whiplash receives the Oscar.  My preference of course would be for Paul Thomas Anderson; clearly one of the best filmmakers alive today.

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Duvall - The Judge
Ethan Hawke - Boyhood
Edward Norton - Birdman
Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons - Whiplash

As remarkable as Hawke, Norton & Ruffalo were in their respective films; J.K. Simmons damn well nailed it in Whiplash.  In point of fact, I think this role of Simmons' might be looked at by up and coming filmmakers and actors at how best to, as they say, chew the scenery. 

Best Supporting Actress

Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Laura Dern - Wild
Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
Emma Stone - Birdman
Meryl Streep - Into The Woods

This is a two person race between Patricia Arquette and Emma Stone.  In the end, I believe Ms. Arquette will deservedly receive her Oscar, in a role that while not physically transforming is an evolutionary role in ideas and stature.  I was amazed and continue to be awed at Ms. Arquette's talents.

Best Actor

Steve Carell - Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper - American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton - Birdman
Eddie Redmayne - The Theory Of Everything

This is a two person race between Steve Carell and Michael Keaton.  I am guessing Mr. Keaton will win an Oscar for basically playing a highly exaggerated version of himself and his Batman character.  It is an award which will be much admired by his peers. 

Best Actress

Marion Cottiald - Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones - The Theory Of Everything
Julianne Moore - Still Alice
Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon - Wild

This should, I hope, go to Marion Cottiald.  She has become one of the most interesting and versatile presences in film,  allowing a movie to be become far more interesting just by being in it.  Please do not be alarmed that the movie is in the French language.  It is a well made and excellent film in every way possible. 

Best Director

Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - Birdman
Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Bennett Miller - Foxcatcher
Morten Tyldum - The Imitation Game

Bennett Miller might not win considering Foxcatcher did not receive a best picture nod.  That leaves either Anderson, Gonzalez Inarritu, or Linklater.  I think and am confident Richard Linklater will receive Best Director.  And about damn time too.

Best Picture - awarded to the producers

Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Raines & Jeremy Dawson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Bradley Cooper, Andrew Lazar & Peter Morgan - American Sniper
Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan,  Lisa Bruce & Anthony McCarten - The Theory Of Everything
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, John Lesher & James W. Skotchdople - Birdman
Richard Linklater & Cathleen Sutherland - Boyhood
Oprah Winfrey, Christian Colson, DeDe Gardner & Jeremy Kleiner - Selma
The Imitation Game - produced by Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky & Teddy Schwartzman
Whiplash - produced by Jason Blum,  Helen Easterbrook & David Lancaster

While The Grand Budapest Hotel, Birdman, Selma and Whiplash were amongst the best movies in recent years; there can only be one Oscar winner.  And that movie is Boyhood.  In a way, Boyhood deserving to and likely winning Best Picture is a career achievement award for Richard Linklater; easily one of the most original and interesting filmmakers of his era.  To devote 12 years to tell a story of a young man from grade school to first year at the University of Texas is quite the feat. 

Another matter too: when he was alive, Roger Ebert had a series of essays devoted to what he deemed The Great Movies.  Were Ebert still alive, I have little doubt this would immediately go into the pantheon of Great Movies.  Waking Life was already on there, and it was possible Bernie might have made it too.  In short, this is not only of the best movies in recent years; Boyhood may well be amongst the best to be made.  Mr. Linklater should now be ranked up there with many of the great filmmakers in bringing this to life.  I cannot wait for his next film. 

Well, that is whom I hope and believe will and should win Oscars this year.  None the less, I do wonder what you might think of these movies and the nominees.  If you are able to, please leave a comment on this article; the interactivity would be of interest to many.  Do remember to have a Google or G Mail account to have all things be verified.

Talk to you all tomorrow,

Robert

PS.  Remember when Maroon 5/Adam Levine were considered edgy?  Remember the first time you heard anything off of Songs About Jane?

Do you remember those days?  Well, Pepperidge Farm remembers.