Oscar Night 2015. Predictions?

[Cooper]

Sunday, February 22nd, Neil Patrick Harris, who plays a bloody and creepy character in the hit movie Gone Girl, will be hosting the 87th Academy Awards.

 

Imo, 2015 wasn't the best of times for motion pictures but, perhaps, will be better remembered as a year for some fine acting and directing.

 

Having seen all the Best Picture nominations, the one that stands out most in my mind as Oscar worthy is "Boyhood". It's original, creative, and a 12 year labor of love for director Richard Linklater. If it does win the Oscar, it will be well deserved... I found Birdman to be the most bizarre and difficult movie to sit through. If it wins, then, crazy is back in town... The Grand Budapest Hotel is a fun and lively movie and, maybe someday, will make it to Broadway. Right up there with the likes of "Gentleman's Guide to Love and Marriage" and "You Can't Take It With You".... The Imitation Game is not only about a group of brilliant young people attempting to break the Nazi code but also deals with the harsh treatment of homosexuals in Great Britain during WW II... As for American Sniper, its received a lot of publicity and was the biggest money maker of all the nominated films. It's not in the same league as the Oscar winner "Hurt Locker". For me, it dragged and became redundant as it follows one tour of duty after another while depicting the harsh impact war has on the lives of these brave soldiers and their families.

 

As for Best Actor, I'd place my bet on Eddie Redmayne for his excellent portrayal of Prof. Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything". And, for Best Supporting Actor, it might be the year for J.K Simmons (Farmers Insurance commercial) for his role as the overbearing and abusive music instructor in the Oscar nominated movie "Whiplash". Not nominated for his role in Whiplash was the young (27 yo) and talented actor/musician Miles Teller. He has appeared in many movies but I have a feeling we're going to be hearing a lot more from him. His role as Andrew, the student drummer, was most impressive and memorable.

 

No predictions for Best Actress as I didn't see a couple of those movies, however, Rosamund Pike as Amazing Amy in Gone Girl is scary good. Also on my "to see list" is "Still Alice" as Julianne Moore is receiving rave reviews and a lot of Oscar attention.. In the category of Best Supporting Actress, this might be a close call between, Patricia Arquette for Boyhood and Meryl Streep for Into The Woods.

 

My prediction for Oscar night, Boyhood goes home the big winner.

 

Here is a partial list of nominations:

 

Best Picture

 

American Sniper

Birdman

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Selma

The Theory of Everything

Whiplash

 

Best Director

 

Alejandro Innaritu, Birdman

Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher

Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

 

Best Actor

 

Steve Carell, Foxcatcher

Bradley Cooper, American Sniper

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game

Michael Keaton, Birdman

Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

 

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

 

Best Supporting Actor

 

Robert Duvall, The Judge

Ethan Hawke, Boyhood

Edward Norton, Birdman

Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

 

Best Supporting Actress

 

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Laura Dern, Wild

Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game

Emma Stone, Birdman

Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

 

For the complete list of Oscar nominations click on the link: http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/01/2015-oscar-nominations-list

[markpaul]

I saw 6 of the best picture nominees. Of those I saw, my vote would go for Imitation Game. I still don't understand why Foxcatcher was not nominated for best picture. It was certainly well acted and the screenplay was very good.

[down_to_business]

Ok... I'll play.

 

Best Picture

Boyhood

 

 

Best Director

Richard Linklater, Boyhood

 

 

Best Actor (tie aka copout)

Michael Keaton, Birdman

Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

 

Best Actress

Julianne Moore, Still Alice

 

 

Best Supporting Actor

J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

 

 

Best Supporting Actress

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

[+ sf westcoaster]

I will predict the same winners as down_to_business with the exception of Best Actor, I will predict Eddie Redmayne

[+ quoththeraven]

I used to care about this, but now I don't. I haven't seen any of these movies (in fact, I can't think of a movie I've seen in the theatre since I saw 12 Years a Slave last year), and I've become increasingly frustrated with the Academy's biases.

 

Anyone who cares, the shot framing in The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything (and by extension most prestige Hollywood productions) is neatly taken down in this video:

 

[video=youtube_share;jGc-K7giqKM]

 

Now, that's true film-making -- and far from the most impressive of Kurosawa's movies or scenes.

[uwsman2]

I haven't seen all the nominated films this year, but among those I have "Boyhood" impressed me as the greatest cinematic achievement among them. I put off seeing it in a theater because I read that it was very long, and I felt it would be better viewed at home so I could take a strategic break if need be. But when I viewed it on DVD, I didn't need a break. I was enthralled, and eager to experience what happened next in the life of this young fellow. It pulls you along and grips you.... Not the usual Hollywood style production.

[+ purplekow]

i believe liberal guilt will raise its head and so the best picture will go to Selma to compensate for the lack of any other significant nominations for the film and for actors of color. Linklater does not get his deserved best picture but does pick up the best director. No one can outdo Redmayne unless you are allowing Daniel Day Lewis to be nominated for My Left foot. Sure it is years since that movie was released, but that role did require the complete physical transformation and involvement of the spiritual and emotional being played out on a broken canvas. Julianne Moore is the front runner and will probably win. i like Mark Ruffalo as an upset winner for his role in Foxcatcher and Meryl Streep loses yet again this time to Patricia Arquette. Meryl is a perennial nominee and rarely an award recipient. Her witch in into the Woods was the her usual excellent work, but the Oscars tend to grade on a curve, so excellent is not good enough for her whereas good is excellent for Ms. Arquette.