If I Picked the Oscars - Best Actor

The other day I posted the first round of my personal Oscar picks, from who I would personally nominate and also who would win in the Best Actress category (that post can be found here).

This time around, Best Actor. These would be my five nominees if I were put in charge of the Oscars, and the last one listed is my pick to win the award.

Ralph Fiennes - The Grand Budapest Hotel

Bringing the uniquely brilliant material of Wes Anderson to life seems like it cannot possibly be easy, yet Ralph Fiennes made it look that way in The Grand Budapest Hotel. Displaying perfect comedic delivery and timing, it was an absolute joy to watch Fiennes work throughout this entire film. Despite its intentional absurdity, this movie managed to invoke a certain nostalgic feeling in viewers that clearly resonated, given its critical, box office and award season success. Ralph Fiennes is a major reason why.

Channing Tatum - Foxcatcher

Yeah, that's right. Channing Tatum is a Best Actor nominee in my book. For whatever reason this bright talent remains an actor that people love to hate, as everywhere I look I see negative reactions whenever his name is mentioned as a possibility for a film. I not only don't roll my eyes when I see his name, I root for him to get the part because the richer the material Tatum gets to work with, the better and better he will get. This was proven in Foxcatcher, a film that demanded strong performances from the entire ensemble and they all delivered, yet despite the actual Oscar nominations for both Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo, I felt Tatum's portrayal of Mark Schultz was the strongest piece of this excellent movie. Intense, unnerving, unsettling and just plain awkward, I completely bought in to his character and admired every second he was on the screen.

David Oyelowo - Selma

I would imagine being offered the chance to play Martin Luther King Jr. in a major motion picture would be both a massive honor and an incredibly stressful endeavor. Sure, if it works you will be beloved for bringing the passionate and extraordinary Dr. King to the big screen, but if it doesn't work? That would be a rough moment for any career, being known as the guy who failed at portraying such an important man, the face and the force behind the Civil Rights Movement. David Oyelowo accepted this challenge and he delivered, my goodness he delivered. His work in the film Selma is gripping, emotional, beautiful stuff, and honestly, I still can't believe Bradley Cooper received a nomination over him at the Oscars. Cooper was good, but Oyelowo went to another level.

Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything

The transformation Eddie Redmayne pulled off to play Stephen Hawking was incredible. It's easy for me to look through a performance like this and see the guy pretending to be the real famous person with an illness, rather than get lost in the role and lose sight of the difference between reality and a fictionalized version. When I was watching The Theory of Everything, I was beyond lost in the heartbreaking nuanced turn by Redmayne. I was in awe of just how real it felt. Hell, even the real Stephen Hawking said he thought he was watching himself after witnessing it. Now that's a hell of a compliment.

and the Oscar goes to...

Jake Gyllenhaal - Nightcrawler

Ahhhhh Lou Bloom. While Julianne Moore's performance in Still Alice was the best work I saw in 2014, Lou Bloom is my favorite character of the year, and Jake Gyllenhaal's portrayal of him lands the top spot om this list. Nightcrawler is such an ominous and entertaining delight, and Gyllenhaal absolutely nails the lead role, showing an unsettling amount of range. I found myself quickly going from a genuine laugh out loud to feeling a sinister chill reverberate through my body, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time watching Jake put on a brilliant, inspired show.

Two actors I desperately wanted to include on this list were Michael Keaton was his amazing performance in Birdman and Haluk Bilginer for his subtly beautiful work in Winter Sleep, but alas such is the nature of narrowing down such an amazing crop of performances to only 5. A great year and unfortunately, I couldn't pick them all.

Foxcatcher Review

How do you define the American Dream? Can there possibly be only one universal definition of such a vague ideal that we strive for? I always hear this concept tossed around, the idea that a person was "searching for the American Dream" but I would imagine the word "the" should actually be changed to "their", because how can we all be searching and striving for the same thing?

In some seemingly important respects, John du Pont (Steve Carell) had everything, as he was a member of a family that obsessed over obtaining both wealth and power and he was not lacking in either department. To many, a simple glance at a place like Foxcatcher Farms and you would assume that whoever was lucky enough to call it home must be a perfect example of someone who achieved the American Dream, yet John's dream was not yet complete. Right there, at the very place he called home, John du Pont had a state of the art wrestling training facility built, where he hoped to assemble a team of athletes that he could send to and hopefully dominate the world championships. What's the point of having power if you aren't able to use it?

When we meet Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), we aren't following an origin story of his journey to a gold medal in the 84' Olympics. That has already happened, and what is quickly established is that such a thing isn't always as life changing as it seems through the television screen in that moment of athletic glory. Both Mark and his brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo), also a gold medal winner in the same Olympics but a different weight class, continue on with their lives as normal despite their success on the world's biggest stage. John du Pont enters their lives when he contacts Mark and offers him the chance to move his life to Foxcatcher Farms and join the team, along with a salary of $25,000 which is a paltry sum to a man like du Pont but to Schultz, despite the gold medal dangling around his neck, it is an exciting and enticing offer. Getting paid for what he loves and feeling desired because of his abilities. That was Mark Schultz's American Dream.

Foxcatcher is a dark, brooding and absolutely fantastic film on so many levels. It can be enjoyed simply as a exercise in using mood and setting to send shivers down the audiences spine. It is a fascinating character study with amazing character building and comprehension without even taking a lot of time to develop them. We learn who these people, both the Schultz brothers along with John du Pont, are because of the spectacular across the board performances and stunningly paced screenplay that never feels rushed yet also moves with a brisk and entertaining flow. It is an example of top notch, confident direction by Bennett Miller who knows just how to follow and frame his subjects, just how to meticulously craft an artful film yet keep it accessible for anyone willing to watch.

Since this is a true story, I knew exactly what would happen in the end as I had read about the tragic result of the jealous, unstable relationship between John du Pont and the Schultz brothers, but it doesn't matter as you actually watch the events unfold. Personally I was sucked into the ominous tone and the nuanced, measured performances, of which I hold the likely unpopular opinion that Channing Tatum as Mark was the strongest of the bunch despite both Carell and Ruffalo being recognized with Oscar nominations. This isn't to diminish their work, no one missed a single beat here, but for all the flack Tatum gets from people due to some poor films he did in the past, the guy absolutely delivers with a perfectly unsettling turn here.

What is my version of the American Dream? I know this much, it doesn't include wrestling or a man like John du Pont. I will gladly revisit this film though, that I consider to be time well spent.


4.5/5

Oscar Nominations 2015 - Final Predictions

My how things have changed since the first time I did nomination predictions a couple of months ago (which can be found here). I didn't even factor in the possibility of The Grand Budapest Hotel would be such a major player for Best Picture, considering it's March release date and quirky Wes Anderson nature, but there it was winning the trophy in the comedy or musical category the other night at the Golden Globes.

With the Oscar nominations being released early Thursday morning, here are my final predictions of who will be recognized in each category. Of course, after they are released and I my guesses are proven to be horribly wrong, I will then make some predictions of who will win of the actual nominees. I won't even bother picking winners now, merely nominations.

BEST PICTURE

Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Birdman
Gone Girl
Nightcrawler
Whiplash
Selma
Foxcatcher


I know the past few years the number of films nominated for Best Picture has turned out to be nine, so I will just continue the trend and pick that amount here. If a tenth film were to be slotted it, it would likely be The Theory of Everything, but I will continue to believe that voters will see what I saw: amazing performances insider a pretty standard, good but not great biopic.

If the list above does actually pan out, I will be thrilled. So many personal favorites among the nominees, with my top two films of the year being Boyhood and Gone Girl, and my current 4, 5, and 6 being Whiplash, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman. While Nightcrawler sits just outside my top ten, I am rooting for it to be nominated not only because it is a great film worthy of the recognition, I also will appreciate what it will represent since it is typically the type of work that would be acclaimed critically but ignored by the academy.

BEST DIRECTOR

Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
David Fincher, Gone Girl
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

With the potential love thrown in the direction of films like Whiplash and Nightcrawler (and I complain about neither receiving support), Fincher and/or Tyldum could be left off this list for either Damien Chazelle or Dan Gilroy, and you absolutely cannot count out Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher. Oh, and Clint Eastwood garnered a DGA nomination for American Sniper today, yet for some reason I can't shake the idea that the Academy will not follow suit. The only one of the films I listed as nominations that I haven't yet seen is The Imitation Game, so it wouldn't be fair of me to root against Tyldum in favor of one of these other possibilities.

BEST ACTOR

Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel


Going with a bit of a surprise here with Fiennes, but I can feel the love for The Grand Budapest Hotel that I was never expecting and my goodness what a delightful performance it is. My four favorite single lead performances of 2014 would be recognized here if these picks did pan out, with only Cumberbatch not a part of the mix for me and that is due to my not seeing The Imitation Game yet.

BEST ACTRESS

Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Amy Adams, Big Eyes

Another surprise pick at the end of that list, although it may not seem like it since Amy Adams just walked away with a Best Actress prize Sunday night at the Globes. That award was specific for her role in a comedy film, and thus the daunting task is trying to sneak in against the dramatic contenders. It seems like Jennifer Aniston would be the choice for that fifth spot for her film Cake, but I just have a gut feeling we hear Amy Adams instead. She seems to be recently beloved by the academy, nominated for an Oscar three of the last four years, and I expect that to continue here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

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

One of the few categories that I expect no surprises in. These are the five names that are likely to be recognized and I believe they will.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Emma Stone, Birdman
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year

Much like supporting actor, the expected five are the names I predicted above so I am anticipating no surprises. Although watch out for Tilda Swinton for her bizarre yet fantastic turn in Snowpiercer.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, Foxcatcher
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler

This category got very interesting when they deemed that Whiplash would be considered an adapted screenplay rather than original, a very strange decision as what the film is adapted from was literally a scene from the actual film that was released as a short to raise the funds to help make the full movie. Sounds confusing when I read that back, but I'm not sure how to work it better.

Whiplash seemed to be a shoe in for an original nomination, so that decision frees up a spot.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl
Graham Moore, The Imitation Game
Nick Hornby, Wild
Paul Thomas Anderson, Inherent Vice
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash


That vacated spot on the original side of the ballot means Whiplash gets to take one of the adapted spots from a film hoping for it, likely the work of Anthony McCarten for The Theory of Everything. Likely the only category that Inherent Vice will be recognized for, which is a shame.

BEST EDITING

Boyhood
Birdman
Gone Girl
Whiplash
Interstellar


It is very, very likely that Interstellar will be overlooked her for something like The Imitation Game, but I can hold out hope for as many nominations as possible for my third favorite film of the year, since I am pretty certain it will be ignored in all of the major categories I already covered.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mr. Turner
Unbroken
Interstellar


Likely the only nomination for Unbroken, which is a good thing because the only aspect I would want that misfire of a film to receive recognition for would be the work of the amazing Roger Deakins (and even his cinematography left me underwhelmed to be honest). Again, rooting for the technical recognition for Interstellar.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Interstellar
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Into the Woods
Birdman
The Imitation Game


Interesting to see if Mr. Turner gets a nod here as I expect it will for cinematography, very much a possibility it knocks The Imitation Game out of that last spot.

BEST SOUND MIXING

Interstellar
Into the Woods
Whiplash
American Sniper
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes


Sound mixing is typically the category where you see a shitty movie like a Transformers 4 get nominated, so you never know, something like that could sneak in.

BEST SOUND EDITING

Interstellar
Into the Woods
Whiplash
Birdman
American Sniper

See above for possibility that Transformers 4 finds another nomination.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Into the Woods
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Mr. Turner
Belle

Should be really interesting to see who wins this one between Into the Woods and The Grand Budapest Hotel, both have such inspired costume design.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Gone Girl
Unbroken
Interstellar
The Theory of Everything
The Imitation Game

I watched every second of The Theory of Everything closely, and I can barely remember a single note of music from the film. The score did nothing for me, it felt like standard biopic material, but it shocked the holy hell out of me by winning the Golden Globe. I guess that means it scores a nomination here.

*I was informed after posting this that the Birdman score was deemed ineligible by the Academy. This means I begrudgingly slide Unbroken into the vacant spot.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Force Majeure
Ida
Leviathan
Wild Tales
Tangerines

Of these nominees, I have only seen Ida (it is very good)...that is going to have to change prior to the Oscars so I can have a better understanding of the competition.

BEST DOCUMENTARY

CitizenFour
Life Itself
Last Days in Vietnam
The Overnighters
Virunga

This is a category that seems to have the potential to surprise some people, so while I haven't seen a ton of recognition for the Netflix Original film Virunga yet, I have a gut feeling it pops up here.

Have to see CitizenFour still, since that appears to be the major competition for Life Itself which is a wonderful, beautiful film.

BEST ANIMATED FILM

The LEGO Movie
How To Train Your Dragon 2
The Tales of Princess Kaguya
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls

The first two films listed above both currently sit in my top ten of 2014, so safe to say I am a fan of animation this past year. Still need to see The Tales of Princess Kaguya, I admire the work of Studio Ghibli so much so I am expecting to love it as well.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Interstellar
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Transformers 4
Godzilla

Yes, I presented the possibility of two Transformers 4 nominations above, and here I flat out believe it will be among the five. Gotta love the technical categories, they make a Michael Bay film appear to be more accomplished than something like Inherent Vice.

As for the other four films listed, I would love to spend a weekend watching those on Blu-ray while laying on the couch. That would be a blast.

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP

Birdman
Into the Woods
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy

Another potential showdown between Into the Woods and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

BEST SONG

"Glory" by Common and John Legend, Selma
"Big Eyes" by Lana Del Rey, Big Eyes
"Mercy Is" by Patti Smith, Noah
"Yellow Flicker Beat" by Lorde, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
"Opportunity" by Sia, Annie


Same five nominees as the Golden Globes, and gut feeling the result is the same with "Glory" taking home the trophy. Not an official pick, just seems likely at the moment.

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Feast
Duet
Coda
The Bigger Picture
Footprints


For anyone who has not seen in, Feast is a wonderful animated short. Touching, heartfelt stuff.



BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
The Lion's Mouth Opens
One Child
Our Curse
Joanna


I read about these shorts and I always want to see them before the Oscars, but I never seem to. Need to find a way to start so I can have a better understanding of what makes them award worthy prior to the ceremony.



BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

Carry On
The Phone Call
Boogaloo and Graham
Aya
Baghdad Messi


Same as above, would love to see some or all of these before the Oscars take place. All I know is that these are titles mentioned as possibilities for the category, so I just kind of blindly picked.

Thursday morning the nominations will be announced and I will find out how I did, and then I will make some predictions of who will actually win after that. The Golden Globes felt like a preseason game, and here comes the real thing. Very excited.