Oscar's Predilections.

Film Having been reading Doctor Who comics all morning and shopping at Asda, I entirely forgot about the Oscar nominations. Watching the announcement via YouTube led to an enjoyable moment when a microphone two of the producers of the coverage discussed when to turn off the feed, "We don't want a situation like last year..." Whatever happened then. I've slept and eaten some cheese since then. Either way the only thing anyone is talking about on Twitter is Dick Poop and The Lego Movie.

Best Picture

American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Of course, though given previous experience, and I do keep saying this, it'll probably go to something relatively conventional with a decent lead performance.

Best Director

Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

But if it wasn't there, Wes Anderson. That goes for Best Picture too. I wouldn't be entirely unhappy if Budapest won both either.

Best Actor

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

Because Cumberbatch.

Best Actress

Marion Cotillard, One Day, Two Nights
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Because Jones. Felicity "Chalet Girl" Jones is now an Oscar nominee. Though Pike is a close second.

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

Although we're reminded by anyone who watches soap operas that actors there have had to sustain characters across many years, the technical feat of doing that convincingly and invisible across over a decade within a few days here and there can't be disregarded. There is an argument that they're playing versions of themselves, but Hawke's characterisation is very distinct when seen in comparison to Jesse.

Best Original Screenplay

Birdman, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., Armando Bo
Boyhood, Richard Linklater
Foxcatcher, E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness
Nightcrawler, Dan Gilroy

Admittedly to an extent these awards should be handed to Boyhood for the sheer endurance of the effort, but in relation to screenplay, creating a coherent story across that time taking into account changes in casting and location has to be acknowledged.

Best Adapted Screenplay

American Sniper, Jason Hall
The Imitation Game, Graham Moore
Inherent Vice, Paul Thomas Anderson
The Theory of Everything, Anthony McCarten
Whiplash, Damien Chazelle

Shrugs. Haven#t seen any of these. Cumberbatch rule applied.

Best Foreign Language Film

Ida (Poland)
Leviathan (Russia)
Tangerines (Estonia)
Timbuktu (Mauritania)
Wild Tales (Argentina)

Was One Day, Two Nights not submitted? I haven't seen that yet either but it seems like a real Oscar type film. Odd.

Best Documentary Feature

Citizenfour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

That's what I presume will win - its the least controversial of the choices,

Best Animated Feature

Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

See here. Other than that I'm applying the MARVEL rule. Other than Boyhood, the most important film of last year was relegated to the craft categories.

Best Original Song

“Everything Is Awesome,” The LEGO Movie
“Glory,” Selma
“Grateful,” Beyond the Lights
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me
“Lost Stars,” Begin Again

Consolation prize. Sniff.

Best Original Score

The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Mr. Turner
The Theory of Everything

Though having two Desplat nominated scores means it'll go to something else due to split voting.

Best Film Editing

American Sniper
Boyfood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

In your face, The Baftas. The multiple aspect ratios of Budapest should give us pause though.

Best Cinematography

Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken

Obvs.

Best Costume Design

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner

Because it's the one I've seen. Disney vs Disney here too.

Best Production Design

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

See above.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy

Because it's the most important film of last year. Expect Budpest will get it though.

Best Visual Effects

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Dawn will probably win it though. At a certain point the Oscars are going to have to start looking at mocapping in general and as an artform. In this category we're comparing the creation of a performance with crashing a spaceship into a city. They're not the same thing.

Best Sound Editing

American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

Bless.

Best Sound Mixing

American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

No idea. Should have seen it at the cinema. Didn't. I've left the Short Films off. I know my place.

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