The 87th Academy Awards take place on Sunday, and will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. I have compiled a list of who I think will receive the Academy Awards on Sunday evening. All of the nominees can be found here: Oscar Nominees.
Best Picture: Boyhood
For all the cynics
who claim Boyhood has been the mainstay of this award season purely
for its 'twelve years in the making' tag either have not watched the
film or, if they have seen it, have not engaged enough with it. This
soulful journey from childhood to the cusp of adulthood exemplifies
the ordinary as extraordinary, and is utterly beguiling throughout.
If not Boyhood, I would much prefer either The Grand Budapest Hotel
or Whiplash be given this accolade, rather than the overwrought
Birdman, which is a more probable contender to foist the award away
from Boyhood.
Directing:
Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman
The most flashy
direction, and therefore the frontrunner for Director has to be
Iñárritu for Birdman. He has just won the Director's Guild Award
and, one would think that this category is his to lose. There is a
chance Richard Linklater could take this. Alejandro González
Iñárritu probably will.
Actor in a Leading Role: Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything
Michael Keaton is
still the odds-on-favourite for Birdman, but I feel Eddie Redmayne
will receive Actor in a Leading Role. His performance of Stephen Hawking is a
deteriorating transformation, amplified through the minutiae of
mannerisms, mood and movement. Most affecting and meticulously
handled; for sheer loyalty to the demands of this role, Redmayne
deserves this.
Actress in a Leading
Role: Julianne Moore for Still Alice
Julianne Moore
deserves an Oscar. That much is obvious. For Still Alice, a film
about how the titular character copes with being diagnosed with onset alzheimers at
the age of 50, Moore relaxes into an unnerving state, conveying the frustrations and tribulations of the illness, whilst attempting to be a mother, a wife
and a teacher. As Alice's memories fade into the abysses of her psyche, the result of Moore's
complete performance devastates.
Actor in a
Supporting Role: JK Simmons for Whiplash
Like Javier Bardem
for No Country For Old Men. Like Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight.
Like Christoph Waltz for Inglorious Basterds. A shockingly memorable,
nefarious antagonist, performed with a mixture of glee and horror,
warrants an Oscar. JK Simmons, as Terrence Fletcher, will win this
award.
Actress in a
Supporting Role: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood
For her own nuanced
expedition throughout the twelve years of Boyhood as the mother of
Mason Jr and Samantha, Patricia Arquette will be accepting an Oscar
this Sunday.
Adapted
Screenplay: Whiplash by Damien Chazelle
The probability lies
with either Graham Moore for The Imitation Game or Anthony McCarten
for The Theory of Everything, though I would love for Damien
Chazelle to take this. His script is so raw and original (ironic,
seeing as though it is up for adapted screenplay, due to Chazelle
adapting Whiplash from a previous short he made). A surprise could be
in order, and it could happen here.
Original
Screenplay: The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson
A dead cert for me.
The Grand Budapest Hotel was Wes Anderson at his eccentric best. A
stylised, Anderson-personified, cracking script brimming with
crackling dialogue.
Animated Feature
Film: Big Hero 6
A tough one to call,
as the real winner did not qualify (The Lego Movie was shunned by the
Academy). Big Hero 6 and How to Train Your Dragon 2 were both
entertaining, but the original concept and sentimentality of the
superhero story might see it soar come Oscar night. It is worth mentioning Song of the Sea also, and its gloomy, pastel animated background. This contrasts gloriously with the lighter digital animation of the foreground characters and continually evokes the tragedy of the story. In other words, Song of the Sea has plenty of potential in this category.
Ida was beautifully
shot (it might have an outside chance of taking cinematography away
from Birdman), with an absorbing story, tactful direction and honest
performances. Either Leviathan and Wild Tales could claim victory
here, though I feel Ida will be crowned the Foreign Language Film of
the year.
Cinematography: Birdman
Costume Design: Into The Woods
Documentary Feature: CitizenFour
Documentary Short Subject: Our Curse
Film Editing: American Sniper
Make-Up and Hair Styling: Guardians of the Galaxy
Music Original Score: The Theory of Everything
Music Original Song: "Glory" from Selma
Production Design: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Short Film Animated: A Single Life
Short Film Live Action: Parvaneh
Sound Editing: American Sniper
Sound Mixing: Whiplash
Visual Effects: Interstellar
More articles will be coming soon, including the Seven Best Tom Cruise Films and a commentary on film critics. Enjoy the Oscars folks!
