So, the day has finally come for the 87th Academy Awards. I’m not sure who is more excited, the nominees, or myself. But, February 22nd is here, and one of the closet Best Picture Oscar races in the last decade, if not more, the night will be full of surprises and major shocks. So let the night begin…
Best Original Song
Everything is Awesome- The Lego Movie
Glory- Selma–WINNER!
Grateful- Beyond The Lights
I’m Not Gonna Miss You- Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
Lost Stars- Begin Again
Thoughts: Quite possibly the best Moment of the 2015 Oscars. The performance had power, class and showed a range of emotions from various actors (Yea Chris Pine, we’re talking about you) to get JUST how amazing that performance was live.
Best Visual Effects
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Interstellar–WINNER!
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Thoughts: If you thought Christopher Nolan and company was going to be completely shun (as I did), you were wrong. If there was one award deserving of this ambitious sci-fi spectacle, it was surely the visual effects, which we NOT done with any computer graphics and done the old fashion way; camera work, tricks and great production. This was a great surprise.
Documentary Short Subject
Crisis Hotline–WINNER!
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper
White Earth
Best Documentary
Citizenfour–WINNER!
Finding Vivian Myers
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga
Editing
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
Whiplash–WINNER!
If there is one emotion I know is felt by most people who have claimed to see Whiplash, its a familiar notion of anxiety and intoxication that the film seems to so easily retract to its audience. Much of that has to do its insanely creative and talented editor, Tom Cross. Cross whips and lashes his way to Oscar glory with a very well deserved win. Plus, his speech wasn’t half bad.
Sound Editing
American Sniper–WINNER!
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken
Since American Sniper brought in a ridiculous amount of American coin in the month of January, it was only kind of the Acemedy to acknowledge that and give them an Oscar, just for the sake of it saying that it was able to win an Oscar. Was it deserving? Not really but whatever.
Sound Mixing
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash–WINNER!
Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel–WINNER!
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr.Turner
Best Live Action Short
Aya
Boogaloo And Graham
Butter Lamp
Parvaneh
The Phone Call–WINNER!
Thoughts: Not MY personal fav of the 5 picks, but surely my number two spot. Plus, when you have the star power of the infectiously charming Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent, how can you not win an Oscar?
Best Animated Short Film
The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Feast–WINNER!
Me and My Moulton
Single Life
Thoughts: I could have easily put this endearing and sweet short in the Animated Feature category and I would have easily been a contender. Feast is a feast for the eyes, ears, heart and soul. See it whenever you can.
Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6–WINNER!
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kayuga
Thoughts: Quite possibly one of the biggest upsets of the evening. It was convinced that Dreamworks’ Dragon was going to come away with the award come Oscar night, but the house of mouse always proves to have many tricks up its sleeves.
Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall– The Judge
Ethan Hawke– Boyhood
Edward Norton– Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Mark Ruffalo– Foxcatcher
J.K Simmons-Whiplash–WINNER!
Thoughts: Out of the male acting categories, this was a no-brainer. Simmons is a fantastic genre actor who deserved his win. He may have dragged a bit to get it, but I bet he won’t be rushing to stay out of the spotlight of intense and fantastic roles. Oh, and don’t forget to call your parents folks!
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette– Boyhood–WINNER!
Laura Dern– Wild
Emma Stone– Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Meryl Streep– Into The Woods
Keira Knightly– The Imitation Game
Thoughts: Who would have thought that Boyhood’s only Oscar win would be in this category? Im sure not many, but nonetheless, the film’s execution will surely be remembered more than the actual film itself. The same could easily be said for Patricia Arquette’s role as the all American ‘mom’, especially faced against her Meryl Streep applauded Oscar acceptance speech.
Make Up & Hair
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel–WINNER!
Thoughts: Put Tilda Swinton in any make-up room, and I am SURE she will win you an Oscar.
Costume Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel–WINNER!
Inherent Vice
Into The Woods
Maleficent
Mr.Turner
Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)–WINNER!
Robert Yeoman- The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lukasz Zal & Ryszard Lenczewski-Ida
Dick Pope- Mr. Turner
Roger Deakins- Unbroken
Thoughts: At first, director of photography Lubezki couldn’t win an Oscar for the life of him, but after last year’s Gravity and this year’s Birdman, it seems that two wins in a row would defy any’s laws of gravity for this spectacular and talented visionary.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Jason Hall-American Sniper
Graham Moore- The Imitation Game–WINNER!
Paul Thomas Anderson- Inherent Vice
Anthony McCarten- The Theory of Everything
Damien Chazelle- Whiplash
Thoughts: I didn’t particularly think this script deserved the Oscar for best Adapted, but once Mr.Moore accepted his speech, I couldn’t have been happier. Stay weird everyone!
Best Original Screenplay
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Armando Bo, Alexander Dinelaris & Nicolás Giacobone- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)–WINNER!
Richard Linklater- Boyhood
E. Max Frye & Dan Futterman- Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson- The Grand Budapest Hotel
Dan Gilroy- Nightcrawler
Thoughts: I have a theory that, Original Screenplay winners are the most celebrated and beloved indie films of that year. It was easily between The Grrand Budapest Hotel and Birdman for this hardware, and I was fine with Birdman taking it–I just wish that they gave more time to each writer to say something, cause we all know they have the best acceptance speeches.
Best Original Score
Alexandre Desplat- The Grand Budapest Hotel–WINNER!
Alexandre Desplat- The Imitation Game
Jóhann Jóhannsson- The Theory of Everything
Gary Yershon- Mr.Turner
Hans Zimmer- Interstellar
Thoughts: This was by-far one of the hardest categories for me to predict this year, since I thought everyone was deserving, even Yershon for Mr.Turner (one of the highlights of the film for me). Desplat’s win was deserving, well planned and left no bad taste in my mouth.
Best Foreign Film
Ida-Poland–WINNER!
Leviathan-Russia
Tangeries-Estonia
Timbuktu– Mauritania
Wild Tales– Argentina
Achievement in Directing
Alejandro González Iñárritu- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)–WINNER!
Richard Linklater- Boyhood
Bennett Miller- Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson- The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum- The Imitation Game
Thoughts: Linklater must be pissed. AGI is on fire and although I think Lubezki deserves more credit with directing the way the film is easily and smoothly able to transcend its actor, AGI is very deserving of this award as well.
Best Actress
Marion Cotillard- Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones- The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore- Still Alice–WINNER!
Rosamund Pike- Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon- Wild
Thoughts: I mean, how could she not win? Moore is one of the best actresses of our generation and may perhaps be right under Meryl Streep status. The role was fantastic, her speech was nothing short of adorable and she was deserving of an Oscar in the 90’s.
Best Actor
Steve Carell- Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper- American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch- The Imitation Game
Micheal Keaton- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Eddie Redmayne- The Theory of Everything–WINNER!
Thoughts: Not sure if anyone noticed, but the ginger’s are taking over! Im pretty sure that is J.K Simmons let his hair grow out, it would be red also. Hands down, while many thought Keaton was deserving of this award, Redmayne will be the wiser choice when cinephiles check out this film twenty years after its release. Redmayne is a wonder as Hawkins and absolutely made us blush when he went on stage to receive his deserving honour.
Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)–WINNER!
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Thoughts: While I did enjoy Birdman more than Boyhood, I did think it would walk away with more than one Oscar tonight. Birdman’s win was kind of a surprise, and kind of not, since it gained so much momentum near the tail end of the Oscar campaigning. Congrats to all the nominees and winners nonetheless.
And if you didn’t have enough Oscar for one weekend, check out our fav moments of the 2015 Oscar telecast below.
Best Neglected Child Moment: When Patricia Arquette’s name was called to received the Oscar for her role in Boyhood, Coltrane ran from his seat, trying to get the attention of Arquette for a moment of congratulations. Unfortunately, Arqueete clearly liked her daughter better.
Weirdest Redemption Moment: Travolta will be forever infamous for his mispronunciation of Idina Menzel’s name at the 2014 Oscar telecast. Thankfully, the grooving gentleman had another chance at redemption, but couldn’t help but touch the heck out of her face instead. Will there be a round three in 2016?
Most Resilient Acceptance Speech: Ida’s director, Pawel Pawlikowski Oscar speech was both heartfelt, sweet and not really long. Yet, whenever the Orchestra tried to score him off the stage, he never stopped. It was the FIRST and ONLY time I’ve seen an individual not shut up the orchestra (Adrianm Brody, we’re looking at you) but kept going and just let the music die below his kind words. Well done Pawel.
Best Unplanned Oscar Host of the Night: While the telecast was going, I don’t think ONE person wasn’t thinking of someone else would have been a better replacement for the clearly nervous and sweaty NPH. But, alas, there was one person who was the definition of cool, calm and collected and seems like he could have killed hosting duties at the Oscar’s this year, and its none other than the forty year old virgin himself, Steve Carrell. Thanks Steve, for some genuine laughter.
Worst Running Joke: I don’t know who approved the whole “brief-case bit” for NPH, but it died, and had to go, before the telecast even began. Poor Octavia Spencer.
Worst Musical Performance: Everything is NOT awesome when you need parodying musicians to perform a song. Everything was AWFUL when Tegan & Sara, The Lonely Island and Questlove performed the highly annoying Lego anthem “Everything is Awesome”.
Best Musical Performance: Im going to have to tie this with Lady Gaga and the glorious performance of John Legend and Common for “Glory”. Im going to have to say “Glory” has the slight edge in this one, and it was ALL thanks to the master of unexpected cameos, Chris Pine and his tears. I mean, come on! Did anyone else see Celeste & Jesse Forever and Pine’s cameo there? I brought out in laughter and this time, I cried with him. Pine may not be my fav, but he knows how to work it.
Well, there you have it folks. The 87th Annual Academy Awards are a wrap and 2015 is upon us, a new ear of brilliant upcoming filmmaking. We cannot wait to see what 2015 has in store, from AGI’s follow-up The Revnant to Child 44, Mad Max: Fury Road, Focus, Chappie, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Far From the Madding Crown, Pitch Perfect 2, Aloha, Furious 7, Entourage, Jurassic World, Ant-Man, Inside Out, Ted 2, Magic Mike XXL, Trainwreck, Minions, Fantastic Four, Man from U.N.C.L.E., Straight Outta Compton, Masterminds, Regression, Everest, South Paw, Black Mass, The Intern, The Walk, Spectre, The Martian, Midnight Special, Star Wars, Sisters, Joy and Mission Impossible 5, 2015 is going to be stacked! Have fun!
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