The Oscars are approaching, and the race for best picture is going down to the wire. Its among the closest race in years, but how will the rest of the awards play out? From live action short, to best actor, I'll run down through every category right here. Throughout these predictions, I'll also introduce the best picture nominees. So, lets go.
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
We start off with the top blockbuster award, Visual Effects. For once, no Transformers, each nominee here actually was a good reviewed film. I could see Guardians of the Galaxy taking this, however I'm going with Christopher Nolan's epic, Interstellar. It takes what "Gravity" did last year to a new level.
Pick: Interstellar
Best Film Editing:
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash
Best Film Editing can tend to be a tell in the Best Picture race (although maybe not as much this year, being that its without Birdman), but it would certainly be a leg-up for whoever wins. Now it seems pretty clear here, with how Boyhood was made and what it took to edit together footage shot over 12 years, I think it gets the Oscar.
Pick: Boyhood
Best Costume Design:
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner
There's a lot of style in these nominees. While Into the Woods is a top contender, I'm going with The Grand Budapest Hotel. You'll probably read this a lot through these sort of categories, but the style of The Grand Budapest Hotel is what puts it over the top.
Pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Picture Preview:
An experience of a film looking into the life of Chris Kyle, this is American Sniper
Best Makeup & Hairstyling:
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy
All very worthy nominees. First, you have Foxcatcher subtly making Steve Carell nearly unrecognizable. Then, The Grand Budapest Hotel totally transforming Tilda Swinton, and of course Guardians Of the Galaxy turning Zoe Saldana into Gamora. Like my call for Best Costume Design, I'm going with The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Cinematography:
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken
If you're like me, you've probably wondered, what exactly does "cinematography" mean? Well, I have the answer for you. Cinematography is defined as "the science or art of motion picture photography". Given that, it seems clear, this is going to Birdman and its brilliant camera work.
Pick: Birdman
Best Production Design:
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner
Another design award, and another Oscar for The Grand Budapest Hotel. It thrives on style...blah blah blah (you get the point by now, haha).
Pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Picture Preview:
A fascinating look at a fallen comic book actor looking to make a comeback on Broadway, this is Birdman
Best Sound Mixing:
American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash
We now arrive to the first of the 2 sound categories. Being one of those blockbuster awards, I'm going with Interstellar here.
Pick: Interstellar
Best Sound Editing:
American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken
So, the difference between sound mixing and editing is.......umm.....yeah, I've got nothing. Whoever wins the first usually wins the second, so Interstellar.
Pick: Interstellar
Best Original Song:
"Everything is Awesome" - The Lego Movie (Shawn Patterson)
"Glory" - Selma (John Legend/Common)
"Grateful" - Beyond the Lights (Diane Warren)
"I'm Not Gonna Miss You" - Glenn Campbell: I'll Be Me (Glenn Campbell/Julian Raymond)
"Lost Stars" - Begin Again (Gregg Alexander/Danielle Brisebois)
"Glory" seems to be the prohibitive favorite, and I agree. It really is an epic song by John Legend and Common that really enhances Selma.
Pick: "Glory" - Selma (John Legend/Common)
Best Picture Preview:
A family drama spanning 12 years looking at how sometimes the moment can seize you, this is Boyhood
Best Original Score:
The Grand Budapest Hotel (Alexandre Desplat)
The Imitation Game (Alexandre Desplat)
Interstellar (Hans Zimmer)
Mr. Turner (Gary Yershon)
The Theory of Everything (Johann Johannsson)
This one seems to be between Golden Globe Winning "The Theory of Everything" and The Imitation Game. While the score for The Theory of Everything is fantastic, I just have a feeling this will go to The Imitation Game. This is Alexandre Desplat at his typical best (as his name has become a common appearance at the Oscars).
Pick: The Imitation Game (Alexandre Desplat)
Best Animated Short Film:
The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Feast
Me and My Moulton
A Single Life
We now arrive to the short film categories. Now when it comes to Animated Shorts, you never bet against Disney, and I'm not about to. I'm going with Feast.
Pick: Feast
Best Live Action Short Film:
Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp
Parvaneh
The Phone Call
When looking at live action shorts, what you have to look at are the plot and a starring cast, and The Phone Call has that with Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent, and a plot centering on a helpline call center.
Pick: The Phone Call
Best Picture Preview:
A Wes Anderson film with style, centering on a wild journey at the Grand Budapest...its The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Documentary Short Subject:
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper (La Parka)
White Earth
A lot of variety here, but I'm going with Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1. A very powerful short on the veterans crisis, this seems like an Oscar winner.
Pick: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Best Documentary Feature:
Citizenfour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga
This category really got turned on its head with the exclusion of the Roger Ebert documentary "Life Itself". Without "Life Itself", Citizenfour has emerged has a favorite, and I think it takes the Oscar. It plays out as a thriller, looking into NSA and Edward Snowden. However, don't be surprised if Virunga pulls off the upset.
Pick: Citizenfour
Best Picture Preview:
A look into how Alan Turing was able to crack the enigma code...while maintaining a secret that could be his own downfall, this is The Imitation Game
Best Foreign Language Film:
Ida (Poland)
Leviathan (Russia)
Tangerines (Estonia)
Timbuktu (Mauritania)
Wild Tales (Argentina)
Through awards season, this has been a race between Ida and Leviathan. While Leviathan took the Golden Globe, Ida has been making gains, and I think it gets the Oscar.
Pick: Ida
Best Animated Feature Film:
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Much like Best Documentary, this category got shaken up when "The Lego Movie" was surprisingly snubbed. Ever since, How to Train Your Dragon 2 has emerged as the favorite, and I think it capitalizes and wins.
Pick: How to Train Your Dragon 2
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)
This seems to be the more straight-forward Screenplay category. The Imitation Game is the favorite here, and I think it gets the win for an incredible screenplay that really portrays Alan Turing well.
Pick: The Imitation Game (Graham Moore)
Best Original Screenplay:
Birdman (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)
Boyhood (Richard Linklater)
Foxcatcher (E.Max Frye & Dan Futterman)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy)
This is the more stacked screenplay category. I could easily see Birdman or Boyhood get a leg up here, but the Academy likes Wes Anderson and he would certainly be a deserving winner here. Being that Wes Anderson won during the Writer's Guild Awards, I think The Grand Budapest Hotel takes this.
Pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
Best Picture Preview:
A look into a movement and the work that helped to change the country, this is Selma
Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Laura Dern (Wild)
Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)
Emma Stone (Birdman)
Meryl Streep (Into the Woods)
Three of the four acting categories seem pretty locked up, and this is one of them. Patricia Arquette was brilliant in Boyhood, playing a single mother who had her own challenges (along with her son, Mason).
Pick: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Best Picture Preview:
A compelling look at the lives of Stephen and Jane Hawking as they overcome obstacles, this is The Theory of Everything
Best Supporting Actor:
Robert Duvall (The Judge)
Ethan Hawke (Boyhood)
Edward Norton (Birdman)
Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)
J.K Simmons (Whiplash)
Another acting category that seems pretty locked in, this was is going to J.K Simmons. His outbursts as Fletcher seem genuinely real, very deserving of this Oscar.
Pick: J.K Simmons (Whiplash)
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)
Once more, this acting category seems like the most locked in. Julianne Moore really brings early-onset Alzheimer's to life and gives it a face in Still Alice. She's going to get the Oscar here.
Pick: Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Best Actor:
Steve Carell (Foxcatcher)
Bradley Cooper (American Sniper)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)
Michael Keaton (Birdman)
Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)
This is the closest acting race. All awards season, this has been between Eddie Redmayne and Michael Keaton. Redmayne had a break-out role in The Theory of Everything, but Keaton has had an acting renaissance in Birdman. Redmayne seems like the slight favorite, but I see Keaton getting the Oscar.
Pick: Michael Keaton (Birdman)
Best Picture Preview:
A look into the working relationship between a student and a band leader who will do anything to work towards perfection, this is Whiplash
Best Director:
Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Birdman)
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher)
Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game)
We now arrive to the 2 main categories, and each one is basically a toss-up at this point. Over the last 2 years we've seen Best Director and Picture split (Ang Lee & Argo, Alfonso Cuaron & 12 Years A Slave), and I wouldn't be surprised if we see that happen again this year. Richard Linklater was the early favorite, but Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu took the director's guild. With this late momentum he's been getting, and with how it was shot in a series of 1-takes, I'm going with Inarritu.
Pick: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Birdman)
Best Picture:
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Now, the big one. The winner will be among the pantheon of the greats (although it should be noted that not every great film won best picture, and not every best picture winner is a great film....just look at Crash). But the two emerging front-runners here are great films, Birdman and Boyhood. This is truly the closest race we've seen for Best Picture in quite some time, and I've tried to wrap my mind around it. In the end though, I thought the best way for each movie to be honored is for a Best Director/Best Picture split kind of year (which this seems to be), so my pick is...Boyhood. This is a movie that could have just fallen apart after year 3, or 4. But its the fact that the film comes about naturally that makes it work.
Pick: Boyhood
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