The Academy Awards

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.....

While 2014 wasn't the most amazing year for the box office, I will say that it's going to be a close race in some of the categories.  I believe the focus will be directed towards the acting, as there were several roles that were more than difficult to portray.  If you are attending any Oscar watching parties, hopefully my predictions will help you win prizes.  As usual, there are films that I think will win, but I am always rooting for the underdogs.  So, traditionally, I will write about who I want to win, and who I think will win.  On some of the major categories, I will talk about the nominees, and then some I will just list my rankings.  I have seen all of the Best Picture nominees, and you can read the full reviews on my blog.  On your mark.....get set.....Go!

BEST PICTURE

WILL WIN:  Boyhood.  Even though I didn't think the film was that great, you got to give the director, Richard Linklater, some credit for filming a movie over twelve years.  It was definitely cool to see the actors age and go through many real life situations that would happen over that period of time.

SHOULD WIN:  Whiplash.  I think a movie that makes me want to go back and see it right away deserves an award.  While Whiplash was not a "thinker," it was a fun film that was beautifully made.

BEST ACTOR

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: Michael Keaton.  This is one of the categories that was complicated.  However, I think Keaton did some of the most amazing acting I have seen in years, in the film Birdman.  However, over the last few weeks, critics have started shifting their vote towards Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything.  Both acted excellently, but Keaton took on an extremely controversial role and nailed it in every aspect.

BEST ACTRESS

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN:  Julianne Moore.  She is one of the most talented actresses in the industry.  In Still Alice, she is able to make the audience cry from a simple look in her eyes.  The movie wasn't all the great, but Moore took every part and made it hers.  Her only close contender is Reese Witherspoon for Wild, but I did not think Witherspoon had a role nearly as intense as Moore's.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

WILL WIN: Ethan Hawke.  He really captured the role of playing a dad during the twelve years of filming.  And all the hype is around him.  This category was too hard to simplify, but I am rooting for the "should win" on this award.

SHOULD WIN: J.K. Simmons for Whiplash.  He played one the best onscreen villains I have seen.  I hope he wins, and the critics do believe it will also be a close race.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

WILL WIN: Patricia Arquette.  I don't know.  Maybe she does deserve to win it.  Her role in Boyhood was much more complicated than Ethan Hawke's.  She did an amazing job.

SHOULD WIN:  Emma Stone.  Believe it or not, she had a scene that blew me away in Birdman.  Although her most powerful scene was extremely short, this does not make a difference in the Academy's eyes.  Viola Davis was nominated for a brief scene in the movie Doubt (2008).  She didn't win, but she definitely deserved a nomination.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

WILL WIN: Big Hero 6.  It was a pretty cool movie, right?

SHOULD WIN: Song of the Sea.  A creative film made in, check this out, 2D.  I loved the story, but it doesn't compare to the action that audiences want.

Now I'll be going into the categories that many people don't understand.  I am not going to explain them, but if you don't know what it is, you can use my prediction for your ballot or you can make a guess.  Here they are.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

WILL WIN: Birdman.  It was filmed in only eight conspicuously placed cuts.  That's some talent right there, but did it really affect the overall film?

SHOULD WIN: The Grand Budapest Hotel.  Amazing scenes.  I just think the critics hate Wes Anderson for some reason.

COSTUME DESIGN

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN:  Into the Woods.  That may be one of the awards it actually wins.

DIRECTING

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: Richard Linklater.  It takes some effort for a director to get a cast together for that many years, AND to front some of his own money for the project.  It'll be a close call with Alejandro G. Inarritu for Birdman.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: Virguna.  To make a documentary about primates that we haven't seen yet, takes some talent.  If you have Netflix, you can actually watch this now.  The underdog in this category is Finding Vivian Maeir.  I like that one, too.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

WILL WILL/SHOULD WIN: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1.  For a short documentary, this was intense.  Maybe it was because I used to be a 911 dispatcher, but this film really got to me.  I hope it wins.

FILM EDITING

WILL WIN: Whiplash

SHOULD WIN: The Grand Budapest Hotel.  There were some fun edits in this film.  I am not confident about this category, so either one may win.

FOREIGN FILM

WILL WIN: Timbuktu.  I didn't like it that much.

SHOULD WIN: Leviathan.  It's been a while since there was a film about crazy Russians getting angry with each other.  I found it to a similar style as The Godfather.

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: Guardians of the Galaxy.

MUSIC ORIGINAL SCORE

WILL WIN: Interstellar.  Bleh.  That was one of the biggest disappointments this year.  The music, at least, wasn't a let down.

SHOULD WIN: The Theory of Everything.  Moving. Elemental.  The music was inspiring.

MUSIC SONG

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: Everything is Awesome.  From the Lego movie.  Who doesn't hum it from time to time?

PRODUCTION DESIGN

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN:  The Grand Budapest Hotel, but I have a feeling Into the Woods might make an appearance here.

SHORT FILM ANIMATED

This category is always the most complicated for me, because I love all the animated short films.  But I guess I have to pick one.

WILL WIN: Feast

SHOULD WIN: A Single Life.  It made me laugh my butt off.

SHORT FILM LIVE ACTION

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: The Phone Call.  It has some major actors in it, and it was well executed.

SOUND EDITING

WILL WIN: Birdman

SHOULD WIN: Interstellar

SOUND MIXING

WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN: Whiplash

VISUAL EFFECTS

WILL WIN: Interstellar

SHOULD WIN: Guardians of the Galaxy

WRITING - ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

WILL WIN: The Theory of Everything.  While I am not a published screenwriter, I do love to write them.  Adapting a screenplay from a book is much harder, because the writer has the readers' expectations to live up to, which rarely happens.  I did not read the book the film is based upon, but I am guessing it stayed true.

SHOULD WIN: The Imitation Game.  It was a fast film.  I am sure the screenplay took a bit longer to adapt.

WRITING - ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

WILL WIN: Boyhood.  But I don't want it to win this award.

SHOULD WIN: Birdman.  Obviously, the writer must have been thinking about Michael Keaton's real life before writing this one.

The Imitation Game

(*** out of five)

     The Imitation Game was a fun film to add to the season of Academy contenders.  While it is not as emotionally driven as some of the other nominees, it is a brilliant portrayal of recently surfaced historical data.  This was my last film to see among the Academy nominees, and while I do not think it will win best picture, I was not at all disappointed.
     While I have not done any research, this film is based on a true story.  It is about a group of young people who are hired by the British government to decipher the code used by Germans during World War II.  Mathematicians and cryptographers are picked fresh from the surrounding universities, and the students know the government is running out of resources.  They must learn to work as a team, bringing their minds together before it is too late.
     The movie mostly centers around the life of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch).  When his character is first introduced, the audience knows that he is socially awkward.  At first, we think he is just joking, but moments later, this abnormal exchange paints the canvas for his social skills.  As a loner, Turing does not like to work with others.  During a time of war, he must learn that this is not an option, and he needs a team.  Weeding out some of those that are not well enough for the job, he soon discovers a brilliant-minded Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley).  After Clarke breaks a code faster that Turing, he realizes that she may indeed be his counterpart.  He confides in her, believing she is the only one that can understand him.  Even with Clarke by his side, Turing learns how to develop his social skills and to lightly put aside his arrogance.  Throughout the film, there are flashbacks of his childhood, explaining why it is hard for him to be social, and these moments amplify some of his personal trials.
     The movie goes at a fast pace, and it did not leave enough room for emotional development.  If the director had allowed the audience to become more emotionally involved with the characters, it would have made for a stronger movie.  The acting was well executed, but Cumberbatch and Knightley have had stronger performances in other films, and I do not believe they will win Best Actor/Actress.
     I do recommend seeing this film, at least for the history.  Due to the true story not being made public until 2013, this is something that did not appear in our history textbooks.  I do think the film will make the audience feel as if they are part of solving the puzzle, and do that, I give a thumbs up.

The Theory of Everything

(**** out of five)

     The Theory of Everything was definitely an unexpected surprise.  When it comes to movies about the life of someone real, it can always be hit or miss.  For instance, the Lifetime Network produces some terrible movies.  Sometimes, these movies leak into the theaters, where they turn out to be even more of a disappointment.  Well, there is good news.  The Theory of Everything was a beautiful film that takes a completely different perspective on what I expected to see when watching a movie about Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne).
     The movie doesn't focus much on Hawking's discoveries.  While it does provide a base for the story, his personal life becomes the focus.  In the opening scene, Hawking meets his future wife, Jane (Felicity Jones).  The on-screen chemistry is instant, and the audience knows that this will be a love story.  When I write "love story," I am not talking about The Notebook.  Stephen is diagnosed early with ALS, a disease inhibiting his motor skills.  It is hard to watch his deterioration through the film, but it's even harder to watch Jane struggle to keep the family happy.  She knows that his brilliant mind isn't fading, and when he is originally given a life expectancy of two years, she refused to give up.  Both characters, while entirely different, develop such a strong and beautiful connection.  Stephen is constantly trying to make Jane happy, even in his condition, and Jane is working hard to remind him that he is brilliant and to not give up.  Together, they struggle through the norms of life, and the rarities.
     While I knew a lot about Stephen Hawking's books before I went to see the film, I realized that I didn't know much about his personal life.  The movie is based around Jane Hawking's book, Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen.  I did not know much about Jane and what she endured to keep him sane.  At one point, temptation is brought into their lives, and Jane cannot decide if she wants to remain with Stephen or leave him for a man at her church.  It was even hard for me to decide what I wanted for Jane.  She was such a driving force, and while she wanted love, she also wanted an easier life.  She has to make a decision that was even rough for the audience to decide.  Even though Stephen was ill, he was not always the most cooperative husband.
     The Theory of Everything was an excellent film, and I do believe it earned its place as one of the Best Picture nominees.  Eddie Redmayne developed a wonderful Hawking.  He also earned his spot as a Best Actor contender.  Felicity Jones did well on portraying Jane, and while I had no problems with her acting, it wasn't as intense as some of her competition, but she was nominated as well.  I urge viewers to go see this film when they can.  If you cannot make it to the theater, it will be available to stream on February 17.

Whiplash

(**** 1/2 out of 5)

     Before this film had been released, the critics were already writing about how amazing they expected it to be, and they were right.  I had been waiting to see this film, but it was hard to find a theater that was playing it.  Now it is at some mainstream theaters, so I was finally able to see it.  Whiplash kept me on the edge of seat.  There were moments when I laughed, cringed, gasped, even got angry.  This is a must-see film.  I think I liked it more than Birdman.
     Andrew (Miles Teller) is a first year student at the Shaffer Conservatory of Music.  He plays the drums, and from the opening scene, we know that he is trying harder than most of the other students.  His goal is to make it into the school's Studio band, but he knows that will be a challenge.  The conductor and teacher of the studio band is the one who picks who is in the band, and everyone is hoping to be discovered by the mischievous Fletcher (played phenomenally by J.K. Simmons).
     Fletcher's specialty is pushing students to their limits, and then kicking them out of the band.  He snakes into their personal lives to use the information against them when they are not meeting his ridiculous standards.  Andrew learns this the hard way when he reveals to Fletcher that his mother left when he was young.  Andrew believes that his only key to success is through Fletcher, and the two struggle to bond.  Fletcher constantly scolds the band with abusive speech, and even assaults Andrew by hitting him in the face several times.
     Fletcher does not believe there is a limit to pushing someone, and Andrew doesn't know if that is believable.  Andrew wants to be successful, so he is willing to give into the harsh demands of his professor, and even struggles with family and friendships.  Andrew's ambition drives him to his limits and he doesn't know if it is all worth it.
     There is never a back story revealed about Fletcher.  It is unknown why he is so twisted, but we do learn that he does have his moments when he learns about the death of an old student.  His endgame is not revealed until the end of the film, when he and Andrew finally have an ultimate clash.
     The story and music were amazing.  I'm betting on J.K. Simmons for Best Supporting Actor this year.  He did an amazing job portraying an educated jerk.  While Miles Teller did a good job, I do understand why he was not nominated for Best Actor.  He's still new to the film industry, but his other films have centered more around his acting.  If I didn't think Boyhood would steal best picture, I think this one would be my pick.  As soon as I walked out of theater, I was already wanting to watch it again.  This is a film that everyone should see in theater, if possible.  It is not playing everywhere, like many other Academy films.  (Why can't they make it easier for everyone?)  So, if you miss it in theaters, you must see it on DVD or streaming when it is released.  This film does have a happy ending, although it's semi-satirical, but I did walk out with a smile on my face.

Still Alice

(*** out of five)

     This film was a victim of the Sony hacks, but keeping it in independent cinemas has actually kept its audience numbers high.  I think a benefit from the hack was having all of the critics, who supposedly didn't see the film before its release, talking about the performance that Julianne Moore gives.  Yes, she is my pick for Best Actress, and I think she will win.  If you want to know how emotionally stressful this movie is, I'd say to just watch the preview.  Still Alice is about a woman, fifty years of age, who is diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease.
     Julianne Moore plays the role of Alice.  A renowned professor at Columbia University, she teaches on the subject of linguistics and how humans communicate.  At first, the signs of her disease seem small and normal; there are times when we forget a word we are looking for.  The movie progresses and she gets worse.  With her family by her side to support her, she begins to explore the possibilities of what is happening to her.  Alice meets doctors and has several scans before an early diagnosis is made.  Her husband, played by Alec Baldwin, seeks to keep her daily life as normal as possible.  The family knows they will need to continue with her through the struggle.
     Alice finds a connection with her youngest daughter, Lydia, played by Kristen Stewart.  Alice and Lydia are the ones of the family who are constantly arguing, but are also the ones that struggle the most.  In their struggles, they find a deeper connection and understanding of each other.  Lydia wants to establish a good relationship with her mother before she mentally leaves.
     This movie was a tear-jerker.  As soon as things start to get better, something happens and it gets worse.  Alice does make a valid point about her disease: that she is not suffering, but is struggling.  She practices memorizing words, uses her phone to send her reminders, and even records a few things on her computer to help her when she can't remember anything.  She attempts to remain a professor as long as she can, and tries her best to not disappoint her family.
     While I hoped for Alice, the story remains depressing.  There is a scene further in the film that deeply saddened me, as it is the moment the audience and Alice realize that she can no longer be on her own.  Many of us can say that we have known someone with Alzheimer's, so it makes it all the harder to watch.  I was glad I saw it, but the story doesn't answer the major questions that I had.  I do recommend this film, but it is not one that requires a visit to the theater.  Also, you need to be in the mood for a downer.  I'm happy with Julianne Moore's performance, and believe it or not, Kristen Stewart did not annoy me.  She does seem like more of an adult in this film, and I hope to see future roles like this from her.

American Sniper

(*** out of five)

     For me, it's always hard to watch a movie based on a true story, especially when I know how it is going to end.  I think American Sniper really captured a crucial moment in American history and will captivate audiences around the nation.  Our nation enjoys patriotic movies, as we should.  The riveting story of Chris Kyle's service to our country is grounded in the roots of our soldiers.  The movie is entertaining, but does not seem as pivotal as other 9/11 movies.  Yes, I know, I can't really compare it to Zero Dark Thirty, but parts of the movie felt stagnant, especially when the movie constantly shifts from missions to his relationship with his family.
     Nominated for several Academy awards, I was actually impressed that Bradley Cooper was able to portray a soldier.  Sure, Silver Linings Playbook showed off his dramatic acting skills, but it still allowed him to have his comedic moments.  Don't expect any of that in American Sniper.  Cooper remains serious, intent, and ambitious towards his constant goal of protecting the United States.  He does not ever appear arrogant, and does not take compliments well.
     This movie is not for the faint of heart.  There are several gruesome scenes where I felt truly disturbed.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, because the facts of certain events remain accurate, but this is not a film you would want to take your kids to see.  I don't want to spoil anything, so if you are wanting to remain cautious, you can read the parent's guide here.
     While Kyle's story of being a sniper remains quite unique, the director also wanted to focus on what many soldiers go through in their life at home.  Kyle struggles to maintain a relationship with his family, not because he doesn't want to, but because he doesn't want to leave a task undone.  This eventually takes a toll on his mental health, but he seeks a way to fix this.
     Overall, it was definitely a film worth watching, but I didn't feel as moved by the story as I am sure the book he wrote would do.  I recommend seeing it in theater, and if you can't, see it as soon as it hits the shelves.  I do expect it to be in theaters a while as it is making a ton as the box office.  There is a lot of debate centered around the integrity of the story, but my review remains strictly to the cinematic elements.