Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Cinematography

Best Cinematography
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken

Another year, another nomination for best cinematography for Roger Deakins, another sad trip home for the greatest cinematographer of the twenty-first century. This year it is because he is attached to the wholly underwhelming Unbroken. The film looks fine, but just feels like it is missing something from opening titles to closing credits (I wish I could really say what...). Mr. Turner is as beautiful as its subjects paintings, but an incredible bore, and Ida is a black and white picture wound up, put into motion with a bit of drunk driving and nun corruption thrown in (that actually made it sound good; spoiler alert: it isn't). That leaves the two real contenders Birdman and Grand Budapest. I think Wes Anderson will do well in these "under the radar" categories, but for some reason, I think Birdman takes this one, maybe as a makeup call for getting "snubbed in editing.

My Ballot:
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Birdman
Unbroken
Mr. Tuner
Ida

My Pick to Win:
Birdman

Shamefully Snubbed:
Wild

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Production Design

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

Thirty years from now, when film classes turn their textbook to the production design chapter the pages will be dominated by pictures from Wes Anderson's films. Every particle is delicately placed in every shot so that the films feel like high art.

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

My Pick to Win:
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Shamefully Snubbed:
Guardians of the Galaxy

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Actor

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

In an otherwise lackluster year for movies, 2014 certainly had its share of "once-in-a-lifetime" leading roles. Save for Bradley Cooper, it is quite likely that each nominated actor displayed their career-defining performances this year. Michael Keaton will most likely win for a few reasons: he has been nailing acceptance speeches at every awards show this season (and the Academy loves that); he is the single veteran actor in a field of young whippersnappers (even Carell is relatively new to big-time acting); and his was the only performance that was more than an impression of a real-life person. Not taking anything away from those "impressions" (Redmayne and Cumberbatch's were jaw-dropping), but Keaton's performance was transformative in a way that sucked the viewer into the otherwise confusing and meandering prose of Birdman. Finally, it is a travesty that David Oyelowo's performance as Dr. Martin Luther King in Selma didn't make the cut. It isn't like their wasn't room either, Carell's performance was impressive but boring, and Bradley Cooper simply bulked up and talked like a Texan.

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

My Pick to Win:
Michael Keaton - Birdman

Shamefully Snubbed:
David Oyelowo - Selma

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Sound

Best Sound Editing
American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

Sound editing rewards mainly the creation of new or nonexistent sounds for a film. I'm pretty sure Interstellar will sweep these technical categories, but who knows?  No reason for American Sniper or Unbroken to be nominated in these categories. If you replaced the names Clint Eastwood and Angelina Jolie on their posters, these would've certainly been forgotten come Oscar time.

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

My Pick to Win:
Interstellar

Shamefully Snubbed:
Earth to Echo



Best Sound Mixing
American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

Sound mixing refers to correcting or enhancing the levels of the sounds in the movie. Once again, I expect Interstellar to prevail here, but I would be a little less surprised to see a Birdman upset in this category. Whiplash was certainly a welcome surprise, but the exclusion of the meticulous mixing that went on in Into the Woods is simply inexcusable.

My Ballot:
Whiplash
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
American Sniper

My Pick to Win:
Interstellar

Shamefully Snubbed:
Into the Woods

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Supporting Actress

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Laura Dern - Wild
Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
Emma Stone - Birdman
Meryl Streep - Into the Woods

This is one of the very few stone cold locks we have for Oscar night. This little bald man already has a place reserved on Ms. Arquette's mantle. In Boyhood, Ellar Coltraine is the subject, Ethan Hawke is the heart, but Patricia Arquette is the film's center. The movie rests on her ability to sell the emotional roller-coaster that her little family goes through over twelve years. Her performance had to be consistent, empathetic, and, most of all, believable, and she nailed it. As for the other performances here, I truly feel Emma Stone's is the only other one worthy of a nomination. Knightley was overshadowed by the jaw-dropping performance from Benedict Cumberbatch, Laura Dern didn't really have to do much in Wild (with her story told entirely in flashbacks), and Meryl Streep was simply the worst part of Into the Woods (Emily Blunt and Tracey Ullman were both more deserving of supporting recognition from the film).

My Ballot:
Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Emma Stone - Birdman
Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
Laura Dern - Wild
Meryl Streep - Into the Woods

My Pick to Win:
Patricia Arquette - Boyhood

Shamefully Snubbed:
Imelda Staunton - Pride

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Visual Effects

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

This is a tough category.  All of the films have great visual effects, none of them have "Life of Pi"- style effects (you know, the ones that are obviously special effects), and all of them (except X-Men) are very good films on their own. Unfortunately, I missed Interstellar in the theater, so I don't really feel qualified to comment on its effects since my computer screen leaves a little to be desired. Still, this is the safest pick for the Academy because they usually shy away from sequels and superheroes in this category.

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

My Pick to Win:
Interstellar

Shamefully Snubbed:
The Signal

Countdown to Oscar Night: Best Original Song

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

As beautifully touching as Glen Campbell's song is, this is a two horse race between the otherwise ultra-snubbed Lego Movie's song and the otherwise ultra-snubbed Selma's song. Pretty sure this is Common's Oscar for three reasons: 1. The Academy wants some color on stage after being reamed for the past month over snubbing the actors and director of Selma 2. Even though it is a "credits song" it is integral to the flow of the film (the audience I watched the film with stayed throughout the credits), and performed by an actor from the film (Common portrayed Selma activist James Bevel) AND 3. It's simply the best song of the five.

My Ballot:
"Glory" - Selma
"I'm Not Gonna Miss You" - Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
"Everything is Awesome" - The Lego Movie
" Lost Stars" - Begin Again
"Grateful" - Beyond the Lights

My Pick to Win:
"Glory" - Selma

Shamefully Snubbed:
"The Hanging Tree" - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1