{"id":17238,"date":"2015-02-22T20:59:33","date_gmt":"2015-02-22T10:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=17238"},"modified":"2015-02-22T21:18:57","modified_gmt":"2015-02-22T11:18:57","slug":"the-87th-academy-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=17238","title":{"rendered":"The 87th Academy Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"tagfilm\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"oscars\"<\/a><\/p>\n

W<\/span>e’re less than 24 hours away from the 2015 Academy Awards!<\/p>\n

The world’s most famous movie awards night remains as polarizing as ever. \u00a0The unpredictable and sometimes arbitrary nature of its selection process and its panel of mysterious voters all comprise part of the mystique of the Oscars that people both love and loathe. \u00a0It’s often hard to judge how well the Academy has done with its winners until you have the benefit of time to look back and reflect. \u00a0Some years they get it right – No Country For Old Men (2007), Casablanca (1943), One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1974)<\/em>. \u00a0And sometimes there’s a year where\u00a0Shawshank Redemption\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Pulp Fiction<\/em> are released and the Academy gives Best Picture to\u00a0Forrest Gump (1994)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This year I think the Academy has\u00a0mostly<\/em> done a good job in its nominees but for a couple of notable exceptions. \u00a0It was disappointing to see Ava DuVernay’s\u00a0Selma<\/em> and Jonathan Glazer’s\u00a0Under the Skin<\/em> fail to gain much traction. \u00a0Stranger still, there was a stink kicked up about the animation category for the first time that I can recall when\u00a0The Lego Movie<\/em> failed to get even a nomination when I think it would be most people’s clear choice for winning.<\/p>\n

My biggest personal gripe about the nominees is that the films selected are almost all released in a three month window. \u00a0The Academy Awards are supposed to be a recognition of the best films of the year but too often they feel like the best films of November to January. \u00a0Out of the eight films nominated for Best Picture, only\u00a0Grand Budapest Hotel<\/em> and Boyhood<\/em>\u00a0were released outside this time frame in Australia. \u00a0As a result, I didn’t get to watch nearly as many of the nominated films as I wanted. \u00a0This year I noticed that a lot of the films that featured a Best Actress performance had a criminally short run at the box office. \u00a0Wild, Two Days One Night<\/em> and\u00a0Still Alice<\/em> all came and went before I had a chance to see them.<\/p>\n

Anyway, here are my reviews of all the Best Picture nominated films and my predictions for each of the major award categories.<\/p>\n

\"bestpic1501\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"bestpic1502\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"bestpic1503\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"bestpic1504\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"bestpic1506\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"bestpic1507\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"bestpic1508\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"bestpicbird\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Predictions<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h1>\n

\"liloscar\"\u00a0\u00a0BEST PICTURE<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Nominees<\/strong><\/p>\n

American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash<\/em><\/p>\n

TFW Who Should Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was a tough choice. \u00a0I think the Academy has picked seven really good films (and American Sniper<\/em>). \u00a0I think it’s a toss up for me between The Grand Budapest Hotel<\/em> – which offered plenty of laughter and creativity – and Selma<\/em> which I thought was probably my favourite of the three bio pics that appear this year. \u00a0If I had to choose between the two, I’d go……..The Grand Budapest Hotel<\/strong><\/p>\n

TFW<\/strong> Who Will Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

For a long time, I thought American Sniper<\/i> would be a shoe-in but now I’m not so sure. \u00a0A lot of bookies are predicting\u00a0Boyhood<\/em> but I don’t think any of the actors are tipped to win major awards. \u00a0It’s almost unprecedented for a film to win Best Picture but none of the acting awards. \u00a0Hmm. \u00a0American Sniper<\/em>. \u00a0Boyhood. \u00a0American Sniper. \u00a0<\/em>Nah…it’ll be\u00a0Boyhood<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"liloscar\"\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>BEST DIRECTOR<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Nominees<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alejandro Innaritu (Birdman or the Unexpected Virtues of Ignorance<\/em>),\u00a0Richard Linklater (Boyhood<\/em>), Bennette Miller (Foxcatcher<\/em>), Wes Anderson (The\u00a0Grand Budapest Hotel<\/em>), Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game<\/em>)<\/p>\n

TFW Who Should Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another tough category. \u00a0I found plenty to enjoy in all of these films. \u00a0Boyhood<\/em> is probably the most ambitious and challenging of the films whilst Birdman<\/em> and Grand Budapest<\/em> are the most creative. \u00a0I think I have to go with my man Wes Anderson<\/strong> on this one.<\/p>\n

TFW<\/strong> Who Will Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

If\u00a0Boyhood\u00a0<\/em>picks up Best Picture then surely Richard Linklater<\/strong> gets\u00a0Best Director.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"liloscar\"\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>BEST ACTOR<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Nominees<\/strong><\/p>\n

Steve Carell (Foxcatcher<\/em>), Bradley Cooper (American Sniper<\/em>), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game<\/em>), Michael Keaton (Birdman or the Unexpected Virtues of Ignorance<\/em>), Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything<\/em>)<\/p>\n

TFW Who Should Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

First of all, it’s a goddamn crime that David Oyelowo didn’t get a nomination for his performance as Martin Luther King in Selma<\/em>. \u00a0I’d kick Bradley Cooper and his stupid plastic baby to the curb and replace him with Oyelowo if I could. \u00a0As for who should win, there’s one clear choice and that’s Eddie Redmayne<\/strong>. \u00a0His portrayal of Stephen Hawking was the complete package. \u00a0The role was demanding, challenging and impressive physically.<\/p>\n

TFW<\/strong> Who Will Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hollywood loves a comeback story so Michael Keaton<\/strong> seems like a natural choice.<\/p>\n

\"liloscar\"\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>BEST ACTRESS<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Nominees<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marion Cottilard (Two Days, One Night<\/em>), Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything<\/em>), Julianne Moore (Still Alice<\/em>), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl<\/em>), Reese Witherspoon (Wild<\/em>)<\/p>\n

TFW Who Should Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of the two performances I’ve seen, Felicity Jones<\/strong> is my choice over Rosamund Pike. \u00a0The other films didn’t hang around at the box office for very long at all \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n

TFW<\/strong> Who Will Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

I haven’t seen the film but everyone raves about Julianne Moore<\/strong> in Still Alice<\/em>. \u00a0Seems like a safe bet.<\/p>\n

\"liloscar\"\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Nominees<\/strong><\/p>\n

Robert Duvall (The Judge<\/em>), Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher<\/em>), J.K Simmons (Whiplash<\/em>), Edward Norton (Birdman<\/em>), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood<\/em>)<\/p>\n

TFW Who Should Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is another tough category for me. \u00a0J.K Simmons is the runaway favourite but I thought Mark Ruffalo<\/strong> was brilliant in Foxcatcher<\/em> as older brother and mentor to a troubled Channing Tatum.<\/p>\n

TFW<\/strong> Who Will Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Put the mortgage, the wife, the kids, the family dog and all your life savings on JK<\/strong>\u00a0Simmons<\/strong>. \u00a0It’s a sure thing.<\/p>\n

\"liloscar\"\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Nominees<\/strong><\/p>\n

Patricia Arquette (Boyhood<\/em>), Emma Stone (Birdman or the Unexpected Virtues of Ignorance<\/em>), Laura Dern (Wild<\/em>), Meryl Streep (Into The Woods<\/em>), Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game<\/em>)<\/p>\n

TFW Who Should Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

The caveat here is that I haven’t seen\u00a0Wild<\/em> or\u00a0Into the Woods<\/em> but I gotta go with Patricia Arquette<\/strong> for this one. \u00a0Thinking back to\u00a0Boyhood<\/em> and those closing scenes of the film where she suffers from empty nest syndrome. \u00a0It was pretty moving stuff.<\/p>\n

TFW<\/strong> Who Will Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Doesn’t Meryl Streep always win when she gets nominated for something? \u00a0I feel pretty safe in sticking with\u00a0Patricia Arquette<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

\"liloscar\"<\/a>\"liloscar\"<\/a>\"liloscar\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who should win, who will win and reviews of every Best Picture nominee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":17239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[800,1768,1516,2159,2177,639,2086,2192,796,2191,2085,1923,1423],"class_list":["post-17238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-academy-awards","tag-benedict-cumberbatch","tag-bradley-cooper","tag-david-oyelowo","tag-eddie-redmayne","tag-emma-stone","tag-ethan-hawke","tag-jk-simmons","tag-julianne-moore","tag-oscars","tag-patricia-arquette","tag-ralph-fiennes","tag-richard-linklater"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17238"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17272,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17238\/revisions\/17272"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}