Oscar Nominations 2015

[Pique Arabesque]

At the bottom of the Golden Globes thread, dirac made the following remark:

Thanks for bringing up the nominees, Pique Arabesque. I have not seen "Selma" yet but plan to do so, although I am not encouraged by reports that LBJ has been turned into some sort of comic book villain.

I was unable to bring myself to actually see "Boyhood" in a theater. I am less willing to commit three hours or so of my time to new movies than I used to be, and it sounded respectable, earnest, and boring. Please tell us what you thought when you have a chance, perhaps in a new thread?

I would definitely encourage everyone who hasn't already seen "Selma" to go as soon as possible. After viewing the film, I really do not understand the source of the LBJ controversy. I think it is important to remember that LBJ was a politician - not an activist. He is largely in agreement with King and the other Civil Rights activists, but doesn't want the dominoes to fall as quickly as King did. Also, Tom Wilkinson is wonderful in the role. The cinematography - particularly the "Bloody Sunday" sequence - is absolutely devastating.

"Boyhood" was also very good. It is almost three hours, but I felt that the time passed by quickly. I never felt bored - Patricia Arquette is probably going to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar next month, and deservedly so. Her performance anchors the entire film. Ethan Hawke and Lorelei Linklater are also excellent. Unfortunately, Ellar Coltrane became less and less interesting to me as he aged, but the supporting cast and Linklater's direction made the film "work."

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to see any of the other nominated films, though I believe that Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) and Julianne Moore (Still Alice) are favored to win Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively.

The full list of nominations can be found here.

[Jayne]

I saw "Boyhood" and thought they could have easily cut an hour out of the movie and it would have been fine. It ain't all that great, it's an interesting movie, but "Budapest" was a wonderful movie. I think it's going to be the new quotable movie in the same vein as "The Big Lebowski". I am looking forward to seeing "The Theory of Everything" and "Still Alice".

[dirac]

Thank you for starting this topic, Pique Arabesque, and thanks to Jayne for chiming in.

After viewing the film, I really do not understand the source of the LBJ controversy. I think it is important to remember that LBJ was a politician - not an activist. He is largely in agreement with King and the other Civil Rights activists, but doesn't want the dominoes to fall as quickly as King did.

This seems reasonable enough. I can't really envision Tom Wilkinson as LBJ, as much as I like Wilkinson, but I'll wait to see the movie, which I plan to do soon.

Jayne, I was sort of underwhelmed by The Grand Budapest Hotel. It seemed full of quirkiness for the sake of quirk and not terribly true to the period in spirit. Would welcome hearing differing opinions.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Streep is nominated again. She has made so much fun of herself for being the actress with the most losses in the history of the awards...

[sandik]

I loved Budapest -- I didn't really see it as a true evocation of a historical time or place, but more of a fantasy that overlapped with parts of the real world. Quirky, yes. Absolutely. But not egregiously so -- I was more than willing to follow along down the rabbit hole with Anderson and his team.

[dirac]

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to see any of the other nominated films, though I believe that Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) and Julianne Moore (Still Alice) are favored to win Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively.

The full list of nominations can be found here.

I think you're right. Moore is close to a lock, I think. She's due, the competition is weak (not in terms of acting quality, I hasten to note). Pike and Jones are British and not big stars, Witherspoon and Cotillard have already won. I'd like to see Pike, Cotillard, or Jones get it just to see the look on Moore's face when someone else's name is announced, but I doubt it will happen. (I have nothing against Moore, who's excellent, even if I understand Bill Nighy cleaned her clock when they appeared together on Broadway.) Cotillard was great. I really admire that lady.

Redmayne played a real person with a visually striking disease, which the Academy is big on, but he may get aced by Bradley Cooper in American Sniper.

[Pique Arabesque]

Redmayne played a real person with a visually striking disease, which the Academy is big on, but he may get aced by Bradley Cooper in American Sniper.

Interesting observation! I thought that Redmayne and Cumberbatch might cancel each other out (two English period pieces), but Redmayne seems to have all the momentum. Even though American Sniper has done well at the box office, reviews have been somewhat mixed, and Cooper seems to be the new DiCaprio (a perennial nominee who never wins). I feel like Steve Carell - wearing a prosthetic nose and playing wildly against type - will probably be the spoiler in that category.

[sidwich]

Redmayne played a real person with a visually striking disease, which the Academy is big on, but he may get aced by Bradley Cooper in American Sniper.

Michael Keaton has had the buzz and the momentum for months now. He's the veteran with a great comeback story, and "Birdman" has been getting excellent reviews all around. I would be very, very surprised if he does not win. He, Moore, Arquette and Simmons have been the odds on favorites for a while now.

Carell will not win, and I don't think the other three are seen as having paid their dues yet.

[dirac]

I forgot all about Birdman, sidwich, thanks, and I haven't seen it. Keaton was a special talent back in the day. The reviews I've seen of Birdman have indeed been generally excellent but also somewhat mixed.

[dirac]

Redmayne won at SAG last night. Go Eddie!

[atm711]

I agree, 'Boyhood' could have been cut a good 45 minutes. The theme of the growing boy I found secondary. I was dumbstruck by the mother's bad taste in men!---she had three husbands and gave each of them jurisdiction over the upbringing of her children, much to their sorrow. Perhaps this is why I loved 'Budapest Hotel' so much (saw it twice in theatres

and a couple of times on TV) The droll humor, wonderful sets, and of course, Ralph Fiennes.

[Helene]

I'm with you atm711: I enjoyed Grand Budapest Hotel so much.

[cubanmiamiboy]

..., and of course, Ralph Fiennes.

...of course...

[GianninaM]

I saw "Birdman" and came away totally confused and not much of a fan. Googled it, saw it again with the plot now understandable, and found a sensational movie!

Ya' gotta love Google.

[cubanmiamiboy]

I feel Jennifer Aniston was stripped out of a deserved nomination for "Cake"-(saw it last night and she was great on it). Rosamund Pike's role, on the other hand, wasn't that much of a meaty one, Oscar-wise.

[dirac]

I loved Budapest -- I didn't really see it as a true evocation of a historical time or place, but more of a fantasy that overlapped with parts of the real world. Quirky, yes. Absolutely. But not egregiously so -- I was more than willing to follow along down the rabbit hole with Anderson and his team.

I seem to recall interviews with Anderson where he said he'd been reading Stefan Zweig and he did apparently intend a tribute to the Mitteleuropa of that time. For me it was only intermittently successful, but plainly I'm in the minority.

Too bad for Jen, cubanmiamiboy. She was campaigning hard.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Too bad for Jen, cubanmiamiboy. She was campaigning hard.

Yeah...and the thing is that she really carries on the 90 % of the film-(unlike, let's say, Kidman in "The Hours"...undeserved OScar as it was...). The subject of the film is also tricky. Chronic pain and everything that it generates, including pain killers addiction, is still sort of tabu in society. Even in the medical field, talking from my own experience as a nurse, dealing with this type of patients can be confusing, frustrating and there's always the risk of a pre conceived notion of seeing them as addicts. Many of them come back to the hospital over and over after their doctors refuse to increase their dosages, to which they just start getting creative with their diagnosis and start doing the hospital circuit. They are called "frequent flyers", and usually stay for three or four days loading themselves in IV pain killers until they are discharged.

The film could had benefited from a darker tone. The very clip is sort of misleading in this aspect.

[dirac]

Thanks so much for that information from your experience, cubanmiamiboy. I'll bear that in mind when I catch the movie.

Luise Rainer, who died recently, got her first Academy Award basically for one scene involving a telephone call. It happens, particularly in the Best Actress category.

[dirac]

Latest odds on the awards. Things continue to look up for Redmayne.....

The race for Best Picture and Best Director appears to be a two-movie battle between “Birdman” and “Boyhood.” Oddsmakers have made “Birdman” the 5-8 favorite to win the Oscar for Best Picture, followed by “Boyhood” at 6-5. Other contenders include: “American Sniper” (16-1), “The Imitation Game” (28-1), “Selma” (33-1), “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (40-1), “Theory of Everything” (50-1) and “Whiplash” (50-1).

[pherank]

I'm with you atm711: I enjoyed Grand Budapest Hotel so much.

I can call myself a Wes Anderson fan, and I'm happy to see that many people enjoyed Budapest Hotel, even if it isn't their usual "cup of tea". I just can't bear Hollywood mainstream films these days.

[dirac]

Well, so much for Boyhood. Ouch.

Also, can we have Seth MacFarlane back? Harris actually made me feel nostalgic for the "We Saw Your Boobs" number.

[sandik]

Well, so much for Boyhood. Ouch.

Also, can we have Seth MacFarlane back? Harris actually made me feel nostalgic for the "We Saw Your Boobs" number.

Please, no MacFarlane. Harris may have mistepped a couple of times, but MacFarlane was just a miserable host.

[dirac]

Lady Gaga did well with The Sound of Music medley, although the tattoos kind of spoiled the effect somewhat, and it was a nice moment when Julie Andrews came out of the wings to greet her.

I can call myself a Wes Anderson fan, and I'm happy to see that many people enjoyed Budapest Hotel, even if it isn't their usual "cup of tea". I just can't bear Hollywood mainstream films these days.

It is too bad Fiennes did not get a Best Actor nomination. I don't see the movie working at all without him. The Best Actor category is often the most competitive because there are more Oscar-type roles out there for men, and almost every year somebody deserving is left out. (Jake Gyllenhaal, too.)