Academy Awards - The Oscars

Each year I share my predictions and provide a few thoughts about the selections and choices. This year is no different so here are my thoughts:

• Best Actor – Nominees are: Steve Carell (Foxcatcher), Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), Benedict Cumberbatch (Imitation Game), Michael Keaton (Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), and Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything). Another very strong year for best actor nominees. In fact this is probably the strongest in the last 5 – 10 years. All the roles were wonderfully deep and complex and each actor had to have range in their roles. My vote would be for Michael Keaton because he always seemed on the edge of reality and or ignorance. However, Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch were almost as strong. But anyone who is selected here is worthy of the award.

• Best Actress – Nominees are: Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night), Felicity Jones (Theory of Everthing), Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), and Reese Witherspoon (Wild). This group is not as strong as the Actor’s list. However there were two performances that stood out to me: Julianne Moore who is my 1^st choice because I fully believed her – she was that person. Rosamund Pike is my 2^nd choice playing an unlikeable character but was so clearly strong that it is amazing. Given those choices, my 3^rd choice would be Felicity Jones because of the subtle strength she brought to the character.

• Best Supporting Actress – Nominees are: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), Laura Dern (Wild), Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game), Emma Stone (Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), and Meryl Streep (Into the Woods). The top three here for me are Keira Knightly, Emma Stone, and Patricia Arquette. I think Stone did an amazing job of making the character real, strong and with possibility. Knightley was exceptional as the attractive girl genius and friend. Arquette’s transformation over 12 years was amazing.

• Best Supporting Actor – Nominees are: Robert Duvall (The Judge), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), Edward Norton (Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Marke Ruffalo (Foxcatcher), and J.K. Simmons (Whiplash). Another very strong group, but here I have to select J.K. Simmons because he was mesmerizing each moment he was on the screen. One never knew what would happen or how he would react. However, both Norton and Hawke were very strong as well. What I liked about Hawke was how he became a good father. Any of these three can win.

• Best Cinematography – Nominees are: Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (Emmanuel Lubezki), The Grand Budapest Hotel (Robert Yeoman), Ida (Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski), Mr. Turner (Dick Pope), and Unbroken (Roger Deakins). There is no question in my mind that the mind-blowing cinematography of Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is the winner. I was enraptured with the camera movement throughout the entire time.

• Best Adapted Screenplay – Nominees are: American Sniper (Jason Hall), The Imitation Game (Graham Moore), Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson), The Theory of Everything (Anthony McCarten), and Whiplash (Damien Chazelle). This category is difficult. These are very strong and divergent screenplays and I loved them all. To me it is a toss-up as there are extraordinary moments of dialogue in each of them.

• Best Original Screenplay – Nominees are: Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacabone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo), Boyhood (Richard Linklater), Foxcatcher (E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman), The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson), and Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy). First off although I thought the screenplay for Nightcrawler was brilliant, I don’t think it will win. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Boyhood are probably the best bets and I’d pick Birdman.

• Best Director – Nominees are: Alejandro Inarritu (Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher), Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), and Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game). Strong candidates – all. However for me it is a toss-up between Inarritu and Linklater. Although very different films, both did an amazing job of presenting their amazing stories.

• Best Picture – Nominees are: American Sniper, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash. Each of these films, except Selma had very strong acting by principal characters. Selma was an overall very good film but without an exceptionally strong lead I don’t see it winning. I think it will come down to the same contest as identified in the Best Director category. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is my choice, although I would not be unhappy if the winner is Boyhood.

Jupiter Ascending (3D)

First Hit:  All this film has going for it are a few interesting visuals.

Before I knew it, this film descended into the realm of “are you kidding me?” Not only was the premise stupid the execution of this premise was almost as bad.

The only thing that saved it were some of the visuals. Really:  People owned planets in our galaxy? They were divided up amongst 3 people whose job it was is to harvest human specific DNA stuff to make themselves live longer. Their stated goal - to live as long as one can - even unhappily. The planet owners claimed the only worthwhile commodity that exists is time? Titus Abrasax (Douglas Booth), Kalique Abrasax (Tuppence Middleton) and Balem  Abrasax (Eddie Redmayne) owned planets and did the harvesting.

Each wanted the prize planet Earth (of course where most the human type people live). Kalique and Titus live on spacecraft and Balem lives in the red eye of Jupiter which is protected from the gases by some structure he’s built. With Earth being the most desired planet, each of the Abrasax’s kids are trying to find and entice the rightful owner of Earth to give it up to one of them.

Earth is unknowingly owned by earthling Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), who also happens to be their reincarnated mother. When she learns that she owns Earth… OK you may start to get my drift. This story is so far-fetched, complicated and convoluted that it just doesn't (read as "can’t") work. Oh heck, I forgot there is also a hero Cain Wise (Channing Tatum) who flits about on shoes that allow him to skate through life and space at outstanding speeds. Mind you no one else in the film has these skate shoes.

The visuals of the different worlds, of the red eye of Jupiter and the space vehicles are good to very good but that is about it. The dialogue was stilted, the premise undefinable, and the execution miserable.

Kunis was OK, and given the level of story-line, script and direction this is a complement. Booth was bland. Middleton was barely OK. Redmayne was disastrous. The difference between this role and the one as Stephen Hawking is like night and day. Tatum was very disappointing. However for all of these people it wasn’t their acting that brought this down, it was the concept, script and direction. I wonder how they all got bamboozled into taking these roles. Andy and Lana Wachowski did the producers a disservice by actually pitching and making this film.

Overall:  Don’t waste your time. It is bad even in 3D.

Red Army

First Hit:  Very strong film about the Soviet’s system for developing their famed “Red Army” national hockey team.

Elegance and dance like are words to describe the way the Soviet national hockey team played hockey. Watching them skate in a hockey game was beautiful. Their weaving pattern was amazing.

This was very different than the smash brutish game as played in the USA and Canada. This film focuses on Slava Fetisov a defensemen for this team. He discusses how they were coached and developed to be the world’s premier hockey team.

The filmmaker mixes political discussion, old stills, old film and current interviews with the famed team members. The mirroring of their teams progression and the changing of the political climate when the country changed from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic – USSR to Russia under Gorbachev.

The regimentation of their practicing and isolation created a level of brainwashing which rears its head as Fetisov speaks. The unfortunate circumstances by which they kept him in Russia was typical. He eventually (along with his teammates) comes to the west, make some money and then after his hockey career is over, becomes the Minister of Sports under Putin.

Fetisov was interesting to watch as he suppressed emotions and feelings when certain subjects were broached. Seeing him watch footage of the USA college team beat his team (Miracle on Ice) at the Olympics in their heyday was difficult. Gabe Polsky wrote and directed this amazing documentary.

Overall:  This film directly reflected the times and the USSR during the 60s – 80s.

Black or White

First Hit:  Good theme however the execution was very uneven.

Elliot Anderson’s (Kevin Costner) wife dies suddenly. He and his wife have been the primary care takers for their deceased daughter’s child, Eloise (Jillian Estell).

The child is of mixed race and her black father Reggie (Andre Holland) is addicted to crack cocaine and has not been present in Eloise's life. Reggie’s mother (the other grandparent) Rowena (Octavia Spencer) now wants to have custody of Eloise because she doesn’t think Elliot will be a good parent and because she wants her granddaughter to have a black family experience. To do this Rowena hires her nephew Jeremiah (Anthony Mackie) who is a corporate lawyer.

This film comes to a culmination in a couple of courtroom scenes and a scene at Elliot’s home towards the end of the film. At times, I was waiting for the film to progress and at other times it was interesting. The addition of Duvan (Mpho Koaho) as Eloise and Elliot’s tutor was great. The point of the film was; what’s the difference between how black people see white people and how white people see blacks - only one scene in the courtroom begins to address this important item.

Costner is at times good (as a drunk) and OK with the rest of the role. Estell was fabulous and was the star of the film. Spencer was good as the pushy woman who usually gets her way but having a blind spot for her family. Koaho was divine and joy to watch. Mackie was strong as the Jeffers’ family attorney. Holland was OK as the drugged out father. Mike Binder wrote and directed this film and unfortunately it didn’t live up to the possibilities.

Overall:  The film was contrived at times and funny at others.

Still Alice

First Hit:  Powerful acting in a very strong film.

Julianne Moore plays Alice Howland, famous and prestigious linguistic professor at Columbia University, who discovers that she has Familial Alzheimer’s disease which has a 50% chance of being passed on to her children.

Her three children Anna (Kate Bosworth), Tom (Hunter Parrish), and Lydia (Kristen Stewart), all have different relationships with their mother and are accurately testy with each other. Alice’s husband John (Alec-Baldwin) is also at Columbia and is very supportive of his wife’s oncoming illness.

This film is about what happens within this family as Alice’s disease takes ahold of her. The scenes are well done and allow the audience to feel along with both Alice and the others.

Moore is Oscar extraordinary. She delivers on all levels and the ending scene when she utters, says it all. Baldwin is very strong as the loving husband. Bosworth is very good as the know-it-all, professionally focus, and protective of her mother kind of daughter. Parrish was overshadowed by the other actor, but good at times. Stewart delivered. The complex, rebellious and understanding daughter role fit her perfectly. Richard Glatzer wrote this wonderfully compelling script and his own direction with Wash Westmoreland was spot on.

Overall:  This was a very good film and the acting sublime.