Who Will Win Oscar?

What a season it has been.

While last year's annual kudos fest for the best achievements in film were overly predictable, this year is way more uncertain. It looks likes the 2010 race when "The Social Network" was winning over all of the critics and the Golden Globes, but when industry professionals got their say the race drastically shifted in the eventual best picture-winner's "The King's Speech" favor.

Four years later and its looking to be the same story with "Boyhood" being the early favorite and "Birdman" surging near the end.

Will the epic achievement of "Boyhood" reign supreme, or will "Birdman" fly away with the top prize in the end?

Movie Review: Boredom Kills Sex Drive of "Fifty Shades".

"Christian, blindfold me from this stupid movie you've put me in!"

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. U.S.A., English, Color, 125 minutes) I have never read a single sentence in any of the three books from the erotic bestselling trilogy known as "Fifty Shades", and I really don't need to. The story about the sadomasochistic entanglement between the naïve Anastasia Steele and the billionaire Christian Grey seemed like schmaltz that taps into the deep sexual desires of women all over.

Seeing as I hate schmaltzy relationships and my sex life is fine, I wasn't the demo for these books anyway.

The latest literature phenomenon after "Twilight" about abusive relationships disguised as love had women glued to their books and e-readers as they thumbed through pages of bondage and dark sexual encounters.

It seemed inevitable that it became adapted for the big screen, and now that it's here I wish there was something that would have made seeing it worthwhile.

Beck Upsets to Win Top Prize at Grammys, Sam Smith Wins Four

In the biggest upset of the night, Beck's "Morning Phase" took the award for album of the year at the 57th Grammy Awards.

The rocker's set defeated front-runners like Beyonce's self-titled set and Sam Smith's "In the Lonely Hour".

"Morning Phase" also won best rock album and engineered album, non-classical at the award show. Nominated for four awards, Beck lost in the rock song and rock performance categories.

Beyoncé did end up with a trio of awards to bring her overall haul to 20; R&B song and R&B performance for "Drunk in Love" and surround sound album for "Beyoncé". 

English crooner Smith won three of his general field bids: best new artist and song and record of the year for "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)". Smith also won pop vocal album.

While Pharrell Williams was nominated three times for album of the year — for his album "GIRL" and producing "Beyoncé" and Ed Sheeran's "X" — he missed out in this race but won must video for "Happy" and pop solo performance for a live version of the track, the first male to win the latter category. "GIRL" edged out "Beyoncé" in the urban contemporary album race.

'Boyhood' Best Film at 2014 EE BAFTA Film Awards, 'Budapest Hotel' wins five

"Boyhood" may have been the biggest winner at the 68th BAFTAs winning best film, director and supporting actress (Patricia Arquette), but it was "The Grand Budapest Hotel" that took home the most awards. The comedy-caper won five awards: best original screenplay, production design, costume design, score and make-up & hair.

Other big winners were homegrown favorite "The Theory of Everything" with wins for lead actor (Eddie Redmayne), outstanding British Film and adapted screenplay.

Joining the aforementioned in the best film race were "Birdman" which won for its cinematography, while "The Imitation Game" was shut out of its nine categories.

Of the films not nominated in the top race, "Whiplash" won three for supporting actor (J.K. Simmons), sound and editing.

 Stephen Beresford and David Livingstone won oustanding British debut for their film "Pride".

Other winners in top races were Julianne Moore for lead actress.in "Still Alice," "The LEGO Movie" winning animated feature, and Oscar-nominated films "Ida" winning for film not in the English language and "Citizenfour" for documentary.

"Interstellar" won its bid for special visual effects.

Best film- "Boyhood"

Best director- Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"

Lead actor- Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

Lead actress- Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"

Supporting actor- J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

Supporting actress- Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"

Original screenplay- "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Adapted screenplay- "The Theory of Everything"

Outstanding British film- "The Theory of Everything"

Outstanding British debut- Stephen Beresford and David Livingstone, "Pride"

Animated feature- "The LEGO Movie"

Film not in the English Language- "Ida"

Documentary- "Citizenfour"

Production design- "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Costume Design- "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Cinematography- "Birdman"

Score- "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (Alexandre Desplat, composer)

Editing- "Whiplash"

Sound- "Whiplash"

Special visual effects- "Interstellar"

Make up and hair- "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

British short film- "Boogaloo and Graham"

British animated short- "The Bigger Picture"

87th Oscar Nominations

 

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher”
• Bradley Cooper in “American Sniper”
• Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game”
• Michael Keaton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
• Eddie Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Robert Duvall in “The Judge”
• Ethan Hawke in “Boyhood”
• Edward Norton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
• Mark Ruffalo in “Foxcatcher”
• J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash”

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night”
• Felicity Jones in “The Theory of Everything”
• Julianne Moore in “Still Alice”
• Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl”
• Reese Witherspoon in “Wild”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood”
• Laura Dern in “Wild”
• Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game”
• Emma Stone in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
• Meryl Streep in “Into the Woods”

Academy to Announce All Oscar Nominees Live on Jan. 15

LOS ANGELES, CA – Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today that actor Chris Pine, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, and directors Alfonso Cuarón and J.J. Abrams, on Thursday, January 15, will announce the nominations in all 24 Oscar categories at a special two-part live news conference at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

“Each of the three years we’ve produced the show, we have attempted to refresh elements of the process and the telecast,” said Zadan and Meron. “This year, we’re honored to start a new tradition that celebrates the contributions of all the nominees by announcing all 24 categories. We’re thrilled that a distinguished actor and two world-class film directors are part of the initial launch.”

At 5:30 a.m. PT, Cuarón and Abrams will announce the nominees in the following categories: Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Film Editing, Original Song, Production Design, Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Visual Effects.

At 5:38 a.m. PT, Pine and Boone Isaacs will take the stage to unveil the nominations for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Costume Design, Directing, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, Adapted Screenplay, Original Screenplay and Best Picture.

“We’re delighted to have Chris, Alfonso and J.J. participate in the excitement of Nominations morning, which, for the first time, will highlight nominees in all categories,” said Boone Isaacs.  “This new approach enables the Academy to further recognize excellence across our entire industry and underscore the full spectrum of the arts and sciences of motion pictures.”

“We’re thrilled to have such exceptional talents present the nominations in a completely new format that furthers our mission and honors all of the artists who make movies,” said Dawn Hudson, Academy CEO.

The Nominations Announcement is a live news conference where more than 400 media representatives from around the world will be gathered.  The event will be broadcasted and streamed live on www.oscars.org/live.

Nominations information for all categories will be distributed simultaneously to news media in attendance and via the official Oscars website, www.oscar.com.

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2014 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

(Press release from AMPAS)

Movie Reviews: Getting High on Adrenaline in 'American Sniper' and 'Inherent Vice'

American Sniper (2014, directed by Clint Eastwood. U.S.A., English, Color, 134 minutes) The story of the military's most lethal sniper is what we get fixated on in "American Sniper", which is just as much about post-9/11 patriotism as it is its titular character, Chris Kyle. Bradley Cooper gives his best performance to date as Kyle, who is portrayed as a lovable, modest and true incarnation of Captain America. After each of his four tours in the Iraq War we see just how he is slowly being broken down from everything he has witnessed and how with each tour he still stays focused on the task at hand: saving soldiers (killing the enemy).

The success of the film is because of its helmer, Clint Eastwood, who has done countless war films before this, but takes a sensitive approach to Kyle's story. There is plenty of gritty war violence which is beautifully balanced by the war's effects on his own mental health and his family's well being. Sienna Miller was truly effective as his wife, and my heart ached almost every time she had to cry, especially when she hears nothing but a hail of bullets during a phone call Cooper.

If anything bad to say about the film is that it felt very rushed in the beginning. Not staying long in one situation or another and rushing anxiously to the next moment. It found its footing in the second half, luckily.

Rating: B+