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+