I’ve carried on this “Oscar Adventure” of seeing each Best Picture nominee before the Academy Awards telecast for every year since 1997. When the Academy Award Best Picture Nominees are announced, I check and see which ones I’ve already seen and then I make it a point to see all the remaining ones before the Oscar telecast (which takes place tonight).
For anyone who might be interested, here’s my list of the 8 Best Picture nominees in descending order of how much I liked them. The criteria I use to judge the nominees is a long, convoluted mix of cinematic artistry and entertainment.
(FYI – I’ve tried to avoid spoilers)
#1 – Whiplash
Simply put, this is a great film. It’s completely unpredictable even though it sets itself up like the kind of student/teacher film we’ve seen done several times over. The film, which details the education of a talented drummer, is like an incredible drum solo itself – a charging beat, fast paced and rhythmic, seemingly all over the place but controlled…so very controlled. This film really surprised me. The acting is incredible – very raw and powerful. J.K. Simmons is amazing as the teacher. And the music is so very impressive. Whiplash is vibrant & fresh. I found it highly entertaining. That being said, it doesn’t stand a chance to win.
95 (out of 100)
#2 – Selma
This is a beautiful film. It’s like watching history coming alive on the screen. It’s a respectful and reverent take on the subject of the American Civil Rights movement. The acting is powerful. And there is such craftsmanship behind the camera – a sharp director’s eye (I was enamored with the use of lenses and camera movement) and incredible art direction (the film space felt so true and authentic). The dialogue is efficient and effective. The film pulses with impressively strong energy. My only quibbles would be that it paints the film’s antagonists with a broad brush and it is so jampacked with cameos – like so many big names wanted to be a part of it – that the effect is slightly jarring with each new appearance. Selma is a surprisingly engaging film experience that blew away my expectations.
93
#3 – Birdman
A fascinating and frustrating film. It has an energy – like watching a live wire flop around, throwing off sparks, while you’re not really sure what’s going to happen next. It is wholly inventive and so very well-directed. The “one long take” aesthetic feels gimmicky but it’s impressive in its photographic artistry. It features incredible acting across the board. The film does feel a bit self indulgent for Hollywood and actors and my how the script likes to talk, talk, talk. But at it’s core, it is an entertaining film. Birdman is unique and thought-provoking. But most importantly (to me), it’s ambiguous, with wonderful little morsels to roll around in your brain, to contemplate the true meaning or what actually happened. It is a really good film but there’s just something that I can’t put my finger on that it’s keeping me from pushing it to that next level to call it great. That being said, this is my prediction to win Best Picture.
91
#4 – American Sniper
This is solid cinema. This film is precise and efficient but strangely lacking in soul. Bradley Cooper conveys the distance created inside a war-torn soldier and that distance somehow keeps me from connecting to the core of this film. But that’s not to say the film fails – I would call it is a success. It’s well done and well acted and it manages to tell a war story that feels fresh and unique despite the fact we’ve seen so many of them that they can run together. American Sniper is a bit formulaic with the plot at times but it manages to hold firm. And goodness, there is a heavy American bias – very jingoistic – and does little to humanize the other side of the war. It can come off as propaganda. The film is solid and strong but not without flaws. Overall, though, it holds your attention and is of high quality – a good film.
84
#5 – The Grand Budapest Hotel
The first film I watched of this year’s nominees. It’s wickedly fast-paced. And it’s crafted with such detailed care. The camera moves with graceful geometry – like a protractor or compass – through the story. This film is Wes Anderson’s style on full display, with atmosphere to spare. It creates its own world and embraces that world and its characters. It is a decadent, lavish adventure. The acting and script are impressive, as well. My biggest critique would be to say The Grand Budapest Hotel is so sugary sweet that I found myself getting quite full of it and sick – like eating too much of a rich, delicious candy. This is not Anderson’s finest film but it is quite entertaining and I’m glad to see his unique style and sensibility garner wider acclaim.
82
#6 – The Theory of Everything
This is a good film – not great, but good. It focuses more on the drama of relationships and love rather than the intricate theories that its main character derived. In fact, it glosses over the science in such a way as to demean those theories and ideas – watered down for mass audience acceptance, it seems. It is more a story of a husband and father rather than a professor of cosmology. The film features an incredibly dedicated acting effort from Eddie Redmayne (who seems to poised to win the Oscar for best actor). But it still seems like a somewhat pedestrian bit of filmmaking with very little cinematic flair. It’s nothing grand and it is supported solely by the performance of the main actor. And it features more melodrama than drama. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a love story with so much dread coursing through it. The film is engaging but not outright thoroughly entertaining. So I’ll stick with calling it just “good.”
78
#7 – The Imitation Game
This has the look and feel of a prestige film. It’s historically based and tries to remain loyal to its subject matter to a fault (although it apparently does condense and shift and shape the facts to fit the narrative). There is not much else to do but tell the story as it happened – and that, as result, seems to suck the larger drama out of it. This film somehow lacks a soul – it keeps the viewer at a marked distance. It is observing and very clinical. It’s exact – like the machines built in the film (which I would have liked to know a bit more about the math behind). The acting is impressive but the performances do not feel “lived-in.” There is something about the acting style that makes it feel like ACTING – more theatrical than cinematic. One big quibble for me is the “greater message” epilogue, which feels somewhat tacked on and forced. This film was good and it held my attention throughout but I wouldn’t call it great or nomination worthy.
76
#8 – Boyhood
For starters, this film feels like a love letter to Texas. It showcases the state in a way that makes the viewer feel welcomed and at home. The film contains ghosts of emotions – shadows of something that should feel real, but doesn’t. The actors are somewhat wooden, acting out the script’s deep nuances with a shallow style. The characters come across as very empty and vapid. This is a high concept film, stretching over time as the cast and crew would reconvene year after year to film a new vignette. Boyhood is enjoyable but not transcendent or incredibly impressive beyond the core concept. It did, however, make me want to be a better dad. It should be noted that I’m guilty of judging this film somewhat against expectations, though. I thought it was okay, but nothing spectacular (and certainly not worthy of the Best Picture Oscar that some are predicting it to win).
75
As of yesterday, this marked another fast and furious month-and-a-half of movie viewing leading up to the Oscars. I was a bit disappointed in this year’s crop of nominees, simply because they didn’t seem stellar as a group. It was a weak year, apparently. But still, a month’s worth of movie watching ain’t bad at all.
As always, I want to give a special thanks to my wife and daughters for putting up with this film fascination of mine.
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