2015 Oscar Predictions
Ultra5280's picks for this year's Academy Award Winners
Yes, we admit, this is not the full list. But we've hit the major categories for you. Enjoy!
Best Picture Nominees
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”
Will Win: "Birdman"
Should Win: "Boyhood"
Dark Horse: "American Sniper"
Actor in a Leading Role Nominees
Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything"
Will Win: Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything"
Should Win: Michael Keaton, "Birdman"
Dark Horse: Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Actress in a Leading Role Nominees
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
Will Win: Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Should Win: Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Dark Horse: Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
Actor in a Supporting Role Nominees
Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash"
Will Win: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash"
Should Win: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash"
Dark Horse: Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
Actress in a Supporting Role Nominees
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”
Will Win: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Should Win: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Dark Horse: Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”
Directing Nominees
Alejandro Gonzåles Iñårritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game”
Will Win: Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Should Win: Alejandro Gonzåles Iñårritu, “Birdman”
Dark Horse: Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Writing – Adapted Screenplay Nominees
Jason Hall, “American Sniper”
Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”
Anthony McCarten, “The Theory of Everything”
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”
Will Win: Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”
Should Win: Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Dark Horse: Jason Hall, “American Sniper”
Writing – Original Screenplay Nominees
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, “Foxcatcher”
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dan Gilroy, “Nightcrawler”
Will Win: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Should Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, “Birdman”
Dark Horse: E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, “Foxcatcher”
Animated Feature Film Nominees
“Big Hero 6”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“Song of the Sea”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”
Will Win: “How to Train Your Dragon 2”
Should Win: “Big Hero 6”
Dark Horse: “Song of the Sea”
Cinematography Nominees
Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Robert D. Yeoman, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lynzewski, “Ida”
Dick Pope, “Mr. Turner”
Roger Deakins, “Unbroken"
Will Win: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Should Win: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Dark Horse: Roger Deakins, “Unbroken"
Costume Design Nominees
Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Mark Bridges, “Inherent Vice”
Colleen Atwood, “Into the Woods”
Anna B. Sheppard, “Maleficent”
Jacqueline Durran, “Mr. Turner”
Will Win: Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Should Win: Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dark Horse: Jacqueline Durran, “Mr. Turner”
Documentary Feature Nominees
“Citizenfour”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
“Virunga”
“The Salt of the Earth”
“Finding Vivian Maier”
Will Win: “Citizenfour”
Should Win: “Citizenfour”
Dark Horse: “Virunga”
Film Editing Nominees
Joel Cox and Gary Roach, “American Sniper”
Sandra Adair, “Boyhood”
Barney Pilling, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
William Goldenberg, “The Imitation Game”
Tom Cross, “Whiplash”
Will Win: Tom Cross, “Whiplash”
Should Win: Tom Cross, “Whiplash”
Dark Horse: Joel Cox and Gary Roach, “American Sniper”
Foreign Language Film Nominees
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Tangerines”
“Wild Tales”
“Timbuktu”
Will Win: “Wild Tales”
Should Win: “Leviathan”
Dark Horse: “Ida”
Music – Original Score Nominees
Alexandre Desplat, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Imitation Game”
Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”
Gary Yershon, “Mr Turner”
Johann Johannsson, “The Theory of Everything”
Will Win: Alexandre Desplat, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Should Win: Alexandre Desplat, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dark Horse: Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”
Music – Original Song Nominees
“Everything Is Awesome” by Shawn Patterson, “The LEGO Movie”
“Glory” by Common and John Legend, “Selma”
“Grateful,” by Diana Warren, “Beyond the lights”
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond, “Glenn Campbell: I’ll Be Me”
“Lost Stars” by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois, “Begin Again”
Will Win: “Glory” by Common and John Legend, “Selma”
Should Win: “Lost Stars” by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois, “Begin Again”
Dark Horse: “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond, “Glenn Campbell: I’ll Be Me”
Production Design Nominees
“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Production design: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“The Imitation Game,” Production design: Maria Djurkovic, Set Decoration: Tatiana Macdonald
“Interstellar,” Production design: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
“Into the Woods,” Production design: Dennis Gassner, Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“Mr. Turner,” Production design: Suzie Davies, Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts
Will Win: “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Production design: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
Should Win: “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Production design: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
Dark Horse: “Mr. Turner,” Production design: Suzie Davies, Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts
Sound Editing Nominees
“American Sniper,” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
“Birdman,” Martin Hermandez and Aaron Glascock
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” Brent Burge and Jason Canovas
“Interstellar,” Richard King
“Unbroken,” Becky Sullivan and Andrew Decristofaro
Will Win: “American Sniper,” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
Should Win: “American Sniper,” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
Dark Horse: “Interstellar,” Richard King
Sound Mixing Nominees
“American Sniper,” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
“Birdman,” Jon Taylor, Frank A Montano and Thomas Varga
Mark Weingarten, “Interstellar,” Garry A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten
“Unbroken,” Jon Taylor, Frank A Montano and David Lee
”Whiplash,” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley
Will Win: ”Whiplash,” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley
Should Win: ”Whiplash,” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley
Dark Horse: “American Sniper,” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
Visual Effects Nominees
“Captain America: Winter Soldier,” Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist
“Guardians of the Galaxy,” Stephanie Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould
“Interstellar,” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer
Will Win: “Interstellar,” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
Should Win: “Interstellar,” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
Dark Horse: “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Stephanie Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould
Ultra5280's Best Films of 2014
This year in movies was an exciting one. From one of the most fun experiences to the most breathtaking and everything in between, this year was jam packed with amazing performances, wonderful scores, meticulous direction, and don't forget the snarky raccoon. Though the digital age seems to be encroaching on our movie going experience, my faith and commitment to film as a medium and the theater-going experience itself was reaffirmed. Counting the films at Austin Film Festival, I saw more than 40 films in theater's this year. Even still, as of this post, I've not seen Foxcatcher, Unbroken, American Sniper or Inherent Vice. I also missed Snowpiercer which was a dark horse favorite this year. I feel confident that all five of those movies will be among the best this year, with Foxcatcher and American Sniper most likely to show up around Oscar time. So without further ado, my top films of 2014 (in no particular order):
BIRDMAN
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Written by Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Armando Bo
Starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, and Edward Norton
WHIPLASH
Written and Directed by Damien Chazelle
Starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons
INTERSTELLAR
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Directed by Wes Anderson
Written by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness
Starring Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, and Jude Law
BOYHOOD
Written and Directed by Richard Linklater
Starring Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, and Ethan Hawke
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
Directed by James Gunn
Written by Nicole Perlman and James Gunn
Starring Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Dave Bautista
Honorable Mentions:
Fury
Rudderless
Edge of Tomorrow
The Lego Movie
Do Not Go Gentle: A Review of INTERSTELLAR
Last night, I walked into the IMAX theatre at the UA Colorado Center to see Interstellar. And the experience was stellar. We got the chance to see the film actually projected on film, and that doesn't happen very often anymore.
It was awesome.
I walked out having been engrossed, transported, transfixed, and inspired. Sounds completely cheesy and I'm aware of that. But it's happened a handful of times for me. That feeling hit me with Beasts of the Southern Wild, Silver Linings Playbook, 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, and the recent Birdman. That's a laundry list of films, but they all have that characteristic in common for me.
Seeing it on the IMAX is the gold standard for this movie. It's what Nolan wanted, it's how he wanted people to see the movie. And more importantly he wanted people to see it projected on film, not digital - 4K or otherwise. If you live in Denver and you're at all interested in this movie, go see it at the IMAX. It's being projected on 70mm and is one of the few IMAX theaters in the country still doing this (here's the list of theaters nationwide). This is what the official Interstellar website has to say about IMAX 70mm:
“Select IMAX theaters will be offering the IMAX Experience featuring 15 perf/70mm film projection which combines the brightest, clearest images at almost 10 times the resolution of standard projection formats, with powerful, laser-aligned digital sound and customized theater geometry to create the world’s most immersive movie experience.”
It's a pretty penny to get into the theatre, but it's well worth it. Get the Regal Card and you'll also save a dollar off your ticket at the theatre (Regal should pay me for that plug, right?).
About an hour of the movie utilizes the IMAX cameras that had previously just been used for sweeping landscapes or city-scapes. Nolan makes use of them off of their locked-down rigs and put them on cars, and his camera operators shot with them on shoulder rigs. What you end up with is a use of the cameras that no one thought possible before. There's a really cool video about it here.
So what the heck is this movie about anyways? Well it is a science-fiction-fantasy-adventure-human-survival story. Like Nolan's films before, he not only presents fantastical worlds, but compelling characters searching for more. In the not so distant future, the world has run out of food and we are exhausting our planet, most of us have been assigned to be farmers. But even that is failing; dust storms are killing crops. Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, a former NASA pilot and engineer. NASA has now been forced to operate in complete secrecy and they recruit Cooper to pilot an exploration mission.
I don't really like reviews with spoilers, so I won't touch any more on what happens in the almost three-hour movie. It also stars Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, and some other surprise guests. All actors turn in solid performances, which McConaughey leading the way as a father, leaving his children behind.
If you've seen the trailers you know that 'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night' makes its way into the movie. It's one of my favorites as well:
"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
- Dylan Thomas, 1914-1953
This seems to be what fuels Cooper, and indeed Nolan. He is a director who will not give up on the medium and we're on board. He is one of the most outspoken advocates of shooting and projecting on film. And his movies benefit from it; all the way from Following, to Memento, to The Prestige, Batman Begins, to Inception and now with Interstellar. The exciting thing is that he is commercially successful and able to do it by and large bucking the "normal" trends in the studios. He is perhaps one of a very, very small list of directors who can make the movie he wants, they way he wants, without interruption from a studio.
So far, we've taken a look at some other reviews out there, and the results are mixed from the critics. Some are totally on board, and others are completely not. I think that makes this a movie to absolutely go see. It was split like this when Memento came out too. Some of the highlights of these other reviews, without going into too much detail: the movie's science was horrible, the dialogue was lofty and awkward, and the plotting was precarious at best.
I'll take them one at a time.
As to the science in the movie being "bad," well this is a movie, right? A SCIENCE-FICTION movie? You know, one where you walk in and hand over the normal laws of time, space, gravity to filmmakers who might bend it a little bit to tell their stories. They, after all, set the rules for their stories. If you don't feel they did a good job setting the rules of their universe they've created, that's another matter. But if you want to know what would actually happen if you went into a Black Hole, any museum of Nature and Science could probably tell you. I wonder if these reviews also hated Star Wars because of the lightsabers and Star Trek because, no, Scotty can't really beam you up.
The dialogue...yes, I will admit it was a bit formal at times (Nolan is a Brit). But this is the same guy who took us into the collective unconscious in Inception. His schtick is philosophy. And more-so in this film than before. The characters are struggling with important questions about our place among the stars, and about love. I ask myself these lofty questions. I'm a dreamer too.
And as to the plotting, there seemed to be a consensus that the bad science led to bad plotting. So I don't need to handle that part again. A filmmaker sets story rules, you either buy them or you don't. There were moments in the movie where the plotting is heavy, like an outside force compelling the movie where it needs to go. For me? I'm okay with it. This isn't a camera-following-subject documentary about space after all.
It’s about the human element, not the science. If you go into this movie expecting the science to be 100%, don’t go. Go watch a documentary. This is not that. But it’s okay, it doesn’t have to be, and it doesn’t aim to be. It’s a sci-fi fantasy, time-travelling, dimension bending movie. (Speaking of dimensions, check out Imagining the Tenth Dimension).
“We used to look up at the sky and wonder about our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt.”
Suspend your disbelief. That's what the movies are all about. I walked out of the theatre thinking that they're will never be an opportunity to experience that film like that, on 70mm IMAX, again - until I go see it for the second time next week. With Netflix, iPads, and tiny movie screens in our pockets, seeing a movie in the theatre on film is something that doesn't happen all the time. I hope we see a resurgence of film. Because there really isn't anything quite like it.
The movie is hopeful. “We used to look up at the sky and wonder about our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt,” as Cooper says. It reminded me of looking up at the stars at night. Just looking up and thinking about what it is to live, what it is to be a part of such a big world, such a big cosmos.
Rage on, rage on.
New Interstellar Trailer
Although our film editor Aaron Brunhofer refuses to see or hear anything regarding this movie (you can read why here, as well as his Fall movie preview). We decided to share the new trailer for the upcoming Chris Nolan film Interstellar. All of here are pretty excited about this film and can't wait until it comes out!
Fall Movie Preview
After another summer of big movies and loud explosions, the fall season turns out award hopefuls and festival favorites. As in any fall lineup, it’s not just the award chasing movies that are released. Scary movies pepper October in preparation for Halloween (Annabelle, Before I Go To Sleep, Horns). We have returns of sequels, with Horrible Bosses 2, Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, and The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies. And there are also animated offerings with Big Hero 6 and Penguins of Madagascar. While some of these look more entertaining than others, this fall preview focuses on the stories and characters we’re most excited about seeing on the screen.
GONE GIRL - October 4
Based on the gripping novel by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl follows Nick Dunne, played by Ben Affleck as he reports that his wife, Rosamund Pike, has gone missing. As pressure from both the police and media grow, Nick’s account of a happy marriage begins to fall apart and everyone is left asking if Nick actually did kill his wife. I've heard the book is heavy as it twists and turns, so it's fitting that it's handled by Seven and Fight Club director, David Fincher.
Fun fact for us in the Mile High City, Fincher was born in Denver.
WHIPLASH - October 10
For all of you jazz fans out there, this is one not to miss. Miles Teller stars as Andrew Neyman, a jazz drummer, relentlessly seeking to be the top of his class at his music conservatory. An instructor at the school, Terence Fletcher, played by J.K. Simmons, recruits Andrew for his band. Known for his talents as a teacher and intimidating techniques, Fletcher pushes Andrew to the limits of his ability.
Writer/director Damien Chazelle's original screenplay was first featured on the Black List before he turned the script into an 18 minute short that garnered much interest at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Whiplash took home the top audience and grand jury awards at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
BIRDMAN - October 17
Birdman stars Michael Keaton as a washed-up actor trying to reclaim his glory days as he struggles through family trouble and the opening of a Broadway play. The film is directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Oscar nominee for Babel, and is lensed by Oscar winning cinematographer of Gravity, Emmanuel Lubezki. Birdman also stars Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts.
It seems that this is the film with all the buzz out of Venice, Telluride and going into the upcoming New York Film Festival. Early predictions are that this will land best director, best cinematography, and best actor nods.
RUDDERLESS - October 17
In William H. Macy's directorial debut, a father spirals out of control after his son’s death. In his descent, he finds his son’s demo tapes and lyrics and discovers an unknown musical talent which he uses to form a band and hopefully find peace.
Rudderless features some great music and stars Billy Cruddup, Anton Yelchin, Jamie Chung, and Selena Gomez.
FURY - October 17
As World War II comes to a close in Europe, the small crew of a Sherman tank heads behind enemy lines. With the odds stacked against them, the five-man crew faces a larger and better armed force in their attempt to strike the center of Nazi Germany.
The movie is directed by Training Day and End of Watch writer, David Ayer. Fury stars Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf and Logan Lerman.
INTERSTELLAR - November 7
In his first film after wrapping up the trilogy of Batman movies, Christopher Nolan brings a stellar cast together headlined by Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine, of course. The film is again scored by Hans Zimmer. Nolan writes the film with his brother Jonathan Nolan, co-writer of Memento and The Dark Knight.
I wish I could share more, but 1) I haven’t watched the trailer and refuse to do so on principle and 2) have avoided any news or plot synopsis like the plague. And if there is any doubt in Nolan’s ability to wrap fascinatingly complicated characters into even more complicated plots, you should go back and watch Memento and Following again.
FOXCATCHER - November 14
Foxcatcher is based on the true story of Mark Schultz, an Olympic wrestler. The film, directed by Moneyball director Bennett Miller, follows Schultz, played by Channing Tatum and his relationship with his sponsor John du Pont, played by Steve Carrell, in a strikingly different turn for the comedic actor. Schultz’s brother, Dave Schultz is played by Mark Ruffalo.
These are new roles for both Tatum and Carrell, but expect them to excel. The film is produced by Annapurna Pictures, the company headed by Megan Ellison, producer of Oscar nominated films Her, American Hustle and Zero Dark Thirty.
THE IMITATION GAME - November 21
In the second movie on this list about World War II, Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, legendary cryptanalyst. Based on the true story, Turing and his team race the clock as a part of Britain’s top-secret Government Code and Cypher School in their attempt to break Nazi Germany’s secret Enigma code.
This is another film at the top of the list coming out of the Telluride Film Festival and was the winner of the Grolsch People’s Choice Award at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Morten Tyldum, Norwegian director of Headhunters, the film also stars Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode.
Other films to keep an eye on...
The Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything (11/7), Reese Witherspoon in Wild (12/5), Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice (12/12), and Christian Bale as Moses in Exodus: Gods and Kings (12/12).