Oscar Picks 2015

As many film lovers know, tonight marks the 87th Academy Awards Ceremony. The Oscar is the

most coveted and important award in all of entertainment. What follows is a list of my choices for tonight's ceremony. I chose not to make picks for every category because to be quite honest, there are some that I simply know too little about and therefore feel that my pick would be ill advised and overall a waste of your time as reader. With that being said, here we go:

Writing (Original Screenplay): The Grand Budapest Hotel-Screenplay by Wes Anderson, Story by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness

Wes Anderson is one of the most original and important directors working today and while I feel the Academy will overlook him in the more major categories due to his quirky nature , he will be awarded for his epic and unique story.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Inherent Vice-Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

I'll admit, this one is more of a hopeful pick than a realistic one but much like Wes Anderson, PTA is a breath of fresh air in what is often a stale and cookie cutter modern Hollywood. He is able to produce lengthy and challenging film after film while still being funded by major studios. While I do think it's possible that Anderson could be awarded for the first adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel, I would not at all be surprised if the Academy overlooks him.

Directing: Boyhood-Richard Linklater

I personally believe that this one is an absolute lock. With his work on Boyhood, Richard Linklater has accomplished something that has never been done in the world of cinema before, and has done it with remakable success and assuredness. To film the same cast of actors for twelve years and have the result be a film as true to life as Boyhood is a feat that the Academy absolutely cannot overlook.

Cinematography: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)-Emmanuel Lubezki

While the field is certainly a strong one this year, I feel that Emmanuel Lubezki will again be awarded this year. His work in Birdman is the most unique and interesting camera work I have seen in a long time. Lubezki's lengthy, impressive tracking shots are what will set him apart from the rest tonight.

Actress (In a Supporting Role): Patricia Arquette-Boyhood

Coming of the momentum of her Golden Globes win, Patricia Arquette will take home the Oscar tonight for her heartwarming, intensely human work in Boyhood. Committing to her role as Ellar Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater's second mother for twelve years is the definition of loyalty to a project and for this the Academy will reward her.

Actor (In a Supporting Role): J.K. Simmons-Whiplash

Being honest, there isn't much for me to write about this one as I didn't get to see Whiplash in theaters and it won't be released on DVD/Blu ray until after the Oscars but Simmons' performance has been lauded for some time now, and he is also coming off the momentum of his win at the Golden Globes and so tonight, I think he'll be headed home with the Oscar as well.

Actress (In a Leading Role): Julianne Moore-Still Alice

Similar to the category above, I can't give a wholehearted opinion on this one as I wasn't able to see many of the films in this category. That being said, Julianne Moore is a very consistent, and very good actress. Moore's portrayal in Still Alice of a women suffering from Alzhiemer's disease is another that has been constantly praised by critics and therefore I think the Academy will reward her.

Actor (In a Leading Role): Michael Keaton-Birdman

Keaton's performance in Birdman is not like anything I have seen in a long, long time. He is able to be effective in dramatic scenes, comedic scenes, and even believable in the use of his egotistic superpowers or his crazed inner arguements with Birdman, a role his character one played long ago. This is a strong group of nominees, and I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see Bradley Cooper win for his very human portrayal of a PTSD stricken Chris Kyle or Eddie Redmayne for his touching and perfect depiction of Stephen Hawking through different stages of his debilitating disease, but I think it's Keaton's creation of a believable and layered yet all the while fictional human being that the Academy will reward tonight.

Best Picture: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

This category has by and far been the most difficult for me to make a pick for. While I do love The Grand Budapest Hotel, I think that the Academy will dismiss it because of it's predominantly comedic nature and the typical quirk it has as a Wes Anderson film. The most difficult film for me to place Birdman over was definitely Boyhood. As I mentioned previously in this post, Richard Linklater accomplished an incredible feat with Boyhood and did something that has never been done before in the history of cinema and I most definitely would not be dissapointed or surprised if the Academy rewards Richard Linklater for his bravery with both the Directing and Best Picture Award but I personally just do not think that they will. Overall, I feel that Birdman is simply the best, most interesting film released in some time. It is able to create believable, multilayered characters, a rich and engrossing plot and is assisted even further by it's all around outstanding cast beautiful camera work and truly sometimes funny sometimes heartwrenching dialouge. It is for these reasons that Birdman will take home the biggest award at tonight's Oscar ceremony.