2014

Best Picture nominees:


American Sniper
Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) *
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

***

American Sniper - A really good portrayal of late sniper Chris Kyle, both about how he was a professional and how difficult it was to come back to his home life.  Since the movie was seen as pro-war, I am surprised it got a Best Picture nomination. Bradley Cooper should have won Best Actor, but I think the backlash prevented this.

Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - A bizarre single-shot Inarritu film about an aging actor trying to act in a play and his weird fantasies.  I was perplexed by this movie and thought it should not have even been nominated, much less win.

Boyhood - An interesting experiment following one actor from childhood to his late teens by filming one actor a few weeks at a time for several years.  I thought this would win Best Picture because of its uniqueness.

The Grand Budapest Hotel - The usual funky Wes Anderson movie with bizarro plot, but charming, fun, and full of silly miniatures.

The Imitation Game - The story of cryptoanalyst Alan Turing and the machine he helped build to unencrypt the German Enigma machine.  Film was criticized for downplaying Turing's homosexuality.  I enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of the film.

Selma - The story of the Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights marches.  While inspirational with the protests to get equal voting rights for all Americans, I found this movie fairly boring, and I found it strange that all of the principals were played by British actors.

The Theory of Everything  - A tour-de-force performance for Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, from his early university years to his total paralyzation.  He is the best part of the movie, which is a little thin.

Whiplash - A stunning film about a young drummer trying to make it in his college ensemble which is led with an iron fist by maniacal conductor J.K. Simmons.  Good music, good twists and turns, and excellent acting, with J.K. Simmons taking the Supporting Actor Oscar.

***

My rankings of the Best Picture nominees:

1. Whiplash
2.  American Sniper
3.  The Grand Budapest Hotel
4.  Boyhood
5.  The Imitation Game
6.  The Theory of Everything
7.  Birdman, (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
8.  Selma