Complete list of nominees
BEST PICTURE
What should win - Birdman
What will win - Birdman or Boyhood, possibly Whiplash or The Grand Budapest Hotel
This year's nominees aren't as impressive as last year's. Birdman is exactly what the Academy loves: a classic drama with a conflicted lead directed by an Academy darling and shot with immense technical precision. I will be disappointed if it does not win. Boyhood won the Golden Globe and is also a worthy candidate, being technically impressive as well as narratively resonant. Whiplash could be a surprise sweeper this year, but my gut says that J.K. Simmons gets Best Supporting Actor and that's it. The Grand Budapest Hotel also won the Golden Globe when pitted against Birdman, however the Academy has consistently snubbed director Wes Anderson over the years and I don't see them breaking that trend this year.
BEST DIRECTOR
Who should win - Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman
Who will win - Alejandro González Iñárritu or Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Much like last year's winner, fellow Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, Iñárritu deserves this because Birdman is an outstanding film both dramatically and technically; it's his masterwork. I'm a huge Richard Linklater fan (Dazed and Confused is an all-time favorite of mine) and he is more than worthy of winning due to the sheer complexity of Boyhood. It was shot over a period of 12 years with the same actors, so the amount of work and dedication is unimaginable. I would be happy if he won as well. I don't know why Bennett Miller was nominated. I didn't find Foxcatcher to be all that great, especially from a directorial standpoint. The film has no flair or uniqueness behind it.
BEST ACTOR
Who should win - Michael Keaton for Birdman
Who will win - Michael Keaton, Benedict Cumberbatch or Eddie Redmayne
I REALLY want Keaton to win Best Actor. The guy has been an underrated and versatile actor his entire career and has never recevied much recognition for it. This is probably the last time he will have a chance to win an Oscar. The thing is he DESERVES IT. Keaton was sublime as Riggan Thompson giving us one of the best acting performances since Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will be Blood. Cumberbatch and Redmayne could pull out a win here too because of the Academy's love of historical dramas. I am SHOCKED and diappointed that Jake Gyllenhaal did not get nominated for Nightcrawler. He was in two amazing films in 2014 (the other being Enemy) and didn't get nominated for EITHER. WTF?! However he is young and between End of Watch, Prisoners, Enemy and Nightcrawler, Gyllenhaal has become one of my favorite modern actors and he'll probably win an Oscar in the near future.
BEST ACTRESS
Who should win - Reese Witherspoon for Wild
Who will win - Witherspoon, Julianne Moore for Still Alice or Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything
All three actresses could potentially win this one. None are truly incredible performances but they are authentic and commendable. I liked Witherspoon's transformation into this flawed and rundown woman who finds hope in an unlikely place.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Who should win - J.K. Simmons for Whiplash
Who will win - J.K. Simmons or Edward Norton for Birdman
I was all for Ed Norton winning this one until I saw Simmons' volatile performance as a sadistic and abusive music teacher at a prestigious academy. He is brilliant and vicious; you can't take your eyes off him. A truly amazing show of acting. Norton is also magnificent and I would be more than happy with him winning, but Simmons deserves it more and Norton has already won before. I have no idea why Mark Ruffalo was even nominated...his role is totally unremarkable. The guy's a great actor, but Foxcatcher was far from his best performance.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Who should win - Patricia Arquette for Boyhood
Who will win - Arquette or Emma Stone for Birdman
Patricia Arquette gives a heart-wrenching performance as Mason's mom in Boyhood. She grows up along side him and we can see her change from an unprepared and confused young woman into a strong and confident mother. Likewise, Emma Stone plays against type as the sarcastic and vindictive daughter of Keaton's character. She may be young but she more than holds her own with all the heavy hitters. I don't think Laura Dern deserved a nomination either. Her role was very good but nothing amazing.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
What should win - Nightcrawler, Dan Gilroy
What will win - Birdman / Grand Budapest Hotel / Boyhood
Since I'm quite pissed about Gyllenhaal getting snubbed for Best Actor, I hope the screenplay might snag the film some recognition, as it was like Taxi Driver for the digital age. I'm not holding my breath though. Birdman is my guess since it won the Globe, but the others could just as easily win.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
What should win - The Imitation Game, Graham Moore or PT Anderson for Inherent Vice
What will win - The Imitation Game or Whiplash
None of the nominees particularly impressed me though I thought PT Anderson's job in adapting Inherent Vice's unconventional narrative style was deserving. The Imitation Game and Whiplash could win as well given the subject matter.
BEST ANIMATED FILM
What should win - Big Hero 6
What will win - Big Hero 6 or How To Train Your Dragon 2
I have not seen two of the nominees (Song of the Sea and Princess Kaguya), but Big Hero 6 impressed me with its ingenuity and tech-centric storyline (unusual waters for Disney) as did HTTYD2 with it's brilliant animation and story. Either is worthy.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
N/A - I haven't seen any of the nominees.
BEST DOCUMENTARY - FEATURE & SHORT
N/A - I haven't seen any of the nominees.
BEST SHORT FILM - LIVE ACTION & ANIMATED
N/A - I haven't seen any of the nominees.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
What should win - Interstellar, Hans Zimmer
What will win - Alexandre Desplat for both The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Imitation Game
Hans Zimmer's triumphant, ear-shattering score for Interstellar's time- and mind-bending space adventure gets my vote hands down. However out of the other nominees, the two most likely to win are BOTH the work of Mr. Desplat. His chances are good but Johann Johannson (love that name haha) could win for The Theory Of Everything even though I didn't find the score to be very memorable.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
What should win - "Everything Is Awesome" from The LEGO Movie
What will win - "Glory" from Selma
The infectious techno/dubstep style of "Everything Is Awesome" just fits the LEGO Movie so perfectly. Selma most likely takes home the Oscar for "Glory" since it won the GG.
BEST SOUND EDITING / SOUND MIXING
What should win - Interstellar
What will win - Interstellar or Birdman
I combined these two categories because they go hand in hand and the same film usually wins both of them. These are technical awards and given director Christopher Nolan's technical expertise and the nature of the film itself, I hope it wins. Birdman's unbroken take/single shot format is also amazing considering how precise it has to be, so it deserves to win as well.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
What should win - The Grand Budapest Hotel / Interstellar
What will win - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson's vibrant, eclectic style could (and should) win the Oscar, and I personally loved Interstellar's ultra-realistic set design and cool but grounded technolgy like TARS, the shuttles and gadgets. To be honest all of the nominees could take this as the Academy loves period pieces and whimsical musicals.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
What should win - Birdman, Emmanuel Lubezki
What will win - Birdman or The Grand Budapest Hotel, Robert Yeoman
These two are the only worthy candidates. The others aren't particularly noteworthy and as I mentioned, Anderson's style could nab Yeoman the statue. Emmanuel Lubezki won last year for Gravity and just may win this year as his technical skill to handle Iñárritu's long take style is impressive.
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
What should win - Guardians of the Galaxy
What will win - Guardians or The Grand Budapest Hotel
Only three nominees in this category and only two of them should win. I'm pulling for Guardians of the Galaxy because the make-up, particularly on Drax and Gamora, is top-notch. TGBH's age make-up was good and could possibly win, though I'm hoping GotG wins!
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
What should win - The Grand Budapest Hotel
What will win - The Grand Budapest Hotel / Into The Woods
The nifty bellhop uniforms and other quirky outfits featured in TGBH make this my choice and I think it will win, but the Academy's love of musicals may allow Into The Woods to steal this one.
BEST FILM EDITING
What should win - Whiplash, Tom Cross
What will win - Whiplash or Boyhood, Sandra Adair
Whiplash's hyper-fast editing during its drumming scenes is exceptional and really gives you a feel for the sheer intensity of the drumming itself and the quickness of the character' minds. However, editing together 12 years worth of footage into a cohesive film is a massive undertaking and Boyhood accomplishes this admirably. I personally thought it could've been trimmed by about 15 or 20 minutes (runtime 2 hrs, 4 min) and still been stellar.
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
What should win - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
What will win - DOTPOTA or Interstellar
I would be happy with any of the nominees winning this, as each one's effects were exemplary. My choice is Dawn of the Planet of the Apes because the motion capture work and CGI were incredible. Much like Gollum, I was completely invested in these digital characters thanks to near-perfect special effects. Interstellar's effects were jaw-dropping as well, and I think the Academy might pick it.
