And we've come to the end of the road. Sigh. Clarence and I will be looking at Director and Picture today, so this post is a bit longer than the others. At this point in the race, no one has seen everything (in fact, only a few movies have been seen), so we could be completely wrong. Who knows! If you are just catching up with our week long shots in the dark, you can check out Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress.
Moser
– Best Director
David
Fincher, Gone Girl
Alejandro
Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman
Angelina
Jolie, Unbroken
Richard
Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett
Miller, Foxcatcher
Moye –
Best Director
Alejandro
Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman
Angelina
Jolie, Unbroken
Mike Leigh,
Mr. Turner
Richard
Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett
Miller, Foxcatcher
Moye:
Well, we’ve come to the end of the week and the Big Two categories: Best
Director and Best Picture. For Best Director, three of these nominations (again
for films largely site unseen) feel locked already: Inarritu, Linklater, and
Miller. I’m tossing in Angelina Jolie as well because I think Unbroken will hit
big with the Christmas crowd, and I’ll round it out with Mike Leigh for Mr.
Turner. This is a tricky one because, while the Academy seems to respond to him
individually, this film could get lost in the awards season bloodletting.
Moser:
I think you are right on with those three locked in directors. Miller hasn’t
made a bad film yet, and the Academy really responds to his work. That
international trailer for Birdman got me even more excited for Inarritu, and
Boyhood’s response is incredible. As for the last two slots, I am thinking that
Jolie will gain some traction as the newest trailer for Unbroken makes it look
like something the Academy would go for.
Moye:
It’s been buzzing all year, starting with the extended preview way back during
the Winter Olympics where it seamlessly blended the true story with amazing,
Roger Deakins-blessed footage from the film.
Moser:
I joked when I first heard about Unbroken that we will see another person stranded
in the middle of the ocean. That trailer totally gets me though. The
sepia-toned cinematography looks stunning, and I wonder if Jack O’Connell can
get in for his performance of Louis Zamperini. It looks big and sprawling and
epic. And, of course, I would love to see another woman get into this boy’s
club category.
Moser (con't): I’m
torn on my last slot. Leigh is a great choice, and the Academy has nominated
him even if his film isn’t up for Picture. Does Paul Thomas Anderson get in for
Inherent Vice? I’m a bit surprised we
haven’t talk about that film in any of these races. Will Tim Burton get his
first Director nomination for Big Eyes? Can Rob Marshall recapture his musical
mojo with Into the Woods? Those options aside, I’m going with David Fincher for
Gone Girl.
Moye: Here
we go again, but I’m not going to argue. We can hash that one out when the film
is revealed in late September (which, shockingly is just around the corner). I
am glad you mentioned Inherent Vice. I have purposefully left that one out
because early word is very, very mixed and the Thomas Pynchon source material
seems way out there. I suspect this is PTA hewing closer to Punch Drunk Love
than any of his other more Oscar-bait films. He could surprise us though.
Fincher is always a good bet because, let’s face it, he’s a genius. I still
can’t get around the pulpy nature of the source material. Said it before, and
I’ll say it again: remember he didn’t get in for Dragon Tattoo.
Moser:
True, but if it’s a good adaptation, I think his execution will be killer. I
don’t think anyone thought he would get in with Dragon Tattoo anyway. Picture,
maybe, but not Director. But we will have a bloodbath whenever Gone Girl comes
out in October.
With
the big race, I always pick 10 movies for Best Picture (even though they've gone for 9 for the last 3 years), and it’s not like it’s
ever too far off when they pick 9.
Moser
- Best Picture
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
Fury
Gone Girl
Mr. Turner
Interstellar
Into
the Woods
The
Theory of Everything
Unbroken
Moser:
I think Foxcatcher, Boyhood and Birdman are in. Unbroken looks pretty epic, so
I feel like it has a solid chance (unless it’s super clunky, but that second
trailer looks great). Fury is a big, bleak war epic, and Mr. Turner was well
received at Cannes. As far as big, popular movies go, I think the ones to look
for are Gone Girl and Interstellar. Gone Girl is going to be a big hit, and
surely people will be talk about Interstellar like it’s the greatest thing in
the world. Christopher Nolan definitely has his fanatics. It’s hard to believe
that he’s never earned a Director nomination yet.
Moye:
The Academy loves sentiment and emotion when it comes to Best Picture / Director.
Well, pretty much all of the top categories. Nolan’s films are executed with
near-surgeon precision, but he lacks the gooey center that brings it home with
the Academy. Interstellar seems to start there with a father tearfully
abandoning his daughter to run off and save the world. I suspect, though, most
of the impact will come in the otherworldly scenes. I was taken with the first
trailer in that it reminded me of 2001. We’ll see if Nolan delivers on that
influence.
Moser:
I mean, I always love the experience of seeing Nolan’s films, but I don’t
necessarily have that emotional pull. Maybe there will be one with the
relationship between McConaughey and his daughter that will affect audiences?
On the musicals front, I think Into the Woods can get in if Les Miserables can.
I like Les Mis all right, but Into the Woods is a lot more thought-provoking
and fun than dirty close-up singing. I think we both agree that it looks great
from the first teaser, and it’s got the potential to wrack up a boatload of technical
nominations.
Moye:
Please don’t pick on Les Miserables. I’m a huge fan of the show, and I actually
really liked the film despite the odd close-ups and Russell Crowe nearly
destroying it. I’m really looking forward to Into the Woods (as you may have
heard), but I’m hoping there are no Crowe-level performances.
Moser:
I don’t mind Les Mis, but I’ve just never had an emotional attachment to it.
You know how musical theater lovers have those shows that we fall in love with?
Les Mis just isn’t one of those shows for me. I only saw it one on stage, and that
was less than 10 years ago. All this for a loaf of bread?
On
another note, we haven’t seen anything from Inherent Vice (except for some on
set pictures), but it’s directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. But who knows at this
point. Surely, anything could get in as the second half of the year shapes
up. Other contenders include The
Imitation Game, Selma, Big Eyes, A Most Violent Year, Wild, Men, Women &
Children…it just keeps going. Personally, I would love to see The Grand
Budapest Hotel come back around at the end of the year.
Clarence's FAVORITE movie!!!
Moye:
Ugh. Hope this doesn’t derail our friendship, but I’m one of those Wes Anderson
haters. I love art direction, but not at the expense of character and plot. I
tried four times to watch Grand Budapest Hotel…. FOUR TIMES. He’s going to have
to grow beyond 1) set camera in place, 2) film actor unmoving and delivering a
monologue toward the camera, and 3) insert retro kitsch object such as 45
record player or monocle. My choices are fairly similar, but I stuck with the
Academy’s favorite number – nine.
Moser: I am far from an Anderson lover. I didn’t really like Moonrise Kingdom, and I
just responded to Ralph Fiennes’ performance.
I liked the energy of Budapest, and I hope the production design gets
nominated. The design of that hotel
tells the story.
Moye -
Best Picture
Big
Eyes
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
Gone
Girl
Interstellar
Into
the Woods
A Most
Violent Year
Unbroken
Moye: If
something falls off this list, then it will be Big Eyes. I hadn’t really wanted
to include Interstellar but the amazing visuals in the recent first trailer
have really grown on me. I have nothing really to back up A Most Violent Year
other than J.C. Chandor has done some really great work on his last two films,
and I’m thinking it’s become “his turn” for some sort of recognition. He has to
grow out of that VOD sensibility though. Looks like this one may do the trick.
Moser: Chandor is very much on the cusp
of breaking out in the Oscar races. All I know about A Most Violent Year is
Jessica Chastain rocks a blonde bob, and that cast looks incredible.
Moye: Do you think the Oscar season is getting
boring already? I mean, I’m very excited to see these films, but it feels like
we’re 60 to 70 percent locked in without most of these screening yet.
Moser: Maybe it isn’t necessarily boring, but there
is so much to see still. The flood gates are going to open as soon as the fall
hits. I bet the races will get really exciting then.
Moye:
Any parting thoughts on the race where it stands? I’d love to revisit
this list after the big festivals have landed.
Moser:
We will definitely have to have a quick recap of the reactions when
Toronto and Telluride are over and done. Until then, happy hunting?
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