The 87th Academy Awards

[GoGo Yubari]

It's so boring. It's so boring.

[Benjamin]

I actually think Emma Stone's performance was the best of her career, I agree that she deserves a nomination over Rene Russo. I haven't watched any of the others either, though.

GoGo is right that Best Actor category this year was brutal, it's was always going to be fucking tough to narrow it down to 5.

[LL!]

It would be less tough if people would recognize that there's absolutely nothing special about Bradley Cooper in American Sniper.

[GoGo Yubari]

Oh, I think she deserved to be nominated. It is probably her best performance, too. I just thought Russo was fantastic and probably second behind Patricia Arquette because yeah no Patricia Arquette's winning, that's her category.

[Jimmy]

Yeah, I just haven't seen enough of the films because dissertation has kept me from seeing two of the main nominees. Knightly was fine in Imitation Game, but it's a pretty standard performance, it's definitely not Oscar worthy.

Haven't seen American Sniper, so can't comment on Cooper's nomination. Gyllenhaal was fantastic in Nightcrawler, but I don't think it's an injustice that the film wasn't nominated elsewhere. For me, it was a pretty good film elevated by a phenomenal performance, I think he was unlucky to lose out. Though, I'd still have Spall ahead of him; I just cannot see anyone other actor even attempting that role. (Can feel myself getting repetitive, but this it's relevant.)

If it were up to me, I'd have them both in, one of which would be at the expense of Cumberbatch. He's really good in Imitation Game, but I think I just feel sour about the whole film cos it could've been so much more, with Knightly, they just kind of feel like a few different people could've played their roles and the result would've been similar enough. Plus, he's better in Sherlock anyway.

[LL!]

If it were up to me, I'd have them both in, one of which would be at the expense of Cumberbatch. He's really good in Imitation Game, but I think I just feel sour about the whole film cos it could've been so much more, with Knightly, they just kind of feel like a few different people could've played their roles and the result would've been similar enough. Plus, he's better in Sherlock anyway.

Yeah, I agree with this too. Cumberbatch and Cooper could've easily been subbed out for Gyllenhaal. I haven't seen Mr. Turner or Selma, but from what I've seen of Timothy Spall and Oyelowo, I could already tell they were a lot better choices.

[apsham]

I was only slightly mad until I found out that Cockatoo In Malibu wasn't nominated.

BOYCOTTED.

[HC]

Really disappointed in Nightcrawler getting no love. Theory of Everything and Imitation Game just look so Oscar Bait-ey.

[Benjamin]

Imitation Game looks like the most boring thing possible. That and Merryl Streep getting nominated is just so sigh-inducing.

Whoever said Nightcrawler was elevated because of Gyllenhaal's performance was right, though. Gyllenhaal's performance was the one category they should have got nominated in.

Seriously, though, Guy Pearce was just phenomenal and deserved to be nominated. Best performance by an actor, with the possible exception of Miles Teller.

I've heard good things about the Theory of Everything, so I'm actually quite interested to see it.

[LL!]

See, I enjoyed The Imitation Game despite its Oscar-baity tendencies. Theory of Everything, however, looks like the most boring tripe. It screams of "HOW CUTE WAS STEPHEN HAWKING BEFORE THE WHEELCHAIR WHERE HE THEN BECAME A MONSTER"

[Your Mom]

I am really interested in The Imitation Game because I've already read a book about The Turing test and would like to see a movie about the guy

[HC]

I'll end up seeing both, but certainly not in theaters. They'll be a Redbox pick-up for me. I'm probably waiting on Selma too, and I missed Whiplash's theatre run here. Going to see American Sniper and Foxcatcher this weekend. That'll up my Best Picture watched total to 5 out of 8. (WELL 6 OUT OF 9 CUZ NIGHTCRAWLER GOT SHAFTED).

[Benjamin]

You should watch Boyhood somehow considering that was the best film

[GA!]

See, I enjoyed The Imitation Game despite its Oscar-baity tendencies. Theory of Everything, however, looks like the most boring tripe. It screams of "HOW CUTE WAS STEPHEN HAWKING BEFORE THE WHEELCHAIR WHERE HE THEN BECAME A MONSTER"

It's a distinctly average film (Theory), and I'm surprised it's up for best picture. It wouldn't look out of place as a feature length TV drama. Eddie Redmayne is fantastic in it though.

It would be less tough if people would recognize that there's absolutely nothing special about Bradley Cooper in American Sniper.

I'm watching it now (don't ask how!), and it's just Bradley Cooper putting on a silly voice. Standard Bradley Cooper, then.

[TCO]

Am I the only one who thought Boyhood was sinfully boring and nothing at all happened? I mean if the whole gimmick of filming it over such a long span wasn't there, I really think it wouldn't be seen as extraordinary at all.

None of the performance's stood out and I honestly can't think of a single memorable moment. It's unfiltered Oscar shit so it'll probably win, but Birdman captivated me from start to finish something Boyhood failed miserably at.

Edited January 15, 2015 by TCO

[GoGo Yubari]

Am I the only one who thought Boyhood was sinfully boring and nothing at all happened?

I hope so! It was excellent. Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke were brilliant. The way it jumped from year to year was great, and I greatly enjoyed putting little pieces together. Two scenes from it (the family moving to Houston and Mom's monologue at the very end) are up there as my very favorites of the year. The soundtrack choices hit home for me every year, and the little details that they could really only get right by having filmed in those years and preserved that for a movie that wouldn't come out until way later always hit home. It was great, and in many ways is one of the only movies from last year that's stuck with me in a really lasting way since I saw it (like I loved Guardians of the Galaxy, for example, but I never ever think about it anymore).

[Benjamin]

There's definitely a chance Birdman might win. I too thought that was Oscar-baitey, especially the long takes which is just there to grab the Academy and is there specifically for that.

[Jimmy]

I haven't seen it, but long-takes aren't there to grab The Academy. Or do you mean just with Birdman?

Also Boyhood isn't at all Oscar-bait or whatever. It's like the pinnacle of Richard Linklater films, which are always ignored because they're understated, subdued and often do something a lot more interesting than the kind of big, dramatic scenes which win Oscars.

[Benjamin]

Just with Birdman. It really adds nothing to the film, and actually makes it feel like the movie had to throw in stuff that needed to be thrown in just to continue the long take.

I think people think Boyhood is Oscar-bait because of the length of shooting and production, and that has become the forefront of praise and many people call it the film's gimmick.

I still can understand that over the ridiculous statement people have that "nothing happens" in Boyhood. Those people have apparently never watched a Linklater film before.

[Jimmy]

So much happens. I mean, these people grow up. Their attitudes, their relationships, the marriages, everything changes. It's like, there's so much happening. And it's just made so much better by the fact that you get to see that over a long period of time, of which the physicality of actually seeing these people change really accentuates their changes.