Animated Film
The Boxtrolls
The Lego Movie
Big Hero 6
Big Hero 6 is good fun and I loved
the grubby anarchy of The Boxtrolls but surely there’s only one winner here. I
saw the Lego Movie again a few weeks ago and immediately regretted not putting
it in my top 25 films of 2014. Not only does it look fantastic (Fritz Lang on magic mushrooms), it’s also laugh-out-loud funny and slyly subversive. Winning
a BAFTA probably won’t make up for the Oscars snub but will certainly ensure
the omission looks even sillier.
Should win: The Lego Movie
Will win: The Lego Movie
Original Music
The Grand Budapest Hotel: Alexandre
Desplat
Interstellar: Hans Zimmer
Birdman: Antonio Sanchez
Under The Skin: Mica Levi
The Theory Of Everything: Jóhann
Jóhannsson
I’m pretty much obsessed with Mica
Levi’s mesmerising music for Under the Skin. I have her soundtrack to the film on
my iPod and even bought the vinyl version too. It sounds like nothing else and
fits Jonathan Glazer’s disquieting fever dream of a movie perfectly. But I’m
worried it might be a bit too “out there” to win, in which case I’d settle for
Birdman’s driving, drum-heavy score taking the prize as not only is it
innovative and powerful, but it’s another one unfairly omitted from the Oscars.
Believe me, though, stuff will be thrown at the telly if they award it to Hans
Zimmer or Jóhann Jóhannsson.
Should win: Under The Skin: Mica
Levi
Will win: Under The Skin: Mica
Levi
Cinematrography
The Grand Budapest Hotel: Robert
Yeoman
Interstellar: Hoyte Van Hoytema
Mr. Turner: Dick Pope
Birdman: Emmanuel Lubezki
Ida: Lukasz Zal, Ryszard
Lenczewski
I shall be rooting for black and
white Polish film Ida in this category. Not in an attempt to be a contrary
hipster but because it is genuinely one of the most beautiful-looking movies
I’ve seen in years. You could take almost every frame and hang it on a wall in
a gallery – it’s a very “still” piece of work so this would probably work quite
well actually. I also loved the way a great many of the shots are framed with
the actors occupying the bottom half or third of the frame – as if they are
just small components in a much bigger story going on around them. That said I
have a strong suspicion Ida will be overlooked in favour of Interstellar. Because
outer space!
Should win: Ida: Lukasz Zal,
Ryszard Lenczewski
Will win: Interstellar: Hoyte Van
Hoytema
Supporting actor
JK Simmons: Whiplash
Mark Ruffalo: Foxcatcher
Steve Carell: Foxcatcher
Edward Norton: Birdman
Ethan Hawke: Boyhood
This may well be the strongest of all
the categories this year and everyone nominated would be a very worthy winner. JK
Simmons as monstrous music teacher Terence Fletcher in Whiplash would get my
vote, though. Some have said his performance is a bit one note (boom-tish!) but,
if that’s the case, it’s one hell of a note. It’s a bravura display, the former
J Jonah Jameson demanding your entire focus in every scene he dominates. Fletcher
is a horrible bullying arsehole but Simmons makes him such a force of nature
that it becomes impossible not to have at least a little sympathy with his
world view. He even manages to imbue the seemingly innocuous phrase “Not quite my tempo” with the same level of menace as “Heeere's Johnny!” or “Say hello to my little
friend!” The Oscar's his, too.
Should win: J.K. Simmons: Whiplash
Will win: J.K. Simmons (below): Whiplash
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