Sunday, January 11, 2015

Oscars 2015: BAFTA Nominees Reactions

Hello, Bloggers, I am a few days late on this, but I figured I'd post my reactions to the BAFTA Nominees. Plenty I was happy with, but there were some snubs. Let's take a look:

Best Film:
Birdman
Boyhood
Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Theory of Everything

Nice that I caught all of these and it is looking more and more likely that Grand Budapest Hotel will make it to Best Picture at the Oscars which is nice considering it came out early in the year.

Best British Film:
'71
The Imitation Game
Paddington
Pride
Theory Of Everything
Under The Skin

With the exception of Pride, this category is a head scratcher for two reasons: One is that ToE and TIG are already on the Best Film lineup so there wasn't much need to put those here and two: Why in God's name is Under The Skin on here? Pardon my French, but that movie was absolute horseshit and they picked it over Locke, Calvary, and especially Starred Up? Like Sarah Michelle Gellar once said, "Well, there's no accounting for taste."

Best Director:
Wes Anderson, Grand Budapest Hotel
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
James Marsh, Theory of Everything

VERY pleased to see Damien Chazelle on here. Knew Alejandro and Linklater would make it, but I am hoping that Chazelle can make it to the Oscars and DGA as well.

Best Actor:
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Ralph Fiennes,  Grand Budapest Hotel
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, Theory of Everything

Gyllenhaal might just be inches closer to being a lock for a nomination, thankfully. Fiennes might look to be a semi-surprise. The other three are highly expected, but worthy of praise.

Best Actress:
Amy Adams, Big Eyes
Felicity Jones, Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

No Marion Cotillard? Dang. Adams' chances at getting an Oscar nod are looking less likely to begin with, so it seems strange they would still include her.

Best Supporting Actor:
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Interesting to see Carell in here. I was worried that Robert Duvall would take the fifth slot only because I greatly despise The Judge and hate to see it get awards recognition of any kind. So, with all due respect to Duvall, anyone else would do.

Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Rene Russo, Nightcrawler
Imelda Staunton, Pride
Emma Stone, Birdman

I am very pleased to see both Imelda Staunton and Rene Russo here. It seems like if Jessica Chastain and Meryl Streep should fear anybody, it might be those two (Russo especially since her film is getting plenty of love) and even Tilda Swinton for Snowpiercer. 

Best Adapted Screenplay:
American Sniper
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Paddington
Theory of Everything

I guess they really liked Paddington. After just seeing Sniper, I am pretty thrilled to see that on here and of course, my personal choice for this category: Gone Girl.

Best Original Screenplay:
Birdman
Boyhood
Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler
Whiplash

Solid category. I think that because Whiplash is eligible for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars, it'll really bode well for Nightcrawler to make it in the Original category. However, Inherent Vice shouldn't be too comfortable at this point in the Adapted race.

Best Cinematography:
Birdman
Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Interstellar
Mr. Turner 

Didn't see Mr. Turner, but I like this category.

Best Editing:
Birdman
Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Nightcrawler
Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Two of the three best edited movies of the year made it on here, thankfully. *Hint: The first and last ones. Pretty strong category, though.

Best Animated Feature:
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
The LEGO Movie

If the LEGO Movie wins everything, everything is awesome!

Best Documentary:
20 Feet From Stardom
20,000 Days on Earth
Citizenfour
Finding Vivien Maier
Virunga

Only saw 20 Feet. Not a whole lot else to say, really.

Best Foreign Language Film:
Ida
Leviathan
The Lunchbox
Trash
Two Days, One Night

The Lunchbox, I won't even acknowledge because I didn't like that one. But Ida and Two Days being on here is nice.

Best Sound:
American Sniper
Birdman
Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

Hopefully Whiplash and Sniper can make it to the Oscars.

Best Original Music:
Birdman
Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Under The Skin

Great scores here. Thankfully, this is Under The Skin's only other nomination. But, to be fair, that film's score was pretty chilling. I'll give it that.

Best Production Design:
Big Eyes 
Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Mr.Turner

Best Special Visual Effects:
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
X-Men : Days of Future Past

Very nice to see X-Men on here. Hopefully, this can be the first X-Men film to be an Oscar nominee because surprisingly, no other film in the franchise has even managed a tech nod.

Best Makeup and Hair:
Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy
Into The Woods
Mr. Turner
Theory of Everything

Surprisngly, no Foxcatcher, but thankfully, Guardians is on here. Oscars, top, perhaps?

Best Costume Design:
Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Into The Woods
Mr.Turner
Theory of Everything

Best Rising Star:
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Jack O'Connell
Margot Robbie
Miles Teller
Shailene Woodley

Love every actor on here. Kind of expected Jack O'Connell and Gugu Mbatha-Raw to be on here, but I am glad they are. If I were to choose, I'd pick O'Connell. This guy is destined for stardom.

Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director, Or Producer:
Stephen Beresford (Writer) and Daniel Livingstone (Producer)- Pride
Graham Burke (Writer) and Yann Demange (Director)- '71
Elaine Constantine (Director/Writer)- Northern Soul
Paul Katis (Director/Producer) and Andrew De Lotbiniere (Producer)- Kajaki
Hong Khaou (Director/Writer)- Lilting

So those were my thoughts on most of the BAFTA Nominees. There were some short categories, but I am not overly familiar with those, so I can't really comment on them. But since the Globes are tonight, I should post my thoughts on the wonners tomorrow. Until then, thanks for reading!

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