Get Cultured — February 19, 2015 at 4:05 pm

The Golden Race: The Bird vs The Boy (PREDICTIONS)

This is it folks! The last day of voting has passed, come this Sunday the Academy will announced its perception of best in their ceremony. We are in the last stretch of the race, one we can only assume who will win or who will lose.

2014 was an interesting year for film, and it will be remembered as such. A year in which the usual Blockbuster flopped, and the intelligent one went up. Still, it was a year that till the end had very little going for it. Very few great films were released before September, with “The Grand Budapest Hotel” being one of the only exceptions. This is the reason why “Gone Girl” was a favorite at the start of this Golden Race.

This year will also be remembered as one full of controversy and self-congratulation. Films like “Selma,” which deserved so much more were given little opportunity, while a sub-par movie like “American Sniper” was given much more attention than it deserved. Don’t believe me, check the still below:

Plus the movie was just a more commercialized version of the same themes “The Hurt Locker” explored.

Many are crying that “Boyhood” should win, because it’s a feat that will never be replicated. Richard Linklater deserves it after so many years of being unrecognized. That’s all true. Others think “Birdman” should win, because it is not so gimmicky. Because the script is actually a script, and not a series of events that are strung together. For my money, “Selma” should be a contender against those two, but knowing the Oscars as well as I do, I know is not even close. Despite that, we have a two horse race with “The Grand Budapest Hotel” being the only real threat to those two, and its not that real.

So women got ignored, people of color got shafted, and the Academy fails to cater to the general public. Yet a Mexican director could win for a second year in a row, “Selma” still got nominated for Best Picture despite having one more nomination, and “American Sniper” got the kind of love actually great movies get. It’s not so bad on the Oscar front.

Before I give my predictions away, I want to take a moment to recognize the biggest snubs this year. “Nightcrawlers” complete shut out was ridiculous. “Selma” getting two nominations is absurd, and the fact that Ava DuVernay is not one of them makes it worst. “Foxcatcher” not getting Best Picture but “American Sniper” being there was a slap to the face. “The Lego Movie,” the best-animated film, not nominated for Best Animated Film. The list goes on (No love for “Gone Girl” from me, as I found it more gimmicky than “Boyhood” and “Birdman.”)

Now with that off my chest, let’s go!

BEST PICTURE

Nominees:

“American Sniper,” “Birdman,” “Boyhood,” “Selma,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The Imitation Game,” “The Theory of Everything,” “Whiplash”

Only one of two movies will win here, and they are both important for the modern cinema landscape. “Boyhood” attempts and succeeds at doing what the British UP series does, but with a narrative instead of a documentary. It will have not been talked about as much if it didn’t work. The performances are real, the film itself transports us to a time where we were younger and make us realize life is universal. “Birdman,” on the other hand, denies that obsession with nostalgia. It hates it. It shows its destructive side. The film is bombastic, an intricate commentary on the industry and the self. It goes beyond filmmaking and into philosophical study. Only “Selma,” with its compelling pace and outstanding direction, and “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” with its incredibly unique style, storybook storytelling, and mouth-watering visuals come close to those two. So who will win:

BOYHOOD

Could and Should Win: “Birdman”

Dark Horse: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Should have been nominated: “Foxcatcher”

BEST DIRECTOR

Nominees:

“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu, “Boyhood” Richard Linklater, “Foxcatcher” Bennett Miller, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson, “The Imitation Game” Morten Tyldum

I was against the split and thought it was not possible till this last week. “Birdman” deservedly so, has much more love than people expected. While Richard Linklater’s subtle work in “Boyhood” is amazing, Iñarritu’s effort is beyond what anybody else did this year. He is a shoe-in for me as Cuaron was last year. Creating this kind of exciting work should be rewarded. I wish “Birdman” would win best picture but I can easily see a split happening. After all both movies should end the night with high honors.

ALEJANDRO G. IÑARRITU

Could Win: Richard Linklater

Dark Horse: Wes Anderson

Should have been nominated: Ava DuVernay

BEST ACTRESS

Nominees:

Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night,” Felicity Jones in “The Theory of Everything,” Julianne Moore in “Still Alice,” Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl,” Reese Witherspoon in “Wild,”

This is Julianne Moore’s year. Plain and simple. Cotillard should be mentioned here as a maybe, with Felicity Jones not far behind. But don’t pay attention to that, there’s only one choice.

JULIANNE MOORE

Dark Horse: Everyone

Should Have Been Nominated: Cotillard should have been nominated for “The Immigrant”

BEST ACTOR

Nominees:

Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher,” Bradley Cooper in “American Sniper,” Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game,” Michael Keaton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance,)” ”Eddie Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything”

All point sign to Eddie Redmayne, and with good reason. His performance is everything Oscars like to give the award to. But I will not give it to him. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Michael Keaton will win. Here’s the surprise of the night. Why? He has been amazing for years, and never recognized. His performance is as good as Redmayne’s in every aspect, and more people can relate to it. He may have lost the SAG, but the movie got Best Ensemble. Redmayne has years ahead of him to win an Oscar, this may be Keaton’s last chance. He deserves it. Every other nominee here is a placeholder.