Film Review -- Spotlight

Directed by Tom McCarthy, the film stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Brian d'Arcy James, and Stanley Tucci. It centers around the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation, conducted by the "Spotlight" team of investigative reporters for the Boston Globe, of the massive cover-up of the rampant child molestation within the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Walter Robinson (Keaton) leads the team of reporters - Mike Rezendes (Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (McAdams) and Matt Carroll (James) - on a perilous mission to expose one of the most perverse scandals in the history of the Catholic Church. One great strength of this film is that it doesn't attempt, on account of its obviously revolting subject matter, to be melodramatic or to mold itself into a conventional 'good vs. evil' narrative. It treats its subject matter in a sensitive way, but it also doesn't try to sugarcoat it (of course, the Church's atrocities speak for themselves). The reporters aren't portrayed as heroes; rather, they're simply a group of people who found a story that needed to be told, and pursued it - sometimes reluctantly, but mostly resolutely - while experiencing a wide range of responses, including horror. The film's screenplay is perhaps the best of the year. The plot moves so seamlessly that I hardly noticed the time go by, and the dialogue seems so natural that it feels like you're listening to a conversation among real people. A necessary film is one that is so much more than entertainment, one that is an indispensable viewing to those who consider themselves decent human beings - this is one of those films. The sickening nature of organized religion is too often and inexplicably ignored by society at large, so one can't help but feel grateful to the original Spotlight team for their unflinching exposé as well as to the filmmakers who wished to bring this story to a wide audience for their small contributions in bringing this cancer to the forefront of mainstream culture. Spotlight is easily the best film of the year.

Should you see it: Absolutely
Grade: A+

Film Review -- The Big Short

Directed by Adam McKay, the comedy stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt. The film tells the story of three groups of people - eccentric hedge fund manager Michael Burry (Bale); investor Jared Vennett, who works with trader Mark Baum (Carell) and his team; and young investors Charlie (John Magaro) and Jamie (Finn Wittrock), who work with retired trader Ben Rickert (Pitt) - who accurately predicted the collapse of the housing market that led to the 2008 financial crisis and profited greatly from it. Although the true story that inspired it is ultimately horrifying, the film manages to take this shocking story and tell it in a comical and wholly original way. Beyond that, it makes the complex financial and economic practices that led to the crisis much easier to understand; in fact, McKay's strategy for explaining certain complicated financial terms is absolutely hilarious and one of the best aspects of the film. Because of the superb actors, the witty and intelligent screenplay, and pertinent subject matter, The Big Short is a winner. I was thoroughly entertained and loved its originality; creating a laugh-out-loud film about a global economic crisis is certainly a great accomplishment. It is one of my favorite films of the year.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A

FIlm Review -- Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Directed by J.J. Abrams, Episode VII of the epic series stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac. Set thirty years after Episode VI and the defeat of the Empire, a new regime, the First Order, threatens the galaxy. The small but mighty Resistance, led by General Leia (Fisher), must find a way to keep the First Order - led by the Vader-esque Kylo Ren (Driver) - from finding a map to fugitive Jedi Luke Sywalker (Mark Hamill) contained in a droid called BB-8. Han Solo (Ford), runaway stormtrooper Finn (Boyega) and orphaned scavenger Rey (Ridley) are enlisted to defeat the First Order and find the elusive Skywalker, perhaps the only hope of ensuring an enduring peace in the galaxy. The film, in general, plays it very safe. The plot is quite unoriginal, and mirrors the plots of Episodes I and IV in many ways. However, I can probably understand why Disney, having just acquired the rights to the franchise and in the position to shape the aftermath of the original trilogy, decided not to veer too far away from the original trilogy's tone or premise. I loved the mix of familiar and new characters, with the new characters being very solid additions. There is especially much to like about Ridley's strong female character, as well as the actress's fantastic debut performance. The special effects were outstanding, as was the score by the returning John Williams, a legend. However, because it felt so safe, the film wasn't particularly innovative or exciting, either. Without a doubt, it was thoroughly enjoyable, and inspired much more confidence than the beginning of the other recent trilogy, but The Force Awakens also wasn't the spectacularly original tour de force it could have been. The question, then, becomes: which would have been better? An undoubtedly faithful addition to the series that surely didn't alienate any fans or a more daring, but perhaps more divisive, story?

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A-

2016 SAG Awards Nominations

Awards season is officially upon us again! Here are the nominations for the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards, which take place on January 30.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 
Beasts of No Nation
The Big Short
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Trumbo

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role 
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Johnny Depp, Black Mass
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role 
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Helen Mirren, Woman in Gold
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Sarah Silverman, I Smile Back

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role 
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes
Jacob Tremblay, Room

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role 
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Helen Mirren, Trumbo
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland
House of Cards
Mad Men

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series 
The Big Bang Theory
Key & Peele
Modern Family
Orange is the New Black
Transparent
Veep

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series 
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series 
Claire Danes, Homeland
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Robin Wright, House of Cards

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series 
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Louis CK., Louie
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series 
Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries
Idris Elba, Luther 
Ben Kingsley, Tut
Ray Liotta, Texas Rising
Bill Murray, A Very Murray Christmas
Mark Rylance, Wolf Hall

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries
Nicole Kidman, Grace of Monaco
Queen Latifah, Bessie
Christina Ricci, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles
Susan Sarandon, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe Kristen Wiig, The Spoils Before Dying

Emmy 2015 Preditctions!

Here are my predictions, in red, in the main categories for the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, which air tonight!

Outstanding Drama Series

"Downton Abbey" (PBS)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"Mad Men" (AMC)
"House of Cards" (Netflix)
"Orange is the New Black" (Netflix)
"Homeland" (Showtime)
"Better Call Saul" (AMC)

Outstanding Comedy Series

"Louie" (FX)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"Parks and Recreation" (NBC)
"Veep" (HBO)
"Silicon Valley" (HBO)
"Transparent" (Amazon)
"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Kevin Spacey "House of Cards" (Netflix)
Jon Hamm "Mad Men" (AMC)
Jeff Daniels "The Newsroom" (HBO)
Bob Odenkirk "Better Call Saul" (AMC)
Kyle Chandler "Bloodline" (Netflix)
Liev Schreiber "Ray Donovan" (Showtime)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Claire Danes "Homeland" (Showtime)
Viola Davis "How to Get Away with Murder" (ABC)
Taraji P. Henson "Empire" (Fox)
Tatiana Maslany "Orphan Black" (BBC America)
Elisabeth Moss "Mad Men" (AMC)
Robin Wright "House of Cards" (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie

Richard Jenkins "Olive Kitteridge" (HBO)
Adrien Brody "Houdini" (History)
Mark Rylance "Wolf Hall" (PBS)
Timothy Hutton "American Crime" (ABC)
Ricky Gervais "Derek: The Final Chapter" (Netflix)
David Oyewelo "Nightingale" (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie

Frances McDormand "Olive Kitteridge" (HBO)
Maggie Gyllenhaal "The Honorable Woman" (SundanceTV)
Queen Latifah "Bessie" (HBO)
Emma Thompson "Sweeney Todd: Live From Lincoln Center" (PBS)
Jessica Lange "American Horror Story: Freak Show" (FX)
Felicity Huffman "American Crime" (ABC)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Matt LeBlanc "Episodes" (Showtime)
Don Cheadle "House of Lies" (Showtime)
Louis C.K. "Louie" (FX)
William H. Macy "Shameless" (Showtime)
Jeffrey Tambor "Transparent" (Amazon)
Anthony Anderson "Black-ish" (ABC)
Will Forte "Last Man on Earth" (Fox)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Lisa Kudrow "The Comeback" (HBO)
Edie Falco "Nurse Jackie" (Showtime)
Amy Poehler "Parks and Recreation" (NBC)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus "Veep" (HBO)
Amy Schumer "Inside Amy Schumer" (Comedy Central)
Lily Tomlin "Grace and Frankie" (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Jonathan Banks "Better Call Saul" (AMC)
Ben Mendelsohn "Bloodline" (Netflix)
Jim Carter "Downton Abbey" (PBS)
Peter Dinklage "Game Of Thrones" (HBO)
Alan Cumming "The Good Wife" (CBS)
Michael Kelly "House Of Cards" Netflix

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Joanne Froggatt "Downton Abbey" (PBS)
Lena Headey "Game Of Thrones" (HBO)
Emilia Clarke "Game Of Thrones" (HBO)
Christine Baranski "The Good Wife" (CBS)
Christina Hendricks "Mad Men" (AMC)
Uzo Aduba "Orange Is The New Black" (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Andre Braugher "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" Fox
Adam Driver "Girls" (HBO)
Keegan-Michael Key "Key & Peele" (Comedy Central)
Ty Burrell "Modern Family" (ABC)
Tituss Burgess "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Netflix)
Tony Hale "Veep" (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Mayim Bialik "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
Niecy Nash "Getting On" (HBO)
Julie Bowen "Modern Family" (ABC)
Allison Janney "Mom" (CBS)
Kate McKinnon "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Gaby Hoffmann "Transparent" (Amazon Instant Video)
Jane Krakowski "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Netflix)
Anna Chlumsky "Veep" (HBO)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

"The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central)
"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" (Comedy Central)
"Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" (HBO)
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (ABC)
"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" (NBC)
"Late Show With David Letterman" (CBS)

Outstanding Limited Series

"Olive Kitteridge" (HBO)
"American Crime" (ABC)
"The Honorable Woman" (SundanceTV)
"American Horror Story: Freak Show" (FX)
"Wolf Hall" (PBS)

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

"Drunk History" (Comedy Central)
"Inside Amy Schumer" (Comedy Central)
"Key & Peele" (Comedy Central)
"Portlandia" (IFC)
"Saturday Night Live" (NBC)

Outstanding Television Movie

"Agatha Christie's Poirot: Curtain, Poirot's Last Case" (Acorn TV)
"Bessie" (HBO)
"Grace Of Monaco" (Lifetime)
"Hello Ladies: The Movie" (HBO)
"Killing Jesus" (National Geographic Channel)
"Nightingale" (HBO)

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

"The Amazing Race" (CBS)
"Dancing With the Stars" (ABC)
"Project Runway" (Lifetime)
"So You Think You Can Dance" (Fox)
"Top Chef" (Bravo)
"The Voice" (NBC)

Film Review -- Jurassic World

Directed by Colin Trevorrow, the highly-anticipated sequel/continuation of the Jurassic Park series stars Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt. Built on the site of the original park, Jurassic World is a highly popular theme park and luxury resort that attracts visitors from around the world to gaze at many different species of dinosaurs brought back from extinction. The park's administration, however, is under constant pressure to innovate to continue attracting crowds, who grow increasingly unaffected by the sight of dinosaurs. The operations manager, Claire Dearing (Howard) spearheads the creation of a genetically modified dinosaur, the Indominus rex, more stealthy and powerful than any other dinosaur before it. When the animal escapes its enclosure and goes on a killing spree, it threatens not only the existence of the park, but the lives of every living creature and person on the island. Claire summons the help of trainer Owen (Pratt) to somehow stop the beast, all while trying to protect her two nephews, Zach and Gray (Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins, respectively), who came to the park to visit her. I had high expectations for this film in terms of the quality of its science fiction, seeing that it has had one of the most successful box office runs ever. While the CGI is indeed dazzling, the film fails on too many other levels. In addition to some outrageously deep plot holes, some glaring details almost insult one's intelligence (without trying to be too specific: you mean to tell me that, after spending the entire day navigating through the jungle and engaging in a life-or-death race with a T-Rex, Claire NEVER takes off her heels?!). To me, the impressive dinosaurs could not redeem this film, which I found lacking in creative storytelling effort.   

Should you see it: If you like CGI
Grade: C

Film Review -- Spy

Written and directed by Paul Feig, this comedy stars Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, and Jason Statham. Susan Cooper (McCarthy) is a lowly CIA agent working behind the scenes as the eyes and ears of Agent Bradley Fine (Law), the quintessential James Bond-esque spy. When the CIA's next target, Rayna Boyanov (Byrne), reveals that she knows the identities of all of the CIA's top agents, Susan finally gets her chance to go on a field mission in order to stop Rayna from selling a nuclear weapon that would be used to detonate New York City. Of course, mishaps and hilarities ensue. Paul Feig, the mastermind behind Bridesmaids and The Heat, delivers his third Melissa McCarthy-led comedy, and I'd say this one is perhaps the superior of the three. The film was very consistent with its comedy, and I laughed out loud constantly throughout the film. Although the plot is obviously silly and far-reaching, there were many enjoyable parts. The actors worked very well in their roles, especially Jason Statham and his character, a caricature of an overly macho, egotistical agent. Keeping in mind that the film isn't meant to be anything other than a lightweight crowd-pleaser, Spy is an above-average, thoroughly entertaining comedy.

Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B+

Film Review -- The Age of Adaline

Directed by Lee Toland Krieger, the film stars Blake Lively, Harrison Ford, Michiel Huisman, and Ellen Burstyn. Adaline Bowman (Lively) was born in 1908, but after a car accident in 1929, she inexplicably stops aging. By 2014, Adaline has settled into a reclusive routine where she changes her identity every decade to avoid detection. Pressured by her elderly daughter, Flemming (Burstyn), to find some companionship, Adaline agrees to go out with self-made billionaire Ellis Jones (Huisman), who sweeps her off her feet. One weekend, they travel to Ellis's parents' house for their fortieth anniversary celebration, Adaline comes face-to-face with someone important from her past, which threatens to reveal the secret she's desperately been trying to keep for decades. I went into the theatre with minimal expectations, and the film was exactly what I thought it would be: a rather silly entry into the time-bending genre that did not deliver the emotional depth it thought it did.  For me, the worst part was that the filmmakers completely copped out of trying to explain why Adaline stopped aging - the excuse in the film was that the reason "would only be discovered in 2035." I thought that was incredibly lazy and sloppy of them to take the easy way out. And if one made the argument that the science behind it wasn't the point of the film - that the point was the romance - well, the love story wasn't very captivating, either, because it was difficult to become invested in either of the leads (an incestuous element also makes it a little creepy). The film, while lackluster, is entertaining as a popcorn flick, but you have to be willing to ignore all of its faults to not be frustrated by it.  

Should you see it: This one is up to you

Grade: C

Oscars 2015 Winners and Commentary!

Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

My Prediction: Birdman

Winner: Birdman

I'm so happy that Birdman took the top prize! This film was practically flawless, and so much more deserving that the extremely overrated Boyhood. I only wish my favorite film of the year, The Grand Budapest Hotel, had taken home the trophy, but alas, it was never seriously in this race (for some reason I can't fathom), so I'm very pleased that the award went to the next best film!

Best Director
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

Winner: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

My Prediction: Richard Linklater

Here I bet on a Best Picture/Best Director split, and I thought that this category was a more fitting place to honor Boyhood, since so much of its appeal was due to the innovative vision of the director, and not really for the film as a whole, plot-wise. I'm so happy to have been proved wrong, as I hoped that this award would go to the director who truly deserved it. Iñárritu's voice shines just as brightly in his film as does Linklater's in Boyhood, but on top of that, Iñárritu was able to create a film that extended beyond just his vision. Practically everything else in the film was spot-on, and that's a huge credit to this filmmaker. 

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

Winner: Julianne Moore

My Prediction: Julianne Moore

As expected, the long-overdue actress won her first Oscar on her fifth attempt. Beyond that, though, her performance was truly the best out of the five nominees. So this one was a no-brainer.

Best Actor
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Winner: Eddie Redmayne

My Prediction: Eddie Redmayne

I was delighted to see Redmayne win, because he gave an astounding and completely transformative performance as the ailing physics great Stephen Hawking. His performance was truly one for the ages. I did feel bad for Michael Keaton, though, because he was also incredible and it would have been a nice way to honor the veteran actor. In any other year...

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Laura Dern, Wild
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

Winner: Patricia Arquette

Winner: Patricia Arquette

This wasn't a surprise, though I don't think she was deserving. Out of a rather weak group of nominees, I thought that Keira Knightley delivered the best performance. But oh, well. This was the only Oscar Boyhood won (one Oscar too many, quite honestly), so at least I'm happy about that.

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, The Judge
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Winner: J.K. SImmons

My Prediction: J.K. Simmons

One of the most satisfying wins of the night, because Simmons delivered one of the absolute best performances I've seen in many years in Whiplash. No one was more deserving of this award, not even the insanely good, in-any-other-year performance of Edward Norton.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, Inherent Vice
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
Jason Hall, American Sniper
Anthony McCarten, The Theory of Everything
Graham Moore, The Imitation Game

Winner: Graham Moore

My Prediction: Damien Chazelle

I was hoping that the Academy would overlook the curious placement of the Whiplash script in the Adapted category and honor it anyway, because it was sharp and witty and so incredibly intense. Add that Chazelle is barely thirty and his accomplishment was really amazing. Of course I can't say for sure that this bogus rule cost Whiplash the Oscar, but the Academy decided to go with the also-excellent, but more vanilla and less provocative script of The Imitation Game. It is a fantastic film, though, so I'm glad that it did win at least one Oscar.

Best Original Screenplay
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye, Foxcatcher 
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Winner: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo

My Prediction: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness

I was so hoping that Anderson and Guinness's flawless script for The Grand Budapest Hotel would win here and give the film at least one top-tier award. So I was legitimately disappointed when they lost to Iñárritu and Co., even though I also absolutely loved Birdman's script. 

Best Foreign Language Film
Leviathan
Ida
Tangerines
Timbuktu
Wild Tales

Winner: Ida

My Prediction: Ida

Best Documentary Feature
CITIZENFOUR
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt in the Earth
Virunga

Winner: CITIZENFOUR

My Prediction: CITIZENFOUR

Best Animated Feature
"Big Hero 6"
"The Boxtrolls"
"How to Train Your Dragon 2"
“Song of the Sea”
"The Tale of The Princess Kaguya"

Winner: Big Hero 6

My Prediction: How to Train Your Dragon 2

Best Film Editing
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

Winner: Whiplash

My Prediction: Boyhood

Again, I was SO happy that my Boyhood prediction was wrong and that the Oscar went to the truly most deserving nominee. I thought that the Academy would honor Sandra Adair's work of piecing together twelve years' worth of footage (which really is an amazing feat), but the mastery that went into editing those drum sequences in Whiplash was nothing short of mind-blowing. The intensity that Tom Cross created was incredible, not to mention the meticulous simulation of those drums being played in real time.

Best Original Song
"Everything is Awesome" from The LEGO Movie (written by Shawn Patterson)
"Glory" from Selma (written by Common and John Legend)
"Grateful" from Beyond the Lights (written by Diane Warren)
"I’m Not Gonna Miss You" from Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me (written by Glen Campbell)
"Lost Stars" from Begin Again (written by Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley and Nick Southwood)

Winner: "Glory"

My Prediction: "Glory"

Best Original Score
Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alexandre Desplat, The Imitation Game
Johann Johannsson, The Theory of Everything
Gary Yershon, Mr. Turner
Hans Zimmer, Interstellar

Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel

My Prediction: The Theory of Everything

This was one of the biggest surprises of the night! I thought that my favorite score by far, that of The Grand Budapest Hotel, didn't stand a chance on account of possible vote-splitting between Alexandre Desplat's two nominated films. I am such a fan of his and I'm so thrilled that he won! The soundtrack of Budapest complements the film in every way, fitting seamlessly into the narrative. This score elevated its film unlike any of the other nominees, doing such a great job of evoking the spunkiness of every sequence that the viewer felt the soundtrack to be absolutely essential to the entire story. Amazing win!

Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins, Unbroken
Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman 
Dick Pope, Mr. Turner
Robert Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski, Ida

Winner: Emmanuel Lubezki

My Prediction: Emmanuel Lubezki

Best Costume Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent 
Mr. Turner

Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel

My Prediction: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy

Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel

My Prediction: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner

Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel

My Prediction: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Sound Editing
American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

Winner: American Sniper

My Prediction: American Sniper

Best Sound Mixing
American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

Winner: Whiplash

My Prediction: American Sniper

Again, great win for Whiplash! Great editing, sound and film-wise, was absolutely essential to this film -- see my commentary in the Editing category for more.

Best Visual Effects
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Winner: Interstellar

My Prediction: Interstellar

Best Short Film, Live Action
Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp
Parvaneh
The Phone Call

Winner: The Phone Call

My Prediction: Parnaveh

Best Short Film, Animated

The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Feast
Me and My Moulton
A Single Life

Winner: Feast

My Prediction: The Dam Keeper

Best Documentary, Short Subject
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper
White Earth

WInner: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1

My Prediction: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1