Another year of movies has passed, which means that we’re only a few weeks away from seeing which movies in 2014 will come away with Oscars. Despite another year of “Transformers” and plenty of other atrocious sequels, 2014 also provided moviegoers with some truly worthwhile films. With that in mind, here are our picks for the 87th Academy Awards.
Best Picture: “Boyhood”
Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” is one of the most ambitious and artful films of the last decade, and possibly of all time. Made over the course of 12 years with the same core cast of people, the film is a fantastic display of both dramatic and visual storytelling from one of the 21st century’s greatest auteurs.
Best Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”
While “Boyhood” deserves best picture, the vision behind “Birdman” is what makes this film such a memorable experience. Alejandro González Iñárritu incorporates satire, social commentary and masterful displays of filmmaking into his wildly entertaining spin on the superhero genre. In the same way Ang Lee’s direction makes “Life of Pi” such a masterpiece, Iñárritu’s vision makes him equally deserving of the best director award.
Best Actor: Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Casting Keaton as the lead in this film is one of the best things the producers did. Not only does the character of Riggan Thomson parallel Keaton in multiple ways, but the actor’s performance is easily the best of his career.
Best Actress: Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
The only word to describe Pike’s performance in the latest David Fincher thriller is mesmerizing. Especially given some of her last roles were in the abysmal “Wrath of the Titans,” it’s exciting to see her blow audiences away as this film’s psychopathic femme fatale.
Best Supporting Actor: Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
The chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette is one of the things that makes “Boyhood” work so well. Both longtime Linklater collaborators, their work both individually and collectively further contributes to the film’s believability.
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Some of the best moments in “Boyhood” are with Arquette. Her embodiment of the character is what causes viewers to sympathize with her as she struggles through multiple marriages and raising two children. It is a truly real performance.
Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
We at the Technician are crossing our fingers that this will be the year Wes Anderson will finally receive a much-deserved Oscar. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is quite possibly his best creation yet, and much of that is a result of his beautifully written script, with story help from Hugo Guinness. It’s witty, humorous and as quirky as anything else one would expect from the mind of the director of “The Royal Tenenbaums.”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl”
It’s always a good sign when an adapted film is scripted by the same writer as the source material. Gillian Flynn shows her love for the characters and story of this film with a script that’s as cunning and dynamic as the novel it’s based on.
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Emmanuel Lubezki, also the cinematographer of “Gravity,” demonstrates technical mastery in “Birdman” by shooting it as if the entire film were a single shot. This kind of innovation and brilliance makes it almost a guarantee that Lubezki will bring home this Oscar for the second year in a row.
Best Visual Effects: “Interstellar”
While “Guardians of the Galaxy” delivers eye popping visuals throughout, Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” easily tramples any other science fiction blockbuster of 2014. The space scenes evoke the essence of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey,” making “Interstellar” one of the year’s most cinematic experiences.
Best Original Score: Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”
Hans Zimmer is no doubt the John Williams of this generation. Even when he has done scores for bad movies, his music has always been top-notch, and the one he composed for this film is no exception.
Best Animated Feature Film: “The Lego Movie”
“The Lego Movie” is the kind of film that brings out the kid in all of us. How can you not come out of it singing the “awesome” theme song? This movie is clever, funny and provides some of the best animation in years.
