The Academy Awards are this weekend, which means a lot of
things. To start, it means we’ll be
watching a bloated telecast; a host (Neil Patrick Harris) who is hopefully striving
be better than Seth McFarlane; sixteen disappointed actors and actresses who
must return to home or work without the weight of gold in their pocket; and of
course, one movie winning the big award of the night—best picture. And while the Academy’s choice won't necessarily
define the year in film, it will definitely say something about the time we
live in.
So what will be this year’s lasting
message and impression? There is no
denying that 2014’s nominated films are all excellent in their own right; I
truly believe they are some of the highest-quality film offerings of the year. But what does each one say? What is their message? Who should win? Who will win?
You can read on to glean the
answers. It just so happens I spent this
last weekend watching every best picture nominee in a marathon, and I am here
to dissect them, to give you insight on each nominee and how to win your
betting pool this coming weekend.
Nominee #1: “Birdman”
Total nominations: 9
“Birdman” is a
satire, a satire that takes shots at anyone and everyone, from actors, to celebrities,
to critics, to kids, to all the things that comprise a work of art. It’s a movie that has had people talking for
months, waxing poetic praise about the acting prowess of Michael Keaton (who
stars as a washed-up superhero actor) and director Alejandro G. Iñarrítu (who
chose to shoot the entire film in a series of unusually long shots).
But what does “Birdman”
signify? For me, it’s all about its
characters, who each play an important role by personifying an aspect of
"Hollywood." From the method
actor who whose obsession with accuracy is nigh fanatical to the failed
superstar seeking to redeem his legacy to the critic sneering at them both, the
movie shows you life today in the industry from numerous vantage points (while
also nodding to our culture’s obsession with YouTube views and tweets).
Nominee #2: “Selma”
Total Nominations: 2
“Selma” is a
biopic—probably one of the most emotional biopics that has ever been made. Yet more importantly, it is the right movie at
the right time. It tells tales of
African Americans in the 1960s, faced with police brutality based on skin
color—a conflict that mirrors the racism that still infects America today. Simply put, “Selma” is a movie that shows how
far we come, while reminding us that that may not be far enough.
Nominee #3: “The Theory of
Everything”
Total Nominations: 5
“The Theory of
Everything” is another biopic and also a love story (about Stephen Hawking’s
romance with his first wife, Jane). Yet
just like much of Dr. Hawking’s work, it is about time, about how where we
start isn't where we will ultimately be (and more importantly, that we should never
let time dictate our destiny).
Nominee # 4: “The Grand Budapest
Hotel”
Total Nominations: 9
Sometimes,
deciphering the true message of a Wes Anderson film can be a challenge. But I
believe that I have decoded the true theme of “The Grand Budapest Hotel”—impermanence.
You see, this wild tale occurs in a
hotel that is slowly dying, reminding us that all things, in time, fade away. Yet there is a hopeful gleam in Mr. Anderson’s
requiem, as he shows the story of the Grand Budapest Hotel being passed from
its occupants to a writer to a girl in cemetery.
Nothing is forgotten.
Nominee #5: “Whiplash”
Total Nominations: 5
Whiplash is...complicated.
Miles Teller stars as Andrew, a student drummer
who strives to be “one of the greats”—a desire so basic that everyone can
relate. But then there’s his mentor,
Fletcher (played by J.K. Simmons), who tears Andrew down with profane, brutal
force. So although our hero strives to
be better, he does so likely out of fear.
Thus, “Whiplash” confronts you with
an unsettling question—what are you willing to do to be one of the greats?
Nominee #6: “American Sniper”
Total Nominations: 6
A true story and
a war story, “American Sniper” chronicles the life of real-life sniper Chris
Kyle, who felt duty-bound to protect his country and his family by fighting in
the Iraq war. Yet really, the movie is
about sacrifice—the sacrifice Kyle made by relinquishing family time in favor
of fighting time, and the mental suffering he faced as a result. Spurred by this anguish, “American Sniper” follows
Kyle right up to his last day alive, reminding us that we pay a price for
everything we do—especially good deeds.
Nominee #7: “The Imitation Game”
Total Nominations: 8
Who lives? Who dies? Do I keep the secret of the spy in our midst? Do I tell the woman who I am to marry I’m gay?
Real-life WWII hero Alan Turing (Benedict
Cumberbatch) must face all of those questions in “The Imitation Game,” a movie
about the tough choices and compromises that all those in wartime face. The crux of the matter is that Alan has to do
what is best for his country, even though it may not be best for him.
Nominee #8: “Boyhood”
Total Nominations: 6
“Boyhood” is a twelve-year
window into the life of Mason (Ellar Coltrane), a young boy growing up in
Texas. In some ways, Mason’s childhood
is uneventful—he goes to school, gets drunk, gets kissed, and even figures out
what he wants to be when he grows up.
Yet what makes “Boyhood” extraordinary is its realism—the simplicity of
style that almost makes it feel like a documentary. When you watch these humans grow up, you are
kind of forced to remember those same twelve years of your own life, from the
songs you heard to the emotions you felt, aging in the early years of the new
century.
Verdict: Who should win?
In a perfect just
world the best picture winner would be “Selma.”
As president Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) says in the movie,
"At times, history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to
shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom." In that vein,
the beauty of “Selma” is that while it is about a man who lived decades ago, it
remains powerfully relevant. Sadly, it
may well be overlooked, and people might find themselves looking back years
later and only then realizing how important the movie is.
Who will win?
“Boyhood.” There is no other movie like it. There will never be another movie like it; no other film will ever capture
average human lives on such an extraordinary scale. When I watch this film, I remember right where
I was when that sixth “Harry Potter” book was released, when I wasn’t sick to
death of Gotye's "Somebody I Used to Know.” This movie is a time capsule cleverly
disguised as a movie. And since it was
filmed over so many years, none of the dialogue feels forced or ironic—just
natural. It’s a truly one of a kind work,
and no one should feel any shame losing to it.
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