Oscars Preview: The Art Awards I Care About

Writing – Original Screenplay

• Birdman – Alejandro Inarritu et al
• Boyhood – Richard Linklater
• Foxcatcher – E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
• The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson
• Nightcrawler – Dan Gilroy

WILL WIN: The Grand Budapest Hotel

SHOULD WIN: The Grand Budapest Hotel

WORST NOMINATION NOMINEE: Boyhood

Wes Anderson irrepressible creativity lifetime achievement award

Writing – Adapted Screenplay

• Jason Hall - American Sniper
• Graham Moore - The Imitation Game
• Paul Thomas Anderson - Inherent Vice
• Anthony McCarten - The Theory of Everything
• Damien Chazelle – Whiplash

WILL WIN: The Imitation Game

SHOULD WIN: Whiplash

The problem with the otherwise brilliant Imitation Game script is that it does not know how to end its story. The jail cell moment would have been perfect - it's emotive, it's complex, it pulls everything together. Instead, we get a post-script about a broken Alan Turing that is somehow supposed to feel upbeat because it retreads better parts of the script. I blame Harvey Weinstein -  he knows mediocrity when he sees it but he can't stomach an unhappy ending. Chop the ending and this is an easy pick. But where The Imitation Game fails with too many words, Whiplash’s stirring, nearly wordless ending succeeds.

Music – Best Song

• Everything is Awesome – The Lego Movie - Shawn Patterson 
• Glory – Selma – John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn
• Grateful – Beyond the Lights – Diane Warren
• I’m Not Gonna Miss You – Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me - Glen Campbell
• Lost Stars – Begin Again - Adam Levine 

WILL WIN: Glory

SHOULD WIN: Big Eyes by Lana del Rey in Big Eyes

BIGGEST SNUB: Big Eyes, The Last Goodbye from The Hobbit 3.

Glory would be fine if it wasn’t the worst song on the soundtrack, (if the only original release). Trying to impose events in Ferguson as a proxy to events in the Jim Crow South only demonstrates how much less the former matters. Similarly, slating John Legend + rap solo into an album of 60’s spiritual classics only underscores that modern music matters less. At least on race we’ve made progress – in music we’ve regressed. So my vote goes for serial snubbee Lana Del Ray, who appears to have committed whatever crime Leonardo DiCaprio did against Oscars voters that bans him for life from consideration. My best guess is ethnic cleansing…apparently even rampant sexual abuse is palatable. 

Music – Best Score

• Alexandre Desplat - Grand Budapest Hotel
• Alexandre Desplat - The Imitation Game
• Hans Zimmer – Interstellar
• Gary Yershon – Mr. Turner
• Johann Johansson – The Theory of Everything

WILL WIN: Alexandre Desplat - The Imitation Game.

SHOULD WIN: Alexandre Desplat - The Grand Budapest Hotel.

However, where great music is being written is still at the movies, it’s just the score, not the solos. The Imitation Game is favored to win but I prefer another Wes Anderson irrepressible creativity lifetime achievement award here for his many collaborations with Mr. Desplat, all of them joyful. Perhaps Mr. Desplat can take to the award podium to excoriate his rival – himself.

The Art Category I've Given Up On

Best visual effects. Every movie has them and they're all incredible. Only a master craftsman can tell the difference. 

Cinematography

• Birdman
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Ida
• Mr. Turner
• Unbroken

WILL WIN: Birdman

SHOULD WIN: Ida

Ida is a slideshow posing as a film about a Polish nun. It is exceptionally successful at two things: 1 – cinematography and 2 – accurately portraying the boredom of being a Polish nun. Also, I'm done handing out Wes Anderson lifetime achievement in irrepressible creativity awards. Have to give him something to aspire to.