As I'm somewhat of a completest I couldn't finish this blog without reviewing the eight films that were nominated for Best Picture this year. All of these reviews were written before the ceremony itself so all of the predictions are what I felt at the time. The last of these four posts will also include who I think should and will win Best Picture at the 2015 ceremony.
We start with a film that I believe will be at the bottom of my list for 2015 nominees, that being American Sniper. Directed by Clint Eastwood, American Sniper tells the story of Chris Kyle; the most deadliest marksman in U.S. military History. The film is based on the memoirs of Kyle, a sniper who had 160 of his kills confirmed by the department of defence. Jason Hall's adaptation of Kyle's book, which has been nominated for a screenplay Oscar, is a nuts and bolts affair from the offset. Although the opening shot is of Kyle in Iraq it soon flashes back to his childhood in which his father instructed him to be a sheepdog; a man who protects those weaker than him when the wolves attack. This ethos is one he carries with him during his military training and then in Iraq when we see him at work. The film also looks at Kyle's relationship with his Taya; from their first meeting to their wedding and the birth of his two children. I personally felt that the best scenes were those which featured both Chris and Taya, with the latter feeling that her husband wasn't mentally with her anymore. The scenes which looked at the impact that the war had had on Chris were definitely my favourite as it added a little context to a character who otherwise was simply a flawless American hero. Whilst former soldiers being haunted by the war is nothing new, this part of the film at least gave it an edge which it lacked elsewhere. In fact, if it didn't had this, then it would've been even more of a flag-waving endeavour which basically promotes the bible-bashing American soldiers and berates anyone who stands in their way.
One of American Sniper's key strengths is Eastwood's simplistic direction which lends itself well to the scenes in which we follow Kyle's movements in Iraq. I'm not surprised that the film picked up nods in the editing and sound categories as the use of gunfire effects is made especially effective. In fact the sound is so good that gunfire almost becomes a character in and of itself especially when the Iraqi sniper is trying to hunt down Kyle. I personally would've like to have seen more of this Iraqi sniper as it would've added an ambiguity that the single-minded American Sniper was sorely missing. Instead the Iraqis are presented as either terrorists or, in Kyle's own words, savages. One thing that did impress me in American Sniper was Bradley Cooper's Oscar-nominated turn as Kyle, primarily as he dialled down his usual manic nature. Cooper's chisel-jawed look perfectly suited the character of Kyle but he also conveyed his character's inner turmoil excellently. Sienna Miller was similarly impressive as, in the past, I've found her to be quite an inconsistent performer but here she added some heart to the movie as Chris's wife Taya. My early prediction is that American Sniper doesn't do to well at the Oscar but may pick up one of the two sound-based awards it's nominated for. Ultimately I felt that American Sniper didn't have anything new to say in terms of the horrors of war that we hadn't already seen in Coming Home, Apocalypse Now or more recently The Hurt Locker. Whilst Cooper's performance and Eastwood's direction was solid, the flag-waving patriotism was too much for me to take and I can definitely say that American Sniper isn't a film that I'll be rushing to see again in the near future.
Proving how eclectic this year's Best Picture nominees are is Birdman the latest film from Alejandro González Iñárritu. In the past, Iñárritu's films have often featured a multi-person narrative with films such as Babel and 21 Grams featuring interlocking plots. Birdman is completely different from these movies as it instead focuses on the first few performances of an adaptation of Raymond Carver's 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.' The performance has been funded by Riggan Thomson; an actor best known for his role as titular superhero Birdman, and someone who in recent years has fallen on hard times. The play is meant to be his comeback but he's battling with several problems not least of which is the fact that the Birdman character keeps speaking to him throughout the film. Meanwhile, his daughter Sam has just come out of rehab and isn't dealing well in her new role as his assistant. Riggan also has to deal with the fact that his co-star and girlfriend Laura may be pregnant, something he can't even comprehend at times. Elsewhere a late addition to the cast, method actor Mike, causes problems when he launches into a tirade during a performance and constantly bemoans Riggan for the lack of realism in his play. What I enjoyed about Birdman is the way it plays around with the narrative and how we start to see Riggan's sanity slip away from him as opening night commences. One of Birdman's other positive qualities is Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography especially considering the fact that the movie is almost filmed as one constant shot. This means that we don't always see things from the character's point-of-view and to me this adds to the narrative; especially during the film's final two scenes. For this reason I do believe that Birdman will most likely pick up the Cinematography award at the Oscars.
At time of writing Birdman had just won the top award at the Producer's Guild making it the firm favourite to clinch Best Picture. Although I don't think the race is as clear cut as it has been in previous years I wouldn't be opposed to Birdman winning Best Picture. The other award the film has a good chance of winning is that of Best Actor thanks to Michael Keaton's stunning portrayal of Riggan. Oscar does love a comeback performance and Keaton's turn as a faded actor best known for portraying a superhero almost correlates with his own career. Keaton's manic movements and weary facial expressions add to our understanding of the character and I felt he was equally impressive at playing the Birdman part of Riggan's personality. Keaton isn't the only member of the cast nominated for an acting award as Edward Norton and Emma Stone have been recognised in the supporting categories. Norton's turn as the shifty method-acting Mike proved what a gifted comic performer he is and his scenes opposite Keaton were a joy to watch. Meanwhile, as Sam, Stone brought a bit of soul to the film and she made you believe why her character went off the rails. I do feel that the reason that Birdman has been awarded nine nominations is due to the fact that in some respects it feels very old-fashioned. The behind-the-scenes at a theatre story has been done to death and I feel that the older Academy voters would've drawn similarities between it and 1984 nominee The Dresser. At the same time, Iñárritu has made Birdman seem awfully modern with it's commentary on the fickle nature of fame and how movie stars struggle to make the transition to the stage. Whist it didn't hold my attention throughout its too hour running time, I ultimately found Birdman to be an utterly charming film. Brilliantly acted and shot but with a rather old-fashioned story behind it, Birdman definitely deserves to be recognised by the Academy and I believe it's one of two films that can realistically win the top prize.
Next time the only two Oscar nominees I'd seen prior to writing these posts.
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