So we're finally at the end of a very long journey and the two films to end it off certainly form a unique double bill.
Feeling every inch the Oscar film is The Theory of Everything which ticks almost every box that a Best Picture candidate could. It's based on a true story, has a lead character with a disability and is set in the recent past; in other words it's The King's Speech all over again. To give it its dues, The Theory of Everything is a charming retelling of the life and career of Stephen Hawking; adapted from the book written by his first wife Jane. In fact the script, adapted by Anthony McCarten, makes sure that this is as much Jane's story as it is Stephen's. The film traces their relationship from an initial meeting at a party to their eventual separation as she struggles to deal with Stephen's deteriorating illness. Although we all know it's coming I felt that director James Marsh took his time in portraying Hawking's motor neurone disease, starting with a few odd twitches here and there. Stephen's collapse before his eventual diagnosis is extremely well-shot as are the future sequences in which he is given a number of tests that prove the inevitable. As the film progresses we understand the strains that Jane was put under and how she struggled to raise three children as well as cope with Stephen's condition. So when the charming Jonathan comes into their lives it appears as if Jane's head is turned however he later comes to be an aid to her and Stephen. The one thing that I didn't particularly like was the way in which Stephen's second wife Elaine was portrayed. Obviously, as this is based on Jane's book, Elaine was going to ever look great but she was presented as this home carer who steam-rolled her way into Stephen's affections. It's also interesting to note that the film ends with Stephen and Jane together at Buckingham Palace without their second spouses in sight. It's an oddly happy ending for a couple who don't actually end the film as husband and wife.
I feel The Theory of Everything's most memorable aspect is Eddie Redmayne's turn as the author of A Brief History of Time. Although he's appeared in several movies before, I feel that Redmayne's performance in The Theory of Everything is a star-making one. In fact it put me in mind of Daniel Day-Lewis' turn in My Left Foot for which he won the first of three Best Actor Oscars. If the bookies are right then Redmayne could easily emulate this honour and I feel that his award is more than deserved. Redmayne copes ably with Hawking's deteriorating condition and he has obviously studied hard to get his body movements just right. Redmayne shone most in the latter scenes in which he was forced to communicate Stephen's thoughts via either facial expressions or the now-famous keyboard. Similarly fantastic was Felicity Jones as Jane who perfectly portrayed a young woman who stood by her man despite what was about to come. Jones was great at showing the anguish that Jane was experiencing especially when Jonathan came into her life. Great support was given by Harry Lloyd, Christian McKay and David Thewlis as several of Hawking's Cambridge colleagues. Even though it hasn't been Oscar-nominated, Benoît Delhomme's superb cinematography deserves a mention as I found it told the film's story perfectly. I was especially a fan of how several scenes were shot as home camera footage such as Stephen and Joan's wedding and the family's trip to France. If I'd seen it before the Oscar nominations came out then there would be absolutely no doubt in my mind that The Theory of Everything would be represented in the Best Picture category. After having watched it I feel that the nomination is deserved as the film is easy to watch, contains two stunning central performances and is beautifully shot. It also has everything you would expect the Academy to look for when selecting their choices for Best Picture.
A film that you might not say that about is our final Best Picture nominee Whiplash. The film is certainly hard to put into a certain box and I would probably describe it as a thriller set in the world of jazz-drumming. The hero of the piece, if you can call him that, is 19-year-old Andrew Neimman a loner of sorts who has devoted his entire life to mastering the drums. His devotion has paid off as he finds himself at Shaffer Conservatory music school where he is soon recruited to play for the institute's prestigious studio band. The leader of this band is conductor Terrence Fletcher; a character that will stick in your head long after the film finishes. In the film's first scene we see Andrew practising on the drum kit only for the menacing Fletcher to make a memorable first appearance in the film. The film then sees Andrew attempt to impress Fletcher as his teacher taunts him with the insulting line 'not quite my tempo'. With the drumming consuming Andrew's life he soon discovers that he has very little time for anything else. One of my only criticisms with the film is that he starts dating a girl only to dump her about twenty minutes later. However I will forgive director and writer Damien Chazelle as everything else about his film is near perfect. Chazelle based Andrew's experiences on his own as he was once a jazz drummer with a teacher who pushed his band to breaking point. Originally shooting Whiplash as a short film, he eventually got the backing to turn into a feature and I'm more than glad he did. There's a certain realism in Chazelle's writing especially in the scenes in which Fletcher berates members of the band for their physical shortcomings. As Fletcher and Andrew attempt to take each other down, the final scene is beautifully realised and is the most intense drumming sequence I believe I've ever seen captured on film.
Whiplash is basically guaranteed to win at least one Oscar as JK Simmons is a dead cert to scoop a Best Supporting Actor prize for his performance as Fletcher. Character actor Simmons turns Fletcher into a drill sergeant like creation as he continues to push his players to breaking point. I felt that Simmons' performance was simply captivating as Fletcher became more maniacal as the film progressed. At the same time Simmons made sure that Fletcher wasn't just a one note character and he brilliantly portrayed his sadness at the news that one of his former students had died. Although his character could be perceived as unlikeable, I felt that Miles Teller gave a compelling turn as the insular Andrew. Teller and Simmons bounced well off one another which gave their scenes together an extra layer of authenticity. It does help that Teller looks like a normal college student as it makes him easier to care about despite his lack of social skills. Outside of Simmons' win I hope that Whiplash picks up another couple of awards; particularly in the editing and sound mixing categories. Of this year's Best Picture nominees, I felt that Whiplash's editing was the most effective as Tom Cross quickly cut between the facial expressions of the characters, their instruments and the sheet music in front of them. Similarly, in a film all about music, the use of sound was brilliantly handled as the titular jazz track became more ominous every time we heard it. Additionally I think that Chazelle's film should scoop the Best Adapted Screenplay award although it's most likely to go to The Imitation Game. Whilst Whiplash's story is quite slight, what makes it work is the fantastic cinematography, editing and sound mixing. But more than anything else this is JK Simmons' film and his interpretation of Chazelle's script has led to the creation of one of the most memorable characters in recent history; maniacal band leader Terrence Fletcher.
So that's your lot and if I were to make a prediction about what film will scoop Best Picture at The Oscars then I think I'll go for Boyhood. The sheer achievement alone is enough for Linklater's movie to scoop the prize but I also found it to be incredibly realistic and emotionally profound. Personally I'd be happy if Boyhood won; but my personal favourites were definitely The Grand Budapest Hotel and Whiplash. However I'll be happy as long as American Sniper doesn't win any awards at all because my opinion it's the worst of this year's Best Picture nominees by quite a long margin.
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