(Oscar 2014 Special)
Some of the great winners, were as I predicted, but I was surprised when Gravity (2013) garnered more wins than I anticipated.
(Oscar 2014 Special)
Worthy Winners of The 86th Annual Academy Awards
I watched the Oscars Live!, starting from the Red Carpet, from early in the morning today. It started at 5:30 a.m. here. As I didn’t fall asleep all night, I didn’t really need to wake myself up.
Except for The Great Gatsby (2013) and the French short film Avant que de tout perdre (2013) a.k.a. Just Before Losing Everything; both of which I gave a 8/10 rating last year, on IMDB; I haven’t watched any of the films nominated for the Oscars this year. Besides that, having followed the hype, some of my predictions were spot on.
Best Picture
12 Years a Slave (2013), as I predicted.
Best Director
Alfonso Cuarón – Gravity (2013), I predicted, either Cuarón for Gravity or Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave, and felt more Cuarón than McQueen.
Best Actor
Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club (2013), as I predicted.
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine (2013), was a bit unsure, but while watching the show, when the film sequences, for the Best Actress nominees, unfolded, I felt Blanchett should win.
I actually saw a heavily pregnant Cate Blanchett in real life, as close as I’m seated in front of my laptop right now, with her son, in early 2008, when she visited the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia. Since I wasn’t sure that it was her, she took off her massive dark glasses, so that I could recognise her 🙂 . I still ignored her, and then she started speaking to a gent in a wheelchair on my right. I recognized her voice instantly. The main reason I wasn’t sure it was her, was ‘cause I was unaware she was pregnant at the time. I just felt this pregnant lady looks a bit like Cate Blanchett, but this can’t be her, until she spoke that is.
Best Supporting Actor
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club (2013), as I predicted.
Best Supporting Actress
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave (2013), I was divided between Jennifer Lawrence and Julia Roberts, but this was a pleasant surprise, as when I saw the nominees clips on the show, I felt this actress seems more worthy of the famed golden nude statuette, as well.
Best Original Screenplay
Spike Jonze – Her (2013), I actually thought Dallas Buyers Club, would bag this one too.
Best Adapted Screenplay
John Ridley – 12 Years a Slave (2013), as I predicted
Best Foreign Language Film
To Italy – La Grande Bellezza (2013) a.k.a. The Great Beauty, as I predicted.
Best Animated Feature Film
Frozen (2013), as I predicted due to it’s fame, though from the trailers et al I had seen, I felt the Japanese flick, Kaze Tachinu (2013), a.k.a. The Wind Rises, deserved it more. But since I haven’t seen any of them, I shan’t debate this any further.
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Gravity (2013), I actually thought Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), might take home the Golden naked man.
Best Achievement in Editing
Gravity (2013), I was unsure.
Best Achievement in Production Design
The Great Gatsby (2013), I was unsure. A very Baz Luhrmann type film.
Best Achievement in Costume Design
The Great Gatsby (2013), I was unsure, though the gaudy n’ glittery costumes were pretty over the top, and was worth the recognition. Very Baz Luhrmann.
Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
Dallas Buyers Club (2013), as predicted.
Best Original Score
Gravity (2013), was unsure.
Best Original Song
Frozen (2013), was unsure.
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Gravity (2013), as I predicted.
Best Documentary, Feature
Twenty Feet from Stardom (2013), as predicted, when I watched the nominees on the show announced. I felt this seemed like the most entertaining documentary among the nominees, and felt it might win.
Best Documentary, Short Subject
The Lady In Number 6 (2013), as predicted, when I watched the nominees on the show announced, I felt this should win.
Best Animated Short Film
Mr Hublot (2013), was unsure.
Best Live Action Short Film
Helium (2014), was unsure. I had watched Avant que de tout perdre (2013) a.k.a. Just Before Losing Everything, on TV5 MONDE, last year. I was surprised to see it on the show, when it was shown among the nominees.
I thought Avant que de tout perdre was very good, but didn’t think it was excellent enough to be nominated for ‘Best Short Film’, that too at the Oscars.
Humanitarian Award
Angelina Jolie – She definitely deserved it.
Congrats to all the winners of Oscars 2014.
Nuwan Sen’s Film Sense
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No Nonsense with Nuwan Sen 
In my opinion, The Wind Rises is good. But Frozen is better. I was glad it won.
And good commentary!
As I mentioned, I haven’t watched either. But from what ever I saw (trailers/scenes) and read, I felt, Frozen (2013) might be an excellent adventure flick; beautifully animated, a Disney trademark, a children’s classic, the usual; but The Wind Rises (2013), felt it might be more intellectual and delve deeper, with the sense of it’s historical and Biographical backdrop. But Then again I could be wrong. I can’t really judge, until I watch them.
The Wind Rises probably delves deeper into the history and engineering. But it rushes, considerably so, its central love story.
Frozen is a great adventure story, but it is also a moving analysis of sisterly love. And it’s story telling flaws are less significant than The Wind Rises’, at least in my opinion.
Thanks for the mini analysis. Yes from your words Frozen does sound more interesting.
If you like films at all, you really should watch the nominees of this year, it was exceptionally good year for movies. Almost all of the nominees were excellent, especially 12 Years a Slave, Dallas Buyers Club and Her, to me, at least. And Gravity is technical marvel but you need to see it in 3D and in cinema.
Trust me I’d love to watch these movies, but it’s impossible to get hold of good movies in this country. Even Gravity was never shown in the Theatres/Cinema here. Why? ‘cause it’s a good movie. Otherwise films full of special effects (along with films with meaningless violence, dialogues like ‘runnnnn’ and ‘noooo’, bad acting, pretty faces, untalented half naked body shows, comedies with cheap n’ vulgar humour, and so called blockbusters) are the only ones shown in this aesthetically depressive, tasteless country, that I currently reside in. I live in the wrong country for a film buff/artiste.
A Polish friend of mine has promised to send me some films if possible, and I’m eternally grateful to her for just offering to do so.
Forget 3D, I’d consider myself lucky enough, if I get a chance to watch it on the small screen even. Yes, it feels like an excellent science fiction film, not the mediocre nonsensical idiocy that passes off as sci-fi today.
Unfortunately it is more about how it looks that what’s inside. Guess it’s ok on a small screen too but the technical achievements are the reason to watch it. And I’m sorry for you.
Cheers
NS
I wasn’t suprised–most were technical and deserving. Didn’t have a problem with the winners–it was a quiet night, not very exciting. The pizza and tweet were the best things.
I predicted Gravity would bag the Oscars for ‘Best Director’ and for ‘Visual Effects’, but was a unsure about the others. It obviously deserved them all, am yet to watch it.
And Wow! Cindy. You and I think alike. When I watched the show yesterday early morning, I was pretty tired, especially due to the fact I couldn’t sleep all night, and worked on my previous long post, on my blog, the night before. So I didn’t really enjoy it, as much as I normally would, but yes the highlights of the show for me were the same – the pizza and the tweet photograph with everyone from Meryl Steep to Brad Pitt to Angelina Jolie et al. I also liked it when Ellen DeGeneres (who did a pretty good job hosting the show, just that I was tired), asked everyone to pay for Pizza and Lupita Nyong’o gave her, her lip balm.