Welcome to my FIFTH ANNUAL Oscar picks! I don’t know why I started doing these five years ago, but I thought it would be fun. To pick who I THINK should win.
I never get to see ALL the nominated films, but I try and in 2013 I actually saw ALL NINE Best Picture nominees before the ceremony.
In December 2014 I also wrote Cool Black's 2014 Oscars Short List before the nominations were officially announced on January 15, 2015. After the nominations were announced I updated that blog post to reflect each Post Nomination Result. You can see if my wishes were fulfilled…and most of them were.
Below though are my picks for what I want to win an Academy award. I couldn’t see every nominated picture so I will bold in red the correlating nominations that I have NOT seen.)
As usual my pick will be under “Cool Black’s Oscar Pick:” These are NOT who I think WILL win; it’s who I think SHOULD win based on my opinion and those who know me, know I am quite discerning.
I try to keep my Oscar picks as general as possible and try not to get to into the technical categories too much even though I have opinions on those as well. This year I include the Best Song category (ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG))
and I never do that. This year I am including again, the Oscar for Production Design and Visual Effects.
As a screenwriter two of my favorite categories are the two screenwriting ones. For the record:
The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is awarded each year to the writer of a screenplay adapted from another source (usually a novel, play, or short story but also sometimes another film). All sequels are automatically considered adaptations by this standard (since the sequel must be based on the original story).
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
AMERICAN SNIPER
WRITTEN BY JASON HALL
THE IMITATION GAME
WRITTEN BY GRAHAM MOORE
INHERENT VICE
WRITTEN FOR THE SCREEN BY PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
SCREENPLAY BY ANTHONY MCCARTEN
WHIPLASH
WRITTEN BY DAMIEN CHAZELLE
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Graham Moore for The Imitation Game. I’ve only seen TWO of these nominees and I thought this one was superior. I really didn’t think the screenplay for American Sniper was that great.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
WRITTEN BY ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU, NICOLÁS GIACOBONE, ALEXANDER DINELARIS, JR. & ARMANDO BO
BOYHOOD
WRITTEN BY RICHARD LINKLATER
FOXCATCHER
WRITTEN BY E. MAX FRYE AND DAN FUTTERMAN
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
SCREENPLAY BY WES ANDERSON STORY BY WES ANDERSON & HUGO GUINNESS
NIGHTCRAWLER
WRITTEN BY DAN GILROY
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). Of the three I saw, this was a tough one. I really liked the screenplay for The Grand Budapest Hotel, it was way subversive and funny than I thought it would be, but the real hard choice to me was between Birdman and Boyhood. Richard Linklater did what I thought was the impossible. He made “average life" interesting and engrossing. It was the screenplay for Birdman that was superior though. Yes it took four credited writers, but I still loved the wild and weird story and I thought that it showed great writing, humor and great drama.
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
EMMANUEL LUBEZKI
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
ROBERT YEOMAN
IDA
LUKASZ ZAL AND RYSZARD LENCZEWSKI
MR. TURNER
DICK POPE
UNBROKEN
ROGER DEAKINS
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). This was also a tough category to pick and one film I didn’t even see, but I know is probably deserving. Roger Deakins is a MASTERFUL cinematographer, who has been nominated for an Oscar like 10 times (literally) and never won, but I haven’t seen his work here. The cinematography for The Grand Budapest Hotel by Robert Yeoman was great and the IDA Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski for Ida was outstanding! A beautiful looking film. But Emmanuel Lubezki really knocked it out of the park for Birdman with its continuous shooting style. People who have seen this film will know what I mean.
ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
AMERICAN SNIPER
JOEL COX AND GARY D. ROACH
BOYHOOD
SANDRA ADAIR
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
BARNEY PILLING
THE IMITATION GAME
WILLIAM GOLDENBERG
WHIPLASH
TOM CROSS
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach for American Sniper. Even though I’ve seen and enjoyed most of these films, it really was a two way race to me between American Sniper and Boyhood. I thought the transitions and editing in Boyhood were outstanding and seamless. Especially as it was filmed over 12 years. But the editing in American Sniper was a highlight of the film to me and really made the tense sniper scenes terrific.
ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
(Build and or design sets for the film)
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
PRODUCTION DESIGN: ADAM STOCKHAUSEN
SET DECORATION: ANNA PINNOCK
THE IMITATION GAME
PRODUCTION DESIGN: MARIA DJURKOVIC
SET DECORATION: TATIANA MACDONALD
INTERSTELLAR
PRODUCTION DESIGN: NATHAN CROWLEY
SET DECORATION: GARY FETTIS
INTO THE WOODS
PRODUCTION DESIGN: DENNIS GASSNER
SET DECORATION: ANNA PINNOCK
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel. Again, only a two way race for me with Interstellar being the only real contender. But as Interstellar did great things with the space related sets, on land and in—space, I thought The Grand Budapest Hotel really transported you to this wacky hotel and made everything look great.
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
DAN DELEEUW, RUSSELL EARL, BRYAN GRILL AND DAN SUDICK
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
JOE LETTERI, DAN LEMMON, DANIEL BARRETT AND ERIK WINQUIST
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
STEPHANE CERETTI, NICOLAS AITHADI, JONATHAN FAWKNER AND PAUL CORBOULD
INTERSTELLAR
PAUL FRANKLIN, ANDREW LOCKLEY, IAN HUNTER AND SCOTT FISHER
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
RICHARD STAMMERS, LOU PECORA, TIM CROSBIE AND CAMERON WALDBAUER
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist for Dawn of The Planet Of The Apes. This was another tough category and as I have seen ALL the nominated films I know EACH ONE did outstanding work! These are truly well worthy nominations. I had to go with Apes because I think they really brought that post apocalyptic world to life and made a race of sentient apes oh so real.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
IDA
POLAND
LEVIATHAN
RUSSIA
TANGERINES
ESTONIA
TIMBUKTU
MAURITANIA
WILD TALES
ARGENTINA
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Poland's Ida. Ida was the only nominated foreign I have seen thus far, but it was well worth it. I heard about this foreign film far in advance of seeing it and all the acclaim was spot on. Such a magnificent film! Acting, story, direction and cinematography. This film could have easily been nominated for Best Picture.
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME
THE LEGO MOVIE
MUSIC AND LYRIC BY SHAWN PATTERSON
GLORY
SELMA
MUSIC AND LYRIC BY JOHN STEPHENS AND LONNIE LYNN
GRATEFUL
BEYOND THE LIGHTS
MUSIC AND LYRIC BY DIANE WARREN
I’M NOT GONNA MISS YOU
GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME
MUSIC AND LYRIC BY GLEN CAMPBELL AND JULIAN RAYMOND
LOST STARS
BEGIN AGAIN
MUSIC AND LYRIC BY GREGG ALEXANDER AND DANIELLE BRISEBOIS
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: TIE Diane Warren for “Grateful” and John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn for “Glory”. I never include Best Song. I’m just never invested in the song choices each year, but this year these two songs I loved since I heard them played over the closing credits for their respective films and I was so delighted that they were nominated. I also don’t like doing “ties”, but I love each song equally and didn’t want to chose, so I didn’t. I also really like “Everything Is Awesome: from The Lego Movie, but it was always just a race between “Glory” and “Grateful”.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
ROBERT DUVALL
THE JUDGE
ETHAN HAWKE
BOYHOOD
EDWARD NORTON
BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
MARK RUFFALO
FOXCATCHER
J.K. SIMMONS
WHIPLASH
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Robert Duvall for The Judge. I thought Edward Norton and Ethan Hawke were terrific in their roles, but Duvall was just magnificent.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
PATRICIA ARQUETTE
BOYHOOD
LAURA DERN
WILD
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY
THE IMITATION GAME
EMMA STONE
BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
MERYL STREEP
INTO THE WOODS
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood. I thought Keira Knightley was really good in The Imitation Game and Emma Stone was the best I’d EVER seen her in Birdman, but Patricia Arquette just gave so much breadth and compassion to single mother trials and tribulations through her performance.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
MARION COTILLARD
TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT
FELICITY JONES
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
JULIANNE MOORE
STILL ALICE
ROSAMUND PIKE
GONE GIRL
REESE WITHERSPOON
WILD
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl. Yes I’ve only seen ONE of these nominated performances, but it’s kind of all I need to see. Rosamund Pike was so multilayered in her performance where she could have easily come off as cartoonish. Excellent performance.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
STEVE CARELL
FOXCATCHER
BRADLEY COOPER
AMERICAN SNIPER
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH
THE IMITATION GAME
MICHAEL KEATON
BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
EDDIE REDMAYNE
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Michael Keaton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). Bradley Cooper was really good in several scenes in American Sniper, but the race to me was really only between Benedict Cumberbatch and Keaton. Cumberbatch was really terrific in the role and showed layers that I hadn’t seen him in before. Even with those two performances I didn’t get a chance to see, I can’t imagine that they are better than Keaton. Michael Keaton was just a tour de force in Birdman.
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU
BOYHOOD
RICHARD LINKLATER
FOXCATCHER
BENNETT MILLER
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
WES ANDERSON
THE IMITATION GAME
MORTEN TYLDUM
Cool Black’s Oscar Pick: Alejandro G. Iñárritu for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). I thought The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Imitation Game had really good direction as did Boyhood, but was I wowed by the direction of Birdman from the first scene. The direction was a truly remarkable feat and I literally didn’t want to take my eyes off the screen.
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Before we get the final category of the night (or whatever time of day you are reading this. LOL) Something I haven't done since the First Annual picks in 2011. Here is a list of my Oscar picks for each category.
- ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Graham Moore for The Imitation Game
- ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach for American Sniper
- ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel
- ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist for Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
- BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR Ida
- ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG) TIE Diane Warren for “Grateful” and John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn for “Glory”
- PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Robert Duvall for The Judge
- PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Patricia Arquette for Boyhood
- PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl
- PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Michael Keaton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING Alejandro G. Iñárritu for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
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BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
(Note: The Academy Award for Best Picture goes to the Producers of the movie. That’s why last year Steve McQueen won an Oscar. It wasn’t for directing 12 Years a Slave, it was for producing it. Ben Affleck won his last Oscar the same way for Argo. He wasn’t even nominated as Best Director for Argo)
AMERICAN SNIPER
CLINT EASTWOOD, ROBERT LORENZ, ANDREW LAZAR, BRADLEY COOPER AND PETER MORGAN, PRODUCERS
BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU, JOHN LESHER AND JAMES W. SKOTCHDOPOLE, PRODUCERS
BOYHOOD
RICHARD LINKLATER AND CATHLEEN SUTHERLAND, PRODUCERS
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
WES ANDERSON, SCOTT RUDIN, STEVEN RALES AND JEREMY DAWSON, PRODUCERS
THE IMITATION GAME
NORA GROSSMAN, IDO OSTROWSKY AND TEDDY SCHWARZMAN, PRODUCERS
SELMA
CHRISTIAN COLSON, OPRAH WINFREY, DEDE GARDNER AND JEREMY KLEINER, PRODUCERS
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
TIM BEVAN, ERIC FELLNER, LISA BRUCE AND ANTHONY MCCARTEN, PRODUCERS
WHIPLASH
JASON BLUM, HELEN ESTABROOK AND DAVID LANCASTER, PRODUCERS
SELMA was terrific and powerful. I thought the direction, the cinematography, the period costume design, all terrific.
I didn’t what to think or expect going into THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, but I thought it was excellent. Subversive and wickedly funny.
THE IMITATION GAME was terrific as well. A really great period piece that was built like a great mystery and managed to interweave personal stories in without taking away from the main story.
AMERICAN SNIPER was good, but I thought only when it had to be.
BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) was just excellent. From the writing, to the acting to the direction and cinematography. Everything!
My PICK for BEST PICTURE goes to BOYHOOD. Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland, Producers.
When I read about it, I thought Boyhood’s story of following a boy growing into a man in real time was clever and a good gimmick. Who does that? Twelve years filming the same actors for a narrative film? It has been done for documentaries of course, but not narrative film that I can recall. To my surprise the film pulled it off!
I was totally engrossed by this story that didn’t involve the boy getting bit by a radioactive spider or anything. It was just a story of a kid growing up with his single mom. Of course there were story arcs and dramatic twists, coupled with terrific acting by the cast and brilliant directing, but it was just that a boy’s story. Everything, every single thing, worked for this picture and I thought it was phenomenal.
So that’s it, my picks this year. As always looking forward to the ceremony!
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