The most celebrated movie award comes again, Oscar 2015. I feel that this year’s nominees are more predictable and less controversial. But…Compared to last year’s awarding night with Ellen Degeneres as the MC, it is sad that I must say Neil Patrick Harris did less impressive job, even after he showed up naked on Oscar’s stage. Ellen was naturally funnier and seemed to be more spontaneous. I want Ellen back on the Oscar’s stage next year, please!

The Nominees and winner for Best Picture:
“American Sniper” (Clint Eastwood)
“Boyhood” (Richard Linklater) 
“Birdman” (Alejandro González Iñárritu): winner 
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” (Wes Anderson)
“The Imitation Game” (Morten Tyldum)
“Selma” (Ava DuVernay)
“The Theory of Everything” (James Marsh)
“Whiplash” (Damien Chazelle)

I am happy with all the nominees. But Gone Girl should have been there as well, because it is just as good as the other nominees. Why Gone Girl is not on that list? It is because the theme is less grand compared to the other nominees? Because it doesn’t involve the story of a genius, or a revolution, or a depressed American?

Best actor:
Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”: winner

Best actress:
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice“: winner
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”

Why Jake Gyllenhaal is not on that best actor nominee list? His performance in the “Nightcrawler” deserved a nomination. Anyway, Oscar in this category is well deserved. Eddie did an extra ordinary job acting as Stephen Hawking. Not only that he can mimic his gesture and convincingly showed how painful ALS disease can be, but also the way he alter his voice before it gradually disappear, that alone was awesome! The winner in best actress category, Julianne Moore, acted as Alice, a linguistic professor suffering from early onset of alzeimers disease. So both actor and actress were playing characters with acute disease. In addition to that, I found Still Alice very captivating. I bursted into tears, literally streaming down my cheeks, watching one of the scenes in that movie, as if I could feel Alice’s world crumbling as she’s losing words due to her disease.

Best supporting actor:

Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash” : winner

Best supporting actress:

Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”: winner
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”

Patricia Arquette delivered a great acceptance speech about how women should be treated equally with men in the film industry. And above is a rare photo of Jesus blessing Patricia Arquette during her acceptance speech. 😀 :))

Best original screenplay:
“Birdman,” Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo: winner
“Boyhood,” Richard Linklater
“Foxcatcher,” E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
“Nightcrawler,” Dan Gilroy

Best adapted screenplay:

“American Sniper,” Jason Hall
“The Imitation Game,” Graham Moore: winner
“Inherent Vice,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Theory of Everything,” Anthony McCarten
“Whiplash,” Damien Chazelle

Despite the result, The Grand Budapest Hotel remains the best picture in my heart. It is heart warming, evoked different rays of emotion, told a beautiful story, magnificent cast and impeccable production design. It is a complete package of a great movie. Birdman is also a great movie, but it evoked mostly, if not entirely, depressed feeling and that drumming sound was sometimes too loud and annoying.

Now, a quick look from the red carpet. After her awful outfit in the Golden Globe last month, why Kiera Knightley is wearing another grandma dress? Is she pregnant? Even pregnant women could pull better outfit on the red carpet. While most people showed up wearing black, white or red (to be on the safe side I suppose), Emma Stone looked gorgeous in her moss-green gown. She kept on being awesome after showing up in a very edgy outfit in the Golden Globe. And Jared Letto is probably trying out a new career as a weather man.