Oscars 2015: Who will be taking home the trophies?
From Birdman to American Sniper, Geoffrey Macnab has a good idea who should win, and who really, really should not
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Best Actor
Who should win: Timothy Spall for ‘Mr. Turner’, but he wasn’t even nominated. In his absence, the award should go to Michael Keaton for ‘Birdman’.
Who will win: Michael Keaton unless the Bafta boost helps Eddie Redmayne to pip him.
Who really really shouldn’t win: Steve Carell for ‘Foxcatcher’. Nothing wrong with the performance but it felt more like a character turn than a leading role, even if Carell was wearing a very long nose.
Best Actress
Who should win: Julianne Moore, but she deserves the award just as much for her performance as the brattish middle-aged Hollywood diva in ‘Maps To The Stars’ as she does for ‘Still Alice’.
Who will win: Reese Witherspoon. The voters love it when stars re-invent themselves – and the great outdoors of ‘Wild’ is a long way removed from her ‘Legally Blonde’ roots.
Who really really shouldn’t win: Felicity Jones. She is in doughty and affecting form as the endlessly patient and supportive Jane Wilde Hawking in ‘The Theory Of Everything’ but there aren’t the same fireworks in her performance as there are in those of the other nominees.
'The Grand Budapest Hotel' would be a worthy winner of Best Picture
Best Picture
Who should win: ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’, Wes Anderson’s archest and most exquisite film.
Who will win: It’s a tussle between ‘Boyhood’ and ‘Birdman’ with the extravagant showmanship of the latter likely to trump the heartfelt quality and daring of the former.
Who really really shouldn’t win: ‘American Sniper’. You can make an argument for Clint Eastwood’s film as a study of post-traumatic stress disorder but its jingoism is very jarring indeed.
Best Supporting Actor
Who should win: JK Simmons for his ferocious turn as the music teacher in ‘Whiplash’.
Who will win: Mark Ruffalo, the brilliant American character actor who is utterly convincing as an Olympic wrestler in ‘Foxcatcher’.
Who really really shouldn’t win: Ethan Hawke. Nothing wrong with his performance, given over many years, as the dad in ‘Boyhood’, experiencing profound changes in his own life as he watches his son grow, but this isn’t a showy role or one that stretches him to any great degree.
Emma Stone is the favourite for Best Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Who should win: Emma Stone, for her sly and subversive portrayal of the actor’s recovering drug addict daughter in ‘Birdman’.
Who will win: Stone is the bookie’s favourite.
Who really really shouldn’t win: Meryl Streep. She has enough of these awards already and her grandstanding, luridly enjoyable performance as the wicked witch in ‘Into The Woods’ would have seemed a little hammy even in panto at the Hackney Empire.
Best Director
Who should win: Richard Linklater for the sheer ambition and painstaking originality of ‘Boyhood’, filmed with the same actors over a dozen years.
Who will win: It’s a toss-up between Linklater and Alejandro González Iñárritu, whose ‘Birdman’ is directed in a virtuoso but very flashy manner that is the utter antithesis of the patient craftsmanship of ‘Boyhood’.
Who really really shouldn’t win: Morten Tyldum does a solid job, but really nothing more, in wartime thriller ‘The Imitation Game’.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments