Oscar Nominations 2015 - Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, Weird Thumbs

Thumbs Up

• Julianne Moore, I would nominate you for the "Maps to the stars", too. I would give you an Oscar, even if you farted.
• Laura Dern in the best supporting actress category. Jessica Chastain and Rene Russo, feel free to cry.
• Marion Cotillard in the best actress category. Like it was supposed to be, duh.
• 2 nominations for Alexandre Desplat. That's more than fair.
• "Ida". No comments.
• "Whiplash", thank you for drumming.
• Benedict Cumberbatch for just being you.
• Wes Anderson, you deserve every single award.
• Wait... Richard Linklater, you deserve them too. So half-half?
• "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya". The Academy Awards love Japanese animated films.
• "Wild Tales" in the best foreign film category.
• "Lost stars" from "Begin Again" is actually a sign that some people appreciated this smart film.
• Dan Gilroy for the screenplay of "Nightcrawler". Smart choice for not nominating Jake Gyllenhaal.

Thumbs Down

• "Selma". The only film to be nominated in the best picture category, along with the best song category. Only.
• "Force Majeure" not being nominated in the best foreign film category. 
• "The Lego Movie" only being nominated for the song of the year, "Everything is awesome".
• Tilda Swinton not being nominated for any category this year ("Snowpiercer", "Only lovers left alive").
• Jake Gyllenhaal, where are you for the "Nightcrawler"?
• Bill Murray, you should be the winner.
• "Gone Girl", an epic fail. Gillian Flynn, you are still brilliant.
• "Pride" should be a major nominee.
• Nolan, may the force be with you. Shame on them.
• "Under the skin" by Jonathan Glazer. Epic Fail.
• I got my hopes up for Tom Hardy and "Locke". I get it though.
• I also got my hopes up for "Frank". That, I don't get it.

Weird Thumbs

• Bradley Cooper in the best actor category? Really? Nominated three years in a row for an Oscar?
• Ava DuVernay for "Selma". She could have written history, but she didn't. They didn't let that happen.
• Jennifer Aniston still cannot prove she is a good actress for "Cake".
• Amy Adams, next year is gonna be yours, no worries. Lana Del Rey, yours too. Tim Burton, yours... never, I guess.
• Emily Blunt, someday you will take what you deserve (maybe a nomination).
• "Everything is awesome" for best song is probably the biggest troll in the Oscar history.
• "American Sniper", the last-minute call. Who would have known?
• Paul Thomas Anderson's nomination in the adapted screenplay category for "Inherent Vice". Not bad, just weird.

The nominations are here: http://oscar.go.com/nominees  

Nightcrawler

When it comes to the awards season, you always try to watch as many films as you can, thus deciding for yourself which one is your favorite, which script has blown your mind or which performances are actually worthy of the awards. 

I have seen many of the projects Jake Gyllenhaal has participated in and it's not difficult to notice that he is good. He was raw and determined in the recent "Prisoners", he was sentimental and fragile in "Brokeback Mountain", so it would be disappointing of him not to invest the best of his talents on such a smart script. Only this time, he goes beyond all these.

Half of the movie's potential depends totally on his performance. Gyllenhaal's transformation is one of the most persuasive and risky ones this year has to offer in the Hollywood industry. He is filthy and dark, making you want to punch him in the face as he is staring at you with his huge, creepy eyes. But at the same time, Dan Gilroy has approached him in a way that makes you walk in his shoes and sympathize with him, even when his actions go beyond your ethical code. His character reminds me of some classic ones, like Hannibal Lecter or even the "Taxi driver". He is an outcast and a hustler you are curious to meet, but you could never possibly want him for a friend of yours or even a neighbor.

Accompanied by James Newton Howard's adventurous score, "Nightcrawler" is a thriller, without a doubt. But even with the same smart script, it would be extremely easy for it to become a b-movie or just a "nice" one, if it weren't for the right moves in direction. Gilroy proves that he is a master of suspense, providing claustrophobic night scenes that any other director of the same aesthetics could kill for (David Fincher, I guess you now have competition). 

With the brilliantly performed supporting roles by Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, and Bill Paxton, the film itself goes beyond its potential and becomes all the way a major contender in the awards season. As far as Gyllenhaal is concerned, well, you can count on his second Academy Award nomination.

AnArtCalled... 8,5/10