The Imitation Game (2014) - Reviewed

Benedict Cumberbatch - probably a big reason to why so many people liked this movie. The Imitation Game explores genius mathematician Alan Turing's life and his achievements in history. The main story in this movie is the one which everyone comes into theaters expecting to watch - World War II and Turing's contributions in solving the Enigma Code, the "unbreakable" Nazi code system. Turing was an unsociable, arrogant man who joined a team of codebreakers to solve the German war code. He goes through this journey by overcoming many barriers and working all night long for many days. On the other hand, we have two other supporting stories that delve into different but connected aspects of his life. There is the part a few years after the war is over, when Turing is investigated upon by the suspicious lack of records during the War. Then we explore his childhood - a deeper look into his personality, affinities, and hobbies. All of these parts intermingle to create an interesting story of a unique man's life.

The Imitation Game was a very interesting movie - I'll give it that. I learned more about Turing's life and the behind-the-scenes of World War II than I expected to. It was a different approach to history than the ones presented in textbooks, and I actually enjoy puzzles and math - like Turing. About the acting, Benedict Cumberbatch plays Turing extremely well in every scene. (Although he is a tad overrated - oh no, am I going to get a lot of hate for this?). Matthew Goode was also noteworthy. On the other hand, I have no idea why Keira Knightly was nominated for an Oscar for her role. I felt as if there wasn't much special about her acting.

Other aspects of The Imitation Game were weaker than the acting. The overall pacing was hasty, as if they tried to cover too much with not enough time. This story uses nonlinear narrative/flashbacks to explore Turing's past and future. While there are movies in which this definitely works, I'm not sure if this is one of them. Some scenes felt similar or even unnecessary, and the filmmakers could have used that time to pace the main story better. They did, however, pace the story of his childhood well and inserted those flashbacks at appropriate moments. 

Alan's character is really the enigma in this movie - but not in the way the movie intended it to be. At the beginning, we immediately get the feeling he is cold and socially awkward. He stays like this until a certain point, when he suddenly changes to a man who is a lot more sociable. This change is not gradual but sudden, which is a real enigma. This lack of character development was an issue for me, especially because in the 'future' flashbacks, he all of a sudden becomes antisocial again. He is also presented as a genius who can solve not only any puzzle, but also work his way through any difficulty. This gives him an aura of an invincible character, which makes it hard for the audience to empathize with and relate to him. Kiera Knightly's character also lacks in depth - she is introduced at a convenient moment and doesn't have the depth that a character like her should have. 

The story started out strong but becomes weaker as many conveniences enter. The biggest one - and my greatest problem with this movie - is how Turing comes to solve the code. To avoid spoilers I won't mention details, but this scene of Turing's eureka is way too convenient. The problem is solved immediately, hooray. Then afterwards, the ending felt very simplified even though it was a complicated situation of its own. They could have explored it much deeper but chose not to. To end on a positive note, the more personal side of Turing was expressed well, both in the 'past' and main stories but better in the former. The more intimate 'Imitation Game' that Turing had to 'play' makes the title of the movie a very strong one.

8.0/10 - Watch it, it's interesting. But I wouldn't watch it twice.

Big Hero 6 (2014) - Reviewed and Analyzed

After Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen, I was so waiting for the next great Disney movie - and I'm still waiting. Big Hero 6 introduces the city of San Fransokyo (a conspicuous fusion of two metropolises) and Hiro, a young genius Bot-Fighter. His older brother Tadashi wants Hiro to use his brilliant mind on more productive things and takes him to his university, where he meets Baymax, Tadashi's health care robot, and the acclaimed Professor Robert Callaghan. Hiro is inspired by him and decides to showcase his inventions called 'microbots' at a science show to impress the professor. (Honestly, microbots are way more ingenious than any other thing in this movie). But an unfortunate accident at the fair turns Hiro's life around. Eventually, he joins with his brother's lab friends and Baymax to save the day!

Expectations were high-up for this movie and were boosted higher by the people around me. One of my friends said it's a must-watch-in-theaters and another said he even cried. But... Why? I don't blame my disappointment on the fact that my expectations were pretty high - I simply didn't really enjoy watching it. In fact, I only enjoyed the first 20 minutes, which is summarized above. Many people may disagree with me, I know. Big Hero 6 was a box-office hit and accumulated fans all over the world. It started a new catchy fist-bump. (Apparently the key to a movie's success!) But overall, the whole thing wasn't original at all. It incorporates the classic story-line of an animated movie, which I thought was done being used. Apparently not. The characters - Hiro is a young genius, a hackneyed main character. This type of character can always solve any problem and his only weakness is emotional attachment. The rest of 'Big Hero 6' is equally uninteresting, except for Wasabi, a muscular black guy who is a morally-uptight, cowardly perfectionist. Baymax was by far the most original thing in the movie. He's not an awesome fighter robot that kicks ass - he's a chubby, slow, kind, health care giver. I was intrigued to see how they will use such an 'incapable' (and I mean this only in relation to fighting skills) character. Maybe he will be an original type of super hero, who actually saves people instead of destroying buildings and putting people in more danger. But when they put on that Ironman suit on him, my hope was crushed. My point is, there's little originality in these 90 minutes. Some positives are... it was well animated. And Baymax, until they turned him into fat Ironman.

Analysis [Spoilers Ahead]

Before we start, I want to note that Big Hero 6 is based on a comic book. I have no knowledge of its content, so please understand if I don't compare comic book with the movie, say whether it was a good adaptation and whether or not they followed the book well, etc. I am actually thankful that I don't have an extensive knowledge of comic books. I think this allows me to view and analyze the movie simply as the movie itself without bias from previous information. Let's get started.

One of the first scenes shows the setting, reading 'San Fransokyo'. I am unsure what the makers meant to convey with this strange mix of San Francisco and Tokyo. Did they simply mean that it's a place full of some white people and some white-looking people with Asian names, because the characters show that well enough. This is not necessarily a fault in the movie - I was just curious.

Bot Fighting was a great opening scene. It reminded me of a miniature version of Real Steel - a brilliant way to introduce Hiro as a mischievous genius who has interests in things other than academics and seeks some lucrative profit off of his hobby. I was disappointed that that was the last of bot fights for the movie, and I still wonder if they could have made a better movie concerning those robot fights.

Hiro's brother is the classic caring, mature brother that is characteristic of older siblings grown up without parents. I have no complaints about him though - this character, while trite, is necessary for the story. Hiro meets Baymax, an inflatable robot nurse. Baymax is cute and funny unlike the other people Hiro meets in the lab. Tadashi has four friends - Gogo is a tough girl with a short haircut. (How many times have we seen that before?) Wasabi is pretty unique, as mentioned above. Honey Lemon is a quirky girl with big round glasses and a 'nerdy' hairstyle. Again, not very fresh. Fred gives the others nicknames and loves fire-breathing reptiles. (How did he get into that school?) The super-suits/upgrades they receive are also boring. Gogo can throw disks around and uses them to move around very quickly. Wasabi has extended laser limbs. Honey lemon's was curious, because programming each ball at the spot seemed new, but the power itself is somewhat useless. And finally, Fred is a fire-breathing reptile... Most, if not all, of these 'powers' are direct copies/combinations of existing superheros from X-Men, The Incredibles, etc. It's a fair argument that so many superpowers exist that it's nearly impossible to create new ones. However, a movie can give a new feeling to the same super power if it is used in a new way. There wasn't much of that here.

Let's talk about Baymax. I think the main reason many people liked this movie was largely due to Baymax. He was a great original character, so likable and humorous, and above all, he was a nurse with no 'superpowers'. As I said, I was disappointed when they dressed him up, but he was still Baymax due to his personality. His ultimate purpose was still to take care of people and that's why he couldn't hurt anybody. They completely got rid of any sign of Baymax when Hiro exchanged the programming chip. This turned him into an invincible, violent robot, which I have seen in countless movies and didn't want to see in this one. His relationship with Hiro is somewhat genuine and the end scene where he saves Hiro while sacrificing himself was heartfelt, but still mediocre.

The weak plot didn't help the lack of originality of the characters. When the fire destroyed the fair and killed Tadashi and Prof. Callaghan, you immediately knew it wasn't an accident and that one of the two characters was going to come back as the twist. When they showed the abandoned factory scene with thousands of microbots being made, the movie told us it was the professor. Then, when he finally showed up as the villain, it was for the oldest reason in the book: a scientist involved in an experiment that has gone wrong seeking revenge on those he blames. I'm sure you can think of examples yourself.

During the fight scene, there is a point at which all the Heroes are in trouble. Then, Hiro says one phrase which enlightens everyone and they quickly and easily escape danger.  I don't know if you have a problem with this kind of happening in a movie, but I do. Problems in movies should feel like real, dangerous situations. They shouldn't be solved with one phrase, not even in an animated movie. The viewer gets the impression that they are not really in danger, which is the whole purpose of a fight scene.

What did I like about this movie? There were a few things that I've mentioned: Baymax before he changed, the opening scene, and Wasabi's character. Microbots can be added to this list. One scene not in the first 20 minutes that I liked was the scene in which Hiro and Baymax go into the abandoned warehouse. I got nervous and worried about their safety because I could actually feel them in danger, largely due to Baymax's physical handicaps - his size, slowness, and constant effort to improve Hiro's health, which didn't help during a dangerous situation.

I did not want to give Big Hero 6 a bad review, and before watching it, I had no idea I would. But I have to be honest.

6.5/10 - I don't recommend watching it unless you're in a situation in which you have to supervise a group of children. Play it for them, they might enjoy it.

A Separation (2011) - Reviewed and Analyzed

A Separation is an Iranian movie about two families in conflict. This sentence, however, is barely enough to cover the complex emotions and relationships contained in the story. The movie begins with Nadir and Simin at a divorce office. An intriguing dialogue is exchanged and the viewer knows this is not an ordinary divorce - Simin wants to leave the country immediately for a better environment for their daughter, Termeh, and Nadir disagrees because he has a sick father to care for. Then we see Simin moving out while Termeh stays with Nadir, despite the fact that her mother asks her to come with her while her father doesn't really. Since Nadir works during the day, he now needs someone to look after his father who has Alzheimer's and hires a woman, Razieh. She seems to be a nice, diligent woman and Nadir trusts her - until he discovers she wasn't entirely as he thought. And thus the story unfolds to involve more people and the conflict becomes more heated.

If one were to glance over the synopsis without having watched the movie (which, by the way, no one should ever do), it could seem kind of boring. The characters would seem so normal - and in an era where almost every main character is either extremely rich and smart, or proficient in every martial art and weapon - Nadir and Simin are so ordinary. However, when examined more closely, all the characters are extremely unique and their relationships with each other are different. An important theme in A Separation is value systems. What makes every character interesting is their slightly differing value systems, and that is the cause of every conflict. However, another intriguing factor that plays a discreet but important role is religion, which unifies them all. To see these two themes interact through the characters is another definition of nerve-racking.

Analysis [Spoilers Ahead]

I've mentioned the importance of value systems and the slight nuances with each character's, and this shows from the opening scene. You can tell that they both don't really want to get a divorce - all they want from each other is for the other to listen to them. Simin thinks it's very important that her daughter gets a quality education abroad, while Nadir, although he obviously cares about his daughter's future, also loves his father and cannot leave him. One of my favorite quotes from this movie comes from this scene, in which Simin says, "he doesn't even know you are his son," and Nadir replies, "But I know he's my father." They are both very selfless (in different ways), which makes them likable, one of the most important aspects of a character. One extra note, a strong, interesting dialogue is one of the best opening scenes.

Value systems continue to play out in the other characters as well. Razieh, the caregiver, feels dubious about cleaning an old man when he's wet himself. Although it seems obvious to most viewers, her high standards of morality and adherence to religion makes her respectable. This drives her to tell Simin not to give them the money, and most importantly, makes her unable to swear on the Koran even though it is logically the best choice for her and her family.

Her husband Hojjat, a man with anger management issues, is perhaps the most memorable character. He is extremely angry throughout the entire run time and sometimes gets on your nerves. He continuously interrupts and becomes irrational, making false accusations at innocent people. But if we think about his many scars - he went through an unfair trial at his workplace and lost, became unemployed, and now his unborn baby is dead - suddenly, his actions seem understandable. In fact, I was surprised he was able to contain his emotions that well. Thus the four main characters show distinct value systems, which justifies their actions leading to constant moral ambiguity. This connects the viewer emotionally to all of them, and makes it hard to side with or dislike any of them. What is so exceptional about this movie is that there is no antagonist, no clear good-and-bad, no one clearly to root for. But it still creates a compelling, suspenseful picture, which is something most filmmakers cannot do without an evident moral system.

Aside from the main characters, the children's interactions were curious indeed. When the families were in good terms, they played together and got along; but when conflict arose, they quietly stared at each other at a distance. Also, Termeh's choice to stay with her father at the beginning was later explained as her wish that her parents would reunite, because she knew that if she went with her mother, her father wouldn't come back for them. On the other hand she knew her mother would return. This proves that Termeh is a complex character on her own, which is hard to see these days. In many movies the children act as no more than 'props' in the story used to invoke a spirit of family and make the main characters, the parents, more relatable.

The more inconspicuous theme of the movie is religion. Despite being very different, all the characters are brought under the same roof of Islam. Its influence is most evident with Razieh, the most religious of them all. Every action she does is guided by her will to abide by the Koran and refrain from sinning. You may think Hojjat is the least 'religious', with his violent actions and desire for revenge. But did he really want revenge? Had he really wanted revenge he could have gotten it any time by harming any one of Nadir's family members. But he didn't - in fact, the worst thing he did was smash a car window. It was his religion that kept his emotions in check. Imagine if the same story happened to two families living in the West. The anger would have gotten out of control and exploded in a really ugly way. Now, I'm not making a judgement on Western society - I'm just saying that that is probably how the story would unfold. Prisoners is an example, and in the even a Korean movie, I Saw the Devil, proves my point. This is what makes A Separation even more outstanding. The interaction between all the characters is almost unseen in any other movie, simply because of the difference in religious culture.

A further note concerning religion is the expectations to this movie. Before viewing, I expected a movie dealing with the sociopolitical issues of Iran and the stereotypes/myths surrounding the Middle East. However, when it turned out to be a drama about two families that says nothing on political matters, I was pleasantly surprised. After viewing, I realized the importance of this fact. It is almost expected of a movie set in The Middle East to be about social unrest (Argo) or U.S. involvement (The Hurt Locker, American Sniper). A Separation reminds everyone that this area is, in fact, just like any other place on Earth. There is love and friction within a family, grief over a lost child, and moral choices to be made. To be honest, this society might be better than those elsewhere exactly due to the reason mentioned above - the unifying religion and the level of social conscience that ensues. Whether the makers intentionally did so or not, A Separation is an accurate look at Iran that reminds us of the universality of human nature.

About the ending. The end scene returns to the issue that started it all - Nadir and Simin's divorce. They decided to get a divorce and anxiously wait for Termeh to make a choice - who will she live with - and the viewer doesn't know because the movie ends. To be honest, I would have preferred if they didn't return to the issue of their divorce. It was a good beginning to the whole story but it wasn't the main topic, and returning to it leaves the viewer thinking that divorce was ultimately the focus. However, it was the director's choice and doesn't detract anything from the film. Concerning Termeh's choice, I thought it was a good way to end the movie considering they brought back the divorce. Her choice is not really important - but what it does is make the viewer think about the movie, which I though was smart.

The directing was great. The acting felt so real. The script and social implications - I've talked about that enough. It has a well deserved Best Foreign Language Film of 2012. 

9.5/10

The Oscars 2015: Predicts and Wishes

The Oscars 2015 are on Sunday, February 22 - or for my case, on Monday due to the time difference. Needless to say I'm curious about the results but even more excited to finally be watching the award ceremony live for the first time - do they even air it on TV in Korea? I should probably check that out.

Since the nominees have been released, there has been much talk about the Academy's choices, critics have given their professional predictions, and the public has been raging over what is apparently the biggest snub of the year: The Lego Movie not being listed on the Best Animated Feature Film. As I've been observing these phenomena, it would be impossible for me not to have my own thoughts on the whole deal.

For each category, there is a 'Predict' and a 'Wish'. If you haven't figured it out, the 'Predict' is the one I think the Academy will pick, the 'Wish' is the one I hope will be announced as winner. Now, I haven't seen all the movies in every category. That's why I won't talk about each one. But if I have seen two or more in a category I will choose one. And for others like Makeup and Hair-styling, I won't go into them for the obvious reason. So here we are -

THE OSCARS 2015: PREDICTS AND WISHES

• Best Picture [Seen all except Selma]

The Grand Budapest Hotel I had seen months ago but I still vividly remember being very impressed with. Wes Anderson strikes with his genius again: he unites with an all-star cast to create a beautiful story that feels like a roller coaster ride, but this movie also has a depth to it that is inexplicable. 

Boyhood, the indie film of the year, is so brave that you can't leave it out of any award ceremony. A 12-year-long journey to Mason's adulthood will have you reflect on your own past and wonder how well all the actors in the movie stayed in character. 

Birdman was yet another artistic film, but in a different way. It enlightens the viewer about the numerous issues in intra-/interpersonal relationships, the world of art, and just society in general and does it almost flawlessly. 

Whiplash's story was the most 'ordinary'. But by no means was it dull. Watching the relationship between Andrew and his teacher was so thrilling that by the time it was over I wished it continue for another hour. 

American Sniper tells the story of Chris Kyle and accurately depicts both the nerve-wracking situation at the war front and the its consequences of PTSD at home. It could have offered more, delving deeper on the psychological effects of war, but remained superficial. 

The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything were both great movies, but I'm not sure why they made it to this list. The Imitation Game felt rushed and convenient at the end and it had more potential. The Theory of Everything was not noteworthy compared to the other movies on this list.

PREDICT: Birdman - the Academy loves these kind of movies.

WISH: Whiplash - it was very close between this and Birdman, but in the end I chose Whiplash because I enjoyed it more.

•  Best Actor in a Leading Role [Seen all except Steve Carell]

Bradley Cooper's Chris Kyle was excellent at war. The intensity and pressure felt real as he was sniping terrorists, but he could have done better at home. I only felt the serious consequences of PTSD during the garden party scene and up until then. 

Benedict Cumberbatch's Alan Turing was real at first, but somewhere during the movie, he became a lot more sociable and likable, without much transition. 

Michael Keaton's performance made me believe that the character was so real that I felt like he actually exists and that I wasn't watching him through a screen. 

Eddie Redmayne also amazed me as Steven Hawking and his deteriorating conditions felt very real, but ultimately, I saw an actor playing Hawking, not Hawking himself.

PREDICT: Michael Keaton

WISH: Michael Keaton - flawless.

• Best Actress in a Leading Role [Seen Rosamund Pike and Felicity Jones]

Felicity Jones was good but not noteworthy in The Theory of Everything. Rosamund Pike, on the other hand, made me shiver more than a horror movie would. Her performance made me search her immediately after watching Gone Girl to see her filmography.

PREDICT: I feel that I cannot predict since I have only seen two, but there is much talk about Julianne Moore and she's won it before, so chances are she'll do it again.

WISH: Rosamund Pike - as I've said, her role as a psychopathic wife had me at the edge of my seat throughout the entire movie.

•  Best Actor in a Supporting Role [Seen Ethan Hawke, Edward Norton, and J.K. Simmons]

The fact that Ethan Hawke managed to stay in character that well for 12 years still amazes me. But when thinking about the specific role, it was actually a pretty common character without much depth. 

For the supporting actor in Birdman, I couldn't see Edward Norton even though I had seen him in many movies in the past. He was completely fresh and so genuine, giving one of the best performance of his career. 

J.K. Simmons. His role as an extremely-passionate-but-just-as-cold teacher was outstanding. Your opinion of this character constantly changes - from cool to admirable, and back and forth from actually decent to a complete asshole - his character still makes sense and feels so alive.

PREDICT: J.K. Simmons

WISH: J.K. Simmons - Sorry, Edward Norton. Simmons was too good.

•  Best Actress in a Supporting Role [Seen Patricia Arquette, Keira Knightly, and Emma Stone]

Again, all nominees in every category were nominated because they were at least good. But some are just not much more than that - just good. That's how I view Keira Knightly and Emma Stone. Emma Stone was better than Keira Knightly, but both of them were in this middle zone. 

However, Patricia Arquette, as I've mentioned, amazes me for being able to keep that character for such a long period of time. An unlike Ethan Hawke, she was central to the story and her character had much more depth, making it that much harder to stay in character and build onto it as the story progressed for 12 years.

PREDICT: Patricia Arquette

WISH: Patricia Arquette

• Best Animated Feature Film [Seen Big Hero 6 and How to Train Your Dragon 2] 

Having seen only two movies, I cannot say much again. But in this case, it's especially more so because neither of the two that I have seen were anything close to noteworthy. Big Hero 6 was enjoyable only for the first 10 minutes. Baymax was unique and hilarious, and the setting was interesting. But for the rest of the time, it felt like many other animated movies in the past. The other characters were not unique at all and nor were their powers - in fact, Hero and Baymax felt like Hiccup and Toothless only replace Toothless with Ironman. The plot was mediocre. How to Train Your Dragon 2 was better in general, but the plot nor the twist was not very interesting.

PREDICT: I don't know. And the Academy's choices have been confusing in the past, like with Brave instead of Wreck-It Ralph in 2012. For all I know, Boxtrolls will win.

WISH: I just wish it's not Big Hero 6, because I was very disappointed with that movie. But it probably will be.

• Best Directing [Seen all except Foxcatcher]

Richard Linklater deserves to be here just because it took him 12 years to make Boyhood and it ended up being a great movie. Birdman's Alejandro G. Inarritu definitely needs a seat as well, since a script like that could not have worked without a masterful director. For Birdman, however, much of the unique feeling to this movie is credited to the cinematographer, so I'm not sure whether it should win in that category, this one, or both. One thing to add though, is that I sometimes, maybe once or twice tuned out of the movie for a short time. 

The Grand Budapest Hotel is another movie that could not have worked with a great director - but not just any director, but Wes Anderson. His style is usually not for anyone, but in this movie, he makes it enjoyable for nearly everyone while maintaining his style. 

The Imitation Game's direction was not very memorable for me and as stated above, the end felt rushed.

PREDICT: Richard Linklater - largely due to length its making

WISH: Wes Anderson - This was incredibly tough between the first three movies, but I chose it because of the complexity of the story and how perfectly it was directed in every scene.

•  Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay [Seen all except Inherent Vice]

American Sniper had more potential. There could have been more detail - especially the scenes at home, it might have been better to focus on some different parts of his life. 

The Imitation Game wasn't noteworthy and neither was The Theory of Everything. The script for The Imitation Game could have used more nuances in the story with this character, the progress through which they build the machine, and even afterwards. 

Whiplash is brilliant with its characters as individuals, the relationship between them, and just the story itself.

PREDICT: Whiplash (Damien Chazelle) - although I have a tiny fear that something else like The Imitation Game will win

WISH: Whiplash (Damien Chazelle)

• Best Writing - Original Screenplay [Seen all except Foxcatcher]

By this time, I think I've said enough (mostly praise) about Birdman, Boyhood, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Of the three, I would say Boyhood was the least 'original' - the story of coming-of-age has had its precedents. 

Nightcrawler is a movie that I expected would be in more categories and not necessarily this one. Nightcrawler's story was very unique and realistic. The main character was intriguing but the viewer had to feel ambivalent about him. It was amazing to see him slowly transform to become what he finally turn out. My one problem with this script is the convenience in the middle, where things go very well for him, and one scene where it's just too good to happen. Other than that, it was a praiseworthy movie. 

PREDICT: Birdman (Alejandro G. Inarritu & etc.) - the Academy seems to like movies with more artistic value than purely entertaining (but brilliant) movies. Thus Birdman beat The Grand Budapest Hotel

WISH: The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson) - this one was extremely difficult as well, especially since the two are so different as to be incomparable. But in the end, it was 'which script did I find more ingenious?' and my answer was The Grand Budapest Hotel.

- - -

And that concludes the Predicts and Wishes of this year. We'll see how many I guessed correctly in just a few days. But to finish it here would be a cake without icing... as we have some Oscar snubs.

1. The Lego Movie: People everywhere are raging over why The Lego Movie isn't one of the five nominees. I enjoyed The Lego Movie much more than I did the other two animation movies, but I wasn't that surprised when it did not get nominated. Maybe it's due to many scars from previous years in the Best Animated Film category. I have two possible reasons why they didn't nominate The Lego Movie. First, the Academy seems to like more traditional stories in this category (vastly unlike Best Picture category, especially this year's nominees) but I have no idea why. The second possibility is that The Lego Movie's content and humor is aligned to younger audiences. Sure, adults enjoyed it as well, but when you think about the fact that the Academy is mainly old, white men, it's understandable that they didn't enjoy it as much as we did. In conclusion, my advice to you is - don't expect much in the category in the future.

2. Gone Girl: As a fan of thrillers and David Fincher, it is no doubt that I enjoyed Gone Girl. And it was the most astonishing and infuriating snub for me. When I learned it received just one nomination, I could not contain my emotions. Where was it in Best Adapted Screenplay? A question to ponder for life. Gone Girl is ingeniously written - there is not one flaw to it. A nearly three-hour film that had me nervous and curious what the heck will happen next throughout the entire run-time. I had hopes for Best Director, even though this year's contenders were very strong. (I mean, if The Theory of Everything's Morten Tyldum was nominated, shouldn't Fincher be as well?) I even had hopes for Best Picture, but I knew that wasn't happening because the Academy dislikes thrillers. Big disappointment overall.

3. Jake Gyllenhaal: Those who have seen Nightcrawler were probably sure Gyllenhaal's name will be announced under Best Actor's nominees. I mean, his performance in Nightcrawler was mesmerizing. In fact, it's probably his best performance. You could not see Jake Gyllenhaal - all you could see was a creepy cameraman become more and more deranged. Having Cumberbatch on the list but not Gyllenhaal was incomprehensible.

Final note: There is much talk about the nominees lacking in diversity this year. This might be an actual, significant problem with the Academy this year (and in past years) - I don't know too well about this. But my strong belief is that the lack of diversity should not be the main issue in these award ceremonies. Awards should be solely based on the quality of the film and not swayed by external factors. I will use Selma as an example because this movie is one of the biggest controversies and since I have not seen this. Selma was directed by Ava DeVernay, a black female director, and many are criticizing the Academy by saying 'they lack in diversity and they missed the chance to nominate a black female director for the first time'. This claim seems absurd to me since this award should go to the best director, not the director who is most racially and sexually unique. I really wonder if the people who got mad would get mad if a white, male director directed Selma. My point is, the award title should reflect upon the title and nothing else.

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on this year's Oscar nominees. If you have similar/different thoughts, please leave a comment.