OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SCORE

Daniel Hart for Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

Alex Ebert for All is Lost

Christophe Beck for Frozen

Owen Pallett for Her

Clint Mansell for Stoker

AND THE WINNER IS:

ALEX EBERT FOR ALL IS LOST

This is the first win and nomination for Alex Ebert.

An odd choice for a score nominee considering that the score is so understated and quiet throughout the whole film just like the film overall when thought of on reflection it becomes even more impressive. The work done by Alex Ebert shows how a subtle score as impressive as this can create a atmosphere of loneliness being watched on the screen. The score does not stay completely invisible for long but even when it is allowed to standout still the score is almost uplifting in the misery filled circumstance that seems to be in the story.

OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION

Production Design by Judy Becker; Set Design by Heather Loeffler for American Hustle

Production Design by K.K. Barrett; Set Design by Gene Serdena for Her

Production Design by Philip Messina; Set Design by Larry Dias for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Production Design by Thérèse DePrez; Set Design by Leslie Morales for Stoker

Production Design by Adam Stockhausen; Set Design by Alice Baker for 12 Years a Slave

AND THE WINNER IS:

PRODUCTION DESIGN BY K.K. BARRETT; SET DESIGN BY GENE SEDENA FOR HER

This is the second win and nomination for Gene Serdena having previously won for Being John Malkovich (1999). K.K. Barrett also won for art directing in 1999 with previous nominations for Marie Antoinette (2006) and Where the Wild Things Are (2009).

While not the flashiest art direction to ever portray the distant future what was designed for this film never tries to go for anything over the top. When looking past the drama of the film you can see that the sets work quite well. From the dazzling bright place where Theodore works to simply the apartment where most of the relationship is set we see how inside he lives in this small apartment. This work done by K.K. Barrett should be studied for how the future can look close to how the present looks but improved on.

OUTSTANDING FILM EDITING

Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy & Crispin Struthers for American Hustle

Alfonso Cuarón & Mark Sanger for Gravity

Jeff Buchanan & Eric Zumbrunnen for Her

Nicolas De Toth for Stoker

Joe Walker for 12 Years a Slave

AND THE WINNER IS:

JOE WALKER FOR 12 YEARS A SLAVE

This is the first win and third nomination for Joe Walker. He was previously nominated for editing Hunger (2008) & Shame (2011).

While 12 Years a Slave is my favourite film editing of the year it was in quite a competition between it and the runner up Gravity. Both could not be completely different films with one set in space and the other set in the south on Earth. The films do share in common that the directors like to have scenes that are long continuos takes. The past of America is captured quite beautifully from the great landscapes to the inner horror that was once present in these plantations. When the film features long takes they really show the tragedy of the story in all it’s dark colours.

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Kaitlyn Dever as Jayden in “SHORT TERM 12”

Julianne Nicholson as Ivy Weston in “AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY”

Lupita Nyong’o as Patsey in “12 YEARS A SLAVE”

Sarah Paulson as Mary Epps in “12 YEARS A SLAVE”

Lea Seydoux as Emma in “BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR”

AND THE WINNER IS:

LUPITA NYONG’O AS PATSEY IN “12 YEARS A SLAVE”

This is the first win and nomination for Lupita Nyong’o.

A breakout nominee this year Lupita Nyong’o wins my supporting actress trophy for her haunting portrayal of the forever tragic Patsey in 12 Years a Slave. When we first meet Patsey the first information we are told is that she is a great picker of cotton for the evil Edwin Epps but later we learn not she is not just a worker slave but also a sex slave for the master herself and for most of the film she is quiet like most slaves would have been at the time which is why the scene where Patsey finally confronts her devil becomes even more powerful but also because of the brilliant performance being given by Lupita. Nyong’o in her first acting role shows such talent that for how long her career lasts first it will be such a pleasure to see her grow and possibly be given more chances such as she has in this film winning on her first nomination.

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING

Steve Boeddeker & Richard Hymns for All is Lost

Robert Mackenzie & Traithep Wongpaiboon for The Grandmaster

Glenn Freemantle for Gravity

Craig Weintraub for Stoker

Ryan Collins, Robert C. Jackson & Jon Vogl for 12 Years a Slave

AND THE WINNER IS:

STEVE BOEDDEKER & RICHARD HYMS FOR ALL IS LOST

This is the first win and nomination for Steve Boeddeker. Richard Hyms wins for the second time on his fifth nomination. He won previously for sound editing Saving Private Ryan (1998) and also nominated for editing Fight Club (1999), Minority Report (2002) & Zodiac (2007).

Just like the impressive sound mix of the film the sound editing of the film is also quite impressive. The film does take place mainly at sea and the sound of the waves are quite constant throughout the film and makes the film even more silent and has the story of the film even more filled with loneliness. The sound edit of the film is just as impressive as ever throughout the storm scenes that also uses silence well.

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING

Brandon Proctor, Micah Bloomberg & Gillian Arthur for All is Lost

Myron Nettinga, John Ross & Tom Williams for American Hustle

Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead & Chris Munro for Gravity

Skip Lievsay, Greg Orloff & Peter F. Kurland for Inside Llewyn Davis

Andy Koyama, Beau Borders & David Brownlow for Lone Survivor

AND THE WINNER IS:

SKIP LIEVSAY, NIV ADIRI, CHRISTOPHER BENSTEAD & CHRIS MUNRO FOR GRAVITY

This is the first win and nomination for Niv Adiri & Christopher Benstead. Chris Munro wins his first after two previously nominations for sound mixing Black Hawk Down (2001) & Casino Royale (2006). This is the second win and fifth nomination for Skip Lievsay previously winning for sound mixing No Country for Old Men (2007). He was also nominated for sound editing Fargo (1996), mixing The Big Lebowski (1998), editing No Country for Old Men & mixing True Grit (2010).

While I did not respond to the Stephen Price score of gravity as it felt it did not work well and almost distracted from all that was on screen. The sound mix of the film used silence as a great advantage to the film as it used silence in space the normal sound for the great beyond that we never see. Even when their was many meteor shows and explosions the choice to have have some silent felt real to the space that not many have experienced.

OUTSTANDING FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Blue is the Warmest Colour (Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche)

The Broken Circle Breakdown (Directed by Felix Van Groeningen)

The Grandmaster (Directed by Kaw Wai Wong)

Laurence Anyways (Directed by Xavier Dolan)

A Touch of Sin (Directed by Jia Zhangke)

AND THE WINNER IS:

BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR (DIRECTED BY ABDELLATIF KECHICHE)

The story of love is so gripping and enticing that you cannot take your eyes of the screen watching the story of love, youth and the class system that exist. The performances mixed with the wandering story of a young women in two stages of her life in her youth to when she grows up. The story never try’s to address the issue of same sex love or even comment on the lifestyle but instead choices to show love comes in many forms and how if in one stage of life you seem ready for such a love until finally it seems that this love no longer needs to exist works brilliantly in the film. The film seems almost in every scene a closeup on the main character but throughout there are so many more striking moments that give even more depth to the story based on a graphic novel that almost does away with this except for some extended sex scenes that in this running time are quite brief.