87th Academy Awards (2015)

So here we are, for the 87th time, the Academy Awards. Presented from the Dolby Theatre in the heart of Hollywood and it's decked out in all the glitz and glamour expected from a night like this. Our host for this evening is Neil Patrick Harris, and from the get go he is on top form, participating in a song and dance number involving some great interactive screen acting plus support from Anna Kendrick and Jack Black. We are left in no doubt why we are here tonight; the love of movies. It doesn't take long to get on with the show and the first award of the night.

Best Supporting Actor - J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) With a speech that thanked his extraordinary wife and his 'above-average' children, he urged everyone to call their mum and dad. It was a moving speech from a very deserving man.

Our host, Harris, then picks on Octavia Spencer to keep an eye on a briefcase enclosed inside a clear perspex case which apparently holds his Oscar predictions. I'm sure we'll hear more on this subject as the night goes on.

Best Costume Design - Milena Canonero (The Grand Budapest Hotel).

Best Make Up and Hairstyling - The Grand Budapest Hotel. 

Best Foreign Language Film - Ida (from Poland) Wonderful speech from Pawel Pawlikowski that had the music playing over it twice, but he wasn't leaving until he was done. And why not, it's not every day you win an Oscar.

Special mention to the live performance of 'Everything is Awesome' from the brilliant Lego Movie. There's a part of me that hopes it wins although I'm still thinking 'Glory' will take the award (we'll wait and see).

Best Live Action Short Film - Mat Kirby and James Lucas (The Phone Call) More English winners!

Best Documentary Short - Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry (Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1)

Now we have Neil Patrick Harris doing a 'Birdman' in his tightie whities and dress shoes. Surely he's just showing off

Best Sound Mixing - Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley (Whiplash)

Best Sound Editing - Alan Robert Murray and Bob Asman (American Sniper)

Best Supporting Actress - Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) This was not much of a surprise win, she was always hot favourite for the award. She gave a passionate speech about sexual equality that received a massive round of applause.

Over to the briefcase, a quick joke about Robert Duvall falling asleep ... and we're back to the show.

Best Visual Effects - Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher (Interstellar)

Best Animated Short - Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed (Feast)

Best Animated Feature Film - Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli (Big Hero 6)

Best Production Design - Adam Stockhausen (Production Design) and Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration) (Grand Budapest Hotel) Poor Anna didn't get a look in during that speech.

Best Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki (Birdman) Now he has the Oscar to go with the Bafta he won only a few weeks ago.

Now it's time for the In Memoriam section where we say goodbye to those who left us over the past year. And, the Academy managed what the Baftas did not, a tribute to Bob Hoskins. The whole section culminated with a powerful performance from Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.
As predicted, as soon as Robin Williams appeared on screen I began to cry, R.I.P Mork x

Best Film Editing - Tom Cross (Whiplash)

Terence Howard introduces the next few films in the Best Film category and I'm sure if he is just impassioned or milking his part.

Best Documentary Feature - Laura Poitras, Mathilde and Dirk Wilutsky (Citizen Four)

There are tears among the audience as John Legend and Common perform their nominated song 'Glory' from Selma.
John Travolta and Idina Menzel will be presenting the next award and they get the biggest laughs as they recall last year's mispronunciation of Ms Menzel's name (Mr Travolta has taken it far better than I thought he would)

Best Original Song - 'Glory' (Selma) I TOLD YA!

Lady Gaga gives a special performance honouring 'The Sound of Music'. I'm not her biggest fan but have to admit she looks stunning and her voice is amazing. OK, she's no Julie Andrews but she doesn't have the same vocal style so I think she has done a brilliant job. She looked genuinely overjoyed at the end when she was joined onstage by Ms Andrews.

Best Original Score - Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel) His chances were high seeing as he was nominated for this and The Imitation Game.

Best Original Screenplay - Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo (Birdman)

Best Adapted Screenplay - Graham Moore (The Imitation Game)

Best Director - Alejandro G. Inarritu (Birdman) The tightie whities are mentioned again. Inarritu gives a warm, measured speech where everyone is thanked and art is the real winner.

Best Actor - Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) In the least shocking 'surprise' of the night.

Best Actress -  Julianne Moore (Still Alice) It was nice that the oldest actress got the nod. Her film also has a great message so I hope people will go out and watch it.

So, finally the pay-off of the briefcase in the box and it's a run down of all the 'big' moments from the night's events. Not sure that was all worth it but nevermind as we are about to announce the winner of the biggest category of the night.

Best Film - Birdman Michael Keaton admits that he's happy just to be on a night out. The director made a joke about Mexicans at the beginning of his speech but finishes on a serious note mentioning the political problems in his home country.

And there we have it, the 2015 Academy Awards ceremony is over. 

No love for Boyhood, apparently taking 12 years out of your life to produce an innovative piece of cinematic history does not mean much to the Academy (this argument will continue for the next few days I'm sure)

The Grand Budapest Hotel started well but the night truly belonged to Alejandro G. Inarritu and Birdman.