My Oscar Picks For The Year 2014

All the critics seem to be weighing in on who they think will walk away with Oscar tonight so I figured I should join the group and see if I have a better grasp of the subject.

Best Picture: "Boyhood"  told its story over a twelve year period and it was a marvel that one motion picture could be held together all those years and tell such a complete story with all the actors, contributing in such a believable which is a credit to the Director.

 

"The Imitation Game" or "American Sniper" are strong contender. Personally "Birdman" just didn't have it all together for best picture. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" would get my vote if the award was for the motion picture most like "Monty Python". 

Best Director: Richard Linklater.  Anyone directing something as intricate as a motion picture over such a long period of time and coming up with such a strong product has to win just because it is an almost  impossible task yet he did it and did it very well.

Best Actress: Julianne Moore for her role in "Still Alice". I knew someone intimately with early onset Alzheimer's and Ms. Moore captured all the nuances perfectly. She lived the role and did it well. 

Best Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game". I must point out that this is the strongest field and anyone of the nominees could win and I would agree for all gave extremely strong performances.

Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for her role in "Boyhood" She was totally believable as she lived the role despite the fact that she could have lost something over the twelve years she was associated with the production.  Her performance was really remarkable.

Best Supporting Actor: Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcathcher". His quiet yet very strong performance gave one pause to understand that sometimes a look can be just as effective as a shout. J. K. Simmons, "Whiplash" will probably win. 

I was surprised that "Interstellar" and all that went into that production wasn't in the mix.

I didn't think there was anything wrong with "Selma" not being in the mix like last year's "12 Years A Slave"

was because while the picture was good it just wasn't as good as its competition. 

Can't wait for tonight to see who the Oscar goes to.

  

Kayla Mueller, and Other Martyers

How sad it is to hear that the beautiful, mind, body and spirit, Kayla Mueller is confirmed dead. There is no information as to how, where or when this beautiful young person died. ISIS claimed she was killed in an air strike by Jordan as she was in building that was destroyed by a bomb. This has not been confirmed and at this time thought to be untrue. The stark truth is that her death has been confirmed by her family and the United States government. Her only crime was that she was American. Her work was humanitarian aid to the Syrian people caught in the horrific civil war of that country. Her death combined with the horrific deaths of those who have gone before her, the latest being the burning alive of a captured Jordanian Pilot, can only galvanize the civilized world's determination to destroy this terrorist scourge called ISIS. The blood of martyrs is the foundation upon which the free world, including the righteous Muslim world,  will destroy terrorism which is said to be done in the name of God but in effect is the work of the Devil, evil to its core.

    
My prayer is that good people will take the right action to wipe out this evil force so that these martyrs will not have died in vain.