As I’ve written before earlier, I generally don’t put much store in film awards - the Oscars or any other - since pure merit is hardly the only criteria on which these are judged or conferred. Many other factors come into play - PR machineries, popularity, career achievements, political imperatives, and so on and on - when judging or voting. For that reason, I stopped watching film award shows a long time ago. But this time around, I just may tune in to the Academy Awards telecast early this Monday morning Pakistan time because it’s a rare year when I have cared so much for so many of the Best Picture nominees. Three of the nominated films are just brilliant and each is, perhaps, the crystallisation of a director’s unique cinematic vision. I’d be happy if any of these pictures win so I’ll be interested to see how it all turns out.

For what it’s worth here are my thoughts on the main categories.

Best Picture:

Nominees: Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); The Imitation Game; The Grand Budapest Hotel; American Sniper; Selma; Boyhood; Whiplash; The Theory Of  Everything.

I loved Birdman, González Iñárritu’s, sharp, funny, biting take on Hollywood, celebrityhood, and the artistic instinct featuring a terrific cast and all shot as if in one take. I loved The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson’s beautiful and whimsical reverie of a by-gone world and the never-ending battle against barbarism and darkness which threatens to engulf us all at any time. And I adored Boyhood, Richard Linklater’s gently observed (and shot over a period of 12 years) human drama chronicling the passage of time through the eyes of a child (actually two children) which celebrates the extraordinary in the ordinary. My heart’s with the latter but I have a feeling that Birdman may take the prize since it is currently riding a wave and for its artistic flamboyance. The only real spoiler I see here is Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, an over-praised effort which, though it does not glorify war, is too America-centric. But it has proven to be a juggernaut at the box-office which, combined with misplaced patriotism, may help it to spring a great surprise.

Best Director:

Nominees: Alejandro González Iñárritu  (Birdman – or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); Morten Tylldum (The Imitation Game); Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel); Richard Linklater (Boyhood); Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher).

For all the reasons stated above, any one of Iñárritu, Anderson or Linklater deserves to win but, once again, the Mexican director is likely come out on top. The sentimental favourite is Linklater for the tremendous body of his work and for which he is finally receiving his due recognition but Iñárritu’s pyrotechnics may swing the vote and, usually, the Best Picture wins Best Director as well.

Best Actor:

Nominees: Michael Keaton  (Birdman – or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game); Bradley Cooper  (Amercian Sniper); Steve Carell (Foxcatcher); Eddie Redmayne (The Theory Of  Everything).

Ralph Fiennes has been robbed of a nomination for his superb performance in The Grand Budapest Hotel (for reasons best known to the Academy) but it’s been a wonderful comeback for Michael Keaton and the parallels to his own career lend a certain poignancy to his nuanced performance in Birdman. He deserves to win but he will lose to Eddie Redmayne’s fine portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory Of Everything because the Academy loves performances of true-life triumphs of the human spirit over physical disabilities and insurmountable odds. Couple that with a British setting and British accents and you’ve got a near unbeatable combination.

Best Actress:

Nominees: Julianne Moore  (Still Alice); Reese Witherspoon (Wild); Rosamund Pike  (Gone Girl); Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night); Felicity Jones (The Theory Of  Everything)

All the nominees turned in fine performances but Julianne Moore will finally win for her touching, sensitive portrayal of an early on-set Alzheimer’s sufferer and nobody merits it more. She’s deserved an Oscar for years and this is her year, barring a surprise of the highest order.

Best Supporting Actor:

Nominees: Edward Norton  (Birdman – or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance);  Robert Duvall (The Judge); J. K. Simmons (Whiplash); Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher); Ethan Hawke (Boyhood).

J.K. Simmons will win - deservedly - for his tightly wound performance as a tyrant of a jazz music teacher at the country’s finest (fictional) music and performing arts school. His performance elevates the film and what more can you ask for? And rather than Robert Duvall I would have liked to have seen Channing Tatum (he really surprised me with his performance) being rewarded with a nomination for his turn as a lunkhead of an Olympic wrestling champion in Foxcatcher.

Best Supporting Actress:

Nominees: Emma Stone  (Birdman – or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance);  Laura Dern (Wild); Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game); Meryl Streep (Into The Woods); Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)

Patricia Arquette is a lock for her superbly effective and insightful portrayal of a long-suffering but well-meaning mother struggling to raise her children by herself. A pivotal scene near the end of the movie will break many a heart because of the truth that Arquette brings to it. Her only possible competition comes from Laura Dern for her luminous performance as a battered woman who refuses to loses her optimism about life. Meryl Streep had no business being nominated.