Your cheat sheet to the 2015 Oscars: All you need to know to pretend you watched all the nominated movies
With the 2015 Oscars just around the corner, expect your social media feeds to be filled with amateur analyses from self-proclaimed film buffs discussing why one film should win over another.
If you're fretting over the fact that you haven't watched all of the nominated movies, don't.
You can still take part in the Oscar conversations - with the help of our 2015 Oscar cheat sheet. You'll be able to pretend you've seen them, so you can still impress those film buffs.
Birdman (The Unexpected VIrtue of Ignorance)
Plot: Birdman (you don't have to say the full title) is about washed up Hollywood actor Riggan Thomson, played by Michael Keaton, who was once famous for his role as superhero Birdman. Thomson tries to revive his career by producing, writing and starring in a Broadway show.
To pretend you've watched it, say this:: "Wow, director Alejandro González Iñárritu flawless pulled off that single-take look throughout the movie." Bonus: Tell everyone it's likely going to win big at the Oscars, because it is.
Whiplash
Plot: A young jazz drummer enrolls at a music school where he is mentored by a fearsome teacher who resorts to physical and emotional abuse to achieve greatness.
How to pretend you've watched the movie: Remember that discipline mistress who terrorised you when you were late for school? Channel those feelings while talking about this movie but exaggerate it at least tenfold when talking about the movie.
American Sniper
Plot: A biographical film about Chris Kyle, one of America's most prolific snipers.
To pretend you've watched it, say this: "This seems to be a glorification of the Iraq War, don't you think?"
The Theory of Everything
Plot: Based on the autobiography of physicist Stephen Hawking's first wife, Jane, the movie explores the marriage between the pair after Hawking is diagnosed with ALS.
To pretend you've watched it, say this: "Even geniuses have trouble navigating their love life. And it's possible to have sex with ALS (in case you were wondering)."
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Plot: The movie recounts the adventures of a concierge, Gustave H, at a famous European hotel and his friendship with Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy.
To pretend you've watched it, say this: "Ah, Wes Anderson has done it again."
Boyhood
Plot: A coming-of-age drama filmed over 12 years depicts how a young boy struggles to overcome puberty and its challenges amid a turbulent family life.
To pretend you've watched it, say this: "I felt like I was watching my life flash by. Director Richard Linklater really captured the sentiment of growing up."
The Imitation Game
Plot: The story behind one of the world's most forgotten geniuses - a Mathematician who helped solved the code that eventually won World War 2.
To pretend you've watched it, say this: "Now I wish I paid more attention during Math lessons."
Selma
Plot: The movie depicts the journey of civil rights leader Martin Luther King's campaign to secure equal voting rights with a march from Selma to Montgomery.
To pretend you've watched it, say this: "How could David Oyelowo be snubbed for Best actor?"
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