Last Summer, I was often asked by friends to suggest some good films. Two great films that I saw last year were “Ida” and “Calvary.” I mentioned both of those to anyone who asked me for a recommendation.

However, everything I heard about “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Blended,” “Maleficent” and “Hercules,” not only prevented me from recommending them, but also discouraged me from viewing them.

Thankfully, it seems that an especially good group of films were selected as Academy Award nominees. So when I was once again invited by producer Mike Geoghan to participate in NET-TV’s “Reel Faith Oscar Special,” I was delighted.

On the show I will be discussing films with David DiCerto and Steve Greydanus, two excellent film critics who host the NET show “Reel Faith.”

The eight nominees for best film are “Selma,” “American Sniper,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Birdman,” “The Theory of Everything,” “The Imitation Game,” “Boyhood” and “Whiplash.”

The only film of the eight nominees that I did not enjoy is “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” I just didn’t find this comedy funny. The scenery and color were striking but I did not find the plot interesting or amusing. I am looking forward to hearing DiCerto and Greydanus’ reaction to the film. Perhaps I missed something.

While I found “Birdman” fascinating and Michael Keaton’s performance excellent, I think the plot is confusing and makes the film susceptible to two radically different interpretations. So if I recommend the film to anyone, I will add a cautionary note. The more I think about the film, the more I suspect that my interpretation is incorrect.

“Selma” is a very good film covering an important period in the nation’s history. I went on the March to Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King and was thrilled by his “I Have a Dream” speech. Coming home from the march, I was on a bus with some black teenagers and we stopped at a restaurant in Baltimore, Md. We waited to be served for about 30 minutes and eventually discovered that the restaurant did not serve black people. I could not believe it.

While the story is great in “Selma,” I think some of the other nominees are better films.

Based on a true story, “American Sniper” powerfully brings out the horrors of war. Everyone in the film turns in a good performance and Bradley Cooper is exceptional. Clint Eastwood is a very gifted director.

The film presents the experience of war without pulling any punches. Having a sniper kill women and children is terrible but what should a soldier do if those women and children are carrying grenades and bombs to be used to kill American troops?

Votes and Guesses

“The Theory of Everything” and “The Imitation Game” are so good that in some other year either one of them might win the Academy Award. Both stories are based on facts and the acting in each film is superior. I suspect that the best actor award will be won by the lead in one of these films. My vote is for Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game,” but my guess is that Eddie Redmayne will win for “The Theory of Everything.”

“Whiplash” is an exceptionally well made film with excellent acting and camera work. There’s not a dull moment but I don’t think it’s as good as some of the other nominees.

I think that “Boyhood” should win the Academy Award and I think it will. In a year that has some excellent nominees, “Boyhood” is just a little bit better than the others. It is well written and the characters seem like real people.

In fact, the characters are so real that some viewers may find the film depressing. I would recommend this film not only to marriage counselors but to anyone who wants to view an excellent depiction of people making bad decisions that hurt not only themselves, but also those they love.

When I next see Mike Geoghan, I am going to thank him for inviting me to be on this special Academy Awards show, which is set to air on Monday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m.

Tune into Channel 97 on Time Warner, Channel 30 on Cablevision or stream the show at netny.tv (click on “Watch Now”). If you miss the first airing, it will be repeated numerous times until the awards on Feb. 22.

Father Robert Lauder, philosophy professor at St. John’s University, Jamaica, is the author of “Pope Francis’ Spirituality and Our Story” (Resurrection Press).