Best Picture Nominees 2015

My annual critique and predictions of who will win the big prize from the Academy. This year is not really as exciting as it could have been and is much whiter than it should have been as well. I'll go alphabetically so I can get the most of my venting out early.

American Sniper

      I have to give a preemptive apology to those in the military for this film and for my opinions on it. This was, in the simplest of terms, Clint Eastwood's worst film ever made. I love America and everything our military has done to "protect" us, but when you make a film about a sniper, there needs to be some conflict. Not just 'oh! That person looks bad, or looks like they might be carrying something dangerous. I better shoot them in the head.' The only conflict in the film is the fact that he isn't home with his wife and child, something any military person deals with, so nothing new. On top of all of that, I HATE being bashed over the head with how much I'm supposed to love America and love all the violence we push on other countries. That's all this film was. However, Bradley Cooper does give a stellar performance. Not as good as Silver Linings Playbook, but still outstanding. But at the highest point of drama and conflict, Clint decided to not show anything, but simply have a few lines come across the screen telling the audience how it ended. Overall, fuck you Clint. Sad to see you take such a harsh nose dive. Guess you should just keep talking to that chair instead of 'trying' to make films.

Birdman

      Thankfully, a breath of fresh air. This was a very fun film. Edward Norton and Emma Stone stole much of the show, but they didn't steal it entirely because of Michael Keaton's phenomenal performance. It's nice to see him finally nominated for something after all the work he's done. Sadly, I don't think he deserves the best actor award, which should and hopefully will go to Eddie Redmayne for his portrayal of Stephan Hawking. The idea of making a movie look like a single take seems like something taken straight from Alfred Hitchcock's handbook. It worked well for many viewers, but annoyed others. This seems to be a polarizing film right now. You love it or you hate it. Either way, this is in the top three runners for best picture, hands down. But right now the front runner.

Boyhood

      What a fine film. That's all I can say really, a 'fine' film. The race for best picture is, at the moment, between this and Birdman. The Academy will love this one because of the production timeline and value. It was filmed over 12 years, but had absolutely no story. It was simply a peek into one person's life. Far too French for me. There was barely any conflict. The characters were pretty flat and boring (save for the mother) and the one we were supposed to be following was at his best when he was young. He became just a terrible actor as he grew up. Film is about story to me, not about the fact that it took 12 years to film, and Boyhood was very disappointing in the story department. It felt like a watered down version of a Terrence Malick film. The saving grace of this film was Patricia Arquette as the mother. Without her this would have had absolutely NO story. She moves the story forward with her decisions and it's wonderful to watch her struggle with her son growing up and the choices she makes. But I'm sorry I'm still going with Birdman for best picture so far.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

     This felt like nothing more than another Wes Anderson film. It was nothing new. Maybe the Academy is just finally recognizing him, but it wasn't that great of a film. Almost any of his others are better. It had the same quirkiness to it and the same awkward over-the-top acting he's known for. But it just wasn't that great. A mediocre premise, with maybe one character you actually care about (which is weird to me, because he usually makes us care about multiple characters with ease), it ended up being an okay character study as opposed to an actually great film. However, the production quality and design overall was amazing and deserves every award it will win on the 22nd. I just expected more out of it.

The Imitation Game

      A surprise for me. I went to see this knowing very little, but walked out of it quite pleased. This would have to be the dark horse for the best picture win. The acting was stupendous. Keira Knightley was surprisingly perfect in her role, but not as fun and convincing as Benedict Cumberbatch. He was equal parts cynic and comic and knocked his part out of the park. The Academy is all about the true stories this year and this is one many people probably didn't know much about until they saw the film. It was entertaining and a roller coaster of emotions. Maybe not the harshest roller coaster, but still a great ride.

Selma

      This was a great film! I always worried about it being nominated since 12 Years a Slave won last year. And honestly I think Selma could have benefited from some of the timings Steve McQueen went for in that film. Those long takes really make you think as opposed to cutting between different shots, which emphasize the action instead of the emotion. David Oyelowo was simply perfect as Martin Luther King Jr. I couldn't look away when he was on screen. However, this was a very powerful film, which looked like it used some stock footage from the documentary Selma, Montgomery March, 1965. The song "Glory" will be one of the saving graces of Selma's presence at the Oscars, but it definitely deserved the nod.

The Theory of Everything

      Yet another 'based on a true story' film this year, The Theory of Everything is a great story of Stephen Hawking and the love of his life. The highlight of this film was Eddie Redmayne. Playing Hawking is no small feat and he takes the role to a new level. If he doesn't win best actor the only one who could overtake him is Michael Keaton, who would only win because the Academy feels bad for him not being nominated before this. But the chemistry between Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones was electric. They were perfect together and it played on screen. It was an incredibly well made film and highlighted the highs and lows of Hawkings personal life, but it was also very entertaining to watch the progression of his discoveries and theories. Overall it's great, but not good enough for best picture.

Whiplash

     
      Hands down my favorite film of the year. Whiplash  is outstanding. I have a close relationship with the subject matter and have had professors who have pushed me farther than I thought I'd ever go, but not nearly as hard as J.K. Simmons was on Miles Teller. I just talked about the chemistry in The Theory of Everything, which was romantic, but the chemistry between J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller was on another level. This was something more powerful. I can't really put it into words. The writing was great, as was the editing. And the music was perfection! If J.K. Simmons doesn't win the Oscar I don't know what is going on with the Academy. He was and always is great in his role, but something about his interaction with Damien Chazelle really pulled an incredible performance out of him. Overall it was an extremely tense film, revolving around music, and wanting to be 'one of the greats.' I can't say enough good things about it, but sadly it won't be the best picture of the year.

To sum it all up, here are my predictions for the top 8 awards:

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Whiplash (Not just because it's my favorite)

Best Original Screenplay:
Birdman

Best Director:
Alejandro González Iñárritu

The only one who could overtake him is Richard Linklater

Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Arquette

Best Supporting Actor:
J.K. Simmons

Best Actress:
Julianne Moore (no question here)

Best Actor:
Eddie Redmayne

Unless the Academy decides to sub a fantastic performance, reminiscent of Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot.

Best Picture:
Birdman

Mud

This is an instant classic. A combination of many of literature's finest and most intricate characters. Not only that, but the story is a perfect blending of various classic movies. Part Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, The Tree of Life, Deliverance. Even some Hardy Boys flows throughout. It is, however, completely unfair to compare this to past movies because it stands alone with imaginative characters and one of the best told stories I've seen in recent memory.

Two young boys encounter a mysterious man on a beach and as they learn more about him they grow increasingly closer with him and involved in his affairs. Think Stand By Me, but without the discovery of a dead body. Details run rampant during the film and if you lose focus for one second you may miss something from earlier. It evolves at its own pace and reveals pieces of the story in slivers, never more than one bit of information at a time, but it never loses focus or drags. Not only that, but the one thing that ties everything together is the idea of true love, whether it be the version the young boys in different home situations have, or the one Mud is pushing upon them.

My opinions of child actors has been expressed here multiple times, but these two young men carry their roles to near perfection. Tye Sheridan, previously in The Tree of Life, played the role of a teenager in a crumbling home looking for adventure, better than I could have imagined. Bringing the innocence of youth to life is something that isn't necessarily an easy thing to do and as Ellis does an outstanding job. Jacob Lofland as his sidekick, Neckbone knocks it out of the park. The two played off of each other better than a lot of adult actors do. Reese Witherspoon reminded me of her role as June Carter in Walk the Line. Just as well acted and sadly portrayed as then, her character Juniper was equally as mysterious as Mud.

Matthew McConaughey has proven again, what he did in Killer Joe in 2011, that he's actually a great actor with skills as perfect as anyone. His character in this movie reminded me of a lot of things and people. He was expertly written by Jeff Nichols and felt like a ghost of a pirate for much of the film, but the best part was McConaughey. He was a man of few words, but his actions did all the speaking needed. This is easily his best performance of his career.

While the story and acting are both strong, what ties the film all together and makes this one of the best times you'll have in a theater (without special effects) is the cinematography and music. Some of the most beautiful shots occur in this film. Of the river, island, and the surrounding areas. There is one sequence mirrored in the film and when it comes back around it is extremely important. A single guitar ties the montage scenes together and adds to the feeling of small town life.

Do yourself a favor and sprint, bike ride, roller blade, drive, walk, ride a Segway for all I care. Get to the theater and don't miss this gripping tale of childhood fantasy, crumbling love, and one of my favorite stories to date. It will easily be one of the year's best films and should be around for awhile. Mud is a classic and we should be seeing a lot of it come awards season.

This is a movie that reminds me why I want to make movies. It was fresh, fun, entertaining, surprising, gripping, and just overall fantastic. Please go see this! (And take me along!)

10/10

Amour

Amour is a minimalistic love story about a man and his wife, who suffers from an attack, and how their love is tested. Whether it is through talking with her, feeding her, or just being with her, this is a tale of true love and the tribulations that can come with it in old age.

Foreign films often struggle in America due to the added issue of subtitles. Amour, however found a way around this. By choosing only static shots on the screen, save for a few moments when the camera follows the action, it is easier to read all the dialogue and see the character's expressions at the same time. The static shots also add a feeling of claustrophobia throughout the film.

And in a film about love and other emotions, expressions are key. Critics and audiences alike are relishing Emmanuelle Riva's performance as Anna and it is stupendously tragic, but without the outstanding performance of Jean-Louis Trintignant she would have been "hung out to dry." The chemistry the pair share on screen is unquestioningly charming.

What made their performance so great was the story and how it shows the audience the everyday struggles someone who has had a stroke must deal with. Going to the bathroom, showering, even eating. Nothing is off limits in this movie.

In the end Amour raises the question: What would you do for the person you love most?

8.5/10

Golden Globes

Although the Golden Globe nominations just came out and I have a few movies to see (18 to see all the best screenplay, acting, and picture nods) it means one thing to me. The best time of the year for movies has finally begun.

As I do every year, I will attempt to see the other 18 movies by the time the awards happen (yet another reason I love winter break!). The Golden Globe nominations are a good place to start if you're looking for those outstanding movies you may have missed earlier in the year and are usually at least somewhat accurate when it comes to predicting the Oscars.

Looking at the nominations so far, four movies clearly stand-out: Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Les Misérables, and Silver Linings Playbook. The leader of the pack is Lincoln, no surprise to anyone, with seven nominations, the other three falling behind (with four nominations) my least favorite nominee, Argo, and my most anticipated movie of the year: Django Unchained (each receiving five nods).

Of the six mentioned above, I've already seen three and the winners are clear: Lincoln and Sliver Linings Playbook hands down. However the buzz surrounding both Zero Dark Thirty and Les Mis may make me think twice.

If the past few years have taught us anything it's that Kathryn Bigelow knows how to make a war movie not revolve around a war (the main rationale behind her adrenaline junkie focused Hurt Locker taking the big prize at the Oscars). But how can one make a movie about the search for Osama Bin Laden not revolve around war? I don't think it can be done, which makes me think this will end up being reminiscent of past 'war-centered' award winners like Apocalypse Now, Platoon, and The Deer Hunter. Where this movie will be different is the fact that no one in America will be able leave the theater without wanting to chant "U.S.A."

This is what I expect to see surrounding me in the theater:

As much as I love The Hurt Locker and Kathryn Bigelow for taking down James Cameron and his precious Avatar"d," (Don't get me wrong, I like Avatar, but I would have liked it better had it been an original story) I think this is an low and easy way to get nominations. Take a story that everyone has at least heard about and make it into a movie. I sincerely hope I fall in love with this movie.

Now onto Les Mis. A musical. The last time a musical won was 2006's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Could this be the year to dethrone a comedy? Possible, but not likely. Either way, it is already being heralded already as one of the musical greats. Probably most famously for having the actors sing live on the screen. In the modern age, yes this is something new and rare, but when film first started, the only way to record sound was to actually have them sing live. Maybe the nostalgia will capture audiences the way it did last year in The Artist. Although for many I think it will add a feeling of watching an actual Broadway production, which will detract some, but attract many more.

Finally there is Quentin Tarantino's new film Django Unchained (for those who don't know, the 'D' is silent). In true 'him-fashion,' for lack of a better word, Tarantino has made what looks to be like the best western in years! I'm especially looking forward to seeing Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz (both nominated for Best Supporting Actor) square off in the film. Both are able to carry weighted roles and make them look easy. Seeing Jamie Foxx and what I'm sure will be gratuitous violence through out is definitely exciting as well.

Other movies worth mentioning are the Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt carried Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, the awkwardly adorable Moonrise Kingdom, and the apparently visually stunning Life of Pi (Move over Avatar).

While I still like the Golden Globes they pale in comparison to both the Oscars and the Emmys so no TV talk from me today. Even some of the movies were a surprise. There was talk of The Dark Knight Rises getting some attention, but alas, it went unnoticed. We shall see how these movies hold up through the coming months building up to the Oscars.

Silver Linings Playbook

Before I start this, I know I seem to love every movie I see. This is a problem for a lot of people. One of the most often questions I get is "how do you not like a movie?" My response usually involves something about how I find the things I like about a movie and remember those. And for the most part I do like every movie I see, but nowadays it's even more true. Maybe it's because I know the movies I want to see and I don't settle for other movies or maybe it is because movies are simply getting better overall. 

Yes, there are still the awful movies (Twilight series among others), but I tend to avoid seeing those without any problem. Occasionally watching a bad movie is a lot of fun (see the Step Up series), but once you figure out how to spot the winners from the losers going to the movies is always an enjoyable experience. Silver Linings Playbook is almost a hidden gem only because of its limited release.

It has been receiving attention for awhile since it debuted at film festivals across the country, even some Oscar buzz. I was skeptical about the Oscar talks until I saw it for myself. This movie comes out of left field and just works.

When you take a mentally unstable person and another mentally unstable person and make them the main character of your movie (or book) you open the door for anything to happen. Bradley Cooper's character, Patrick, spent eight months in a mental hospital for various reasons that I will not mention here and Jennifer Lawrence's character, Tiffany, has her own issues as well. The two compliment each other perfectly.

The story is very relatable on many levels. Either you have come in contact with someone with mental issues like the characters or you have actually acted like the characters in the film (with or without the instability). It follows the ups and downs of bipolarity through the characters and the plot and it is great to watch. I feel that you really get a chance to understand the troubles of mental instability all while being able to laugh. There were very few moments where I wasn't laughing.

Cooper and Lawrence deliver one hundred percent. I believed both of their mental instability. Whether it was acting or just a regular actor's personality doesn't matter. They were both incredible. Definite Oscar contenders (first for Cooper and second for Lawrence and so far my favorites to win them, but Lincoln will probably change at least the Best Actor). Robert DeNiro is stupendous as the father set in his ways. Other than that most of the characters fall by the wayside since they have minimal screen time...With one exception: Chris Tucker. He was an huge addition to the humor and you'll understand if you see the movie.

Overall, this is a great movie for everyone. No matter who is watching he or she will definitely be able to find something to enjoy in Silver Linings Playbook. There are multiple meanings for many of the jokes and lines throughout this movie and you can read into them however you like. And therein lies the beauty of this film. I think this is an instant classic and a must-see. It will build Oscar buzz and hopefully take a few awards.

9.5/10