Oscar Nominations 2015

Here’s my feelings on the major 2015 Oscar nominations as a movie lover and an awards season monitor.

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The nominees:  American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash

I’ve not seen:  The Grand Budapest Hotel

My thoughts:  The awards season entries have been relatively poor this year, opening the door for unexpected films to slide their way to the front.  Oscar baits The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything were shoe-ins since their release, even though they aren’t smooth enough to pull off a win.  Selma and American Sniper opted for the serious docudrama route.  The former is a bit too ostentatious for its own good, while the latter has some poorly handled story elements at its fringes.  Still, these are the survivors, and they’re strong films for what they are (except for the mawkish Theory of Everything).  Whiplash, the holdover from Sundance, was a surprise entry that many people loved, but I was less enamored by it.  Still, it’s one of the few nominations that are making people feel warm and fuzzy, and I’m happy about that.  Then there’s the inevitable runners-up:  Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel.  Both are far too quirky to actually win, even though Birdman handled the most difficult material and did it splendidly.  Nope, we all know that Boyhood will win.  It’s a fine movie with a deceptively simple story, bolstered by an interesting production schedule and the opportunity to award director Richard Linklater, who’s been making films untraditionally for years.

Who I wish was nominated:  Nightcrawler, Mommy, Fury (just check out my top ten films of the year)

Lead Actor

The nominees:  Steve Carell for Foxcatcher, Bradley Cooper for American Sniper, Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game, Michael Keaton for Birdman, Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything

I’ve not seen:  NA

My thoughts:  It was a crowded field, and although many are upset at David Oyelowo getting left out, this is still a strong group.  Cooper, Cumberbatch, and Redmayne played familiar types, but each knocked it out of the park.  Carell probably pushed himself the furthest, and although his cadence of speech and Foxcatcher’s icy tone turned some people off, including myself, it’s still a great performance.  Keaton will be the deserving winner here, dominating the acting block of the Academy and beating down his younger rival, Redmayne, with the old ‘he’ll have many more chances’ argument.

Who I wish was nominated:  Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler, Andy Serkis for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Brad Pitt for Fury, James McAvoy for The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, and Ben Affleck for Gone Girl (yep, I’d change every nominee if I could)

Lead Actress

The nominees:  Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night; Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything; Julianne Moore for Still Alice; Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl; Reese Witherspoon for Wild

I’ve not seen:  Julianne Moore in Still Alice

My thoughts:  This is a rough category to fill, because there weren’t many great female roles in American cinema in 2014.  Theoretically, the Academy can nominate outside of its home country and Britain, but realistically, they only leave one slot open for that.  Cotillard, who’s familiar to the Academy after her win in 2008, slid into that spot this year for the Dardenne’s Two Days, One Night.  I added this film to my TIFF lineup at the last minute, and although I wasn’t in the mood for its realistic portrait of depression, Cotillard is good per usual.  Witherspoon turned in another performance I thought was good in Wild, but it wasn’t particularly exciting.  The other two I’ve seen, Jones and Pike, both tried admirably in what I found to be flawed roles.  Jones simply doesn’t have much to do and Pike’s Amy didn’t feel like a real character to me in either the movie or the book.  I can’t say I blame either of them for my lackluster reaction to their performances, but that doesn’t mean I think they deserve to be nominated.

Who I wish was nominated:  Anne Dorval for Mommy, Hera Hilmar for Life in a Fishbowl, Jennifer Anniston for Cake, and perhaps we should get fun and nominate Emily Blunt for Edge of Tomorrow

Supporting Actor

The nominees:  Robert Duvall for The Judge, Ethan Hawke for Boyhood, Edward Norton for Birdman, Mark Ruffalo for Foxcatcher, J.K. Simmons for Whiplash

I’ve not seen:  Robert Duvall in The Judge, and I have no plans to

My thoughts:  I wish Norton would win.  He was so great in Birdman, bringing just the right amount of chaos into that film’s world.  Alas, he won’t, because Simmons has this wrapped up.  One of the reasons I wasn’t big on Whiplash was that the characters felt one-note to me, and Simmons is just playing nasty.  He’s done this sort of thing many times, and as much as I like Simmons, I wish he was winning for a better role.  Ruffalo and Hawke aren’t actors I’ve particularly cared for in the past, but both showed their best sides in these films.  Ruffalo in particular was great in Foxcatcher, playing a guy who’s intelligent but out of his depth.

Who I wish was nominated:  Toby Kebbell for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Ben Schnetzer for Pride, Robert Pattinson for The Rover

Supporting Actress

The nominees:  Patricia Arquette for Boyhood, Laura Dern for Wild, Keira Knightley for The Imitation Game, Emma Stone for Birdman, and Meryl Streep for Into the Woods

I’ve not seen:  NA

My thoughts:  If you thought the actress field was weak this year, prepare to be wowed by the supporting actresses.  Arquette, the shoe-in winner, is actually the female lead in Boyhood, but she moved down here to secure a win.  I’m just so turned off by her acting that I can’t understand what people see in it, but I’m clearly the minority here.  Everyone else in this category is just blasé.  Dern is stuck in a basic role, Stone only got two real scenes, and Knightley had far more to do in Laggies.  And Streep, well, she’s getting nominated because she’s Meryl Streep.

Who I wish was nominated:  Suzanne Clément for Mommy, Agata Kulesza for Ida

Top Ten Movies of 2014

            Let me throw out the usual caveats before we get down to business.  These are my personal favorite films.  There are other films that easily could have been included.  You won’t agree with all of them (but feel free to tell me that).  Enjoy!

Films I haven’t seen:  Calvary, Frank, Selma, American Sniper, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Inherent Vice, A Most Violent Year, Leviathan, Belle

Honorable mentions:  X-Men:  Days of Future Past, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Lego Movie, Life in a Fishbowl, The Imitation Game, Ida, Foxcatcher, The One I Love, Pride

10.  Oculus

            Definitely the most surprising film of the year, Oculus is far better than a movie about a haunted mirror has the right to be.  It sports a well-thought-out narrative, some truly scary moments, and excellent visual motifs.  Once it takes off it doesn’t let go, blending grounded psychological horror with flecks of gore.  The performances, particularly by child actor Annalise Basso, are far better than you get in most horror films and are essential for landing the fears the film’s playing with.  As I said in my review, Oculus understands that there are far scarier things than ghosts and axe-murderers, and it’s all the better for it.

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9.  Get on Up

            A few films could’ve slid into this spot, but Chadwick Boseman’s unforgettable performance as James Brown lands this film in my top 10.  It’s a mannered performance, but it always rings true and doesn’t overpower the film.  The movie’s stage performances are electric, Brown’s brilliance shines through (as does his arrogance), and his far from perfect life makes for an interesting story.  Some were turned off by the non-linear narrative, but I thought it kept things from getting too bleak.  Plus, it gets extra points for being really funny.

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8.  Fury

            A World War II movie about a seasoned tank crew trying to break in a new recruit, Fury is one of those well-trod war stories that’s made great by some brilliant execution.  Brad Pitt and Logan Lerman turn in top-notch performances, and director David Ayer edits the action sequences so they’re always tense and clear.  However, it’s the cinematography that really pulls it all together.  The German countryside is portrayed as a place covered in muck with a constant mist hanging in the background, making the discomfort and the threat of battle inescapable.

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7.  Birdman

            Definitely a film for movie people, Birdman is all about the balance between art and commerce and the internal and external pulls that accompany it.  It’s actually a very familiar story, but it’s got such energy and visual flair that it’s hard not to like it.  The trick of editing the film to look like one shot really sweeps you off your feet and keeps you bounding right along at the film’s quick pace.  Michael Keaton as a used-to-be movie star is great, but Edward Norton stole the show as an overly intense artiste. 

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6.  Force Majeure

            What happens in the moments after this still defines a family’s vacation, forever changes how they view each other, and leads to some downright hilarious moments.  This is one of those films that brings up serious ideas without forgetting to entertain you.  It may be aimed at a small subset of people, particularly the kind who laugh in awkward, intense moments, but if you fall into that group you’ll find Force Majeure to be simultaneously astute and hysterical.  Personally, I refuse to apologize for laughing at a grown man crying on a bean bag chair.  It’s just funny.

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5.  How to Train Your Dragon 2

            The choice to age these characters up and allow the story to grow along with them was a bold decision by DreamWorks Animation, and it may have allowed them to unexpectedly become the owner of a generation-defining kid’s series.  People my age grew up with Toy Story, and I don’t think I’m overstepping when I draw comparisons between these two series.  Both made a concerted effort to build on their themes from film to film, mirroring the maturation of their target audience and thus earning a special place in these kid’s cultural psyches.  As an adult looking at it, I can appreciate how much of a risk it is to throw such a big change-up into an established hit, but I can also appreciate just how well How to Train Your Dragon 2 pulled it off.  Add in that this had by far the best 3D I saw all year, charming background jokes, and a running gag about an arm fetish, and I was sold hook, line, and sinker.

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4.  Nymphomaniac:  Volume 1

            Speaking about sex frankly and intellectually is a rare thing in America, and few movies have explored it from a woman’s perspective like the two Nymphomaniac films.  Volume 1 is the far better section, allowing Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg and Stacy Martin) to tell her story of complete surrender to sexual addiction without judgment.  Yes, there are negative effects, and the movie is honest about that, but the camera and her audience of one, the bachelor Seligman played by Stellan Skarsgård, always looks at her with a humane eye.  The infamous Lars von Trier is pushing us without going too far in this one and shows a surprising funny streak, which is never more apparent than when Uma Thurman shows up and keeps you squirming with uncomfortable glee in my favorite scene of the year. 

           

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3.  Edge of Tomorrow

            Or Live Die Repeat:  Edge of Tomorrow or whatever else it gets called in the future is a spectacular movie that doesn’t deserve its underwhelming box office total.  The summer of 2014 delivered a number of great blockbusters, but this one stands head and mechanical shoulders above the rest.  Smart without being challenging and fun without being easy, there’s some real stakes in Edge of Tomorrow that kept me invested even after the twists had been revealed.  The action is big and rendered with a gritty beauty, Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt sell every moment, and it’s infused with a surprising amount of humor.  If only all blockbusters could be this well made, and if only audiences would go see them.

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2.  Nightcrawler

            Whether you take it as a character study masquerading as a thriller or a thriller masquerading as a character study, you’ll find lots to like in Dan Gilroy’s expertly paced Nightcrawler.  Jake Gyllenhaal keeps you unsettled but unable to look away as the smarmy Lou Bloom, and cinematographer Robert Elswitt makes the LA night pop with color, light, and the darkest of personal ambitions.  I think this is the best shot film of the year (yes, over Birdman), and it manages to skewer America’s latent bloodlust while wallowing in the grime.  This is why I don’t trust people who quote self-help books.

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1.    Mommy

                    Getting to tag along on other people’s emotional journeys is one of the great joys of watching movies, and nothing else this year grabbed me with the ferocity of Mommy.  Following a mother, Diana, who enlists the help of her neighbor to turn her son’s life around, this is an energetic film that radiates the emotions of its characters out into the audience.  Keeping you on your toes is the son’s emotional vacillations, turning on a dime and at times getting unnervingly dark.  Through a surprisingly unintrusive 1:1 aspect ratio, a slew of well-known songs, and excellent performances by the lead trio of Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, and Suzanne Clément, Mommy captures the intoxication and confusion of their lives without ever becoming unsympathetic towards any of them.  In a year where my parents divorced, this tale of unwavering love stuck in an untenable circumstance hit home.