Oscar Nominations Packed with Snubs and Full of Interest

by Posted in Reviews

Oh what a year it has been, a fact cemented this morning with the announcement of 121 Oscar nominations. Noticeably absent were a host of Academy kings and queens like Tom Hanks, who was originally looking at two potential nominations and would up with none, and Hank’s Saving Mr. Banks co-star Emma Thompson, who became a runner-up to the five ladies who secured Best Actress noms. Missing out on the expected nominations, Saving Mr Banks is definitely the biggest snubbed film as it failed to secure even one nom while it almost looked like a frontrunner at one point.

For best picture, I nailed seven of the nominations but left out Philomena, which edged out Inside Llewyn Davis and Banks. Alexander Payne took a spot in the Best Director category that many expected to head towards Paul Greengrass. The absence of both Hanks (Captain Phillips) and Robert Redford (All is Lost) opened up spots for Christian Bale (American Hustle) and Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street). And while my predictions suffered for not including either, all in all, I’m really happy with those switches as I believe Bale and DiCaprio put in two of the best performances of the year.

A couple pleasant surprises include Jonah Hill‘s Best Supporting Actor nomination and Her scooping up a few extra awards with Best Original Song and Production Design.

Amongst those films noticeable absent across the board are Inside Llewyn Davis, which only scored two nominations (Best Sound Mixing and Best Cinematography), and The Butler which didn’t see a single nom. It seems like Dallas Buyers Club got some last minute wind beneath its wings to edge out Davis in just about every category I had it positioned for nomination.

But the biggest snubs seem to come from 12 Years a Slave, which still managed nine nominations. Most notably Hans Zimmer was passed up for his score and Sean Bobbitt who served as DP on 12 Years and was thought to be a sure contender in the cinematographer field both left empty handed. Alex Ebert, who just won a Golden Globe for his All is Lost score, was also surprisingly passed up. And though I’m not shocked, it was disappointed to not see Lana Del Rey‘s stunning “Young and Beautiful” left out of the Best Original Song category.

Leading the scoreboard, both Gravity and American Hustle each have ten nominations and stunningly director David O. Russell continues his streak of just crushing it and garnishing his actors nominations in all four categories. As if he wasn’t already an actor’s dream director, he’s become so adept at scoring noms for his performers now that any future performer in an O. Russell film is essentially assured a nomination. And while American Hustle suddenly looks like the one to beat, Gravity is still poised to strike down competition in all the technical fields.

For their nominations, certain actors, directors have already spoken out in gratitude.

Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
“I’m really chuffed with the Oscar nomination especially being recognised alongside such great actors.  It’s a real honor.”
 
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
“I’m extraordinarily happy for all the cast and crew of our 12 Years a Slave family.  This has been an amazing ride, and to receive nine nominations from the Academy is testament to all of the hard work.  And for that I am truly grateful.”
 
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
“At no point during filming, in the sweltering heat of New Orleans, did any of us ever foresee the journey this film would take us all on. Steve McQueen created an entire family to tell one man’s tale and I am delighted that so many of this family have also been recognized today. I am hugely grateful to the Academy for this great honour, and, of course, to Solomon Northup for sharing his story through his breathtaking book.”
 
John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave
“It feels very special, but I just really appreciate how people have responded to Solomon Northup’s story and his life.  I’m just so happy for the whole crew and cast who brought Solomon’s memoir to the screen.  It’s been a great year for film, and for people to consider 12 Years a Slave to be among the best is more humbling than you can imagine.”

Amy Adams, American Hustle
“I’m very honored to be nominated alongside such inspiring actresses. Congratulations to the cast and crew of American Hustle and Her, two films that I’m incredibly proud to be a part of.”
 
David O. Russell, American Hustle
“First of all, I want to congratulate all of the nominees from all of the films. We are all blessed to be in this business, telling stories. In American Hustle, we tried to create characters and a world that the audience would find romantic and moving and real. I am so thrilled for my partners – my actors, my producers, Eric Singer, and the craftspeople from the film – who were honored today. They gave it their all; they poured their passion into the movie and I am truly thankful to them.”
 
Dana Brunetti, Captain Phillips
“We’re so incredibly proud of this film and the team we assembled both in front of and behind the camera. Simply put, we could not have done it without the enormous talent of Paul and Tom.  It was an honor to be able to tell the heroic story of Captain Richard Phillips and the US Navy SEALS who rescued him.” –
 
Michael DeLuca, Captain Phillips
We are grateful to the Academy for the recognition and for the privilege of being included in an amazing field of movies this year. It’s all a testament to Paul Greengrass’ artistry and Tom Hanks’ craft and commitment.
 
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
“I am truly honored to have been nominated by the Academy this morning.
This has been a life changing experience for me.  I would like to congratulate all of the nominees this morning, especially the team from Captain Phillips who were recognized.  My performance is a testament to the vision of our incredible director Paul Greengrass, and our other Captain
— the generous, amazing, and inspiring Tom Hanks.”

So let’s get down to the actual nominations. Without a doubt, we’re in store for an interesting season.
I’ve highlighted those that I predicted in green.

BEST PICTURE
American Hustle
12 Years a Slave
Her
Gravity
Nebraska
Saving Mr Banks
The Butler
Captain Phillips
Philomena

BEST DIRECTOR
Steve McQueen
Alfonso Cuaron
David O. Russell
Martin Scorsese
Alexander Payne

BEST ACTOR
Chiwetel Ejifor
Christian Bale
Bruce Dern
Matthew McConaughey
Leonardo DiCaprio

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett
Amy Adams
Sandra Bullock
Judi Dench
Meryl Streep

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jared Leto
Michael Fassbender
Bradley Cooper
Barkhad Abdi
Jonah Hill

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Lupita Nyong’o
June Squibb
Julia Roberts
Jennifer Lawrence
Sally Hawkins

BEST EDITING
Gravity
12 Years a Slave
Dallas Buyers Club
American Hustle
Captain Phillips

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Nebraska
Her
Dallas Buyers Club
Blue Jasmine
American Hustle

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
12 Years a Slave
Wolf of Wall Street
Before Midnight
Captain Phillips
Philomena

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Hunt
The Missing Picture
The Broken Circle Breakdown
The Great Beauty
Omar

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Grandmaster
Gravity
Inside Llewyn Davis
Prisoners
Nebraska

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
12 Years a Slave
The Great Gatsby
American Hustle
Her
Gravity

BEST SOUND MIXING
Gravity
Captain Phillips
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Lone Survivor
Inside Llewyn Davis

BEST SOUND EDITING
Gravity
All is Lost
Captain Phillips
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Lone Survivor

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Michael Wilkinson “American Hustle”
William Chang Suk Ping “The Grandmaster”
Michael O’Connor “The Invisible Woman”
Catherine Martin “The Great Gatsby”
Patricia Norris “12 Years a Slave”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
HER
Steven Price “Gravity”
Thomas Newman “Saving Mr Banks”
PHILOMENA
John Williams “The Book Thief”

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Act of Killing
Blackfish (Cutie and the Boxer)
Stories We Tell (Dirty Wars)
The Square
20 Feet From Stardom

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Frozen
Monsters University (Despicable Me 2)
Ernest and Celestine
The Croods
The Wind Rises

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Gravity
Iron Man 3
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Star Trek into Darkness
Oblivion (The Lone Ranger)

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
American Hustle (Bad Grandpa)
Dallas Buyers Club
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Lone Ranger)
The Great Gatsby

BEST ORIGINAL SONG(name the song, not just the film)
“Let it Go” – Frozen
“Young and Beautiful” – The Great Gatsby (Happy for Despicable Me 2)
“The Moon Son” – Her
“Amen” – All is Lost (Alone Yet Not Alone)
“Ordinary Love” – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

BEST PICTURE:
American Hustle
12 Years a Slave
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Inside Llewyn Davis
Saving Mr Banks
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST DIRECTOR
Steve McQueen “12 Years a Slave”
Alfonso Cuaron “Gravity”
David O. Russell “American Hustle”
Paul Greengrass “Captain Phillips”
Martin Scorsese “The Wolf of Wall Street”

BEST ACTOR
Chiwetel Ejifor “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey “Dallas Buyers Club”
Robert Redford “All is Lost”
Bruce Dern “Nebraska”
Tom Hanks “Captain Phillips”

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett “Blue Jasmine”
Emma Thompson “Saving Mr. Banks”
Sandra Bullock “Gravity”
Judi Dench “Philomena”
Meryl Streep “August: Osage County”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jared Leto “Dallas Buyers Club”
Michael Fassbender “12 Years a Slave”
Daniel Bruhl “Rush”
Barkhad Abdi “Captain Phillips”
Bradley Cooper “American Hustle”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Lupita Nyong’o “12 Years a Slave”
Jennifer Lawrence “American Hustle”
June Squibb “Nebraska”
Julia Roberts “August: Osage County”
Oprah Winfrey “The Butler”

BEST EDITING
Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger “Gravity”
Joe Walker “12 Years a Slave”
Thelma Shoonmaker “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers “American Hustle”
Christopher Rouse “Captain Phillips”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Spike Jonze “Her”
Bob Nelson “Nebraska”
Joel and Ethan Coen “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Woody Allen “Blue Jasmine”
David O. Russell and Eric Singer “American Hustle”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
John Ridley “12 Years a Slave”
Terrence Winter “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater “Before Midnight”
Billy Ray “Captain Phillips”
Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope “Philomena”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Hunt
The Grandmaster
The Broken Circle Breakdown
The Great Beauty
The Notebook

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Emmanuel Lubezki “Gravity”
Sean Bobbitt “12 Years a Slave”
Bruno Delbonnel “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Roger Deakins “Prisoners”
Phedon Papamichael “Nebraska”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Adam Stochausen & Alice Baker “12 Years a Slave”
Catherine Martin & Beverly Dunn “The Great Gatsby”
Michael Corenblith & Susan Benjamin “Saving Mr Banks”
Jess Gonchor & Susan Bode, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Dan Hennah & Ra Vincent “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

BEST SOUND MIXING
Gravity
Rush
All is Lost
Lone Survivor
Inside Llewyn Davis

BEST SOUND EDITING
Gravity
All is Lost
Captain Phillips
Rush
Lone Survivor

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Michael Wilkinson “American Hustle”
Daniel Orlandi “Saving Mr Banks”
Michael O’Connor “The Invisible Woman”
Catherine Martin “The Great Gatsby”
Patricia Norris “12 Years a Slave”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Hans Zimmer “12 Years a Slave”
Steven Price “Gravity”
Thomas Newman “Saving Mr Banks”
Alex Ebert “All is Lost”
John Williams “The Book Thief”

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Act of Killing
Blackfish
Stories We Tell
The Square
20 Feet From Stardom

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Frozen
Monsters University
Ernest and Celestine
The Croods
The Wind Rises

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Gravity
Iron Man 3
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Star Trek into Darkness
Oblivion

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
American Hustle
Dallas Buyers Club
The Great Gatsby

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Let it Go” – Frozen
“Young and Beautiful” – The Great Gatsby
“The Moon Son” – Her
“Amen” – All is Lost
“Ordinary Love” – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

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The Absolute Worst Movies of 2013

by Posted in Lists Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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With all the talk of great movies out of the way, the task of singling out and ridiculing the slate of absolutely garbage that somehow managed to limp into theaters this year has come. Now every year inevitably sees a slew of flunkies hit the big screen like a batch of rotten tomatoes but I found 2013 in general to be a torpid offender in the “worst of” category. Maybe I ought to chalk up the number of bad movies this year to the fact that I watched over 150 films but then again, I did actively skip a lot of movies that seemed objectively “bad.”

You won’t find the likes of Scary Movie 5, Grown Ups 2, Safe Haven, or Madea’s Christmas on this list because there was no way I was going to see those films. At least the ones I’ve included below had a shot at being decent. Whether or not that makes them even more offensively bad is certainly a topic worth debating, but all that really matters is that they stunk to high heavens and deserve to be watched by no one.

Before I launch into the absolute bottom of this trash bag of entertainment, I do need to recognize some crud that managed to stay off the list just because their terribleness was one-upped. But don’t confuse their absence from the coveted top ten as me patting them on the head and letting off the hook. Think of it more like a police officer letting you off for grand theft auto because someone just set fire to a hospital full of cancer babies. Obviously they’re going to go after the baby arsonist. Here, I have my sights on the baby arsonists of cinema.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Prince Avalanche
The Last Exorcism: Part 2
The Lone Ranger
Parkland
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Epic
Diana
Now You See Me
Pacific Rim
A Good Day to Die Hard

10. GETAWAY

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A remarkably dull endeavor that (worse than anything) turned Ethan Hawke‘s otherwise considerable year on its head, Getaway uses close quarter tactics to unwittingly beat us into a state of exhaustion and apathy. More believably a hack than a hacker, Selena Gomez offers some of the worse acting of the entire year so poor Hawke didn’t stand much of a chance. Watching them interact is like having a Skype conversation with a five second delay. There’s just absolutely no life to it. There is one definitive scene towards the end of the film that showcases how the film could have been approached successfully but, unfortunately, filmmaker Courtney Solomon decided to go the easy, cliché action route and blasted out this dud of a thrill ride that’s absent on thrills and, at the end of the day, makes absolutely no sense.

9. OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

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What a plastic, cold effort from otherwise rafter-swinging Sam Raimi. In addition to being a massive disappointment, Oz: The Great and Powerful is easily one of the worst of the year. It all just seems like one big joke. The cocksure and smarmy performance from James Franco is certainly gag-worthy but it’s somehow outshone by the spam of a performance from Mila Kunis as the poorly makeup-ed Wicked Witch. Even the usually consistent Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz are flat and ineffective. For a movie with so much talent, promise, and resources, Oz is a far cry from great and not even remotely powerful.

8. ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE

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I hate to bury Adam Levine‘s 2006 horror movie that finally saw the light of day this year but it really deserved to stay in its coffin. Existing on a purely meta level, this genre film dares us to see past the faux-irony that is having everything we expect to happen happen. Or maybe the whole thing was supposed to be a shock and I just saw through it like the 35-cent jello mold that it was. Although a small fan base slobbered this one up, it unequivocally offered nothing new in terms of surprises, effects, or execution and was as wholly flat as the Texas plains where it takes place. All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is a glowing representation of the horror of lazy horror.

7. MOVIE 43

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You know this list is bad when you find Movie 43 all the way up in seventh place. Steaming pile of garbage though it was, I didn’t actively hate Movie 43 the way I did many of the others on this list. Sure, it’s lazy, dumb, obnoxious, tasteless, offensive, and desperate for laughs but at least we didn’t go in to this expecting it to be a real movie. And for the many, many misses, there were a few sketches that worked my funny bone and I gotta dish out some credit where it’s due. Still, nothing this year clawed at my nerves like the Beezel the cat sketch. That was just in a league of its own.

6. THE HANGOVER: PART 3

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An ugly and unnecessary conclusion to a series that should have ended when it began, The Hangover: Part 3 has no idea what it’s doing. Instead of rehashing the events of the first one like the Bangkok-set Hangover 2 did, this second sequel turns fatally dark and all but drops the comedy angle. There’s not a laugh to be found in its 100-minute runtime. And maybe it’s the disappointment that the series has fallen so far or maybe it’s the fact that this movie is just undeniably bad to the bone but The Hangover: Part 3 is the perfect example of sequels sullying the good name of the original. The decision to carry on the franchise even though they were clearly out of ideas is only exacerbated by bringing Ken Jeong‘s cringe-worthy Chow character to the forefront. What a steaming mess this flick is from cover-to-cover.

 5. THE FIFTH ESTATE

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A purely pathetic effort no matter which way you look at it, The Fifth Estate is the Billy Madison of biopics. And with its agenda so clearly honed in on degrading Julian Assange, I’m surprised they didn’t just have Adam Sandler play the part. Shockingly enough, it seems to have no idea how terrible it is. There are no character revelations, no sense of arc, no focus, and no real reason for this film to exist at all. Beyond the cinematic no-no that is trying to make coding cool, Bill Condon goes so far as to craft a series of scenes that take place in “the coding world.” Part bumbling Matrix-style mind game, part collective brain fart, these recklessly awful sequences provided some of the most laughable moments of the entire year. The true shame is that within The Fifth Estate is an important story but it was approached with the finesse of a drunk chimp and made for entirely daffy drama.

4. AFTER EARTH

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Look no further than Jaden Smith‘s earth-shatteringly horrendous performance to see the failings of M. Night Whoever‘s latest box-office turd. It was a miracle that anyone agreed to finance another Shyamalan film after steady and progressively worse receptions of his films but, considering the sizable budget on this one and the seeming star power in the Smiths, hope was in the air that maybe After Earth would be a redemption of sorts of the faltering director. But when it crashed landed, it couldn’t have been further from a revival. Defunct on all levels, After Earth is one of the dumbest films to see the light of day in 2013 and fails on just about every level that a film could fail at. However if there was one film this year proved to us the effectiveness of acting through pouting your lips, After Earth proudly stands on the puffiness of Jaden’s punim.

3. THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES

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Long, unnecessary title aside, plot threads dangle throughout The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones like cobwebs in a tomb. Though convention has taught us to expect resolutions by a movie’s end, it’s almost as if the people in charge here forget how many nonsensical plot holes were left gaping by the time the lights went up. The best, and worst, example of which includes the central teenage pair who fall for each other even though they’re informed that, you know, they’re brother and sister. But, I mean, whatevz right? Backed by awful, hammed up performances across the board, this flunkie failed to make even the devout YA fans care. The saving grace is that after such a disappointing financial cull, production was halted on the follow-up that was already in progress, so it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see a sequel.  

2. THE CANYONS

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As ugly as it is repugnant and pseudo-intellectual, The Canyons is gross and unnecessary on all fronts. Imagine a movie so bad that Lindsay Lohan looks endlessly talented when compared to her co-stars and the solitary selling point is its close resemble to soft core porn and you have the ingredients that make The Canyons. From the very first tracking shot that just screams amateur filmmaker, I knew this film was going to be awful but nothing could have prepared me for just how hideous and empty it really was. The Canyons goes about trying to indite LA trust fund babies for being vacuous and unable to relate by being vacuous and unable to relate. Like that guy who wears neon t-shirts down to his kneecaps and leaves the sticker on his b-ball cap and think he’s the cock of the walk, the whole cast and crew in The Canyons just don’t seem to realize that we’re laughing at them, not with them.

1. THE HOST

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An amazing feat of filmmaking as implosion, The Host, when it isn’t awful, is busy boring you to tears. Even for a teen franchise, The Host is dramatically inept and utterly incapable of making you care about anything or anyone. As if that’s not enough already, it lacks even one moment of genuine excitement. Even the love quadrangle will leave tweens checking their watches. The Host transforms the boredom of watching the paint dry with waiting for the wheat to grow. Seriously, there are multiple scenes where the characters are literally waiting in a cave for wheat to grow. How did anyone expect this movie would appeal to anyone?! I haven’t even mentioned the intolerable voice-over inner-monologues a la teeny-bopper arguments which serve as the brown icing smeared on this shit cake. The Host is so actively bad that it seems like the kind of thing that would play on repeat in hell while your eyes are shuttered open Clockwork Orange style.

 

So there it is, the worst of the worst of 2013. As a consolation prize for everyone who made it all the way to the end, here are my (brief) awards for worst actor and actress.

Worst Actor: Johnny Depp “The Lone Ranger”/Jaden Smith “After Earth”

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I had to make this category a tie because both performances are truly awful, but for their own unique, special reasons. While Jaden seems to be suffering from a case of not knowing any better, Depp has no such excuse. So a tie between Johnny “I don’t want ever watch the movies I’m in”/”I’m 1/64 native American so me playing Tonto isn’t offensive” Depp and Jayden “I literally can’t act”/”But Daddy says I can” Smith seems like a fore-drawn conclusion in the worst actor of 2013 showdown. When it comes down to the wire though, I don’t think I could be forced to choose which of their performances is more actively awful. Coin toss anyone?

Worst Actress: Selena Gomez “Getaway”/”Spring Breakers”

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If there’s one thing Selena Gomez has proved trying to break away from her Disney image it’s that she shouldn’t have tried to break away from her Disney image. Her wildly ineffectively chemistry with just about anyone who happens to be unlucky enough to share a scene with her is written on the walls with permanent marker. Between her pitiful performances in both Getaway and Spring Breakers, Gomez only has herself to compete against herself to be named the Prom Queen of grade-F acting.

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2014 Academy Award Nominations Predictions

by Posted in Awards Tagged , , , ,

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In two days time, Chris Hemsworth and the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Cheryl Boone Isaacs will announce the nominations for the 86th Academy Awards. With the dust from the Golden Globes still setting, this year’s nominations will indelibly include some surprises and snubs because with 2013 being such a crowded year for talent, there really is no other option.

Two categories overflowing with potential nominees include Best Actress which is really a six-horse nom race between Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Sandra Bullock, Emma Thompson, Judi Dench, with Cate Blanchett all but assured the win. At this point, even though Adams scored big over at the Globes, I’m willing to bet that old blood rings true and she misses out on her fifth nomination.

In the best actor category, Chiwetel Ejifor, Robert Redford, Bruce Dern, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Hanks, and Leonardo DiCaprio will duke it out for a spot and Leo’s spotted history with the Academy (they have a tendency to overlook his work) suggests to me that it’ll be him who misses the mark by a margin.

As far as Best Picture goes, I would be shocked if all ten of these films receive nominations but I figure it’s best to nominate more rather than less. I wouldn’t be surprised to see The Butler, Captain Phillips or even Saving Mr. Banks missing out. Although the new policy has dictated nine Best Picture nominees in the past two years, I have a feeling that with 2013 being so divided, it might be closer to eight or even seven.

And finally, no, I have not bothered predicting any shorts.

BEST PICTURE:
American Hustle
12 Years a Slave
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Inside Llewyn Davis
Saving Mr Banks
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST DIRECTOR
Steve McQueen “12 Years a Slave”
Alfonso Cuaron “Gravity”
David O. Russell “American Hustle”
Paul Greengrass “Captain Phillips”
Martin Scorsese “The Wolf of Wall Street”

BEST ACTOR
Chiwetel Ejifor “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey “Dallas Buyers Club”
Robert Redford “All is Lost”
Bruce Dern “Nebraska”
Tom Hanks “Captain Phillips”

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett “Blue Jasmine”
Emma Thompson “Saving Mr. Banks”
Sandra Bullock “Gravity”
Judi Dench “Philomena”
Meryl Streep “August: Osage County”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jared Leto “Dallas Buyers Club”
Michael Fassbender “12 Years a Slave”
Daniel Bruhl “Rush”
Barkhad Abdi “Captain Phillips”
Bradley Cooper “American Hustle”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Lupita Nyong’o “12 Years a Slave”
Jennifer Lawrence “American Hustle”
June Squibb “Nebraska”
Julia Roberts “August: Osage County”
Oprah Winfrey “The Butler”

BEST EDITING
Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger “Gravity”
Joe Walker “12 Years a Slave”
Thelma Shoonmaker “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers “American Hustle”
Christopher Rouse “Captain Phillips”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Spike Jonze “Her”
Bob Nelson “Nebraska”
Joel and Ethan Coen “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Woody Allen “Blue Jasmine”
David O. Russell and Eric Singer “American Hustle”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
John Ridley “12 Years a Slave”
Terrence Winter “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater “Before Midnight”
Billy Ray “Captain Phillips”
Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope “Philomena”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Hunt
The Grandmaster
The Broken Circle Breakdown
The Great Beauty
The Notebook

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Emmanuel Lubezki “Gravity”
Sean Bobbitt “12 Years a Slave”
Bruno Delbonnel “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Roger Deakins “Prisoners”
Phedon Papamichael “Nebraska”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Adam Stochausen & Alice Baker “12 Years a Slave”
Catherine Martin & Beverly Dunn “The Great Gatsby”
Michael Corenblith & Susan Benjamin “Saving Mr Banks”
Jess Gonchor & Susan Bode, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Dan Hennah & Ra Vincent “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

BEST SOUND MIXING
Gravity
Rush
All is Lost
Lone Survivor
Inside Llewyn Davis

BEST SOUND EDITING
Gravity
All is Lost
Captain Phillips
Rush
Lone Survivor

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Michael Wilkinson “American Hustle”
Daniel Orlandi “Saving Mr Banks”
Michael O’Connor “The Invisible Woman”
Catherine Martin “The Great Gatsby”
Patricia Norris “12 Years a Slave”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Hans Zimmer “12 Years a Slave”
Steven Price “Gravity”
Thomas Newman “Saving Mr Banks”
Alex Ebert “All is Lost”
John Williams “The Book Thief”

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Act of Killing
Blackfish
Stories We Tell
The Square
20 Feet From Stardom

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Frozen
Monsters University
Ernest and Celestine
The Croods
The Wind Rises

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Gravity
Iron Man 3
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Star Trek into Darkness
Oblivion

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
American Hustle
Dallas Buyers Club
The Great Gatsby

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Let it Go” – Frozen
“Young and Beautiful” – The Great Gatsby
“The Moon Son” – Her
“Amen” – All is Lost
“Ordinary Love” – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

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ANT-MAN Finds Another Ant-Man in Michael Douglas

by Posted in Casting News Tagged , , , , , ,

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After Marvel’s Phase Two, which started with Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World and will continue with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, concludes with Joss Whedon‘s The Avengers 2, the next comic book movie from Marvel universe is Edgar Wright‘s long gestated Ant-Man, a tale about a scientist who creates a suit that allows him to shrink down and communicate with, and subsequently control, ants. Silly though it may seem, with these ant-like powers, Ant-man fights crime on a big scale. Funnyman Paul Rudd was cast as Ant-Man last month and many assumed that Rudd would play the original version of the superhero, Hank Pym. Those assumptions were incorrect.

As it turns out, Rudd was actually cast as the second generation Ant-Man, a Marvel mainstay by the name of Scott Lang. According to Marvel lore, Lang is a thief who steals the original Ant-Man’s technology from Pym, unintentionally burdening himself with the power and responsibility of a super. Today brought news that while Rudd would not play the original version of the character, Michael Douglas would. Obviously, this timeline will see Douglas stepping in as a more veteran version of Pym. This shift makes sense considering Rudd fits the description of a jovial thief more so than he does a serious scientist like the Hank Pym of the comics.

In the comic series, Pym plays an important and essential role in creation of The Avengers. While he was obviously omitted from the creation mythology in the Marvel Movie Universe, Pym will now get to at least have some place in the MMU Marvel films have created. Also notable, Pym was responsible for the creation of Ultron, the bio-mechanical villain from which the second Avengers movie takes its name. Whether or not Douglas will play any role in The Avengers 2 is unknown but somewhat unlikely.

By casting the venerable, well regarded, and, not to mention expensive, Douglas as Pym alongside Rudd as Lang, Marvel has proved that they are willing to continue to shell out for top-shelf talent that comes with name-brand recognition. But even more interesting than Douglas or Rudd is director Edgar Wright‘s involvement, who will likely bring his high-art blend of comedy and action, a common ingredient to the Marvel world. As far as expectations, juxtaposing the snarky Rudd with the gravitas of Douglas could create a potentially excellent repartee and sets this one up to be one of the most interesting combinations out of Marvel’s gates.

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Weekly Review 38: SIMON, ACT, CUTIE, HOSTEL, HISTORY, 2, OLDBOY

by Posted in Weekly Review

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done a Weekly Review post with the holidays and all so the following is really what I’ve seen over the past three weeks or so. Between traveling coasts, wrapping up my top ten, and busting out a bundle of lingering 2013 reviews, I finally had a chance to eject some thoughts of a number of films from the year that I hadn’t yet had a chance to reflect on. So strap in and take a look at this surprisingly great collection of films.

SIMON KILLER (2013)

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Trying to fulfill my list of underseen films of 2013, I finally got to watch Simon Killer which had snuck past me all year until it arrived on Netflix Instant. Perhaps expecting it to be an edgy and powerful foreign landscape romp reduced my enjoyment of the actual picture but I think either way I would have only found this film just ok. Featuring a cast of unknowns, none of whom prove their staying power or demand the rise to name brand performer, Simon Killer dips into the swampy territory of Parisian prostitution as an American traveler tries to bandage his recent breakup with a new kindled flame with a whore. Director Antonio Campos definitely tries to be different as his camera is never focused on the action but always wandering on the scene’s lower sections – legs, shoes, sofas, shuffles. It’s an interesting choice but it becomes too obvious and faux-artsy as the movie wears on. While the soundtrack managed to garnish some killer tunes from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, the editing leaves them without much of a place to go, much like the film itself.

C

THE ACT OF KILLING (2013)

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An interrogation has never been as self-reflective as it has in Act of Killing. Documentarians Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn, and an anonymous third have turned the camera on Indonesian gangsters, or as they like to be called and call themselves “free men”, as they reflect on the heinous acts of near genocide they inflicted on rivaling communist party. At first, they are callused and cheery, almost gleefully ready to reenact their heinous crimes. But in the midst of these reenactments, they learn the true horror of what they have done. Rather than force-feeding these conclusions to their subjects, the filmmakers draw it from them with meticulous restraint, making the internal transformation we witness that much more powerful and cathartic. The Act of Killing is certainly one of the best documentaries of 2013.

A-

CUTIE AND THE BOXER (2013)

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Another 2013 documentary, Cutie and the Boxer aims the camera at Ushio and Noriko Shinohara, two struggling Japanese-native artists who’ve been living in New York City for decades. Ushio has been the breadwinner, however light his monthly cull may be, for a long time so when Noriko starts to emerge as a respected artist their already shaky marriage is thrown for a loop. Rather than just focus on their art, director Zachary Heinzerling shows us a surprisingly intimate view of love as a battlefield. But for all the issues the Shinoharas endure, their love is a foundation that we never doubt, making Cutie and the Boxer a shockingly affecting piece of documentary filmmaking.

 A

HOSTEL (2005)

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Years ago I turned off Eli Roth‘s blistering torture porn Hostel because I was too grossed out. Apparently, my more recent adoption of the horror genre has changed my view of what is “too much” as this time around I was surprised at how tame the film appeared to me. Sure, there are melted eyeballs, fingers getting snipped off, and decapitated heads and limbs by the pile, but here in 2014 that’s pretty much standard. Nonetheless, I found myself captivated by this story of country-hopping adventure gone awry and appreciated moments when the story would derail from expectations. By no stretch of the imagination is this a great or even good film but it was certainly one that I found myself enjoying.

B-

THE HISTORY OF FUTURE FOLK (2013)

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I learned of about this other little guy at about the same time that I learned of Simon Killer and was equally unstirred by a viewing. The History of Future Folk sees an humanoid alien arrive on Earth with plans to exterminate and populate but is sidetracked when he hears music for the first time. There’s a bit of similarity to Flight of the Concords and Tenacious D when the duo is slinging their oft-kilter folk rock but there’s nothing inherently memorable or funny about any of the songs they perform. And those are the highlight of this otherwise forgettable film. Rather, it’s a bit of a painfully awkward affair and while I don’t prefer to hate on little indie films, this one is just too unremarkable for me to give a pass to with a clean conscience.

C-

2 GUNS (2013)

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Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington lead this buddy cop film that feels right out of the 80’s and might as well be a reboot of the Lethal Weapon franchise. But after two hours of shooting, running, and “twists” it really doesn’t go anywhere. Wahlberg and Washington both play undercover detectives working an angle who each drink a dose of getting screwed over and must team up, despite their many mangy differences (sigh), and ultimately wind up in over their heads with criminal organizations and rogue government agencies alike. It sounds like the plot to a million different action films and, complete with the snark you would expect from a Wahlberg, Washington team-up, it feels like it too. Thankfully there are worse things than watching these two bozos run amuck and shooting things for a few hours but, then again, there are better things too.

C

OLDBOY (2003)

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So Oldboy and I go way back. This is a film I’ve had on my too-see list for years and despite having started it once or twice have never finished because I didn’t feel like “the timing was right.” I know, I know, that’s weird and all but you’ve got to be in the right mood to truly appreciate certain kinds of films and let’s just say I’m happy I waited on this one, because watching it last night after the clock struck midnight was exactly the kind of viewing experience Oldboy demands (well that or a packed theater but that time has passed.) Originally I was going to see Spike Lee‘s American remake but after that wasn’t screened for critics and then went on to bomb, I felt it right to return to Chan-wook Park‘s lauded original. Violent, twisted, and heavily philosophical, Oldboy is the perfect union of ideas and exploitation. When we’re not still guessing, Park keeps us occupied with meticulously staged fight sequences and horrifying reveals. But his greatest accomplishment lies in his ability to wrap things up in such satisfying manner. It makes me wonder, if Oldboy had ended any other way would it be the celebrated landmark it is today? I would render a guess: no.

A-

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Jeans Creaming Trailer for GAME OF THRONES Season 4

by Posted in Uncategorized Tagged , , ,

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Let’s be honest, if you haven’t yet seen Game of Thrones, you’re so far out of the pop-nerd zeitgesit that you might as well have never even heard of Breaking Bad. So I’ll be approaching this article assuming that you know what’s up on HBO’s most popular show. That means spoilers. After the character-killing events of season three, GoT’s fourth season is tasked with tracking the fallout of last season while moving the show into new territory. But even with Ned, Catelyn, and King of the North Robb Stark dead, as Jaime remarks, the war is not yet won.

This first look at the next season heavily features the Lannisters and those of us who’ve read the books know why. There’s some big waves headed towards that sneaky, debt-paying family, a fact made clear seeing series favorite Tyrion in handcuffs. Let’s just say there’s some massive events coming this season, a fact that may make season four even more shocking than the ol’ Red Wedding.

With book three, “A Storm of Swords”, cut in half, this fourth season will play out the events of the second half of George R.R. Martin‘s 1512-page novel. So before you start fretting about which characters will meet their end in this highly anticipated next segment of the Song of Ice and Fire franchise, take a peek at this chillingly epic trailer.

April 6 just can’t come soon enough.

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Jeans Creaming Trailer for GAME OF THRONES Season 4

by Posted in Reviews

Game_of_Thrones_Season_4.jpg
Let’s be honest, if you haven’t yet seen Game of Thrones, you’re so far out of the pop-nerd zeitgesit that you might as well have never even heard of Breaking Bad. So I’ll be approaching this article assuming that you know what’s up on HBO’s most popular show. That means spoilers. After the character-killing events of season three, GoT’s fourth season is tasked with tracking the fallout of last season while moving the show into new territory. But even with Ned, Catelyn, and King of the North Robb Stark dead, as Jaime remarks, the war is not yet won.

This first look at the next season heavily features the Lannisters and those of us who’ve read the books know why. There’s some big waves headed towards that sneaky, debt-paying family, a fact made clear seeing series favorite Tyrion in handcuffs. Let’s just say there’s some massive events coming this season, a fact that may make season four even more shocking than the ol’ Red Wedding.

With book three, “A Storm of Swords”, cut in half, this fourth season will play out the events of the second half of George R.R. Martin‘s 1512-page novel. So before you start fretting about which characters will meet their end in this highly anticipated next segment of the Song of Ice and Fire franchise, take a peek at this chillingly epic trailer.

April 6 just can’t come soon enough.

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Tarantino Has a Title for His Next Film

by Posted in Movie Announcements Tagged , , , ,

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After talking about how his next film would continue playing in the southern America/slavery playground that Django Unchained dabbled, Quentin Tarantino revealed that the title of his much anticipated new film would be The Hateful Eight. Tarantino’s screenplay is reported finished and will likely find its way online and into the line of scrutiny sooner rather than later. Although few details about the film have surfaced, Tarantino has stated that he would like frequent collaborator Christoph Waltz to join the cast alongside  Bruce Dern, who you may remember had a small role in Django but has more recently seen his star shine bright after playing Woody in Alexander Payne‘s celebrated Nebraska.

Tarantino is infamous for juggling a bunch of ideas so it’s hard to say which, if any, of his previous endeavors will make it to the screen with The Hateful Eight. In 2009, Tarantino talked about doing a story about abolitionist John Brown, which may or may not feature in his next:

“One story that I could be interested in doing, and it would probably be one of the last movies I do. My favorite hero in American history is John Brown. He’s my favorite American who ever lived… He basically single-handedly started the road to end slavery and the fact that he killed people to do it. He decided, ‘Okay, if we start spilling white blood, then they’re going to start getting the idea.”

Other ideas that have been left on the proverbial curb include an (unnecessary) follow up to Kill Bill, The Vega Brothers which pit Pulp Fiction‘s Vincent Vega (John Travolta) against Reservoir Dogs‘ Vic Vega (Michael Madsen) and a host of British spy films, like The Man From U.N.C.L.E., that he’s had or been trying to get the rights to for years.

And while Tarantino’s word is certainly not his bond, it’ll be interesting to see where The Hateful Eight lands on his iconic Tarantino spectrum. Per his previous work, there would be few surprised to see The Hateful Eight end up somewhere between a western and samurai film. As Tarantino himself said of Western films, “Okay, now let me make another one now that I know what I’m doing.”

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Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2014

by Posted in Lists Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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So before you go asking about Lars von Trier‘s 5-hour sexcapade Nymphomaniac, Woody Allen‘s latest period piece starring Emma Stone or any of the three Terrence Malick films that may or may not debut this year, let me just stop you short and let you know that they didn’t see their way onto this list. Though Allen’s newest may be good, he shoots out so many duds that it’s hard to really look forward to any one piece of his work. And Trier, well, do I really have to say anything beyond look at the description? Maybe they’ll be bits of interest but I’m more dreading it than I am anticipating it. As for Malick’s certain pedigree of art film, let’s just say I’m wildly uninterested in anything the man does as I find his work more a chore than anything else.

Although I tried to keep my list as tidy as possible, I did make a bit of a miscalculation so this top ten will actually be a top 11. I was thinking of chopping one but when we’re down to the wire like this, I really want to make sure to get all these top-tier selections out there. One extra film to look forward to right?

If you haven’t yet, take a look back at number 30-21 and 20-11. Otherwise, let’s get down to my Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2014.

 

10. Snowpiercer

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Korean director Joon-ho Bong (The Host – the good one, not the bad one) makes his English-language debut with this dystopian film set on a high-speed train. Starring Captain America‘s Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Ed Harris, and Octavia Spencer, Snowpiercer opened in France in October to rave reviews. Some even went so far to call it “the best pure science-fiction film since ‘Children Of Men.” [The Playlist]. There’s been a little controversy over it’s US release, such as when will it actually release, amongst stirrings that a US release under the Weinstein Co. banner may see extensive cuts but I’m hoping that if this film ever arrives intact and well, it’ll be a stunner.

No official release date yet but it’s likely 2014 or bust.

10…Again. Map to the Stars

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(Accidentally) sharing that top ten spot is David Cronenberg‘s Map to the Stars. Although Cronenberg has largely dropped the ooey, gooey sci-fi-horror genre that made his name what it is today, he’s still a director with a tremendous amount of passion and ideas. Obviously the cast is stacked; Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson, Carrie Fisher, Mia Wasikowska, John Cussack; but this isn’t the sci-fi adventure the name may suggest. No, instead that star map refers to the celebrities of Hollywood as Cronenberg, backed by a script from Bruce Wagner, turns a satirical lens on child stars. With back-to-back collaborations, it looks like Cronenberg has found a new muse in Twilight‘s Pattinson and I must admit to strongly enjoying their last effort Cosmopolis so sign me up for a trip to Map to the Stars.

So far all we know is that this’ll hit screens sometime in 2014.

9. Foxcatcher

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Continuing down the list, it’s all about the guys behind the camera. In Foxcatcher, Bennett Miller (Moneyball) tells the tragic story of how paranoid schizophrenic John duPont killed Olympic Champion Dave Schultz. Yikes. Even a year out, this film screams Oscars and is already poised to make contenders out of the likes of Mark Ruffalo and, however unexpectedly, Steve Carell. Miller has shown a knack for telling a true story in a way that we could never have expected so I’m fascinated to see what he does with a crazy dude and a murder plot.

Yet another without an official release date, Foxcatcher was pushed out of 2013 so there’s no chance it won’t see the light of day in 2014.

8. Fury

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Brad Pitt is back to war and I’m already saving my seat. Backed up by Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal, and Shia LaBeouf (…) Fury tells the story of one Sherman tank and its five-man crew as they hunt down Nazis with a tank. While Pitt’s glorious recent track record may be the only thing immediately popping out about this one, Fury has something much bigger going for it: David Ayer. The only director to have two entries on this list, Ayer has proven that he can balance drama and tension like none other with End of Watch and this looks even better than entry #15 Sabotage. I’m really wagering a lot on Ayer this year but I have a feeling that neither of his latests will disappoint. If End of Watch is any indication, Fury could be the sleeper hit of the year.

November 12 will see Fury rolling in.

7. Inherent Vice

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Paul Thomas Anderson. Joaquin Phoenix. Nuff said. Ok fine, I’ll go on. Even after the fuzzy disappointment that was The Master (and I’ve had enough of arguing why it was or was not a good movie), PTA will be returning to a more wacky and linear story. I started the 2009 Thomas Pynchon novel of the same name and found it a little dry and noirish for my reading taste but I can already imagine the kind of cinematic flair that PTA and Phoenix will bring to it. Needless to say, I’m confident that it’ll be a superior film experience. Although the source material suggests the story may be too pulpy for real awards consideration, could this be the film that brings Phoenix his awaited Oscar?

More 2014 films without confirmed release dates.

6. Gone Girl

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Dark, dour, depressing. The three D’s of David Fincher. But what can you expect from the man who brought us Se7en, Fight Club and Zodiac? Based on the bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl tells the tale of a woman who disappears on her wedding anniversary. Although I’m trying to go into this one with as little details as possible, the mere fact that Fincher is on the case is enough to whet my curiosity. However much next year will revolve around his Batman role, Ben Affleck will have the chance to offer a much more interesting performance here and it’ll be nice to see the man stretch his wings and step outside of his easy, breezy comfort zone.

A pre-Halloween release with an October 3 date.

5. The Grand Budapest Hotel

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I feel like I stand alone by being merely lukewarm on Wes Anderson‘s last celebrated film, Moonrise Kingdom, but I’m a staunch believer that his earlier, and more adult, work is his finest. So it’s no wonder that I silently celebrated when The Grand Budapest Hotel got a R-rating. All of Anderson’s usual quirk and OCD-level of visual detail appear to be in tow as are Anderson regulars Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Murray. This time newbies include Ralph Fiennes, in the starring role, Saoirse Ronan, Lea Seydoux, Tom Wilkinson, Harvey Keitel, and F. Murray Abraham. It really seems like Anderson can put a cast together like none other and with a cast list this stacked, you have to imagine that these actors are just lining up at the door to work with him.

In theaters March 7.

4. Chuck Hank And The San Diego Twins

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Jonathan Keevil’s debut, Bellflower, was one of the most jarring and visceral films to date and I simply could not wait to see what he did next. So when it was announced that he would write and direct what seems like a loose adaptation of Romeo & Juliet (well there’s warring families and a captured girl so pretty much…alright scrap the R & J reference) I was pretty pumped. Keevil constructed his first film with less than fifteen grand and considering that this budget is about ten times that ($150K) it puts it in a great position. Still far enough away from the mainstream to retain a wholly original flair and yet loaded enough for a little financial flexibility to do more stunts, Chuck Hank and the San Diego Twins is a definite risk pick but one I’m confident making. In Keevil’s Kickstarter campaign, he noted they needed the funds to create such awesome action sequences as: “jumping out of a helicopter”, “Molotov cocktails everywhere” and “punching a guy and he bursts into flames.” Righteous.

It seems like none of my most anticipated have release dates as this one has nothing locked down yet either.

3. Noah

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For years, Darren Aronofsky has led us on about his Noah project and finally this year we’ll see what it was he was chomping so hard at the bit about. Once Black Swan made 25 times its production budget (which for those of you don’t already know is totally insane) the folks at Paramount felt it was right to dish out the 130 million dollars Aronofsky wanted to make Noah the big budget spectacle film he always dreamed about. All evidence points to Aronofsky as a tremendous dramatic director (see Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, Black Swan) but his first “spectacle” film (The Fountain) was seen as a bit of a failure. Hopefully he’s learned from his mistakes and Noah will satisfy us on a visual and emotional level unlike anything else this year.

Storms into large format theaters on March 28.

2. Interstellar

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Speaking of spectacles, there’s no denying that Christopher Nolan is the undisputed king of the blockbuster. Forget about James Cameron, Nolan’s films have staying power and pepper coveted spots on top ten lists every year one of his films is released. Amazingly enough, Nolan’s films have the uncanny ability to attract fanboys and high-nosed film critics in equal measure and it all comes down to his ability to mesmerize an audience. Like Inception before it, Interstellar is an entirely original idea this time revolving around space travel and time warps. Of course we’re interested. Largely abandoning regulars like Christian Bale, Ken Watanbe and Cillian Murphy, Interstellar looks to a new generation of Nolanites in Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Wes Bentley, Casey Affleck, Ellen Burstyn, John Lithgow and, naturally, Michael Caine. Let’s just be honest with ourselves: there is no summer movie of 2014 that we’re anticipating more than Nolan’s.

You’ll be able to see Interstellar at the biggest screen in a 100-mile radius on November 7.

1. Boyhood

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When you think about it, it shouldn’t be a surprise that my most anticipated film of 2014 goes to Richard Linklater (whose Before Midnight was my Top Movie of 2013) but I’m willing to bet you haven’t even heard of this one. Ambitious to a fault, Boyhood has been in the making for 12 years. And by being in the making, I mean in legitimate development. As in filming for 12 years. Like Linklater’s Before series, Boyhood tracks a father’s (Ethan Hawke) relationship with his son as he grows from 6 to 18. With filming taking place for a few weeks every year, this film will not only serve as a time capsule for the ever-changing Hawke, Linklater, and newcomer Ellar Coltrane but will reflect a changing American culture in the most unaltered of ways. When asked about the film, Hawke said, “[we do] a scene with a young boy at the age of 7 when he talks about why do raccoons die, and at the age of 12 when he talks about video games, and 17 when he asks me about girls.” Essentially, the film will be like growing up all over again. As I said earlier, it’s ambitious beyond compare but I just can’t wait to see what is in store.

Of course there’s no official release date on this.

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Just to recap:

30. How to Train Your Dragon 2
29. Jupiter Ascending
28. Chef
27. Dumb and Dumber To
26. Only Lovers Left Alive
25. Wish I Was Here
24. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
23. Locke
22. Edge of Tomorrow
21. Godzilla
20. Dom Hemingway
19: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
18. X-Men: Days of Future Past
17. Exodus
16. Guardians of the Galaxy
15. Sabotage
14. Big Hero 6
13. The Raid 2: Berenthal
12. The Monument’s Men
11. Transcendence
10. Map to the Stars
10. Snowpiercer
9 Fox Catcher
7. Inherent Vice
8. Gone Girl
6. Fury
5.The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Chuck Hank And The San Diego Twins
3. Noah
2. Interstellar
1. Boyhood

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Out in Theaters: LONE SURVIVOR

by Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged , , , , , , ,

“Lone Survivor”
Directed by Peter Berg
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Eric Bana, Alexander Ludwig, Jerry Ferrara
Action, Biography, Drama
121 Mins
R 
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It’s a certifiable shame that I didn’t see Lone Survivor a few weeks ago because if I had it surely would have made it into my top five movies of the year. So while I sit here and debate whether or not to amend my list, hold onto it for next year’s crop (it opens wide today, making its inclusion in 2013 or 2014 somewhat debatable) or just silently stew about it, one thing is for certain: Lone Survivor is a great film. And no matter how much I’m kicking myself for not holding off on making my Top Ten List until I saw Lone Survivor (I had a feeling this might happen) I’m certainly glad that it was what it was. And what it was is one of the best war movies out there.

Through the thousands of war movies brought to the big screen, accounts both true to life and inventons of fiction, we’ve learned the genre is inherently difficult to pull off right. Between remaining true to the actual events, creating compelling and rich characters that all get enough screen time to make a lasting impression, and bringing a sense of gravitas and dignity to these often harrowing situation, a lot of efforts belly flop. And for good reason. War films have to be a potpourri of drama and action. We need to care for the fate of these characters and wish their well being. We must, more than anything, be absolutely invested.

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This is where Peter Berg ought to stand proud. With Lone Survivor, he’s given us a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie that’s as organic as they come; a far cry from the whitewashed hooah inlaid in many lesser band of brothers films where we only vaguely know the characters crying out for their mamas as their intestines sag from their bellies. And though we don’t spend a tremendous amount of time with each character individually, Berg, as a director and screenwriter both, gives each enough traits for us to identify with them and understand them as people, not just soldiers.

Group leader and celebrated hero Mike Murphy (Taylor Kitsch) debates buying his wife-to-be an expensive Arabian horse as a marriage present. Axe (Ben Foster) reveals he’s a rough-hewn pragmatist willing to make the hard calls. Danny (Emile Hirsch) is no newbie to war but he is very much the baby of the group and his relationship to the others is as earnest as it is heartbreaking.

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Ironically enough, it’s Mark Wahlberg‘s lone survivor, Marcus Luttrell, who is the least distinct of them all. While Foster, Kitsch, and Hirsch are busy putting in some of the best performances of their careers, Wahlberg is a step behind. And while he hardly detracts from the overall impact and certainly serves as a suitable hunk of meaty marble for the role, once again he’s the rock from which other actors vault. It’s hard to say whether Wahlberg is just an excellent go-to guy for blander role or if he is just incapable of elevating his character to a place of transcendent complexity, but even here, he’s miles away from proving he’s a “great” actor.

But even more important than the characters, Berg has created a visceral experience unlike any other. As these four brave men find themselves surrounded by death, we feel like we’re right in the shit with them. Bullets fly from behind locales, singing around their heads, sometimes meeting flesh and erupting in red burps, and the sense of confusion is almost as terrifying as the fact that they’re getting shot at and struck. It’s like we’re amongst their ranks when the camera surges back and forth, tracking where the enemy might come from next. Transportative in effect, each scene is so alive with chaos and enveloped in a sense of dread that you’ll be reaching to squeeze the armrest. A series of sequences in which our heroes take a leap of faith is so gut-wrenching that you feel each and every bump and slam they encounter on their way down a mountain side. Truly, there hasn’t been action this game-changing since Stephen Speilberg‘s Saving Private Ryan.

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Even if you’re not aware of the true story behind this tale, Berg opens the film with the aftermath of this failed Afghanistan mission. All the men are dead, save for one. But even the fact that the set-up reveals the fate of these frogmen doesn’t diminish the sense of white-knuckle stakes so much as it amplifies them. By expecting their coming demise, we know that life-and-death hangs in the balance of each instance. So as their bodies collect more and more bullets, our jaws hang as we wonder what will materialize as the ultimate deathblow.

Backed up by blinding cinematography from Tobias A. Schliessler and an agonizingly plucky score (a throwback to Berg’s Friday Night Light days) courtesy of a Steve Jablonsky, Explosions in the Sky collaboration, Lone Survivor is the closest equivalent to an artsy war film we’ve seen. Also commendable is Berg’s sensitive attention to “the other.” There is no attempt to stir the crowd into a “fuck the Taliban” frenzy. It doesn’t even feel like us vs. them. It just feels like hell.

A

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