Best Picture
1. The Grand Budapest Hotel2. Inherent Vice
3. Boyhood
4. Gone Girl
5. Foxcatcher
6. Only Lovers Left Alive
7. Nightcrawler
8. Selma
Apparently every year, AMC theaters in America does
a marathon of all the best picture nominees in one day. I would do that with
this group of films. Start with Wes Anderson’s enormously entertaining comedy
about the importance of not letting the barbarians wins with an idealistic
hero, move into Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie about a specific moment in
American history, when idealism faded into cynicism, Richard Linklater’s films
brings you back to earth a little bit its portrait of the everyday, then David
Fincher’s Gone Girl goes over the top and insane, before Bennett Miller’s
Foxcatcher is cold an subdued, then chill a little with a couple of cool
vampires in Jim Jarmursch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, before moving to a portrait
of a capitalist sociopath in Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler, before be challenged
and inspired by Ava DuVernay’s Selma. These 8 films capture why you I go to the
movies – and I can think of no better way to spend an entire day watching all 8
back to back.
Director
1.
Wes Anderson, The
Grand Budapest Hotel 2. Paul Thomas Anderson, Inherent Vice
3. Richard Linklater, Boyhood
4. David Fincher, Gone Girl
5. Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
The
two Anderson’s are clearly the best directing efforts of the year for me – they
control everything, even when they seem fairly loose. Linklater’s command in
Boyhood is looser, yet just as confident – having to do it over a 12 year span.
David Fincher goes both darker and more comedic than normal even for him – and
produces the most talked about film of the year. Bennett Miller’s complete
command of every frame, every moment is mesmerizing. I really do wish I had
more room in the top – especially for Jarmusch for Only Lovers Left Alive and
DuVernay for Selma – but I just cannot find a spot for either.
Best Actor
1.
Ralph Fiennes, The
Grand Budapest Hotel2. Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
3. Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice
4. David Oyelowo, Selma
5. Channing Tatum, Foxcatcher
For
the first time since I can remember, none of my top five became Oscar nominees
this year – though I still think I’m right. Ralph Fiennes’ concierge, Jake
Gyllenhaal’s sociopath, Joaquin Phoenix’s stoner, David Oyelowo’s leader, and
Channing Tatum’s repressed wrestler were the best performances I saw in this
category this year. I wish the Academy had realized what these actors did this
year.
Best Actress
1. Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl2. Luminita Gheorghiu, Child’s Pose
3. Anne Dorval, Mommy
4. Tilda Swinton, Only Lovers Left Alive
5. Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin
Once again, my opinion clearly didn’t match up with
the Academy this year - 1 for 5 (although, to be fair, I have not had a chance
to see Julianne Moore in Still Alice yet). Pike’s performance is the best – but
she is pushed by two unsung foreign performances as flawed mothers, Luminita
Gheorghiu in Child’s Pose and Anne Dorval in Mommy. Tilda Swinton is all cool
intelligence in Only Lovers Left Alive – a warm, humane presence in the film. Scarlett
Johansson does a brilliant job with an inhuman character. The Oscar nominated
performances are actually quite good – these are better.
Best Supporting Actor
1. J.K. Simmons, Whiplash2. Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
3. Josh Brolin, Inherent Vice
4. Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
5. Edward Norton, Birdman
I make up for
the fact that I barely had any overlap between me and the Academy in the lead
categories with having 4 out of 5 here. Simmons has dominated this category all
year for a reason – he dominates the film in a supporting role. Ruffalo is in
many ways his opposite – very quiet, but in some ways he dominates the other
characters as much as Simmons does. The lone non-nominee for me is Josh Brolin
– who brilliantly goes over the top in Inherent Vice – before bringing it back
in later scenes. Ethan Hawke is as natural as he has ever been in Boyhood. And
finally, one of the only things I liked as much about Birdman as its biggest
supporters is Edward Norton’s brilliant, hilarious performance as a full of
himself, method actor (or basically what everyone thinks Edward Norton is
really like).
Supporting Actor
1. Patricia Arquette, Boyhood2. Katherine Waterston, Inherent Vice
3. Uma Thurman, Nymphomaniac Volume I
4. Rene Russo, Nightcrawler
5. Carmen Ejogo, Selma
After agreeing
(mostly) with the Academy on supporting actor category, I go back to not seeing
eye-to-eye with them once again. Patricia Arquette is clearly the best in
Boyhood – but after that are four mainly unsung performances. Katherine
Waterston only has a few scenes in Inherent Vice – but they are the crux to the
movie. Uma Thurman delivers a one scene wonder in Nymphomaniac. Rene Russo did
get some buzz – but sadly, she didn’t get in for her great work. Finally,
Carmen Ejogo’s performance was perhaps too subtle for Academy members to notice
in Selma – but it is truly great,
Best Original Screenplay
1.
The Grand Budapest
Hotel – Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness2. Boyhood – Richard Linklater
3. Nightcrawler – Dan Gilroy
4. Foxcatcher – Dan Futterman & E. Max Frye
5. Winter Sleep – Ebru Ceylon & Nuri Bilge Ceylon
This was the
stronger of the two screenplay categories this year – yet still, The Grand
Budapest Hotel was the best by quite a bit. Linklater’s Boyhood is fine work –
built scene at a time, for 12 years. Nightcrawler has a great screenplay – the
one area the Academy recognized the great movie for. The screenplay for
Foxcatcher takes a true story, and makes it something wholly different.
Finally, there is Winter Sleep, which builds its portrait of a self-delusional
asshole, scene by scene, for three hours – including two great conversations at
their heart.
Best Adapted Screenplay
1.
Inherent Vice – Paul
Thomas Anderson2. Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
3. Enemy – Javier Gullon
4. A Most Wanted Man – Andrew Bovell
5. Whiplash – Damien Chazelle
A much weaker category than usual this year – but
the top two screenplays are as good as they get – the first where Anderson took
a nearly unadaptable book and turning it into a great movie, and Flynn
brilliantly adapting her own novel for the screen. The other three are still
strong work – adapting a Pulitzer Prize winner brilliantly, a complicated
LeCarre novel, and apparently a writers own short film. They just aren’t as
strong as normal this year.
Best Documentary
1. Life Itself 2. The Last of the Unjust
3. Citizenfour
4. 20,000 Days on Earth
5. Rich Hill
I
still need to see quite a few docs – so my ultimate opinion may change here –
but these five docs are the best of the 40 I saw this year. Still not sure how
the Academy could overlook Steve James (AGAIN), especially since his doc is
about a beloved figure in movie history. I also don’t understand why Claude
Lanzmann’s 4 hour companion piece to Shoah didn’t get more praise. Citizenfour
gives a fascinating peak at Edward Snowden, although not quite
the one the filmmakers think they are giving. I would love to see more
celebrity docs like 20,000 Days on Earth about Nick Cave. Finally, Rich Hill
gives a humane, beautiful portrait of the type of people you don’t see in
movies often enough.
Best Animated Film
1. The Lego Movie2. Song of the Sea
3. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
4. The Boxtrolls
5. Big Hero 6
The more I think about it, the stronger this category
seems to me – hell, I didn’t even have room for How to Train Your Dragon 2 –
and I really liked that movie. However, The Lego Movie was clearly the best of
the year – and its Oscar snub is kind of embarrassing. Still, I love the two
more unconventional picks – Song of the Sea and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
– they made, which are among the most beautiful animated films in recent years.
Finally, I had more fun at The Boxtrolls and Big Hero 6 then perhaps I should
have – both are amazingly well made.
Best Foreign Language
Film
1. Winter Sleep – Turkey2. Leviathan - Russia
3. Force Majeure – Sweden
4. Two Days, One Night - Belgium
5. Mommy – Canada
Honestly, this category was a little weaker than in
recent years – yet I still do love all five of these movies – this could have
been their lineup, had as all four were actually selected by their country for
this year – but they only choose Leviathan.
Best Cinematography
1.
The Grand Budapest
Hotel – Robert D. Yeoman2. Mr. Turner – Dick Pope
3. Inherent Vice – Robert Elswit
4. Birdman – Emmanuel Lubezki
5. Gone Girl – Jeff Cronenweth
This was an impossibly strong category this year. I think Yeoman`s work, on film and in different aspect ratios, in The Grand Budapest Hotel is the best of the year easily – but a case can be made for Dick Popes painterly images in Mr. Turner, or Robert Elswit's ever roaming L.A. camera work in Inherent Vice (and he could have easily been here for Nightcrawler as well). Emmanuel Lubezki's brilliant work in Birdman is as amazing as anything he has ever done. Finally, Jeff Cronenweth does so much sickeningly good work in Gone Girl it’s unbelievable. This doesn’t even mention great work by Bradford Young on Selma, or the black and white work on Ida, the great landscapes and dark interiors of Winter Sleep – and on and on and on.
Editing
1.
Boyhood 2. Whiplash
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Gone Girl
5. Selma
Boyhood really does deserve the Oscar here – editing together 12 years’ worth of footage to make one coherent narrative must have been a mammoth undertaking. The editing on Whiplash is brilliant – creating the visceral experience that it sorely needs. The Grand Budapest Hotel has a complex structure, and some great set pieces. Gone Girl creates a sickening atmosphere. Finally, Selma does great work – both on the larger set pieces and the more intimate moments.
Score
1.
Gone Girl – Trent
Reznor & Atticus Ross2. The Grand Budapest Hotel – Alexandre Desplat
3. Under the Skin – Mica Levi
4. The Guest – Steve Moore
5. Inherent Vice – Jonny Greenwood
To me, there is no better pair doing music in
movies than Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross when they collaborate with David
Fincher their work in Gone Girl is key to the whole movie, setting the
atmosphere perfectly. Alexandre Desplat’s work on The Grand Budapest Hotel is
more traditional – but brilliantly quirky, like the film itself. There may not
be more original, ear splittingly brilliant work than that of Mica Levi on
Under the Skin – the type of score that needs to be heard to be believed. Steve
Moore’s score for The Guest is a brilliant play on the scores of John Carpenter
– energetic, electronic, pulsating brilliance. Finally, Jonny Greenwood’s score
for Inherent Vice may not quite be as original or memorable as his two previous
ones for Anderson – but it’s just as brilliant, a play1970s style score.
Song
1.
The Lego Movie – Everything is Awesome2. Beyond the Lights - Masterpiece
3. Begin Again – Lost Stars
4. Selma – Glory
5. Boyhood – Ryan’s Song
It’s nearly a year later, and Everything is Awesome is
still stuck in my head – and I don’t mind. The studio didn’t submit Masterpiece
from Beyond the Lights, instead opting instead for the dull Grateful – but I
much prefer this one. Begin Again is full of great songs, but I’ll take the
conventional choice (as long as it’s not performed by Adam Levine). Glory is a powerful
song from a powerful movie. Finally, Ethan Hawke’s quiet song is devastating.
Production Design
1.
The Grand Budapest
Hotel 2. Snowpiercer
3. Mr. Turner
4. Inherent Vice
5. Only Lovers Left Alive
Nothing can
compare to the great work done on The Grand Budapest Hotel, which is some of
the best work I have ever seen. Snowpiercer creates one memorable train car
after another. Mr. Turner is great, period work – as is Inherent Vice, in a
much different era. Finally, Only Lovers Left Alive has brilliant work – and no
one seemed to notice.
Costume Design
1.
The Grand Budapest
Hotel2. Inherent Vice
3. Mr. Turner
4. Snowpiercer
5. Into the Woods
Once again,
the work on The Grand Budapest Hotel is in a class by itself. But the work on
Inherent Vice comes fairly close. Mr. Turner’s period work is excellent as
well. Snowpiercer had many original designs that suit the characters perfectly.
Finally, aside from the embarrassing work done by Johnny Depp, you cannot fault
the costumes in Into the Woods at all.
Make-Up & Hair Styling
1.
The Grand Budapest
Hotel2. Foxcatcher
3. Inherent Vice
I’m
starting to feel like a broken record, but The Grand Budapest Hotel is in a
class by itself – it could win for Tilda Swinton alone and there’s a lot of
great work throughout. Foxcatcher gets in for Steve Carrel – but there is more
work. Finally, since they specifically mention hairstyling, how do you not go
with Inherent Vice.
Sound Mixing
1.
Under the Skin 2. Godzilla
3. Whiplash
4. American Sniper
5. Fury
I
don’t think any film had as complex a sound design as Under the Skin this year
– which makes it one of the most brilliant works of the year. Godzilla had
amazing work as well – when the monster in onscreen, and perhaps even more so
when he’s not. Whiplash propulsive work is as good as that type gets. Finally,
two war movies did a great job this year – American Sniper and Fury.
Sound Editing
1.
Godzilla 2. Fury
3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
4. Interstellar
5. American Sniper
How the Academy overlooked both Godzilla and Fury this year mystifies me a little bit. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is almost as great, and Interstellar gets this part of the sound just right. Finally, American Sniper depended on its sound editing a lot – especially in that dusty battle scene near the end.
Visual Effects
1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 2. Interstellar
3. Godzilla
4. Under the Skin
5. Snowpiercer
Blockbusters always
dominate this category – and for good reason. The work on Dawn of the Planet of
the Apes is the best this year – but I think both Interstellar and Godzilla
come very close as well. Finally, two smaller movies had great work – but are
the type that will never break through. And that’s too bad.
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