February 2014 – The Reel Countdown

Posted on February 28, 2014 by mistertowle2

Best Picture

This year, one of nine nominated films will be inducted into an exclusive society of movies when it receives the Academy’s greatest honor, the Oscar for Best Picture. Some of the films that this year’s winner will be joining include Casablanca, On the Waterfront, Rocky, Schindler’s List, The Departed, Argo, and many more; needless to say, this year’s Best Picture winner will be joining an elite collection of the world’s greatest films of all time. The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Picture:

WINNER: 12 Years A Slave

2. The Wolf of Wall Street

3. American Hustle

4. Nebraska

5. Captain Phillips

6. Her

7. Philomena

8. Dallas Buyers Club

9. Gravity

Posted on February 28, 2014 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of the Year, No. 1 – 12 Years A Slave

12 Years A Slave is a film directed by Steve McQueen, with a screenplay by John Ridley. The film is adapted from Solomon Northup’s 1853 memoir of the same name. It tells the true story of when Northup was abducted and sold into slavery during the pre-Civil War era, despite the fact that he was a free man.

12 Years A Slave is an epic tale about the bitter reality of American slavery and the resilience one man had to withstand such brutal obstacles in order to one day reach his family again. I have heard many great things about Steve McQueen’s filmmaking abilities, but prior to 12 Years A Slave, I had never personally seen any of his work. But based purely on his effort here, the British director has made me a dedicated believer in his talented artistry. The subject of slavery in America has never been displayed on the silver screen before in such a straightforward, viciously honest nature, and when asked in an interview with Entertainment Weekly why there have not been more films in America about slavery, McQueen responded, “it’s a question it took a Brit to ask.” McQueen gives Solomon Northup’s story justice on the screen and not by sugarcoating any part of this heroic story—he is candid at all times, no matter how atrocious the circumstances are. McQueen has created one of the greatest films of all time, and this is the first time since The King’s Speech won for Best Picture that I have so deeply believed that a film deserves the Academy’s most coveted award.

This epic tale is packed with astoundingly crafted acting performances, and this is just another reason why 12 Years A Slave stands tall among the rest of 2013’s cinematic exports. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup, and his take on the real-life man is viscerally remarkable. There are some horrifying scenes involving Ejiofor’s character, but he handles them with an experienced level of dignity. Ejiofor admitted in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he found the most brutal scenes the easiest to perform because “it allows for another level of legitimacy in the pursuit of someone’s story, somebody’s life.” Ejiofor devoted the time and effort in preparing for this role with commitment and resolve, and for that, the story of Solomon Northup receives the respected amount of attention that it deserves.

Lupita Nyong’o also gave one of the most incredible performances of the entire year in her portrayal of Patsey, an iron-willed slave woman. Her character is one of the more innocent figures in the film, but she has some of the harshest realities of pre-Civil War slavery, namely the sexual sadism she is subjected to from her slave owner. Nyong’o is a newcomer in Hollywood, but the performance she gives is more analogous to a veteran performer on the verge of a Lifetime Achievement award. Her wisdom in terms of acting is beyond her years, and in this film, she gives a performance that will long be remembered as one of the best 2013 had to offer. With every crack of the whip during her gruesome beating scene, Lupita Nyong’o becomes immersed even deeper into her character, and even though the scene is one of the hardest to watch, her realism knocks it out of the park.

The film’s other actors also give outstanding supporting performances, especially Paul Dano and Sarah Paulson. But aside from Ejiofor and Nyong’o, no performance is more memorable than Michael Fassbender as the vicious slave-owner, Edwin Epps. At first glance, the character seems blandly one-dimensional, but Fassbender’s exhaustive construction of the character brings out so many other previously unearthed qualities. Ever since I first saw Fassbender in Inglourious Basterds, I knew he had a unique gift in regards to acting, but never before has he been so instinctive and appalling as he is in 12 Years A Slave. If any other skilled actor were to take on the role of Epps, the film would probably still be a solid “A.” But Fassbender’s terrific performance takes this movie to another level, and McQueen is most assuredly thankful for this collaboration.

All in all, this film is by far the best of the entire year. It touches every single emotion a viewer could possibly have, and the acting is something to behold. McQueen has beautifully created one of the most important films of modern cinema, and for that, it deserves every single honor available in this industry. 12 Years A Slave is rated R for violence/cruelty, some nudity, and brief sexuality.

12 Years A Slave trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z02Ie8wKKRg

Academy Award nominations for 12 Years A Slave:

Best Picture (Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen, and Anthony Katagas, Producers)

Best Actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor)

Best Supporting Actor (Michael Fassbender)

Best Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong’o)

Best Costume Design (Patricia Norris)

Best Director (Steve McQueen)

Best Film Editing (Joe Walker)

Best Production Design (Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Alice Baker)

Best Adapted Screenplay (John Ridley)

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of the Year:

2. Short Term 12

3. The Hunt

4. Frances Ha

5. The Wolf of Wall Street

6. The World’s End

7. American Hustle

8. The Spectacular Now

9. Nebraska

10. Captain Phillips

11. Her

12. Philomena

13. Fruitvale Station

14. The Place Beyond the Pines

15. Dallas Buyers Club

Posted on February 28, 2014 by mistertowle2

Best Director

This year, there is a broad range of Oscars experience within the group of directors nominated in this category. Two directors have been previously nominated twice each for Best Director, while two others are receiving their first nomination in this category. The last one is Martin Scorsese—the veteran filmmaker has been previously nominated seven times! The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Director:

WINNER: Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave)

In 12 Years A Slave, Steve McQueen has created one of the greatest films of all time. He is an absolute master of his craft, and after critically acclaimed directorial efforts in Hunger (2008) and Shame (2011), he has returned with a true tour de force. The 44-year-old British director has taken a brutally pragmatic perspective on a true story set in one of the harshest periods of American history, but his effort is commendable and exceptional. Even though at times this movie is difficult to watch, given the ruthless behavior by many of the slave-owners, it is honest and emotionally impacting, and McQueen has created one of the more important films of our generation. Steve McQueen has never previously been nominated for Best Director.

2. Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)

To put in straightforwardly, I will watch anything Martin Scorsese makes. I have been a fan of his work for as many years as I have been passionately watching movies, and The Wolf of Wall Street ranks right up with the greatest titles on his distinguished filmography. One of my favorite Scorsese flicks is Goodfellas (1990), and The Wolf of Wall Street shares so many brilliant characteristics with that classic film. Here, the 71-year-old director packs in more sex, drugs, and crime than any 3-hour film could possibly hold, but somehow, it works. I credit this to the wealth of veteran experience Scorsese has in this business. Although I am not quite prepared to put The Wolf of Wall Street above the likes of Goodfellas or The Departed (2006), Scorsese has nonetheless created another cinematic masterpiece. Martin Scorsese has been previously nominated for Best Director seven times, winning his only Oscar in this category for 2006’s The Departed.

3. David O. Russell (American Hustle)

Just one year after directing Silver Linings Playbook, my favorite film of 2012, David O. Russell is back with another fantastic movie in American Hustle. This is Russell’s third trip to the Oscars in the past four years, and this says a lot about where he is as a filmmaker. He is one of the most renowned directors in the business, and he is rapidly becoming one of my favorite filmmakers. Even though American Hustle is a magnificent film, I still think The Fighter (2010) and Silver Linings Playbook (2012) were better movies overall; however, this is not a negative reflection on David O. Russell because it shows how dominant his work has been in recent memory. David O. Russell was previously nominated for Best Director for both The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook.

4. Alexander Payne (Nebraska)

Similarly to David O. Russell, Alexander Payne is becoming a director that I very much enjoy. I have only seen two of his films, Election (1999) and The Descendants (2011), but they are each two of my favorites. I was beyond pleased with Nebraska when I saw it in theaters, and even though it seems quite different than his other films, it is stimulating in many distinctive ways. Although it does not appear Payne will come close to winning the Oscar this year, he has still made a movie that I will enjoy watching over and over again in the future. Alexander Payne was previously nominated for Best Director for his work on Sideways (2004) and The Descendants (2011).

5. Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)

I will try not to waste much precious space discussing Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity. How on earth it has received so many Oscar nominations and award wins this season will continue to baffle me until the day I die. Maybe the voters are smitten with the film in the way they were with Avatar (2009), but I do not believe a film should garner this much critical respect just because it “looks good.” Both the acting and the plot are non-existent, and even though Cuarón has made a beautiful-looking movie, it is nothing more than a façade for a TERRIBLE work of cinema. Cuarón has never previously been nominated for an Oscar.

Posted on February 28, 2014 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of the Year, No. 2 – Short Term 12

Short Term 12 is a film written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The film tells the story of Grace (Brie Larson), a twenty-something supervisor at a short-term foster facility for at-risk teenagers called Short Term 12. On a daily basis, Grace fraternizes with her fellow counselors, breaks up fights between kids in her charge, helps talk kids through their many problems, but most of all, positively impacts each and every foster kid’s life in such a spectacular way.

A creator of mostly short films, Destin Daniel Cretton has completely broken out and created one of the most touching stories you will ever come across in modern cinema. This film was based off of a short film he completed for his senior project while in film school, and it is his passion for this narrative that exemplifies itself on the screen so superbly. Each character in the film has a very different story to tell, but in so many ways, they are all the same—Cretton’s marvelous script gives each of these characters a voice, and they are all written with veteran elegance.

The best part of this well-crafted independent film is Brie Larson’s breakout performance as Grace. She has become somewhat better known thanks to supporting roles in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), 21 Jump Street (2012), and The Spectacular Now (2013), but Larson fully releases herself into this lead role, and the results are absolutely, unequivocally astonishing. Larson’s performance is so incredibly transparent, and even though I was aware of her, I completely lost sight of the fact that it was actually Larson on the screen—her immersion into the character is that good. The character is much more complex than initially meets the eye, and the emotionally wrenching circumstances of Grace’s life are epitomized by Larson’s award-worthy character construction. It is sheer acting talent on display in Short Term 12, and it makes me very excited about what Larson will continue bringing to the table in films to come.

Aside from Larson’s breakout role, the film features two utterly amazing supporting performances from Kaitlyn Dever as Jayden and Keith Stanfield as Marcus, two teens housed at Short Term 12. Dever has previously played supporting parts in Bad Teacher (2011) and The Spectacular Now (2013), but her portrayal of the complicated Jayden in Short Term 12 is mind-boggling, considering she is just 17-years-old. Even though her exterior is that of a punk, dismissive girl, the film reveals how her inner anger and heart breaking past threaten Jayden’s survival; Dever plays this convoluted character to a tee.

Keith Stanfield also gives a menacing performance as the about-to-graduate Marcus, a 17-year-old with the epitome of a troubled past. Stanfield does an excellent job of delineating his character’s emotional roller-coaster ride at Short Term 12, and this gripping portrayal made Marcus one of the most intriguing characters from the film. My favorite scene from the entire movie was when Marcus performs a rap song he wrote about his mother. The song is crude, profane, and angry, but with every despicable insult about his mother, you begin to empathize with Marcus for the harsh life his mother forced him to live—it is a breathtaking moment, and it is just one example of the subtle way Short Term 12 takes you into the delicate minds of its characters. Short Term 12 is rated R for language and brief sexuality.

Short Term 12 trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8QxAYxNRgs

Academy Award nominations for Short Term 12:

NONE

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of the Year:

3. The Hunt

4. Frances Ha

5. The Wolf of Wall Street

6. The World’s End

7. American Hustle

8. The Spectacular Now

9. Nebraska

10. Captain Phillips

11. Her

12. Philomena

13. Fruitvale Station

14. The Place Beyond the Pines

15. Dallas Buyers Club

Posted on February 27, 2014May 10, 2014 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of the Year, No. 3 – The Hunt

The Hunt is a Danish film directed by Thomas Vinterberg, with a screenplay co-written by Vinterberg and Tobias Lindholm. The film tells the story of Lucas, a former teacher who is trying to get his life back on track after a divorce. Lucas’s life is flipped upside down, though, when he is wrongfully accused of sexually molesting a child at the local kindergarten. When this nasty rumor is started, it sends the entire village into mass hysteria, and Lucas rapidly becomes the subject of everyone’s disparagement.

After hearing about this movie from a weekly film podcast I listen to, I became fascinated with the subject matter of the film, and thus, I had to see it. Upon the first viewing, I was blown away. From the moment the horrifying rumor is first started by a young schoolgirl, the film promptly shifts from festive and exultant to tense and shocking. Vinterberg’s cinematic style is truly captivating, and he expounds upon this contentious subject matter through subtle nuances and forthright passion. For the viewer, the story seems so utterly definite and concrete, but Vinterberg deliberately delineates this complex narrative with a remarkable sense of ambiguity—you will definitely be watching some scenes through your hands as the plot grows thicker and thicker with intensity.

Despite the impeccable script and alluring filmmaking, the film would not be the success that it is without extraordinary acting, and in The Hunt, Mads Mikkelsen leads the way with a transfixing portrayal of the scorned Lucas. Even though Mikkelsen is an established Danish actor, he is well known in the States as well, thanks to his role as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale (2006) and his portrayal of the titular character in NBC’s Hannibal TV series. The performance Mikkelsen gives in The Hunt is truly spectacular, and I believe his gripping depiction of a man ostracized by his tight-knit community over a false rumor was clearly one of the year’s best. Lucas’s life and his dignity are on the line with every move he makes, and Mikkelsen depicts this solitude in such a competent manner. At times, Lucas is calm and relaxed because he knows that he has done nothing wrong, but at other moments, he lets his anger get the best of him as members of the community protest his existence. Two scenes that most elucidate the tense social extradition of Lucas are his confrontation with a series of grocery store employees and his outburst at the Christmas Eve church service—as the latter scene commenced, my eyes opened wide with anticipation and fear.

If you have not seen this film yet, I cannot recommend it to you enough. It will be one of the tensest movie-watching experiences you will ever have, that much I can guarantee. I know a number of people do not enjoy watching films with subtitles, but honestly, this film is so incredibly well executed that you will forget all about the movie being in Danish by the time the plot starts to coagulate. To put it simply, this is a film that you flat-out do not want to miss. The Hunt is rated R for sexual content including a graphic image, violence, and language.

The Hunt trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK9cO7QN8Ak

Academy Award nominations for The Hunt:

Best Foreign Language Film (Denmark – The Hunt)

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of the Year:

4. Frances Ha

5. The Wolf of Wall Street

6. The World’s End

7. American Hustle

8. The Spectacular Now

9. Nebraska

10. Captain Phillips

11. Her

12. Philomena

13. Fruitvale Station

14. The Place Beyond the Pines

15. Dallas Buyers Club

Posted on February 26, 2014 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of the Year, No. 4 – Frances Ha

Frances Ha is a film directed by Noah Baumbach, with a screenplay written by Baumbach and Greta Gerwig. The movie is a character study about Frances (Greta Gerwig), an aspiring dancer in New York City who must learn to live her life independently of her best friend Sophie (Mickey Summer), who decides at the beginning of the film to move in with her own boyfriend. Frances encounters a variety of life-impacting obstacles, but her constant joy and cheerfulness allows her to keep striving for her dreams, despite the many hardships she faces.

This is my first encounter with director Noah Baumbach, but after seeing the film, I want to make sure it is not my last. Ranking this film so high on my list is definitely a hipster move, but the first time I watched Frances Ha, I was thoroughly impressed with the work. Baumbach and his leading lady Greta Gerwig wrote one of the funniest scripts of the entire year, although it strikes the comedic chords in such a subtle, but entertaining manner. I enjoyed following Frances through the city as she attempted to make something of her life, and with the passing of every moment, I began to like her more and more. I credit this to a wonderfully developed screenplay.

Speaking of Greta Gerwig, she does a phenomenal job as Frances. The character represents the epitome of awkwardness, but her clumsiness is so quirky and innocent. Frances is a complicated character, never seeming too high or too low at any given moment, but Gerwig’s innate charisma allows the brightest characteristics of Frances to constantly shine through. Frances is a careless individual, and this is exemplified in a scene where she travels to Paris by charging the flight to a credit card that she knows she does not have the funds to pay for—Frances does what she wants but always regrets her decisions when the consequences come calling. Her journey throughout the film is characterized by her relationship with her best friend Sophie and the way in which that friendship becomes strained after Sophie moves in with her boyfriend. Frances has never learned to live an independent life, and her constant money problems and failed romantic relationships (one friend continually refers to Frances as “undateable”) seem to be a direct result of her disconnect with Sophie.

This film has a lot less to say about it than most of the films on my year-end list, but that is because it is so incredibly simple. This utter simplicity is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much, and it is one that I would not mind watching a hundred times over. Frances Ha is rated R for sexual references and language.

Frances Ha trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBn5dgXFMis

Academy Award nominations for Frances Ha:

NONE

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of the Year:

5. The Wolf of Wall Street

6. The World’s End

7. American Hustle

8. The Spectacular Now

9. Nebraska

10. Captain Phillips

11. Her

12. Philomena

13. Fruitvale Station

14. The Place Beyond the Pines

15. Dallas Buyers Club

Posted on February 26, 2014 by mistertowle2

Best Actor

This year, the Best Actress category features a group of fantastic performers with a combined 33 previous Oscar nominations. On the contrary, this group of Best Actor nominees features five well-known actors that have not been so abundantly recognized by the Academy. Between the five, there is only one Oscar win on a combined five nominations. The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Actor:

WINNER: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

In Dallas Buyers Club, Matthew McConaughey plays the real-life Ron Woodruff, an overtly homophobic man from Texas that begins smuggling life-saving drugs into the United States after he is shockingly diagnosed with AIDS. As many of you already know, McConaughey is receiving a wide range of attention for his role in Dallas Buyers Club, partly because of the physical transformation that took place—the 44-year-old actor dropped a staggering 47 pounds. Even though this weight loss makes McConaughey closely resemble an AIDS patient from the late 1980s, it is his impeccable acting in this film that warrants his place at the top of my list. Given his Texas roots, he always plays the Texan role with ease, but in this film, he takes on a part that is not your typical Southern gentleman. The performance he gives is bold, empowering, and utterly heart-wrenching, and in a year where he had critically-recognized performances in Mud and The Wolf of Wall Street, he stands alone at the top of the acting world thanks to an amazing portrayal of a man on the brink of death. Matthew McConaughey has never previously been nominated for an Academy Award.

2. Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave)

In 12 Years A Slave, Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the real-life Solomon Northup, a renowned Northern-born violinist that is abducted and sold into slavery during the pre-Civil War era. The story of Solomon Northup is incredibly heartbreaking, but Ejiofor gives the tragic story the justice it most definitely deserves. With every passing moment throughout the film, the tale seems to get worse and worse for the distinguished Solomon Northup, and in every single scene, Ejiofor gives his heart and soul to the character, evoking a wealth of emotions in the minds of each viewer. If it were not for a career-defining performance from McConaughey, Ejiofor would be far and away above the rest of the acting performances this year, and 12 Years A Slave is forever indebted to this awe-inspiring portrayal by Ejiofor of the resilient Solomon Northup. Chiwetel Ejiofor has never previously been nominated for an Academy Award.

3. Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)

In The Wolf of Wall Street, Leonard DiCaprio portrays the real-life Jordan Belfort, a greedy stockbroker who took Wall Street by storm in the late 1980s through sex, drugs, and securities fraud. This film was definitely one of the most wild and crazy movie experiences of 2013, and the way in which DiCaprio engrossed himself so deeply into this despicable role is absolutely incredible. A year after staring in Django Unchained, Leo has again taken on a character with a serious lacking for any moral integrity, and once again, the results were certainly extraordinary. Even though I think this is one of his most thorough and well-crafted acting performances of his dignified career, I do not believe it is enough to outshine both McConaughey and Ejiofor. DiCaprio has previously been nominated for three acting Oscars, the most recent nomination being for Best Actor for his role in Blood Diamond (2007).

4. Christian Bale (American Hustle)

In American Hustle, Christian Bale plays Irving Rosenfeld, an intelligent con artist who is forced into working alongside the FBI to take down a group of corrupt politicians. Christian Bale has a long history of outstanding performances, and this role can be added to his long list of acclaimed portrayals. It would be easy to talk about the incredible acting abilities Bale elicits on the screen in American Hustle, but one thing not receiving as much attention is his very own physical transformation for the part. Similar to McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club, Bale has lost a significant amount of weight for a role twice in the past: he lost over 60 pounds for his role in The Machinist (2004) and lost a substantial amount of weight for The Fighter (2010). However, in American Hustle, Bale went backwards, gaining 50 pounds for his role as Irving. This transformation was unbelievable, leaving Bale nearly unrecognizable for the duration of the film. Christian Bale was previously nominated and won Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Fighter (2010).

5. Bruce Dern (Nebraska)

In Nebraska, Bruce Dern plays Woody Grant, an old man who, after receiving a certificate in the mail saying he has won $1 million, embarks on a trip with his son from Montana to Nebraska to claim the prize. Bruce Dern’s portrayal of Woody is one of the highlights from Alexander Payne’s most recent film, and I could not imagine any other old actor playing this role. Dern utilizes his sprawling acting talents, made up from over fifty years of film experience, to take this character on in a manner that is more than award-worthy. Woody is a simple man, and Dern plays those characteristics to a tee, adding in some hilarious, witty dialogue along the way. In most years, a performance like this would garner a much higher ranking on my list, but this year, Dern is at a disadvantage because of four other unimpeachable performances. Bruce Dern was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Coming Home (1978).

Actresses snubbed in this category: Bradley Cooper (The Place Beyond the Pines), Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips), Hugh Jackman (Prisoners), Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station), Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt), and Joaquin Phoenix (Her)

Posted on February 26, 2014 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of the Year, No. 5 – The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street is a film directed by Martin Scorsese, with a screenplay written by Terence Winter. The film tells the true-life story of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a New York stockbroker in the late 1980s who makes a rapid rise to Wall Street royalty with the founding of his brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmont. However, Belfort reaches this skyscraper affluence through greed, corruption, and downright illegalities. Before long, the entire world comes crashing down on Belfort and his securities fraud posse.

Martin Scorsese is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and over the years, he has particularly become the king of mob movies. Between Goodfellas and The Departed, two of my all-time favorite films, Scorsese has developed a top-flight reputation in this genre. In The Wolf of Wall Street, he adds to his decorous list of accomplishments a film with more sex, drugs, and crime (the white-collar variety, mostly) than any of his before. The film itself has been on the receiving end of a wide assortment of controversies, ranging from complaints about his glorification of such a dreadful subject matter to uproars about the excessive nudity and foul language. For me personally, none of those things bothered me one bit when I watched this movie in theaters—in fact, I went back and saw it a second time! In many films, the overload of sex, drugs, and F-bombs might be too overzealous, but Scorsese makes it work. He does not include sex and nudity just to include sex and nudity; Scorsese meticulously weaves these elements into the story to advance the plot and make the film more realistic. For that, I will never bat an eye.

Every single actor throughout the entire movie gives a well-crafted performance, and this greatly benefits the fluidity of the film. Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of the grandest performances of his entire career as Jordan Belfort, and I was utterly pleased to see him receive some Oscar recognition. This is Leo’s fifth collaboration with Scorsese, beginning with Gangs of New York in 2002, and their partnership is one of the best in the business. DiCaprio is an insanely talented actor, but his best work always seems to come out of Scorsese flicks, and his portrayal of the drug/money-addicted Belfort is absolutely astounding, in all the best ways. My favorite scene from the entire film features Leo high on Quaaludes attempting to reach his car from the country club doors—if you have not seen this film, this scene alone makes it worth the watch. Jonah Hill also gives a wonderful performance, and even though he broke out in the Oscar world with 2011’s Moneyball, this is by far the best job Hill has ever done in a film. In many interviews, Hill credits this as his dream role because his favorite actor is Leo and his favorite director is Scorsese; however, he never seems star struck on the screen, and his portrayal of Donnie Azoff is absolutely hilarious and riveting.

The hidden gem in this movie is the breakout supporting performance by newcomer Margot Robbie as Belfort’s wife Naomi. Robbie, an Australian native, absolutely nails the Brooklyn accent, and if you had no clue of her Aussie roots, you would NEVER believe she was not from New York—her accent is THAT good. Aside from the accent, Robbie gives a stellar performance, and I hope to see a lot more from her in the near future.

Terence Winter took the wild and outlandish true story of Jordan Belfort’s rise to the pinnacle of Wall Street and turned it into one of the finest screenplays of 2013. Winter’s incredible script, along with Scorsese’s genius filmmaking and the ensemble cast’s award-worthy performances, has made The Wolf of Wall Street one of 2013’s finest exports. The Wolf of Wall Street is rated R for sequences of strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language throughout, and for some violence.

The Wolf of Wall Street trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iszwuX1AK6A

Academy Award nominations for The Wolf of Wall Street:

Best Picture (Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joey McFarland, and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers)

Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio)

Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill)

Best Director (Martin Scorsese)

Best Adapted Screenplay (Terence Winter)

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of the Year:

6. The World’s End

7. American Hustle

8. The Spectacular Now

9. Nebraska

10. Captain Phillips

11. Her

12. Philomena

13. Fruitvale Station

14. The Place Beyond the Pines

15. Dallas Buyers Club

Posted on February 25, 2014 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of the Year, No. 6 – The World’s End

The World’s End is a film directed by Edgar Wright, with a screenplay co-written by Wright and Simon Pegg. The film is about a group of friends that return back to their hometown to attempt an epic pub-crawl. The trip includes visits to twelve bars in town, culminating with a beer at the final bar, The World’s End. However, on their drunken journey, the group encounters some peculiar townspeople—in fact, the town has predominantly become blue-blooded robot-like aliens. The five friends must then battle it out with these mysterious beings, all the while saving each other in the process.

The World’s End is the third film in Edgar Wright’s “Three Flavours Cornetto” trilogy, following Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007). This fall, I watched the previous two films in Wright’s trilogy for the very first time, and I instantly fell in love with these movies. Needless to say, I was expecting big things from his most recent effort, The World’s End. This script, co-written by Wright and leading man Simon Pegg, was insanely hilarious, and it built upon everything that made each of the first two films uproarious. British humor is starkly different than traditional American humor, and because of this, American audiences do not always find British films earth-shattering on our own Richter scale of comedy; however, Wright and Pegg have continued writing these screenplays in a way that appeals to all audiences, so if you are interested in a drop-dead, side-splitting alien invasion featuring more beer than you know what to do with, then this film is for you.

Simon Pegg stars as Gary King, a recovering drug addict that simply has not let the past go. He and his friends failed the epic pub-crawl many years before, and he is determined to get the gang back together to finally complete their mission. Unfortunately, Gary’s friends all have established careers and are not initially into the idea of joining him on this trip back to their hometown, mainly because Gary is a disease that they prefer steering clear from. A hilarious cast joins Pegg as his gang of reluctant cohorts: Paddy Considine as Steven, Martin Freeman as Oliver, Eddie Marsan as Peter, and Nick Frost as Gary’s former best friend Andy. Nick Frost and Simon Pegg have a long history together in their film careers, including co-starring together in each of Edgar Wright’s “Three Flavours Cornetto” movies, and their chemistry clearly makes this project even better.

In a year packed with films about apocalyptic-like events, The World’s End is by far the best one. It takes such a unique perspective on the genre, and it is made with a renowned filmmaking style and an incredibly amusing script. The World’s End is rated R for pervasive language including sexual references.

The World’s End trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFo7eJR2cvc

Academy Award nominations for The World’s End:

NONE

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of the Year:

7. American Hustle

8. The Spectacular Now

9. Nebraska

10. Captain Phillips

11. Her

12. Philomena

13. Fruitvale Station

14. The Place Beyond the Pines

15. Dallas Buyers Club

Posted on February 25, 2014 by mistertowle2

Best Actress

This year, the Best Actress category is absolutely packed with Oscar royalty. These five women have combined for a previous 33 Academy Award nominations in both the Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress categories. The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Actress:

WINNER: Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

In August: Osage County, Meryl Streep plays Violet Weston, the matriarch of a dysfunctional family in northeastern Oklahoma. I have long believed that Meryl Streep is the greatest actress in the history of cinema, and even though Cate Blanchett is receiving all of the hype this awards season, Meryl Streep turned in a performance for the ages. She plays a very complex, narcotics-addicted, cancer-ridden woman on the brink of all-out emotional breakdown, and only Streep could dominate a role like this. From the scenes in which she is filled with pill-induced rage to the scenes of bitter heartbreak as she loses her husband, Violet permeates the screen in a way that makes you feel so deeply empathetic, and this is all due to an utterly amazing performance by Hollywood’s leading lady. Meryl Streep has been previously nominated a record seventeen times in acting categories at the Oscars, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Kramer v. Kramer (1979) and for Best Actress in Sophie’s Choice (1982) and The Iron Lady (2011).

2. Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

In Blue Jasmine, Cate Blanchett plays the title role of Jasmine Francis, a former socialite that is now forced to live with her middle-class sister in San Francisco after her husband is indicted in a pyramid scheme. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Woody Allen is the king of obsession in cinema, and in Jasmine, he has created his most neurotic character to date. Blanchett is an amazingly talented actress with a distinguished filmography, but I simply could not see her owning a role like this; therefore, I was pleasantly surprised to see that she absolutely, unequivocally dominated this performance inside and out. Blanchett has already swept this category at nearly every award show, including the BAFTAs and Golden Globes, and rightfully so—her performance was probably the best of her career, and she is more than deserving of this critical acclaim. Cate Blanchett was previously nominated for five Oscars, winning for Best Supporting Actress for The Aviator (2004).

3. Amy Adams (American Hustle)

In American Hustle, Amy Adams plays the confounding Sydney Prosser/Lady Edith Greensly, the mistress and business partner of con man Irving Rosenfeld. I have been an avid fan of Adams’s work over the course of her quietly dignified career, and this performance is probably my second favorite, right behind her portrayal of Sister James in Doubt (2008). Adams’s character in this film is miserable, but beautiful; she’s uncanny, but vibrant. Needless to say, this is one of Amy Adams’s most complex roles of her career, but she uses the intricacies of her polished artsmanship to create a memorable character that dazzles in the wild world of the 1970s. Amy Adams has previously been nominated for four Oscars, most recently for Best Supporting Actress in The Master (2012).

4. Judi Dench (Philomena)

In Philomena, Dame Judi Dench plays the real-life title character, Philomena Lee, a woman searching for her long lost son who was taken from her fifty years ago. Not too many actresses still working today can attest to a more illustrious filmography than Judi Dench, and just when you thought she could not turn up the volume for another Oscar-worthy performance, she does it. The story surrounding this film is incredibly heart wrenching, but Dench took on the role with a remarkable amount of poise. When she needs to be funny, she can be downright hilarious, and when she needs to show dramatic emotion, she collapses with tears—Dench is a master of her craft, and she expounds upon this skill in the most beautifully administered way in Philomena. Dench has previously been nominated for six Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love (1998).

5. Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

In Gravity, Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a Mission Specialist on her first mission in outer space. I apologize to anyone who enjoyed this film and/or Bullock’s performance, but it is about to get extremely brutal in this post. Gravity was one of the most over-hyped films of the year, and sadly, Alfonso Cuarón will probably win tons and tons of Oscars for this movie. Yes, it was incredibly beautiful, but there was absolutely no storyline of any substance. Also, I am appalled that Bullock is nominated this year. Yes, she has become a great actress over the past few years, but this nomination is an utter joke in my opinion. She floats around in space for an hour and a half—how that is worthy of an Oscar nod is clearly beyond my own understanding. For the first time in a long time, I am overtly disappointed in one of the Academy’s nominations. Sandra Bullock was previously nominated and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Blind Side (2009).

Actresses snubbed in this category: Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha), Brie Larson (Short Term 12), and Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks)