The Reel Countdown

Posted on February 14, 2015February 16, 2015 by mistertowle2

Best Supporting Actor

This year’s category features five very familiar faces. Other than the veteran Robert Duvall (receiving his sixth Oscar nomination), the other four men have varying experience at the Academy Awards, escalating from zero previous nominations (J.K. Simmons) to one (Mark Ruffalo) to two (Edward Norton) and to three (Ethan Hawke; only one previous acting nomination). The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

WINNER: J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

In my opinion, J.K. Simmons delivered the most extraordinary acting performance of any kind in 2014. I have been eagerly awaiting the release of my “Best Supporting Actor” ballot simply because of Simmons’s tour de force in Whiplash as Terence Fletcher, the conductor of New York’s most prestigious music school. Fletcher is totalitarian, bullying, and without any charismatic quality, and Simmons breaks free from his seemingly charming persona (as depicted in most of his films) to breathe life into this despotic conductor—for the sake of cinema, Simmons thrives in this newfound “asshole” role. Never once did I say, “I just cannot buy into Simmons as this tormenting, crass character,” which would be easy to do considering he is the Farmers Insurance guy. From the moment Fletcher stepped into his first scene, I was completely on board with Simmons’s harrowing portrayal. He owns every single scene that he is featured in, and I would watch Whiplash (an absolutely spellbinding film unto itself) over and over again just to see Simmons. His terrifying nature in this film had me on the edge of my seat, and this is almost exclusively due to one of the best acting performances of the past decade. Simmons has never previously been nominated for an Academy Award.

Edward Norton (Birdman)

In Birdman, Edward Norton plays Mike Shiner, a volatile method actor that is hired at the last minute to play a key role in failing actor Riggan Thompson’s Broadway adaptation of Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. This movie is about as odd as it gets, but it succeeds in more ways than one—one of those ways is via Norton’s hilarious performance. Shiner is one of the cockiest SOBs you will ever see on the big screen, and Norton delivers this not-so-subtle swagger with ostentatious vigor. Some of the film’s most hilarious scenes are a result of Norton’s spirited performance. During the Broadway show’s preview before opening night, Shiner gets so “method” that he actually gets drunk (his character is seen drinking alcohol in this particular scene) and embarks on an inebriated rant in front of the crowd. In another scene, he is supposed to be pretending to engage in “coitus” with Naomi Watts’s character, but instead of “acting,” Shiner attempts to actually have intercourse with her on stage. These scenes are downright hilarious, and Edward Norton’s performance is spot-on. With a long career featuring amazing performances, this is by far one of his best. Norton was previously nominated for Best Actor for Primal Fear (1996) and for Best Supporting Actor for American History X (1998).

Robert Duvall (The Judge)

In The Judge, Robert Duvall portrays the titular “judge.” Judge Joseph Palmer, a respected man in a small town, is thrust into a nightmarish whirlwind as he is arrested and charged with murder. Robert Duvall is clearly one of Hollywood’s most enduring performers, and with a career (spanning over 50 years) full of memorable roles, the 84-year-old veteran adds another spectacular performance to his already incredible filmography. Judge Palmer is a complicated character. He has just lost his wife, is suspected of murdering a local man, and is battling illness—this is by far the most trying time in his life. I could not imagine anyone else making this performance work as well as Duvall. In recent years, he always plays the smart-mouth, grumpy character well, but it is in the most emotional of Judge Palmer’s scenes that Duvall most flourishes. I was not a massive fan of this movie, but I was more than impressed by the way Duvall carried the story throughout. Robert Duvall has been previously nominated five times in acting categories at the Oscars, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for Tender Mercies (1983).

Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)

In Foxcatcher, Mark Ruffalo plays the real-life Olympic champion Dave Schultz. I enjoyed Foxcatcher (not as much as I was hoping for, though), and it is most due to the remarkable acting performances from Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo. Carell plays the consistently mysterious and disturbing John du Pont and Tatum plays the macho, but unassuming Mark Schultz; however, the most intriguing character is Dave Schultz. He is by far the most levelheaded of the film’s main cast, and Ruffalo portrays the character amazingly. According to Ruffalo in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the physical and emotional preparation for Foxcatcher was intense: “I’ve never done anything harder in my life[.] I’ve never been pushed more. It was literally blood, sweat, and tears on this movie. Every part of it.” In some of the most vexing scenes of this movie, it is Ruffalo who delivers the most truthful of performances, and it is part of the reason Foxcatcher is so good from an acting standpoint. Ruffalo was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 2010’s The Kids Are All Right.

Ethan Hawke (Boyhood)

In Richard Linklater’s 12-year epic Boyhood, Ethan Hawke portrays Mason, the divorced father of Samantha and Mason, Jr. Boyhood is an unbelievable film, but I have Hawke in last place in this category because I do not agree with his nomination. Yes, he gives a great performance, but it was nothing memorable in my opinion—he is merely serviceable in his role. Fresh off of his Oscar nomination for 2001’s Training Day, Hawke’s performance in those initial scenes (filmed first back in 2002) is stellar. He is everything you would expect from an Oscar nominee. However, like his acting career since 2002, his performance seems to go downhill throughout the rest of the film. It never borders on a “bad” performance, but it is not anything that sticks out as Oscar-worthy. He seems like he is just playing Ethan Hawke, which is not compelling enough for me to believe his inclusion in this category is justified. Although Hawke has received two Oscar nominations for screenwriting, his only previous nomination in an acting category was for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Training Day (2001).

Actors snubbed in this category: Shia LaBeouf (Fury), Jon Bernthal (Fury) Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler), Ben Mendelsohn (Starred Up), and Chris O’Dowd (Calvary)

Posted on February 14, 2015 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of 2014, No. 6 – Boyhood

Boyhood is a drama written and directed by Richard Linklater. Filmed over a 12-year period, Boyhood charts the physical and emotion growth of Mason (Ellar Coltrane), a young boy growing up with divorced parents.

Boyhood is a masterpiece. Hands down. The incredible feat that Richard Linklater achieved in creating this film is astounding, to say the least. After assembling his main cast (Ellar Coltrane as Mason, Jr., Lorelei Linklater as Samantha, Patricia Arquette as Olivia, and Ethan Hawke as Mason, Sr.), Linklater proceeded to film Boyhood on a consecutive basis for 12 years, filming each year for a three to four-day period. This technique is absolutely unheard of, but Linklater makes it work in the most intriguing ways possible. For starters, his script surprisingly flows seamlessly, notwithstanding the movie’s intermittent filming and 165-minute duration. And when I say, “flow,” I do not mean in the way that most great scripts flow because Linklater’s storytelling techniques are far from orthodox. Most Linklater films (especially his Before trilogy, starring Ethan Hawke) seemingly have no plot—he builds his story upon dialogue and commonplace circumstances. Therefore, even though Boyhood seems at times as if it meanders with no distinct end in sight, Linklater is constantly keeping the viewer engaged with events and conversations that everyone can relate to—this is his version of “flow.” Linklater embeds into his film scenes that the average American will understand and connect with—adolescent complexities, familial arguments and fights, and house parties. In these everyday, communicative depictions, Linklater crafts a 3-hour plus film that never has a dull moment—it is masterful filmmaking, and it will forever go down as Linklater’s magnum opus.

The film is titled Boyhood. And boy (no pun intended), does it depict “boyhood” in the most amazing way. In most films, the physical progression of a particular character is usually portrayed via several actors or incredibly intricate makeup/visual effects. In Boyhood, Linklater’s 12-year production supplies a natural development for each of the characters—this is one of the more amazing features of his masterwork. It is incredible to see the film’s lead character Mason progress from an elementary boy with baby fat to a freshman in college with facial hair. During those 12 years, Mason endures all of the customary experiences of childhood, battling divorced parents and witnessing domestic abuse, all the while. This is portrayed with such realism, and the actual physical growth of Ellar Coltrane gives the touch of authenticity that makes the film achieve something picturesque. Speaking of the film’s pragmatism, a film-enthusiast friend of mine (known here only as “DPJ”) described its depiction of “boyhood” perfectly: “the thing Boyhood does exceptionally well is that it hits on all those key points of growing up that all men remember vividly. High points and low. The fact that it took 12 years to make is in my view actually the lesser achievement.” This is absolutely true. The childhood experience of a guy includes so many traditional experiences—playing with friends, talking to girls, going to parties, having your first drink, falling in love for the first time, leaving the nest—and the ways in which Linklater displays those on screen is as matter-of-fact as it gets. Some of my favorite parts of the movie were the cultural signposts throughout the years—Mason goes to a release party for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, plays Nintendo Wii, and goes to an Astros game to watch Roger Clemens pitch. These scenes breathe life into Linklater’s remarkable time capsule.

In terms of acting, the theme of physical and emotional progression is further manifested. Ellar Coltrane goes from being a six-year-old with limited acting skills to an 18-year-old with extraordinary abilities. The same can be said for Richard Linklater’s real-life daughter Lorelei (who portrays Mason’s older sister). The key performances, however, came from Mason and Samantha’s divorced parents, played by Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke. Ethan Hawke, in my opinion, was only serviceable in his role, but he does execute it quite well (although I do not believe his Oscar nomination is justified). Patricia Arquette is the clear highlight of the film (as I wrote a few days ago), and it is more than evident that the veteran actress delivered a tour de force in her role as Olivia. Boyhood is rated R for language including sexual references, and for teen drug and alcohol use.

Boyhood trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0oX0xiwOv8

Academy Award nominations for Boyhood:

Best Picture (Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland, producers)

Best Supporting Actor (Ethan Hawke)

Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette)

Best Director (Richard Linklater)

Best Film Editing (Sandra Adair)

Best Original Screenplay (Richard Linklater)

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of 2014:

Blue Ruin
American Sniper
Guardians of the Galaxy
Birdman
Fury
Calvary
Interstellar
Gone Girl
The Lego Movie

Posted on February 13, 2015 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of 2014, No. 7 – Blue Ruin

Blue Ruin is a thriller written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier. The film follows Dwight (Macon Blair), a mysterious vagrant who learns that the man convicted of killing his parents is being released from prison. Dwight then spirals into a rage of vengeance, simultaneously putting his estranged family in harm’s way.

I am guessing that most of you (if not all of you) have never heard of Blue Ruin (it is streaming on Netflix, though, so go check it out now). The project is only the second feature film by its relatively unknown director Jeremy Saulnier. The story of how Blue Ruin came to be is extraordinary. After years of obscurity, Saulnier wrote the script for Blue Ruin and threw all of his eggs in one basket to get this thing filmed—he and his wife essentially sacrificed every last dollar they had to help fund the movie. How they got the rest of the money for the budget (which is said to have been less than $300K) is the truly remarkable story—it was achieved via a Kickstarter campaign. With enough money to produce the film, Saulnier enlisted his childhood best friend Macon Blair to serve as the movie’s leading man. An independent movie at its very core, Blue Ruin ended up winning the coveted FIPRESCI Prize as a part of the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. This accolade led to Saulnier being able to run his film up and down the film-festival circuit, and its growing critical success landed Blue Ruin theatrical and VOD releases in April of 2014. The film’s story (which I will get to next) is masterful, and given the fact that the film’s own production once hung so delicately in the balance, I am most appreciative for its release.

Blue Ruin is not your average revenge thriller. This is so for two obvious reasons: (1) how quickly Saulnier’s ditches the actual revenge and (2) the fumbling, untried nature of the film’s “hero.” Most revenge thrillers thrive off of the retribution storyline for the entire duration of the film—Saulnier shreds that stereotypical feature into pieces. The film is just an hour and a half in length, but within 20 minutes, Dwight has already faced his parents’ killer and that strand of the story is complete. That leaves 110 minutes for this film to continue with the most obvious plot-point already over. This is what makes Blue Ruin so good—it dispenses with the retaliatory scheme and moves on to something even more brutal, violent, and exhilarating. So the revenge was only the beginning; it is merely a starting point for the story of a grudging family feud that acts more as an exposition on the limits of “settling scores.” The entire film is shot beautifully, and Saulnier’s storytelling technique is dark, bleak, and unnerving, and Blue Ruin succeeded in constantly keeping me on the edge of my seat.

The film’s lead character Dwight is one of the most out-of-place people in revenge-film history, and that is exactly why it works so seamlessly with the bigger story in Blue Ruin. Macon Blair portrays the drifter effortlessly, and he does a stellar job in bringing out the more obvious of Dwight’s characteristics, as well as the subtle ones. Most revenge/thriller movies have a heroic character that jumps in to save the day in the most macho-like ways. The character will usually be a tall, strapping individual with a penchant for fearlessness; however with Dwight, you will get no such thing. He is a small, soft-spoken, and inexact man, and these qualities make for the most implausible of avengers. Throughout the movie, you feel for Dwight as he struggles to face the violent events that have unfolded, and the fear in his eyes is unbearably noticeable—how will he ever live to see another day? Dwight’s complexities are portrayed immaculately, and Blair’s leading performance anchors this astonishing indie film.

The film also has some valuable supporting performances that ensure the film’s plot is carried out creatively throughout its duration. Most of the actors will be completely unknowns (including its lead Macon Blair, for that matter), but there are two that you will know, even if you do not immediately recognize them. Playing the role of Ben Gaffney, one of Dwight’s old high-school friends, is Devin Ratray—you know him better as Buzz from the Home Alone films. Also, there is a surprise appearance from Eve Plumb, better known as Jan Brady from The Brady Bunch—the 56-year-old actress portrays Kris Cleland, a member of the family that is out to get Dwight. Blue Ruin is rated R for strong bloody violence and language.

Blue Ruin trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJo1qrr_8Hc

Academy Award nominations for Blue Ruin:

NONE

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of 2014:

American Sniper
Guardians of the Galaxy
Birdman
Fury
Calvary
Interstellar
Gone Girl
The Lego Movie

Posted on February 13, 2015 by mistertowle2

Best Film Editing

The Oscar for Best Film Editing is awarded to a particular film for the finest post-production digital editing. The award is presented to the film’s principal editor(s). This is the sixth consecutive year that the category is made up entirely of Best Picture nominees. The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Film Editing:

WINNER: Whiplash (Tom Cross)

American Sniper (Joel Cox & Gary D. Roach)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Barney Pilling)

Boyhood (Sandra Adair)

The Imitation Game (William Goldenberg)

Posted on February 13, 2015 by mistertowle2 · 1 Comment

Best Cinematography

The Oscar for Best Cinematography is awarded to a particular film for the finest artistic and technical decisions in regards to the creation of the moving images on the screen. The award is presented to the Director of Photography (Cinematographer) from the film. The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Cinematography:

WINNER: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (Emmanuel Lubezki)

Ida (Lukasz Zal & Ryszard Lenczewski)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Robert Yeoman)

Mr. Turner (Dick Pope)

Unbroken (Roger Deakins)

Posted on February 11, 2015 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of 2014, No. 8 – American Sniper

American Sniper is a biographical war drama directed by Clint Eastwood with a screenplay, adapted from the book of the same name, by Jason Hall. The film tells the true-life story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), America’s most deadly sniper in history (160 confirmed kills, according to the United States Department of Defense). During four tours in Iraq, Kyle’s marksmanship quickly earns him the nickname “Legend” among his American comrades. All the while, however, his ever-growing reputation of being the most lethal sniper has garnered the close attention of the enemy, and the insurgents have put a price on Kyle’s head. With a budding family back home that misses him and a war that demands his contribution, Kyle must reconcile what is most important in his life.

More so than I ever could have expected, American Sniper has been met with a challenging combination of critical/box-office acclaim and social controversy. Some critics have labeled it merely “right-wing” propaganda, Michael Moore has spoken out against snipers in general, and even Seth Rogen caused a stir. Everyone seems to have an extreme political/religious bias about the film’s depiction of Kyle’s life and legacy, and I do not dare allow this blog to become a forum for my political thoughts in this heated debate. I will only say this—it was a harrowing tale of war and the consequences that flow from it, but it made me proud to be an American. I appreciate every single soldier that has ever and will ever devote his or her life to protect our freedom.

Now, on to the analysis of the film. Although Clint Eastwood has had some missteps in his career as a director, American Sniper was most definitely a journey back to the top for the 84-year-old Hollywood staple. In 2012, Zero Dark Thirty became (in my opinion) the gold standard for modern warfare films. It was realistic, in the most daunting and terrorizing ways, and the lead performance by Jessica Chastain (the best actress in Hollywood) elevated it to an unreachable height. The closest thing I have ever seen in my life to that of Zero Dark Thirty’s cinematic pragmatism regarding war is American Sniper (although Zero Dark Thirty is still a superior film). It is a story of a real-life figure (told through his own eyes), and Bradley Cooper delivers the single greatest performance of his career. That says a lot about where Cooper ranks among the modern greats considering his Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Chris Kyle is now his third consecutive Oscars nomination. Every year, it seems Bradley Cooper becomes better and better, and in this movie, he pounces on the opportunity to be hailed as the most premier American actor on the circuit. With veteran direction from Eastwood and an acting performance for the ages by Cooper, the valiant story of this American hero is thrust upon our social conscience in a way that evokes all of the most patriotic emotions out of us—it is the textbook manifestation of wrapping yourself up in the Stars and Stripes.

American Sniper, a box-office smash that has accumulated over $361 million in worldwide theater receipts, is a movie that will stay with me for a long time, and it is fully justified in receiving a spot among my Top 10 films of 2014. After viewing it in theaters, I knew this movie would be among the two or three best films of 2014. But it ended up at No. 8. Why? Sadly, it is because of that fake-baby scene that I am sure you are all familiar with at this point, whether you have seen the movie or not. In my conversations with friends and family, most are astounded at how a single scene like that can automatically drop the film’s ranking on my list so drastically. My reasoning is simple: something like that in this day in age (with a $60 million budget) is absolutely unacceptable. Sure, I understand the predicament that the filmmakers were innocently plunged into—the first baby had a fever that day and the back-up baby was a no-show. But you are Clint F’n Eastwood—get another baby!!! Stop production for half of a day and track down a baby—ANY BABY! By cutting corners to get the scene shot (i.e., settling for a plastic doll), Eastwood and the entire crew of filmmakers on set bastardized an otherwise classic picture. In 20 years, nearly everything about this movie will withstand the test of time and continue to dazzle its viewers; yet, that scene will still be there, and it will stand as a reminder of the cringe-worthy choice that the filmmakers made. Maybe you do not agree with me. Understandable. But watching Bradley Cooper blatantly moving his thumb in this scene (click now to see for yourself) to move the baby’s arm in order to make it look like it is an authentic human being will stick in my mind for ALL of the wrong reasons. Bad move, Clint.

All baby criticisms aside, Cooper and his unbelievable portrayal of Kyle outweighs any mistake that the filmmakers could have made, and this is definitely a film that will go down in history as one of the most epic tales of true-life heroism during an American war. American Sniper is rated R for strong and disturbing war violence, and language throughout including some sexual references.

American Sniper trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bP1f_1o-zo

Academy Award nominations for American Sniper:

Best Picture (Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper, and Peter Morgan, producers)

Best Actor (Bradley Cooper)

Best Adapted Screenplay (Jason Hall)

Best Film Editing (Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach)

Best Sound Editing (Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman)

Best Sound Mixing (John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, and Walt Martin)

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of 2014:

Guardians of the Galaxy
Birdman
Fury
Calvary
Interstellar
Gone Girl
The Lego Movie

Posted on February 10, 2015 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of 2014, No. 9 – Guardians of the Galaxy

The Guardians of the Galaxy is a Marvel-superhero production directed by James Gunn and written by Gunn and Nicole Perlman. The film follows Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), an earthling that was “beamed up” by a spaceship some twenty years prior. Quill, who in outer space goes by the name “Star-Lord,” finds himself at the center of a dangerous bounty hunt after stealing an orb that the villainous Ronan (Lee Pace) wants to procure. In order to evade the stalk (and ultimately save the entire galaxy due to the orb’s true potential), Star-Lord must befriend a band of intergalactic misfits: the warrior princess Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the revenge-centric, “Hulk”-like Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), the derisive-tongued raccoon Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), and Rocket’s sidekick Groot (voiced and motion-captured by Vin Diesel), a tender walking tree

Most superhero movies are the same. Obviously the plots differ somewhat and the characters are not the same, but generally speaking, they all follow the same mold: a dramatic story of how the superhero came to be, coupled with an action-packed/dramatic unraveling of the plot. There is always some sad music and some overwhelming thespian-like dramatics. Yes, Guardians of the Galaxy has some of those elements, too; but it is how this film breaks the traditional mold to carve out new ground in the superhero genre that makes its inclusion on this year-end list worthy.

How does this Marvel production stand alone at the top in a genre that has seen box-office giants like Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, and the Avengers produced by the very same production studio? Well, it is a culmination of multiple things. First, the film’s opening sequence (like that of most superhero movies), lays the foundation for the background of the story in a far superior manner to most films of this variety. The back-story for most of Marvel’s popular superheroes is only depicted because of its necessity—those films do not seem to take seriously the opportunity that they have to establish a character’s background story in a way that will evoke true, meaningful empathy from the viewers. I could not care less about how Thor’s story begins because its filmmakers did not beckon any emotion from me. This film changes that by giving viewers a more serious-toned set of circumstances that could be a quality scene in an Oscar-nominated drama.

Second, despite the seriousness of the opening scene, it quickly turns comedic. And I do not mean “comedic” in the slap-sticky way that most superhero movies try to throw it around at random times to keep the tone on a more even keel. Instead, Guardians of the Galaxy is snappy with its humor—it is streamlined by the writers in a way that allows the movie to take on a positive, amusing tone throughout its duration like you might expect out of a critically acclaimed “comedy.” Needless to say, the dialogue is galactically represented by just the kind of wit that makes a film great.

Third, the movie’s musical component is of much better quality than that of other superhero films (hell, even other movies in general). Not only did it contain a notable original score, it boasted an even better musical soundtrack. It features a wealth of great songs from the late-60s, 70s, and 80s (such as “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5 and “Moonage Daydream” by David Bowie), and director James Gunn was quoted by IGN as saying that the music plays a culturally significant role in the story’s progression: “It’s striking the balance throughout the whole movie, through something that is very unique, but also something that is easily accessible to people at the same time. The music and the Earth stuff is one of those touchstones that we have to remind us that, yeah, [Quill] is a real person from planet Earth who’s just like you and me. Except that he’s in this big outer space adventure.” The soundtrack went on to claim the number-one spot on four separate Billboard charts (200, Top Soundtracks, Top Rock Albums, Top Digital Albums), and it even garnered a Grammy nomination. This unique sound took the film to great heights.

Finally, the casting choices were about as good as it gets. But not only were the casting decisions made superbly, but the actual actors backed up an action-filled, hilarity-packed movie with more dynamism than the likes of Chris Evans as Captain America or Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. The band of Avengers were obviously picked out individually for their own solo films, but the Marvel producers intended to eventually combine forces for an adaptation of the Avengers series—I say this because they do not gel with one another well whatsoever in those films. And I refer not to the characters but instead to the actors. I enjoy those movies (somewhat), but after each of them, I always feel like Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Hemsworth are, by themselves, carrying the story because the rest of them do not make me care about their respective roles. In Guardians, I bought into every single character and his or her individual plight, and the actors’ chemistry on screen is what made the movie dazzle.

The much-in-demand Chris Pratt is a riot in his starring role, and his past work in exceptional comedies (TV and silver screen) prepared him well for this memorable performance. Zoe Saldana fits into this out-of-this-world world much smoother than Scarlett Johansson does in the Avengers series. She is more believable as a superhero, and her marvelous role as the sole female of the gang is deserved of much acclaim. Dave Bautista, as Drax, does not have to rely on CGI to appear massive on the screen (like Ruffalo as the Hulk)—he services his character well by being physically stacked (thanks to plenty of time in the weight-room, I presume), and this key feature makes the menacing character of Drax the Destroyer so larger-than-life. Vin Diesel did a noteworthy job with the motion-capture of the walking tree Groot, and this non-human character is one of the film’s most remarkable—I still walk around saying, “I am Groot.” The best performance of all, though, is that given by three-time Oscar-nominee Bradley Cooper. The CGI creation of Rocket is marvelous in its own right, but the voice-acting performance that Cooper delivers is incredible. Obviously he is a big star in other movies, and Cooper taps into his ever-growing acting chops as the loud-mouthed Rocket to portray the sarcastic, but vulnerable nature of the group’s shortest/smallest member. Guardians of the Galaxy is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language.

Guardians of the Galaxy trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d96cjJhvlMA

Academy Award nominations for Guardians of the Galaxy:

Best Visual Effects (Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White)

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of 2014:

Birdman
Fury
Calvary
Interstellar
Gone Girl
The Lego Movie

Posted on February 9, 2015 by mistertowle2

Best Supporting Actress 2014

Last year, three of the five Best Supporting Actress nominees were Academy Awards rookies. This year, two of them are (Patricia Arquette and Emma Stone), and two others are only receiving their second nomination ever (Laura Dern and Keira Knightley). The other nominee is Meryl Streep, the most nominated actress of all time. The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

WINNER: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)

Patricia Arquette gave the most surprisingly powerful performance of 2014 in Boyhood. Arquette plays the matriarchal Olivia, essentially raising her kids Samantha and Mason, Jr., all on her own. The film may be titled Boyhood (even though the first two-thirds of the movie should be called Girlhood), but Arquette gives an influential voice to women everywhere regarding “motherhood.” For Olivia, her single-parent circumstances make for an inherently uphill life struggle, and Arquette movingly portrays her character’s anxiety and heartbreak—this is most obvious in the scenes that capture the end of various failed relationships due to her partners’ physical abuse, alcoholism, and the like. In real life, Arquette had her first child at only 20-years-old, and the life experiences that flowed from that situation allowed her to give a proficient performance regarding the priority of being a parent and the many emotions that so radically change over the years. Arquette’s portrayal of Olivia was spectacular, and the vivid life that Arquette breathed into Olivia over the 12-year filming process was amazingly coherent and matter-of-fact. Arquette has never previously been nominated for an Academy Award.

Emma Stone (Birdman)

In Birdman, Emma Stone plays Sam, the daughter of Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton), a struggling film actor looking to stage a comeback on Broadway. Sam, recently out of rehab for addiction issues, acts as Thompson’s assistant. Although her attitude throughout the film is nonchalant and flagrantly detached, she is the one who truly cares for Riggan emotionally—this is why she turns out to be the sole voice of reason for Keaton’s complex character. Stone has a filmography filled with some of my favorite comedies (e.g., Superbad, Zombieland, and Crazy, Stupid, Love), but I have never really considered her a preeminent “actor.” Sure, she is fantastic in these funny roles but can she really “act”? Turns out, she can! Emma Stone is one of the best parts of Birdman, and it is that distinct voice and speech pattern that we all recognize from past performances that gives her character the invigorated audacity that it deserves. Birdman was a difficult movie for actors because of the “long-take” nature of the photography, but Stone accepted the challenge and owned her role. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly regarding the filming challenge, she said, “Every day was complicated. Every day was hard, but it also is the best feeling ever whenever you get to the end of the day.” Stone has never previously been nominated for an Academy Award.

Meryl Streep (Into the Woods)

In Into the Woods, Meryl Streep plays the Witch in the silver-screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony-winning musical. Desperate to reclaim her youthful appearance, the Witch tasks the Baker and his wife to find three items that are needed for a special potion that will break her horrifying curse. Streep’s character has some of the better songs from the musical (e.g., “Stay with Me” and “Last Midnight”), and she ultimately gives the best performance of the film. Not only does Streep have the most superior acting quality of the entire cast (which she utilizes marvelously here), but she also has one of the finest vocal sounds. She demonstrates tenacity by embedding gravitas and trepidation into her character, and this is manifested by Streep’s spectacularly talented vocal bravado. Meryl Streep has been previously nominated a record eighteen 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).

Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)

In The Imitation Game, Keira Knightley plays Joan Clarke, the real-life cryptanalyst who joined a team, led by Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), tasked with breaking the Nazi’s Enigma code during World War II. I did not find The Imitation Game to be that great of a movie, and moreover, I did not find Knightley’s performance to be particularly memorable. The history of Joan Clarke as a member of Britain’s code-breaker squad during the Second World War is monumental for multiple reasons (particularly because she broke the glass ceiling in the process as the sole woman on the project), and it was a thrill to see this storied woman receive a voice on the big screen in a film that focused mostly on Turing. Other than providing the physical screen manifestation of this true-life character, Knightley did not do much else. Her emotion seemed forced throughout and her elocution of the dialogue was merely serviceable; for me, all Knightley provided was one more reason why I believe she is an overrated actress. Knightley was previously nominated for Best Actress for her role as Elizabeth Bennett in 2005’s Pride and Prejudice.

Laura Dern (Wild)

In the Reese Witherspoon-acted/produced film Wild, Laura Dern portrays the real-life Bobbi Grey, the late mother of the lead character Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon). Bobbi’s death from cancer is the event that sends Strayed into a frenzy, causing her to eventually venture 1,100 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail. From the commentary on Strayed’s memoir that inspired the film’s production, it seems that Bobbi was an incredibly influential and important figure in Strayed’s life, and her death truly did affect Strayed in unimaginable ways. I wish her character had gotten the screen time to account for this key role in the main character’s life. Yes, we see multiple scenes with Dern raising her children and eventually suffering from cancer, but it was something short of average for me (like the entire movie, for that matter). Dern is a talented actress (the daughter of Oscar-nominee Bruce Dern), but I do not believe she was able to make her mark on the limited time she had on screen. I found it difficult to engage with the character, and the average performance made Wild even less enjoyable than it already was. Dern was previously nominated for Best Actress for her role in Rambling Rose (1991).

Actresses snubbed in this category: Anne Hathaway (Interstellar) and Jessica Chastain (Interstellar)

Posted on February 9, 2015 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of 2014, No. 10 – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a black comedy directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu with a screenplay by Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., and Armando Bo. The film follows Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton), an actor with a wavering career (famous for portraying the superhero “Birdman”) who is looking to stage a comeback by directing and acting in a Broadway production. In the final days leading up to the show’s opening night, Riggan must battle himself as he attempts to reconcile his family and his career.

Despite the fact that each of writer/director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s previous four feature films (Amores perros, 21 Grams, Babel, and Biutiful) was nominated for Oscars in a range of categories, Birdman is personally my first encounter with the critically acclaimed Mexican filmmaker. Although none of Iñárritu’s films have won big on Oscar night, that is bound to change in just less than two weeks. In Birdman, Iñárritu has constructed one of the best original screenplays in the past few years, and this unique storyline flat out works on so many levels. It is an unparalleled, comeback-within-a-comeback story. Its lead character Riggan Thompson is making a comeback on Broadway after years of dormancy following his refusal to play the superhero “Birdman” in a fourth installment of the superhero series. All the while, actor Michael Keaton, after leaving Tim Burton’s Batman franchise in between the second and third films, has endured years without commercial or critical success and is making an acting revival of sorts in his Birdman role. Considering this casting decision and Iñárritu’s storyline, I figured Birdman would ultimately be too clever for its own good—I imagined it would be way too cheeky and a bit too heavy-handed in its attempt to be self-aware. Ultimately, I was wrong. Yes, it was cognizant of its meta-like approach, but the meticulous filmmaking style of Iñárritu and his witty script allowed the movie to hurdle high above its own cliché barriers to make the story entertaining and mesmerizing. Additionally, the comedic aspects of the script are genius. From Edward Norton and Michael Keaton’s back-and-forth during a rehearsal once Norton’s character is first hired, to the scene of Keaton walking around Times Square in nothing but his white underwear, Iñárritu understands the humor he is trying to evoke, and he does so incredibly well.

Part of the allure of Birdman is the way in which it is shot—it is absolutely masterful filmmaking. The movie appears to take place in one continuous long tracking shot. The “long take” has long (pardon the pun…I assure it was unintended) been my favorite filmmaking technique, and when one is done well, it is nothing short of exquisite. In the same vein as Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope, Iñárritu, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, and the film-editing team carefully created the illusion of a single take throughout the film’s entirety—they utilized sleek, unsuspecting cuts during horizontal pans and close-up shots on the cast. The result is a film that plays out like a suspense thriller, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats as the unpredictable plot is shot “continuously.” The technique is choreographed and audacious, and it will be one of the most remembered aspects of Birdman for years to come. With its deft photographical magnetism, Lubezki will surely earn his second Oscar win for cinematography (his first was for 2013’s Gravity).

Considering the single “long-take” design for the film, each actor had to consistently be on his or her A-game. Michael Keaton was incredibly superb in his complicated role as the ego-driven, but lost-soul-like Riggan Thompson, and even though he may not win the Oscar for Best Actor (ain’t NOBODY beating Eddie Redmayne this year), it will long stand out (deservedly) as the magnum opus of Keaton’s career. The supporting performances in Birdman were also superlative. Both Emma Stone and Edward Norton received Oscar nominations for their roles as Thompson’s daughter and Thompson’s Broadway co-star, respectively, and these accolades come as no surprise. I will discuss Stone’s role in more detail later today in my “Best Supporting Actress” post, but suffice it to say, her performance as a recovering addict is cerebral, and as the sole voice of reason for Riggan Thompson, Stone plays the part of his daughter dexterously. Norton nearly steals the show with his performance as Mike Shiner, an acclaimed Broadway star that Riggan is forced to hire at the last minute, just days before the show’s premiere. Norton plays the “pompous asshole” character as scrupulously as possible, and his brilliant acting brings out the most hilarious of the film’s moments—during the show’s preview, Shiner gets drunk and tries to have actual sex with a co-star on stage! Check out Birdman. Everyone has been hyping this movie up for months, and it comes better than advertised. Birdman is rated R for language throughout, some sexual content and brief violence.

Birdman trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJfLoE6hanc

Academy Award nominations for Birdman:

Best Picture (Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, and James W. Skotchdopole, producers)

Best Actor (Michael Keaton)

Best Supporting Actor (Edward Norton)

Best Supporting Actress (Emma Stone)

Best Cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki)

Best Director (Alejandro G. Iñárritu)

Best Sound Editing (Martín Hernández and Aaron Glascock)

Best Sound Mixing (Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, and Thomas Varga)

Best Original Screenplay (Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., and Armando Bo)

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of 2014:

Fury
Calvary
Interstellar
Gone Girl
The Lego Movie

Posted on February 8, 2015 by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of 2014, No. 11 – Fury

Fury is a film written and directed by David Ayer. Fury takes place during the final days in the European Theatre of World War II, and it follows Sergeant “Wardaddy” (Brad Pitt) and his five-man crew as they journey behind enemy lines in their Sherman tank, nicknamed “Fury.” The men of “Fury” are thrust into dangerous circumstances with fatal odds, and they must fight heroically to destroy Nazi Germany.

I have been excited to write about Fury since I saw it on its opening weekend in theaters. Because amazing classics like The Thin Red Line and Saving Private Ryan have set the bar high in regards to what is expected from a “great” WWII film, most attempts at depicting the horror of the Second World War have fallen flat. In my opinion, Fury is not one of those failures. David Ayer, the Fury visionary, has created a story with an incredible sense of realism. And that realism not only speaks to the actual fighting parts of war, but it also depicts “brotherhood” in a way that everyone (not only veterans) can relate to. Ayer is no stranger in the industry, having penned Training Day and written and directed 2012’s End of Watch, and the latter film provides the foundation for Fury’s pragmatism. End of Watch was one of the best films from 2012, and in that film, Ayer perfected the “comradeship” concept as it followed two police officers. When I watched End of Watch, I felt as if I were an invisible third member of the law enforcement duo, and I was able to fully encompass the characters’ brotherly love for one another. The same is true for Fury. Yes, the film includes some great “war” scenes, but its best parts are the scenes in which the characters engage in extended dialogue with each other. In those scenes, Ayer’s hardnosed screenplay is given life in a way that delineates the unique relationships between brothers in combat, and it makes you empathize with those men throughout the film’s most brutal moments and laugh with them in the moments of joy.

Now, let’s talk about the film’s combat. I have already discussed Ayer’s ability to revolve some of his best scenes in a WWII film around dialogue. But do not be mistaken—the movie excels tremendously in the scenes depicting combat. Ayer went to extreme ends to ensure that the film would be as realistic as possible in the war scenes, and it pays significant dividends. Ten actual Sherman tanks were used to depict the ones used by the allied forces, and instead of using a prop tank to represent the Germans’ Tiger tanks, Ayer acquired the only working Tiger tank in the world to use (pictured to the left; the tank belongs to the Bovington Tank Museum in England). The combat scenes were incredibly stunning thanks to Ayer’s depiction of the tracers that were actually used in the war. Tracer ammunition is used in every fifth round, and its pyrotechnic charge ignites, burns brightly, and makes the shot’s projectile visible. Military forces would use these for purposes of making aiming corrections and to be more efficient (soldiers would be able to fire repeatedly without having to use a sight). The portrayal of the tracer ammunition’s deployment was a fantastic sight to see, and it was one of the highlights of the film. Although it is extraordinarily complicated to show the true horror of war, a WWII tank veteran confessed that the film was very representative of his experiences in Europe—specifically, he stated that the combat scenes were amazingly realistic.

The acting performances from Fury’s tank ensemble are by far the best part of the movie. In order to develop a sense of companionship among the tank’s soldiers that would mimic the veracity of these relationships during wartime, Ayer required his actors to engage in some serious bonding tactics. He forced the actors to spar with each other regularly, which was rumored to result in many black eyes and bloody noses. Additionally, he had them live together in the tank when not shooting; thus, they ate, slept, and even used the restroom inside of the tank. This “method” approach to performing provided some high-quality performances.

As I mentioned in my Fall Preview post, I buy into the allure of Brad Pitt as an actor. Yes, he is a pop-culture icon, but he backs it up on camera. He is one of the best actors of his generation, and in Fury, he holds nothing back. As the commander of the tank, Pitt gives a (no pun intended) commanding performance. As the veteran actor in the group, portraying the veteran member of the tank crew, Pitt anchors the film.

Each of the other four members of the “Fury” adds the most crucial layer of talent to the movie. Michael Peña, an experienced performer (and one of the two leads in Ayer’s End of Watch) is the least groundbreaking of the tank’s crew in terms of his acting contribution, but he is still solid throughout. Logan Lerman, one of my favorite new actors (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), plays the role of the rookie Private Norman Ellison to a tee. The two most enthralling performances, however, come from Jon Bernthal and Shia LaBeouf. Bernthal, of The Wolf of Wall Street and The Walking Dead fame, delivers one of the most menacing performances in recent memory. At times he is terrifying and manic, but Bernthal is also able to carefully articulate the more sensitive qualities of his character. But LaBeouf steals the show with the film’s most top-shelf portrayal. In real life, LaBeouf has endured years of scandal, but with his role in Fury, he proves to us that no matter what goes on in his personal life, he is willing to lay it all on the line for his career. LaBeouf notably pulled his own tooth for the role, while vowing not to shower throughout the production—his dedication to the truisms of his character is a benefit to film fans everywhere. His character shows his emotional colors more so than the others, and LaBeouf delivers a captivating performance. Fury is rated R for strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images, and language throughout.

Fury trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1xli7OTE_0

Academy Award nominations for Fury:

NONE

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of 2014:

Calvary
Interstellar
Gone Girl
The Lego Movie