I've
barely managed to catch up on all the Best Picture nominees this year
in time for the Academy Awards, so I'm way behind on awards
season coverage. So instead of the usual post on predictions and
politicking, I'm going to rank the contenders and give my general
thought about each. And that's probably a better way to do it anyway.
Selma
- I'm still stunned at how intelligent, how nuanced, and how effective
this film is, the way it puts across its own, pointedly inclusive POV on
history and takes pains to emphasize the humanity of every major
participant. I was initially a little miffed at Oyelowo and DeVernay
missing out on nominations, but as Scott Beggs over at Film School
Rejects put it, "The Oscars need 'Selma' more than 'Selma' Needs the
Oscars." It has no chance at Best Picture, but that's okay. I'm
convinced that this will be one of the 2014 films that will still be
talked about long after most of the other nominees are forgotten.
The
Grand Budapest Hotel - On the other hand, sometimes the
Academy gets it very right. "Grand Budapest" is Wes Anderson's best
film in ages, and I'm so glad he's getting recognition for it. There's a
real sense of purpose to all his usual stylizations and flourishes this
time. This one just misses out the top spot for me because I don't
think the movie has quite the overall impact that "Selma" managed, but
it's still exceptional from start to finish. It isn't just a career
highlight for Anderson, but for Ralph Fiennes, for Robert Yeoman, for
Alexandre Desplat, and for many others.
Whiplash
- And here's to finding great human drama in unusual
places. "Whiplash" is a movie about a student-teacher relationship,
about world-class musicians vying for status, and about an ambitious
young man trying to acheive his dreams. It's also one of the most
jaw-droppingly intense, violent, and cringe-inducing movies of the year,
with a supporting performance by J.K. Simmons that is already iconic.
Pigeonhole it in a single genre at your own risk. What a magnificent
debut for writer/director Damien Chazell, and hopefully this is just the
start of a great career in film.
Boyhood
- Richard Linklater couldn't have predicted that Ellar Coltrane would
have less than stellar acting skills as a teenager, or that his daughter
would lose interest in the project she was initially a big part of. But
he worked around those issues, and a thousand other little problems
making "Boyhood," an experiment in filmmaking that nobody had ever
attempted before on such a scale. And by any measure, the end result is
impressive, particularly the performances by Ethan Hawke and Patricia
Arquette, and Linklater's own evolving filmmaking style and
sensibilities.
Birdman - I had
a very positive reaction to "Birdman," but it wasn't one of my
favorites. Lots of good ideas and performances, but it was missing a
few vital pieces. I have to put it ahead of the rest of the remaining
contenders, though, for sheer degree of difficulty and cinematic
ambition. "Birdman" tries to do so much at once that it's incredible
that it manages to deliver so well on almost every single level. I
didn't connect with it the way that others have, but if it does win Best
Picture, which it's heavily favored to, I certainly don't
begrudge it an ounce of success.
The
Imitation Game - Now here's the kind of movie that everyone
expects to be nominated for an Oscar: a British biopic with a World War
II backdrop, anchored by a charming performance from a talented male
lead, . "The Imitation Game" checks all the boxes, and it's
entertaining enough that it's difficult to summon any real hard feelings
against it. However, it's also difficult to summon much enthusiastic
praise. I'm glad to see director Morten Tyldum and Benedict Cumberbatch
are advancing their careers, but that's the extent of my appreciation.
The
Theory of Everything - Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones do
perfectly lovely work together as Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde, but
otherwise this one fell pretty flat for me. I understand that Stephen
Hawkings' battle with ALS makes for more compelling drama than his work
as a physicist, but I found that there was far too much romance and not
enough science in the film. It's a good effort, but I don't see
anything here worth celebrating beyond the performances. The
bungled final act lands this in the second-to last spot on this list.
American
Sniper - I don't like it. I don't get it. I think a lot of
the vitriol aimed at "American Sniper" is undeserved, but so is all the
praise. I can't find anything here that strikes me as awards-worthy,
from the painfully jingoistic story to the oddly sub-par filmmaking from
Clint Eastwood. The marketing team should surely be handed all the
kudos. The silver lining here is that the film's boffo box office will
mean that we'll see more mid-range films being made by the studios, and
more films about the Middle East conflict.
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