First Half Review : The Best of 2014 So Far

So it’s just about the half way point in our year so it’s time to review what I have seen so far. I’ll do a ranked top five list with some honorable mentions and then I’ll do a couple categories that are not ranked such as best performances, biggest disappointments, and favorite scenes. Here’s to a better second half of the year!

TOP FIVE IN DESCENDING ORDER

Honorable Mentions

Edge of Tomorrow – Perfectly fun and exciting sci fi film. Emily Blunt kicked major ass and it was fun to see Tom Cruise be a human being before he turned into his typical badass action hero. The film was also pretty tight for a film that had such a high concept. I would have liked a less Hollywood ending but I left very satisfied.

The Wind Rises – I know this hit the festivals in 2013 but it had a limited release in 2014 so I included it. It was certainly the least fantastical Miyazaki film I’ve ever seen but the love and heart that went into it is unmistakable. Miyazaki wrote a poem about himself and it came out beautifully. I didn’t care for the American voice acting and it ran a tad long but if the genius is truly done directing films I’m satisfied with his last.

Godzilla – Sometimes you just need a cool monster movie and this was it for me. I enjoyed the havoc and the set pieces, especially the halo drop, were cool as shit. I just needed more Bryan Cranston and Godzilla but overall it was an enjoyable film.

NUMBER FIVE – ENEMY

Denis Villenuvue is one of my favorite new film makers right now so naturally I would have a high regard of his doppleganger film staring Jake Gyllenhaal. It was a bit slow but when it picked up it turned into a psychotic piece of mystery with amazing visuals and a key performance from Gyllenhaal. Also, the ending is batshit insane yet so thought provoking. I love good mysteries. I love mysteries even more when I still haven’t figured it out.

NUMBER FOUR – THE LEGO MOVIE

SPACESHIP!!! There isn’t much to say other than that. It’s a fun as hell ride into many a childhoods with a strong message to be yourself. The voice cast was hilarious and the film implied a joke a minute strategy that had me in stitches the whole time. Oh, and SPACESHIP!!!

NUMBER THREE – THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

The only film this year I have seen multiple times in the theater. I can’t express how much I loved this film. It is up there with the Wes Anderson greats, Tennenbaums and Rushmore, while still being unique and delightfully surprising. The design and story were clever and crafted with such detail and care and the cast was just amazing. We’ll get into Ralph Fiennes later on. It’s just a completely joyous film.

NUMBER TWO – ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE

I love Jim Jarmusch. I’ve been binge watching his films ever seeing Only Lovers in the theater and I firmly believe he makes films just for me know. I love slow movies. I love movies where the clever dialogue is basically another character. I love committed and subtly powerful performances. Only Lovers had all of that. Swinton and Hiddleston were two of the most perfect casting choices I’ve ever seen. They were magnificent. The soundtrack was as dark and brooding as the camera work. It’s just the perfect chill out movie. It was my number one until only recently which brings me too…

NUMBER ONE – THE ROVER

What can I say? I’m obsessed with David Michod. Jim Jarmusch may make films for me, but Michod makes films I want to make. They are unflinching and unapologetic, brutal and beautiful, deep and symbolic, and just as shocking the second time you see it as the first. I may like Animal Kingdom slightly better than this but never has a film grown on me the longer I thought about it than The Rover. I forget what rating I gave it originally but now it’s a firm five out of five. The ending received groans from the audience I was in but it left me speechless. Everything came together for me during the last shot and the significance of it lingered for days. Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson gave career performances and the gorgeous cinematography was the icing on the cake. It’s my number one film of the year so far and will be hard to top.

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Biggest Disappointments

Robocop – One of the worst films I’ve seen in years. Nothing happened. I didn’t care. Not even Michael K. Williams was good in it. Abbie Cornish should stop trying. The only redeeming factor was Gary Oldman. I just hated it.

Monuments Men – What a snoozefest. Did I even write about this one? I can’t remember if I did or not. I may have clocked out halfway and thought a review was wrong which tells you how boring this movie was.

The Raid 2 – I left halfway because I just couldn’t sit in the theater any longer. The fight scenes were great and I’m going to give it another try but I just didn’t care for the story at all. I was pissed all night after this one.

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Best Performances

Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel – There has not been a more perfectly cast role in comedy in the last ten years that lives up to this role. Hysterical, serious, and outlandishly bizarre, Fiennes brought it all. He’s the reason I had no problem at all seeing this is theaters the same week as when I saw it first. He was amazing.

Guy Pearce/Robert Pattinson in The Rover – This was the performance of Pearce’s career and even though he won’t get it, he deserves recognition for it. His face was heartbreaking and his actions were brutal. He has perfected the thousand yard stare. I combined the two because they complimented each other so well. Pearce was a menace and Pattinson was unpredictable and seemed lost in whatever he was doing. They were a treat to watch.

Bryan Cranston in Godzilla – My favorite part of the film that included gigantic monsters kicking the shit out of each other. I cared so much for his character in such a little time. He broke my heart in half on multiple occasions and may I remind you he did it in a film that is about MONSTERS KICKING THE SHIT OUT OF EACH OTHER. Cranston is just amazing.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Jake Gyllenhaal in Enemy – The guy can act. The guy can also act with himself. The two Jakes (movie reference) were nearly complete opposites yet Gyllenhaal was able to get it done almost effortlessly. He’s turning into a ridiculously good actor.

Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston in Only Lovers Left Alive – Another two that have to be together because they complimented each other so well. I want to hang out with these two and talk about the world so bad. Hiddleston was dark and Swinton was his light. They were a perfect team.

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Favorite scenes/moments (Spoiler free)

The Lego Movie – SPACESHIP!!!!!!!

Godzilla – The Halo Drop. So unnerving with the music and the camera angle.

The Grand Budapest Hotel – The mountain chase in the snow. Just delightful and also hysterical.

Only Lovers Left Alive – Swinton, Hiddleston, and Hurt all drinking their blood. Also, the opening scene was incredible. Perfect song choice with Wendy Jackson.

X-Men : First Class – The Escape. You know what scene I’m talking about. Time Stuck in a Bottle. One of the best action sequences I’ve ever seen.

The Rover/Enemy – The endings.

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Films I saw that didn’t make a list – Night Moves, The Double, Chef, Willow Creek
Film I haven’t seen yet that may have made a list – The Immigrant, Under the Skin, How to Train Your Dragon 2, 22 Jump Street

Thoughts On the Oscars! A Reaction Thread

I’ve had a shitty day. My previous post should have covered that. I am however going to be watching the Oscars ceremony as it has been a tradition with me for as long as I can remember. We’re getting close to curtain so I decided to fire up this post. What I’m going to do is make my musings and just update the post as the ceremony continues. I’m going to let you know right now, I’m not going to filter myself. So if you are afraid of bad language then I’d say skip this one. Check back regularly or just read it afterward. Either way it should be fun. I needed this today…

– Apparently Jennifer Lawrence fell on the red carpet. Who taught her how to walk?
– Ellen just called Liza Minnelli a man. Shots fired.
– Ellen looks like she’s going to conduct an orchestra.
– Lol, Ellen hasn’t seen a penis in a while.
– Jared Leto wins. We all knew that was going to happen. He deserved it. Bravo.
– Pretty damn good speech from Leto.
– Holy shit, Jim Carrey can make his face into anybody. Great Bruce Dern impression.
– Pharrell Williams stole a couple Oscars and hid them in his hat.
– Katherine Martin wins Best Costume Design for The Great Gatsby. I didn’t see the film. I don’t have much to say.
– Dallas Buyers Club wins best Hair and Make-up. They made Jared Leto look…well, like a transexual Jared Leto.
– HAN SOLO IN THE FUCKING HOUSE.
– MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO KIM NOVAK? OH MY GOD.
– These animated shorts look cool. Mr. Hublot with the win.
– Frozen with the Oscar for animated film. The Wind Rises gets snubbed. It was a gorgeous film.
– Sally Fields always looks like she’s about to cry.
– Gravity wins the first of every single on of the technical awards with Visual Effects.
– Oh man, Ellen is so hit and miss tonight. The writers were a little lazy tonight.
– Lol, Zac Efron can’t read.
– This Tina Fey Amex commercial is funnier than anything Ellen has said tonight save calling Liza Minnelli a man.
– The comedy shtick is getting old Ellen.
– Great documentaries this year. 20 Feet From Stardom gets the steal from The Act of Killing.
– LOL GREATEST SPEECH EVER. EVERYBODY SHOULD SING THEIR SPEECHES.
– Brad Pitt has a douchey haircut.
– I really thought The Hunt was going to get that one. I still need to see The Great Beauty.
– I was really hoping I didn’t have to sit through U2 tonight but alas, I have to.
– “Kristen B. Ell. What?” LOL.
– Who let the local high school AV club produce the show tonight?
– Number two for Gravity with Sound Mixing. Gravity sweeping the tech awards with number three for Sound Editing.
– Here is that epic selfie…
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– Here comes supporting actress…
– Lupita!!! So deserved. Much heartbreak.
– Oh, and the Oscars did a great thing by adding that June Squibb clip. A lot of people are going to watch Nebraska now.
– I’m so tired of this shtick.
– YOU GET A SLICE OF PIZZA. AND YOU GET A SLICE OF PIZZA.
– BILL FUCKING MURRAY.
– Come oooooooooooon Roger Deakins…
– I miss you Harold Ramis.
– DAMMIT. Gravity again. You will get your award Roger Deakins. You will!
– Gravity again. Every damn award.
– Nice singing Pink.
– It is getting very late. They need to start cranking out these damn awards. We still have a memorium, another song, and like six awards to go.
– Damn, Katherine Martin wins another Oscar.
– ANOTHER MOVIE MONTAGE? GIVE OUT THE FUCKING AWARDS.
– This show is taking forever.
– I’m going to fall the fuck asleep.
– Best Score time. Everybody deserves it. Gravity again. Holy shit. It’s a mop up.
– Original Song goes to Frozen. Durrr.
– I swear to God…if they start cue-ing music for the speeches of the major awards…IT’S RUNNING LATE CAUSE OF FUCKING PIZZA AND OLD MOVIE MONTAGES.
– Ahhh, screenplays. John Ridley gets his due for 12 Years a Slave. LET’S GO SPIKE!!!!
– YES!!!!!!!!!!! SPIKE!
– I’m so happy Spike won. He;s one of my favorite people. Finally something awesome happens in the second half of this show.
– Here’s a big award. I’m sure Cuaron is going to get it. He deserves it so much…aaaaaannnnnnd
– CUARON! Congrats man! Well deserved. It was a one of a kind film and the they owed him for snubbing him for Children of Men.
– I knew as soon as I saw Blue Jasmine that Cate was going to win. She was incredible.
– HERE IS THE BIG ONE. LET’S GO LEO.
– THE MAN IS HERE TO STAY. I love the decision. I hoped Leo got it but honestly all five deserved it. Way to go Matthew McConaughey
– He saved that speech about himself when he said “alright, alright alright”.

AND BEST PICTURE GOES TO…

12 YEARS A SLAVE.

DESERVED AS SHIT. I’M GLAD IT WASN’T GRAVITY. I’M GOING TO BED.

Oscar Nomination Reaction!!!

Today was the day. Today is the day that the Oscar nominations were announced and like every single year, I tell myself that this will be the last year I give a shit. So much thought and reference to this Academy that routinely goofs up these awards and yet we all watch like hawks in February. I think that no matter how I gripe about how meaningless these awards seem to be, I’ll always watch. We’ll always have other recognition for film such as the Cannes Film Festival, the BAFTA awards, the Golden Globes, and Sundance. However, the Oscars are the big time and even though they usually always get things wrong, they occasionally get things right. Let’s see how they did shall we?

Best Picture
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

Snubs – Inside Llewyn Davis gets the shaft over films that featured great acting. Dallas Buyers Club and Captain Phillips should have been swapped here for Davis or Fruitvale Station.

Who’s gunna win? – Her was one half of my best of 2013 but I can tell either Wolf of Wall Street or 12 Years a Slave will be getting this one. Gravity also has a shot.

Best Actor

Christian Bale for American Hustle
Bruce Dern for Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio for Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club

Snubs – I can’t really blame anybody on this one. There were so many amazing performances that could have made it into this category. Notable ommission are Joaquin Phoenix for Her, Oscar Isaac for Inside Llewyn Davis, Michael B. Anthony for Fruitvale Station, Mads Mikkelsen for The Hunt, Robert Redford for All is Lost, Hugh Jackman for Prisoners, and Tom Hanks for Captain Phillips. I still haven’t seen American Hustle but I couldn’t see any of these nominations being swapped for anybody else. Just wouldn’t be fair.

Who’s gunna win? – I know Bruce Dern isn’t going to win. I think that this is the year Leo gets his Oscar although Ejiofor and McConaughey deserve it as well. This one will be interesting and will be talked about for a long time.

Best Actress

Amy Adams for American Hustle
Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock for Gravity
Judi Dench for Philomena
Meryl Streep for August: Osage County

Snubs – Enough with the praise for Meryl Streep. She has been nominated enough. It’s honestly not fair anymore. This was a very weak year for female performances but I would have liked to see a young actress like Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha or Allison Brie for Short Term 12 get the spot. Oh well.

Who’s gunna win? – Cate Blachett. Hands down. She was incredible. I’d be shocked if she didn’t win. Really, as long as Streep doesn’t win I’d be happy.

Best Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper for American Hustle
Jonah Hill for Wolf of Wall Street
Michael Fassbender for 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club

Snubs – Bradley Cooper? Again, still haven’t seen the film but apparently Daniel Bruhl was incredible in Rush. Jonah Hill is now a two time oscar nominated actor. That’s insane. Paul Dano gets snubbed again for his work in Prisoners and Matthew Goode was incredible in Stoker. I’m glad to see Abdi get a nomination though as he was pretty incredible.

Who’s gunna win? – I hope Fassbender wins. Although I’d totally be okay with Leto or Abdi taking home the statue. Fassbender has it coming though.

Best Supporting Actress

Sally Hawkins for Blue Jasmine
Julia Roberts for August: Osage County
Lupita Nyong’o for 12 Years a Slave
Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle
June Squibb for Nebraska

Snubs – Scarlett Johansson was amazing in Her and really thought this would be the first year a voice only nominee would be included. Besides that I think they got it right with including Hawkins and Squibb.

Who’s gunna win? – Lupita Nyong’o deserves this. She put everything into her role and while Hawkins and Squibb were equally great it was Nyong’o who deserves this award.

Best Director

Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity
Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave
David O. Russel for American Hustle
Martin Scorsese for Wolf of Wall Street
Alexander Payne for Nebraska

Snubs – Spike Jonze? COEN BROTHERS? SERIOUS? Ugggghhhhhh.

Who’s gunna win? – I couldn’t care less. Cuaron deserves it for inventing technology but James Cameron did the same and that dude lost. McQueen deserves it for his unbashingly bleak directing style. Payne deservesit for bring black and white back to the Oscars. I think they’ll give is to Cuaron.

Best Original Screenplay

American Hustle
Blue Jasmine
Her
Nebraska
Dallas Buyers Club

Snubs – Again, the lack of Coen brothers is appalling. All is Lost was also a perfectly written film.

Who’s gunna win? – If it isn’t Her, then I’m done with this show. I KNOW WHAT I SAID BEFORE!

The rest of the nominations…

Here’s a little more observations and musings from the whole list. It should be an interesting show!

~ The Croods and Despicable Me 2 got nominated over Pixar. This is weird.
~ Like last year with Amour, The Hunt is the only film that should be even considered for Best Foreign Language Film.
~ Gravity should take all the technical awards and deserves to take them although Her and Inside Llewyn Davis were both magnificently shot.
~ Bad Grandpa got nominated for make up. LOL
~ No music nominations for Inside Llewyn Davis. Travesty.
~ I’m surprised Man of Steel didn’t get nominated for visual effects. That was a pretty film.
~ The Act of Killing should and will murder the rest of the competition

October Watch List

I need to write more on this site other thank film reviews and a few trailers so I’m going to make an effort to make this a monthly thing. These are all films to be released in October that should require your viewing. Some will be lower budget films but there’s going to be some bigger name films on here as well. It’s autumn, which means films are going to start coming out that will be featured in this year Academy Awards. It should also give you an idea or blueprint if you will of what to see in the next 30 days.

October 4th

By now you’ve heard that Alfonso Cuarón, visionary director and overall awesome dude, is coming out with his first film in six years. It’s about damn time. Children of Men is a marvel of a film. Even if you don’t like the story or found the ending to be a bit weak, there is no doubt in the wonder of the direction Cuarón displayed in that film. I’m going to be watching “Y Tu Mamá También” this week in preparation. It’s a film he received his first Oscar nomination for original screenplay. If this film is as good as the early reviews claim then I think he might be getting some more award recognition come March.

October 11th

The film recently received a standing ovation at the New York Film Festival. That’s a good sign. The film covers the real life event of a American kidnapping at sea by Somali pirates. The film will feature real Somali actors and supposedly Tom Hanks’s strongest role of his career. I’m not sure about that last statement as I can’t imagine him outdoing what he gave in Cast Away. The film is also directed by Paul Greengrass who gave us two Bourne movies, United 93, and the criminally under seen Bloody Sunday.

October 11th

The film is going to be interesting. Film in Disneyland and Disneyworld without their permission, it’s a film that as described by the trailer probably won’t ever happen again. For that reaso alone I’m going to seek this out and watch it. I love unique films and this is going to be one of the most unique films ever created just due to how it was filmed.

October 16th

I’m a big Dane Dehaan fan. I think the kid has some serious acting chops and while Harry Potter is also in this (I wasn’t to fond of this last film Woman in Black because frankly he was horrible) it should be an interesting look at the true story of murder within the beatnik generation. Plus Michael C. Hall is in this and the dude is great as…wait, WAS great as Dexter.

October 18th

There really isn’t much to be said about this film. Steve McQueen who gave us Shame and Hunger casts his best friend and best actor working today Michael Fassbender in this film about the life of Solomon Northup, a free man who was abducted and sold into slavery. It’s going to be powerful. It’s going to be gut wrenching. It’s going to be amazing. Expect an Oscar nomination for Chiwetel Ejiofor.

October 18th

Nothing but Robert Redford for 100 minutes as he tries to survive at see after his boat wrecks? Sign me up. I love Robert Redford and am glad to see him back to starring in hopefully great cinema. This is also J.C Chandler’s follow up to his Oscar nominated Margin Call. Should be great.

October 25thRidley Scott finally has a great writer to team up with his unique style of direction. Cormac McCarthy writes this film that also stars Michael Fassbender and features Javier Bardem in another film where has had a flat out horrible haircut. I sear every time he plays a villain he has a horrible haircut. Hopefully Cameron Diaz doesn’t ruin this with her horrible acting.

Back From Vacation…OLDBOY TRAILER!

I was in Martha’s Vinyard for a few days which explains the lack of posts. I’m back though! JUST IN TIME FOR OLDBOY REMAKE TRAILER! I have an idea. I’m going to post the video, watch it for the first time, and then comment below. Let’s do this…

Oh man. Can you hear that? It’s the complaints. I can hear them already.I’m just going to hold my comments on how the original is probably going to be vastly superior until I see the film. I like Spike Lee. Do The Right Thing is one of my favorite movies from the 90’s and I enjoyed 25th Hour. The guy is pretty talented as is Josh Brolin. The one thing I’m seeing though is that it’s most likely going to be a straight forward adaption of Park Chan Wook’s film rather than a “based off of”. This is okay. When Let Me In came out last year or the year before, I forget, I was pissed. It ended up being a straight adaption and pretty damn good. I hope this follows suit because Oldboy is just one of the most unique and amazing films I’ve ever seen.