Here Come The DGA Nominees

Here's likely the shortest list of nominees for an awards event you'll ever see...

DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2014:

Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel

Clint Eastwood - American Sniper

Alejandro G. Iñárritu - Birdman

Richard Linklater - Boyhood

Morton Tyldum - The Imitation Game

And to be honest, I'd be pretty okay with any of these guys winning. That's saying a lot and it usually doesn't happen. For one year to so consistently manage to nominate actual worthy competition is a surprise to say the least. Usually something or someone underwhelming sneaks in at the last minute... and even without the Academy nominations, I can still say this awards season has been pretty respectable in almost every category.

Now that being said, I've picked my best director the same regardless of competition in every other awards show so far, and that isn't about to change here. Alejandro G. Iñárritu, in my opinion, did the best job coordinating an entire production... and god help me, he made it feel original. Something that has proven a difficult task for many a director of late. For his creativity and ingenuity, I've gotta keep the trend going and pick the Birdman director once again.

Whelp, I Finally Saw Blue Ruin

Jeremy Saulnier's Blue Ruin is one of the biggest surprise success stories of the 2014 season. And in spite of everyone's raging about the damn thing I didn't really care to catch it until just recently when I figured enough was enough... you know?

Blue Ruin is an epically simple concept blown up into a brooding, moody indie revenge film. I wouldn't even refer to it as a thriller really. It's practically a character study, but for the rather underdeveloped family feud/murder plot. Basically, a guy who's been living as a hobo for the last... eight years I think... discovers that the man responsible for his parents' death has just been let out of prison. So he sort of returns to his former life in hopes of seeking revenge. It's pretty much redneck killing redneck, with little more reason than the most basic of relationship issues.

The film lives and dies on its lead actor Macon Blair who does a pretty quality job in a rather strange role. The extent of his character's degradation is alarming and absolutely necessary for anything of value to come out of this movie. Yet he always manages to play off even the most peculiar of decisions with a level of sincerity and an incredibly awkward kindness. When I say that a revenge murderer seems to perform with kindness perhaps you can begin to understand the confusing but rather interesting nature of this casting decision. But as I was saying, it does work. And the cinematography is wonderful... so serious cred to Jeremy Saulnier for writing, directing, and filming this thing all himself.

If I had to give a thumbs up or down, I'd give Blue Ruin one up. But I still must admit, I'm pretty surprised that its managed to blow up like it has. It's such a small, miserable kind of film. Then again, I would probably recommend you stay home and watch this rather than go out and catch Taken 3 this weekend. So that's gotta mean something, right?

BAFTA Noms Today!

So now for the British Academy Film Awards (excluding the short films, which I am unfortunately likely to never see)... These guys have a slightly different taste than other awards groups and, since they're a whole other country, it seems some other films are eligible that perhaps made an appearance in last years Oscars... so bare with me on that. Anyway, I am appreciative of more than of few of their more surprising nominations.

Adapted Screenplay in 2015

The Theory of Everything - Anthony Mccarten
The Imitation Game - Graham Moore
American Sniper - Jason Hall
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Paddington - Paul King

My Pick: The Imitation Game... Graham Moore did an excellent job of relaying the science to his audience. And for that I've gotta commend him in spite of some formulaic BS here and there. Truth be told, my likely picks definitely did not make this category... but I'll come to that later.

Animated Film in 2015

The Boxtrolls - Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable
The LEGO Movie - Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Big Hero 6 - Don Hall, Chris Williams

My Pick: The LEGO Movie... This was the first film I saw of the 2014 season. And it's been pencilled in for this award ever since. I do still find it confusing that there were apparently not enough space for How to Train Your Dragon 2... not that it would change my decision.

Cinematography in 2015

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Robert Yeoman
Ida - Lukasz Zal, Ryzsard Lenczewski
Interstellar - Hoyte Van Hoytema
Mr. Turner - Dick Pope
Birdman - Emmanuel Lubezki

My Pick: Ugh this is tough... Birdman for its originality and creativity. But a very close second to Mr. Turner.

Costume Design in 2015

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Milena Canonero
The Imitation Game - Sammy Sheldon Differ
The Theory of Everything - Steven Noble
Mr. Turner - Jacqueline Durran
Into The Woods - Colleen Atwood

My Pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel... because FUN!!

Director in 2015

Alejandro G. Iñárritu - Birdman
Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
James Marsh - The Theory of Everything
Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Damien Chazelle - Whiplash

My Pick: Alejandro G. Iñárritu... his vision made it to screen. And it may have been a bizarre vision, but it was bizarre in the best kind of way. Birdman was too cool and all because of Iñárritu!

Documentary in 2015

20 Feet From Stardom - Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, Gil Friesen
20,000 Days On Earth - Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard
Finding Vivian Maier - John Maloof, Charlie Siskel
Virunga - Orlando Von Einsiedel, Joanna Natasegara
Citizenfour - Laura Poitras

My Pick: Virunga... this film was both beautiful and horrifying. It was simply put, an amazing achievement. That and 20 Feet From Stardom is a 2013 flick and even won the Oscar last year. It was alright, but not Oscar worthy... and it's had its day. Virunga all the way!

EE Rising Star in 2015

Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Jack O'Connell
Shailene Woodley
Margot Robbie
Miles Teller

My Pick: Gugu Mbatha-Raw... Firstly, I already knew the others aside from Jack O'Connell and held them in some esteem. Secondly, because Mbatha-Raw gave an incredible performance in the little noted but wonderful Belle. I didn't catch Beyond the Lights, but I can only imagine she continues her ascension there.

Editing in 2015

Birdman - Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione
The Grand Budapest Hotel - Barney Pilling
The Theory of Everything - Jinx Godfrey
The Imitation Game - William Goldenberg
Nightcrawler - John Gilroy
Whiplash - Tom Cross

My Pick: Birdman... once again for originality. When an editor can make you believe a film never cuts away... that takes ability.

Film in 2015

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson
The Theory of Everything - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony Mccarten
Birdman - Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, James W. Skotchdopole
The Imitation Game - Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman
Boyhood - Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland

My Pick: The Grand Budapest Hotel... mostly because I'm just so glad it got a nomination somewhere. But Wes Anderson's latest flick is seriously legit and should be recognized for its own wonderful existence. Out of these, it was between that and Birdman for me.

Film not in English Language in 2015

Ida - Pawel Pawlikowski, Eric Abraham, Piotr Dzieciol, Ewa Puszczyska
The Lunchbox - Ritesh Batra, Arun Rangachari, Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga
Two Days, One Night - Jean-Pierre Darenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd
Leviathan - Andrey Zvyagintsev, Alexander Rodnyansky, Sergey Melkumov
Trash - Stephen Daldry, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Kris Thykier

My Pick: The Lunchbox... which beautifully captured the mundane day to day lives of ordinary people, but managed to make them interesting and completely compelling.

Leading Actor in 2015

Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
Ralph Fiennes - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal - Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton - Birdman

My Pick: Jake Gyllenhaal... It's not gonna change! Gyllenhaal's performance was perfect. He surprised me and for that alone he deserves this award.

Leading Actress in 2015

Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore - Still Alice
Reese Witherspoon - Wild
Amy Adams - Big Eyes
Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl

My Pick: I said Reese Witherspoon... She ruled in Wild. So much so that I could actually go back and watch a movie about somebody walking for three months again... But now I've seen Still Alice and Julianne Moore rocked that film.

Make-Up And Hair in 2015

Guardians of the Galaxy - Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, David White
Into The Woods - Peter Swords King, J. Roy Helland
Mr. Turner - Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener
The Grand Budapest Hotel - Frances Hannon
The Theory of Everything - Jan Sewell

My Pick: Guardians of the Galaxy... I can't believe Foxcatcher didn't get a nod. So the most colorful flick gets my vote.

Original Music in 2015

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Alexandre Desalt
Interstellar - Hans Zimmer
Birdman - Antonio Sanches
The Theory of Everything - Jóhann Jóhannsson
Under The Skin - Mica Levi

My Pick: Under The Skin... I'm just so relieved that someone recognized the real best score of the season. Mica Levi killed it!

Original Screenplay in 2015

Birdman - Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo
The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson
Boyhood - Richard Linklater
Whiplash - Damien Chazelle
Nightcrawler - Dan Gilroy

My Pick: Whiplash... Okay, this was tough, but as I said earlier, my choice for adapted screenplay wasn't in that category... it was The Grand Budapest Hotel which is in fact adapted for your information British Academy! Unfortunately I was just more impressed by Whiplash's surprising anger and emotion.

Outstanding British Film in 2015

'71 - Yann Demange, Angus Lamont, Robin Gutch, Gregory Burke
The Theory of Everything - James Marsh, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony Mccarten
Under The Skin - Jonathan Glazer, James Wilson, Nick Wechsler, Walter Campbell
Pride - Matthew Warchus, David Livingstone, Stephen Beresford
The Imitation Game - Morten Tyldum, Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman, Graham Moore
Paddington - Paul King, David Heyman

My Pick: Under The Skin... Because I'm a sci-fi fanboy and Under The Skin was something I hadn't experienced before.

Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director or Producer in 2015

Stephen Beresford, David Livingstone - Pride
Gregory Burke, Yann Demange - '71
Elaine Constantine - Northern Soul
Hong Khaou - Lilting
Paul Katis, Andrew De Lotbiniere - Kajaki: The True Story

My Pick: N/A... I didn't like Pride enough to give it the go ahead, and I haven't seen the others yet.

Production Design in 2015

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock
The Imitation Game - Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana Macdonald
Mr. Turner - Suzie Davies, Charlotte Watts
Interstellar - Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis
Big Eyes - Rick Heinrichs, Shane Vieau

My Pick: Mr. Turner... Because they so completely managed to capture this odd and awkward but often beautiful past.

Sound in 2015

Birdman - Thomas Varga, Martin Hernández, Aaron Glascock, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño
American Sniper - Walt Martin, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman
The Imitation Game - John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Stuart Hilliker, Martin Jensen
The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wayne Lemmer, Christopher Scarabosio, Pawel Wdowczak
Whiplash - Thomas Curley, Ben Wilkins, Craig Mann

My Pick: Whiplash... Though I'm told by my good drummer friend that the drum hits were inaccurate, I still can't deny how perfectly the sound managed to move the emotion of the film. Damn fine work in my opinion.

Special Visual Effects in 2015

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - Joe Letteri, Eric Swindon, David Clayton, R. Christopher White
Guardians of the Galaxy - Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner, Nicolas Aithadi
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Erik Winquist, Daniel Barrett
X-Men: Days of Future Past - Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Tim Crosbie, Cameron Waldbauer
Interstellar - Paul Franklin, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley

My Pick: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes... If this doesn't win I will be baffled to all hell. This was far and away the best effects work of the season. And while Interstellar comes a close second, the difference is in scope. While it's awesome effects are of worlds that could've just been pictures we can't compare, Apes had the difficult task of once again bringing creatures into perfect life-like reality.

Supporting Actor in 2015

J.K. Simmons - Whiplash
Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher
Steve Carell - Foxcatcher
Edward Norton - Birdman
Ethan Hawke - Boyhood

My Pick: J.K. Simmons... I'm impressed that the British Academy was willing to recognize Steve Carell's performance in its correct category. There was no leading actor in Foxcatcher. And Mark Ruffalo would get my vote before him anyway. Edward Norton was also damn good and really would've claimed this award in another year.  However, J.K. Simmons gave the best performance of his career. And he really should win.

Supporting Actress in 2015

Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game
Imelda Staunton - Pride
Emma Stone - Birdman
Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Rene Russo - Nightcrawler

My Pick: Patricia Arquette... I feel like she's the only one from this list that really should be on here anyway. But that's because of the role she got to play and the way she got to play it. I really loved what she brought to the dynamic of Boyhood. And her performance won't soon be forgotten.

See what I mean? The BAFTAs are kind of weird. But mostly in a fun way. What's the deal with all of those nominations for Paddington?? I mean really? Then again I haven't seen it... but I can't exactly say it feels like award material. Anyway, this has been a weird year for movies, and that trend seems to be continuing into award season. I have to wonder how these nominees will compare to those of the Oscars. There'll definitely be a few very serious shakeups.

And Now The WGA's Nominees

Well it's about time the Writers Guild of America got themselves into award season. Here are all of their nominations:

Original Screenplay:

Boyhood - Richard Linklater

Foxcatcher - E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness

Nightcrawler - Dan Gilroy

Whiplash - Damien Chazelle

My Pick: Damien Chazelle for Whiplash. I've never experienced a film like that. And while J.K. Simmons likely amplified the experience with a brilliant performance... somebody did actually write that part for him... and wrote it spectacularly.

Adapted Screenplay:

American Sniper - Jason Hall; Based on the book by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwan and Jim DeFelice

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn; Based on her novel

Guardians of the Galaxy - James Gunn and Nicole Perlman; Based on the Marvel comic by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning

The Imitation Game - Graham Moore; Based on the book Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges

Wild - Nick Hornby; Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed

My Pick: Nick Hornby for Wild. There are some really good options here, but ultimately I've gotta give the nod to the film that most accurately captured a specific emotion. That fever dream quality Hornby managed to bring to his screenplay was amazing.

Documentary Screenplay:

Finding Vivian Maier - John Maloof & Charlie Siskel

The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz - Brian Knappenberger

Last Days in Vietnam - Mark Bailey & Kevin McAlester

Red Army - Gabe Polsky

My Pick: John Maloof & Charlie Siskel for Finding Vivian Maier. Not a lot of options here as I've missed most of these. However, Vivian Maier surprised me. I've said that before and I meant it. There is an overwhelming moment during the film wherein everything seems to make a bizarre sort of sense. And this being a real life mystery... that is no easy feet. Even if the film delves a little too deep into the darkness towards the end, it is still quite interesting.

Those are all of the WGA nominees. Not a lot of surprises, but very exciting to see some of the best flicks of the year make it. I am however sorely missing representation for two films here... The LEGO Movie and Inherent Vice. Regardless, there's plenty of good stuff between these.

A Most Violent Year Invokes Memories Of Many Great Classics

J.C. Chandor's been killing it since he burst onto the scene back in 2011 with Margin Call. A Most Violent Year is his next film of quality.

A Most Violent Year is an interesting take on the mafia mentality... or rather a completely new perspective. Because this isn't a mob movie. This is an anti-mob movie. Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) is a power-hungry opportunist building an oil empire throughout the burrows of New York. But every step of the way he seems intent on staying fair and honest. Though the rest of the world seems to assume him a crook... and even his own wife Anna (Jessica Chastain) may not be a trustworthy partner in his attempts to keep things clean.

The cast is excellent. Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain both give exceptional performances worthy of any awards season. And while I feel like Albert Brooks gave one of his hammier performances in recent memory, his character seems well written enough to keep him on track throughout the film's run-time. David Oyelowo shows up once again this year. And I have to say, I'm becoming more interested in his career with each day. Between this and Selma he can mark 2014 down as a real victory.

But what J.C. Chandor has accomplished with this film goes far beyond the acting performances. He has proven that he can make a period piece in the style of old Hollywood, but still manages to bring modern sensibilities to the table... rather, he has proven that no one can box him into a corner and label him as just a "this kind" of director. And while last year's All Is Lost didn't really do it for me, I still can't say he's made a bad film. There's just too much good stuff to be taken from the three he's got... and between this and Margin Call, the other could be forgotten regardless.

A Most Violent Year is certainly on par with the best films of 2014 and well worth your time and money.

Son Of Batman Tries Too Hard To Be Adult

Here's an obscure one from 2014... DC Universe's Son of Batman.

This is the story of Batman discovering he has a son. And how that son turns out to be far more of a handful than Bruce Wayne has ever really experienced. It's a yarn of overconfidence and mistakes... and understanding your limits and what the differences are between right and wrong. It's also surprisingly over-violent considering what one would assume was its target audience. However, I would never allow that to interfere with my own viewing of the film.

Yet something else would manage to pull me out... Two things to be clear. First, the casting choice for the voice of Batman was just completely wrong... Jason O'Mara was clearly not raised in America and his Irish accent slips in and out throughout the flick. This is a huge no for one of the oldest American heroes. And I can't believe the production company felt comfortable with their decision in the end. Still this manages to take a back seat to the much bigger issue that is terribly bad dialogue. Joe R. Lansdale has written some pretty fun stuff in his day, and while his script does give just enough to carry the audience from one scene to the next, this dialogue is just completely below par. It almost feels like the studio assumed this would sell to its audience no matter what and just took the first draft that rolled out of the printer.

Son of Batman is darker than it needs to be. And it's a mess on paper. But it's still not the worst interpretation of Batman I've ever seen. That being said, I can't imagine I'll ever watch it again.

So The PGA And ADG Nominees Came Out Today

Hey folks! As the guilds continue to come together and give awards for excellence in their given crafts, the Producers and Artistic Directors of America have begun to give us a glimpse into their own collective thoughts on the 2014 season. While these nominees feel pretty predictable at this point, I'm sure more than a few of you will still want to know. This time around I have made a conscientious decision not to include the television awards as my knowledge of the properties under consideration is lacking, however you can find more info on those here and here. So that being said, let's begin with the PGA theatrical nominees:

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:

American Sniper (Warner Bros. Pictures) - Bradley Cooper, p.g.a., Clint Eastwood, p.g.a., Andrew Lazar, p.g.a., Robert Lorenz, p.g.a., Peter Morgan, p.g.a.

Birdman (Forx Searchlight Pictures) - Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, James W. Skotchdopole

Boyhood (IFC Films) - Richard Linklater, p.g.a., Cathleen Sutherland, p.g.a.

Foxcatcher (Sony Pictures Classics) - Megan Ellison, p.g.a., Jon Kilik, p.g.a., Bennett Miller, p.g.a.

Gone Girl (20th Century Fox) - Ceán Chaffin, p.g.a.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Fox Searchlight Pictures) - Wes Anderson & Scott Rudin, Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales

The Imitation Game (The Weinstein Company) - Nora Grossman, p.g.a., Ido Ostrowsky, p.g.a., Teddy Schwarzman, p.g.a.

Nightcrawler (Open Road Films) - Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy

The Theory of Everything (Focus Features) - Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten

Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics) - Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster

My Choice: The Grand Budapest Hotel... sure the other guys have fancy p.g.a. titles tagged onto their names and many of them do deserve awards and recognition, but for my money I would be thrilled to see Wes and his team get the credit they so gravely deserve. Grand Budapest is a colorful and imaginative film to look at... and it can not have been easy for these guys to find all of the pieces that so well bring that world to life... or to be able to coordinate the biggest all-star cast to appear on film in a very long time.

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:

Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Animation Studios) - Roy Conli, p.g.a.

The Book of Life (20th Century Fox) - Brad Booker, p.g.a., Guillermo del Toro, p.g.a.

The Boxtrolls (Focus Features) - David Bleiman Ichioka, p.g.a., Travis Knight, p.g.a.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (20th Century Fox) - Bonnie Arnold, p.g.a.

The LEGO Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures) - Dan Lin

My Choice: The LEGO Movie... Duh! LEGO's gonna take everything this year. While the creativity shown in that film cannot be question, one can only imagine the immense pressures Dan Lin must have maneuvered through in order to get his team to bring all of those bricks to life... simply amazing!

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:

The Green Prince (Music Box Films) - John Battsek, Simon Chinn, Nadav Schirman

Life Itself (Magnolia Pictures) - Garrett Basch, Steve James, Zak Piper

Merchants of Doubt (Sony Pictures Classics) - Robert Kenner, Melissa Robledo

Particle Fever (Abramorama/BOND 360) - David E. Kaplan, Mark A. Levinson, Andrea Miller, Carla Solomon

Virunga (Netflix) - Joanna Natasegara, Orlando von Einsiedel

My Choice: Virunga... While I haven't seen the other nominees, I have a difficult time believing any of them could top my opinion of this film. Honestly one of the most stunning and impactful documentaries I have ever experienced.

And now for the ADG theatrical awards, rather... Nominees for Excellence in Production Design for a Feature Film in 2014:


Period Film:

Inherent Vice - David Crank

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Adam Stockhausen

The Imitation Game - Maria Djurkovic

The Theory of Everything - John Paul Kelly

Unbroken - Jon Hutman

My Choice: David Crank for Inherent Vice... While I desperately wanted to go back to Grand Budapest here, the overall tone and world of Inherent Vice just worked for me. And those designs felt legitimately plausible in the real world... particularly that ominous Golden Fang building.

Fantasy Film:

Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Peter Wenham

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - James Chinlund

Guardians of the Galaxy - Charles Wood

Interstellar - Nathan Crowley

Into The Woods - Dennis Gassner

My Choice: Charles Wood for Guardians of the Galaxy... I'll push for Apes in the effects categories when those come along, but the world itself... what I believe the artistic director is most responsible for... of Guardians is just so much richer. And at the end of the day, Interstellar doesn't even hold a candle to the immensity of that film.

Contemporary Film:

American Sniper - James J. Murakami, Charisse Cardenas

Birdman - Kevin Thompson

Foxcatcher - Jess Gonchor

Gone Girl - Donald Graham Burt

Nightcrawler - Kevin Kavanaugh

My Choice: Kevin Thompson for Birdman... This was a difficult category. I could've jump to Nightcrawler or Foxcatcher easily. However, I feel the things most noteworthy in those films are very specific (much like Apes above). And ultimately, Birman's world is sweeping and fun. In a way it may not even belong in this category due to the fantasy elements, but I buy the decision to honor it here. New York takes on a whole different kind of life in this one.

So them's the nominees PGA and ADG couldn't wait for you to know about today. Have a good one guys.