My 2015 Oscar Predictions

For the most part, the nominations this year weren't really a big surprise. The one that did piss me off was The Lego Movie not getting nominated for Best Animated Feature. What the hell Academy?!? Anyway, here are my predictions. As I've said in previous years, these are who I think WILL win and not necessarily who I WANT to win. I'm only going to do the main categories, with my pick in bold print-

Best Picture:

• American Sniper
• Birdman
• Boyhood
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• The Imitation Game
• Selma 
• The Theory of Everything
• Whiplash

Best Director

• Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Alejandro G. Inarritu, Birdman
• Richard Linklater, Boyhood
• Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
• Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

Best Actor:

• Steve Carrell, Foxcatcher
• Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
• Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
• Michael Keaton, Birdman
• Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Best Actress:

• Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
• Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
• Julianne Moore, Still Alice
• Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
• Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best Supporting Actor:

• Robert Duvall, The Judge
• Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
• Edward Norton, Birdman
• Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
• J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress:

• Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
• Laura Dern, Wild
• Kiera Knightly, The Imitation Game
• Emma Stone, Birdman
• Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

Best Animated Feature:

• Big Hero 6
• The Boxtrolls
• How to Train Your Dragon 2
• Song of the Sea
• The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

American Sniper

Wow! That's probably the best word I can use to describe Clint Eastwood's latest movie. I've been looking forward to this ever since it was first announced and I was not disappointed.

American Sniper tells the true story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (played here by Bradley Cooper), who is regarded as the most lethal sniper in US military history with 160 confirmed kills. The movie is based on his autobiography.

I've always been a big fan of Clint Eastwood, even though his last few movies haven't been the best. I'm happy that he's finally getting back in the right direction. American Sniper is a very real, gritty movie. Clint doesn't shy away from showing the brutal effects of war. Nor does he make it so gory to the point of only doing it for shock value the way other directors might.

The action scenes were so tense that I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole time. As much as I loved those scenes, I also thought the "quieter" moments between Chris and his wife Taya (Sienna Miller) were well done. It's heartbreaking to watch the affect of what Chris has been through and the toll it takes on not only him, but his family as well. I've been fortunate enough to know quite a few members of the military and their families and I can tell you that they were spot on. Very realistic.

Of course, I can't write this review without talking about Bradley Cooper's (well deserved) Oscar nominated performance. He worked his ass off to prepare for this role, including gaining over 40 pounds. But more than that, he was able to capture the spirit of who Chris was. During the credits they show footage as well as pictures of the real Chris and I swear Bradley looks just like him. It's very eerie. From what I've heard, Chris's family is very pleased with the performance and the movie itself.

Everyone needs to stop what they're doing right now and go see this incredible movie. It hits you right in the feels. My only regret is not being able to see it sooner (it got a very limited release around Christmas). Otherwise it definitely would've made it into my top 10. There's always my 2015 list :)

My Rating: 10/10

Selma

My first review of 2015! I originally was going to see Taken 3 but after hearing all the negative reviews, I decided to see this instead. It looks like I made the right decision. Selma was a very good movie.

Selma is, of course, a Martin Luther King Jr. biopic. Rather than chronicle his whole life, it instead focuses on the three month period in 1965 when King lead a very dangerous campaign in order to secure equal voting rights. This includes the march from Selma to Montgomery.

The thing that really stood out for me was the powerful performance by David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr. I think he looks quite a bit like him but more importantly, he captures the spirit of who King was. When you're watching him giving speeches in a church you really feel like you're there. It honestly gave me goosebumps I was so captivated. Even though there's a lot of competition this year, I really hope David gets an Oscar nomination.

The movie is directed by Ava DuVernay, although if you were like me and went into this not knowing that you would swear Lee Daniels was the director. It features many of the same actors that were in The Butler. Anyway, up until this point she had directed mostly TV shows and a couple of independent movies. What I was really impressed with was that she didn't shy away from showing just how brutal this time period was (as brutal as you can be with a PG-13 rating). There were a few moments though, and I've heard this from others as well, that felt a little too "Hollywood". Luckily those moments are brief and don't take you out of the movie for very long.

Despite some minor flaws, Selma is still a well made historical movie that everyone should see.

My Rating: 8.5/10

My Top 10 Movies of 2014

2014 was such an incredible year for movies that I had a hard time limiting my list to just 10. But I've done my best. As in previous years, I'll start at number 10 and work my way to number one, giving some brief thoughts on each.


10. Birdman

• A well made, ambitious movie made by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Mirroring his own career, Michael Keaton gives an award worthy performance as Riggan Thomas, a washed up actor best known for playing a superhero 20 years ago. He's trying to make a comeback by directing, writing, and acting in a Broadway play. Made to look like it was entirely filmed in one long take.

9. Chef

• A sweet, charming little movie starring Jon Favreau (who also directed) as a chef who is fired from his fancy restaurant job. At his ex wife's suggestion, he starts up a food truck and takes it around the country in an effort to regain his passion for cooking. Along the way he reconnects with his young son. Due to the massive amounts of food porn, I strongly suggest you don't watch this on an empty stomach.

8. Gone Girl

• One of the best thrillers I've seen in years! Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunn, a husband whose wife Amy (Rosamund Pike, who I hope will be nominated for Best Actress) disappears under mysterious circumstances. Is Nick guilty or innocent? Director David Fincher makes you think it could go either way, with an ending that you'll never see coming.

7. Interstellar

• Being such a huge Christopher Nolan fan, it should come as no surprise that Interstellar is on my list. The movie is visually stunning yes, but what I loved the most is at the heart of it is this beautiful story about the relationship between a father and daughter.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy

• Once again Marvel hits it out of the park with this really fun space opera. Who would've thought that a movie featuring a talking raccoon could actually work? Let alone be the highest grossing (domestic) movie of the year so far.

5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

• Probably my favorite Marvel movie since The Avengers. Not only is there some great action sequences, but a well written story as well. I can't wait to see where they go next with this. The reason I'm ranking this higher than Guardians of the Galaxy is because I felt this movie had a much stronger villain.

4. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

• Just give Andy Serkis a damn Oscar already! He as well as the other actors performing with the help of motion capture do an incredible job bringing the apes to life. Featuring some groundbreaking special effects as well as an emotional story, this movie has something for everyone.

3. Mockingjay: Part One

•  While very different from the first two movies, Mockingjay: Part One is still a well made movie that gives you glimpses of the rebellion and a lot of political talk. Does a nice job of setting things up for Part Two. Featuring some emotional, realistic performances by the entire cast.

2. The Imitation Game

• Another incredible movie that I saw at the film festival this year. Based on the true story of Alan Turning, a genius mathematician who in World War 2 was able to crack the German Enigma code. Benedict Cumberbatch gives a powerful performance as Turning. He really puts so much effort into his role, right down to his mannerisms. He's definitely my top pic for Best Actor this year. But that's a topic for another post.

1. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

• It was a close call between this and The Imitation Game. Because I'm such a huge LOTR/Hobbit fan, I just had to put this final film in the trilogy (and sadly the last Middle Earth movie we'll probably ever see) at number one. Kept me on the edge of my seat with its jaw dropping battle sequences and also had me sobbing at times it was so emotional. Well done Peter Jackson!

Honorable Mentions:
Because there were so many great movies this year, here are a few that didn't quite make my list. Not because I didn't like them as much, I just simply ran out of room.

• The Fault In Our Stars
• Wild
• Foxcatcher
• X-Men: Days of Future Past
• The Lego Movie

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (IMAX 3D)

It's really no surprise that the final installment of The Hobbit Trilogy was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. It's so sad to see this movie come to an end, especially since it looks like this will be the last time we ever see Middle Earth. Despite what some critics are saying, I thought The Battle of the Five Armies was amazing.

The movie takes place minutes after the events of Desolation of Smaug. Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) has attacked Laketown and is eventually defeated. But problems for Bilbo (Martin Freeman), Thorin (Richard Armitage) and company are far from over as an army of Orcs and Wargs make their way towards Erebor. This leads to an all out war where Dwarfs, Humans, and Elves must work together to defeat them.

Director Peter Jackson once again does a great job here. But boy does he like to fuck with people's emotions. Luckily I remembered to bring tissues this time. Boy did I need them. I guess I just get too attached to fictional characters. I apologize to anyone who happened to be in the same theater as me and could hear me sobbing uncontrollably. I tried to be as quiet about it as I could.

Battle of the Five Armies is easily the best of the three. It's pretty much non stop action but there's also a lot of heart. The movie is nearly two and a half hours long (which is short for a Middle Earth movie) but the time seemed to fly by with some of the most jaw dropping battle sequences I've seen in years.

The cast that they put together was incredible. There's Martin Freeman of course. He makes a perfect Bilbo. There's scenes (one in particular) where his character just breaks down emotionally and boy does he pull it off. Some actors might've played this way over the top but he didn't. It was very genuine and heartfelt.

For me, the actor who stood out the most was Richard Armitage. For a good part of the movie you watch Thorin as he descends into madness due to the "dragon sickness". He's not a nice guy. In fact, he's an asshole at points. But at the same time you kind of feel sorry for him and can understand how he got to be this way.

I can't write this review without talking about one of my favorite characters- Kili (played by the very charming Aidan Turner). I know I'm probably in the minority, but I loved his subplot with Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly). Was it necessary? No. But I still thought it was sweet and the two of them had good chemistry.

If you do decide to go see this, I highly recommend the IMAX 3D version. You feel like you're right there on the battlefield. The 3D was actually decent. It wasn't the in your face, things flying out at you kind of 3D but instead it was more subtle. It was also nice to see them get the whole higher frame rate thing right this time. It didn't bother my eyes at all they way it did with the second movie. Maybe I'm just getting use to it.

I really, REALLY wanted to give this movie a perfect rating. The only thing that's stopping me is the fact that Peter Jackson decided to completely change a major scene towards the end. I had a feeling he would so I'm not surprised. I'm not saying I didn't like the scene. I'm far from being a book purist. I understand any time you turn a book into a movie there's going to be some changes. But this was one moment that I felt should've been left the way it was written.

Overall, there's something in this movie for everyone. Thank you Peter Jackson for making six incredible movies which I will watch and remember for years to come.

My Rating: 9.5/10

Mockingjay: Part One

WARNING: There might be some slight spoilers in this review. They'll definitely be MAJOR spoilers if you haven't already seen Catching Fire.

Going into this movie, I was extremely nervous. Having read all three books, Mockingjay was my least favorite. Thankfully the movie version (so far) was amazing.

Mockingjay takes place just days after the events of Catching Fire. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and company find themselves in the (long thought to be destroyed) District 13 after the Capitol wiped out District 12 in response to her actions in the 75th Hunger Games. She meets the President of District 13- Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), who wants Katniss to become the symbol of the revolution... the Mockingjay. Of course, this is easier said than done.

Director Francis Lawrence is back and once again I must thank him for not using shaky cam. Here, he really improves upon the book. The books are entirely told from Katniss's point of view which is fine but doesn't exactly translate well to the screen. So what he's done with the Mockingjay movie is show you, in addition to what's going on with Katniss, the events in the Capitol with President Snow as well as the rebellion in the Districts. You really feel like you're there going through these horrific events along with the rest of the citizens. I also loved the whole look of District 13. It was pretty much exactly how I pictured it while reading the book. If I had anything "negative" to say about the movie it would be that at times it was filmed way too dark. I understand what the director was doing (a majority of the movie takes place in District 13, an underground community) but in certain scenes it was hard to tell what was going on.

The cast has always been incredible and they seem to be getting better with each passing film. Jennifer Lawrence has quickly become one of my favorite actresses. I can't imagine anyone else playing Katniss. You believe her in this as someone suffering from major PTSD who reluctantly becomes the face of the rebellion.

Josh Hutcherson really isn't in the movie all that much- his character Peeta was captured by the Capitol at the end of Catching Fire and is now being tortured and used as a weapon in order to demoralize Katniss. But when he is in a scene it's absolutely heartbreaking to watch him deteriorate both physically and mentally.

Gale (Liam Hemsworth) now has a significantly larger role than he did in the first two movies. Liam was very good. However, there were just a few moments where I felt his dialog was a little cringe worthy.

I also loved seeing Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) and Finnick (Sam Claflin) again. They're two of my favorite characters in the series. Haymitch provides some much needed humor. Not that there's a whole lot of that here.

I'm sure some of you are curious as to what changes they made from the book. It's been a while since I've read it, but from what I remember, Francis Lawrence has done a very good job being as faithful to the book as he possibly can. Of course, there are a few differences which I've already mentioned. There's also some other changes that I felt were a welcome addition. Sorry, I won't spoil those for you.

James Newton Howard is back as the composer and once again he provides us with a beautiful, haunting score featuring slightly different versions of music we've heard in the previous movies as well as new material. If I can ever get iTunes to work for me again I'll definitely be adding this score to my iPod.

I think some people (especially ones who have only seen the movies) will be put off by the fact that this is a VERY different movie than the first two. There's no Hunger Games. There's a few action sequences but it's mostly political talk, getting glimpses of the revolution, and setting things up for part two. Even though I'm not crazy about the trend (with the exception of the last Harry Potter), I can see why they split Mockingjay into two movies. Could it have been done in one? Sure. But I'm glad they're taking their time and not rushing through it.

So how does Mockingjay: Part One compare to the first two movies? Well... I liked it better than Hunger Games, but not quite as much as Catching Fire. Still, it was a great movie and I'm really looking forward to part two.

My Rating: 9/10

Interstellar (IMAX)

I've been looking forward to this movie ever since it first came out. Christopher Nolan is one of my all time favorite directors. I've seen just about every one of his movies. Interstellar is, by far, his most ambitious movie to date. I'm happy to say that, overall, he succeeded.

The movie takes place some time in the not so distant future. Earth is dying and looks like one big dust bowl. They never really tell you how it got that way which I was okay with. I don't need everything spelled out for me. It tells the story of former NASA pilot Cooper/Coop (Matthew McConaughey) who's now a widowed father working as a farmer. He's recruited to pilot a ship called Endurance in order to, along with explorers Amelia (Anne Hathaway), Doyle (Wes Bentley), and Romilly (David Gyasi), find another planet that can sustain life.

Interstellar is a movie that is meant to be seen on an IMAX screen. The cinematography and visual effects are beautiful and jaw dropping. Seeing it in IMAX really made me feel like I was on the Endurance and exploring all these new planets.

It's a big, epic science fiction movie, but at the heart of it Christopher Nolan has told an intimate story about the relationship between a father and daughter. That was definitely my favorite thing about this. Matthew McConaughey is amazing in his role. You really feel the pain, determination, and anguish that his character is going through. It helps that he's also a father in real life. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm so happy that his career is finally going in the right direction. He is truly an incredible actor.

However, as much as I wanted this movie to be perfect, it does have a few flaws. I felt like the editing could've been a little tighter in spots. That being said, even though the movie is almost three hours long, I was never bored.

The other thing was, and this really isn't a big complaint, the last 20-30 minutes had me thinking, "Okay Nolan, I have no problem suspending my disbelief but you're really pushing it here." I wish I could elaborate further but then I would be spoiling too much.

Interstellar is one of those movies that people are either going to love or hate with very few in between. I really hope you all give it a chance. It's an incredible experience that you rarely get at a movie theater these days. I can't wait to see what Christopher Nolan does next.

My Rating: 9/10