My Favorite Performances of 2014

by Lani

The Oscars will be handed out tonight. So, before the 2014 awards season comes to a close, I'd like to give a nod to some of the performers who I enjoyed this year (but who won't be taking home a statuette tonight).

Favorite Tom Hardy Performance: Locke
In 2010, Tom Hardy made a big impression in Inception and since then, every time that I make a round-up of favorite performances, I've found a reason to recognize him. He just continues to be on of the most watchable actors working today, and that's only reinforced by his performance in Locke. This film is basically a one man show as the audiences rides  along on a late night journey with Hardy's Ivan Locke as he attempts to sort out personal business while also negotiating a complex concrete pour -- all via his car phone. As Locke remains behind the wheel, moving ever closer to his final destination, the tension builds as we wait for the next call. Hardy doesn't overplay his part in an attempt to keep things exciting; he maintains a level of control, despite the escalating stakes. (He is simultaneously driving a car the entire time, so he has to keep a level of physical control or he'll crash.) The premise may seem a bit mundane, but the filmmakers are able to create something highly dramatic, due in large part to the magnetic actor at the center. 




Most Overlooked by the People Who Hand Out Awards: David Oyelowo, Selma
Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most charismatic people to ever step out on the public stage, but he was also a complex and flawed human being. Any actor taking on this role needs to be able to show both sides - the larger than life icon, as well as the man. In Selma, Oyelowo was able to meet this challenge and I found it riveting. Apparently, I was in the minority since Oyelowo has been overlooked by every major award-giving body this season and that's a shame. The portrayal is so rich and multi-faceted, you see how King was able to deftly navigate the streets of Selma, as well as Washington, and juggle multiple agendas and factions. And when he delivers a speech, the film just sings. 




Favorite Quarterlifer in Crisis: Keira Knightley, Laggies
In the little-seen romantic comedy Laggies, Keira Knightley plays a young woman with an advanced degree, a long-time boyfriend, and a close-knit circle of friends (not to mention a face like Keira Knightley's)-- yet she feels like a loser, unable or unwilling to take the next steps into adulthood. I find Knightley so likable that even when she makes very questionable decisions, I'm still rooting for her. Exhibit A: she agrees to buy beer for a some teenagers she's never met, then later attempts to hide out from her friends and family at the home of one of these teenagers, Annika (Chloe Grace Moretz). Annika's dad (Sam Rockwell) is at first dubious of this grown woman hanging out with his daughter, but eventually everyone warms up to each other. Now, if you've seen her Chanel commercials, you know that Knightley can look absolutely beautiful. However, she is seemingly without vanity when playing a role; she moves and dresses in a completely natural way, not like an actress made up to look like the best version of herself or posing in the optimally flattering way. She's believably real, and that makes me just like her. When she starts to hit it off with Rockwell, I said (out loud), "I just like them both so much, I want everything to work out." And isn't that what we should be thinking when watching a romantic comedy?



Oh, hi, Jake Gyllenhaal: Nightcrawler
I'll admit that Jake Gyllenhaal is an actor that I've probably underestimated. Until Nightcrawler, I'd say that Zodiac was probably my favorite of his films, but even though he was the lead, he didn't really stand out above the rest of the cast. The problem is that Gyllenhaal is a character actor with a leading man's face; so, while he's most interesting when playing characters who are just a bit off-kilter, he's more often cast in a traditional leading man role. So, it's exciting to see him taking on quirkier roles like the inscrutable Detective Loki in last year's Prisoners and the truly weird lead character in Nightcrawler, an ambitious autodidact determined to break into the cutthroat world of local TV news. His character is not a likable guy and he does some very bad things, but he's never uninteresting. Anchored by Gyllenhaal's performance, Nightcrawler was one of my favorite films of the year.



Most Valuable Player: Tilda Swinton
This year, in supporting roles as an elderly client of the Grand Budapest Hotel and a cruel official aboard the Snowpiercer, and particularly in the leading role of Eve, one half of the vampire couple at the heart of Only Lovers Left Alive, Swinton shone. As the warm, practical, and patient Eve, she is the anchor around which the rest of the cast floats. Just think about this, she turns a scene about making airline reservations over the phone into something completely captivating. It's easy to see why acclaimed and innovative directors like Wes Anderson, Bong Joon Ho, and Jim Jarmusch are eager to work with Swinton; she's a chameleon, incredibly talented, and seems to be game for anything.

Best Films of 2014: A.J.'s Picks

by A.J.

The Oscars are just around the corner and before the Academy gets the final word on the best of last year's movies, I thought I'd have my say. They only found eight movies to nominate for Best Picture of 2014, but I found 10, and in some cases we actually agree. It's a little late, but here are my picks for the best movies of 2014.

10. The Rover

There is no post-apocalyptic thriller quite like The Rover. Even though it shares the same setting with Mad Max (the barren, dusty Australian Outback of the not-too-distant future), The Rover is about as far away from the full-bore action of the Mad Max trilogy as a movie can get, while still being a thrilling adventure. This is a sparse, low key movie. The story is very simple: a man pursues relentlessly the band of thieves that stole his car. Guy Pearce is excellent as the ultra-determined, largely silent main character who rarely, if ever, is called by name. The landscape may be desolate, but the film is not. It is a subtle adventure punctuated by bursts of violence amid the strange familiarity of the not-too-distant future. 

9. The Lego Movie

This is the best kind of kid’s movie: one that is actually entertaining and engaging for viewers of all ages. The Lego Movie is very funny and very smartly written. It never condescends or panders to children or adults. The pop culture references are charming and not overdone. There is a real heart to the story, and it is obvious that the movie cares about and values every character, even the villains. The humor stays sharp the whole way through. The voice talents do a great job. The Lego Movie is pure fun at every moment. 

8. Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow was not widely seen in theaters and now, I fear, may continue to be underseen on video since the movie unofficially changed its name to Live.Die.Repeat (which is only slightly better than the title of the Japanese novel the film is based on, All You Need is Kill). That is unfortunate because this is one of the best action sci-fi movies of the year, and probably also one of the best action sci-fi movies of the past few years. As a charming, but cowardly, army spokesman forced onto the frontlines, Tom Cruise commits fully (as he always does).Only by reliving the same day again and again does he finds it in himself to help repel an alien invasion. Yes, this movie has the same plot device Groundhog Day, and, as in Groundhog Day, that device is used for comedy. However, Edge of Tomorrow also uses it for tension and suspense. This movie puts a fresh spin on the action genre, is thoroughly entertaining, and surprisingly funny. 

7. The Babadook

I’m fond of saying that there is only one really good horror movie for every five to seven years; that movie for this current cycle is The Babadook. From Australia, this horror film, about a mother and son plagued by a shadowy monster from a disturbing children’s book, is a slow burn that builds and builds to a tense and frightening climax. The titular monster does not appear in the movie very much, but when he does it is terrifying. The strained relationship between the mother and her young, troubled son is the real focus of the movie, which is thick with their anxiety. The Babadook is a smart movie that plays with our expectations and delivers more by doing less.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy

I can’t believe how much fun I had watching Guardians of the Galaxy, twice. I'm always a bit wary of whatever new movie Marvel has unleashed upon us, but Guardians of the Galaxy ended up being the best movie that brand has made. This movie reminded me of Star Wars: there were humans, aliens, characters with ridiculous names of all kinds and colors, talking animals, and it is all taken seriously, but not too seriously. There is not a hint of pretension or cynicism anywhere in this movie. The characters aren’t just likable, they’re lovable and cast perfectly. This movie is rich with humor, great action sequences, and pure fun from beginning to end. 

5. Inherent Vice

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film is an intriguing and hilarious neo-noir that has the sprawling feel of an epic. Joaquin Phoenix is great as Doc, a hippie private detective that is our guide through the people and places of Los Angeles circa 1970. Though Doc is very funny and unconventional as far private detectives go, the people and situations he encounters while investigating the disappearance of a an ex-girlfriend and a wealthy businessman are so bizarre that he essentially plays the straight man to these flamboyant and strange supporting characters. The word “indecipherable” has been used a lot to describe the plot of this movie, and while I could not explain it in detail now, I understood it well enough to enjoy the movie, and I think most people will too. If you ever wondered what L.A. Confidential crossed with The Big Lebowski and directed by Stanley Kubrick would be like, you should watch Inherent Vice (probably a few times).

4. The Grand Budapest Hotel

This is Wes Anderson’s most Wes Anderson-y movie yet, and is by far his most melancholy. It is the story of a memory of someone else’s memory. Each time period is shot in a different aspect ratio evoking the look of the movies of each time period. The production design and color palette are bolder and more stylized than they have ever been in any Anderson movie, but the characters are just as rich. Ralph Fiennes is excellent and hilarious as M. Gustav. It's a rare comedic role for Fiennes and he pulls off Wes Anderson whimsy as well as he does heavy drama. The world around the characters of The Grand Budapest Hotel is changing and though we know where the arrow of time is taking the world, the characters simply live their lives as best they can. There are many funny scenes and visual gags and great skill and care were put into each character and plot point. The result is a very funny drama, equal parts whimsy and wistfulness, elation and sorrow for a time and place long since passed that now only exists inside the memory of a memory.

3. Selma

Equally powerful and painful, Selma is history on film at its best. This is due in no small part to the masterful and deft direction from Ava DuVernay and the excellent performances from the cast. Selma might prove the long-held Hollywood notion that the best actors to play American Southerners are British. David Oyelowo gives the best performance of any actor from any film of the past year as Dr. Martin Luther King. He doesn’t look exactly like King or sound exactly like King, but this actually helps Oyelowo humanize the iconic historical figure instead of just giving us an impersonation. He captures Dr. King’s speaking cadence perfectly, but the speeches in Selma are not the actual words Dr. King spoke. The rights to Dr. King’s speeches currently belong to Steven Spielberg for a King biopic that will likely never happen, so screenwriter Paul Webb and director Ava DuVernay had to create paraphrased versions of the speeches. Unless you know those speeches by heart, you would never know the difference thanks to Oyelowo’s delivery. Playing President LBJ, Tom Wilkinson once again gives a great performance as a wily American statesman (he also played Benjamin Franklin in the HBO mini-series John Adams). Another great British actor, Tim Roth, plays fervent segregationist Governor George Wallace, who is one of many obstacles that must be overcome to secure voting rights. However, Selma is much more than recreations of historical people and events. It is the human story of the real people on the ground in Selma, Alabama working together against seemingly insurmountable forces to make our country a better place.  

2. Boyhood

Boyhood is unlike any other movie from 2014. Director Richard Linklater filmed this movie over 12 years with the same cast, so the actors actually age, slowly, over the course of the film. It is a gimmick, and a very interesting one, but it is not why the movie works so well. The film does not make a big deal of its gimmick. There are no title cards indicating how much time has passed. Boyhood underplays the leaps in time it makes. We barely notice the years passing by until, before you know it, the boy is old enough to drive. The real effect of watching the actors age is to make the audience feel the permanence of time passed and the inevitability of an unknown future that has become the immediate present. This is one of those “life” movies that has sentiment and pathos woven into every fiber, but it avoids sappiness. It captures, especially in the early scenes, the peripheral, partial understanding children have of the decisions adults make that determine the course of their children's lives. Richard Linklater is a filmmaker that is not afraid to underplay scenes and avoid melodrama. He is also not afraid to trust the audience. There have been countless coming of age films and though Boyhood treads on the same material as many of them, it manages to feel new. Twelve years of care and deep thought went into this movie; that’s what sets it apart. 

1. Interstellar

If our world, our only home, was dying, fading away silently, what would we do? How far would we go to survive? To make tomorrow a certainty and not a possibility?

Interstellar is the most incredibly entertaining, exciting, thrilling, emotional, and thought-provoking film of the past year. Physicist Kip Thorne had an idea for a science fiction movie which did not violate the laws of physics and in which all of the ideas and speculations sprung from established science. He is credited as an executive producer and worked closely with Christopher and Jonathan Nolan while they wrote the science based screenplay. You might think that would take all the fun out of a sci-fi movie, but there are more incredible things in science than are dreamt of in fiction and fantasy. The more bizarre effects of the laws of relativity are used not to bend minds, but for emotional effect. The scope may be vast and the subject matter heavy (the survival of the human race in a bleak, but realistic future), but the real drive of the movie is emotional: it is about a father’s love for his children. In the most emotionally powerful scene in the movie Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) watches his children grow up in a series of video messages. They have aged 23 years on Earth, but because of the effects of relativity Cooper has only aged 3 hours.

Interstellar is easily the best looking film of 2014. The special effects and scenes in space, on other worlds, and even on Earth are dazzling. There is a wondrous sense of adventure throughout the film. There are tense, thrilling, and even frightening set pieces that are staged for maximum effect and scored perfectly by Hans Zimmer. I didn’t understand everything in this movie the first time I saw it, but that did not take away from my enjoyment. The plot of Interstellar, even the mysterious third act, is not as complicated as some people have made it out to be. The concepts may be difficult to grasp at first, but Interstellar does not go out of its way to make you think it is clever and it also never talks down to the audience. Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker whose primary concern is to entertain; every aspect of this film is as enjoyable as possible. This is an immensely enjoyable and emotional story about our place in the cosmos, the human determination to solve problems and survive no matter how insurmountable the odds, and about family and love across time and space.

Classic Movie Picks: February 2015

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

This month marks the beginning of TCM's annual "31 Days of Oscar" tribute to Academy Award winning and nominated films. Each day's programming focuses on a particular genre, while the primetime schedule features a chronological history of nominated films beginning with the first ceremony in 1927 and ending with films from 2006-2011. As the month goes on, and the films get more current, we'll see many TCM premieres; however, the daytime schedule is still packed with favorites from the classic era. As is tradition, I've connected by picks for the month to this year's Best Picture nominees. Even if you don't put a lot of stock into which films win awards, it's interesting to see what themes show up in acclaimed films past and present.

Boyhood
2/6, 12 PM - The 400 Blows (1959)

Writer-director Richard Linklater's film Boyhood is a lovely portrait of growing up in America, but what makes it truly remarkable is that the actors age over the course of real time -- in this case 12 years -- and by the end of the film you feel as though the main character of Mason is a boy that you've known his whole life and seen grow up before your eyes. Other filmmakers have achieved a similar effect through a series of films following a person or character over the course of many years; for example, Michael Apted's eight Up documentaries have chronicled a group of Londoners since age seven through the latest installment at age 56. In his Before trilogy, Linklater himself checks in with characters Jesse and Celine as they meet, reunite, and settle into a life together. However, French director Francois Truffaut's series of semi-autobiographical films starring Jean-Pierre Leaud feels like the closest cinematic ancestor to Boyhood. The first of Truffaut's films about Antoine Doinel, The 400 Blows, stars Leaud at age 12. It is a portrait of an adolescent in a world of adults, struggling through the confusion that we all experience at that age. This very personal story earned Truffaut and co-writer Marcel Moussy an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay.

American Sniper
2/9, 8 PM - The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
American Sniper, based on the story of Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, reminds us that support for the troops doesn't end at "mission accomplished" and the scars of war are mental as well as physical. I think that no film has portrayed this issue more beautifully than The Best Years of Our Lives, which follows three veterans returning to small town life after the end of WWII. The film won seven Academy Awards -- Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Actor (Fredric March), and Best Supporting Actor (Harold Russell). While Best Years ends happily, the film doesn't gloss over the very real mental and physical challenges faced by the soldiers and is not overly sentimental. Harold Russell, a real-life vet who had lost both hands, gives a memorable performance as Homer, a former football star who fears his high school sweetheart can't cope with the reality of his injuries. However, all the performers --including March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Hoagy Carmichael -- bring subtlety and warmth to the film. The Best Years of Our Lives is a film I can watch again and again and never ceases to effect me.

The Grand Budapest Hotel
2/21, 5:45 AM - Cabaret (1972)

A young man befriends a charismatic libertine against the backdrop of the rise of European fascism -- it could describe the plot of both Wes Anderson's melancholy comedy Grand Budapest Hotel and Bob Fosse's musical drama Cabaret. Anderson's film contains the remembrances of Zero, a lobby boy and protege to the magnetic concierge M. Gustave (played by an excellent Ralph Fiennes). M. Gustave and the grandiose hotel he oversees represent a dying era of opulence and gentility, subsumed by the harsh violence of a fascist regime in the fictional eastern European Republic of Zubrowka. The decadent Kit Kat Club at the center of Cabaret becomes a metaphor for 1930s Germany, from the point of view of a young writer who bonds with the club's over-the-top singer, Sally Bowles. As directors, Fosse and Anderson are exact -- the former's precision with the flick of a wrist matched by the latter's attention to the bow on a Mendl's pastry box. Cabaret won eight Academy Awards, though not Best Picture, which went to The Godfather: Best Director, Best Actress (Liza Minnelli), Best Supporting Actor (Joel Grey), Cinematography, Editing, Score, Set Direction, and Sound.

Whiplash
2/25, 2:45 AM - Fame (1980)
Both Whiplash and Fame are about students striving for excellence in their art form -- in Whiplash it's a jazz drummer at an elite music academy persecuted by an overbearing teacher, while Fame focuses on the experiences of several students at New York City's High School for the Performing Arts. In both cases, the musical sections are where each film shines. Fame received Academy Award nominations for its screenplay and editing and won awards for its score and title song sung by Irene Cara. Fame was made at the beginning of the MTV era and it's musical numbers feel like music videos, full of quick cuts and dynamic angles. While the melodrama of the students lives can feel predictable, those moments when they are able to show off their talents for dancing and singing bring the film to life.

Selma
2/27, 10:15 PM - Gandhi (1982)
Selma and Gandhi are both about famous activists who used non-violent means to spread their message. However, while Gandhi is a sweeping epic that follows its main character over decades, Selma focuses on one event in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. -- the civil rights march through Alabama, from Selma to Birmingham. Gandhi received Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Editing, Screenplay, Art Direction, and Costume Design, as well as several more nominations. Unfortunately, Selma won't have a chance to match that achievement since it is only nominated in the categories of Best Picture and Best Song.

The Imitation Game 
3/2, 8 PM - Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Dark forces threaten from afar and the world's best hope is a motley team of unlikely heroes, led by the least likely of all. When you start to think about it, the parallels between The Imitation Game, which follows Alan Turing and his Bletchley Park colleagues as they struggle to break the Enigma code and stop the Germans' advance in WWII, and the Fellowship are numerous. Mark Strong plays a Gandalf-like authority figure, watching the team's progress and interfering only when necessary; there's even a Boromir-esque traitor among group. At the center is Turing, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who like Frodo displays weakness, determination, hopelessness, and triumph along his journey; alongside Turing is his own "Samwise" (Frodo's trusted companion) in the form of Keira Knightley's Joan. Fellowship was nominated for 13 Oscars and won four for visual effects, makeup, cinematography, and score. TCM is showing the full Lord of the Rings trilogy tonight, so if you want to see how Frodo's story ends, get comfortable and enjoy all 558 minutes of it!

The Theory of Everything
3/3, 1 PM - Dodsworth (1936)

The Theory of Everything is the story of world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife Jane, from their courtship as university students through the difficult years of their marriage. As time goes by, Stephen's health deteriorates drastically, making him dependent upon Jane, while his work as a scientist becomes more and more celebrated. I think a message one can take away from this film is that even when love exists, relationships are constantly evolving as the needs of each person change. I think this is a lesson at the center of Dodsworth as well. Fran Dodsworth (played by Ruth Chatterton) has spent her whole adult life supporting her husband Sam (Walter Huston) as the perfect wife and mother to their daughter, allowing Sam to achieve professional success. Now, upon reaching 40 and becoming a grandmother, Fran yearns for the adventure that her life has lacked. While Sam is the hero of the film and we are glad that he finds love with Mary Astor's Edith, Fran is not without our sympathy, too. Dodsworth received seven Oscar nominations, but won only for Art Direction; with five nominations, Theory's best chances for a win might be lead actor Eddie Redmayne or the original score.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
3/3, 8 PM - The Artist (2011)
You can probably imagine that at first it was a bit difficult to find a "classic" parallel to Birdman, a surreal fantasy about an actor (portrayed by Michael Keaton) known for a superhero role who desires to be taken seriously as a Broadway stage actor and is simultaneously suffering an existential crisis -- the surreal part is that he hears the voice of Birdman (his iconic character) goading him on and occasionally flies around New York City and makes things move with his mind. The parts of Birdman that I enjoyed the most were the more realistic scenes about putting on the play. Then it was obvious, the Academy loves show business stories that reveal the drama that goes on backstage, and Birdman was another entry in this genre. At its core, Birdman reminds me of a recent Oscar Best Picture winner: The Artist. In this film set in 1920s Hollywood, Jean Dujardin plays a successful silent film actor whose career declines with the advent of sound. Since he defines his personal worth by his fame and stardom, his professional troubles lead to depression. Dujardin won best actor for this role which is almost completely silent and the film also received awards for direction, score, costume design, and of course Best Picture. With nine Oscar nominations, Birdman is also a front-runner in the best picture and actor categories.

I'll be watching the Oscars on Sunday, February 22 to see which film gets the top prize! Hope you'll join me!