Best Picture 2014- Winner

And the winner is...


Captain America:  The Winter Soldier

Guardians of the Galaxy

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

X-Men:  Days of Future Past

Justice League:  War

Robocop

The Purge:  Anarchy

Nightcrawler

The Equalizer

A Million Ways to Die in the West

Big Hero 6




While all the nominees are very good in their own right, if I'm honest, this was only a two horse race between The Winter Soldier and the Guardians.  Both films were a statement from Marvel Studios to Hollywood to "get out of our way, we're coming through." What pushed Cap ahead was that of all the super hero movies that I have seen, it seemed the most...mature.  It's a political thriller as much as a super hero action film that had far reaching effects that stretched into multiple genres including television's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  In fact, if you wanted to show a non-super hero fan a movie in this genre he/she might like, this would be one of the first that would come to mind. With all due respect to dancing baby Groot who almost won the day for the Guardians, Cap was king in 2014.

Best Actor 2014- Winner

And the winner is...


Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler)

Denzel Washington (The Equalizer)

Jason Bateman (Bad Words)

Chris Evans (Captain America:  The Winter Soldier)

Bill Murray (St. Vincent)

Joel Kinnaman (Robocop)

Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)

Daniel Radcliffe (Horns)

Chadwick Boseman (Get On Up)

Steve Carell (Foxcatcher)

Bradley Cooper (American Sniper)

Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)

Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)


Remember when I said the Academy got it right with the J.K. Simmons win?  Well, here's where they got it absolutely wrong by not giving Gyllenhaal at least a nomination!  Lou Bloom is the role of Gyllenhaal's career to date.  Bloom is a smarmy, narcissistic sociopath who feels no remorse in his chosen career path, filming the nightly savagery around L.A. and selling the footage to the highest bidding news station.  He'll step on anyone who gets in his way and give you his widest "Who me?" smile doing it.  Gyllenhaal was overlooked by the Oscars, but, not by the Golden Lightsabers.

Best Actress 2014- Winner

And the winner is...

Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

Scarlett Johansson (Lucy)

Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow)

Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)

Charlize Theron ( A Million Ways to Die in the West)

Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)


If you haven't seen Gone Girl, I'll only use one word to describe Amy Dunne.  ICE!

Best Supporting Actress 2014- Winner

And the winner is...


Eva Green (300:  Rise of an Empire)

Sarah Silverman (A Million Ways to Die in the West)

Regina Hall (About Last Night)

Scarlett Johansson (Captain America:  The Winter Soldier)

Chloe Grace Moretz (The Equalizer)


I thought the supporting categories would be swept by this rom-com remake, but, then J.K. Simmons came along and Regina Hall wins minus her mate.  What can you say about Hall's character, Joan?  She's desperate, lonely, crazy, loud, psychotic, ill-tempered, and those are probably the nicest things you could say.  She spars with Kevin Hart throughout the film in their on again, off again relationship.  The two of them easily steal the show here.

Best Supporting Actor 2014- Winner

And the winner is...


Kevin Hart (About Last Night)

Jaeden Lieberher (St. Vincent)

J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

Terry Crews (Blended)

Sebastian Stan (Captain America:  The Winter Soldier)

Neil Patrick Harris (A Million Ways to Die in the West)

Rob Lowe (Sex Tape)


I almost feel bad about this.  For the longest time, Kevin Hart owned this award in 2014.  That is, until I saw Whiplash.  If there was ever an actor that drove what may have otherwise been an average movie into something very watchable, it was Simmons.  His performance as a maniacal hard-driven music teacher reminded me in some ways of R. Lee Ermey's maniacal hard-driven drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket.  It was an excellent performance on Simmons' part.  The Academy got this one right when they gave him the Oscar.

Best Picture 2014

When I think about Best Picture, three criteria have to be met:

1.  Was the film wildly entertaining in some manner?
2.  Did it make me feel something?
3.  Does it have re-watch value?

There are many great individual performances in my previous lists, but, one or two performances don't necessarily make for great overall movie.  That said, the nominees are:




Captain America:  The Winter Soldier

Guardians of the Galaxy

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

X-Men:  Days of Future Past

Justice League:  War

Robocop

The Purge:  Anarchy

Nightcrawler

The Equalizer

A Million Ways to Die in the West

Big Hero 6

Best Actress 2014

Rosamund Pike (Amy Dunne)/Gone Girl- It's hard to say anything about Pike's performance without giving away major plot points.  What I will say is there is a duality to this role that she nails to perfection.

Scarlett Johansson (Lucy)/Lucy- Lucy was a decent, but, overall unspectacular movie.  It was made decent by Johansson who transitions from naïve college student to scared- out- of -her -wits drug mule to clinically cold one-woman hit squad seamlessly.

Emily Blunt (Rita Vrataski)/Edge of Tomorrow- Blunt mostly has moments that make me smile in this film more than anything else.  Not that her performance is bad as the tough-as-nails Sergeant who trains Tom Cruise to be an alien killing machine.  Cruise has this little Groundhog Day-trait that allows him to repeat the day whenever he dies in battle.  Blunt is more than eager to kill him at times to get it right.  I just found it all very amusing.

Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy)/The Amazing Spider-Man 2- What I like about Stone as Gwen is she isn't the typical damsel in distress that you find in most superhero movies.  She has incredible chemistry with the hero. She's smart and more than willing to get involved in the action to help where she can (although she pays the ultimate price). 

Charlize Theron (Anna Leatherwood)/A Million Ways to Die in the West- I never thought Charlize Theron had comic chops, but she's surprisingly funny in Seth MacFarlane's raunchy Western.  It takes versatility to pull off comedy.  She made me a bigger fan with this performance.

Felicity Jones (Jane Wilde Hawking)/The Theory of Everything- Jones gives a very understated, but, important performance opposite Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking's patient, but, overwhelmed wife.  She has a sweet chemistry with her co-star.  You feel for her plight even as you have the sinking notion this partnership is destined to ultimately fail.

Best Actor 2014

Jake Gyllenhaal (Lou Bloom)/Nightcrawler- Gyllenhaal gives the creepy performance of a lifetime as an ambitious sociopath who films the nightly carnage occurring in L.A. to sell to local news stations.  He uses anyone and any means necessary to advance his career without blinking an eye.  The sign of a great villain.

Denzel Washington (Robert McCall)/The Equalizer- Washington collaborates with director, Antoine Fuqua, once again to bring the 80's TV series to the big screen.  McCall changes from mild-mannered friend of the people to beast mode in .2 seconds.  Maybe that's an exaggeration.  What's not is Washington pulling off being a total killer.  Denzel is one of the few actors today who can say everything by saying nothing on camera and letting his facial expressions tell the story.

Jason Bateman (Guy Trilby)/Bad Words- Bateman is a 40-year old man who qualifies for a national children's spelling bee.  Why is he doing this?  Only he knows.  But he makes both children and adults extremely uncomfortable.  The best part?  He doesn't care.  Bateman plays the part in his usual deadpan manner, but adds a bit of mean edge that hilariously pushes this performance over the top.

Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America)/Captain America:  The Winter Soldier- Nothing more needs to be said other than Evans has made me a believer in Captain America, something I never have been before his rendition of the patriot hero.

Bill Murray (Vincent MacKenna)/St. Vincent- It's nice to see Murray return to comedy.  OK, maybe this is more of a dramedy, but close enough.  On the surface, Vincent is not a good guy.  He drinks too much, gambles his life away, and fornicates with a pregnant stripper.  But, it turns out he has a big heart underneath that gruff exterior which is brought to the front with the help of a 12-year old boy he reluctantly babysits for a neighbor.

Joel Kinnaman (Alex Murphy/Robocop)/Robocop- Kinnaman had the unenviable task of reprising an iconic role and does a more than credible job.  Not as cold and clinical as the '80s Robocop, Kinnaman makes this version still seem very human even after he's transformed into more machine than man. 

Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker/Spider-Man)/The Amazing Spider-Man 2- Thanks to Garfield, Spidey felt the most like Spidey in this poorly received sequel than he has in any other big-screen Spider-Man movie.  Smart-aleck (if somewhat corny) quips and heavy doses of angst is what the wallcrawler is all about.  Garfield brings it home.

Daniel Radcliffe (Ig Perrish)/Horns- Radcliffe shows more range than I thought he had as a man accused of murdering his beloved girlfriend.  Love, despair, anger, sadism, it's all part of Radcliffe's repertoire in the film.  A very impressive outing from the former Harry Potter.

Chadwick Boseman (James Brown)/Get On Up- THE only reason to watch this biopic.  Boseman put a tremendous amount of work in here with his speech and movements and he deserves an equal amount of recognition.

Steve Carell (John Du Pont)/Foxcatcher- Carell gives a strange and creepy performance as a wealthy heir with an unhealthy fixation on being accepted.  I said in my review of the film that Carell is almost unrecognizable.  He'll give you the creeps in this one.

Bradley Cooper (Chris Kyle)/American Sniper- Cooper is on fire recently in the roles he has chosen and this Clint Eastwood vehicle is no exception.  Cooper is real-life Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle, who served four tours of duty in the Iraq War.  Kyle's sense of duty to his brothers in arms cost him much in psychological trauma.  Cooper's faraway stares and sometimes aloof demeanor is what brought the reality of the trauma home. 

Eddie Redmayne (Steven Hawking)/The Theory of Everything- Redmayne's portrayal of the famous physicist is amazing not only for his acting, but also for the physical transformation he portrays.  He is totally believable twisting and contorting his body and facial features giving the appearance of ALS.  Physical acting isn't always the easiest thing to do.  Redmayne deserves much credit.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Alan Turing)/The Imitation Game- Cumberbatch's twitchy, uncomfortable portrayal is the driving force of the film.  If accurate, the movie depicts Turing as a driven, brilliant, and socially inept man.  But, Cumberbatch does illicit great sympathy for this sad person at the same time as he's forced to hide who he really is, as well as, his incredible accomplishments.

Best Supporting Actress 2014

Eva Green (Artemisia)/300:  Rise of an Empire- Cra cra doesn't quite describe Green as the leader of the Persian naval forces in this sword and sandals sequel.  Remorseless and cruel, she's the perfect antagonist.

Sarah Silverman (Ruth)/A Million Ways to Die in the West- A prostitute that performs all types of lascivious sexual acts who wants to wait to do the deed with her fiancée because she doesn't believe in sex before marriage.  Hey, I didn't write the character.

Regina Hall (Joan)/About Last Night- Kevin Hart's better half in the film.  Or, could that be his more psychotic half?  Not sure.  The only thing I am sure of is she was hysterical.

Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow)/Captain America:  The Winter Soldier- Johansson's morally questionable at times Widow is the perfect foil to Chris Evans' straight laced, by-the-book super soldier.  Upcoming movie super heroines are going to have to go a long way to kick as much butt. 

Chloe Grace Moretz (Teri/Alina)/The Equalizer- Moretz, as an abused young prostitute who becomes the reason Denzel Washington's character springs into action, is not in the film long.  She holds her own in her scenes with Washington.  That's saying a lot. 

Best Supporting Actor 2014

Kevin Hart (Bernie)/About Last Night- One of the two scene stealers in this remake of the 1986 film, Hart charges through the film as  Michael Ealy's loud, obnoxious best friend.  He and Regina Hall form the antithesis to the loving protagonists of the film with their live wire comedy act that borders on the deranged at times. 

Jaeden Lieberher (Oliver Bronstein)/St. Vincent- Lieberher, as the 12-year-old charge of Bill Murray's drunken curmudgeon of a character, is far from a dumb kid in this quirky little movie.  He more than holds his own with a comic heavyweight and has a few comic moments all his own.

J.K. Simmons (Terence Fletcher)/Whiplash- Simmons gives a tremendous performance as an intense (to say the least) music teacher who regularly berates, slaps, humiliates, and throws chairs at his pupils.  I swear when you're watching this guy, you will want to punch him yourself.

Terry Crews (Nickens)/Blended- His part isn't large, but, as the leader of a singing group that pops up from time to time in the film, Crews is hilarious.

Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier)/Captain America:  The Winter Soldier- One scene.   The Winter Soldier catching Cap's shield with one hand.  Badass!

Neil Patrick Harris (Foy)/A Million Ways to Die in the West- The moustache dance.  'Nuff said!

Rob Lowe (Hank Rosenbaum)/Sex Tape- As he's gotten older, Lowe seems to have found his inner comedian.  He's hilarious in this cameo as the CEO of a family-oriented company who has some strange habits when left to his own devices.

2014 Golden Lightsaber Awards-Introduction

It's baaaaaaaack!!!

After a year's hiatus, I am reviving my annual awards presentation for 2014.  Why the long gap?  Several reasons, actually.

The main reason is 2013 just wasn't an outstanding year for movies in my opinion.  There were good movies, but not many great ones.  Some films that I initially gave glowing reviews for just weren't as good on a second viewing and I felt I vastly overrated them.  Very few films and performances stuck in my mind as memorable.  I would have been pushing the envelope to come up with three nominees in certain categories.  The vast majority of my best picture nominees would have been animated features.  There's nothing inherently wrong with this, of course.  But, it's a little telling that most of the best movies a year ago don't feature real flesh and blood actors and actresses.  The awards would have been boring, and I would have been bored writing about it.

The other big reason?  Fatigue.  I had written over 100 reviews in a two-year period.  That's a lot.  I felt the writing was starting to suffer a little and I needed to take a step back.  And, that was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  As you know if you follow my blog, I have significantly lessened the number of formal reviews I write.  I feel energized again and the writing (I hope) reflects that.

This current year has provided more films and performances that I find quirky and thought-provoking.  Some of the nominees didn't necessarily give the greatest performances, but they at least did something memorable or something that made me smile.  I still think you'll all find that I've watched a pretty good cross-section of films.  I haven't seen everything mind you, but, I think I've seen enough to make credible choices.

As before, this isn't a traditional awards ceremony with typical nominees.  I'm not the biggest fan of melodrama, so traditional nominees you would find at the Oscars, Golden Globes, etc. aren't necessarily going to be found here.  The number of nominees are going to be as many or as few as I think are deserving.  And, I'm still going to keep this simple.  Actually, I'm going to simplify this even more.  I'm trimming the categories from six to five, eliminating Best Director.  I've said before, in my mind, the best director is going to direct the best movie of the year, so Best Director is a bit redundant.  So, the categories this year will be Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Actor/Actress, and Best Picture. 

I'm also going to make the presentations a little differently.  I'll present all of the nominees to you on a daily basis over the next week.  Winners will be presented the following week, a new winner presented on a daily basis.

So, let's get to it cinema lovers!  I hope you have as much fun reading as I am writing.