2015 Golden Globe Nominations and Reactions

This morning the nominations for the Golden Globe awards were announced in California at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, and as usual I see a lot of the films I was expecting but also plenty of surprises. Here are the nominees, and in bold are the ones I correctly predicted.


BEST PICTURE - DRAMA

Boyhood
Selma
The Imitation Game
Foxcatcher
The Theory of Everything

Reaction: The lack of the film Unbroken combined with the rather lukewarm initial critical reception to the film tells me that I extremely overvalued the prospects of it in advance. It just seemed like total awards bait, but clearly my decision to pick it to WIN Best Picture at the Oscars with my first round of guesses was misguided. Still might get a nomination, but a win seems extremely unlikely..especially as we continue on here and you notice it is not recognized with even a single nomination by the Hollywood Foreign Press.

I have only seen two of the films listed above, Boyhood and The Theory of Everything, and the first not only deserves the nomination, it deserves the win. Richard Linklater crafted a stunning achievement unlikely anything I have ever seen. The other film, The Theory of Everything, is a baffling nomination in my world. I will only remember that work thanks to the lead performances, because literally everything else about it was totally safe and familiar and unexceptional. A nice, solid biopic, but it being nominated over something far more ambitious like Interstellar or a film that is far better in every conceivable way beyond male lead performance like Gone Girl is a shame.

BEST PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Birdman
Into the Woods
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Pride
St. Vincent

Reaction: Love seeing a Wes Anderson film get recognition, as The Grand Budapest Hotel seems to be this award season. The only real surprise here for me was St. Vincent and even that isn't all that shocking, seeing as how I listed it as my top "Most likely if I'm wrong" option when I did my predictions.

It seems like yet another work by Paul Thomas Anderson will be ignored by the award voters, as I included Inherent Vice into the picture but, alas, it wasn't meant to be. I haven't seen the film so perhaps it simply isn't worthy, but I have read the source material it was adapted from by author Thomas Pynchon and I have a gut feeling I am going to absolutely love the film.


BEST ACTOR - DRAMA

Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
David Oyelowo, Selma
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler 

Reaction: Rejoice! The only one I got wrong was the one I listed as my "Personal wish that won't come true" and it came true! Jake Gyllenhaal gets the nomination for what is probably my favorite single performance of the year thus far, a close call with the inspired work by Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. 

I doubt JG gets the win here, but I love the recognition. Perhaps more people will check out Nightcrawler, a film that just oozes cool.


BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA

Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Jennifer Aniston, Cake

Reaction: While I didn't include Aniston in my nominations, she was one of two I included in the "Most likely if I'm wrong" choices, so not too shocked here. I really did think Marion Cotillard would get some recognition after the incredible year she has had with her work in both The Immigrant and Two Days, One Night, the latter of which I have not seen but I have heard nothing but praise.

While it was expected, still excited to see Rosamund Pike listed. God what a captivating, nuanced performance in Gone Girl.

BEST ACTOR - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Michael Keaton, Birdman
Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Bill Murray, St. Vincent
Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice
Christoph Waltz, Big Eyes

Reaction: Wow. Waltz wasn't even on my radar for Big Eyes to be honest. I guess I associated his only recognition to be when he is involved in a Tarantino film.


BEST ACTRESS - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Emily Blunt, Into the Woods
Amy Adams, Big Eyes
Helen Mirren, The Hundred-Foot Journey
Julianne Moore, Maps to the Stars
Quvenzhane Wallis, Annie

Reaction: Despite getting two wrong, none of these are really totally shocking. I picked Moore as a "Most likely if I'm wrong" option, and Wallis was my "Surprise wildcard", which while it involves the word surprise it at least means she was in my mind as a possibility, unlike Waltz in the actor category.

Was hoping to be really surprised by the personal wish pick, Jenny Slate for Obvious Child, but I never really expected it to happen. Oh well.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

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

Reaction: Duvall was not one I realistically considered, but I also always know its possible that a legendary screen presence like him would get recognition so I'm not all that surprised. I can't believe I am saying this, and I didn't have high hopes for it, but I am bummed to not see the name Tyler Perry on a list of awards nominations, a shockingly great performance in Gone Girl that really added some necessary comic relief from a typically dark and ominous Fincher film.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
Emma Stone, Birdman
Jessica Chastain,  A Most Violent Year
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods

Reaction: While I picked her to be just barely on the outside looking in by including her in my "Most likely if I'm wrong", I still can't seem to learn the valuable lesson of never going against the power of Streep. She just finds her way into the top five at award shows no matter what, so to say I am not surprised is an understatement. In fact, a part of me would have been surprised if I was correct and she was left out, as strange as that sounds.

Thrilled to see Arquette and Hawke get noms in the supporting categories for Boyhood. While the world of the film revolves around the character of Mason as he ages in front of our eyes from the age of 6 to 18, the roles of the parents are just as vital to the power of the film. As a parent myself, the reason I formed such a deep connection with the picture was the idea of watching years fly by and the beauty and pain of such things in life. Time is relentless, and nothing we can do can slow it down.


BEST DIRECTOR

Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman
David Fincher, Gone Girl
Ava DuVernay, Selma
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Reaction: Totally surprised by the inclusion of Wes Anderson, but I'm not complaining. I was hoping for some Nolan recognition for Interstellar but I am aware that my love for that film is not the universal feeling as it managed to be quite polarizing. Also, while I was hoping for some Gone Girl recognition in the Best Picture category, glad to see the name Fincher here. He certainly deserves it.

One more thing: at first glance you may not realize it, but the list above actually made some pretty important history. Ava Duvernay, director of Selma, is the first black female director to ever be nominated in the category. I haven't seen the film so I can't say for sure if I agree with the selection (although I clearly anticipated it since it was a prediction), but congratulations to her regardless.

BEST SCREENPLAY

Boyhood
Birdman
Gone Girl
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game

Reaction: The four I got correct just felt like locks to me. I haven't seen Birdman but I know the screenplay has gotten raves, and I have seen the other three and they are a testament to how vital brilliant writing is to make a great film. What Linklater did with Boyhood was remarkable, making the entire experience feel so authentic and real. Gillian Flynn did something that I would imagine is terribly difficult, to take your own novel and be willing to cut it up and figure out which aspects of your own work were not worthy of making it to the big screen, as she penned the adapted screenplay of Gone Girl. Wes Anderson is simply a genius when it comes to dialogue, which along with the art direction and performances carried The Grand Budapest Hotel for me, still among my top ten films of the year. Excited to see I am on the same page as the Hollywood Foreign Press here.


BEST ANIMATED FILM

The LEGO Movie
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
The Book of Life

Reaction: This is going to sound silly, but I am really bummed that a film I haven't even seen yet isn't listed above. Everything I have heard about The Tale of Princess Kaguya is that it is a masterful effort from Studio Ghibli, quite possibly the finest studio for animation in cinema history (no, I am not forgetting Disney), and it feels like a shame that it isn't among the nominees. Perhaps the Academy will give it the recognition I safely can assume it deserves.

The LEGO Movie and How to Train Your Dragon 2 are not only the two best animated films I have seen thus far in 2014, they are among the best films period.


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Ida
Leviathan
Fource Majeure
Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
Tangerines

Reaction: Honestly, until this morning I had never even heard of the bottom two listed. I am astonished that Two Days, One Night and Mommy did not make the cut, and I haven't even seen either of them. Mommy is the work of the wunderkind Xavier Dolan and I know people personally who were floored by the film, and Two Days, One Night was a shoe in but, well, obviously not. Welcome to my radar, two films that are totally unknown to me. I will have to find a way to check them out at some point.

BEST MUSICAL SCORE

Interstellar
Birdman
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything

Reaction: This is where a little bit more research on my part would have paid off. I had no idea until now that the score of The Imitation Game was done by Alexandre Desplat, one of the more brilliant and accomplished composers working today. Would have absolutely considering including it had I known.

Hans Zimmer crafted a rather breathtaking score for Interstellar, it was honestly one of my favorite aspects of the film because it brought an eerie, old school vibe to the massive budget and modern picture, and much like their previous collaborations with David Fincher doing the scores of The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross yet again put together a total winner. I'm torn whether to root for them or Zimmer.


BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Lana Del Ray, Big Eyes
John Legend and Common, Selma
Patty Smith and Lenny Kaye, Noah
Sia, Annie
Lorde, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Reaction: When I did my predictions, I had no idea what songs were even being considered so I randomly named the fact that Coldplay is doing a song for the film Unbroken. That was the only one I named, and it wasn't even nominated. Go figure.

Now that I see the list though, Lorde did do some fantastic stuff for Mockingjay. Should have thought of that.



There we have it, the film nominations for the 2015 Golden Globes. I will be making my predictions on who I think will win and lose much closer to the date of the ceremony, and yet again I am sure to be wrong!

The Hungers Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Review

I have said it before and I will say it again, I totally respect and appreciate the fact that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Art is pointless without discussion, without debate, without passion, because if everyone constantly agreed on the quality of it then what the hell is the point? So by no means am I telling anyone they are wrong or that their thoughts are invalid when I say the following: I can't comprehend the negativity that has surrounded The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, at least on a critical level. 

Some may see the "fresh" overall ranking on a site on Rottentomatoes and wonder what negativity I am referring to, but if you take a closer look at many of the reviews posted, there seems to be this consistent rhetoric regarding this film being a lazy cash grab and many seem to find it boring. The general idea behind the cash grab notion is because of the decision to split the final novel into two films where as they were able to make well paced and compelling single films out of the first two, and I will be totally honest, prior to seeing Mockingjay Part 1, I had assumed I would be bothered by this exact thing. I read all the Hunger Games novels prior to me seeing any of the films, and I recall being a tad underwhelmed by Mockingjay after being thrilled by every damn page of Catching Fire. When the announcement came that the final piece of the source material would be split apart, I rolled my eyes and assumed the worst because I didn't believe the first half of Mockingjay was worthy of being its own film, but I gotta tell ya...I was wrong.

Was the pacing of Mockingjay Part 1 perfect? No, a little bit of fat could have been trimmed off the edges for sure. There may have been a scene or two that could have found their way to the cutting room floor without harming the narrative, although to be honest at this moment I couldn't tell you what I would have cut myself. Without a doubt though, this film didn't flow quite as wonderfully as its predecessor Catching Fire did, but regardless the decision to make two films was absolutely the correct one. Knowing what is yet to come when the conclusion of this franchise arrives next year, there is simply far too much content worthy of finding its way to the screen for them to have made an audience friendly 150 minute or less feature without rushing through the material. I'm glad they chose to let the environment, the dialogue and the stakes of the revolution breathe. 

Being bored is such a subjective response to a film because one man's trash is another man's treasure. I was fascinated by the back and forth war taking place during Mockingjay Part 1, and I don't mean merely bullets and bombs but also the trade off of political propaganda in attempts to sway the momentum of the movement. The footage used to rally the districts, the coaching of words to incite the highest amount of passion, all of it was well written and totally compelling, and I found that the film pretty much flew by and I never once felt fatigued by the progression of the story nor did I want it to end. 

Director Francis Lawrence had already proven to me that he was the right choice to helm the remainder of the Hunger Games franchise after I fell in love with Catching Fire, and that opinion was reinforced with his confident and smart direction on display here. The imagery on display throughout balances the modern and crisp essence of 21st century filmmaking with the gritty and dour vibe of the setting and mood wonderfully. The performances were yet again on point, and the talent on display with the usual suspects from the previous installments combined with additions like Julianne Moore and Natalie Dormer made it impossible not to find the dialogue interesting. Oh, and Philip Seymour Hoffman...if he were my professor in school, regardless of the subject matter, I would have gotten an A. When he spoke, I listened, and while I usually don't dwell on the loss of actors for too long, it is still surreal to know he is gone and the days of seeing him absolutely own a frame are soon drawing to a close. 

I have a feeling that the reception to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is going to change drastically once the final film is released, when it becomes apparent that the somewhat methodical pace of the first act was actually a perfect lead in to the chaos and tragedy that rears its ugly head during part two. This may not end up making a top ten, top twenty, hell who knows, maybe even a top thirty list from me once I screen everything I desire to from 2014, but the only thing that matters right now just keeps dancing through my head: I can't wait to see the final chapter unfold. 

4/5

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review

Despite the mostly positive critical response to the first film as well as obvious commercial success, director Gary Ross did not return to continue the franchise, and in walked Francis Lawrence and with him some expected skepticism. I certainly felt it and questioned whether he was the right man for the job, with a filmography consisting of the films Constantine, I Am Legend and Water for Elephants, it was hard to immediately rally behind the choice and assume it would result in the Catching Fire adaptation I had been hoping for. While I was pleased a different cinematic mind would be getting a crack at utilizing the talent involved at a higher level than Ross achieved with the debut, was Francis Lawrence really cut out for this hyped, much anticipated project?

The answer proved to be a resounding yes. Everything about Catching Fire is an improvement from the first. More confident and comfortable performances from the entire cast, as well as great additions to the film like Jeffrey Wright, Jena Malone, Amanda Plummer, Sam Claflin, and of course the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman. In fact, as soon as I heard the news of Seymour Hoffman being added to the cast, my confidence in the entire film skyrocketed. He was a man of transcendent talent and his mere presence in a frame made everything around him seem stronger, and he is and will continue to be missed.

The stakes in this film are higher, the tension has intensified and the direction of the story has gone to more mature heights, as while a similar round of the "games" is played like in the first film, the actually central focus of this narrative is more on the external games being played by President Snow in the Capitol and Katniss and her people as her story of love and ascension as the Mockingjay, a symbol of hope and decency and compassion and strength, sparks a revolution in all of the districts she tours as the previous years winner of the games.

Speaking of the actual games that take place in Catching Fire, the "arena" is not only bigger and bolder and more interesting than it was in the first film, it is also far more aesthetically pleasing, a glorious site on the big screen as it was filmed with IMAX cameras and it still maintains its piercing picturesque appeal on a flat screen at home. The transition from the first act of the film to the games is smooth and the pacing never falters throughout, a running time of nearly 150 minutes and yet I never feel it as I watch the film, it always flies by as every single moment is, quite simply, really god damn entertaining. 

Despite this being my 3rd or 4th time watching Catching Fire in the one year since its release, I still found myself just as enthralled and excited by the entire film as I did that first time in the theater last November. You could argue some of the same issues I found during the first film pop up again here, like a screenplay that doesn't fully flesh out the details for an audience that is unfamiliar with the source material, but I am willing to give this more of a pass as it is a sequel. Francis Lawrence was given an opportunity to work with what was built for him, to take fans of the first film and make them fall in love with the direction of the series, and at least in my case he absolutely nailed it.

4.5/5

The Hunger Games Review

Film appreciation is such a subjective thing, as no matter how talented a filmmaker is or how seemingly perfect a screenplay can be, we see what we see and thus, we like what we like. In regards to the two installments of the Hunger Games franchise, I have seen such wide ranging reactions to the films ranging from it being the greatest thing ever made to one of the worst, and what I try to do when I really break a movie down is separate myself from the hyperbole in either direction.

I decided now was a good time to revisit these two films, with the release of the third (but not final, because every damn franchise needs to a two part conclusion) movie coming this weekend. The complaint I have heard most often regarding the first film has come from those who have not read the books in advance, and it is that the screenplay doesn't do a good enough job to teach the viewers about the basics of the story, like why are some districts thriving while others are rationing food? What exactly is the arena they fight in? What technology is at the disposal of these games makers exactly, as they are clearly able to start fires and create giant dog creatures out of, essentially, thin air?

As I was familiar with the source material prior to seeing the first film when it was released in 2012, it was easy for me to put together the pieces and follow the story so I didn't really absorb the possibility that it would be difficult for others, but the truth is, those complaints are absolutely valid. The screenplay does seem to take for granted the notion that not everyone sitting in the audience will have read the books, and that is a shame because the film really should be able to completely stand on its own without any confusion from the audience.

The sequences involving the love triangle were among my least favorite in The Hunger Games. I still can't comprehend why we are cutting away from the arena to see her male friend/potential lover Gale back at home pouting about their relationship status. The fact that she could be dead at any minute seems to take a back seat with him apparently, and I found having to see his face get all sad over her television romance with Peeta was a lame addition to the film, something that easily could be saved for the start of the second installment.

That being said, The Hunger Games is still a very good film because everything it does right far outweighs the negatives. The casting is inspired across the board, with Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen obviously stealing the show in the lead role. That scene just before Katniss goes up into the arena, as Cinna tries to comfort her? That, for me, is the finest sequence in the entire film, and very little of it has to do with words spoken. The way her body trembles in fear, the look in her eyes as she is about to rise into what will almost certainly be her death...it is a sublime performance.

I love the way sound is utilized during certain portions of the film, like the very start of the games. The chaos taking place is allowed to overwhelm us visually without any noise, making the violence that much more jarring. Also, I appreciate the way this film clearly sets up a sequel but also manages to work independently, merely leading down a path rather than making it a focal point. A character death inside the arena sparks the beginning of a revolution back in her district, and the emotional weight of this scene is effectively heavy and beautifully handled. Rather than diverting away from the central core of the film this is just a quick glimpse into something that will be expanded on later on.

The Hunger Games is a good but not great book that was adapted into a good but not great movie, an effective and entertaining way to kick off a franchise.




3.5/5