If I Picked the Academy Awards...

Well I have held out long enough, I still have not seen Mommy, it was only in Boston one week. I will also not get to see Goodbye to Language in 3D in Boston, which will hamper the spirit of Goddard's film.  With that said listed below are nominees, and * would indicate my personal winners.

I have tinkered with this list for a while, and being snow bound I thought about the ten films, which impacted me the most this year.  I think there should be a basic 10 nominees, 6 directing, screenplay, and acting nominees, but maybe that's a cop out on my part, but I can make the rules here. I would also like to see the casting director get a "best ensemble" award, for putting together the best cast in a film.

Best Picture

Boyhood*

Gone Girl

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Inherent Vice

Love is Strange

Mr. Turner

Selma

Stranger by the Lake

Two Days One Night 

Under the Skin

Best Director

Wes Anderson-The Grand Budapest Hotel

David Fincher-Gone Girl 

Ava DuVarney-Selma  

Jonathan Glazer-Under the Skin

Alain Guiraudie-Stranger by the Lake

Richard Linklater-Boyhood*

Best Actor

Ralph Fiennes-The Grand Budapest Hotel

Jake Gyllenhaal-Nightcrawler

Michael Keaton- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

John Lithgow-Love is Strange

David Oyelwo-Selma

Timothy Spall –Mr. Turner*

Best Actress

Marion Cotillard-Two Days, One Night

Essie Davis-The Babadook   

Gugu Mbatha-Raw-Beyond the Lights

Rosamund Pike-Gone Girl*

Jenny Slate-Obvious Child

Tessa Thompson-Dear White People 

Best Supporting Actor

Riz Ahmed-Nightcrawler

Josh Brolin-Inherent Vice*

Ethan Hawke-Boyhood

Edward Norton- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Mark Ruffalo-Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons-Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress

Patricia Arquette-Boyhood*

Jessica Chastain-A Most Violent Year

Carrie Coon-Gone Girl

Agata Kulesza-Ida

Rene Russo-Nightcrawler

Tilda Swinton-Snowpiercer

Best Adapted Screenplay

Gone Girl –Gillian Flynn*

Inherent Vice-Paul Thomas Anderson

Snowpiercer-Joon Ho Bong, Kelly Masterson

Under the Skin-Walter Campbell

Winter Sleep-Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Best Original Screenplay

Boyhood-Richard Linklater

The Grand Budapest Hotel-Wes Anderson*

Love is Strange-Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias

Selma-Paul Webb

Stranger by the Lake-Alain Guiraudie

Two Days, One Night-Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne

Best Foreign Language Film

Force Majeur

Ida

Leviathan 

Stranger by the Lake*

Two Days one Night

Best Animated Feature

Big Hero Six

The Boxtrolls

The Lego Movie*

Song of the Sea

The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Best Ensemble (Casting Award)

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Foxcatcher*

Gone Girl

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Inherent Vice

Best Costume Design

Belle

The Grand Budapest Hotel*

Inherent Vice

The Immigrant

Mr. Turner

Best Cinematography

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Mr. Turner*

Stranger by the Lake

Under the Skin

Best Film Editing

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Boyhood*

Edge of Tomorrow

Gone Girl

Whiplash

Best Original Score

Gone Girl –Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

The Grand Budapest Hotel-Alexandre Desplat

Only Lovers Left Alive-Jim Jarmusch, Carter Logan, Shane Stoneback, Jozef van Wissem

A Most Violent Year-Alex Ebert

Under the Skin-Mica Levi*

Best Original Song

Begin Again-"Lost Stars"-Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois

Beyond the Lights-"Grateful"-Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren

“Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me-"I’m Not Gonna Miss You”-Music and Lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond

The Lego Movie-"Everything is Awesome-Music and Lyrics by Shawn Patterson

Selma-"Glory"-Music and Lyrics by John Legend and Common*

Best Production Design

The Grand Budapest Hotel*

Interstellar

Mr. Turner

Only Lovers Left Alive

Snowpiercer

Best Sound Mixing

Fury

Guardians of the Galaxy

Into the Woods

Under the Skin*

Whiplash

Best Sound Editing

Fury

Guardians of the Galaxy

Interstellar

Snowpiercer

Whiplash*

Best Visual Effects

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes*

Guardians of the Galaxy

Interstellar

Snowpiercer

X-Men: Days of Future Past 

Academy Awards Week 2015: Why Diversity Matters at the Oscars Part II, the Academy gets an F!

Last year's piece about diversity and the Academy Awards contained some cold hard facts from the LA Times about the break of the gender, race and age of Oscar voters.  Over the past couple years the Academy has been attempting to stay relevant, and clean up their bad press with regard with these statistics, they have even allowed jokes in their telecast last year.

Ellen DeGeneres was a great host last year; she is a very funny person, and one of the few women to host the telecast, more on the gender gap later.  In her opening monologue DeGeneres joked that the night could end in one of two ways.  “Possibility number one: 12 Years a Slave wins best picture, Possibility number two: You’re all racists.”

Funny, yes, but in thinking back on the remark and the year that happened after 12 Years a Slave, it leaves you with bad medicine taste in your mouth.  The best part about the joke is that it came from DeGeneres who people let into their homes during weekdays; she is seen as harmless most of the time, but when she gets biting or political she leaves her mark.  This is the joke I remember most from Ellen, outside of the selfie and the pizza bit.

It seems like the Academy members as a collective felt like they did their part last year, they voted for the black film, the film about the horrors of slavery, and once again numerous performers, and films, and technicians were snubbed.

The obvious snub this year was Ava DuVernay; she was heavy favorite in the Best Director category, and the same can said for Selma across the board except for Picture and Song.  DuVerney would have been the first black female nominated in this category.  How a film gets a Best Picture nomination and one other nomination in Best Song is unfathomable. 

If you move past Selma, you would find that Chadwick Boseman who played James Brown never even entered the conversation for awards attention, not even at the Globes, and bio-pics about famous musicians usually always get a lot of attention, look at Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Glenn Miller, and many others.  Oscars were far too into bio-pics about the polarizing Chris Kyle character, or as usual they had a hard on for English accents and nominated Benedict Cumberbatch for playing Alan Turring in The Imitation Game.  Both fine performances, but come on Academy!

While Boseman would not have made my top five either, David Oyelowo would have for playing Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma; he was fantastic and this was the first film about a Civil Rights leader, something you think the Academy would drool all over, but since the film was not neat and tidy, it was ignored.  You can blame screeners, or poor time of year on Selma's snubs, but there is something at the core of the Academy which speaks to this disconnect.

These were not the only performances snubbed, there were two black women who also turned in some fine work, and since they did not play a maid,  or did not submit they seemed to be ignored. Tessa Thompson was fantastic in Dear White People, which should have gotten more attention, while it hit you over the head sometimes with its message, its a message people need to have hit them hard.  Thompson the dominate white authority at her school.  Gugu Mbatha-Raw gave two excellent performances this year in Belle and Beyond the Lights. 

For Ms. Mbatha-Raw I am going to focus on Belle, which is a period piece set in the late 1700s Engalnd.  Now when I said the Academy has a hard on for British period pieces, I did not lie, the Yanks liked the Imitation Game more than the Brits, Game did not win a single prize at the British Academy Awards, BAFTA.  Belle is a film that seems to fit in their wheel house, only it stars a young black woman who challenges the system, and laws put in place that allow slavery in England.  After watching it this weekend there is no reason this film should have been ignored, but her lead performance was not uttered once during award season.  Could it be that these strong black women did not fit the Oscar performance mold?  Some will argue she is a new fresh face, and was not attached to a  serious Best Picture contender, but in the the Best Actress category 4 out of the 5 are not in Best Picture nominees this year.  Women just seem to be left behind, especially in the director category.

This was also a year where women women were not taken seriously in Directing, and writing.  As mentioned above DuVernay would have made history, but  its a big deal when a women is nominated in this category.  Over the 87 years four women have been nominated for Best Director Lina Wertmuller for Seven Beauties (1976), Jane Campion for The Piano (1993), Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation (2003), and Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (2009).  Bigelow had the chance to be the first double nominee in this category, but she was snubbed for her direction for Zero Dark Thirty.  In the 87 years of the Academy Awards women make up .0009 percent of the director nominees, an abysmal statistic.  Women of color make up 0 percent of the nominees.

Female directors are a group who always seem up against the systemic pressure of male dominated Hollywood. One strong example of this was a quote from Lexi Alexander who directed Punisher: War Zone.  Alexander was an early favorite to director Wonder Woman, but turned the gig down; in an interview with Forbes she talked about another woman who most likely had the job "If she says yes (to Wonder Woman), everybody will be very happy, including me. I don’t see at this point why anyone would say yes. There is huge pressure…. If [a female director] does fail, then all of a sudden it’s ‘All women suck at directing.’  

It's a systemic problem that this problem exists for female directors in film, and proves there is so much more scrutiny on them than their male counterparts.  If Unbroken had not made a ton of money, or had been directed by a woman that was not Angelina Jolie, it would have made a lot of press that female director failed.  Catherine Hardwicke was the first female to take on a big franchise and due "scheduling conflicts" she did not return for the sequel.  Still not sure if the studio fired her or not, although Hardwicke says no; she has also openly talked in Variety that since doing Twilight there have not been many offers to direct other things.  Look at all the other men who have filmed these crappy franchise films, has this hindered any of their careers?  My money is on no.

One of the other big snubs this year was Gillian Flynn, who would have been the first female nominee to adapt her own book, into a screenplay and earn a nomination.  There have been numerous women nominated in both screenplay categories, but that would have been a big first.  Gone Girl was also a serious contender for Best Picture, and was one the only serious contender to have a female lead.  I do not count The Theory of Everything, while Felicity Jones is the only Best Actress nominee in a Best Picture contender, the film is about Stephen Hawking, and people call it the movie about Stephen Hawking.  Gone Girl would have been a credible Best Picture nominee, and its protagonist played by Rosamund Pike, who is nominated, would represent a much stronger woman's perspective.

At the end the Academy Awards want to be seen as the pantheon of respectable film making, but they are losing this credibility as the years go on.  When the Academy leaves out the stories of different  identity groups they look like an out of touch insular group.  Thank God Selma was nominated for Best Picture or that joke from Ellen last year would have made this awards telecast even grimmer than it already has become.

The Third Annual Underrated Film Award Nominations (2014)

As I was compiling my on personal awards, it reminded me of the yearly tradition I have of crowning the most underrated films, performers, and technical aspects of film.

I expanded the two of the categories to ten nominees this year, and there will be two acting winners, one male one female.  

Overall I think that that there were a lot of films that were taken for granted this year, and while sure some of them have the films listed below have gotten attention here and there, they were all typically snubbed across the board, and not taken as seriously as they should have been!

Most Underrated Films of 2014

Belle

Beyond the Lights

Chef

Edge of Tomorrow 

Enemy

John Wick

Love is Strange 

Obvious Child 

The Skeleton Twins

Stranger by the Lake

Most Underrated Performances of 2014

Riz Ahmed-Nightcrawler

Essie Davis-The Babadook

Zac Effron-Neighbors

Brendan Gleeson-Calvary

Tom Hardy-The Drop

John Lithgow-Love is Strange 

Gugu Mbatha-Raw-Beyond the Lights

Jenny Slate-Obvious Child

Tessa Thompson-Dear White People 

Kristen Wiig-The Skelton Twins

Most Underrated Technicals Aspects of a 2013 Film (Direction, Writing, Editing etc.,)

Meredith Boswell's Production Design in The Homesman

 Rachel Portman's Original Score for Belle

Jennifer Kent's Direction for The Babadook

Claire Mathon's Cinematography for Stranger by the Lake

Justin Simien's Screenplay for Dear White People

 James Herbet's Film Editing in Edge of Tomorrow 

Laray Mayfield's Casting for Gone Girl

Oscars Nominations Prove the Academy is Out of Touch with Race and Gender

Well that happened! To say that this year’s Oscar nominees are a disappointment is a bit of an understatement.

Let’s start with the first announcement, which was done by J.J. Abrams and Alfonse Cuaron.  Two of the biggest locks for nominations were shut out, The Lego Movie in Best Animated Feature, and Life Itself in Best Documentary Feature.  To say that these snubs are appalling is an understatement.  Lego was easily one of the best animated films of the year, and Life Itself was one of the best documentaries.  Explaining their non-presence will never be possible.

I also knew American Sniper was going to show up big namely because it got nominations in Editing, and showed up with the Sound nominations.

The only silver lining in the first round of these nominations was the numerous times Abrams and Cuaron said The Grand Budapest Hotel, which ended up tied with Birdman for the most nominations, they each had 9.

The second half of the presentation should have been subtitled “From Out of Nowhere.”  The first of its kind was Laura Dern in Wild, happy for her, but she did not snag a single precursor nomination.  I knew that fifth spot was shaky, Dern was a pleasant surprise.  I just wish it had gone to Rene Russo.  Speaking of Nightcrawler, the Guilds love did not match here; it only received one nomination in Original Screenplay, another out nowhere thing for a film that seemed to have so much more support.

I know I should have thought Bradley Cooper was bigger threat, hell I was event tweeting about him last night, but it still came from out of nowhere.  Cooper is the first Lead Actor nominee to get into this race without a single major precursor Best Actor nomination since Tommy Lee Jones was nominated for In the Valley of Elah (2007).  What does Jake Gyllenhaal have to do to get an Oscar nomination?

The next “from out of nowhere” goes to Marion Cotillard; she was nominated at the Broadcast Film Critics’ Awards, but nowhere else.  Cotillard was also a big winner at the Critics’ Awards, and her presence makes more sense over Anniston, there is a prestige to her name as a past winner.  I guess I just thought if anyone was bumping Anniston it was Amy Adams, but Harvey did distribute both Two Days One Night and Big Eyes (the latter completely snubbed).

In a way Bennett Miller was “from out of nowhere” too; he was not nominated for a major award in the Director race for Foxcatcher, which scored 5 nominations including Actor (Steve Carell), Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), and Original Screenplay, but was snubbed in 8 films Best Picture race?  Miller is the first Director in about 8 years to get nominated in this category without a corresponding Best Picture nomination.  This is also the first year since the amendment to rule about the number of nominees that their have been less than nine, wonder if this trend will continue?

Let’s move on to Best Picture, where the Academy nominated Selma, which is great, but it only got one other nomination in Best Original Song, which is a travesty.  Someone tweeted online “This is the equivalent of The Academy saying they have a black friend” and I agree.  This film deserved so much more, namely because it was an excellent film.  I blame news outlets, especially NBC News  for stirring up controversy about the way LBJ was represented.  LBJ was represented as a complex man, like most politicians, move on!  The film’s Director Ava DuVernay would have also been the first Black female nominated for Best Director, but her snub is a sting, and proof that this majority male, majority white organization failed to show honor a diverse number of people, and this includes not only people of color, but women as well.

DuVernay is the most obvious snub; she was a director candidate who had a strong presence talking about her film.  I think the other big loss this morning was the snub of Gone Girl’s screenwriter Gillian Flynn, whose screenplay was a front runner for a long time.  Flynn adapted her novel into the film and crafted one of the most perfect films this year with Director David Fincher.  The two will be crafting a television series together, that will probably get tons of attention and awards, because women are more respected in television, but I digress.  Flynn was the only serious female screen writing contender, and the majority white male Academy snubbed her.  The film also received only one nomination, thank God Rosamund Pike was nominated for this performance.

Today’s nominations showed me that the Oscar voters are beyond out of touch, and I should stop getting excited for this day.  There was an episode of the television series How I Met Your Mother about realizations, and glass shattering in your head, the glass shattering symbolizes an ultimate realization that you can no move forward from.  Today was that moment with the Academy for me.  I have felt their disjointedness before, but today sealed the deal.  I will watch the Oscars because Boyhood will win, and it will be a good thing that they will accomplish, but the nominees prove there is a long way to go, and this Academy has to look inward at ways to fix these problems.  Also Cheryl Boone Isaacs said “Dick Poop.”  Figured I would end on a little levity. 

Oscar Predictions (Last Ones for 2014 Nominees)

Best Picture


1- Boyhood


2-The Imitation Game


3- Birdman


4-The Grand Budapest Hotel

5- The Theory of Everything


6-Whiplash

7-Selma

8-Gone Girl


9-Nightcrawler

If 10...

10-American Sniper

Based on Guilds, and BAFTA these seem to be the nine that have the most support, in this order in my opinion.  In fact if there were only five nominees, I am certain my top five would be the Best Picture nominees, aren't you glad there is a chance for 10?

American Sniper has been creeping around this race, but is missing support significant from SAG, and BAFTA.  You could say the same for Selma, which is why I have it lower on my list, but I do not think the Academy will ignore this film.

I am going with my gut on these, and I think these top nine will be the nominees.

Best Director


1-Richard Linklater-Boyhood


2-Alejandro González Iñárritu-Birdman


3-Wes Anderson-The Grand Budapest Hotel

4-Damien Chazelle-Whiplash

5-Ava DuVerney-Selma

6th Morten Tyldum-The Imitation Game 

Today's DGA nominees were lackluster, to stay the least.  The inclusion of Clint Eastwood and Morten Tyldum, who have not received a single major nomination is a joke.  I will say that it seems these two films peaked around DGA voting, so it is not surprising that they were included.

There are only three nominees that have been nominated across the board, they are Linklater, Inarritu, and Anderson.  Their films have tremendous support as well, they are in.

The Globes had Ava DuVernay for Selma and David Fincher for Gone Girl, BAFTA have James Marsh for The Theory of Everything, and Damien Chazelle for Whiplash.  The DGA as stated above had Eastwood, no not for Jersey Boys, but American Sniper, and Tyldum for The Imitation Game.

To say that these last two spots is going to be a crap shoot, is an under statement, there has been no consensus, but my gut says Chazelle, and DuVernay with Tyldum as a spoiler.

Best Actor


1-Michael Keaton-Birdman


2-Eddie Redmayne-The Theory of Everything


3-Benedict Cumberatch-The Imitation Game


4-Jake Gyllenhaal-Nightcrawler

5-David Oyelowo-Selma

6th Place-Ralph Fiennes-The Grand Budapest Hotel

Once again, I think my top three are near locks.  I think Keaton is the front runner, while Redmayne is a very close second.  I think youth will be his downfall.  Cumberbatch is riding the The Imitation Game wave.  I think Gyllenhaal is safe bet, he has nominations at the Globes, BAFTA, and SAG, but so did Hanks, so nothing is for sure.

I think the last two men fighting out for that fifth spot are Oyelowo for Selma, and Fienes for Grand Budapest. Neither are up at SAG, Carell is the fifth spot there, but I think he will be bumped supporting.  Fiennes made it in at BAFTA, which can be a great predictor, but he is also a BRIT, and there is bias there.  I have gone back and forth on this one, but I think its Oyelowo. 

Best Actress


1-Julianne Moore-Still Alice


2-Reese Witherspoon-Wild


3-Rosamund Pike-Gone Girl


4-Felicity Jones-They Theory of Everything

5-Jennifer Anniston-Cake

6th Place-Amy Adams-Big Eyes 

I am still not sold on Anniston, and I think with Weinstein behind Big Eyes Amy Adams will land the fifth spot.  I am jumping out on a lot of ledges for these last spot acting nominees, I hope they pay off!  Adams scored a BAFTA nod too, not sure Anniston was eligible, but  I think people take her seriously.

Best Supporting Actor


1- J.K. Simmons-Whiplash


2-Edward Norton-Birdman


3-Mark Ruffalo-Foxcatcher


4-Ethan Hawke-Boyhood


5-Steve Carell-Foxcatcher 

6th Place-Robert DuVall-The Judge

DuVall has been the fifth place, place holder for the Globes and SAG; he is a big name well respected person.  Carell showing up in supporting at BAFTA is a tell tale sign in my opinion, and I think the Academy will want to reward his performance with a nomination.

Best Supporting Actress


1-Patricia Arquette-Boyhood


2- Meryl Streep-Into the Woods

3-Keira Knightly-The Imitation Game


4-Emma Stone-Birdman


5-Renee Russo-Nightcrawler 

6th Place-Jessica Chastain-A Most Violent Year

Hollywood has Chastain fever, but it would be the sole nomination for A Most Violent Year, and while that can happen, I am more hesitant day by day.  I think Russo showing up at BAFTA is also a nod to how much people like Nightcrawler.  I am using a lot of BAFTA to predict my nominations, which could be a a very good thing or very bad.

Best Adapted Screenplay

1-The Theory of Everything

2-Gone Girl

3-The Imitation Game

4-Whiplash

5-American Sniper

Best Original Screenplay

1-Boyhood

2-Birdman

3-The Grand Budapest Hotel

4-Nightcrawler

5-Mr. Turner 

Best Animated Feature

Big Hero 6 

The Boxtrolls

How to Train Your Dragon 2

The Lego Movie

The Tale of Princess Kaguya 

Best Documentary Feature

The Case Against 8 

Citizenfour

Last Days in Vietnam

Life Itself 

The Overnighters 

Best Foreign Language Film 

Force Majeur (Sweden) 

Ida (Poland)

Leviathan (Russia)

Timbuktu (Mauritania)

Wild Tales (Argentina)

Best Cinematography

Birdman

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Ida 

Mr. Turner 

Unbroken

Best Costume Design

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Into the Woods

Maleficent 

Mr. Turner 

Best Editing 

Boyhood

Birdman

Gone Girl/The Grand Budapest Hotel 

Nightcrawler 

Whiplash

Best Make-Up/Hair Styling

Guardians of the Galaxy

Maleficent

The Theory of Everything 

Best Original Score 

Gone Girl

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game 

Interstellar

The Theory of Everything 

Best Production Design

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game 

Into the Woods 

Mr. Turner 

Best Sound Editing

American Sniper 

Fury

Guardians of the Galaxy

Interstellar

Unbroken

Best Sound Mixing

American Sniper  

Interstellar

Into the Woods 

Unbroken 

Whiplash

Best Visual Effects 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Godzilla 

Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies 

Interstellar

Oscar Predictions (December 2014)

Now that most of the critics groups have had their say, through awards and top ten lists, and the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG), and Golden Globe Nominations have been announced, its time to get in some updated Oscar predictions before the end of the year.

This is a moderately outdated list, because the last time I gathered my thoughts or predictions in blog form was back on September 19.  Ironically I think I was pretty astute, and there are only a few changes I am going to make, but here it goes!

Best Picture


1- Boyhood


2- Selma

3-The Theory of Everything


4- Birdman


5- The Imitation Game


6-Gone Girl


7-The Grand Budapest Hotel

8-Whiplash

9-Unbroken

For some reason I had Foxcatcher in the number one spot, that seemed like a strong bet at the time, and even with three Golden Globe nominations, I think this is a film that will get snubbed by the Academy, I dropped it out of my top nine.  I also dropped, Wild and Interstellar out of my top nine, the rest stay.

Two films entering my predictions are Selma, and Whiplash.  I think these are two films that will be well received, and they have tremendous impact.

The big problem is the ninth slot. the gutsy person inside of me wants to predict Nightcrawler, while the practical person in me wants to predict Unbroken.  I am going practical for now, but I think Nightcrawler is a spoiler.

Best Director


1-Richard Linklater-Boyhood


2-Alejandro González Iñárritu-Birdman


3-Ava DuVerney-Selma

4- Wes Anderson-The Grand Budapest Hotel

5-David Fincher-Gone Girl


I would love to see Bennett Miller recognized for Foxcatcher his direction is visionary, but he and James Marsh were bumped from my top five.

Wes Anderson may finally get some recognition from this group, many people are not predicting him, but I think based on the likeability of this film within SAG, and at the Globes he is in!  Ava DuVerney for Selma will also make the cut.

I kept Fincher in my top five, but he may be vulnerable to the Weinstein Co.’s push for Imitation Game director Morton Tyldum.

Best Actor


1-Michael Keaton-Birdman


2-Eddie Redmayne-The Theory of Everything


3-David Oyelowo-Selma

4-Jake Gyllenhaal-Nightcrawler

5-Benedict Cumberatch-The Imitation Game


Foxcatcher is bumped again! Jake Gyllenhaal is the new man on the list, and with nominations at SAG and the GG he looks unstoppable.  I know Carell has this too, but he was snubbed by the Broadcast Film Critics, which are good predictors of the acting races.

Best Actress


1-Julianne Moore-Still Alice


2-Reese Witherspoon-Wild


3-Rosamund Pike-Gone Girl


4-Felicity Jones-They Theory of Everything

5-Marion Cotillard-Two Days, One Night

I know betting against Anniston may not be a smart move here, but I think Harvey will back a play for Cotillard to get a nomination here.  I will re-visit this.

Best Supporting Actor


1- J.K. Simmons-Whiplash


2-Edward Norton-Birdman


3-Mark Ruffalo-Foxcatcher


4-Ethan Hawke-Boyhood


5-Tom Wilkinson-Selma

Keeping this list the same, for the moment, may switch Wilkinson with DuVall for The Judge, the Academy loves crap like that.

Best Supporting Actress


1-Patricia Arquette-Boyhood


2-Jessica Chastain-A Most Violent Year

3-Emma Stone-Birdman


4-Keira Knightly-The Imitation Game


5-Meryl Streep-Into the Woods

Sorry folks, Dern is out, I also must have been obsessed with Foxcatcher because I had Redgrave in the fifth spot.

There is Jessica Chastain fever; she will be an Oscar nominee for A Most Violent Year.  Streep will also be nominated for Into the Woods, musicals tend to get a token Supporting Actress nomination, even when the Academy is not gaga for the film.

Best Adapted Screenplay

1-The Theory of Everything

2-Gone Girl 

3-The Imitation Game 

4-Inherent Vice 

5-Unbroken

If Unbroken gets a Best Picture nomination it will land here, it also has Joel and Ethan Coens' names attached.  The spoiler is Wild, which could replace Unbroken or Inherent Vice.

Best Original Screenplay 

1-Boyhood

2-Birdman

3-The Grand Budapest Hotel 

4-Selma 

5-Whiplash

One of the strongest categories at this year's ceremony, Selma and Whiplash could replaced, if they are not nominated prior to the Best Picture category, watch out for Whiplash to be potentially snubbed, and Selma to be a non contender.  Next in line is Nightcrawler followed by Foxcatcher.

Top Ten TV Shows of 2014

1-Fargo (F/X) 

I was hesitant to start this show, and after the first episode was a mirror image of the events from the film, I stopped watching.  After hearing some buzz to the contrary, I pushed forward as the show had come to an end, and boy was I glad.  Fargo was a fantastic twist on the film, it explored new depths, new characters, and allowed you to enter a complex world that could never be forgotten.    Noah Hawley was the genius behind this adaptation; he wrote every single episode, an incredible accomplishment.  With strong performances from a great ensemble including Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tollman, Collin Hanks, and many more this show built up to an incredible conclusion.  Hawley’s mind worked in great precision, and this tense, often funny show just snuck past The Good Wife to be the best show of 2014. 

2-The Good Wife (CBS)

Very few shows make a top ten list past their first couple of seasons, and if they do they typically are not in the top five of any list.  The Good Wife breaks the mold, and creators Michelle and Robert King provided some of the best television in 2014.  In 2013 the show set off a chain reaction where Cary and Alicia split from their law firm, this set the show on a different path, and almost seemed like a rebirth.  Yet rebirths are for show’s that lose their mojo and this show only did that briefly at the beginning of season 4.  Whether it was Florrick/Agos taking on LG, the death of Will, Alicia running for States Attorney, the best guest stars in television perfectly woven into each episode or any of the other flawless qualities, this show fires on all cylinders.   It’s not just the best network show but also the best continuing show on television.

3-Veep (HBO)

Some shows lose steam as the as they get older, but Veep only gets funnier.  Julia Louis-Dreyfus is perfection, and this season was even more of a triumph because it was fun to watch the good ole Veep try to ascend to the Presidency.  While Louis-Dreyfus is great in her role as VP Selena Meyer, she is also surrounded by one of the strongest comedic ensembles on television: Tony Hale, Anna Chulmsky, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole, (three more people).  Watching Selena try and take a position on abortion, plan a “candid” photo, and take part in a Presidential debate were only some of the highlights of this season.  Veep is one HBO’s best comedic television series of all time.  Armando Ianucci, and co. are genius at mocking the American political system.  This is the highest ranked comedy series of the year, and if you have missed it, catch up!

4-True Detective (HBO)

Its sad that the last episode of this mini-series prevented this show from cracking my top three, but it did.  With that said Detective was a smart potboiler that left following the lives of two broken men on the hunt for a killer.    This show was about four men, Nic Pizzolatto, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Matthew McConaughey, and Woody Harrelson.  Pizzolatto was the brainchild behind this show’s greatness; he was the creator and wrote every single episode like Noah Hawly (Fargo).  Pizzolatto gave the show the perfect tone, and the juice to be one of the most talked about shows of 2014. Fukunaga gave every word life; he directed every single episode of this mini-series.  McConaughey and Harrelson’s performances were studies in great acting, each brought the show to new levels you could never imagine.

5-Orange is the New Black (Netflix)

In season two this show still captivated, made you cringe at the prison system, made you cry, and of course provided some laughs.  Jenji Kohan who created the show is an expert at blending the dramatic and comedic aspects of life, namely because many of those moments are so fluid.  Kohan did this with her other show Weeds.  In the second season Piper got even more depth, and we were able to see Red fall from grace, while exploring other new women in each episode.  This show continues to push boundaries, and focuses on the complex lives of women, who happen to be convicts.

6-Hannibal (NBC)

Bryan Fuller creates some of the most visually sumptuous television.  In this case its more on the disturbing level, Hannibal is probably the best thriller out there, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.  Will Graham and Hannibal Lector take the “cat and mouse game” to a whole new level; there is a psychology that exists, an admiration (a sick one of course), maybe even love.  Watching the season spiral from Will being suspected of being a killer, to people finally seeing the darker sides of Dr. Lector in the bloodiest season finale I have ever seen.  This show is what NBC meant years ago when they said “must-see TV.”

7- Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine harkens back to the classic cop comedy Barney Miller, but blends the quirk of Schur and Goor’s Parks and Recreation.  Nine-Nine has a perfect ensemble, even if you aren’t an Andy Samberg fan you have to root for Jake Peralta, although that’s namely because of the way interacts with Andre Braugher’s brilliant portrayal of Captain Holt. Throw in the vastly underrated Joe LoTruglio and Terry Crews, the of the charts crazy hilarity of Chelsea Perretti, and the deadpan humor of Stephanie Beatriz, and it makes this show even better.  Every week I laugh harder and harder.

8-Louie (F/X)

Somewhere along the way Louie merged into an unnamed genre of television.  Standup comedian Louis C.K. has created a television show that defies the norm, and if anyone can pull that off it’s him.  This season found Louie punching a model in the face, in bed and finding love with a woman who didn’t speak English.  There is something about this show, and the way it evolves with every season that makes this, just, special.

9-The Normal Heart (HBO)

Ryan Murphy’s best work to date.  I love the man because he puts out some off the wall stuff, which sometimes gets too unfocused, but this breaks the mold.  The Normal Heart which was written for the stage in 1985 by Larry Kramer, and then adapted for television by him this past year is one of the most heartbreaking tales about the HIV/AIDs epidemic, fighting for survival, and advocacy around a cure.  Mark Ruffalo was brilliant; Matt Bomer heartbreaking, Julia Roberts stronger than she has been in years, and Joe Mantello was poignant.  This ensemble mixed with strong direction from Murphy, and a brilliant script from Kramer provided non-stop tears.

10-Enlisted (FOX)

I am still not over this show’s cancellation.  Networks just are not interested in supporting as many well-written comedy shows these days. Chuck Lorre’s comedy take over is sad.   Enlisted was just clever, and there was so much heart.  You had goofy Randy who was played by the often shirtless, gorgeous, and talented Parker Young.  The show also tackled PTSD with Pete (Geoff Stults), and the reality of life after being in a combat zone.  Fantastic ensemble, this show will be missed.

Just Missed the list (in order): Jane the Virgin, Game of Thrones, The Affair, The Comeback