The Art Directors Guild announced their nominees today!
And here they are:
Period Film
Inherent Vice
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Unbroken
Fantasy Film
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Contemporary Film
American Sniper
Birdman
Foxcatcher
Gone Girl
Nightcrawler
The Eddies! Isn’t that a perfectly adorable name for an award?
Anyway, the Eddies are given out by the American Cinema Editors and they honor the best editing in film and television. The Eddies make for an interesting precursor because (much like the SAG awards), they’re a guild award and the nominees and winners are being determined by many of the same people who will be voting on the Oscars.
Add to that, films that get a nomination for best editing often also get nominated for best picture. (One huge exception to that rule would be David Fincher’s rehash The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which actually won best editing despite not being nominated for best picture.)
The big news from the Eddie nominations is that potential Oscar front-runner Selma was snubbed. However, American Sniper was not. While I doubt that the makers of Selma have anything to worry about, this does seem to indicate that — despite not making a huge showing as far as the critics awards are concerned — American Sniper might still be a factor in the best picture race.
(Then again, Oscar watchers like me are notorious for overanalyzing stuff like this…)
The film nominees can be found below.
Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic)
“American Sniper” (Joel Cox, ACE & Gary Roach, ACE)
“Boyhood” (Sandra Adair, ACE)
“Gone Girl” (Kirk Baxter, ACE)
“The Imitation Game” (William Goldenberg, ACE)
“Nightcrawler” (John Gilroy, ACE)
“Whiplash” (Tom Cross, ACE)
Best Editing Feature Film (Comedy or Musical)
“Birdman” (Douglas Crise & Stephen Mirrione, ACE)
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” (Barney Pilling)
“Guardians of the Galaxy” (Fred Rasking, Hughes Winborn, ACE & Craig Wood, ACE)
“Into the Woods” (Wyatt Smith)
“Inherent Vice” (Leslie Jones, ACE)
Best Edited Animated Feature Film
“Big Hero 6” (Tim Mertens)
“The Boxtrolls” (Edie Ichioka, ACE)
“The LEGO Movie” (David Burrow & Chris McKay)
Best Edited Documentary (Feature)
“CITIZENFOUR” (Mathilde Bonnefoy)
“Finding Vivian Maier” (Aaron Wickenden)
“Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me” (Elisa Bonora)
Talking to empty chairs aside, Clint Eastwood still goes down as one of the greatest living American filmmakers. This doesn’t dismiss the current slump he has been in the past couple years (Jersey Boys, Hereafter, J. Edgar just to name a few). This 2014 holiday season he’s set to release his latest film: American Sniper.
The film is an adaptation of the best-selling autobiography of the same name by former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle. Steven Spielberg was initially attached to direct the film, but bowed soon after. In comes Clint Eastwood to take up the director’s chair with Bradley Cooper starring as Chris Kyle (also producer on the film).
The film has already made it’s premiere at the AFI Fest with a limited release on Christmas Day 2014.
American Sniper will have a general release date of January 16, 2015.
I have to admit that, when I first looked at the just-released Phoenix Film Critics Nominations for 2014, I got really excited. I saw The LEGO Movie listed among the nominees for best picture and I thought to myself, “Oh my God! Could The LEGO Movie be set to be the fourth animated film to score a best picture nomination from the Academy!?”
Seriously, my inner movie trivia lover was so excited!
Then, of course, I remembered that critical recognition doesn’t necessarily translate into Oscar nominations. And I was forced to admit that The LEGO Movie probably will not be nominated for best picture, though it definitely remains a front runner for best animated feature.
But, for a few moments there, I was truly an excited Oscar watcher.
Anyway, here are the Phoenix Film Critics Nominations!
BEST PICTURE/ TOP TEN FILMS OF 2014
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
BEST ENSMEBLE ACTING
BEST SCREENPLAY WRITTEN DIRECTLY FOR THE SCREEN
BEST SCREENPLAY ADAPTED FROM ANOTHER MEDIUM
BEST LIVE ACTION FAMILY FILM
BEST ANIMATED FILM
OVERLOOKED FILM OF THE YEAR
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
BEST DOCUMENTARY
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST FILM EDITING
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
BEST STUNTS
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE ON CAMERA
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE BEHIND THE CAMERA
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH – MALE
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH – FEMALE
Earlier today, the American Film Institute announced their picks for the top 11 movies and top 10 television shows of 2014! As much as it pains me to admit it, Sasha “You Know Who I Am” Stone of Awards Daily actually makes a valid point when she says that the AFI picks are actually a pretty good guide to what the Academy voters are responding to. While Oscar watchers like me might get excited when Tom Hardy wins at LAFCA, the AFI is actually probably a better precursor to what actually will be nominated.
(Of course, immediately after making that point, she starts in on her usual “it’s all about me” nonsense because that’s what she does, after all.)
So, with all that in mind, here are the AFI’s picks:
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
“American Sniper”
“Birdman (Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
“Boyhood”
“Foxcatcher”
“The Imitation Game”
“Interstellar”
“Into the Woods”
“Nightcrawler”
“Selma”
“Unbroken”
“Whiplash”
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
“The Americans”
“Fargo”
“Game of Thrones”
“How to Get Away With Murder”
“Jane the Virgin”
“The Knick”
“Mad Men”
“Orange Is the New Black”
“Silicon Valley”
“Transparent”
And, here are the names of the 20 members of the AFI jury:
Tom Pollock,
Jeanne Basinger,
Bob Gazzale,
Mark Harris,
Marshall Herskovitz,
Patty Jenkins,
Lisa Kennedy,
Kasi Lemmons,
Matthew Libatique,
Akira Mizuta Lippit,
Leonard Maltin,
Claudia Puig,
Peter Travers
Earlier today the Boston Society of Film Critics (not to be confused with Boston Online Film Critics) announced their picks for the best of 2014! Among the winners: Boyhood, Richard Linklater, Marion Cotillard (who is suddenly starting to look like she might be the new front-runner for best actress), and J.K. Simmons (who is probably about as much a sure thing as anyone or anything could be this year).
The winners are listed below!
Best Picture
Winner: BOYHOOD
Runner up: BIRDMAN
Best Director
Winner: Richard Linklater, BOYHOOD
Runner up: Clint Eastwood, AMERICAN SNIPER
Best Actor
Winner: Michael Keaton, BIRDMAN
Runner up: Timothy Spall, MR. TURNER
Best Actress
Winner: Marion Cotillard, THE IMMIGRANT and TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT
Runner up: Hilary Swank, THE HOMESMAN
Best Supporting Actor
Winner: J.K. Simmons, WHIPLASH
Runner up: Edward Norton, BIRDMAN
Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Emma Stone, BIRDMAN
Runner up: Laura Dern, WILD
Best Screenplay
Winner: Armando Bo, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolas Giabone and Alejandro G. Iñárritu, BIRDMAN and Richard Linklater, BOYHOOD (tie)
Runner up: MR. TURNER
Best Cinematography
Winner: Emmanuel Lubezki, BIRDMAN
Runner up: Dick Pope, MR. TURNER
Best Film Editing
Winner: Sandra Adair, BOYHOOD
Runner up: Joel Cox and Gary Roach, AMERICAN SNIPER
Best Animated Film
Winner: The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Runner-up: The LEGO Movie
Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT
Runner up:
Best Documentary
Winner: Citizenfour
Runner up: Jodorowsky’s Dune
Best Ensemble Cast
Winner: BOYHOOD
Runner up: BIRDMAN
Best Use of Music in Film
Winner: INHERENT VICE
Runner up: WHIPLASH
Best New Filmmaker
Winner: Dan Gilroy, NIGHTCRAWLER
Runner up: Gillian Robespierre, OBVIOUS CHILD
The National Board of Review has spoken! They named their picks for the best of 2014 earlier today and — to the shock of many (especially me) — they picked JC Chandor’s crime drama A Most Violent Year as the best film of the year!
I love surprises!
Now, a lot of us were expecting A Most Violent Year to be an Oscar contender, with practically everyone expecting Jessica Chastain to either be nominated for best actress or supporting actress. (The NBR named her best supporting actress.) But I think a lot of us were expecting to see the NBR select Boyhood, Birdman, or maybe Selma.
Also of note is that Clint Eastwood won best director for American Sniper, which appears to be coming on strong as a potential Oscar nominee as well.
(Also of note: Foxcatcher was totally ignored by the NBR.)
Here are the NBR winners!
BEST PICTURE
“A Most Violent Year”
BEST DIRECTOR
Clint Eastwood, “American Sniper”
BEST ACTOR (TIE)
Oscar Isaac, “A Most Violent Year”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
BEST ACTRESS
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain, “A Most Violent Year”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, “The Lego Movie”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”
BEST ENSEMBLE
“Fury”
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Wild Tales”
BEST DOCUMENTARY
“Life Itself”
SPOTLIGHT AWARD
Chris Rock for writing, directing, and starring in “Top Five”
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCES
Jack O’Connell, “Starred Up” and “Unbroken”
DEBUT DIRECTOR
Gillian Robespierre, “Obvious Child”
WILLIAM K. EVERSON FILM HISTORY AWARD
Scott Eyman
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
“Rosewater”
“Selma”
BEST PICTURE NOMINEES (alphabetical)
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“Fury”
“Gone Girl”
“The Imitation Game”
“Inherent Vice”
“The Lego Movie”
“Nightcrawler”
“Unbroken”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE NOMINEES (alphabetical)
“Force Majeure”
“Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem”
“Leviathan”
“Two Days One Night”
“We Are the Best!”
BEST DOCUMENTARY NOMINEES (alphabetical)
“Art and Craft”
“Jodorowsky’s Dune”
“Keep On Keepin’ On”
“The Kill Team”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
BEST INDEPENDENT FILMS (alphabetical)
“Blue Ruin”
“Locke”
“A Most Wanted Man”
“Mr. Turner”
“Obvious Child”
“The Skeleton Twins”,
“Snowpiercer”,
“Stand Clear of the Closing Doors”
“Starred Up”
“Still Alice”
Julianne Moore in Still Alice
Ever since March, I have been posting my monthly Oscar predictions. Because I was so busy with my Back To School series, I missed my chance to post an update in September. (And, before you say that missing one month is no big deal, you should take into my consideration my OCD…) However, it is now October and, as the Oscar picture starts to become a little bit more clear, here are my current predictions!
(Interested in seeing my past predictions? Check out March, April, May, June, July, and August.)
Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Still Alice
Unbroken
Whiplash
Wild
(Before anyone asks why I haven’t included Gone Girl or Inherent Vice on the list, I ask them to consider the Oscar fate of both The Master and Fincher’s Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.)
Best Actor
Steve Carell in Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper in American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton in Birdman
Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything
Best Actress
Amy Adams in Big Eyes
Felecity Jones in The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore in Still Alice
Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl
Reese Whitherspoon in Wild
Best Supporting Actor
John Brolin in Inherent Vice
Edward Norton in Birdman
Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons in Whiplash
Tom Wilkinson in Selma
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
Laura Dern in Wild
Kiera Knightley in The Imitation Game
Rene Russo in Nightcrawler
Emma Stone in Birdman
Best Director
Clint Eastwood for American Sniper
Alejandro Inarritu for Birdman
Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher
Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game
American Sniper
Warner Bros. Pictures makes it a triple-bill with the latest in a series of trailers for some of their upcoming films.
The latest to arrive is Clint Eastwood’s latest film. Eastwood adapts the Chris Kyle autobiography, American Sniper, of which Steven Spielberg was originally attached to direct until dropping out in the summer of 2013. Eastwood was announced a week later as taking on directing duties on one of the more sought after properties of the last couple years.
Bradley Cooper will star in as Chris Kyle with Sienna Miller in the role of Chris’ wife, Taya Renae Kyle.
American Sniper is set for a limited release on December 25, 2014 and going wide on January 20, 2015.
Through the Shattered Lens 