Visual Effects and Cinema Audio Society Nominees

A couple more guild announcements- first, the Cinema Audio Society, which are the sound mixers, put out their list of the year's best sound nominees.

Motion Picture- Live Action

American Sniper
Birdman
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
Unbroken

Motion Picture- Animated

Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie
Penguins of Madagascar

Funny to see how Interstellar gets a sound mixing nomination even after its sound was thoroughly trashed by everyone who saw the movie and couldn't hear what hardly anybody was saying in it. I really can't predict how these will translate at the Oscars- I never know what the sound branches are looking for, other than loud noises, although the omission of Into the Woods is kind of surprising (they usually go for musicals). Then, the Visual Effects Society put out their nominees- they have way too many specific categories to list, so here are the main prizes.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live-Action Feature

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Maleficent
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal/Live-Action Feature

Birdman
Divergent
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Unbroken

Outstanding Animation in an Animated Motion Picture

Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie
Rio 2

Probably Godzilla will get into Visual Effects at the Oscars alongside Guardians, The Hobbit, Interstellar and Apes, right? If that happens it will be the first time a Transformers movies is snubbed here, so let's keep our fingers crossed.

TRAILER: "Spy"

Melissa McCarthy's new movie Spy was written and directed by Paul Feig, who did both Bridesmaids and The Heat, so here's hoping this one hits better than some of her occasional misfires, like Identity Thief and Tammy. I think she's genuinely hilarious, so it's always better if she works with someone who knows how to bring out the best in her. It's coming out May 22nd.

2014 DGA Nominees

Well, the Directors Guild has spoken and here are their choices for the best directors of the year.

Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Clint Eastwood, American Sniper
Alejandro Inarritu, Birdman
Richard Linklator, Boyhood
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game

The thing to remember about the DGA nominees is that they're a much better indicator of Oscar Best Picture than Oscar Best Director. They've often matched 3/5 or 4/5 with the Oscar nominees, sometimes even 2/5. But it does tell you what movies are strong for Best Picture. So the question is, who gets left out on Thursday morning? To me, there are still just two locks- Inarritu and Linklator. Grand Budapest is very strong, but I have no idea what the exclusive, elitist directors branch actually thinks of Wes Anderson, and I could easily see him being snubbed there (the DGA has 15,000 members and includes TV and commercial directors, while the Academy directors branch has just under 400 and includes a lot of foreign membership). Same goes for Tyldum, who's an unknown, and even Eastwood, although being an old Academy favorite, his nomination looks pretty good there (all of his previous DGA nods have translated to Oscar). Ava DuVernay still has a shot, same for Damian Chazelle, who I think is the most likely person to break into the race, knocking off one of these other guys. But who? I would bet either Anderson or Tyldum. The other thing to note is that the Oscar nominations were turned in last week, while the DGA was still voting until yesterday- so this list in no way influences who they've already picked for Oscar. Come back Thursday to find out.

TRAILER #2: "Avengers: Age of Ultron"

The second trailer for the Avengers sequel is not a whole lot different from the others (lots of slo-mo action scenes). I guess the big news will be the Hulk/Iron Man fight, but I'm not feeling all that excited for this one, for some reason. I guess the superhero movies are really starting to wear out their welcome for me.

Denver, Houston and Women Film Journalists Name Best of 2014

I think we're finally getting down to the last of the critics groups this week- hopefully, this weekend's London Film Critics will be the last group to announce. But first, Denver changes things up a little by going hard for American Sniper.

DENVER FILM CRITICS

Picture: American Sniper
Director: Richard Linklator, Boyhood
Actor: (tie) Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel & Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Actress: Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
S. Actor: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
S. Actress: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Animated: The Lego Movie
Sci-Fi/Horror: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Comedy: Guardians of the Galaxy
O. Screenplay: Birdman
A. Screenplay: Inherent Vice
Documentary: Birdman
Song: "Everything is Awesome," The Lego Movie
Score: Birdman
Foreign: Two Days, One Night

These choices aren't too bad, certainly more interesting than Houston, which went all in for Boyhood (although that shouldn't be too surprising since most of it was filmed there).

HOUSTON CRITICS

Picture: Boyhood
Director: Richard Linklator, Boyhood
Actor: Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Actress: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
S. Actor: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
S. Actress: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Screenplay: Boyhood
Animated: The Lego Movie
Cinematography: Birdman
Documentary: Citizenfour
Foreign: Force Majeure
Score: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Song: "Everything is Awesome," The Lego Movie

Finally, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists gave out their film winners, and then special awards like Actress Most in Need of a New Agent- which was won by Cameron Diaz for the second year in a row. I woner if she'll take heed of their advice.

ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

Film: Boyhood
Director: Richard Linklator, Boyhood
O. Screenplay: Birdman
A. Screenplay: Gone Girl
Lead Actress: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
S. Actress: Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer
Lead Actor: Michael Keaton, Birdman
S. Actor: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Documentary: Citizenfour
Animated: The Lego Movie
Ensemble: Birdman & The Grand Budapest Hotel
Editing: Birdman
Cinematography: Birdman
Score: Birdman
Foreign: Ida
Female Director: Ava DuVernay, Selma
Female Writer: Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl
Female Action Star: Emily Blunt, Edge of Tomorrow
Breakthrough Performance: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Belle
Female Icon of the Year: Ava DuVernay & Laura Poitras
Best Depiction of Nudity, Sexuality or Seduction: Under the Skin
Actress Defying Age & Ageism: Tilda Swinton
Most Egregious Age Difference: Magic in the Moonlight
Actress Most in Need of New Agent: Cameron Diaz
Movie You Wanted to Love, But Couldn't: Inherent Vice

BOX OFFICE 1/09-1/11: 'Taken 3' Comes On Strong

Liam Neeson really is a proven box office force- at least as an action hero. Taken 3 went above and beyond expectations to pull in $40 million over the weekend, despite horrible reviews (a hilarious 9% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a so-so B Cinemascore. But audiences were apparently starved for an action movie and Neeson's pull in this genre has not diminished. Coming in second was Selma, which somewhat disappointed by earning just over $11 million for the three day frame. The movie would be greatly benefited by a handful of Oscar nominations next week to go along with the upcoming holiday weekend, and since it earned an outstanding "A+" Cinemascore, the word of mouth will hopefully be strong for the historical drama.

In third place was Into the Woods, which finished behind Selma as it crossed the $100 million mark, and The Hobbit dropped to fourth, falling out of its three week reign in the top spot. Rounding out the top five was Unbroken, which came in with about $8 million, also crossing $100 million and running neck and neck with Into the Woods, as it has been since the two films were released on Christmas Day.

Top 5:

Taken 3- $40.4 million
Selma- $11.2 million
Into the Woods- $9.8 million
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- $9.4 million
Unbroken- $8.4 million

Outside the top five, The Imitation Game expanded to 1500 theaters and brought in $7.6 million, bringing its total to just over $40 million and certainly set to receive a big boost next weekend when it expands even more after the Oscar nominations announcement. And American Sniper continues to roll on with its mega per-screen-average (it's already made $3 million) as it's set to go wide next week and will likely be a huge hit for Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper. Also coming out is Blackhat, Paddington and The Wedding Ringer, all of which could challenge Sniper for #1, but I have a feeling they'll really be battling for second place, since all signs point to a massive weekend for Eastwood's war movie.

'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'Boyhood' Win Top Prizes at the Golden Globes

Well, the Globes gave us some surprises and snubs tonight, namely in awarding The Grand Budapest Hotel Best Picture Comedy/Musical, while giving Birdman screenplay and actor trophies. They also gave Boyhood what was expected of them, tapping it for Picture Drama, Director and Supporting Actress, and handed some unexpected wins to Leviathan and How to Train Your Dragon 2 in Animated and Foreign Language Film. I only went 7 for 14 this year, which I believe is worse than I fared last time. I'm sorry, but I just refuse to accept that anyone could possibly see The Theory of Everything as a good movie and give it two undeserved, horrible wins.

BEST PICTURE- DRAMA: Boyhood
BEST PICTURE- COMEDY/MUSICAL: The Grand Budapest Hotel
BEST DIRECTOR: Richard Linklator, Boyhood
BEST ACTOR- DRAMA: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
BEST ACTRESS- DRAMA: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
BEST ACTOR- COMEDY/MUSICAL: Michael Keaton, Birdman
BEST ACTRESS- COMEDY/MUSICAL: Amy Adams, Big Eyes
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
BEST SCREENPLAY: Birdman
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: How to Train Your Dragon 2
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Leviathan
BEST SONG: "Glory" John Legend & Common, Selma
BEST SCORE: The Theory of Everything

What this means for the Oscars is that our four acting winners are practically locked unless one of them gets snubbed on nomination morning. Expect to see Simmons, Arquette, Keaton and Moore stroll to the various podiums between now and Oscar night. I also don't see how Boyhood loses Picture or Director, but the Producers Guild award is the best signifier for that race. Basically, the top six Oscars are already set in stone, which is going to make this a very boring awards season going forward. As for the show tonight, it was okay, but it was Tina and Amy's weakest hosting stint by far, and as usual, the TV winners were all more exciting, since they went for a lot of first season shows. If I learned one thing about the Globes tonight, it's that the new HFPA thinks it has to pick the critics favorite in Drama, but may very well go with their heart in Comedy, so that's something to remember next year.

REVIEW: "Selma" (2014) David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson. Dir. Ava DuVernay

The civil rights movement is well documented, well recorded history, but for all the recordkeeping, there has not been a more detailed narrative feature film dedicated to the heroes of the movement, than Ava Duvernay's stirring and soulful biopic Selma, which brings Martin Luther King, Jr. back to life onscreen in a more humanized version than we've ever seen before, thanks to a magnificent performance from David Oyelowo, who channels the civil rights leader in downright bone-chilling fashion.

It's not a perfect film, but it's made with such dedication and obvious passion for the cause that it becomes a highly emotional and more moving experience than many more technically proficient biopics that put the focus squarely on the figure at hand. Selma is not just a tribute to Martin Luther King, he's seen as the center of a bigger picture in the call for civil rights that feels more relevant and immediate today in light of recent news events, than it might have even last year. DuVernay has a clear vision and a definite devotion to what King and his colleagues were fighting for, and Selma takes its time to make clear the struggle it was for all involved to be prepared to fight and if necessary, to die so that a better future could be procured for the citizens who were coming into this world decades down the line. To see all that it took to get the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed makes you despair in the recent Supreme Court rulings that stripped that very act of its purpose, especially in the context of recent racial unrest across the country.

The film takes its cue from 2012's Lincoln, taking place during a short window of a few months in 1965, right after Lyndon Johnson had been elected in the biggest landslide in history. King had just been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and was on to his next battle cry, which was for voting rights legislation that would grant African-Americans the right to vote unencumbered. Most of this struggle was a political one, with backroom dealings that took place between King and Johnson, their respective aides, and King and his co-workers in the SNCC and other organizations over how best to accomplish their goals. Where Lincoln was concerned with the process of passing legislation through Congress, Selma deals with a similar process that activists face in attempting to have their voices heard by political leaders. King was a savvy political mind himself, and one who knew what had to be done in order to get those at the top to pay attention. He knew that it required sacrifices, publicity, and in this case, was going to involve violence and even death.

Oyelowo plays the reverend as a man who struggled deeply within himself over what he was asking those around him to do, who relied heavily on his faith to guide him through the times, and though DuVernay cannot help but portray King in a nearly reverential light (many shots are framed from the back of his head as he takes his place in front of a crowd) Oyelowo does most of the heavy lifting by turning in a performance that embodies King so powerfully that it moves an audience in nearly the manner the man himself once did. Where DuVernay shines most is in the crowd scenes- King's speeches and the brutal attacks of the march on Selma are shot uncompromisingly and are intensely effective in conveying a sense of urgency. Less effective are some of the backroom conversations- though interesting, there's a staginess to it that dialogue as remarkable as say, Tony Kushner's, would be better cinematically suited for.

But that aside, the film as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts- undeniably emotional and powerful as a clarion call for civil rights that continues to this day, and as a deeply heartfelt and utterly sincere portrait of a time not so long ago, about people we as a nation are deeply indebted to for doing what they did to move history along the arc of progress. The film has been under heavy scrutiny for its portrayal of LBJ as insufficiently sympathetic towards the cause of civil rights, but in truth, Johnson, as portrayed by a scraggly Tom Wilkinson, is seen mostly as a politician attempting to carve out a path that would best suit the goals for which he himself was pursuing, while King's role as the activist was to push the president to the point of action driven by events themselves. The historical accuracy of the interaction between them is in no way what the film is about- this film centers on the activists and the movement more than anything else- the story of LBJ's presidency is a topic for another movie entirely. What you're left with in this one is the passion of the men and women who had to fight for what was rightfully theirs, and their story deserves to be told as much as anyone's.

* * * 1/2

Ohio Critics Choose 'Selma,' Georgia likes 'Boyhood,' Tilda Swinton

Well, kudos to the Ohio critics! Their list of winners is very cool and totally worthy- Selma, Essie Davis, Tilda Swinton...great picks, guys.

OHIO FILM CRITICS

Film: Selma
Director: Ava DuVernay, Selma
Actor: David Oyelowo, Selma
Actress: Essie Davis, The Babadook
S. Actor: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
S. Actress: Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer
Ensemble: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Actor of the Year: Jake Gyllenhaal, Enemy & Nightcrawler
Breakthrough Artist: Ava DuVernay, Selma
Cinematography: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Editing: Whiplash
A. Screenplay: The Imitation Game
O. Screenplay: Selma
Score: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Documentary: Finding Vivian Maier
Foreign Language Film: We Are the Best!
Animated: The Lego Movie
Overlooked Film: The Babadook

Meanwhile, Georgia critics went for Boyhood, but also spread the wealth, handing another critics win to Tilda Swinton in Snowpiercer and Marion Cotillard in Two Days, One Night.

GEORGIA FILM CRITICS

Best Picture
BOYHOOD

Best Director
Richard Linklater BOYHOOD

Best Actor
Jake Gyllenhaal NIGHTCRAWLER

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard TWO DAYS ONE NIGHT

Best Supporting Actor
JK Simmons WHIPLASH

Best Supporting Actress
Tilda Swinton SNOWPIERCER

Best Original Screenplay
NIGHTCRAWLER

Best Adapted Screenplay
GONE GIRL

Best Cinematography
BIRDMAN

Best Production Design
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Best Original Score
INTERSTELLAR (Hans Zimmer)

Best Original Song
"Glory" from SELMA

Best Ensemble Cast
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Best Foreign Language Film
IDA

Best Animated Feature Film
THE LEGO MOVIE

Best Documental Feature Film
LIFE ITSELF

Breakthought of the Year
David Oyelowo

Golden Globes Predictions

Well, here we go with the annual Golden Globe predictions. The Globes pull wild cards all the time- I won't pretend to feign any kind of expertise as to what the Hollywood Foreign Press is thinking. All I do is go by what their history and the makeup of these 86 foreign journalists living in Hollywood tells us about their taste. Lately, I have to say they seem to be trying as hard as possible (much more than they used to) to predict the Oscar frontrunner rather than go with their own preferences. And that tends to make for a more boring awards show rather than the wacky, left field choices they used to be known for and that would often make for more exciting acceptance speeches. I think they ought to go back to that, I mean, that was the reason people watched and they stood out, right? But there's still the TV side, free from the pressure of Oscar predicting, and now the only place where their surprise wins and true tastes emerge.

BEST PICTURE- DRAMA

Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything

Well, here's the biggest example of how the Globes have changed. I have to choose Boyhood simply because it's the critics favorite and presumed Oscar frontrunner. Five years ago, I would never predict this movie to win the Golden Globe, and I still don't believe that the HFPA wants to choose it either. They used to often pick movies that would not go on to win the Oscar, simply because they liked them more. Movies like Babel and Atonement and Avatar (Oscar nominees but not winners). They like international casts, epic dramas, big stars, etc. But ever since 2010, when The Social Network beat The King's Speech (a movie their record tells us they clearly would have preferred), it's been quite obvious the Globes feel they must go with the critics choice in this category in order to be taken seriously- since at this point the critics are the only ones who've given out winners, so their anointed frontrunner is seemingly the one with momentum. So Boyhood it is- but I can just imagine these guys begrudgingly voting for it, wishing they could mark off their ballots for The Imitation Game (clearly the old-school, traditional Globes favorite) instead.

BEST MOTION PICTURE- MUSICAL OR COMEDY

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

Here's where the real taste of the HFPA would normally assert itself and I'd say Grand Budapest for sure, but uh-oh...Birdman's in this category and it's one of the top three Oscar movies and a critical favorite. Sigh. The poor, beleagured foreign press will feel obligated to vote Birdman for that reason, and they will.

BEST DIRECTOR

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

I've already stated that I think Linklator is going to sail through the season this year, but there is a chance that the Globes go with Inarritu instead. In fact, I could even see them choosing DuVernay in a flashy move- they often don't correspond with the Oscars in this category and recent history has not changed on that stat. It's a tossup, but I'm leaning Inarritu here.

BEST ACTOR- DRAMA

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

This category's a mess. Everyone seems to think Eddie Redmayne has bought and paid for all the votes already, since he's practically been camped out in LA at their houses all month, but I wonder. It's certainly possible, but to me the Globes-y choice here is Cumberbatch. He's the much bigger name in a really popular movie (box office has been huge), one they liked more than Theory of Everything, as the Oscars will too. He wasn't nominated for Sherlock, so they can't award him elsewhere. I'm just going to stick with my gut on this, but you should know most people are predicting Redmayne.

BEST ACTRESS- DRAMA

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

Consensus is Julianne Moore, so I'm assuming the Globes will want to be first on the bandwagon. Although there's a slight possibility that they go with her in Comedy, where she's also nominated, and then choose Jennifer Aniston just for the hell of it (she may have bought their votes as well). I'll just play it safe.

BEST ACTOR- COMEDY/MUSICAL

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

This is Keaton's in a walk. It's so sealed up that it's not worth talking up anyone else's chances.

BEST ACTRESS- COMEDY/MUSCIAL

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

This category is a wasteland and the person who should have won it isn't even nominated (Keira Knightley for Begin Again). Which means they will choose the inexplicable Globe favorite Emily Blunt for the win. Hope she enjoys it.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

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

Probably the critical and Oscar favorite J.K. Simmons. He'll start his domination here.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

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

This is like the Picture Drama category- Patricia Arquette is absolutely going to win the Oscar, but she couldn't be more opposite of a typical Globes choice. They like big stars in big movies, especially with actresses- normally I would say Streep, Knightley or even Stone would all be more likely to win if the HFPA felt free to vote on their own here. But I'm not sure if they do, with Arquette being such a strong frontrunner. So I'm going to go with her, but I wouldn't be totally shocked to see someone else (like 29-time nominee Streep) take it.

SCREENPLAY

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Gone Girl
Birdman
Boyhood
The Imitation Game

Here's where I think they'll deviate and go with The Grand Budapest Hotel- it's a chance to reward the movie and Wes Anderson himself and I think they'll take it.

ORIGINAL SCORE

The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Gone Girl
Birdman
Interstellar

This is likely The Imitation Game, for a chance to give the film something (they like to spread the wealth). But it could also be Theory of Everything if I'm right and they reward Cumberbatch in Actor.

ORIGINAL SONG

"Big Eyes" (Lana Del Rey)- Big Eyes
"Glory" (John Legend and Common)- Selma
"Mercy Is" (Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye)- Noah
"Opportunity" (Greg Kurstin, Sia Furler, Will Gluck)- Annie
"Yellow Flicker Beat" (Lorde)- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1

Another who cares category for me, since I was so upset that the best song this year ("Lost Stars" from Begin Again) was overlooked entirely, but as it is, they usually go for a name, so...maybe the Patti Smith song. On the other hand, this would be a place to give Selma a prize, so it doesn't go home emptyhanded. Yeah, that's probably it.

ANIMATED FEATURE

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

Lego Movie seems to be the frontrunner, so I guess that would be the smart prediction here. It was the biggest box office hit and all, but...I wonder if that movie doesn't play well with a certain taste (older). They didn't like Wreck-it-Ralph a couple years ago, instead opting for the classier, more traditional Brave (and for the record, the Academy did too- I don't think they're going to like Lego Movie either). I'm also not sure that Lego Movie is as strong a frontrunner as say, Frozen was last year. I think I'll deviate on this one, but it's a risk. How to Train Your Dragon 2 was huge overseas, so I'm going with that.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Force Majeure (Sweden)
Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (Israel)
Ida (Poland)
Leviathan (Russia)
Tangerines (Estonia)

The two Oscar frontrunners here are Force Majeure and Ida, and basically I think Ida will win as the most popular and acclaimed movie in Europe.

Well, we'll see how I do. I think I played it relatively safe- my biggest bets are in Best Actor Drama and Best Animated Feature. And possibly Director, although I don't think Inarritu is that crazy of a choice for them. It''ll be interesting to see how much they actually take to Boyhood, because it's just such a non Golden Globes kind of movie- but then so was The Social Network. Sometimes the pressure to be "right" overwhelms.

'Grand Budapest Hotel' Leads the 2014 BAFTA Nominations

Well, there were quite a few shockers at this year's British Academy Film noms (which shares signifcant overlap with our own Academy), notably that Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel dominated with 11 nominations, including Director, Actor and Editing nods. I may have to seriously consider it as a threat for the Oscar nomination in director now. Mr. Turner was unfairly shut out in major categories (shame on the Brits for ignoring their hometown boy Mike Leigh- and in favor of James Marsh? Really?) Birdman and Theory of Everything got 10 noms each, while The Imitation Game was right behind them with 9. Interestingly, as strong as Imitation Game has been across the guilds and here at Bafta, no one seems to want to nominate the director Morten Tyldum, even going for Marsh of all people instead (although he is British and Tyldum's not, so that may explain the snub). The DGA next week will be interesting, as the Directors Guild five are almost always the leading contenders for the Oscar Best Picture. I can't imagine them going for Marsh, especially with Theory weaker in the guilds than TIG, but we'll see what happens. And how about that Chazelle nod? The Whiplash wunderkind could very easily be a surprise nominee at the Oscars, even if he doesn't make the DGA next week.

Best Film
   •   Birdman
   •   Boyhood
   •   The Grand Budapest Hotel
   •   The Imitation Game
   •   The Theory of Everything

Best British Film
   •   71
   •   The Imitation Game
   •   Paddington
   •   Pride
   •   The Theory of Everything
   •   Under the Skin

Best Director
   •   Alejandro González Iñárritu – “Birdman”
   •   Richard Linklater – “Boyhood”
   •   Wes Anderson – “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
   •   James Marsh – “The Theory of Everything”
   •   Damien Chazelle – “Whiplash”

Best Actor
   •   Benedict Cumberbatch – “The Imitation Game”
   •   Ralph Fiennes – “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
   •   Jake Gyllenhaal – “Nightcrawler”
   •   Michael Keaton – “Birdman”
   •   Eddie Redmayne – “The Theory of Everything”

Best Actress
   •   Amy Adams – “Big Eyes”
   •   Felicity Jones – “The Theory of Everything”
   •   Julianne Moore – “Still Alice”
   •   Rosamund Pike – “Gone Girl”
   •   Reese Witherspoon – “Wild”

Best Actor
   •   Steve Carrel – “Foxcatcher”
   •   Ethan Hawke – “Boyhood”
   •   Edward Norton – “Birdman”
   •   Mark Ruffalo – “Foxcatcher”
   •   J. K. Simmons – “Whiplash”

Best Supporting Actress
   •   Patricia Arquette – “Boyhood”
   •   Keira Knightley – “The Imitation Game”
   •   Rene Russo – “Nightcrawler”
   •   Imelda Staunton – “Pride”
   •   Emma Stone – “Birdman”

Best Original Screenplay
   •   Birdman
   •   Boyhood
   •   The Grand Budapest Hotel
   •   Nightcrawler
   •   Whiplash

Best Adapted Screenplay
   •   American Sniper
   •   Gone Girl
   •   The Imitation Game
   •   Paddington
   •   The Theory of Everything

Best Animated Film
   •   Big Hero 6
   •   The Boxtrolls
   •   The LEGO Movie

Best Documentary
   •   20 Feet from Stardom
   •   20,000 Days on Earth
   •   Citizenfour
   •   Finding Vivian Meier
   •   Virunga

Best Debut of a British Writer, Director or Producer
   •   Elaine Constantine – “Northern Soul”
   •   Gregory Burke & Yann Demange – “71”
   •   Hong Khaou – “Lilting”
   •   Paul Katis & Andrew de Lotbiniere – “Kajaki: The True Story”
   •   Stephen Beresford & David Livingstone – “Pride”

Best International Film
   •   Ida (Polonia)
   •   Leviathan (Rusia)
   •   The Lunchbox (India)
   •   Trash (Reino Unido)
   •   Two Days, One Night (Francia)

Best Music
   •   Birdman
   •   The Grand Budapest Hotel
   •   Interstellar
   •   The Theory of Everything
   •   Under the Skin

Best Cinematography
   •   Birdman
   •   The Grand Budapest Hotel
   •   Ida
   •   Interstellar
   •   Mr. Turner

Best Editing
   •   Birdman
   •   The Grand Budapest Hotel
   •   The Imitation Game
   •   Nightcrawler
   •   The Theory of Everything
   •   Whiplash

Best Production Design
   •   Big Eyes
   •   The Grand Budapest Hotel
   •   The Imitation Game
   •   Interstellar
   •   Mr. Turner

Best Costume Design
   •   The Grand Budapest Hotel
   •   The Imitation Game
   •   Into the Woods
   •   Mr. Turner
   •   The Theory of Everything

Best Sound
   •   American Sniper
   •   Birdman
   •   The Grand Budapest Hotel
   •   The Imitation Game
   •   Whiplash

Best Visual Effects
   •   Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
   •   Guardians of the Galaxy
   •   The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
   •   Interstellar
   •   X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Hair & Makeup
   •   The Grand Budapest Hotel
   •   Guardians of the Galaxy
   •   Into the Woods
   •   Mr. Turner
   •   The Theory of Everything

Best Animated Short
   •   The Bigger Picture
   •   Monkey Love Experiments
   •   My Dad

Best Short Film
   •   Boogaloo and Graham
   •   Emotional Fusebox
   •   The Karman Line
   •   Slap
   •   Three Brothers

Rising Star Award
   •   Jack O’Connell
   •   Margot Robbie
   •   Milles Teller
   •   Shailene Woodley
   •   Gugu Mbatha-Raw

I guess Theory of Everything is stronger than I thought it would be. I just cannot understand the love for that cheesy, superficial movie and to honor it with a directing nod makes me nauseous. I should also mention that with the complete shutout of Selma, the movie is now in serious trouble (apparently BAFTA did get screeners), so frankly, it may miss out altogether next week. Or the Academy could be the one place that chooses to honor Ava DuVernay's film with at least a Best Picture nomination and some techs, if nothing else. Other interesting tidbits here are Bafta's continued love affair with Amy Adams (please overtake Jennifer Aniston, Amy!) and the love for Nightcrawler, which included a nod for Rene Russo! And a snub for Meryl Streep, which I had been wondering about for a while now. Bafta can often be very good with telling us who any "surprise" acting nominations at the Oscars might be- given all the love for Nightcrawler, I'd honestly bet on Rene at this point. In fact, I think she'll take Streep's place. Another interesting note is Steve Carell's nomination in supporting here- might the Academy do the same, ignore his studio's placement in lead in order to toss him a bone in supporting? I doubt it, but that'd be better than a filler Robert Duvall nod. The battle in Best Actor continues though, and the question is other than Keaton, Cumberbatch and Redmayne, who's going to fill those last two spots? Gyllenhaal? Cooper? Fiennes? Oyelowo? Carell? We'll find out next week.

USC Scripter Nominees include 'Inherent Vice' and 'Wild'

The prestigious Scripter award is given to the best adapted screenplay of the year, usually taking the source literary material into account as much as the script itself. These films got the nod and aside from Inherent Vice, will probably be screenplay nominees at the Oscars too:

Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Wild

I think Imitation Game probably takes this one, given the historical significance of the biography it was based on.