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Monday, February 23, 2015

Hype Starts Here's Top 40 Movies of 2014 (10-1)


10. Force Majeure
        From the opening shot of writer/director Ruben Östlund's brilliant Force Majeure, wherein our nuclear family of protagonists struggle to look natural while posing for vacation pictures, there's a sneaking suspicion that not all is well. And that's just the tip of the avalanche. Majeure chronicles, down to the nanosecond, the very moment you start looking at someone in a different light, and observes the impending fall-out with grace, humor, and empathy. Lisa Loven Kongsli stars as the matriarch of the family, a woman whose entire trip to the picturesque French Alps turns into an emotional roller coaster, made even more wily when the actions and opinions of friends and new acquaintances become entangled in her story, a neat writing trick that pays consistent dividends. We've seen talky familial dramas before, but what sets Force Majeure apart from the pack is the sheer unpredictability of it temperament. When a scene puts you on the verge of tears, it's immediately followed by a guffaw; when a moment of sudden comedy promises light at the end of the tunnel, the glowing white is quickly blotted out by domineering black. It should become predictable, but it never really does, just how their beyond-posh hotel, and the endless white slops that surround it, never stop conveying isolation and loneliness within their luxury. This was my favorite foreign film of 2014, a movie that keeps rattling around in my brain long after the lights come up.


9. Whiplash
        The best sports movie of 2014, perhaps the best sports movie in years, isn't even a sports movie. The incomparable Miles Teller stars as Andrew Neimann, an aspiring jazz drummer who enrolls at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory in order to follow his dreams, only to find a nightmare in J.K. Simmon's Fletcher, an instructor who brings new meaning to the term ruthless. It's a simple story that manages to capture a myriad of themes and ideas in its net, from the dangers of ambition, to the terror of letting potential slip away into the ether. The competitive, fighting-and-scratching-to-get-to-the-top aspects of the film certainly liken it to any number of movies that have taken place on the field, hardwood, or diamond, but its the sheer physicality of the picture that makes you feel like you're watching athletes rather than musicians. Teller, who is responsible for about 70% of his own drumming, scowls, sweats, and bleeds in a way that calls to mind Raging Bull's Jake LaMotta, riding physical torment all the way until it morphs into out-of-body euphoria. Simmons, a newly-minted Oscar winner for this performance, is his match every step to the way, though nothing he does reaches the feral level of Teller's turn; his Fletcher is too god-like to ever be scene suffering for his craft, a muscle-bound, mean-spirited titan able to stop the earth's gravitational pull by simply raising his fist. The editing rips and rages, the music pops and pounds; never have lower stakes felt so life-or-death. This one rushes all the way. 


8. The Babadook
        Being whisked away to a whole new world is one of moviedom's greatest pleasures, but sometimes its just as captivating to locate new possibilities within the familiar. Jennifer Kent's The Babadook is nothing if not old hat, relaying the story of Amelia (Essie Davis), a single mother who, after reading The One Book You're Not Supposed To Read, finds her life and home plagued by the mysterious creeper that gives the film its title. I mean... you've seen that before, right? What makes Kent's film so unique is that, despite being a perfectly capable horror outing, the film is more about the crushing weight of grief, and the immeasurable stresses of parenting a young child by yourself. This one is a fright-fest long before the Babadook himself ever shows up, turning the screws of societal pressure and unending exhaustion, Kent's directorial virtuoso wringing dread and claustrophobia out of every day occurrences. Davis is a revelation in the role, as ready to endure standard haunted house trauma as she is the draining minutia of the daylight hours. The Babadook might not make for a relaxing night out at the movies, but it locates strange truths with terrifying honesty where most horror flicks prefer to only say 'boo.'

7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
        Remember when this movie had the slightest bit of Oscar buzz, and was being compared to The Empire Strikes Back? All that hype and praise seems to have happened a million years ago, but I for one haven't forgotten those damn, dirty apes, the mind-blowing technology that brought then to life, or the thoughtful narrative to which they belong. Laying its scene 10 years after the events of the original reboot, after the simian flu has wiped out the vast, vast majority of mankind, the apes who were freed in the previous installment live peacefully in the Muir Woods, located just outside of San Francisco. Led by the ruminative revolutionary Caeser (Andy Serkis in motion capture), the primates are well on their way to creating civilization, language, and basic infrastructure before a cluster of humans shows up, rupturing their newly found stasis, and putting everyone on edge. Dawn is a blockbuster far more patient and thoughtful than we're used to from popcorn fare, complete with a grandstanding score and intense action set pieces that remind one of the Jaws/Star Wars/Indiana Jones days wherein a tent-pole flick was an event, not just something that comes out every friday from May through August. The motion capture technology is truly next level, even by Avatar standards, bolstered by one of the most resplendent 3D renderings I've ever seen. Long after the doldrums of the summer movie season are over, Apes stands tall as the session's straight-faced champion.

6. Nightcrawler
        A feel-bad movie for the ages, Nightcrawler is the type of film that I want to gleefully recommend to everyone I know, and then remember that not everyone gets as much pure joy out of such a sinister experience. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a fast-talking, cliche-spilling drifter who's always looking for his next big score. Such an opportunity presents itself when Bloom runs into a camera crew filming the aftermath of a horrific car accident, and decides to try his hand in the business. First-time director Dan Gilroy's script may go a little over the top, but as any local news broadcast will attest, there's more than a kernel of truth in his pitch-black comedy, as Nightcrawler plunges into the sociopathic worldview one must harbor to find success in this dastardly racket. The true accomplishment of the film, however, comes in the form of Lou himself, both as presented on page, and as played in a career-redifining performance by Gyllenhaal. Stripped of his muscle-bound boyish charm, the actor appears as an ill-norished shadow of himself, employing enough ticks, mannerisms, and verbal tricky to completely disappear into the character. The supporting performances are strong, and Robert Elswit's cinematography is predictably marvelous, but the real draw here is just meeting Lou, a psycho who joins the likes of Travis Bickle and Norman Bates as one of cinemas most compellingly malicious oddities.

5. Under the Skin
        What if I told you that, despite having died the better part of two decades ago, there's a brand-spanking new Stanley Kubrick movie in the world, ready to unnerve, unsettle, and fascinate with the best of them? Would that interest you? No, Kubrick's literal, singular genius will never be seen again, but that doesn't mute the thunderous echoes of his work in Jonathan Glazer's other-worldly, slow-burning, psycho-sexual sci-fi masterpiece Under the Skin. Playing out like a remake of Species designed to win Oscars, Scarlett Johansson stars as an often-mute extraterrestrial prowler along Ireland's idyllic countryside, picking up strange, aroused men who she then harvests for a mysterious purpose. Glazer's script, written alongside Walter Campbell, favors visual communication over clunky dialogue, providing the viewer with enough surreal, beautiful, and terrifying imagery to pour over for weeks. Much credit goes to Daniel Landin's sumptuous cinematography, as well as Mica Levi's merciless, hair-raising, spine-tingling score. But even with a star as luminous as Johansson in front of the camera, this is truly Glazer's movie, guiding this loopy, mind-bending nightmare with expert aplomb, and refusing to ever loosen his grip.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy
        Go ahead, get all of your laughter or sneering out of the way; I'll wait. No, Guardians isn't exactly the lofty fare that one usually finds near the top of a Best of the Year list, but at the end of the day, isn't a fully-enjoyable, masses-pleasing action adventure quite a bit more rare than an equally good biopic, or straight-faced drama? In a world inundated with this type of material, Guardians managed to rip a hole into the summer box office, representing the first time a non-sequel, live-action blockbuster has managed to cross $300 million since the first Hunger Games back in early 2012. Chris Pratt fits this material like a glove as Peter Quill, a thief who unwittingly becomes the leader of a rag-tag band of criminals who must work together to save the universe. The premise is built out of one cliche after another, but James Gunn and Nicole Perlman's script is well aware of this fact, and has fun with it at every turn, molding this Marvel Studios juggernaut into the single funniest movie of 2014. That's not to say that the visuals don't pop, as the production team concocts one imaginative, candy-colored set piece after another, its cavalcade of effects proving both ecstatic and bombastic without ever becoming exhausting. Guardians of the Galaxy isn't a perfect film; I wish its climactic action sequence ended a bit differently, and Marvel's annoying reliance on MacGuffins remains in full-force. But this was the most fun that I had at a movie in 2014, a light-yet-big hearted blast that sent the opening weekend audience into a fit of applause when I first saw it back in early August. That crowd obviously hadn't seen a movie of this size and scale forgo gloom-and-doom and commit to wall-to-wall bliss in a long time. Neither had I, as the face-splitting grin that I wore out of the theater would readily attest.

3. Selma
        Another year, another sensational film about African American history that we had to outsource in order to accomplish. 12 Years a Slave and Selma have almost nothing in common besides that troubling detail, the latter film reaching across the pond for both its screenwriter, and the majority of its spectacular cast. While this is unfortunately emblematic of Hollywood's general cowardice, it would be a crime to let hand-wringing take center stage away from such a mammoth accomplishment. David Oyelowo stars as Martin Luther King Jr., who, as the film opens, is receiving a nobel peace prize, having already added a sturdy number of legendary accomplishments to its resume. His focus turns once more to the American south, where, despite being legally allowed to vote, a slew of bigotry and yellow tape continues to deny black men and women of their right to turn in a ballot. As thunderous and impactful as the repercussions of these events became, the movie manages to remain a small, focused gem, observing MLK's passionate, radical paradigm, and the way it effects all those around him. Oyelowo is astonishing in the lead, delivering speeches, commands and condolences with limitless firepower, and just as much grace. It's the standard sort of biopic you've seen before, only packed with greater performances, higher stakes, and brilliant direction by the Oscar-robbed Ava DuVernay, who takes us back to a time and place we'd like to forget, but need to remember.

1b. Birdman
        When the credits rolled on my first viewing of Birdman, I was wholly unsure how I felt about the flick, and only knew that I needed either a cup of coffee, or a nap. Alejandro González Iñárritu's film is downright exhausting on your first go around, the intensity of Emmanuel Lubezki's long-take cinematography, paired with Antonio Sanchez's drums-only score, whipping you around from place to place, liberally toying with your emotions all the while. It's a gamble of a film, but as last night's Best Picture win giddily informs us, the dice roll came up 7's, and produced a film with nearly unmatchable re-watchability. Michael Keaton is clearly addressing some skeletons in the closet as Riggan Thompson, a washed-up actor who takes his fame's dying glow to the New York stage, attempting to adapt a Raymond Carver short story, and encountering nearly every imaginable problem along the way. Simply put, this is one of the best acted films I have ever seen in my life, Keaton leading a brigade of towering turns from the likes of Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, and Amy Ryan. At once a thorough dissection of egomania, a display of technical mastery, and a gut-busting comedy, Birdman is a thrill ride that doesn't need superheroes, explosions, or special effects to stand as one of the most sweat-inducing cinematic entries in recent history (well, ok... maybe it needs all of those things, but you get what I mean). This is as pure as cinema gets, a story that could only be told through this medium, captivating minds and imaginations with every rollicking frame.

1a. Boyhood
        If you can't tell from the above paragraph, I kiiiinda dig Birdman, and wasn't the least bit disappointed when it took home the hardware at last night's Academy Awards. As a matter of fact, I toyed with the idea of having an outright tie for the top spot on this list, but didn't want to aggravate the incalculable masses that attend this blog. Simply put, I've never had two movies so closely contend for my favorite of the year, but when it's all said and done, I have to pick the one that spoke to me on an unnervingly personal level, Richard Linklater's 12-year odyssey Boyhood. Ellar Coltrane stars as Mason, a child whom we meet at age six, and watch grow until he's 18, and ready to head out to college. Nothing earth-shattering ever happens in Boyhood's narrative, but perhaps that's because Boyhood itself seems to tip the world off its axis, employing time as its play thing as we watch the core four actors age before our very eyes, over a decade of life and experiences condensed into 160 minutes. The actors are all good-to-great, and Linklater's eye is sharp and thoughtful in its observations, but the treasure here is the concept itself, and the the time-traveling journey it creates. Many have balked at the film as being more of a gimmick than a real movie, but I'd like to entertain the possibility that it's neither. The unrelenting realism the picture creates pins it in some strange middle-ground between documentary and narrative filmmaking, conjuring up an experience unlike any other in the history of the medium. We all only grow up once, but Linklater's gently extraordinary work takes us back to that jubilant, scary, confusing, and formative time in a way that's nothing short of magical. It might not have won Best Picture, but history's going to have an awfully tough time forgetting Boyhood.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Oscar Predictions 2014: Round Four (Final Oscar Predictions)

Best Picture:
1. Birdman (Previous Ranking: 2)
        From where we now stand, this one looks like a fight to the death between Birdman and Boyhood. The latter film remains a popular prediction, largely due to an emotional heft that people assume Oscar will take into account, but also because of its towering stack of critics awards. But, as the guild season has taught us, critics and Academy members are two very different animals, and Birdman now lays claim to wins at SAG, PGA, and DGA. That's an impressive haul, and while Boyhood remains in play, I'm reading the writing on the wall, and picking Birdman to win it all.
2. Boyhood (Previous Ranking: 1)
        A sentimental favorite, a critic's darling, and a brand new take on filmmaking at large that sports a tidy 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film surely has its champions, and looked like the one to beat about a month ago. Boyhood is still in this thing.
3. American Sniper (Previous Ranking: 6)
        From here on out, we're purely entertaining 'if something reeeally crazy happened' theoreticals. We'll start with Sniper for one simple reason: it's made $319,607,000 at the U.S. box office... and the other seven nominees have made $301,122,918 combined. If this truly is an industry award, then commercial success has to fit into the equation somewhere, and with a nominee in Best Actor, and a DGA nod for Eastwood, Oscar obviously fancies this flick as well.
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Previous Ranking: 3)
        It's tied with Birdman for most nominations, and none of them is in an acting category. That shows a lot of below-the-line support, and if you make your living by preparing costumes or designing sets, there's little doubt that Budapest would tickle your fancy. Those purely invested in craft over all else might be pushing for it.
5. Selma (Previous Ranking: 7)
        Not only is this the type of movie the Academy often goes gaga over, but snubs really do effect the way people vote. No way Argo wins Best Picture without people feeling so damn sorry for Ben Affleck when he was left on he outside looking in on nomination morning, and there's a chance that Selma follows that same blue print. Plus, it's really, really good.
6. Whiplash (Previous Ranking: 10)
        The legend of Whiplash continues to grow. Long the presumptive favorite in the Best Supporting Actor race, the film appears to have a real shot at Adapted Screenplay, Editing, and Sound Mixing. If it has four trophies in its hand by the time they open that last envelope, would it be that earth-shattering if it took the big one?
7. The Imitation Game (Previous Ranking: 4)
        The Imitation Game was a lock for a Best Picture nomination the moment it appeared at Telluride, but it always felt a bit too familiar to actually win. Then Theory of Everything entered the race, causing voters to choose between two period pieces about British geniuses who overcome tall odds to change the world. Both movies will steal votes from the other, which is why they both belong down here.
8. The Theory of Everything (Previous Ranking: 5)
        See above.

Best Director:
1. Alejandro González Iñárritu---Birdman (Previous Ranking: 2)
        Once again, we've got Birdman and Boyhood going down to the wire. The DGA, considered the most reliable prognosticator of all the guilds, tapped Iñárritu here, and I'm not about to doubt them. Linklater has the more interesting narrative, but if the directors branch themselves opted for Birdman over a 12-year commitment made by one of their own, that's got to mean something.
2. Richard Linklater---Boyhood (Previous Ranking: 1)
        My jaw dropped when I saw Iñárritu's win at the PGA; wasn't this award supposed to belong to Linklater in a walk? It's far murkier now, but he's still a respected industry vet who made a movie whose unique nature is easy to admire. This is one of the closest races of the ceremony.
3. Wes Anderson---The Grand Budapest Hotel (Previous Ranking: 3)
        Anderson gets the obligatory 'Dark Horse' slot for a race in which only two ponies will run. It's nice to see Oscar finally warm up to his work, but if you think they're handing Wes and golden man for his very first nomination in the category, you're kinda crazy.
4. Bennett Miller---Foxcatcher (Previous Ranking: 9)
        On one hand, the Academy liked Miller's work enough to give him a nomination despite leaving his film out of the big race, which is an obvious sign of affection. On the other hand, why the hell would they give Best Director to someone whose movie isn't even in the top eight?
5. Morten Tyldum---The Imitation Game (Previous Ranking: 4)
        Welcome to the club, Tyldum, and congratulations on having all of your hard work rewarded... the door's over there.

Best Actor:
1. Eddie Redmayne---The Theory of Everything (Previous Ranking: 2)
        Trust me, this prediction hurts me more than you. I'm pretty openly against all things Everything, but you can't help but see the signs. The BAFTA win was nice in all, but that SAG victory was the shot heard 'round the world. The SAG winner in this category has won ten straight times, and Oscar loves nothing more than physical transformation. Keaton and Cooper are still very much alive, but Redmayne is out in front.
2. Michael Keaton---Birdman (Previous Ranking: 1)
        This was Keaton's to lose before the Redmayne train started chugging, and he's not out of it yet. This is the first ever nomination for the highly regarded industry vet, and if Keaton were to win, he'd become the second oldest thespian to ever snag this award. There's a feeling that this might be their one and only chance to hand Keaton a statue, and if they end up really loving Birdman, he could be the one giving the acceptance speech.
3. Bradley Cooper---American Sniper (Previous Ranking: 8)
        This is Cooper's third acting nomination in as many years, a hot streak that hasn't occurred since Russell Crowe did it from 2000-2002. It's a rare accomplishment that makes the Academy's affections obvious. He's definitely winning at some point, and given the confusion at the top of this race, it might be tonight. Do not sleep on the American Sniper.
4. Benedict Cumberbatch---The Imitation Game (Previous Ranking: 3)
        Like the film itself, Cumberbatch's performance in The Imitation Game was a lock for a nomination the moment people saw the film... and that nomination will be his reward.
5. Steve Carell---Foxcatcher (Previous Ranking: 6)
        Not unlike the Wes Anderson complex, Carell is an actor whom Oscar took a little while to warm up to, and they'll almost assuredly need more proof of his prowess before making him a winner.

Best Actress:
1. Julianne Moore---Still Alice (Previous Ranking: 1)
        Here it is, the single biggest lock of the evening. It's not just that Moore is great in the film, and a five-time nominee who's widely regarded as 'due,' but none of the other ladies ever bothered to challenge her. Seriously, look down that list; who else could take this home?
2. Felicity Jones---The Theory of Everything (Previous Ranking: 3)
        She's the only entrant who stars in a Best Picture nominee, and the narrative of pairing her Oscar with Redmayne's is a juicy one. But are voters cooling on Theory?
3. Resse Witherspoon---Wild (Previous Ranking: 5)
        If she didn't already have a golden man on her mantle, she's totally give Moore a run for her money. As is, Oscar is happy to have her back, and will patiently wait for another strong performance if she's ever going to win another.
4. Rosamund Pike---Gone Girl (Previous Ranking: 2)
        It's juicy? And in a movie that made a bunch of money? I don't know, I'm just grasping at straws by now.
5. Marion Cotillard---Two Days, One Night (Previous Ranking: 9)
        This was a pleasant surprise on Oscar morning; how many Academy members do you think have even seen it?

Best Supporting Actor:
1. J.K. Simmons---Whiplash (Previous Ranking: 2)
        He may not be a monument made of stone the way Moore is, but he's not for from it, either. Simmons has been the presumptive favorite here for over a year (!?!), as his film premiered at Sundance during last year's award season. After winning every single precursor known to man, this seems like pretty simple math.
2. Ethan Hawke---Boyhood (Previous Ranking: 3)
        The reason I don't feel quite as certain about Simmons as I am Moore: the former's competition comes from the films likely duking it out for Best Picture. Hawke's 12-year commitment has me ranking him just a hair above Norton... that, and I think people just like him more.
3. Edward Norton---Birdman (Previous Ranking: 1)
        A big, splashy, captivating performance in a movie with as good a chance as any to win the top prize? The fact that this is #3 on my list speaks to the level of competition here.
4. Mark Ruffalo---Foxcatcher (Previous Ranking: 4)
        Nice to see Ruffalo on the nominees list again, and it seems like a safe bet that he'll win someday, but his role isn't as big or buzzy as his competitors', and given that everyone listed above him is in a Best Picture nominee, it's safe to say that they like his film less than those of his combatants.
5. Robert Duvall---The Judge (Previous Ranking: 6)
        Congrats on becoming the oldest actor every nominated for an Academy award... for a movie that no one saw, and even fewer liked. I still can't believe this nod happened in the first place; this guy's going no where near that podium.

Best Supporting Actress:
1. Patricia Arquette---Boyhood (Previous Ranking: 1)
        And here we have another no-brainer. Even if Oscar decides to go Birdman over Boyhood in the end, this is Arquette's to lose. She's the beating heart of the film, and had previously never been nominated in over two decades in the industry. This is her time.
2. Emma Stone---Birdman (Previous Ranking: 2)
        She's great in one of the ceremony's big juggernauts, but she's still so young, and handing it to her over Arquette would almost look cruel. Patricia shot her movie over the course of 12 years; Stone got her's in during a slight break in the filming of The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
3. Laura Dern---Wild (Previous Ranking: 10)
        Similar to Arquette, Dern is a constant traveler across the silver screen who's never won an Oscar despite years and years of eligibility. She even plays a supportive mother, one of Oscar's favorite rolls. Too bad she's in Wild instead of Boyhood, in which Arquette ALSO plays a supportive mother.
4. Kiera Knightly---The Imitation Game (Previous Ranking: 4)
        The only way this happens is if The Imitation Game goes on an entirely unforeseen tear, and takes her with it. And trust me, those odds are loooooong.
5. Meryl Streep---Into the Woods (Previous Ranking: 3)
        Yes, I know, Oscar loves Meryl, but as much as he hands her nominations almost as a birth right, her wins are few, and far between. She can get in just like anybody else, but when it comes to emerging victoriously, it seems like the Academy wants her to top herself, which Woods certainly doesn't accomplish.

Best Original Screenplay:
1. Wes Anderson---The Grand Budapest Hotel (Previous Ranking: 3)
        This one is awfully close, but if Oscar feels like spreading the love tonight, this looks like the simplest way to hand Anderson an Oscar. The WGA win helps, as does Oscar's tendency to use the screenplay categories as a mea culpa to movies they like that aren't winning anything more prestigious.
2. Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo---Birdman (Previous Ranking: 1)
        God, it's tough to not predict the Birdman script, which even involves a 'superheros be damned, let's make real movies!' sentiment that Oscar is sure to love. That said, I'm guessing they credit the success of Birdman primarily to its actors and director, and can accept this award going elsewhere.
3. Richard Linklater---Boyhood (Previous Ranking: 2)
        I do think Linklater could win this award, but I also believe that the Boyhood script is in distant third. The film feels so natural, so lived in, that I'm guessing they cite it as largely improv, and decide to move on.
4. Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye---Foxcatcher (Previous Ranking: 6)
        Of the category's two cellar dwellers, Foxcatcher was at least shown some love in other categories. I'll give it the edge.
5. Dan Gilroy---Nightcrawler (Previous Ranking: 5)
        Great for Gilroy to have his wondrously pulpy screenplay nominated... but I think that's the end of the road.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
1. Damien Chazelle---Whiplash (Previous Ranking: 5)
        Again, I'm going with the movie I believe Oscar wishes to reward as much as possible without just handing it Best Picture. It's in a dead heat with The Imitation Game, and I can't help but think this comes down to a simple matter of which film they like more as a whole. I'm riding with Whiplash.
2. Graham Moore and Andrew Hodges---The Imitation Game (Previous Ranking: 1)
        On a scale of 1 to 10, I would be -6 surprised if this won. I don't really like the odds of everything listed below, but the difference between this and Whiplash is a coin flip.
3. Anthony McCarten---The Theory of Everything (Previous Ranking: 2)
        And again I let my bias effect my predictions where they concern Everything. The film even beat Imitation for the BAFTA, which should give me pause, but I still struggle to see it winning, especially in a field that sports four Best Picture nominees.
4. Jason Hall, Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, and James Defelice---American Sniper (Previous Ranking: 3)
        I'm tempted to even put this above Everything, but the controversy over the film's questionable depiction of Chris Kyle, as well as a reliance on action as a mode of story-telling, have caused me to pump the breaks.
5. Paul Thomas Anderson---Inherent Vice (Previous Ranking: 10)
        This is Oscar saying, "We love you, Paul Thomas Anderson, and will nominate you for anything you do... but what the hell is this Inherent Vice business?" More so than almost anyone who's name will be called tonight, Anderson's nomination is his reward.

Best Foreign Language Film:
1. Ida
2. Leviathan
3. Wild Tales
4. Timbuktu
5. Tangerines

        Calloused, jaded opinion time: regardless of quality, the fact that Ida is only 80 minutes long and available via Netflix makes it by far the easiest to check out if your an Oscar voter who's low on time. Both Leviathan and Wild Tales have a real shot, but seeing Ida pop up in cinematography leads me to believe it's the most widely seen and appreciated of the bunch.

Best Documentary:
1. Citizenfour
2. Finding Vivian Maier
3. Last Days in Vietnam
4. The Salt of the Earth
5. Virunga

        Citizenfour has led the pack for months now, but all of a sudden, this feels like a three-horse race. Maier is much beloved in certain circles, and the availability of Last Days on HBO will help its odds. I'll stick with the safe bet.

Best Animated Feature:
1. How to Train Your Dragon 2
2. Big Hero 6
3. The Boxtrolls
4. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
5. Song of the Sea

        Can we just all agree to go back in time, and give this Oscar to The LEGO Movie? How did that even happen, anyway? In the wake that curious omission, this category looks wide open. The two foreign films listed below could even sneak in and take it, but in a year that's this big of a crap shoot, I'm going to go in order of most-to-least seen. There are exactly two real success stories here, so I'll move them right to the top, and give Dragon the slightest of edges.

Best Cinematography:
1. Emmanuel Lubezki---Birdman
2. Robert D. Yeoman---The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Roger Deakins---Unbroken
4. Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski---Ida
5. Dick Pope---Mr. Turner

        This is Lubezki's to lose, plain and simple. They won't give Deakins his first Oscar for something like Unbroken, and while Budapest remains an option, Birdman has been penciled in here for months. I don't see that changing.

Best Editing:
1. Tom Cross---Whiplash
2. Sandra Adair---Boyhood
3. Joel Cox and Gary Roach---American Sniper
4. Barney Pilling---The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. William Goldenberg---The Imitation Game

        This might be the toughest call of the night. I've got Whiplash by virtue of how show-off-y its editing choices are, but ignoring the accomplishment that is weaving a decade-plus of footage into a single narrative is not to be discounted. After that, we've got three well-respected Best Picture nominees, and one is a war movie, which should give it a leg up. I'm sticking with these rankings, but anything could win here.

Best Production Design:
1. Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock---The Grand Budapest Hotel
2. Nathan Crowley and Gary Fettis---Interstellar
3. Maria Djurkovic and Tatiana Macdonald---The Imitation Game
4. Dennis Gassner and Anna Pinnock---Into the Woods
5. Suzie Davies and Charlotte Watts---Mr. Turner

        This one also feels pretty open, but any success that you attribute to The Grand Budapest Hotel must take into account its loud, excellent production. The scale of Interstellar should keep it within striking distance, and all three of the also-rans bare kinships to previous winners. Still, this isn't on the level of Editing's "close your eyes and point" unpredictability: I'd be at least a little surprised to not hear the names Stockhausen and Pinnock when they open that envelope.

Best Score:
1. Alexandre Desplat---The Grand Budapest Hotel
2. Jóhann Jóhannsson---The Theory of Everything
3. Alexandre Desplat---The Imitation Game
4. Hans Zimmer---Interstellar
5. Gary Yershon---Mr. Turner

        I keep saying it, because it keeps being true; this one's is up for grabs. Jóhannsson's Theory score has been the safe bet since the film's bow in early November, but it's not exactly an irrefutable choice. I like Desplat here, by virtue of his being the most over-due composer in the industry, with his duel nominations telling us EXACTLY how Oscar feels about the guy. Zimmer and Yershon are just along for the ride.

Best Original Song:
1. Common and John Legend(Glory)---Selma
2. Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond(I’m Not Gonna Miss You)---Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
3. Shawn Patterson(Everything is Awesome)---The LEGO Movie
4. Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois(Lost Stars)---Begin Again
5. Diane Warren(Grateful)---Beyond the Lights

        Beyond the Lights and Begin Again will forever more be able to call themselves Oscar nominees; now let's move on to songs that actually have a chance. The fact that the Selma snub ticked so many people off makes Glory the obvious choice, but ever since its surprise nomination, people are really starting to get behind I'm Not Gunna Miss You. Everything is Awesome could also benefit from the notion of belated justice that Selma's banking on, though it's tough to hand an Oscar to a flick about kids toys over one about Martin Luther King Jr.

Best Costume Design:
1. Milena Canonero---The Grand Budapest Hotel
2. Colleen Atwood---Into the Woods
3. Anna B. Sheppard---Maleficent
4. Mark Bridges---Inherent Vice
5. Jacqueline Durran---Mr. Turner

        I have one rule when predicting Best Costume Design; always go with whatever's from the Elizabethan Era. Seeing as no movies here fit that bill, I'll go with the only flick that also sports a Best Picture nomination, though everything here has a puncher's chance.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
1. Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White---Guardians of the Galaxy
2. Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard---Foxcatcher
3. Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier---The Grand Budapest Hotel

        If Guardians loses here, I'm throwing my remote at the wall. I get it that it's not really Oscar's cup of tea, and that the Academy does everything in their power to avoid awarding Marvel movies, but how on god's green earth could you pick Foxcatcher or Budapest over the kaleidoscopic space romp? The other two nominees only employ extensive makeup on one character a piece; please don't give Budapest another Oscar just because Tilda Swinton sat in a chair for a few hours...

Best Visual Effects:
1. Paul J. Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott R. Fisher---Interstellar
2. Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist---Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
3. Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould---Guardians of the Galaxy
4. Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer---X-Men: Days of Future Past
5. Dan Deleeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Daniel Sudick---Captain America: The Winter Soldier

        This one feels like Interstellar's to lose, seeing as it's one of only two films listed above than boasts multiple nominations. It also doesn't hurt to have Production Design in your pocket, seeing as, in the last several years, there's been a real correlation between those two categories. If anything can sneak in, it'll be Apes.

Best Sound Editing:
1. Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman---American Sniper
2. Richard King---Interstellar
3. Aaron Glascock and Martín Hernández---Birdman
4. Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro---Unbroken
5. Brent Burge and Jason Canovas---The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

        Can't I just put a 1. next to the first three names on this list? Birdman is Birdman, and should never be counted out of any category in which it's competing. Interstellar is loud as hell, and Oscar has a track record of rewarding blown-out speakers. In the end though, I'm going with the war movie... because it's a war movie, and this is a category where those tend to dominate.

Best Sound Mixing:
1. Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley---Whiplash
2. John T. Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin---American Sniper
3. Gary Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten---Interstellar
4. Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Thomas Varga---Birdman
5. Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee---Unbroken

        As much as war flicks dominate Sound Editing, musicals do the very same in this category. I still can't believe Into the Woods didn't make it in, but the sounds in Whiplash are almost a character unto themselves. Still, everything here's on the table, except probably Unbroken.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

The Fifth Annual Elwyn Awards!


        Hello, and welcome to the Fifth Annual Elwyns Awards, a ceremony (see: blog post) dedicated to celebrating the greatest accomplishments set to film during the past year. This is, of course, my personal chance to play god with the Oscars, righting what I perceive to be the Academy's wrongs, replacing them with my own glorious, irrefutable selections. Sounds cool, right? I knew you'd think so. Some of Oscar's favorite sections (Foreign Film, Documentary, all the Shorts) are missing here, but in their place are a few different categories dreamed up especially for this site's very own awards show. The winner of each category will receive a Collin, the highest honor that this website can offer, and a form of recognition that will be remembered for a lifetime. Let's get to it!

***Note: A special thanks to my sister, Brittany Elwyn, for creating all of the graphics featured in today's post***

Best Picture:
And the nominees are...
The Babadook
Birdman
Boyhood
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Force Majeure
Guardians of the Galaxy
Nightcrawler
Selma
Under the Skin
Whiplash

        I'll have a full write up about this ten-pack of winners come Monday, so I'll save my metaphorical breath here, and move on to Best Director.

And the Collin goes to...
Boyhood
        In the five years that I've done my own awards write-up, I've never had as difficult a choice as Bouhood vrs. Birdman. In the end, I've got to go with the one that effected me most on a personal level. As a middle class white male who grew up around the time in which the film takes place, I can look into the mirror that is Boyhood, and see myself. Nothing has ever been quite like it.
Runner Up: Birdman
Just Missed the Cut: Gone GirlThe Double, and The Rover

Best Director:
And the nominees are...
Jennifer Kent---The Babadook 
Alejandro González Iñárritu---Birdman
Richard Linklater---Boyhood
Ava DuVernay---Selma
Jonathan Glazer---Under the Skin

        In her directorial debut, Kent turns a rudimentary horror film into an emotionally draining nightmare, turning the screws tighter with each passing frame. Iñárritu, long one of the world's most purely talented filmmakers, finally lightens up a bit, crafting an occasionally riotous comedy, and decking it out with his trademark technical mastery and flair. Linklater doesn't exactly add a lot of flourish while behind the helm, but the scope and ingenuity of this project demand recognition. In Selma, DuVernay has crafted a deeply affecting, passionate movie where most directors would have likely turned in standard Oscar fodder. And as far as Glazer is concerned, any time you merit completely valid Stanley Kubrick comparisons, an awards nomination should be automatic.


And the Collin goes to...
Alejandro González Iñárritu---Birdman
        This is what it looks like to watch potential finally be realized. Iñárritu has always been a special director, but here he finds material that's perfectly suited to his strengths, dazzles with his plethora of strong, big choices, and steers the year's finest cast by a mile.
Runner Up: 

Jonathan Glazer---Under the Skin

Just Missed the Cut: Richard Ayoade---The Double, David Michôd---The Rover, and Damien Chazelle---Whiplash


Best Actor:
And the nominees are...

Michael Keaton---Birdman

Ralph Fiennes---The Grand Budapest Hotel 
Jake Gyllenhaal---Nightcrawler
 David Oyelowo---Selma
Miles Teller---Whiplash

        Keaton positively crushes his comeback performance, the character's every emotion registering across his face, guiding us through Birdman's exhilaratingly madcap world. I'm not as big on Budapest as some, but I'm bullish on Fiennes, who elevates the whole film with his hilarious and sneakily graceful turn. Gyllenhaal creates a character from the ground up, completely changing his body language and verbal cadence to the point where you stop seeing the actor altogether. Oyelowo does the exact opposite, impersonating an individual whom we are all readily familiar with in truly masterful fashion, ripping through speeches powerful enough to stop the world from spinning. Almost all of the Whiplash love goes to J.K. Simmons, and deservedly so, but don't even think about forgetting Teller, who does nearly all of his own drumming, and channels the feral energy of a young Robert De Niro. 


And the Collin goes to...


Jake Gyllenhaal---Nightcrawler


        This is my single favorite performance in all of 2014, as Gyllenhaal fully embodies the creature of the night that he plays, a character who will likely stand the test of time as a legendary big screen creepo.


Runner Up: 


David Oyelowo---Selma

Just Missed the Cut: Brendan Gleeson---Calvary, Tom Hardy---Locke, and 


Jack O'Connell---Starred Up



Best Actress:
And the nominees are...
 Essie Davis---The Babadook
Tessa Thompson---Dear White People
Lisa Loven Kongsli---Force Majeure
Rosamund Pike---Gone Girl
Agata Kulesza---Ida

        Davis is the face though which The Babadook tells its story of grief and dread, a woman fighting with everything she's got just to hold herself together. I'm not sure Dear White People would even be a good movie without Thompson, a fiery young starlet who turns what might otherwise be an obnoxious character into a living, breathing, sympathetic individual. Kongsli is the audience avatar in Force Majeure, never truly steering the action, but observing and being effected by everything in heartbreaking fashion. Gone Girl required an actress able to effectively play multiple roles, confounding expectations over any over again, and Pike proved more than up to the challenge. Intensely bitter and bitterly determined to have both justice and revery, Kulesza might not be the titular Ida, but she still manages to make this movie her own.


And the Collin goes to...
Essie Davis---The Babadook
        The Babadook's standard horror trappings are all a front for a tale of grief and anxiety, and without Davis' otherworldly emoting, none of these themes and ideas would have come through in such a powerful way.
Runner Up: 


Lisa Loven Kongsli---Force Majeure

Just Missed the Cut: Emily Blunt---Edge of Tomorrow, Julianne Moore---Still Alice, and Scarlett Johansson---Under the Skin


Best Supporting Actor:
And the nominees are...
Edward Norton---Birdman
Ethan Hawke---Bothood
Steve Carell---Foxcatcher
Robert Pattinson---The Rover
J.K. Simmons---Whiplash
      
        Edward Norton gives one of the best-ever performances in the long, storied history of basically playing yourself, a talented, egotistical live wire who sets the screen ablaze every time he's on it. No such theatricality can be found in Hawke's turn, an every man who grows and matures before our very eyes. The Academy opted to nominate Carell in the leading actor category, but I think he fits a little better right here, his John Du Pont ever-lingering around the edges of Foxcatcher, sending chills down spines whenever he speaks. Pattinson has had the opportunity to work with a handful of celebrated directors since hanging up his Twilight fangs for good, but the violent half-wit he plays in The Rover is by far his greatest on-screen creation to date. And then there's Simmons, who tears through Whiplash like a tornado, chewing up every last bit of scenery in sight with his limitless rage.


And the Collin goes to...
J.K. Simmons---Whiplash
        What is there to say that hasn't already been said? Simmons is a force of nature in this movie, and when he wins his Oscar tomorrow, it will be fully deserved.
Runner Up: 


Edward Norton---Birdman

Just Missed the Cut: Kristofer Hivju---


Force Majeure, Tyler Perry---Gone Girl, and Roman Madyanov---Leviathan



Best Supporting Actress:
And the nominees are...
Emma Stone---Birdman
Patricia Arquette---Boyhood
Carrie Coon---Gone Girl
Rose Byrne---Neighbors
Carmen Ejogo---Selma

        Hilarious, effortless, and magnetic, Birdman has many treasures in its trove, but few are as special as Emma Stone. As the beating heart of Boyhood, Arquette takes us on the journey that is motherhood, wallowing in its pains, and rejoicing in its triumphs. Coon is about the only thing keeping you sane in the warped, unpredictable world of Gone Girl, alternately gently supportive, and no-B.S. abrasive. Congrats, Rose Byrne; no one else seems to notice with a fun and alluring gem you were in Neighbors, but at least now you have a nomination at the Elwyns! Carmen Ejogo is the more human side to Martin Luther King's pristine bravery, her stipped-down performance alerting us to the true cost of following your convictions even when danger is afoot.


And the Collin goes to...
Patricia Arquette---Boyhood
        Despite the film's title, the character with the most involving arch in Boyhood is the mother, and Arquette takes us with her for every step. half a year later, and I still can't get over her final scene.
Runner Up: 


Emma Stone---Birdman

Just Missed the Cut: Katherine Waterston---Inherent Vice, Imogen Poots---Jimi: All is By My Side, and Dakota Fanning---Night Moves


Best Original Screenplay:
And the nominees are...
Jennifer Kent---The Babadook

Alejandro González Iñárritu,


Nicolás Giacobone,

Alexander Dinelaris, and

Armando Bo---Birdman

Ruben Östlund---Force Majeure
Dan Gilroy---Nightcrawler
Paul Webb---Selma


        Kent manages to take a mightily familiar story, and make it something completely her own, a fright fest that somehow doubles as a therapy session. That Birdman screenplay is an downright gut-buster, but when the showbiz tale isn't making you slap your knees and hold your side, its chuck-full of under-played ruminations and grace notes. Östlund assembles Force Majeure like a puzzle, introducing characters and occurrences in unique, unexpected ways, slipping in occasional humor that's as bitter as black coffee. Nightcrawler isn't exactly a perfect script, but it does offer us a perfect character in the form of Lou Bloom, every line of dialogue he utters or act he commits furthering Gilroy's brilliant character study. Every Oscar season, at least one or two films are textbook adaptations of a famous person's life; the fact that Webb's Selma script could stand out so far above such a crowded pack is a grand achievement.


And the Collin goes to...
Paul Webb---Selma
        The fact that Webb could even write an MLK script without access the the man's real-life speeches is amazing. The script being this powerful and moving is a near-miracle
Runner Up: 


Alejandro González Iñárritu,

Nicolás Giacobone,

Alexander Dinelaris, and


Armando Bo---Birdman
Just Missed the Cut: John Michael McDonagh---Calvary, Chris Miller and Phil Lord---The LEGO Movie, and 

David Michôd---The Rover




Best Adapted Screenplay:
And the Nominees are...
Gillian Flynn---Gone Girl
James Gunn and Nicole Perlman---Guardians of the Galaxy
Andrew Bovell---A Most Wanted Man
Jonathan Glazer---Under the Skin

Damien Chazelle---Whiplash


        I have not read Gone Girl, and went into the movie with little expectations or pre-existing knowledge; anyone who approaches the story in this same fashion will be blown away at the roller coaster ride that Flynn has constructed. Guardians is the most purely fun blockbuster in recent memory, and while many people played a part in making the film such a blast, Gunn and Perlman's irreverent screenplay is the primary culprit. Bovell pulls off what is possibly the hardest thing to do in all of moviedom at the moment: adapt a John le Carré novel without completely losing your audience somewhere along the way. It's always funny to see a film with minimal dialogue in a screenplay category, but its the many ideas that Glazer puts on paper that make the events of Under the Skin so mesmerizing. Chazelle manages to make a sports movie out of a jazz conductor's attempts to wring out every last ounce of potential in his students, and has us biting our nails the whole time.


And the Collin goes to...
James Gunn and Nicole Perlman---Guardians of the Galaxy
        Hollywood pumps out one dumb big-budget romp after another during the summer time, but you'd have to go back a few years to find one that was as wall-to-wall enjoyable and memorable as Guardians. Writing a script that appeals to nearly everyone is no easy task.
Runner Up: 

Jonathan Glazer---Under the Skin
Just Missed the Cut: 


Richard Ayoade---The DoubleDennis Lehane---The DropGraham Moore---The Imitation Game



Best Ensemble:
And the nominees are...
Birdman
Calvary
Force Majeure
Into the Woods
Selma

        This category might as well be renamed 'Best Movie Named Birdman, so I'll hold my praise for after this paragraph. Brendan Gleeson is marvelous in Calvary, but its the many minor character whom he meets along the way that truly make the film the treasure that it is. Force Majeure is nothing if not an actor's movie, and everyone in sight proves up to the task, sinking their teeth into Ruben Östlund's intricate, unruly script. Trying to decide who gives the best performance in Into the Woods is a headache waiting to happen, so I'll just award Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine and the rest of their outstanding cast mates here. Selma is similarly stocked, one of 2014's largest cast wherein nearly everyone makes an impact.


And the Collin goes to...
Birdman
        Of every single prodigious prize being given away at The Elwyns today, this was the easiest to assign. About fifteen thespians give the performance of their lives in Birdman, almost all of them afforded an 'Oscar scene' that they hit straight out of the park.
Runner Up: Force Majeure
Just Missed the Cut: Blue RuinBoyhoodNeighborsNightcrawler


Best Cinematography:
And the nominees are...
The Babadook
Birdman
The Double
A Most Violent Year
Under the Skin


And the Collin goes to...
Birdman
        The whole-movie-as-a-single-shot gimmick does indeed have precedent, but that doesn't really make Emmanuel Lubezki's accomplishment here any less staggering. Birdman would be great without him, but the world's hottest cinematographer takes the whole thing to a different level.
Runner Up: Under the Skin
Just Missed the Cut: Gone GirlJohn Wick, and Nightcrawler 


Best Editing:
And the nominees are...
Birdman
Boyhood
The Double
Gone Girl
Wild


And the Collin goes to...
The Double
        The Double zips and zooms with the frenzied nature of a Terry Gilliam film, Chris Dickens and Nick Fenton ever-revving the engine on the film's merciless pace
Runner Up: Birdman
Just Missed the Cut: Captain America: The Winter SoldierNightcrawler, and Whiplash


Best Production Design:
And the nominees are...
The Double
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
The LEGO Movie
Snowpiercer


And the Collin goes to...
The LEGO Movie
        Tell me why this couldn't/shouldn't happen? The LEGO Movie is the most exhaustively designed movie of 2014, a mammoth undertaking disguised as a fun kids flick.
Runner Up: Interstellar
Just Missed the Cut: The Imitation GameInherent Vice, and X-Men: Days of Future Past


Best Score:
And the nominees are...
Birdman
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Under the Skin


And the Collin goes to...
Under the Skin
        No, I probably wouldn't pop the Under the Skin score into my CD player and jam out, but no single 2014 musical offering so deeply affected the film to which it was attached. I still can't get thoise violins out of my head.
Runner Up:
Just Missed the Cut: EnemyThe Grand Budapest Hotel, and Only Lovers Left Alive


Best Use of a Song:
And the nominees are...
Hero by Family of the Year---Boyhood
The Weight by The Band---Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Come and Get Your Love by Redbone---Guardians of the Galaxy
Everything is Awesome by Tegan and Sarah featuring The Lonely Island---The LEGO Movie
That song DMX sings in---Top Five


And the Collin goes to...
Hero by Family of the Year---Boyhood
        As the song that scores Mason's drive off to college, Hero manages to put an enormous lump in your throat within its opening handful of notes, and refuses to let go.
Runner Up: Come and Get Your Love by Redbone---Guardians of the Galaxy
Just Missed the Cut: Deep Blue by Arcade Fire---Boyhood, and everything in both Inherent Vice and Wild


Best Costume Design:
And the nominees are...
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
The Imitation Game
Magic in the Moonlight
A Most Violent Year


And the Collin goes to...
Inherent Vice
        Inherent Vice feels completely lived-in, as if 1970's Los Angeles was still alive in SoCal, and Paul Thomas Anderson is the only one who knows. The costumes play a huge part in this magnificent trick.
Runner Up: Magic in the Moonlight
Just Missed the Cut: Into the WoodsSelma, and X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
And the Nominees are...
The Babadook
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy
Foxcatcher
Snowpiercer

And the Collin goes to...
Guardians of the Galaxy
        There are long stretches wherein Guardians of the Galaxy looks like the coloring book of the most inventive child on the planet. The makeup is just dazzling, turning mere men into easter egg-colored monsters.
Runner Up: Snowpiercer
Just Missed the Cut: Into the WoodsThe Rover, and X-Men: Days of Future Past


Best Visual Effects:
And the nominees are...
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Edge of Tomorrow
Godzilla
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar


And the Collin goes to...
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
        I honestly still don't understand how this is a discussion. Yes, the Interstellar effects are great, but Dawn takes motion capture animation to a whole new place entirely, the detail of the apes and the weight of their movements proving utterly astonishing.
Runner Up: Godzilla
Just Missed the Cut: The Amazing Spider-Man 2Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, and Under the Skin


Best Sound:
And the nominees are...
Birdman
Edge of Tomorrow
Godzilla
Into the Woods
Whiplash


And the Collin goes to...
Godzilla
        The effects team surely has a lot to do with the staggering power of the beasts that do battle here, but its the sound department that made sure that the roaring of beasts and the tumbling of skyscrapers hits you right in your gut.        
Runner Up: Whiplash
Just Missed the Cut: Dawn of the Planet of the ApesThe LEGO Movie, and Snowpiercer