2014 Golden Globe Predictions

Best Picture: Drama

• Boyhood
• The Imitation Game
• Selma
• The Theory of Everything
• Unbroken

Runners-up: Gone Girl, Interstellar, Whiplash, Wild

Oh, yeah: Foxcatcher

-- I'm dubious on Unbroken's Oscar chances, but this looks right up the HFPA's alley. I'm not sure how I'm feeling about the movie at the moment (Gump-ian schematic schmaltz? Earnest passion project? Both?), but I know I'll be in breathless anticipation to see Angie's classical, red-carpet poise. It's half the fun of the Globes!

Outcome: 4/5. I'm mostly dumbfounded that I didn't even list Foxcatcher as a runner-up. This might be enough to sustain its buzz, which has been dying down since the beginning of fall. Not as upset over me being wrong about Unbroken's nominatability as I am over the fact that Angie probably isn't going to be at the ceremony in all of her glory. That's one bit of star-fucking that I wouldn't have minded, Globes!

Best Picture: Musical or Comedy

• Big Eyes
• Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• The Hundred-Foot Journey
• Into the Woods

Runners-Up: Begin Again, Get on Up, St. Vincent, Top Five

Look at That: Pride!

-- Birdman, Budapest, and Into the Woods should slide easily into the field. The Hundred-Foot Journey and Big Eyes, meanwhile are the Musical/Comedy equivalent of how I deduced Jolie's Unbroken to be a potential threat in the Drama category. I.e. neither are going to be major Oscar contenders, but whether it comes from approval-seeking appeal to the public/industry or from votes that are vaguely inspired by semi-dated buzz, this category often manages to come up with some of the most baffling picks out of any of the categories. (With Big Eyes, think My Week With Marilyn; with The Hundred-Foot Journey, think Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.)

Outcome: 3/5. I'm sure Big Eyes and The Hundred Foot Journey weren't too far off from receiving a nomination, but honestly I'm just too elated that my beloved Pride was able to fight its way to a nomination to really care that I was wrong. A significantly improved lineup because of it, barring St. Vincent and Into the Woods, which are still sights unseen to me.

Best Director

• Ava DuVernay – Selma
• Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Angelina Jolie – Unbroken
• Richard Linklater – Boyhood
• Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game

Runners-up: Chazelle, Whiplash; Fincher, Gone Girl; Marsh, The Theory of Everything; Nolan, Interstellar

Faint Glimmers of Civilization: Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel

-- If this prediction is correct, the headlines are going to be hilarious/maddeningly narrow-minded tomorrow! "Golden Globe Nods Announced! Insert Hysterical, Counter-productive Comment About How Crazy It Is That Two Females Were Nominated in This Category. Who Was Snubbed?!"

Outcome: 3/5. Wow! A pretty great lineup. I don't think Budapest is ever going to be my favorite Wes Anderson film, but in a lot of ways its one of his most mature directorial achievements, stretching his aesthetic to rich thematic deftness. I'm not the biggest fan of Gone Girl and even think Fincher's gifts at rhythms and scene-construction occasionally falter here, but he's certainly been lauded for worse (hi, Benjamin Button), and I do find myself thinking about it more than most movies I've seen this year.

Best Actress: Drama

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

Runners-up: Cotillard, Two Days, One Night; Swank, The Homesman

Dark Horses: Johansson, Under the Skin; Woodley, The Fault in Our Stars

-- All four of my runners-up/dark horses seem like pretty viable candidates at this point (they like Cotillard, Swank and Johansson a lot, and Woodley is a big, emerging star in a very popular film/performance), but I just can't imagine who they'd replace. I'm beginning to think that Aniston might be safer than Jones or Pike at this point, because that performance is catching on insanely fast, though I feel pretty good with all of them. I'm just ready for all of these to open, because I've only seen Gone Girl, so far. I'm aware that The Theory of Everything has been playing everywhere for the past couple of weeks, but Thanksgiving and finals have been consuming most of my free time. This weekend, for sure.

Outcome: 5/5. I should give myself kudos for the predictions, but Cotillard and Swank are so amazing in their movies that I hate to see it boil down to just these five (and maybe Adams) when the race was getting really competitive. Don't forget about them!

Best Actor: Drama

• Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
• Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
• Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
• David Oyelowo – Selma
• Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

Runners-up: Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler; Isaac, A Most Violent Year; Tatum, Foxcatcher

-- After today's SAG nomination I'm beginning to think that I'm underestimating Gyllenhaal in this category, which a lot of people seem to think he'll show up in, but I could see this being Cooper's place to shine.

Outcome: 4/5. Really thought Cooper would pop up here, but I guess Gyllenhaal's supporters were just too strong.

Best Actress: Musical or Comedy

• Amy Adams – Big Eyes
• Emily Blunt – Into the Woods
• Angelina Jolie – Maleficent
• Keira Knightley – Begin Again
• Helen Mirren – The Hundred-Foot Journey

Runners-up: Slate, Obvious Child; Wallis, Annie; Byrne, Neighbors; Mbatha-Raw, Beyond the Lights; Wigg, The Skeleton Twins

Eligible?: So confused about Julianne Moore's Maps to the Stars situation, which is apparently eligible for Globe consideration, but not Oscar?

-- I have to mimic The Atlantic's Joe Reid in saying that if there were only one prediction that I would put money on, it would have to be Emily Blunt showing up for Into the Woods. The Globes love her! She's in a musical! It's hers for the taking! I think the verdict on Maleficent's ambiguous category placement is Comedy, so Jolie also seems like a safe bet since they love her as much as Blunt. I think she's genuinely very good in the movie, so it wouldn't be as egregious star-fucking as, say, The Tourist. Fingers crossed for Jenny Slate or Rose Byrne, pound-for-pound the best comedic performances of the year.

Outcome: 3/5. Well, that answers my question about Moore, who I'm always happy for, but I still don't get how this is eligible since the film isn't coming out this year. Halle Berry had the same thing happen to her with Frankie & Alice, which didn't even come out until this year. Too bad for Knightley. So good in Begin Again.

Best Actor: Musical or Comedy

• Chadwick Boseman – Get on Up
• Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Michael Keaton – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Bill Murray – St. Vincent
• Joaquin Phoenix – Inherent Vice

Runners-up: Corden, Into the Woods; Hader, The Skeleton Twins; Lithgow, Love is Strange; Rock, Top Five; Ruffalo, Begin Again

Very Well: Waltz, Big Eyes (predicted in Supporting)

-- I feel good with these five, predictions-wise, though any of these five, give or take Lithgow, might have a legitimate shot. Keaton will win it in a walk.

Outcome: 4/5. I figured the studios had placed Waltz in the Supporting category, considering that's where they're campaigning him. Even if I had known, I probably would have predicted him to take Phoenix's place, not Boseman's.

Best Supporting Actress

• Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
• Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
• Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
• Emma Stone – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Meryl Streep – Into the Woods

Runners-up: Dern, Wild; Kendrick, Into the Woods; Russo, Nightcrawler; Watts, St. Vincent

-- Unless Watts shows up again, I don't see any surprises in this category, unfortunately. Dern or Kendrick wouldn't shock me, but if they go for Jake, then maybe Russo could find a way in this time?

Outcome: 5/5. Our Oscar lineup?

Best Supporting Actor

• Edward Norton – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
• J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
• Christoph Waltz – Big Eyes
• Tom Wilkinson – Selma

Runners-up: Brolin, Inherent Vice; Duvall, The Judge; Hawke, Boyhood; Miyavi, Unbroken; Pine, Into the Woods

Or (Gulp): Depp, Into the Woods

-- Using the predictions I used for SAG, assuming that Selma has a firmer foundation from the voting block, and that Big Eyes will pique their interest. Hope Hawke finds a way in again (don't want to jinx it).  I wish (I Wish...) I were kidding about Depp, but who can tell with this group, you know?

Outcome: 3/5. Same nominees, different day. Who keeps voting for Duvall, anyway? Reeeeaaaallly don't want to watch The Judge.

Best Screenplay

• Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Boyhood
• Gone Girl
• The Imitation Game
• Selma

Runners-up: Big Eyes, The Grand Budapest Hotel, A Most Violent Year, Unbroken, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash

Outcome: 4/5. Well, if Anderson is safe anywhere at the Oscars, it'll be this category.

Best Foreign Language Film

• Force Majure
• Ida
• Mommy
• Two Days, One Night
• Wild Tales

Runners-up: Beloved Sister, Leviathan, Norte, the End of History, Winter Sleep

Oh, And: Gett: The Trial of Vivianne Amsalem, Tangerines

-- Unsure as to where The Tale of the Princess Kaguya stands in terms of eligibility. Could be a threat a la The Wind Rises, last year. If there's any lengthy, existentially-charged film getting in, it's probably going to be Winter Sleep instead of Norte, sadly. Only because I love Norte. I haven't seen Winter Sleep yet.

Outcome: 2/5. Assumed wrongly that Mommy and Two Days, One Night would be more HFPA's speed than Leviathan. Excited to see Gett.

Best Animated Feature

• Big Hero 6
• How to Train Your Dragon 2
• The LEGO Movie
• Penguins of Madagascar
• The Tale of the Princes Kaguya

Runners-up: The Book of Life, The Boxtrolls, Rio 2

-- I must have taken some bad-mood pills before I watched The LEGO Movie the first time, because having rewatched it recently, it vastly improved, and is an utter delight throughout. Go figure! The only other animated film I've seen this year is Big Hero 6, which is just as delightful and also quite touching. In a time where movies about superheroes are becoming increasingly taxing and derivative of one another in hollow stakes, postures, and concepts, it was so refreshing to see an emotionally mature take on an inherently well-intentioned being "gearing up" to take down the ideologically corrupt plot of a psychopath. I sincerely hope it doesn't miss out in this uncommonly competitive year for this category. Also? So. Effing. Huggable.

Outcome: 3/5. I really wanted to see The Book of Life and The Boxtrolls. 

2014 SAG Predictions or (The Sadly Undervalued Virtue of Left-Field Choices)

It's Globe, SAG and BFCA week! The week where we turn from the critics awards, which actually offered a few surprises, to the precursors that will likely give us the same names in an attempt to predict the Oscars instead of giving thoughtful and carefully considered choices. Hooray!

Best Ensemble Cast

• Boyhood
• Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Foxcatcher
• Gone Girl
• Into the Woods

Other Possibilities:

The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, Unbroken

Should Be Considered:

Pride. Seriously people, let's not toss this under the bus just because its box office performance wasn't great and it strays a bit from the list of films that aren't a part of the narrative.

-- On principle I'm pulling for Selma and The Grand Budapest Hotel in this category, due to how much support they need compared to the others (give or take Foxcatcher). Granted, I'm not helping matters by continuing the cycle of predicting "safe" films for major precursors, but 'tis the season. Then again, some might argue that Gone Girl isn't such a sure bet itself, but I think industry folk will really go for it, despite how ugly and divisive its story and characters are. A big plus: large, well-respected cast.

Outcome: 2/5. You mean my continuous stumping for Pride in this category didn't have any impact? While I'm happy for the Grand Budapest cast and the film itself,  I'm not sure I'd call the actual ensemble performance exemplary on the whole. It's a shame that the love didn't extend to the Best Actor field since Fiennes is pretty spectacular in it. Not surprised by the inclusion of The Imitation Game, but probably should be less shocked by The Theory of Everything's nomination and Gone Girl's miss. Even more befuddled by Into the Woods failing to show up here.

Best Female Actor in a Leading Role

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

Other Possibilities:

Aniston, Cake; Blunt, Into the Woods; Cotillard, The Immigrant; Cotillard, Two Days, One Night; Mbatha-Raw, Belle; Swank, The Homesman

Should Be Considered:

Marion Cotillard is gaining more notices for her devastating work in The Immigrant than I had originally anticipated given the Weinsteins' evident ambivalence towards the film. It was only barely released back in May (playing for one measly week in Nashville), and there's neither a web page or a DVD/Blu-ray release. Literally zero effort has been put into an awards campaign for Cotillard or the film, and yet, she's already taken home two critics prizes for it, as well as Two Days, One Night. IF she's nominated -- and that's a big, hesitant IF, since she hasn't even been nominated since La Vie en Rose -- it'll probably be for her almost-as-great work in Two Days, One Night, which has more buzz at the moment, but I'm just happy she's in the conversation at all. Even more under-the-radar actresses include: Essie Davis (The Babadook), Keira Knightley (Begin Again), Elizabeth Worth (Unrelated), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Beyond the Lights), and Jenny Slate (Obvious Child).

-- Not to freak out over Cotillard again, -- because I obviously can't stand talking about her! -- but if any of my predicted nominees are vulnerable at the moment (Adams, Jones, and maybe Pike), I could see her showing up for Two Days, One Night (or, you know, The Immigrant). They nominated her for Rust and Bone, so she clearly has fans. I just have this fear that these names are going to be default picks for so many members that a performance from a tiny Dardenne Brothers movie will fall by the wayside. Also: they could have a preference for Swank, Blunt, or Aniston. Anyway, what was that about this being a "weak year" for Lead Actress?

Outcome: 4/5. I love Jennifer Aniston, and I haven't seen Cake yet, but to those who have is her performance really such a steamroller that it warrants the near-instantaneous accolades that she's been receiving for it? I mostly ask this out of curiosity, since the Friends-obsessed, 12-year-old version of me is sort of freaking out at the prospect of her first Oscar nomination. Not sure if its enough to cushion the blow of another Cotillard shut-out.

Best Male Actor in a Leading Role

• Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
• Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
• Michael Keaton – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• David Oyelowo – Selma 
• Eddie Redmayne  – The Theory of Everything

Other Possibilities:

Cooper, American Sniper; Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel; Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler; Isaac, A Most Violent Year; O'Connell, Unbroken; Spall, Mr. Turner; Tatum, Foxcatcher; Teller, Whiplash

Should Be Considered:

Macon Blair is a big component of what makes Blue Ruin such a satisfying thriller, radiating stillness and fury, while applying both to Dwight's Everyman nature. Not that he actually has a shot at getting nominated.

-- I could realistically see Ralph Fiennes surprising in this category, especially if they actually nominate the film in Best Ensemble (my main reason for rooting for it there). I might even prefer him to Michael Keaton. Gyllenhaal and Teller are the only other serious contenders that I've actually seen so far, and I really don't see them upsetting here, so all I can really do is speculate. I know Foxcatcher's awards future is still uncertain at this point, but even if it doesn't pan out in terms of Oscar, I feel like the film will probably be admired here. I'm super excited for Selma and David Oyelowo in general, and hope that his unknown status doesn't get in the way. I'm more excited about The Theory of Everything/Redmayne than I was earlier in the fall, but my enthusiasm for Imitation Game/Cumberbatch has only gotten lower.

Outcome: 4/5. I think Jake is quite impressive in Nightcrawler, and as my future husband I'm obviously happy that he's being recognized for such unnerving work. That being said, if anyone had to unseat Oyelowo, I really wish it could have been Ralph Fiennes, who also needs the support that this nomination has brought Gyllenhaal. Speaking of Oyelowo, I don't think his or the film's omission hurt either of their Oscar chances. I'm guessing this is more of an instance where voters just didn't see the film in time.

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role

• Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
• Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year 
• Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game 
• Emma Stone – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Meryl Streep – Into the Woods 

Other Possibilities:

Coon, Gone Girl; Dern, Wild; Dickens, Gone Girl; Kendrick, Into the Woods; Russo, Nightcrawler; Stewart, Still Alice; Watts, Birdman

Whadd'ya know: Watts, St. Vincent

Should Be Considered:

LAFCA absolutely did the right thing handing Best Supporting Actress to Agata Kulesza for Ida, even though it probably would've been Arquette had they not categorized her as a Lead. Kulesza straddles the categorical line herself, but remains generous and understated throughout her characterization as not to overshadow her even more muted screen partner. The movie is now available on Netflix Instant, so you should definitely watch it.

-- This will be an easy get for Arquette and Stone. Streep is very likely, as usual. I love Jessica Chastain, but her placement here just seems so weirdly confounding, especially since she was only recently pushed to this category at the last second. Maybe it'll make more sense when I actually see the movie. Knightley's looking vulnerale-ish, but she should find a way in, since it's basically only these five names that are being talked about. My biggest hope: Kim Dickens in Gone Girl. My favorite performance from that film!

Outcome: 4/5. I guess I need to see St. Vincent now, too? Nothing about the film or Watts' role seem appealing to me, but I have heard a couple of defenses of her performance this morning. Must-see factor never registered a month ago, but it's still showing in one theater near me, so maybe I can work it in.

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role

• Edward Norton – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
• Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
• J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
• Christoph Waltz – Big Eyes
• Tom Wilkinson – Selma

Other Possibilities:

Brolin, Inherent Vice; Duvall, The Judge; Hawke, Boyhood; Perry, Gone Girl; Pine, Into the Woods

Should Be Considered:

Not that he will be considered in any capacity, but as it turns out Tom Hiddleston was charming our pants off long before we knew him as Loki in Joanna Hogg's brilliant and much-delayed debut feature, Unrelated. Shot while he was in his mid-20s, Hiddleston plays the listless but alluringly jovial Oakley, who gives the film's protagonist a good time, while convincing us of his concern for and reluctance to connect with her. Seek this out!

-- I truly hope I'm wrong about Ethan Hawke missing here, since, to me, he's hands-down the MVP of Boyhood. AND: I easily prefer him to Norton or Simmons. Waltz is again being campaigned in the Supporting category for a lead role, and with two spots up for grabs and an industry that loves him.... It's just a hunch. And I really hope I'm wrong.

Outcome: 3/5. Yay, Ethan Hawke! With Supporting Actor being as quiet as it is, this is probably a good sign for his Oscar chances. Norton, Ruffalo, and Simmons should get in easily, but that leaves one wide-open slot, which Duvall could easily take if campaigning for Wilkinson doesn't take off. I DO NOT want to see The Judge. Let's hope this is akin to Armie Hammer's nomination for J. Edgar.

Fall Itinerary: The Season's Movie-Going Prospects

A double dose of Moore this fall. Oh, hold me!*

As a companion piece to my last post where I finally got my act together and gave y'all a proper account of what I've been seeing this year, I now want to focus my attention on what I plan to see for the rest of the film year. I might be missing a few titles (especially if there are late-season additions like Timbuktu or Grace of Monaco, which would obviously work as a double feature), but this is generally how I keep up with all of the fall/winter films on my radar, and now everyone can share in the experience! I've already seen a few of the titles, which are denoted by the addition of a grade and twitter capsule. I apologize in advance to all of the internet for not liking Gone Girl. If it makes any difference, it hurt me too.

Tier 1
(Indispensable viewing for Top 10 list)

• Leviathan – After Elena and The Return, Zvyagintsev has ownership of my heart.
• Goodbye to Language – Oh, here's the 3D innovation that Cameron/Scorsese were talking about.
• Inherent Vice – Guessing this won't be my favorite Anderson, but c'mon!
• Mr. Turner – Guessing this won't be my favorite Leigh, but c'mon!
• Birdman – Was one of the few who liked Biutiful. Theoretically interesting move for all involved.
  - An absolute marvel of grandiose form, evoking film and stage as pompous and noble exercises. Rich, peculiar ambience. Keaton A+ A–
• Gone Girl – Curious how well this one will land, but Fincher always demands loyalty.
  - Ideal material for Fincher, w/ little inspiration to approach. Tone, pace way off. Smug flippancy flattens spiky thematics. C
• Maidan – Crazy about Loznitsa since My Joy and In the Fog. Sounds like a gutsy approach to subject.
• Selma – DuVernay's Middle of Nowhere just came to Netflix. Always behind rising female auteurs.
  - Impeccable historical probing in a Lincoln vein, revealing complex, uncannily intimate nerves and organisms of an era and revolution. A–
• Foxcatcher – Loved Capote and Moneyball. Can't wait to see what Miller does with this bizarre tale.
  - Near Snowtown-levels of tonal/atmospheric oppressiveness. Obvious current builds to riveting second half. Actors give it heft. B

Tier 2

(Almost as indispensable. No way I'm missing any of these.)

• Interstellar – Nolan at 3 hours sounds iffy, but I'm digging this one's emotional vibe.
  - Inception-y amalgam of everything frustrating/brilliant about Nolan's ambitions and emotions. Sincere, for better and worse. B
• Life of Riley – Final film from Resnais. Never liked latter-day stuff as much, but easily a must-see.
• Stray Dogs – Have yet to see a Ming-liang. Looks quite impressive.
• National Gallery – Caught two hours of At Berkeley on PBS back in the winter. Excited to see more!
  - Great semi-intro to Wiseman, a lucid, pristine rumination on painstaking techniques and labors. Invigoratingly assembled. A–
• Maps to the Stars – I didn't like Cosmopolis at all, but could I be any Moore excited?
  - *Pushed to 2015, giving new meaning to my cries of "Oh, hold me," above. :(
• Two Days, One Night – Dardennes' reliable humanism coupled w/ Cotillard's dramatic potency. Eager.
  - Dardennes continue to package allegory, polish, surprises in character-specific ways. Delicate but not simplistic. B+
• Winter Sleep – Not huge on Ceylan, but, for obvious reasons, this one isn't exactly the one to miss.
• Abuse of Weakness – Breillat breaks either way for me, but Huppert always entices.
  - Breillat's bone-cold precision shines even through script's most tepid stretches. Strong Huppert perf. KO of a finale. B–
• A Most Violent Year – After Llewyn Davis I'll follow Isaac anywhere.
• Citizenfour – Always eager for docs with Weighty Issues that don't just reiterate facts we already know.
  - Vital, vivid, unsettling. Clear-eyed study of media jungle. Nails tricky balance of reluctant-but-necessary focus on Snowden. B+
• Mommy – I'm more tolerant of Dolan than most. Curious to see what's getting people on the bandwagon now.
• Pride – Looks a little stunty, trailer full of dated jokes, but cast, reviews encourage.
  - Shrewd political osmosis and a cheerful crowd-pleaser. Builds remarkable urgency, beguiling joy. Generous ensemble. Moving tale. A–
• The Guest – Know very little about the plot of this one, but has a lot of enthusiastic supporters, and I like stylistic verve.
• The Skeleton Twins – Originality likely won't be its biggest asset, but Wiig and Hader show promise.
  - Darkly funny spin on Estranged Siblings; their shared unrest and compassion. Wiig, Hader keenly perceptive to this dynamic. B+
• Rosewater – Rooting for Stewart! Love that he cast My Bernal.
• The Homesman – Loved Three Burials; Cannes response intrigues.
  - Cutting, wistful mosaic of Frontier themes, styles and characterizations. Trenchant camera, edits yield gripping authority. A–
• Beloved Sisters – Not gonna lie, everything about this radiates with appeal, to me.
• Björk: Biophilia Live – Playing for a couple of days at the Belcourt, so I might make the effort.
  - Blissful exhilaration. Marries eclectic visual wit with Björk's bravura audio-sensory pleasures. Crystalline! B+
• Tracks – Love to see Wasikowska continuing to push herself.
• The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby – Finally able to see this! Hope Weinsteins didn't mangle it.
  - Ambitious but stultifying ideas, POV, framework. Able cast, but few cogent cases made for characters. C
• Still Alice – Hi, I'm Luke, and I love Julianne Moore.

Tier 3

(Likely won't skip, for a number of different factors.)

• Nightcrawler – Loyal to Jake, but I am feeling concerned about his propensity for twitchy affectation.
  - Shocking, I guess? Best surprises come from Jake. Frames, sound, atmospherics all entice. Thin blanket of rancid concepts. B–
• The Babadook – Everything I hear seems to guarantee I'll be utterly shattered by the end. But in a good way?
  - Fearless, indelible plunge into traumatized tone and formal conviction. Eerie, relentless scares, specific to character, milieu. B+
• Whiplash – Heard a few discouraging words from festival screenings, but still curious, obviously.
  - Hyperbolic style, perfunctory script beats limit actors and scenarios; grows increasingly senseless as it goes. Why such raves? C
• Wild – Obviously awaiting the return of Reese, however rote the material sounds.
  - Strains to tie Cheryl's physical and spiritual voyage, but a fair stab. Iffy flashbacks; immediate textures. Welcome home, Reese! B–
• Force Majeure – A favorite of many at TIFF. Interested to see where they go with the premise.
  - Unbeatable start poses tasty setup, but from there: a slippery slope in tone, insight, and tension. Characters a bit vague. B
• Big Eyes – Not sure how to feel about Burton or Waltz, but Adams a big sell.
  - Tritely dramatized in script and direction, shrouding character motivations/perceptions. Faulty tone fails cast, story. Cumbersome. D
• Dear White People – Sundance dramedies go either way for me, but I'm really rooting for this one.
  - Defiant eccentricity makes film feel shaky, but also displays considerable breadth in humor, characters, tough ideas. B
• The Tale of the Princess Kaguya – Last from Studio Ghibli for a while. Looks gorgeous
• Fury – Kind of like Monuments Men (Big Stars and History!), except not nauseatingly horrible? Will follow Pitt to the end.
  - Grisly swerves, lurid acrobatics, minus EoW's brazen voice. Dodges complex politics of story. Sound, MVP actors have charisma. C
• Listen Up Phillip – The perfect match for Schwartzman's house style?
  - Candid, deceptively aloof study of writerly narcissism. Vinegary wordplay redeems structural limits. Moss astounds. B
• American Sniper – Trailer sure got to me. Cooper's been on a role, lately. Just what Eastwood needs?
• Starred Up – I kind of like Mackenzie. O'Connell's going to be hard to ignore.
  - Mackenzie acerbic as ever with meticulous rhythms and textures of a gutsy if slightly precarious script. O'Connell delivers. B
• The Two Faces of January – Weird that it's taken so long to arrive, but this cast looks stunning.
  - Handsome. Taut one minute, overly mannered the next. Dunst weirdly short shrifted. Mortensen easily MVP. C+
• Camp X-Ray – I happen to think Stewart is very capable. Moaadi wowed in A Separation.
  - Leads anchor heightened, absorbing dual character study. Nabs balance of empathy and strife even when scenes underscore both. B–
• Top Five – Having trouble gauging the reaction to this one, but I'm admiring Rock's creative risks lately.
• Lilting – Every time I give Whishaw a chance I get smacked in the face. Still: gay-interest.
• Cake – Based on stills and synopsis I feared this to be Aniston's Own Love Song, but thrilled that this isn't the case.
• The Drop – Glad to have Tom back from Nolan-land. Final Gandolfini role.
• Unbroken – Missed In the Land of Blood and Honey, but loving Jolie's enthusiasm over this.
• The Good Lie – Been hearing that this isn't just White Savior fodder. I can make the time.
  - Assured, thoughtful handling of narrative and theme; characters, ideas never sold short. Cast aids dips into tedium. B–

Tier 4

(A little on the fence, but curious.)

• Miss Julie – Reactions a little dismaying, yet feel more convinced than ever that I need to see it.
• Into the Woods – Fans of source material swear by it. Has Marshall exhausted all good will?
  - Songs, cast have appeal, but barely sustain Marshall's dissonance, tale's fleeting charm. Smartly-played by non-Depps. Fine. C+
• The Theory of Everything – I'd see it anyway for the Oscars and the cast, but "excited" I am not.
  - Not impervious to biopic cliché or unsubtle accentuation of theme, but Marsh, cast unearth rich nuances from both. B
• The Imitation Game – Same as Theory. Maybe looks slightly less appealing than that one.
• The Boxtrolls – Laika's two-for-two for me and the reviews are all good, but I'm still hesitant.
• Beyond the Lights – Yet another tale of the woes of fame and fortune. Good-looking cast, though.- Keenly and carefully considered study of depression and stardom. Subversive, satisfying stab at formula. Mbatha-Raw! B+
• Low Down – Actors entice; story beats feel very familiar from trailer and plot descriptions.
• White Bird in a Blizzard – Never have warmed to Araki. Little stacked in its favor, beyond Woodley.
• The Book of Life – Maybe if the reviews are good. Design could elevate it?
• Kill the Messenger – Renner's barely sustaining enthusiasm at this point, but could surprise?
• Big Hero 6 – Frozen impressed. But Marvel opportunism seems a big discouraging step-down from Princess sisterhood.
  - Visible influences from prior Disney/Marvel outings. Sensitive warmth drowns them, esp. via disarmingly "huggable" robot. B
• Before I Go to Sleep – I'm not opposed to another modest Kidman-Firth surprise, but I'm skeptical.
• The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Made it through first two. Maybe I can tolerate this one?
  - Not flip about themes, internal conflicts of be all/end all finale, but still whiffs of misguided execution C
• Annie – Adore Quvenzhané, but the fact that this was originally intended for Willow Smith alarms.
  - Quvenzhané sells chintziness, script's better intentions more amiably than Gluck. Changes in setting, character utterly floundered. C

Tier 5

(Spring/Summer titles that are on my radar in some form.)

• The Last of the Unjust – The notion of seeing 3 more hours of Lanzmann's footage deeply excites!
  - Frank, indelible witness's ethically shaky position. Deft in Lanzmann's own tie to atrocities. More than a Shoah rehash. A
• The Missing Picture – This has been in my Netflix queue forever. Why is this still unwatched?!
  - Moving, poetic, aptly diverse in form and detail. Takes risks of testimony-via-clay figures and turns them into virtues. A
• Closed Curtain – Panahi's cinematic voice more crucial than ever.
• Unrelated – Premiered in 2008. U.S. finally getting a release. Unsure about availability.
  - Crisp, economical style as a rich meditation on barely-contained ennui. Wise choices in structure, performance avoid cliché. A
• Child's Pose – Also, been available on Netflix forever. Romanian New Wave still fascinates.
  - Worthy in every respect. Melodramatic surges, socio-political allegory, toxic protagonist thrill even as ideas begin to ebb. B
• Obvious Child – Know a lot of fans of Jenny Slate. Vital topic that Apatow would run from, screaming.
  - One small step for U.S. indie cinema, one bold leap in tiny but vital political progression. Funny, tender. Slate amazes. B+
• Manakamana – An endurance test? Maybe. But those festival reactions are hard to beat.
  - Laconic subjects, static camera are a challenge, but beams with quotidian pleasures. Local nuances overwhelmed by conceit? B
• The Final Member – A "penetrating" doc from what I gather.
  - Oddity of Penis-museum doc opens gate for ribbing or base inquiry of subject, but finds intelligent engagement with story. B
• We Are the Best! – Everything I hear about this is nothing less than excellent.
  - Funny, caustic, and humane. Rare tale of adolescent confusion that attains acute profundity without feeling confused. A–
• Before You Know It – I root for any documentary that studies what others ignore.
• Land Ho! – Loved Eenhoorn in This is Martin Bonner; qualified fan of Cold Weather.
  - Sweet, semi-intimate take on well worn tale of aging/male bonding. Both feel like crutches as a result, but are sharp and impactful. B–
• The Amazing Catfish – Wanted to see this so badly at NaFF. Agnès Godard is a treasure.
  - Intricate family snapshot, lent lithe humanist detail from Godard. Hews to a familiar pulse, but heart stays intact. B
• The German Doctor – Sounds intriguing, though not rave material for most?
• The One I Love – Love Moss and Duplass. Have no clue what the premise actually is.
  - Safety Not Guaranteed-ish: stalls on unique ideas/scenarios, coasts on savory cast. Creative mind-tease and genre-bending. B–
• Finding Fela – Playing Belcourt's Doctober, but at the worst possible time for me. Still, looks promising for Gibney.
  - Gibney's repetitive grooves an odd fit for Fela's indefatigable musical rebellion. Enlightening if awkwardly assembled sketch. B–
• The Trip to Italy – First film was a howler. Doesn't look like a retread.
• Hide Your Smiling Faces – A lot of enthusiastic supporters! Why have I yet to budge?
  - Rigorous and refreshingly lucid regional excavation, building new weight in adolescent inquiry/sibling bonds. B
• The Face of Love – Annette Bening falls for Ed Harris. Again. Love these two.
• Belle – Mbatha-Raw supposedly the year's great find. Vehicle seems shaky?
• The Congress – Didn't get into Waltz, but this seems much more daring.
  - Laudable conceptual brio, with sharper undercurrents than Folman's last, but quickly degenerates into listless entropy. B–
• It Felt Like Love – Understudy of Fisk Tank, Fat Girl, etc. Could excel on its own terms, though.
  - Familiar sketch, but also observant and tactile in ways that few U.S. indies ever bother to be. Hittman its biggest find. B–
• The Strange Little Cat – Available on Fandor. Been curious about this since its festival run last year.
• Get on Up – Viola is in this. Boseman is an enticing prospect. It's been out since August. How have I not seen this?
  - Adheres to predictable, stifling biopic arcs, despite tonal and structural gambles. Odd padding, dull camera, electric star turn. C+
• Muppets Most Wanted – Predecessor didn't thrill me as much as others. Step in the right direction?
  - Like Muppets, hems songs, gags, actors into self-aware antics; but nails absurdist delight of prior entries. Bliss. B
• Neighbors – Supposedly a great showcase for Byrne, and not just frat-bro antics!
  - Typical shabbiness from Rogen/Stoller group, but generously funny material for its ensemble. Strong adult/adolescent critique. B
• Alive Inside – Subject hits close to home for me. Lot of fans.
• Tammy – No, reviews aren't great, but I root for any comedy that actually cares about its women.
  - Frustratingly slipshod in conception, but warmly and valiantly explores what most comedies ignore. One hell of a firework show! C+
• Frankie & Alice – After 4 years, a commercial release is obtained! Morbidly curious.
  - After 4-year wait, outcome fails to fascinate like troubled distribution. Sax botches story. Berry preserves what she can. D+
• The Rover – Cannes reactions disappoint, but I feel like I owe it to Michôd after Animal Kingdom.
• Jimmy P. – Latest from Desplechin, but such a tepid response from Cannes. A year and a half ago.
• Non-Stop – Apparently quite fun. Gotta have some Moore and Nyong'o.
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Thought the first was pretty banal, but I'm open to being surprised.
• Cold in July – Hall doesn't have the best track record with movies, but I hear this is good.
  - Taut, insinuating narrative puzzle at beginning. Strong on region/period nuances. Still, crude reliance on sexual brutality. B–
• Hellion – Finally ready to meet Aaron Paul.
• Venus in Fur – Polanski does one-stage setting again. Same middling results as Carnage?
  - Wicked arsenal of intellectual playfulness and mercurial energies. Smart, if not quite elegant in self-reflexive psychology. B
• The Railway Man – I hear it's better than its reputation. Kidman can easily persuade me.
  - Mixed blessings in frankness of emotion, subject, and narrative presentation, but a sobering stab. Firth very moving. B–
• Lucy – Rooting for ScarJo since Don Jon. Mixed reaction, but I can handle stupid fun.
• Calvary – Didn't care for The Guard. Curious about new direction in tone, though.
  - Like The Guard, arranges a prime showcase for Gleason, but smugly churlish tone often irks, even amid loftier themes and ambitions. C–
• Mood Indigo – Haven't been excited by Gondry since Dave Chappelle's Block Party.
  - Gondry's Pee-wee-inspired take on The Congress, with the manic energy/melancholic undertones that implies. Still, hard to savor. C+
• Veronica Mars – By which I mean, I want to watch the show, first. I love Kristen Bell.
• How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Sequel seemed a dubious idea, but (hyperbolic?) reviews say otherwise.
• Words & Pictures – I mean, it looks awful, but Binoche!
• The Other Woman – I should be more excited for this, but it just seems so disgustingly sexist.
• Chef – Favrea wins heart of film food critics with Culinary Integrity! Wins back sexy wife. Everyone be charmed!
• Palo Alto – Should I be interested in this if I have no interest in reading James Franco's short fiction?
• Magic in the Moonlight – Mustered some enthusiasm for Stone and Firth, but still: bad reviews.
• What If – Waiting for Radcliffe and Kazan to stretch their abilities. Also: Potterhead.
  - Opposite of innovative, but funnier and smarter about male-female friendship than I wagered going in. Good showcase for leads. B–
• The Fault in Our Stars – Not big on YA adaptations, but loved Woodley in Spectacular Now. 
  - Torpid mix of earnest approach and pandering sentiment. Stilted dialogue and scenarios. Dern its saving grace. C–
• The Raid 2 – Plenty are into its craftsmanship, which I'm not against. Grisliness more irksome.
• Sin City: A Dame to Kill For – My best hope is Rourke, but even he looks like he's running on fumes.
• Divergent – Good to have lead roles for women in mainstream cinema. Next step: make them interesting!
• The Giver – Film makes shambles of themes, actors, stylistic conceit from what I hear.
• Fading Gigolo – Ideal double bill for Chef? Two tales of middle-aged male fantasies and self-flattery.
• Jersey Boys – Nothing screams "Broadway" more than Eastwood's dull colors or mannequin actors.
  - Dramatic paralysis. Tunes utterly devoid of joy or catchiness. Squanders promise of cast, barring Walken. Eastwood adrift. D
• Dom Hemingway – Not sure if this is where I want to see Law going.
• A Million Ways to Die in the West – Loved Ted, but this is looking more like Family Guy than American Dad. (i.e. richer characters, humor)
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – A misguided disaster of comic proportions!

Tier 6

(We'll see.)

• St. Vincent – Murray plays another dour asshole. But let's condescend to McCarthy for deciding to switch it up.
• My Old Lady – Normally, I'm not that against comfort-blanket viewing, but this one smells fishy.
• The Maze Runner – Don't know what it is about YA adaptations that make them look all the same these days.
• Dumb and Dumber To – That trailer: a lot of cringing. (Still might be dragged to it.)
• The Interview – Loved Neighbors, but I'm guessing this is more Pineapple/This is the End territory.
• Exodus: Gods and Kings – Title suggests hot new franchise. Tarsem would be ideal!
• This is Where I Leave You – Cast looks okay; on paper, at least. Why wouldn't you hire the Real Steel director for this?
  - Appealing cast can't shake formulaic setups, wobbly tone. Switch out Levy for Demme and you have a start. D+
• One Chance – Was actually quite beguiled by Corden in Begin Again, but not feeling this one at all.
  - Very Slumdog-meets-Billy Elliot: tiresome, over-edited, condescendingly sympathetic. Script tarnishes Corden's affability. D+
• The Zero Theorem – Increasingly missable from what I gather. Not even Waltz can save it?
• Horns – Meh, I'll probably just watch What If.
• The Judge – Finally! A chance to see RDJ and Duvall outmug one another in a father-son dramedy!
• Harmontown – Harmon gets #sixseasonsandamovie and another venue to grouch about his despair.
• Men, Women, & Children – This time Emma Thompson narrates instead of Tobey Maguire, so progress?
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – I didn't catch Fire, as it turns out. Intrigue still eludes me.
• The Equalizer – Washington goes Mel Gibson? I'll just wait for his next Unstoppable, thanks.

Tier 7

(Haha!)

• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – Come kick off Carell's Oscar campaign!
• Annabelle – The only thing scary here is the shameless coattail-riding of The Conjuring.
• The Best of Me – Hoffman does Sparks. Not exactly dissimalar to how I'd describe The Last Station.
• John Wick – Keanu Reeves avenges his murdered dog? Can't imagine this being in poor taste.
• The Identical – NaFF '14's closing night film. Stayed away then, likely staying away now.
• Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb – Amazed that three of these have even been demanded.
• Tusk – The fact that this is under Night at the Museum should tell you how I feel about Kevin Smith's career.
• Horrible Bosses 2 – If making me want to hurl is funny, then the first was fucking hilarious!

Hello to 2014 Movies!

As crushingly hard as it is to believe, we're nearly three-fourths of the way through 2014, but as far as 2014 as a movie year goes, it's only just getting started for me. I'm currently in the process of applying a few updates to the blog (mostly in the sidebar, with more to come), one in which I catalog every film I've seen this year so far, which can be viewed by clicking on the image above. I plan to add past years as well, but as you can tell by my September activity, I've been devoting a lot of my free time to catching up with stuff that I missed from earlier in the year, making the total number of films screened, 58. And that's with The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby and Love is Strange opening near me this weekend! Please, take a gander, and let me know if there's anything I should be adding to this list. I have no excuse for not watching Child's Pose or The Missing Picture at this point, other than laziness. And of course the fact that I've now seen Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles before watching either of the aforementioned titles is making me feel even more cinephile self-hate.

Best of 2013: Picture & Lead Actress

Alright, it's time to finish this thing. Saved my favorite category for second-to-last:

Best Actress

• Amy Adams for American Hustle, for discharging precarious poise, mettle, craftiness and vulnerability where it counts, dizzyingly juggling accents, registers, allegiances and personas and believably making us wonder whether she's pulling one over on the eccentric cast of characters or herself.

• Adèle Exarchopoulos for Blue is the Warmest Color, for fully assimilating the film's French title (The Life of Adèle) and not only painting us a full, insatiable portrait of the titular character's sexual awakening but also richly vivifying each little lived-in detail about her.

• Margarethe Tiesel for Paradise: Love, for injecting such odd empathy into Seidl's pitiless observations and conceptions while portraying the middle-aged woman's desperation with a complex, unnerving chaser of self-sabotage and self-deception, cajoling her lovers to lie to her, emotionally and physically.

• Robin Weigert for Concussion, for keeping sex scenes, quotidian interactions and relationships alive and informative of character, showing us a candid, unassuming take on the Restless, Unfulfilled Housewife and neither condescending to nor sugarcoating Abby's agitations or frustrations.

• Shailene Woodley for The Spectacular Now, for refusing to furnish Aimee with any diamond-in-the-rough padding, sweetly and honestly playing an intelligent, lovely-but-ordinary young girl who deserves happiness and earns our admiration for her.

Honorable Mentions to Sandra Bullock & Melissa McCarthy for The Heat, the latter of which obtained the most plaudits between the two for her signature brilliance in boldfaced but revealing comedic stylings, but is evenly matched by the former's diligent, wonderfully subversive straight-lady repackaging of her comic persona. Bonus points to both for deciding to build a study of blooming female friendships around the generic pastiche of mismatched buddy-cop comedies and adding lovely edges of warmth and character-specific detail; Rachel Mwanza, who navigates War Witch's tricky, clear-eyed approach to its subject and lends the film its most sobering moments of introspection, taking Komona through a harrowing journey and circling back with an emotional sucker-punch of melancholy and newfound hope; Anne Dorval and Suzanne Clèment both excel in I Killed My Mother and Laurence Anyways, respectively, two separate films from Xavier Dolan (the first being his 2010 debut that wasn't realeased commercially in the U.S. until 2013) that serve as trenchant actressing springboards in both cases; Meryl Streep, who shocks the world and turns in a pretty great performance for once in August: Osage County, undertaking a Big, juicy role to be sure, which is a little concerning after the surprising humanity of Hope Springs, but the showboating feels more appropriate here than it did in The Iron Lady, and she adds a lot of compelling facets to the theatricality that's required of her; Cate Blanchett, who's also saddled with a mammoth of a part in Blue Jasmine; a mammoth of a part, like Streep's, that I'm not entirely convinced is honestly conceived as-written, but Blanchett manages to make Jasmine's hemmed-in characteristics of surface instabilities cohere through sheer force of charisma and cubistic vitality, single-handedly making Jasmine Allen's most fascinating protagonist since those acridly confrontational couples from Husbands and Wives; and Julie Delpy, whose inimitable luminosity is key to making Before Midnight's existence necessary, resuming her warm, funny and thistly portrait of Celine with new marital baggage and hurdles and understandably being loath to succumb to either. And those are just the ones that were fighting for third/fourth/fifth spots.

I also loved Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha, Brie Larson in Short Term 12, Danai Gurira in Mother of George, Rosario Dawson in Trance, Veerle Baetans in The Broken Circle Breakdown, Jane Adams in All the Light in the Sky, Amanda Seyfried in Lovelace, Chiarra Mastroianni in Bastards, and Rooney Mara in Side Effects.

Best Picture

• 12 Years a Slave, for offering us the kind of bold, emotionally enveloping artistry that we often deny our "Prestige" studio fare or austere (and, in this case, oft-neglected) subject matter and managing to let it enrich and marry both.

• The Act of Killing, for finding ways to conceive a probing and ruminative film around one man's obscene past, even when bravely (if somewhat problematically) eschewing context and siphoning formal power through its subject's disturbing interpretations.

• Bastards, for sort of being Trouble Every Day all over again, with even queasier (and more soberingly earthbound) implications towards upper-class French society and domineering men, finding in one man's suicide another's gradual descent into sordidness and deception.

• The Bling Ring, for being an unexpectedly spry opportunity for its director to mix up her aesthetic and tackle different angles of humor and perspective, and serving as a vessel for heterogeneous characters and thematically vital stylistic surfeit.

• Inside Llewyn Davis, for showing the Coens' "softer" side while remaining an intriguing and honest encapsulation of their recurring themes, moods and interests, considering their established strengths and weaknesses in exploring all three.

• Leviathan, for pure sensory transference that immerses its audience in an endless cycle of environmental nightmares and a haunting nautical milieu, matching even the likes of Gravity in how-do-they-do-that visual chutzpah.

• Like Someone in Love, for continuing Kiarostami's hot streak in involving and intellectually playful two-handers, without feeling like he's overplaying his hand or exploring familiar territory, carefully measured in thought and skepticism.

• Mother of George, for having the technical temerity to tell a story of systemized cultural mechanics through apt stylistic panache, using it to enhance rather than undermine emotions and character development from the script.

• Paradise: Love, for detailing the Sugar Mama sex tourism scene in Kenya and linking it to a brutal and scathing tale of one woman providing men lessons in skilled manipulation over her own emotions, sneaking potent doses of empathy.

• The Selfish Giant, for steeping one foot in tacit acknowledgement of its titular inspiration and the other in valiantly suffocating subject matter finding ways for both to intersect, dramatize and oddly reflect one another.

Honorable Mentions begin with that frustratingly close #11 spot, Blue Caprice, and then move on to more festival holdovers from prior years like War Witch, I Killed My Mother, I Want Your Love, and In the Fog. All five have had durable staying power for me, and might even move higher on the list if I were to give them another whirl. And then Before Midnight, which had the potential to be in the top 10 if not for those prominent quibbles that I talked about in the Screenplay category, but the effortless elasticity of its two leads go a long way in helping it succeed, and it definitely does more right than it does wrong. You can see what else I liked and how I'd rank the actual nominees by visiting my Top 10 list.

And that's it for the personal ballot! I really hope that anyone who's been reading has enjoyed it, and even if you haven't been enjoying it, don't be shy! Leave a comment with your own favorites. I'm especially interested in your choices for Best Actress and anything you feel that I might have overlooked.

Now that we can move on from 2013, stay tuned for more topical posts that I have in the works.

Best of 2013: Lead Actor

Best Actor

• Bradley Cooper for American Hustle, for emanating qualities of overconfidence, hot-tempered eagerness and misguided intentions that are barely contained or aware of themselves, equaling his SLP performance in tonal acrobatics while achieving a generous rapport with his castmates.

• Oscar Isaac for Inside Llewyn Davis, because it's hard to imagine the film clicking as strongly as it does without his presence, bearing a lifetime's worth of (self-induced) misfortune and using sharp, eclectic forms of comedy and pained human detail to inch Llewyn towards his weary reckoning.

• Hugh Jackman for Prisoners, for hinting at helplessness but displaying pure animalistic veneer in the wake of tragedy, most especially when the plot piles on absurdities, and for providing a smart deconstruction of the Dutiful Avenging Family Man trope and of his own persona.

• Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club, for also boiling down the essential components of who he is as a performer, but showing us what his career has the potential to be, packaging newly rejuvenated charisma, physicality and perceptive character detail into a bonafide star performance.

• Isaiah Washington for Blue Caprice, for a smart adherence to unsettling instability amongst Moors' elliptical construction and unpleasant moods, conveying a man with an odious persecution complex who has a very strong possibility to mold a directionless kid into a dangerous human being.

How appropriate that I publish this list on Father's Day since four of the characters that the actors portray are fathers, though I don't actually remember whether its even mentioned that Ron Woodruff has a daughter or not in Dallas Buyers Club (which he did in real life). I know his paternity wasn't as vital to the story as Isaac's, Jackman's, or Washington's.

Honorable Mentions start with the young Conner Chapman in The Selfish Giant, who's constantly challenged to fluidly fluctuate between being pugnacious and generally caring (sometimes within the same scene), and having to have his entire world come crashing down around him while staying in the naturalistic hew set up by his director; and Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave, who is key to providing the film an understated conduit for empathy and lending nuance to McQueen's hyperbolic style, showing us the ways in which he learns to keep his head down over the years and the utter devastation he exudes with his reluctant involvement in scenes like the whipping scene. These two were fighting tooth and nail for those fourth and fifth slots, but are just as laudable regardless of their unfortunate omission.

Honorable mentions continue with Israel Broussard, who shows sweet elation to his new friends' acceptance and blind desperation to please them in The Bling Ring; Vincent Lindon, who serves as an emptied-out sexual and cerebral embodiment of the mythic, rock-nosed noir hero in Bastards; Joaquin Phoenix, who handles against-type tasks so deftly in Her, like the natural amiability he shows around Amy, the daffiness he lets loose during the first-date scenes between he and Samantha or how measured and revealing he makes scenes like the lunch with his soon-to-be ex-wife; Mads Mikkelson, who  has to work around a jerry-rigged script to provide an honest characterization of a man who's lost everything in the otherwise turgid, The Hunt; Bruce Dern, who does everything in his power to keep Woody from feeling one-note, adding a myriad of colors to his shame, humor, and aloofness amidst Nebraska's cajoling of easy gags and empty ranking of characters; Paul Eenhorn, who imparts This is Martin Bonner's title character with solitary reticence, and who avoids the lazy routine of viewing his religious crutch in a sneering, judgmental eye, painting his observer-reactor with wisdom and lust for life just waiting to shine through; Ali Mosaffa, who manages to make the twisty but faintly revealing nature of The Past's plot and character dynamics compelling, laying out a complicated history with Marie and a rich specificity in those promising opening scenes and warm approachability during the lunch with his stepdaughter; Miles Teller, whose charming turn as a wise-ass but intoxicatingly friendly high-schooler in The Spectacular Now transcends the surface teen alcoholism PSA and finds ways to earn our concerns and sympathies for the track that Sutter is going down; Ethan Hawke, who continues to make Jesse an endearing but slightly insensitive "roosterprick", constantly catching himself with his foot placed firmly in his mouth, even in his later, more weathered years in Before Midnight; and Tom Hanks, who starts off at one level as the cipher-ish titular captain in Captain Phillips and lets the entire film build to some of his most emotionally stripped-down moments than we've ever seen from him in the cathartic release of the film's ending.