Career Review: Pixar

It's time for the second installment of Career Review, where I take a look at the career of a director (or in this case animation studio).  This Career Review takes a look at the animation studio that started the business of making movies using just a computer, has since become one of the critical and commercial leaders in film, and has made you cry in front of hundreds of people at a movie theater. This is Pixar.

In All Seriousness:

Pixar's Films:

Toy Story (1995)

Being the first completely computer-generated animated film, Toy Story would be a huge landmark film whether it was great or not.  However, the film holds up beautifully almost 20 years since it’s release.  This nostalgia explosion of a film is chocked full of references to classic films, (look for the homage to Alien in Pizza Planet and the homage to The Shining in Sid’s house) as well as toys and games from the past.  The genius writers and animators drop in tons of very easy to miss jokes (for example Mr. Spell spells out Hubba Hubba super quickly after the announcement of a Mrs. Potato Head as one of the Christmas gifts) that rewards people who go back and watch this film again.  There is also quite a bit of adult humor sprinkled in that rewards those who haven’t seen the film since they were kids.  As one would expect, Pixar’s first film’s animation doesn’t have the smoothness and detail of its later films, but is still good-looking enough for it to not heavily affect any viewings.

Rating (out of 5 stars): *****

Favorite Peformer: Tom Hanks as Woody

Favorite Scene: The chase after the moving truck.

A Bug’s Life (1998)

Having the tough job of playing the middle child between Toy Story 1 and 2.  A Bug’s Life seems like kind of the forgotten Pixar film.  It’s rarely in the conversation when talking about the films of Pixar, but it’s really an underrated film.  The film looks beautiful, taking the animation style Toy Story created, and improving upon it with gorgeous textures and awesome use of light and shadows in the primarily exterior settings.  As with most Pixar films, the voices of each character are perfectly cast, this is true specifically with the circus bugs.  A Bug’s Life is filled with plenty of funny moments, but its biggest flaw is that it doesn’t really have the emotional punch that other Pixar films have.  This keeps it from getting to the same level as Pixar’s masterpieces.  That being said, it deserves a little more attention than it currently receives.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ***1/2

Favorite Performer: Tie between Kevin Spacey as Hopper and Richard Kind as Molt.

Favorite Scene: The circus performance for the grasshoppers.

Toy Story 2 (1999)

Toy Story 2 takes the already wonderful idea set up by Toy Story, and adds even more to it.  The animation is improved, and looks fantastic.  We get new interesting characters with the inclusion of Mrs. Potato Head, Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete.  The story is great, and includes stronger subplots for the non-Woody or Buzz characters than the first film.  Everything works really well like it does with Toy Story, which only leads me to compare the two films.  I believe that Toy Story 2 has the more interesting story, with Woody getting stolen and possibly being sold to a collector in China along with his new friends.  The animation is clearly better in 2, but that just comes with improved technology.  Toy Story 2 has probably the most emotional segment of the three Pixar films made up to this point, with Jessie’s flashback sequence.  However the thing that gives the original Toy Story a slight edge is that it is filled with more memorable moments.  Even after just watching Toy Story 2, I can name from memory many more moments that stick out in my mind from Toy Story than I can from Toy Story 2, and for primarily that reason I believe the original is the better film.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ****1/2

Favorite Performer: Joan Cusack as Jessie

Favorite Scene: Jessie’s flashback sequence

Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Monsters, Inc. showcases the great imagination of the people over at Pixar.  An alternate universe where monsters use the screams of children as their main source of energy, it’s a real interesting concept.  The writers of all of these Pixar films are experts at creating amusing universes, milking as much comedy and drama out of it as they can.  The monsters universe is less appealing to look at then the previous three universes, but the factory setting is portrayed well.  The voice casting is perfect; it wasn’t until seeing this movie that I realized Steve Buscemi was meant to play a lizard.  Also Monsters, Inc. includes in my opinion the best Pixar bloopers reel of the company’s entire filmography.  Roz as the prankster of the set is one of the funniest things in the entire Pixar universe.  Despite the tidal wave of praise I’m giving the film, it’s not perfect.  Jennifer Tilly’s character Celia isn’t very strong, and winds up being annoying for most of the scenes she’s in.  The film also doesn’t hold up watching it alone rather than with a group of people as the others did, however it still remains one of Pixar’s stronger films.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ****

Favorite Performer: Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski

Favorite Scene: Mike’s comedy routine at the end.

Finding Nemo (2003)

With 2003’s Finding Nemo, Pixar comes the closest to a perfect film since Toy Story.  The film has wonderful moments of true scariness (the barracuda and the Angler fish), true hilarity (most of the film, especially Dory), and true emotion (the reunion).  Up to this point, it’s Pixar’s prettiest film.  There is some incredible writing here, with a character so good that she spawned a sequel, presumably focusing on her (Finding Dory coming in 2016).  It’s easily one of the more re-watchable of the Pixar films, and I’m actually excited for this Pixar sequel, which is rare.  I remember all of the hype that surrounded this film when it came out in 2003, it lived up to the hype back then, and it remains a pleasure to watch over a decade later.

Rating (out of 5 stars): *****

Favorite Performer: Ellen DeGeneres as Dory

Favorite Scene: The meeting with the Sharks.

The Incredibles (2004)

Pixar brings their streak to six straight fantastic films with The Incredibles.  The Incredibles has family drama, action, and all of the qualities of the big-budget superhero films that are so popular today, before it became as big as it is now.  Slipping elements of a typical family drama film into an animated movie about a family of super heroes is a great idea.  The Incredibles is written and directed by Brad Bird (also wrote and directed The Iron Giant, and Ratatouille, which we'll see later), and he paces the film super (no pun intended) well.  The one thing the film lacked in comparison to the previous Pixar films on this list was an abundance of hilarious moments.  There are few solid comedic moments, but overall the film was played more for drama, which works just fine.  As a kid I didn’t appreciate it much, but after this re-watch I realized just how incredible it is (pun intended this time).

Rating (out of 5 Stars): ****

Favorite Performer: Holly Hunter as Helen Parr/Elastigirl

Favorite Scene: The Incredibles’ fight in the jungle on the island.

Cars (2006)

I understand the appeal of Cars to kids, but even as a kid I saw this as one of Pixar’s weakest films.  It’s an exhausted story that lacks the snappy dialogue, which enhanced the company’s previous films.  While Pixar usually casts perfectly for their films, Owen Wilson doesn’t feel like the right choice for the lead role of Lightning McQueen.  This is nothing against Wilson as an actor; he just doesn’t seem to try in this particular film.  Cars might have benefitted from switching Michael Keaton, who brought lots of enthusiasm to his much smaller role, to the lead role, and given Owen Wilson the lesser smaller part as Chick Hicks.  Maybe if Cars was made today that would have been the case with Keaton coming off of Birdman's success.  Other than Wilson however, the casting is great, unfortunately that still doesn’t save half the film from being too long and really boring.

Rating (out of 5 stars): **

Favorite Performer: Paul Newman as Doc Hudson

Favorite Scene: The race at the end.

Ratatouille (2007)

It’s a little weird to think that among living toys, talking fish, and monster worlds coinciding with ours, Ratatouille might have the story that you have to suspend disbelief the most.  But I’ll be damned if it’s not among the best stories from the company’s career.  A rat idolizes and has visions of a world-famous chef, befriends the chef’s son, and helps him become the most talked about chef in Paris by hiding under his hat and controlling his body functions by pulling his hair.  What I would give to be a fly on the wall in that pitch meeting.  But somehow the story works, and incredibly well at that.  Brad Bird writes and directs yet another wonderful script.  Also I dare anyone to watch this film and not want to eat yourself into a deep sleep.  I love it when film showcases another art form, and Ratatouille portrays cooking as an art form beautifully.

Rating (out of 5 stars): *****

Favorite Performer: Patton Oswalt as Remy

Favorite Scene: The preparation for Ego’s meal and his flashback.

Wall-E (2008)

Wall-E is without a doubt a film for kids, but at times Wall-E can be the most adult that Pixar films get.  The film does a good job of mixing in childish humor, but there are some really, really adult subjects.  In Wall-E we see a post-apocalyptic earth, commentary on our laziness and dependence on technology as a society, and a few references to probably every child’s favorite film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.  The most effective aspect of Wall-E is also thus far the best portrayal of romance in a Pixar film.  Wall-E and Eve’s relationship is easily the most interesting part of the film, so much so that I don’t really care what happens to the humans.  While I like Wall-E quite a bit, it suffers from being part of a group of such amazing films, which is unfortunately why it’ll wind up towards the middle of my rankings.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ****

Favorite Performer: Ben Burtt and Elissa Knight as Wall-E and Eve.  Honorable mention goes to Jeff Garlin as the captain since he does pretty much all of the talking in this film.

Favorite Scene: When Wall-E and Eve are dancing in space.

Up (2009)

Up continued what I would consider Pixar’s unofficial trilogy of kids movies for adults, with Wall-E being the first and Toy Story 3 completing two trilogies at once.  While I'd say most, if not all of Pixar films are enjoyable for adults as well, these three films seems to have the most adult themes.  The montage at the beginning that starts with the birth of the relationship between Carl (the protagonist) and Ellie, and ends with Ellie’s death, packs a heavy emotional punch.  But it’s so effective, and could honestly work as a short film on it’s own, although it would be more depressing without the rest of the feature film that follows.  One of Up’s most creative ideas, the translating dog collars, worked as the main laugh getter for me in the film.  They perfectly capture the thoughts that one might expect a dog to think, and the malfunctioning of the scariest dog, Alpha's collar to give it an Alvin-and-the-Chipmunk voice is hilarious.  Although this type of voice changing is something I deplore (youtube/nickelodeon star Fred is one example), it works really well here, as does the film as a whole.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ****

Favorite Performer: Bob Peterson as Dug/Alpha

Favorite Scene: The first meeting with Dug.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Like I said before, this is the third in both the adult themes trilogy, as well as the third installment in the Toy Story trilogy.  While it’s the strongest of the adult themes trilogy, I think it’s the weakest of the Toy Story trilogy.  Not to say it’s bad or even just all right, however.  Toy Story 3 is great.  It’s just that the journey of the first two films is part of what makes those movies amazing, where as 3’s journey seems too isolated due to the fact that most of the film takes place at Sunnyside.  Even though it’s an interesting environment to throw the toys into, it’s not as fun as a Pizza Planet or an Al’s Toy Barn.  With that being said, the voice work is terrific as always, especially from newcomers to the series like Michael Keaton as Ken, and Ned Beatty as one of the most evil Pixar characters to in Lotso.  The comedy lands for the most part, with bits like Mr. Potato head as a tortilla and a cucumber, as well as Spanish Buzz Lightyear.  The highlight of the film, however, comes at the end with Andy and the little girl.  No other Pixar scene gets me choked up more than this one.  It’s a real kick to the feelings gland.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ****

Favorite Performer: Michael Keaton as Ken

Favorite Scene: The scene with Andy and the little girl.

Cars 2 (2011)

Cars 2, like the first Cars film, suffers from being too on-the-nose at times.  I wanted to turn the movie off very early on as soon as Mater describes all of the events that happened after the first movie in a 10-second conversation of pure exposition.  Instead, I gave the film a fair fight to win me over.  Cars 2 has quite a few negative qualities, such as the still not-right-for-the-role Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, or putting Mater (one of the more annoying characters in the Cars series, possibly in Pixar films altogether) as the primary character, or the uninteresting dialogue consuming most of the script.  Despite all of these problems, Cars 2 is…fun.  Rather than having a boring first half of the movie, Cars 2 has a boring twenty minutes, and a fun rest of the movie.  The new characters added to the universe are all interesting, entertaining characters.  The settings are more extravagant, and nice to look at.  The spy storyline is a lot more exciting than the entirety of the first Cars.  This film doesn’t come close to achieving the same quality of storytelling as Pixar’s greater films, but it does do what the people behind the first Cars film should have done, made it more fun.  Cars 2 is basically an animated kids movie version of the Fast and Furious franchise, and it works, kind of.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ***

Favorite Performer: Michael Caine as Finn McMissile

Favorite Scene: The entire final race sequence in England.

Brave (2012)

Brave was one of two (the other being Cars 2) Pixar films that I hadn’t seen before watching them all in order for this post.  Especially considering the small similarities that can be found between this film and Dreamworks’s How to Train Your Dragon, Brave almost feels like Pixar trying to make a Dreamworks film.  The lesson learned in the film is too blatant, and the fairy tale quality is something I tend not to really enjoy in animated films.  However, the film is gorgeous.  Each frame is brilliantly crafted; the physics of things like Merida’s hair flowing and arrows being shot look flawless.  The film is very funny thanks mainly to Merida’s three younger brothers and father.  Brave is a pretty good film; the problem is I kept waiting for it to be a great film.  Maybe another viewing is warranted sometime in the near future.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ***1/2

Favorite Performer: Kelly Macdonald as Merida

Favorite Scene: When Merida and her mom are trying to escape the castle with the help of the three boys.

Monsters University (2013)

The main thing that a good sequel (or in this case, prequel) has to do is be able to stand out on it’s own as a good film.  It has to put its characters, new and old, in a similar, but different environment.  It can’t just recycle everything that worked in the first film, slightly alter it, and call it something new (Ex: The Hangover sequels).  The sequel (or prequel) has to be different, and this is one of the reasons why Monsters University (Cars 2 to a lesser degree, and the Toy Story sequels) works.  University introduces several new characters to the Monsters world, and although some are under utilized, for the most part they bring interesting characteristics to the table.  Among the under utilized returning characters is Randall, who could have and should have played a bigger role in this film.  Additionally, the look of the film really showcases how far Pixar’s animating has come since 1995, with incredible textures and lighting throughout.  One of the few things that might drag University down a bit is the fact that it is a prequel, so we’re not getting a completely original idea.  Also the solutions to problems seem to come a little too easily at times, which is fine on occasion, but not throughout an entire film.  And finally the stakes of Mike and Sully getting kicked out of school are kind of diminished by the easiness at which they are able to get jobs afterwards.  But nonetheless, Monsters University is a good enough follow up (or follow down?) to Monsters, Inc., and a solid bookend to the Pixar career thus far.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ***1/2

Favorite Performer: Joel Murray as Don

Favorite Scene: The first Scare game with the pink spike balls.

Overview

Pixar has had a long and prosperous career, and has rewarded it's fans by placing little easter eggs into each of it's films.  Like the Pizza Planet Truck in every Pixar film except for The Incredibles, or the Pixar Theory, which explains how all of the Pixar films exist in the same universe, or theories about seemingly minor characters.  Pixar rewards us for continuing to see their work, with films that are smart, funny, and as touching as you'll see in cinema.  While the company's master works are found towards the beginning of their catalogue, hopes are high for this year's upcoming Inside Out (which has gotten great reviews out of the Cannes Film Festival) as well as The Good Dinosaur.  Things are looking potentially great for the company with nothing left to prove.

Final Ranking:

1. Toy Story

2. Ratatouille

3. Finding Nemo

4. Toy Story 2

5. Monsters, Inc.

6. The Incredibles

7. Toy Story 3

8. Up

9. Wall-E

10. A Bug’s Life

11. Monsters University

12. Brave

13. Cars 2

14. Cars

Look out for the next Career Review, which will be a look at director Quentin Tarantino's body of work.

Career Review: Paul Thomas Anderson

Career Review is a new feature I'm introducing now, where I will be watching the entire filmography of a director and analyzing it.  I'll rank the films and pick my favorite scenes from each of them.  I'm starting this with Paul Thomas Anderson, who's filmography could also double as a list of some of my favorite films to be made in the past 20 years.  I'll try to be un-biased, but you should definitely expect nothing but praise.

In All Seriousness:

Paul Thomas Anderson's Films:

Hard Eight (1996)

PTA's debut feature is a tough film to try and compare to the rest of his work.  The film showcases the long tracking shots, quick montages, and motif of unconventional families that PTA will be known for throughout his career.  It also features the first collaborations with Michael Penn (also scored Boogie Nights), Robert Elswit (cinematographer for all of Anderson's films except for The Master), and three actors he would cast in some of his films after Hard Eight: Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, and the late and great Phillip Seymour Hoffman.  But despite the common factors shared with his other films, Hard Eight is clearly the outcast in a tight little filmography.  His writing isn't as strong, and the dialogue seems more artificial in Hard Eight than it does with his other films.  And some of the camera and editing techniques he tries to pull off here aren't as smooth and don't seem as thought out as it does with every film following this film. He had trouble with the studios not giving him much freedom throughout it's creation(for example the original title of the film is Sydney, but Anderson was forced to change it to it's current name).  Even though the studio interference and the lack of experience as a director definitely worked against him here, Hard Eight is still a good movie that would probably be among the better films of a lesser director's filmography.  It just falls victim to being just a lump of coal in a group of diamonds.

Favorite Scene: The Craps scene, in which Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) plays with a young guy played by a scene-stealing Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Favorite Performer: Philip Baker Hall as Sydney

Rating (out of 5 stars): ***

Boogie Nights (1997)

Anyone who knows me personally is probably aware of the fact that Boogie Nights is my favorite film.  Anyone who doesn't know me personally, but has read my Top 50 Films of All-time list, will also be aware that Boogie Nights is my favorite film.  If you are reading this sentence right now and have read the two sentences before it, you should at this point understand that Boogie Nights is my favorite film.  After 15+ viewings, I haven't found much to complain about.  A few of the characters could have definitely been developed more (John C. Reilly's Reed Rothchild comes to mind first), some scenes drag on just a touch too long (the scene with Dirk and his girlfriend near the beginning), and I understand the people that are made uncomfortable by the subject matter.  The main thing that keeps me coming back to Boogie Nights however, is the fact that it's equally enjoyable on the 15th+ watch as it was the first time I watched it.  From the perfect soundtrack to the wonderful performances from a great cast of actors, Boogie Nights is the best film you will see that is set in the porn industry and about being part of a family.

Favorite Scene: Drug Deal Scene
Favorite Performer: Julianne Moore as Amber Waves
Rating (out of 5 Stars): *****


Magnolia (1999)

Having read and watched countless interviews with Paul Thomas Anderson, I've seen him talk more about his films than I've talked about anything period.  What it seems like from those interviews, is that he made this film as a way of dealing with the death of his father around the time he made Boogie Nights.  Anderson deals a lot with life and death, fathers and sons, and relationships in general in Magnolia.  By far his most emotionally draining film, Magnolia is filled with a lot of depressing moments, peaking in it's sadness at the scene where the cast sings along to Aimee Mann's (who did the soundtrack for the film) song 'Wise Up'.  The gloominess along with the three-hour long running time (a little too long even according to PTA himself), make Magnolia a film with much less re-playability than a film like Boogie Nights.  With that being said the film is an essential viewing for any fan of Anderson.  I'd argue that Magnolia has the ability to make even the most robotic, emotionless of people feel something, or at least make them think.   The last twenty-ish minutes is a wonderful technical achievement, and worth watching for that scene at least.

Favorite Scene: Kinda spoilers: When Jimmy Gator (Philip Baker Hall) passes out in the middle of a taping of What Do Kids Know?  It's the best acting I've seen Baker Hall do in any film.
Favorite Performer: Tom Cruise as Frank T.J. Mackey
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****


Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

With Punch-Drunk Love, Paul Thomas Anderson set out to make a romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler.  That's exactly what it is, but with a whole bunch of PTA sprinkled all over it.  Anderson uses Sandler's angry and child-like acting talents, and creates a character that fits him perfectly.  Although the love story part of the film is a bit too conventional, it has these little touches that keep it from entering sappy, Lifetime movie territory.  To add on to that, the subplot of the guy who runs a phone sex line company (played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman) stealing money from Barry is incredibly interesting and adds an almost horror-like element to the film.  These scenes are also the funniest.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Adam Sandler work off of each other's anger so well, that it makes the two scenes in which they interact some of their career-best work.

Favorite Scene: Tie between the two Barry and the Mattress Man interactions.
Favorite Performer: Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Dean Trumbell the Mattress Man
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****


There Will Be Blood (2007)

From a technical standpoint, There Will Be Blood is PTA's best film.  The film is a masterclass of cinematography, scoring, set design, sound editing, writing and directing.  Plus Daniel-Day Lewis's Daniel Plainview should forever be known as one of the most iconic performances of all-time.  That's not a hyperbole, until scientists create robot actors that are better than humans, DDL's performance will be known as one of the best.  There Will Be Blood is filled with memorable scene after the next, and will most likely remain one of my favorite films for a while.

Favorite Scene: Daniel's baptism.
Favorite Performer: Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview
Rating (out of 5 stars): *****


The Master (2012)

The Master happens to be the first film by Paul Thomas Anderson that I was able to watch in theaters.  Nothing beats the feeling of getting to see a film by your favorite director in theaters.  When it turned out to be great, it was like experiencing peanut butter and jelly for the first time again.  Joaquin Phoenix, who is an actor I've admired for a while, getting matched up with Paul Thomas Anderson is a dream come true.  In a perfect world, their working relationship will last even farther than their second film together, Inherent Vice.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams round out the leading cast, and both give great performances.  If you're going to watch The Master you should be prepared to watch it again, because it is both necessary and enjoyable to give it multiple views.

Favorite Scene: The prison scene
Favorite Performer: Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Quell
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****1/2


Inherent Vice (2014)

The release of this film last year is the inspiration for this blog post, but I wanted to wait until I saw it a second time so I could make a fair judgement of it.  When I saw the film for the first time, it was in theaters with a bunch of people who responded well.  The good atmosphere definitely added to my response to the film.  So the second time I watched it on iTunes in order to judge it in a different environment.  Upon second viewing, the film was still a real joy to watch.  Anderson wrote his funniest script here, based off of wonderful source material.  I found myself actually laughing out loud both in the theater and alone in my bed.  Anderson uses static shots and lets entire scenes play out with the camera change being a slow move in towards the actors.  He also picks out takes where actors mumble their lines, or stutter, giving the characters a true-to-life feel.  For every extra viewing that is required for The Master, you'll need two for Inherent Vice.  The film can be a bit difficult to follow at times, especially if you haven't read the book.  Also there are so many little jokes that are not easy to catch after the first viewing.  It's always a great reward to catch little things you didn't notice until the second viewing.

Favorite Scene: The ouija board/running in the rain scene.  It's my favorite portrayal of a relationship in any of PTA's films.
Favorite Performer: Josh Brolin as Lt. Christian 'Bigfoot' Bjornsen
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****1/2


Overview

With seven films made in less than twenty years, the closest Paul Thomas Anderson has come to a failure is his still pretty good debut feature, Hard Eight.  He is the kind of director that allows his actors to actually earn their good performances by using takes that last several minutes without a cut.  Not only does Anderson direct, but he writes every film he directs.  All of his scripts mix drama and truly hilarious comedic moments really well (with the exception of There Will Be Blood, which is pretty much all drama).  Family is clearly important to him, with familial elements being evident in all seven of his films, as well as his use of the same crew and actors on many of his films; creating his own little work family.

Final Ranking: 

(1, 2, and 7 are pretty solid, but 3-6 could be switched around after even more viewings.  They were really hard to rank)

1. Boogie Nights
2. There Will Be Blood
3. The Master
4. Inherent Vice
5. Punch-Drunk Love
6. Magnolia
7. Hard Eight

My 2015 Oscars Rankings and Predictions

The Oscars are on tonight, which means that movie fanatics and live-tweeters can join together to make all forms of social media unbearable.  With that being said, I will absolutely be live-tweeting and complaining about each Oscar win that I disagree with.  I'm already preparing myself for the inevitable loss in the Adapted Screenplay category for Paul Thomas Anderson.  Since the Oscars have a tendency to not be very shocking, I'm hoping there are some surprises this year.  At the very least, Neil Patrick Harris should be a good host.

In All Seriousness:

Below I will rank the films and performances in order from would like to win the most to the least, and I will put an asterisk next to the film/performance that I think will win.  And the short film categories were picked at random because I haven't seen any of them.

*= My predicted win

BEST PICTURE

1. Whiplash

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel

3. Boyhood*

4. Birdman

5. The Imitation Game

6. Selma

7. The Theory of Everything

8. American Sniper

BEST ACTOR

1. Michael Keaton (Birdman)*

2. Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)

3. Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)

4. Bradley Cooper (American Sniper)

5. Steve Carell (Foxcatcher)

BEST ACTRESS

1. Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

2. Julianne Moore (Still Alice)*

3. Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night)

4. Reese Witherspoon (Wild)

5. Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)*

2. Edward Norton (Birdman)

3. Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)

4. Ethan Hawke (Boyhood)

Did not see: Robert Duvall (The Judge)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)*

2. Emma Stone (Birdman)

3. Laura Dern (Wild)

4. Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)

Did not see: Into the Woods

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Richard Linklater (Boyhood)*

2. Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

3. Alejandro G. Inarritu (Birdman)

4. Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher)

5. Morton Tyldum (The Imitation Game)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel*

2. Birdman

3. Nightcrawler

4. Boyhood

5. Foxcatcher

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 

1. Inherent Vice

2. Whiplash*

3. The Theory of Everything

4. The Imitation Game

5. American Sniper

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

1. Ida*

Did not see:

"Leviathan," Russia

"Tangerines," Estonia

"Wild Tales," Argentina

"Timbuktu," Mauritania

BEST ANIMATED FEATURED FILM

Did not see:

"Big Hero 6"

"The Boxtrolls"

"How to Train Your Dragon 2"*

"Song of the Sea"

"The Tale of the Princess Kaguya"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Birdman*

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel

3. Ida

4. Mr. Turner

Did not see: Unbroken

BEST FILM EDITING

1. Whiplash

2. Boyhood*

3. The Grand Budapest Hotel

4. American Sniper

5. The Imitation Game

BEST SOUND EDITING

Richard King, "Interstellar"

Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro, "Unbroken"

Brent Burge and Jason Canovas, "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies"

Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman, "American Sniper"*

Martin Hernandez and Aaron Glascock, "Birdman"

BEST SOUND MIXING

Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten, "Interstellar"

Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley, "Whiplash"*

Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montano and Thomas Varga, "Birdman"

John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin, "American Sniper"

Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montano and David Lee, "Unbroken"

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Dennis Gassner (Production Design) and Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration), "Into the Woods"

Adam Stockhausen (Production Design) and Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration), "The Grand Budapest Hotel"*

Nathan Crowley (Production Design) and Gary Fettis (Set Decoration),"Interstellar"

Maria Djurkovic (Production Design) and Tatiana Macdonald (Set Decoration), "The Imitation Game"

Suzie Davies (Production Design) and Charlotte Watts (Set Decoration),"Mr. Turner"

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Milena Canonero, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Mark Bridges, "Inherent Vice"*

Colleen Atwood, "Into the Woods"

Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive, "Maleficient"

Jacqueline Durran, "Mr. Turner"

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1. The Theory of Everything*

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel

3. The Imitation Game

4. Interstellar

5. Mr. Turner

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Glory" by Common and John Legend, "Selma"*

"Lost Stars" by Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley and NickSouthwood, "Begin Again"

"Everything Is Awesome" by Shawn Patterson, "The LEGO Movie"

"I'm Not Gonna Miss You," by Glen Campbell, "Glenn Campbell: I'll Be Me"

"Grateful," "Beyond the lights"

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

"Foxcatcher"

"The Grand Budapest Hotel"

"Guardians of the Galaxy"*

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher, "Interstellar"*

Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"

Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould, "Guardians of the Galaxy"

Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick, "Captain America: Winter Soldier"

Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer, "X-Men: Days of Future Past"

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

"Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1"

"Joanna"

"Our Curse"

"White Earth"

"The Reaper"*

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Did not see:

"Citizenfour"*

"Last Days in Vietnam"

"Virunga"

"The Salt of the Earth"

"Finding Vivian Maier"

BEST SHORT FILM, LIVE ACTION

"Boogaloo and Graham"

"Aya"

"Butterlamp"

"Parvenah"

"The Phone Call"*

BEST SHORT FILM, ANIMATED

"Feast"*

"The Bigger Picture"

"A Single Life"

"The Dam Keeper"

"Me and My Moulton"

-Ryan Moncrief

What Movie Should You Be Watching on Valentine's Day?

Love is in the air. Chocolate is in our mouths. People are ironically and un-ironically tossing around the "word" "bae".  This must mean it's Valentine's Day.  Whether you hate it or hate it (does anyone actually really like V-Day?) you have to endure it like everyone else.  Single or not, one of the best ways to spend February 14th is by watching movies.  Below I will show you what movie to watch on Valentine's Day depending on what kind of person you are.  Even if you're single!

In All Seriousness:

You've been with the same Valentine for a long time: Groundhog Day

Sit down with your husband/wife or your long-term boyfriend/girlfriend, and enjoy this incredible Bill Murray film.  Murray is at the top of his career in what is in my opinion his best film.  Hilarious and touching to reignite that burning desire in you both.  For a different kind of burning feeling, enjoy your Valentine's Day dinner at Taco Bell.

You're reuniting with your Valentine after a while apart: Wild at Heart

Have you been on opposite sides of the country as your significant other?  Are you just getting out of serving a prison sentence only to reunite with your lady and go on the run with her because her mom is hiring people to kill you? The second scenario is what happens to Nicolas Cage's character Sailor in Wild at Heart.  This movie is darkly funny, crazy as hell, and super weird.  All things you'd expect from a David Lynch film.

You were recently broken up with before V-Day: Sideways

I get it.  Breaking up sucks.  You have no hope for the future.  Why don't you give that Sam Smith album a break and pop in Sideways.  It's funny, it's filled with bright California images, and it shows that even if you're Paul Giamatti, there is still hope to find love in this world.

You recently started a relationship before V-Day: Punch-Drunk Love

Woooo!  Finally got a boyfriend or girlfriend, huh?  Adam Sandler knows exactly how you feel in Punch-Drunk Love.  "I have a love in my life.  It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine." Adam Sandler's Barry Egan's love makes him stronger than anything you can imagine when he gets into some trouble with a mattress salesman as he enters a new relationship.  Short, sweet, and has one of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman's best roles despite how small it is.

Your best friend is your valentine this year: Thelma and Louise

As is the common consensus with single people, both boys and girls suck.  That's why your best friend is your valentine this year.  There is no shame in that.  You might be closer with that person than you ever could be with someone of the opposite sex.  You could argue that Thelma and Louise's love for each other is stronger than most romantic relationships in other films.  Just try not to go on a crime spree with your friend this Valentine's Day.

Just because I'm thirteen doesn't mean I can't be in love, MOM: Moonrise Kingdom

You are young, dumb, and in love.  It happens.  You are mature enough to make decisions for yourself.  And as we can see in Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, sometimes the kids act like adults and adults act like kids.  Enjoy being a kid, write letters to each other, enjoy picnics together, and hope that Bill Murray isn't your dad.  (Actually scratch that, Bill Murray would be an amazing dad.)

Ahhhhhhh I'm single and I'm pissed about it!: Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2

Woah!  Take it easy.  Stop breaking things.  You're making a scene.  You're single, again.  It sucks.  Instead of putting bags of poop on your ex's doorstep (actually don't rule this out, sounds fun), watch a film where a girl goes on an unstoppable quest for revenge, trying to take down every person that stands in her way just so she can kill her ex.  Watch all four hours of this 2-part action film (let's face it, you have the time), and watch Uma Thurman let out all of her anger in a way that you wish you could.

Whether you actually listen to my recommendations or don't watch a movie at all, I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day.

-Ryan Moncrief

Top 25 Films of the Decade So Far

As a currently jobless college student on winter break, I have basically no real responsibilities at the moment other than the usual shower daily, make sure the dogs don't pee in the house, and don't starve.  And even those responsibilities I put off every now and again.  My point is, I currently have the time to do silly things like list and write about my 25 favorite films of the decade we're in so far.  So if you happen to be reading this, I appreciate the time you are taking away from actual responsibilities like school, work, a social life, to read the things I have to say about movies.  But if you don't feel like reading I made a video montage listing the movies below.  The video has music and a lot fewer words.  Either way I hope you enjoy.

In All Seriousness:

25. 127 Hours (2010)
Director: Danny Boyle

It's tough to make a film that for the most part takes place in one area, but Danny Boyle really makes it work.  He uses great editing, along with flashbacks, dream sequences, and interesting cinematography to keep the story gripping.  James Franco gives the best performance of his career (at least so far), and he along with Danny Boyle make this film that can be funny, sad, and hard to watch all at the same time, what it is.

24. Moneyball (2011)
Director: Bennett Miller

Aaron Sorkin (the screenwriter) has a writing style that I think viewers will either love or hate.  His heavy dialogue, and sarcastic, witty characters is something that just really works for me.  The writing is what I really appreciate about the film, but I'm also a fan of Bennett Miller's ability to direct the film in a way that baseball fans AND non-baseball fans can enjoy the film.  It's not as much about baseball as it is about one guy trying to prove wrong everyone who is against him.  Also Jonah Hill gives his first proof of some dramatic chops.

23. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Director: Wes Anderson

You can now see my thoughts on this film in my review for the film, my top 20 films of 2014 post, and now here.  There isn't much more I can say about it the film.  But I will point out that this movie could move forwards or backwards on this list after a re-watch, because the film isn't as fresh in my mind since seeing it in early 2014.  This movie's ensemble is also the sole reason why I decided not to list actors for each film on this list.  There are so many damn people in this movie, but all of them are cast well and nice to see in a Wes Anderson film.

22. Frances Ha (2013)
Director: Noah Baumbach

A screenwriting professor I had last year described this film as, "About nothing, but also about so much."  And that description really stuck with me because it's true.  Frances Ha is about a girl living in New York, and there isn't much to the story other than look at this quirky girl who is hanging out with her best friend, trying to follow her dreams, and living in New York City.  But that's all it really has to be for me, because the realism in Greta Gerwig's portrayal of this type of character is what made me really enjoy this film as much as I did.  I also really love the script that Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig co-wrote together, and the beautiful black and white cinematography.

21. Gone Girl (2014)
Director: David Fincher

I could slip in Gone Girl as sort of a third part to a trilogy of modern mystery films from David Fincher (along with Zodiac and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).  All 3 are similar, but not identical in style and the way they unfold the main mystery in their stories.  Gone Girl does a great job of carefully revealing each twist, and Rosamund Pike gives a career-making performance as Amy.

20. Short Term 12 (2013)
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

Short Term 12 hits you on an emotional level without the conventions of a Hollywood drama or romance.  This is thanks to Cretton's subtle directing, and his ability to make you feel something with an act as simple as having a character tell a story.  But even more so thanks to the wonderful lead performances from Brie Larson and John Gallagher Jr.  Their dynamic as a couple working at a foster home as well as dealing with their own problems are beautifully shown here.


19. Boyhood (2014)
Director: Richard Linklater

It's really good.  Read any of the other countless reviews praising this film.

18. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Director: Steve McQueen

Last year's Oscar awards was the first year in a little while where I wasn't mad about the Best Picture winner.  Steve McQueen is a filmmaker I really admire.  I've enjoyed all 3 films he has made so far, and 12 Years a Slave is probably his best.  He pulls off long takes like a master, and allows his actors to give excellent performances.  This movie had one of my favorite shots of 2013, but I won't describe it as to not give away spoilers.  All I'll say is it lingers on for a long time, even longer than you'd expect or even be comfortable with, but it works perfectly.

17. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2012)
Director: Banksy

Banksy makes a one-of-a-kind documentary, which is at first about graffiti art, but then becomes something completely different later on.  It's interesting, it's intense (specifically the part at Disneyland), and it's an extremely creative way to make a film.  As of now this film is my favorite documentary.

16. Holy Motors (2012)
Director: Leos Carax

I don't even know how to describe this film.  I guess my best attempt would be to say that it's about the day in a life of many characters, but also only one character at the same time.  Holy Motors can be challenging, many will call it weird.  But this film is like nothing I've ever seen before.  It's a film watching experience that true fans of film should at the very least give a shot.  It's on Netflix.

15.  A Separation (2011)
Director: Asghar Farhadi

In 2011, this is one of the films that I really meant to see before making my annual best films of the year list, but somehow I didn't manage to see it until about a month ago.  This Iranian drama is tense from the very first second, and doesn't let you feel safe for a second until the film ends.  I'm not going to get into the ending, but I really loved the way they did it.

14. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Director: Martin Scorsese

Wild, fun, excessive.  Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street is his closest film in terms of style to his 1990 film Goodfellas, which is my favorite of his.  If anyone can have us rooting for a unbelievably awful person like Jordan Belfort for or a gangster like Henry Hill, it's Scorsese.  3 hours long, but it feels like 2.  It never gets boring, and makes me excited that Marty is still pumping out good films this late into his career.

13. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Director: Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson is one of the directors for me who has yet to do me wrong.  Of the films of his I've seen, there hasn't been one that I didn't at least like.  And to say I love Moonrise Kingdom, yet it's only my third favorite of his says a lot.  I think Moonrise is his best example of the classic Wes Anderson trait of the kids in the film being adult-like, and the adults in the film acting childish.  Also the back and forth letter writing scene between the boy and girl in this film is one of my favorite Wes Anderson film scenes ever.

12. Blue is the Warmest Color (2013)
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

Despite the controversy surrounding the film regarding the explicit sex scenes and the supposedly exhausting working environment for the actresses, Kechiche and these actresses made a masterpiece.  This is a film I've been wanting to revisit since I saw it, the 3 hour running time has me delaying that, but the first time I saw it, it was a 3 hours well spent.  Adele Exarchopolous is amazing as this young woman discovering her sexuality, and Lea Seydoux is just as great as her love interest.  Expect to see these two a lost more in the future.

11. Drive (2011)
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Drive is a movie I am really happy wasn't like the trailer.  The trailer made it seem like it would be a mindless action film.  What it turned out to be was a visually pleasing thriller with great action and great acting from it's cast.  Albert Brooks, who gave my favorite performance of 2011, is particularly good as the main antagonist of the film.

10. Whiplash (2014)
Director: Damien Chazelle

My 2nd favorite film of this past film.  These kind of musician trying to make it big can fall into so many cliches and stereotypes that Whiplash never falls into.  Miles Teller brings a drive to the character of Andrew and J.K. Simmons gives an intensity to the character of Mr. Fletcher, and together they make magic.  Between this chemistry, and the editing, and the finale, this film is something really special.

9. Django Unchained (2012)
Director: Quentin Tarantino

I might not always be a fan of Tarantino's personality, but his films are right up my alley.  Django is towards the top of his filmography for me.  His writing here is great as always, and he creates some of his most memorable characters here.  Everyone plays their part perfectly, and does a great job of getting through Tarantino's paragraphs of dialogue.  It's probably partly my love for Westerns that makes me appreciate this film so much, but I just love it.

8. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
Director: Benh Zeitlin

A brilliant debut film from Benh Zeitlin who also wrote and scored the film in addition to directing.  The score is something that really makes the emotions hit harder than they would without it. Quvenzhane Wallis as this 6-year old girl in the south before, during, and after a Katrina-like storm, is great.  And hopefully she remains successful despite how that new Annie movie looks.

7. Inherent Vice (2014)
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Taking huge inspiration from film noir, the 70's, and it's source material's author Thomas Pynchon's style, PTA hits another home run with this hilarious noir-esque film.  Joaquin Phoenix leads an ensemble cast that all are perfect for the roles they were cast in.  This is the perfect kind of movie for my taste, and I can only see this movie getting better with more views.

6. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen

The Coen Brothers do it again with a wonderful film about a folk musician trying to find success.  It would make a good companion piece to Whiplash, although this one is a little more depressing with it's muted color cinematography and storyline.  And really just the general sadness in folk music rather than jazz.  Oscar Isaac is heartbreakingly good, and surely deserved a his first name nomination last year.

5. Black Swan (2010)
Director: Darren Aronofsky

Natalie Portman's Nina Sayers is one of the best performances of the decade so far.  Her dedication to the performance is evident in the dance sequences.  You'd suspect that she's been training for years, when in fact it was only months.  Darren Aronofsky's cerebral drama Black Swan can be horrifying and beautiful at the same time.  It was my second favorite film of a very strong year in film.

4. The Master (2012)
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson's first film since 2007's There Will Be Blood is the nearly as well-crafted The Master.  Paul Thomas directs his three main actors to Oscar nominated performances.  His cinematographer shoots beautiful images, and the score from Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood is engaging just as it was in There Will Be Blood.  The Master says a lot about faith and obedience, and allows for different things to be seen upon each viewing.

3. The Tree of Life (2011)
Director: Terrence Malick

Speaking of needing multiples viewings, Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life.  One of the most beautiful films I've ever seen, as is probably evident from the screenshot I chose above.  I still haven't fully grasped everything the film is trying to say, but that's why I love it so much.  It's never the same experience watching this film again and again, which makes this film something that will hold up for a long time.

2. Her (2013)
Director: Spike Jonze

Her is a one-of-a-kind, film about love.  It's odd, I know people who were weirded out by it.  But I think this portrayal of someone feeling love is as real as any other film I've seen.  It can be funny, sweet, and then really punch you right in the heard with spiked brass knuckles.  I think this film is incredible, it made me feel things that not many other films have before.

1. The Social Network (2010)
Director: David Fincher

I might be in the minority, but I truly believe that this film is the masterpiece of the 21st century.  Every aspect of filmmaking is in prime form here, from Fincher's directing, to Aaron Sorkin's excellent screenplay, to the acting, to the perfect score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and the great cinematography from Fincher's go-to guy Jeff Cronenweth.  It's a film that deals with a problem and an event that has a lot to do with our lives in this decade.  With the film industry constantly going deep into history with their films, even though it's nice to see those events in film, it was refreshing to see a newer event in history captured so well.

-Ryan Moncrief