Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #11-14

Scene from The Fighter (2010)

As 2019 reached its end, another decade of cinema had passed. It's amazing to think about how things have evolved since 2010 when the biggest controversies were about recognizing genre movies. Things look different now, especially as genre films like The Shape of Water and Parasite are winning Best Picture and the voting body looks incredibly different with each passing year. With this period in the books, it feels like a good time to celebrate their accomplishments by ranking all 88 titles nominated for Best Picture from worst to best with the goal of seeing which films are more likely to stand the test of time. Join me every Saturday and Sunday as I count them down, five at a time. It's going to be a fun summer looking back on what was, especially as we prepare for the decade ahead and an even more interesting diversity that we haven't even begun to think of.

Every Best Picture Nominee of the 2010's Ranked: #50-54

Scene from American Hustle

As 2019 reached its end, another decade of cinema had passed. It's amazing to think about how things have evolved since 2010 when the biggest controversies were about recognizing genre movies. Things look different now, especially as genre films like The Shape of Water and Parasite are winning Best Picture and the voting body looks incredibly different with each passing year. With this period in the books, it feels like a good time to celebrate their accomplishments by ranking all 88 titles nominated for Best Picture from worst to best with the goal of seeing which films are more likely to stand the test of time. Join me every Saturday and Sunday as I count them down, five at a time. It's going to be a fun summer looking back on what was, especially as we prepare for the decade ahead and an even more interesting diversity that we haven't even begun to think of.

Ranking Amy Adams' 5 Oscar Nominated Roles

Amy Adams in Arrival

Today marks actress Amy Adams' 42nd birthday. Over the course of an impressive career, she has played everything from Disney princess to the wife of a cult leader. To say the least, her range is endless, and she continues to produce quality work on an almost annual basis. With the potential for a sixth nomination this fall with director Denis Villeneuve's alien invasion movie Arrival, there's no better time to be an Adams fan. While we wait for her next film to win us over, the following is a ranking of her current five Oscar nominations, of which shows off her charisma as well as argues the case as to why she doesn't have an Oscar yet. She more than deserves one.

Theory Thursday: "Joy" is Jennifer Lawrence's Best Performance

Jennifer Lawrence

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

A Ranking of Every Film By David O. Russel

David O. Russell

With this past weekend's release of Joy, director David O. Russell once again returns with a film that establishes his attempt to be a populous auteur. Ever since his comeback film The Fighter in 2010, the director has made it his goal to make films about the every man; the middle class who strive for a better existence. In a sense, he is doing it more successfully than anyone else. In a time where romantic acting pairs aren't a thing, he has continually made Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper work as a box office draw. To an extent, he is doing the impossible by making throwbacks to feel good films, often with an edge that makes his experiences wholly unique. The following is a ranking of every one of his films from his earlier and angrier days of Spanking the Monkey to the more recent happy side of Joy. Even if these two films are wildly different, it doesn't mean that they're any less interesting as a progression of behavior and craft from a director not known to always be pleasant.

Review: "Joy" Gives Lawrence One of Her Career Bests

Jennifer Lawrence

There's something intriguing about director David O. Russell's work since The Fighter. Where his earlier career is mired in violent outbreaks and abrasive cinema, he has suddenly become one of the most wholesome/tolerable auteurs of populous cinema. It isn't that he plays it safe, but has found a formula and a cast that are willing to bring his stories of the underdog to life in the same ways that James Stewart did with Frank Capra (though more crass). While his work continues to remain wildly inconsistent, his latest Joy is the perfect encapsulation of what his career means in 2015. It isn't just his take on feminism and economics. It's a film that wants to look at the process of selling an implausible vision - such as Jennifer Lawrence selling retractable mops. With this film, he perfects his formula and makes one of his career bests with a story that's strong and a funny bone to match. 

Jennifer Lawrence to Work with David O. Russell Till He Dies

Left to right: Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in Joy

There is a good chance that if you're into The Oscars as much as I am, you'll have a big opinion on Jennifer Lawrence by now. After her first Oscar nomination in 2010 for Winter's Bone, she has become one of the most successful and overstated actresses out there. Her big break came in 2012 with the one-two punch of The Hunger Games and her Oscar-winning role in Silver Linings Playbook. If you're one of those that felt that that film was part of her best work, then I have some good news for you: she's not going to stop working for director David O. Russell. At least, not until one of them finally dies.

Will David O. Russell Ever Win an Oscar?

David O. Russell

There are few people that are practically as synonymous nowadays with The Oscars as David O. Russell. Among the working talents, very few directors have had a track record so perfect as him (maybe Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese come close). Since 2010 with The Fighter, he has racked up 25 Oscar nominations between three films, including the achievement of having nominations in all four acting categories TWICE between Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle. It is no laughing matter. It is an honor very few films hold with the last one being director Warren Beatty's 1981 masterpiece Reds. With today marking his 57th birthday, I pose a question that I ponder every awards season just because of his clout: Will Russell ever win an Oscar?

Birthday Take: Jennifer Lawrence in "American Hustle" (2013)

Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.

The First "Joy" Trailer Shows Lawrence Gunning for an Oscar Nomination

Jennifer Lawrence

It has already been a rough 2015 for the cast of Silver Linings Playbook. First there was director David O. Russell's long abandoned Accidental Love, which saw the light of day long after it shouldn't have. Then there was the shelved Jennifer Lawrence/Bradley Cooper romance Serena (review coming soon), which favored slightly better. However, it looks like the gang is getting back together for a hopefully better outing with their first collaboration since 2013's American Hustle called Joy. With the first trailer released, there's plenty to get excited about, especially since it looks like the charm is back and I'm sure that we're looking at another Oscar front runner.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012)

Left to right: Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Review: "Accidental Love" is Russell's Worst Film Despite Being Occasionally Ambitious

Left to right: Jessica Biel and Jake Gyllenhaal

A lot can be said of director David O. Russell's recent resurgence with his past three films that have garnered him 25 Oscar nominations and even a few wins. He has come to embody one of the finest Oscar bait directors currently working with top notch performances from up and coming stars. However, there has been a notorious legacy around the film that immediately predates these three: Accidental Love. It was filmed in 2008, abandoned in 2010 and released unceremoniously this week on VOD. For a director who would come to define modern mainstream prestige, it is easy to see why he refuses to have any association with this offbeat and sometimes incoherent political satire/sex comedy. It is good, but not Russell good.

The First Trailer for "Accidental Love" Reminds Us How Much Better Russell Has Become in 7 Years

Left to right: Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Biel

After years of delays and long ago being disowned by the creator, director David O. Russell's Accidental Love (formerly Politics of Love and Nailed) is finally seeing the light of day. Last that we heard, a studio was working on a cut that wouldn't be approved by the filmmaker and that the film would be released earlier in the year as to not compete with Russell's recently made film called Joy. Today marks the first footage released from the trailer and things are beginning to make sense. At least in the realm of explaining his disowning of the project.

David O. Russell's "Nailed" Gets Renamed and a Release Date

David O. Russell

Nowadays, director David O. Russell is a mastermind of the modern drama. With his past three films (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle), he has become a reliable source for mainstream acting successes and has helped to make Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper as mainstays. He can practically do no wrong. However, there has been one film that hasn't seen the light of day in over six years. It is a film with a notorious history that much like Serena was possibly never going to be released. Despite any objection, the long awaited film Nailed (now called Politics in Love) will finally see the light of day in 2015. Read on to find out more.

A Closer Look at the Best Original Screenplay Nominees

Now that we have covered the acting fields, it is time to look at the constructs of what makes those performances pop. First up is the Best Original Screenplay category that mixes modernist sci-fi (Her) with the AIDS epidemic (Dallas Buyers Club) and classy cons (American Hustle). It may even arguably be more interesting than the Best Adapted Screenplay category, as almost every selection on here provides an alternative view of American culture and chooses to explore the bigger themes of our lives. This is where the race becomes less solidified and the nominees are equally up for debate. Even then, this category is rather impressive and reflects what made 2013 a solid year for films.

A Closer Look at the Best Director Nominees

*Note: While I had previously publicized that I was covering all of the categories in a look at the Best Picture race, I have decided to dedicate posts to each of the main categories (Best Picture, Best Director, Acting, and Writing fields). I will be critiquing each nominee as well as ranking them in order of preference.

One of the more exciting things about this year's Oscar nominations is that there is uncertainty in the front runner. While speculation has it that American Hustle may be a potential upset, there is still Gravity and 12 Years a Slave proving to be roadblocks. Even The Wolf of Wall Street, despite controversy, is capable of thriving on its notoriety into some unforeseen glory. A lot of that has to do with the directors behind the camera. This year's selection is an impressive mix of fast-paced adrenaline to meditative slowness to stylistic nostalgia. Each of the five Best Director nominees have something unique to offer, and that may be the most exciting of all.

Review: "American Hustle" is a Great Looking Yet Empty Con

Left to right: Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner,
Christian Bale, and Jennifer Lawrence

Originally published at CinemaBeach.

The theme of director David O. Russell’s latest film American Hustle can be summed up in the hilariously awful comb-over sported by Christian Bale. The entire film isn’t about revealing vulnerability, but projecting confidence no matter what. As conman Irving Rosenfield, Bale embodies these ethics simply by not caring about his lunatic wife (Jennifer Lawrence) and selling fake art with his new girlfriend (Amy Adams). From the clothing to the emotions, it is a world of trickery on every level that looks good, but the core can be a little disturbing.

The "American Hustle" Trailer is a Great Throwback Full of Wit and Snazzy Outfits

Left to right: Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale

All it took was a few hours for my recent post on upcoming Oscar contenders to look a little... lacking. While the films I selected for the piece were perfectly acceptable and still merit consideration, there is little doubt that today's release of the trailer for director David O. Russell's American Hustle could have easily replaced any of them. Of course, that would have made me writing an entire piece on the first trailer a tad redundant and based on my Fruitvale Station review, the praise that I'm about to heap on it to be a little hypocritical. Still, the trailer premiered on ABC's Good Morning America, it sent a frenzy into the air. At very least, it means that 2013's collection of nominees will have a retro, political vibe going on.

Review: "Silver Linings Playbook" Isn't Quite All There

Left to right: Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro

One of the great surprises of 2010 was watching director David O. Russell's boxer family drama The Fighter, which featured a captivating look into drug addiction and how sports can unite a family. In many ways, this feels like the overview of Russell's follow-up Silver Linings Playbook, which attempts to turn a story about mental illness into a sports-craving romantic comedy that somehow earned Oscar Buzz along the way. Is the film a worthy follow-up, and more-so, is it one deserving of a few Oscar nominations?

Will "Silver Linings Playbook" Build on its TIFF Win?

Left to right: Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper

It wasn't long ago that a movie came onto my radar that could possibly get Oscar Buzz big time. In fact, my previous knowledge to last week was that it was a small film by director David O. Russell that focused on mental disabilities. Sounds very much like the great Flirting with Disaster, but we won't hold that against him. After all, he did just come off of The Fighter, which was a Best Picture nominee and earned acting wins for Melissa Leo and Christian Bale. However, as much as I loved the tale of the Pride of Lowell, I had to question myself. What the hell is Silver Linings Playbook?