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.

A24 A-to-Z: #68. "Woman Walks Ahead" (2018)

Scene from Woman Walks Ahead

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for years to come.

Viola Davis Regrets Certain Things About "The Help"

Viola Davis in The Help

This Oscar season already has a packed schedule of potential nominees. Among them is Viola Davis, who recently won an Oscar for her role in Fences.This year she returns with a major role in the Steve McQueen-directed heist film Widows, what has already received a lot of acclaim at various film festivals. However, there's already some concern over Davis' recent past, as she has given an interview where she claims that she regretted her work in The Help. Does this mean she hates the role? Well, not exactly. What she meant it something a bit more nuanced and maybe more understandable in 2018 than it was in 2011 when the film became a late-summer sensation.

"I, Tonya," "Molly's Game," and the Idea of the Modern Olympic Movie

Scene from I, Tonya

*Note: Spoilers for I, Tonya and Molly's Game

If a sports movie is supposed to be a triumphant vision of the self, then an Olympics movie should be something grader; like the combination of athletes competing for the gold medal in an Avengers-esque story. After all, it is a journey on the world stage where many countries have risen to the challenge and the country is sometimes more important than the individual. It's the type of logic that has fueled Olympic movies like Best Picture winner Chariots of Fire before, depicting the strength of a country in time of need. With the Pyeonchang Olympics set to begin this weekend, it seems like a chance to see triumph on film. So why then are the films currently available (and Oscar-nominated) a bit more of a down note? While there have been upbeat stories in recent years (Eddie the Eagle, Race), there's a sense that an Olympic movie in 2018 isn't about the competition, but a metaphor for self-identity. The films I, Tonya and Molly's Game depict this struggle in different ways - often with Olympics being the last thing on their mind - but come clear on one point. The Olympics are a game of personality politics, and these two films capture it in the news media age.

Review: "Molly's Game" is a Whirlwind of Acting Charisma with Some Minor Snags

Scene from Molly's Game

There is an electricity to the first moments of Molly's Game, acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut. It's the moment that changed skier Molly Bloom's (Jessica Chastain) life. She's at the Olympics taking account of what "the worst sports moment" is before tumbling into an injury, bitterly saying that those who claim losing is the worst anyone can do is an idiot. Within the brevity of this scene and its brisk editing and writing, Sorkin has established himself as a powerhouse capable of making his words mean more than even the best director on The West Wing. However, he's only good at the intense moments that require actors to pontificate. It's when he's required to be a more dynamic filmmaker that things get dicey and keep this from being a runaway hit.

A24 A-to-Z: #17. "A Most Violent Year" (2014)

A Most Violent Year

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for ears to come.

"Molly's Game" Welcomes Aaron Sorkin to the World of Directing

Jessica Chastain

Over the past few years, Jessica Chastain has had an interesting career in the wake of Zero Dark Thirty. In some ways, it still feels like she's chasing the success of that performance by playing tough-as-nails women. While it can be argued that she's very good at them, roles like A Most Violent Year and Miss Sloane haven't exactly gotten her Oscar nominations. Still, every new film promises something new and exciting, especially in the wake of her recent comments at Cannes where she decried the poor choices of female roles out there. With Molly's Game, she returns to the tough-as-nails formula with the directorial debut of acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin. While the writer is known for busy scripts, let's just hope that whatever this movie is is a little bit more focused than what the trailer provides, even Chastain having a promising and seductive role.

The Runner-Ups: The Writing of "Pete's Dragon" (2016)

Every Oscar season, there are a handful of actors who get tagged with the "snubbed" moniker. While it is always unfortunate to see our favorites not honored with at very least a nomination, there's another trend that goes largely unnoticed: those who never even got that far. The Runner-Ups is a column meant to honor the greats in cinema who put in phenomenal work without getting the credit that they deserved from The Academy. Join me every other Saturday as I honor those who never received any love. This list will hopefully come to cover both the acting community, and the many crew members who put the production together.

Theory Thursday: "Crimson Peak" is Underrated

Mia Wasikowska in Crimson Peak

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. 

Theory Thursday: "Zero Dark Thirty" is the Best Movie About 9/11

Scene from Zero Dark Thirty

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. 

Review: "The Martian" is an Awe-Inspiring Ride Through Space

Matt Damon in The Martian

For most of the 20th century, there was something alluring about looking towards the skies and imagining the possibilities of travelling to other planets. It was a big draw for several decades and, thanks to NASA, has lead to a lot of impressive advancements for humankind. To some extent, the magic in the real world has died down in the past decade and is often saved for sci-fi and fantasy, leaving some to wonder if those ambitions to think beyond the stars would ever be as popular as they once were. Thanks largely to director Ridley Scott's The Martian - the first major film endorsed by NASA since 1995's Apollo 13 - one can only have faith that maybe, just maybe, the future of space travel will continue to allure audiences and bring the nation together over a common goal. It's not only what this feel good film's propaganda tendencies wants you to believe, it's what you get in between awe-inspiring cinematography and a brilliant performance by Matt Damon.

Review: "Interstellar" is a Heady Trip Through Space with a Few Bumps Along the Way

There is a moment in the first hour of director Christopher Nolan's space epic Interstellar that achieves something awe-inspiring. It is the enviable quality to overwhelm the senses while transgressing story and creating something beautiful. As Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) drives away from his family, who he may never see again, there's focus on him driving away spliced with scenes of his fate, a space shuttle, taking off. The symbolism is rich and covers so much ground without telling too much about Cooper's psyche. The moment is replicated a few minutes later as scientist Professor Brand (Michael Caine) reads a Dylan Thomas piece over the vast empty wasteland of space. Despite a slow beginning and an arbitrary plot progression, the moments became warranted quickly with some of the most beautiful, artistic directions that Nolan has ever gone in. It felt that for a moment like he would make the ultimate space epic, at least since 2001: A Space Odyssey (though probably more lowbrow). The issue is that once the film hit this high, it failed to maintain it and by the conclusion, it turned into something of a mess. The lofty goals that were laid out now served as ridiculous themes unable to be worked out logically. Interstellar is a flawed epic full of wonderful moments that tragically lose sight in the final 40 minutes.

A Look at the Divisive Early Opinions of "Interstellar"

Matthew McConaughey

Want to know the merits of director Christopher Nolan? His current film Interstellar, set for release on November 7, currently holds 75% on critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. While this rating is sure to go up or down, the early reviews have warranted it as his lowest rated film to date. It's a rather impressive move considering his place as one of the modern era's masters of the blockbuster. This means that unlike all of his peers, his films are all generally accepted as good-to-great. With the first batch of reviews coming in, here's a look at how the race has changed (or not) with what we know.

"Interstellar" is Set to Be Nolan's Longest Movie Yet

After the warm-up from September, next week marks the official launch of Oscar season with Gone Girl. It is an exciting time to be preparing for an intense movie season in which the big shots come out to play (but don't forget about The Boxtrolls tomorrow). Among them is a familiar name of a director who has had quite a career that in many ways makes many consider him a potential Steven Spielberg or Stanley Kubrick of this generation (I'm not as high on hyperbole about him). I am talking about director Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, which is probably his most ambitious film to date. With gorgeous trailers that look straight out of the TV series Cosmos, one can only hope that this film delivers. However, there is one thing for sure. Regardless on quality, this will be his longest film to date.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby:: Them (2014)

Left to right: James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain

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.

The "Interstellar" Trailer Shows the Return of the Mysterious, Exciting Nolan

If there is one truth to be made, I am a huge fan of director Christopher Nolan. While I admit that The Dark Knight Rises was a conflicting conclusion to the trilogy, he knows how to execute an engrossing story. After two years from the scene and free from dealing with Batman, we have his follow-up: Interstellar. Up until last week, very little was known about the film except of Matthew McConaughey driving through a corn field. With the launch of the trailer, we have definitive ideas of what to expect this Fall from the director, and it looks great.

Review: "Amour" is a Great Love Story Coming to an End

Left to right: Jean Louis-Trintignant and Emmannuelle Riva

One of the great perks of the Oscars this year was director Michael Haneke's surprise Best Picture/Best Director nominations for Amour. While foreign films have managed to sneak into the Best Picture race (the previous being Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), it is a rarity that was met with fine applause that at least the Academy was still recognizing world cinema. True, the Best Foreign Film category may be lacking great films like Holy Motors and Rust and Bone, but it still has some reputable titles like No. However, what is it about Haneke's tale of love in the twilight years that was so enduring, and was it really Best Picture worthy?

Review: "Zero Dark Thirty" is the Great War on Terror Epic We Deserve

Upon initial release, director Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty looked like a clear front runner for Best Picture. After winning big with the  New York Film Critics Awards, the film has dispersed a little. After a not-so-stellar performance at the Golden Globes, it has fallen behind titles such as director Ben Affleck's Argo, a film which many cannot help but compare vaguely. Maybe it was the violent subject matter of torture and endless disputes brought forth by former CIA agents criticizing the realism. Then again, what stopped director Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained from losing steam for being a more hyper-violent (and frankly, a little shoddy) story? However, say what you will, but what Bigelow has produced is a masterpiece in the War on Terror genre of film making.

Predictions: Who Should Get a Best Actress Nomination in 2013?

2012's Best Actress winner Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)

We are in an exciting time for Oscar enthusiasts. We are officially one week away from the announcement of this year's nominees. In order to contribute some thoughts, I will be going down the major categories (Acting, Directing, and Best Picture) and predicting who will be the most likely to get nominated, as well as a few tidbits on why I agree with these decisions. Be warned that every story that I am going to write in relation to predictions will not actually feature any bias towards who should win. However, I will be detailing why I think each should be nominated. Also stay tuned for post-coverage in which I will actually be sharing my thoughts on the nominations and solidify who I believe should win in each category.

Which Christmas Release Stands the Best Chances at Best Picture?

Les Miserables

Update: I have written a review for Les Miserables posted here.

Before I begin, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Why is this relevant? Because as per usual, almost every December 25 sees the release of the tent pole movies of the year. This year's class joins the ranks of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (though that did open on the 20th) in terms of films that somehow deserve to be the last of the awards-worthy. This year, we have three very interesting, if entirely different nominees: director Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, director Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty (released December 21), and director Tom Hooper's Les Miserables. Will any of them stand a chance when it comes to winning Best Picture, or is Argo pretty much locked in?