And the Winner Is...

Here it is then. The most clichéd moment in a film buff’s year. That ever glorious moment for said buff to pretend he knows enough about film from the past year, simultaneously waxing lyrical about the next best thing while also complaining incessantly about the endless faults of the Academy. And of course all the while massaging his own ego knowing that he has perhaps got these predictions right. So here’s how it works: I’ve laid up who I think should win, while also hazarding an uneasy guess at who’ll probably actually win – because obviously the Academy will always get it wrong. And come this Sunday, perhaps I’ll be just a little bit smugger.

Best Picture

The main category this year is something of a plethora of delights. We’ve got sci-fi romance (Her), crime comedy (American Hustle), space thriller (Gravity), historical tear-jerker (12 Years a Slave), and even black and white road trip (Nebraska), but to name a few. The early favourite emerged as Gravity back in October, when the thrilling two minute trailer grabbed our attention by the throat, along with a welcome appearance from all-round good guy George Clooney. But the prize this year belongs in one place and one place only: to say 12 Years a Slave is enjoyable would be inaccurate, in fact it is quite the opposite. Two hours of some of the hardest hitting drama since Schindler’s List already marks this out as a modern classic, and is certainly the movie event of the year, if not the decade. The nuanced camera work and the bold score makes this film a clear winner, and certainly a clear favourite for awards night. Who cares if Gravity was in 3D?

Should Win: 12 Years a Slave

Will Win: 12 Years a Slave

Best Director

What some would call a bizarre category, on account of the relatively frequent occurrence of the mismatch between Best Picture and Director winners. Alexander Payne, despite the heartwarming Nebraska, has a snowball’s chance in hell, while it would be an understatement to say that Scorsese isn’t on best terms with the Academy: his Oscar for The Departed, it seems, is enough to keep him satisfied for the time being. David O.Russell is on as good a form as any, but when is he not, with his past two features also earning him Director and Picture nods. As with the BP category, however, this is really a two-horse race. Steve McQueen, making a remarkable transition from visual artist to director with two fantastic efforts in the form of Hunger and Shame, is certainly due this one: his commitment to 12 Years is on ‘passion project’ proportions. Cuaron, however, has done the undoable with making a Sci-Fi film accessible for non-geeks and geeks alike, turning a survival drama into a space flick of epic proportions. The four year production period, too, makes this a commendable effort, and one he will surely win for.

Should Win: Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave)

Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)

Best Actor

An immensely close one to call here. Poor old Leo has found himself again in a particularly tricky field of competitors: after being snubbed for The Aviator, Blood Diamond, Shutter Island, Django Unchained, etc, this is an award long long overdue. His portrayal of capitalism personified in Jordan Belfort is nothing short of a dramatic and comedic delight in equal measure. But my vote, based on the performance at hand, goes to Ejiofor: a long time support player, now promoted to the big time in McQueen’s slave drama. His performance is one of genuine tragedy (in the traditional sense), at its saddest when singing ‘Roll Jordan Roll’ at the funeral of another slave, and at its highest when being reunited with his family after the eponymous ’12 Years’ absence. The Academy, unfortunately, love the underdog, and Matthew McConaughey is the great dane of underdogs: his metamorphosis from rom-com pretty boy to ac-tor is phenomenal, and he has certainly been rewarded here for scene-stealing support roles in Killer Joe and The Wolf of Wall Street. McConaughey’s performance as AIDS victim Ron Woodruff ticks all the Academy boxes – triumph over adversity, fighting the Man, etc. Don’t get me wrong, McConaughey one hundred percent deserves this, but it would have been nice for Ejiofor to get a look in.

Should Win: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)

Will Win: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress

Perhaps the DiCaprio of the Best Actress category, Amy Adams has had an unusually unfortunate time in her nomination fields, losing out in the past for outstanding performances in The Fighter, Doubt, and The Master on account of the strength of her competition. She provides the path of reality into the complex American Hustle, with her likable yet ruthless muse to Bale’s conman. Early favourite Gravity too appears to have faded in popularity, in particular the central performance of Sandra Bullock who really holds the hyper-reality of the film together. Cate Blanchett, however, has pulled out the role of a lifetime in the most recent effort from Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine: playing a New York socialite fallen from glory, Blanchett’s performance fluctuates from understatement, to despair, to full on crazy. Her face perfectly captures the subtleties of a wealth-induced mental illness, and she delivers the carefully crafted dialogue with Muhammed Ali-like punch. This one belongs to her.

Should Win: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Will Win: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Best Supporting Actor

The ‘supporting’ categories are always an interesting category: often pitting near-leading parts against brief cameos, it is often to state what exactly a ‘supporting role’ is. Funny man Jonah Hill here stars as Mr “Thanks for the Nomination but Not a Chance’ for his eccentric performance in The Wolf of Wall Street, while Captain Phillips star Barkhad Abdi plays ‘Never before seen newcomer’: the latter, we should completely discredit, following his perhaps surprising win in the BAFTAs last week. Bradley Cooper, in any other year, would be a strong favourite: his over-the-top appearance in American Hustle was more than impressive for a man who also starred in The Hangover Part III, standing out among an impressive cast. This year, its all about Michael Fassbender: mindblowing roles in Hunger and Shame (his previous collaborations with McQueen), and an absolute scene-stealer in the otherwise yawn-worthy Prometheus. His portrayal of Edwin Epps is one hundred percent evil, yet consistently watchable. Unfortunately, fears that Fassbender may be the new DiCaprio (with regards to Oscar-chasing), are backed by the unstoppable force of Jared Leto, the 30 Seconds to Mars front man, who donned a wig and dress and gave one of this year’s most likable performances in Dallas Buyers Club.  

Should Win: Michael Fassbender (12 Years A Slave)

Will Win: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress

Again, an interesting category, particularly given Anne Hathaway’s win last year for her brief, albeit unforgettable, cameo in Les Mis. Its nice to see Sally Hawkins get a look in here: the lovable Brit has stolen hearts back home for years now, and her successful transformation in Blue Jasmine is hugely commendable. Personal favourite in this category is octogenarian June Squibb, who’s performances in the past have been few and far between: her role as mouthy wife Kate in Nebraska is nothing short of comic genius, and you find yourself missing her whenever she’s absent from screen. Newcomer Lupita Nyongo is certainly a strong contender, standing her ground among the big names in 12 Years a Slave, and making for one of the most distressing roles of the year. Late-surger Jennifer Lawrence, however, is likely to make it two in a row (both in David O.Russell films) with her stand-out spoilt wife in American Hustle, more than holding her own against the ‘big boys’, and at her best when singing her heart out to ‘Live and Let Die’, a scene of pure enjoyment and belly laughing.

Should Win: June Squibb (Nebraska)

Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)

Best of the Rest (Should Win/Will Win)

Original Screenplay: Blue Jasmine/American Hustle

Adapted Screenplay: Before Midnight/Philomena

Cinematography: Inside Llewyn Davis/ Gravity

Animated Feature: Frozen/ Frozen

Documentary Feature: The Act of Killing/ The Act of Killing

Quick Top 5: Most Shocking Snubs of 2014

5. Before Midnight – Best Picture

The previous two ignored all together, perhaps expecting a ‘Lord of the Rings’ style acknowledgement for this beautifully touching trilogy.

4. Robert Redford (All is Lost) – Best Actor

Not many actors could hold together a survival film on their own, let alone a 77 year old: Redford’s face says it all in this near dialogue-less film.

3. Daniel Bruhl (Rush) – Best Actor/Supporting Actor

Disappeared after Inglorious Basterds, Bruhl has come back on full form in this racing epic, as lovable baddie Niki Lauda opposite Chris Hemsworth.

2. Inside Llewyn Davis/The Coen Brothers – Best Picture/Director/Screenplay

The Coens’ 16^th film is top form as always, and has been shunned altogether, save for a lousy cinematography nomination.

1. Joaquin Phoenix (Her) – Best Actor

One of our generation’s finest actors, Phoenix is at the top of his game in Her: nominated for Best Picture, despite barely being able to exist without the central performance of J.P. 

Adorez le Sous-Titre

Embarking on writing this article, I have suddenly realised I am at risk of writing perhaps the most pretentious piece of tosh to ever grace the internet, and am in fear of a lifetime of abuse from all those who love me. To be fair, writing a film blog in itself is something reserved perhaps for those who read Wordsworth and shop at Whole Foods. And to show my commitment, I’ve even written the title in French. Come at me haters.

My reason for writing, however, being that this subjects is something quite close to my heart, what some might call a ‘pet peeve’, or a ‘raison d’etre’ if I wanted to be consistent with the title. Foreign Language Cinema is a fantastic thing, and is something which I believe doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves, nor do its fans get sufficient credibility. The multiplexes would lead us to believe that the only people who make films are those well versed in the English tongue, or indeed those who speak in the language of CGI. But some of the greatest films of all time have been accompanied by those glorious little sentences at the bottom of the screen, and of course a language to which we are not accustomed.

We begin in France, a country famous for its lovers and its cheese, but perhaps not so lauded for its sense of humour. Jean-Pierre Jeunet, a name maybe familiar to you, has produced some of the finest comedies in the past 20 odd years, including the GCSE-favourite ‘Amelie’, and the darker ‘Delicatessen’, a goofball black comedy about cannibals and an underground revolution. Advancing to the more serious, where else to look than to the world-famous ‘Jean de Florette’ and ‘Manon des Sources’, Claude Berri’s two-part series about the drama of provincial France, and the power of family, complete with a killer twist ending, and starring English-language convert Gerard Depardieu.

Moving further south, we find the likes of Pedro Almodovar, a stunningly inventive director with a more than eclectic back catalogue. His more famous offerings include ‘Todo Sobre Mi Madre’ (All About My Mother), a heart-wrenching tale about a woman dealing with loss, Volver, a surreal drama in which the central character’s mother comes back from the dead, and ‘I’m So Excited’, a screwball comedy set on a plane, a throwback to Almodovar’s earlier farces. A personal favourite is ‘The Skin I Live In’, an incredibly dark tale of loss and an attempt to reclaim life, including a star turn from Antonio Banderas, playing against type as an obsessive plastic surgeon.

One man from Austria, however, I believe to sit head and shoulders above the rest, a man called Michael Haneke. Having directed films in German, French, and even English, Haneke’s distinctive directorial style is instantly recognizable: the unflinching camera, the slow dialogue, the dark lighting. Building popularity with ‘Funny Games’ (in German) in 1997, and gaining international renown for ‘Hidden’ (in French), Haneke really hit the big time with his one-two punch of ‘The White Ribbon’ and ‘Amour’, both winning him the coveted Palme D’Or at Cannes, along with heaps of other awards.

And of course, there is so much more where that came from. Just looking out of Europe, we can find Park Chan Wook’s ‘Oldboy’ (South Korea), a mindblowing thriller with perhaps one of the greatest payoff endings of all time. We haven’t even touched on Kurosawa, the man behind ‘Rashomon’ and ‘The Seven Samurai’, and arguably the greatest influence on Hollywood Cinema since Lumiere. It would be absurd to attempt to sum up foreign language cinema in this measly 700 word article.

My real reason for writing, however, is some what a cry out: despite the magnificent offerings from World Cinema, briefly outlined in this article, Hollywood seems unable to cope with subtitles. The movement of remakes of foreign language films is considerable, particularly in the last five years. We have seen Swedish masterpiece ‘Let The Right One In’ remade into the shoddy ‘Let Me In’, the Scandi-noir best selling novel ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ was given the Hollywood treatment by David Fincher, despite a fantastic Swedish language version coming out just two years earlier. A personal favourite, Oldboy, was brushed up by the bold directing talent of Spike Lee, taking a considerably different approach to the themes of the film, producing a project which has been critically slated. There is something somewhat unsettling about this movement: whether it is the assumption that the English speaking public don’t have time or the brain capacity to read the subtitles, or if its some sort of imperialist charge heralding English as the purest form of cinema language.

Perhaps we shouldn’t attack this so easily: it must be noted that Michael Haneke himself remade his own film Funny Games in the English language, in order for it to reach a wider audience. Perhaps by remaking these films, we are encouraging the wider release of a story which needs to be told, which may even in turn encourage the viewer to watch the original. Assumptions, assumptions, assumptions. But for the time being, I’m sticking by my foreign language films, holding onto those subtitles, and praying that someway, somehow, this article will not make me look like a prat. 

Quick Top 5: Best Foreign Language Films

5. El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) - Argentina

A captivating crime thriller set during the so-called 'Dirty War' in Argetina, about the impact of murder on a number of individuals, and the pursuit of an unresolved crime.

4. La Piel que Habito (The Skin I Live In) - Spain

Not one to shy away from gritty detail, Almodovar here presents the ultimate tale of revenge, albeit somewhat fucked up, exploring how one individual learns to deal with the loss of someone dear to him.

3. Cache (Hidden) - France

A man's past comes back to haunt him after his ordinary middle class life is interrupted by the arrival of disturbing pictures, scrawled messages, and video tapes filming his everyday life. 

2. El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) - Spain

Embarrassingly omitted from the above article, Guillermo del Toro has never been better than in this fantasy horror set during the Spanish Civil War, viewing the horrors through the eyes of a young girl.

1. Oldboy - South Korea

Essentially a twisted tale of 'Why?' in this neo-noir set in the South Korean metropolis. Things get violent, bloody, and downright weird, after a man who has been imprisoned for 15 years in a room is released without explanation of his captor's motives. All is revealed in an almost scream-worthy twist at the very end. 

The Coen Formula

CONSUMER WARNING: This article features heavy references to the back catalogue of Joel and Ethan Coen, including a number of considerable spoilers. Previous knowledge is not required, but may help.

‘The Greatest Filmmakers on the Planet’ – The Sunday Times. Not a bad endorsement of your latest film. But, at the same time, not an unbefitting, nor unearned, moniker for two siblings who have changed modern cinema, and redefined the very idea of genres. You might have guessed that I am somewhat in awe of the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan by name), having been brought up on a tasty diet of their fine film collection, indeed fuelling what I might now, not without reason, call a love for these directors. A Coen Brothers film is like no other: it cannot be defined by genre or plot, nor indeed by the actors it boasts (though this is certainly a strong element of their recipe). It is, however, a genre in itself, a very unique breed of film making which shows the extent of imagination, and the very detail it takes to make a masterpiece (or several in their case). Here I present to you, in very humble terms, what I perceive to be the ‘Coen Formula’ ©, a winning recipe for filmmakers and actors alike.

The Lovable Loser

No one delights in the misery of individuals like the Coen Brothers. What perhaps is so marvellous about their films is they often combine the furthest extremes of tragedy and comedy simultaneously, focusing essentially on the downturn of events for one particularly unlucky individual. Larry Gopnik in A Serious Man is abandoned by his wife and left with two most obnoxious kids, threatened with losing his job, and landed with some grave news regarding his health. Jerry Lundegaard’s plan in Fargo, to orchestrate the kidnapping of his own family backfires with damning results, a fate perhaps fitting for this more despicable of the bunch. Poor old Llewellyn Moss in No Country for Old Men can’t stumble upon a couple million dollars in peace: no sooner does he find said briefcase is he pursued by a hell bent serial killer armed with a cattle gun (but more on him later). Worst of all, meanwhile, is the Coens’ most famous creation The Dude in The Big Lebowski, who undergoes all manner of mishaps, culminating in a piss-related rug incident. Poor guys.

The Simple Sidekick

Accompanying the tragic protagonist is the so-called ‘simple sidekick’, a term used generally here to apply to the noticeable supply of simpletons who play a supporting role in the films. Their job is to generally provide the more obvious comic relief, relieving the tragic circumstance of the ‘loveable loser’ with their naïve views of the occurrences, and occasionally a less than desirable demise. The Dude is nothing without his Donny, played beautifully by the fantastic Steve Buscemi, delivering some of the films most subtle but hilarious lines. Brad Pitt puts in an all time best performance as an over-enthusiastic gym monkey in Burn After Reading, whose naivety brings the laughs, but also a considerable moment of shock. O Brother Where Art Thou offers two for the price of one in Pete and Delmar, two-thirds of the Soggy Bottom Boys, whose light-headed, numb-skulled antics suitable entertain and frustrate in equal measure.

The Scene-stealing Badass (aka The John Goodman)

No drama would be complete without a fitting antagonist to the surreal atmosphere of a Coen Brothers film. The naivety and tragedy of the main characters are distinctly disturbed by the presence of a larger than life figure, a role highly coveted in the acting community, whose job it is to stir events into chaos, and give the protagonists a reason to fear for their lives. This might also be called The John Goodman, on the grounds that Coen-favourite plays this role in a number of their films, with particular glee. Personal Goodman favourites include his everyman-turned-psychopath Charlie Meadows in Barton Fink, Big Dan Teague in O Brother Where Art Thou, a sizable one-eyed businessman with a greed for money, and most recently as a witty cynical jazz musician in Inside Llewyn Davis. Jon Polito’s Johnny Caspar maniacally chews up the scenery in Miller’s Crossing, John Malkovich goes axe mad in Burn After Reading, while Javier Bardem’s Oscar-winning bowl-cut in No County for Old Men finds him as Angel of Death personified Anton Chigurh, a badass with a penchant for killing and coin tossing.

That Oh-so-Fitting Soundtrack

A film is nothing without its soundtrack, and the Coens have tailor made a series of outstanding themes to suit their stunning cinematography and intriguing films. Long time collaborator T-Bone Burnett (ex-session musician who played with the likes of Dylan) has produced some of the Coen’s finest works. 

The sweet Southern folk of O Brother Where Art Thou saw a boom in acoustic musicInside Llewyn Davis, here featuring the likes of Marcus Mumford and leading man Oscar Isaac, as well as some contemporary classics from Dave van Ronk and Dylan himself. Other highlights include the ringing out of ‘Oh Danny Boy’ as Albert Finney’s Mafioso goes on a rampage in Miller’s Crossing, and indeed the full version of Kenny Rogers’ ‘Just Dropped In’ during the surreal Gutterballs dream sequence in The Big Lebowski.

popularity, marvellously accompanying the more light-hearted themes of the Coens’ homage to Homer. A fitting soundtrack to a film all about the folk scene of the 60s has been produced for

The Open Ending (REAL SPOILERS HERE)

Never one to round off a film traditionally, the Coen Brothers have a habit of leaving us wanting more, for good and for bad. None of this happy ending nonsense, one can expect to be left some what shocked by a characteristically abrupt or open ending. Where one director may follow said sequence with an explanation of sorts, the Coens always have the last laugh, leaving us with an ending which even they may not understand. No Country for Old Men ends with us not knowing who has and hasn’t died, in a beautiful single take of Bardem leaving Moss’ house. A Serious Man gets better then gets worse at the very end, as the threat of an impending hurricane suddenly gets very real. Burn After Reading ends meanwhile with JK Simmons CIA Officer about as dumbfound as the viewer, with the marvellously scripted final words ‘What did we learn?’ ‘I don’t know, I guess we learnt not to do it again.’ Genius.

Obviously, to write about all merits of the Coen Brother’s films would require a book, a feat I in all mind will hope to attempt one day. A couple hundred words can’t do justice to the detailed minutiae of their films, but hopefully has given this reader a desire to go out and watch/rewatch/watch to death their films. Enjoy.

Quick Top 5: Must-see Coen films

5. A Serious Man – The Coens’ take on the Book of Job as one unfortunate individual has a spate of bad luck and Jewish guilt in equal measure.

4. No Country for Old Men – Their only Oscar-winner to date, a thrilling chase involving a stash of money, a vicious serial killer, and an outdated pursuing sheriff.

3. O Brother Where Art Thou? – Homer’s Odyssey gets transferred to Prohibition era Mississippi, featuring extensive scenes of folk and country western.

2. Fargo – Proof that a lot can go on in the middle of nowhere, as a failed car salesman tries to cash in on kidnapping his own wife.

1. The Big Lebowski – The Brother’s masterpiece, an almost nonsensical tale of one Dude’s mission to take it easy, and the rest of the world’s attempt to make that difficult for him.