THE POPE'S PICKS AT ON THE PAGE

Michael Musa and I join noted screenwriting teacher Pilar Alessandra at her On the Page podcast to discuss the 2014 Oscar-nominated screenplays.  Just copy the below link into your browser and click on the Oscar podcast.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-page-screenwriting/id262077408

Enjoy.

THE POPE’S 2014 OSCAR® PREDICTIONS

Hey, guys and gals, it's time to match wits with the voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (or AMPAS).  Below are my predictions.  Caveat emptor:  I haven't won my floor's Oscar pool in years.  I haven't even come close, so you might want to take these with a grain of salt.  In fact, my first two choices go again conventional wisdom.  Anyway, here they are:

Best Picture:

AMERICAN SNIPER

BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

BOYHOOD

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

THE IMITATION GAME

SELMA

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

WHIPLASH

If you believe (as many do) that the winner will be either BIRDMAN or BOYHOOD, then consider this:  Best Picture almost never goes to a film that was not nominated in the Best Editing category.  For that reason I’m going with BOYHOOD.  The PGA gave this award to BIRDMAN, so I may be wrong on this one.

Should Win:     SELMA

Will Win:          BOYHOOD

Overlooked:    NIGHTCRAWLER

Best Director:

Wes Anderson, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Alejandro G. Iñarritu, BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

Richard Linklater, BOYHOOD

Bennett Miller, FOXCATCHER

Morten Tyldum, THE IMITATION GAME

Usually Academy voters agree with the DGA, and the DGA picked Alejandro Iñarritu this year.  He would be the safe choice.  Voters have split the Best Picture and Best Director vote a number of times in the past few years.  How many more times can that happen?  I’m not sure, but it has seldom happened throughout Oscar® history.  I’m going out on a limb here and pick Richard Linklater.

Should and Will Win:   Richard Linklater, BOYHOOD

Overlooked:                Ann DuVernay, SELMA

                                    Dan Gilroy, NIGHTCRAWLER

                                    Jennifer Kent, THE BABADOOK

Best Actress:

Marion Cotillard, TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT

Felicity Jones, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Julianne Moore, STILL ALICE

Rosamund Pike, GONE GIRL

Reese Witherspoon, WILD

I didn’t see STILL ALICE.  I heard it was good and that Julianne Moore was great.  You’d be foolish to vote against her.  I also did not see TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT, and I hear that Marion Cotillard is the only one giving Moore a run for her money.  Of the performances I saw, Felicity Jones’ was the one that sold me.

Should Win:     Felicity Jones, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Will Win:          Julianne Moore, STILL ALICE

Overlooked:    Essie Davis, THE BABADOOK

Best Actor:

Steve Carell, FOXCATCHER

Bradley Cooper, AMERICAN SNIPER

Benedict Cumberbatch, THE IMITATION GAME

Michael Keaton, BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

Eddie Redmayne, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Eddie Redmayne’s transformation into Stephen Hawking is a marvel of physicality, and voters love actors who take on physical challenges.  As great as Redmayne is, I keep remembering Michael Keaton’s performance and being newly impressed each time I think of it.

Should Win:     Michael Keaton, BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

Will Win:          Eddie Redmayne, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Overlooked:    Ralph Fiennes, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

                        Brendan Gleeson, CALVARY

                        Jake Gyllenhaal, NIGHTCRAWLER

                        David Oyelowo, SELMA

Best Supporting Actress:

Patricia Arquette, BOYHOOD

Laura Dern, WILD

Keira Knightley, THE IMITATION GAME

Emma Stone, BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

Meryl Streep, INTO THE WOODS

One of my favorite performances this year was Patricia Arquette’s in BOYHOOD.  She deserves to and will win.

Should and Will Win:   Patricia Arquette, BOYHOOD

Overlooked:                Rene Russo, NIGHTCRAWLER

Best Supporting Actor:

Robert Duvall, THE JUDGE

Ethan Hawke, BOYHOOD

Edward Norton, BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

Mark Ruffalo, FOXCATCHER

J.K. Simmons, WHIPLASH

Don’t get me wrong.  I love, Love, LOVE J.K. Simmons in everything he does, and he’s great in WHIPLASH.  And he’s going to win.  But Mark Ruffalo disappears into his role in FOXCATCHER.  He should win, but he won’t.

Should Win:     Mark Ruffalo, FOXCATCHER

Will Win:          J.K. Simmons, WHIPLASH

Overlooked:    Josh Brolin, INHERENT VICE

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Paul Thomas Anderson, INHERENT VICE

Damien Chazelle, WHIPLASH

Jason Hall, AMERICAN SNIPER

Anthony McCarten, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Graham Moore, THE IMITATION GAME

There isn’t a single film on this list that I liked without reservation.  However, my favorite is WHIPLASH, and I suspect (hope?) the voters will agree.  The WGA gave this award to THE IMITATION GAME.  However, WHIPLASH was nominated as an original screenplay in that instance, which could be a game changer here.

Should and Will Win:   Damien Chazelle, WHIPLASH

Overlooked:                Gillian Flynn, GONE GIRL

Best Original Screenplay:

Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman, FOXCATCHER

Dan Gilroy, NIGHTCRAWLER

A.G. Iñarritu, N. Giacobone, A. Dinelaris, A. Bo, BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

Richard Linklater, BOYHOOD

I liked all of the original screenplay nominees this year, but far and away my favorite was NIGHTCRAWLER.  However, I think this is the biggest award voters will give Wes Anderson.

Should Win:     Dan Gilroy, NIGHTCRAWLER

Will Win:          Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Overlooked:    Jennifer Kent, THE BABADOOK

Best Animated Film

BIG HERO 6

THE BOXTROLLS

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

SONG OF THE SEA

THE TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA

Should Win:     I didn’t see any of the films this year.

Will Win:          HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

Best Foreign Language Film

IDA (Poland)

LEVIATHAN (Russia)

TANGERINES (Estonia)

TIMBUKTU (Mauritania)

WILD TALES (Argentina)

Should Win:     IDA (it’s the only one I saw)

Will Win:          LEVIATHAN

Best Documentary Feature

CITIZENFOUR

FINDING VIVIAN MAIER

LAST DAYS IN VIETNAM

THE SALT OF THE EARTH

VIRUNGA

Should Win:     I didn’t see any of the films this year.

Will Win:          CITIZENFOUR

Best Cinematography

Roger Deakins, UNBROKEN

Emmanuel Lubezki, BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

Dick Pope, MR. TURNER

Robert Yeoman, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Lukasz Zal, Ryszard Lenczewski, IDA

Deakins is long, long overdue for this award, but he won’t win.  Robert Elswit should have been nominated for NIGHTCRAWLER.  The award will go to Emmanuel Lubezki for the second year in a row, and deservedly so.

Should and Will Win:   Emmanuel Lubezki, BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE

Overlooked:                Robert Elswit, NIGHTCRAWLER

Best Film Editing

Sandra Adair, BOYHOOD

Joel Cox, Gary D. Roach, AMERICAN SNIPER

Tom Cross, WHIPLASH

William Goldenberg, THE IMITATION GAME

Barney Pilling, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

More often than not the Best Editing award goes to the Best Picture winner (although last year it didn’t).  As much as I’d like to see WHIPLASH win, I predict the trophy will be given to BOYHOOD.

Should Win:     Tom Cross, WHIPLASH

Will Win:          Sandra Adair, BOYHOOD

Best Costume Design

Colleen Atwood, INTO THE WOODS

Mark Bridges, INHERENT VICE

Milena Canonero, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Jacqueline Durran, MR. TURNER

Anna B. Sheppard, Jane Clive, MALEFICENT

Sadly, movies set post-19^th Century are unlikely to win in this category (and rarely get nominated).  That knocks INHERENT VICE off your ballot.  BUDAPEST would be a good choice, but I suspect (hope?) voters will throw a bone to INTO THE WOODS.

Should Win:     Milena Canonero, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Will Win:          Colleen Atwood, INTO THE WOODS

Best Production Design

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

THE IMITATION GAME

INTERSTELLAR

INTO THE WOODS

MR. TURNER

The only film in this category that might give BUDAPEST a run for its money is MR. TURNER.

Should and Will Win:   THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Best Original Score

Alexander Desplat, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Alexandre Desplat, THE IMITATION GAME

Johann Johannsson, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Gary Yershon, MR. TURNER

Hans Zimmer, INTERSTELLAR

Alexander Desplat is overdue in this category, but he’ll likely lose out (twice) again.

Should Win:     Alexander Desplat, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Will Win:          Johann Johannsson, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Best Original Song

“Everything Is Awesome,” THE LEGO MOVIE

“Glory,” SELMA

“Grateful,” BEYOND THE LIGHTS

“I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME

“Lost Stars,” BEGIN AGAIN

As catchy as “Everything Is Awesome” is, voters will likely give Best Song to the film in the Best Picture category.

Should and Will Win:   “Glory,” SELMA

Best Sound Mixing

AMERICAN SNIPER

BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

INTERSTELLAR

UNBROKEN

WHIPLASH

If there’s a musical nominated, that film usually wins in this category.  While WHIPLASH isn’t a musical per se, it’s close enough.

Should and Will Win:   WHIPLASH

Best Sound Editing

AMERICAN SNIPER

BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

INTERSTELLAR

UNBROKEN

This award often goes to a movie with a lot action.  In this case I’d lean toward the film nominated in the Best Picture category.

Should and Will Win:   AMERICAN SNIPER

Best Visual Effects

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

INTERSTELLAR

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

I hear through the Hollywood grapevine that it’s between DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and INTERSTELLAR.

Should and Will Win:   INTERSTELLAR

Best Makeup

FOXCATCHER

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

If a film nominated for Best Picture is nominated in this category, it’s a good bet to win.

Should Win:     GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Will Win:          THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

Best Documentary Short Subject

CRISIS HOTLINE: VETERANS PRESS 1

JOANNA

OUR CURSE

THE REAPER (LA PARKA)

WHITE EARTH

I’m guessing.

Will Win:          CRISIS HOTLINE: VETERANS PRESS 1

Best Animated Short Subject

THE BIGGER PICTURE

THE DAM KEEPER

FEAST

ME AND MY MOULTON

A SINGLE LIFE

I’m guessing again.

Will Win:          FEAST

Best Live Action Short Subject

AYA

BOOGALOO AND GRAHAM

BUTTER LAMP (LA LAMPE AU BEURRE DE YAK)

PARVENEH

THE PHONE CALL

I’m guessing yet again.

Will Win:          PARVENEH

THE BEST AND WORST OF 2014: IN WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGE MONSTERS BOTH REAL AND IMAGINED AND OF OUR OWN DEVISING

If you’re wondering why you haven’t been periodically barraged by movie reviews over the past year, it’s because I decided to take a sabbatical of sorts.  Or I suppose you could call it a mental health break.  I figured you’d understand.  Still I didn’t want you to wander in the cinematic woods completely blind, so I’ve compiled my annual Best Of and Worst Of lists for your edification and enjoyment (or at least that’s the hope).

I’m not sure if it was me or the movies, but, as I look back at the year 2014, I feel more than a little ennui.  There were several very good movies but very few that knocked my socks off.  Hence this year I’ve split my Top Ten into a Top Three followed by the Best of the Rest of the Top Ten.  You may find that my very favorite films are not to your liking.  None are comforting.  None are reassuring.  All have monsters.

In THE BABADOOK the monster enters the home of single mother Amelia (Essie Davis) and her high-strung son Samuel (Noah Wiseman) through a creepy children’s book.  What writer/director Jennifer Kent refuses to make clear is whether the monster is real, a figment of the boy’s imagination, or a symptom of a psychotic break resulting from the mother’s stress and insomnia.  Whatever it is, it’s scary, and it isn’t going anywhere.

In NIGHTCRAWLER the most obvious monster is sociopath Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal).  But he in turn is fed by the news rating machine, which is fed by the viewing public’s insatiable blood lust.  In writer/director Dan Gilroy’s vision they are monsters all.

Finally, in SNOWPIERCER society -- and specifically the need of those in power to divide and conquer those who are not in power -- is the monster.  But you will likely be too enervated by Bong Joon Ho’s powerful visual storytelling to get bogged down in the dialectics.

If you lack the constitution for ambiguity and unease, move on down my list.  However, if you have the stomach for it, these three are cinematic feasts.

Thanks, gentle readers, for indulging me (or rather not indulging me) over the past twelve months.  And for those of you who helped me through this difficult year (and you know who you are), I can only offer my most profound gratitude and humility.

Finally, thanks to my family.  I’m lucky to have you.

Brian Pope

February 19, 2015
************************************

THE BEST OF 2014

THE TOP THREE
(in alphabetical order)

THE BABADOOK  A terrifying, fiercely original feature debut from Australian writer/director Jennifer Kent that explores the horrors – real, imagined, and something in between – of single motherhood.  Essie Davis gives the year’s best and most ferocious performance as the beleaguered mother, and Noah Wiseman is fantastic as her high strung son.  Kent relies on suggestion and uncertainly to create nearly unbearable tension, and the titular creature is likely to creep its way into your most unsettling dreams.

NIGHTCRAWLER  Writer/director Dan Gilroy’s electrifying neo-noir immerses you in the world of driven news videographer Louis Bloom, an ambitious sociopath played with unnerving sincerity by Jake Gyllenhaal, who will cross any moral or ethical line for attention grabbing footage.  What begins as a dark satire of the news gathering business devolves into horror as Bloom not only exploits tragic events but creates them as well.  Robert Elswit’s moody cinematography and John Gilroy’s crisp editing make this stellar production crackle.

SNOWPIERCER  South Korean director Bong Joon Ho loses nothing in translation in this, his first English language film set in a vague future in which the Earth has become an uninhabitable Arctic wasteland and the survivors live on a train called Snowpiercer that moves perpetually through the stark landscape.  Visually and structurally ambitious, this thrilling adventure – an unapologetic parable of class warfare – is brutal, funny and exciting, yet it always, even in its bleakest moments, retains its belief in humanity’s resilience.

THE BEST OF THE REST OF THE TOP TEN
(in alphabetical order)

BIRDMAN  A has-been movie star trying to make an artistic comeback on the stage is not a new story, but director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s virtuoso telling of it adds an unexpected vitality, while Michael Keaton’s touching portrayal of the unhinged actor gives it poignance.

BLUE RUIN  In writer/director Jeremy Saulnier’s deadpan, blood-soaked thriller, destitute Dwight forgoes his self-imposed exile to avenge himself on his parents’ convicted killer, recently paroled.  Things are not as they seem, however, in this revenger’s tragedy gone awry, and violence begets violence, leading to ultimate futility.

BOYHOOD  Richard Linklater’s chronicle of a boy’s life from age 6 to 18 drops in on said boy and his fictional family once a year for 12 years.  Cast and character become interlinked in this flawed but fascinating film, an often moving meditation on how people change (or don’t) over time -- and how quickly it passes nonetheless.

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL  Wes Anderson’s latest film looks lovingly confected like a French pastry.  But beneath the airy, decorated surface is the taste of bittersweet longing for an era long past or one existing only in memory.  An incredible Ralph Fiennes leads a positively delicious all-star cast.  You will be up for seconds.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY  Just when you thought Hollywood had forgotten how to entertain without permanently destroying brain cells, along comes director James Gunn and co-writer Nicole Perlman’s sly, silly space adventure.  Exciting, funny and just a little whimsical, this is the most fun I’ve had at the movies all year.

SELMA  This riveting drama of the civil rights movement’s tumultuous birth focuses primarily on Martin Luther King, Jr. and his supporters, with LBJ and his administration merely supporting players.  Some will quibble with director (and uncredited co-screenwriter) Ann DuVernay’s narrowed focus, but it feels necessary and timely.

TOP FIVE  Would it surprise you to learn that Chris Rock wrote, directed and starred in the year’s funniest movie?  Possibly not.  How about that it’s also the year’s best romantic comedy?  I thought so.  Be forewarned that the film is often crassly hilarious.  But it’s also smart, insightful, and has surprising warmth and heart.

Runners-Up of 2014
(in alphabetical order)

EDGE OF TOMORROW

FOXCATCHER

IDA

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR

WHIPLASH

Honorable Mentions:CALVARY; CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER; THE DROP; GONE GIRL; THE GUEST; THE IMITATION GAME; INHERENT VICE; INTERSTELLAR; JOHN WICK; THE LEGO MOVIE; LOCKE; THE SKELETON TWINS; THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING; WILD

THE WORST of 2014
(in alphabetical order)

CAKE  Jennifer Aniston gives a fearless performance that’s undermined by trite, shallow writing and tin-eared direction.  The rest of the cast seems eager to get off screen.  Frankly, I can’t blame them.

THE JUDGE  An ill-suited Robert Downey, Jr. leads an all-star cast (including Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga and Vincent D’Onofrio) down the path of good intentions to a movie purgatory that’s pandering, predictable and pretty awful.

LUCY  Action director Luc Besson makes a Terrence Malick film, and the end result is pretty much what you’d expect – absolute incoherence.  If all you’re interested in is seeing Scarlett Johansson kick ass, leave after the first half hour.