There has been only one movie from this year, thus far, that's challenged anything on my top 10 list from last year (a truly banner year in film unlike one we've had in awhile). That being said, there are truly some memorable performances, and even details about those films that were standouts, even if the overall product wasn't as great as its little pieces.
So read on, to see a few worthy contenders I feel deserve to remain in the conversation come awards season time.
"The Grand Budapest Hotel" (dir. Wes Anderson; Starring Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Saorsie Ronan, Edward Norton, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Lea Seydoux and Tilda Swinton).
- Though I feel like Anderson's work on the film is a step down from 2012's "Moonrise Kingdom" (arguably his best film), it's hard to deny Budapest's hilarious charms and engrossing story. However, the clear standout (for me) was production designer Adam Stockhausen's magnificent work. Previously nominated for last year's "12 Years A Slave", Stockhausen also designed Moonrise Kingdom, and it's clear he's at his best when working with Anderson; he gets what Anderson is all about. Budapest is his zaniest, most meticulous work yet, work that completely embodies what it means to be in a Wes Anderson production. It's the perfect playhouse for Anderson's actors to run around in that also adds a lot to the story.
- Anderson's films are noted for their wonky, colorful characters and equally zany, yet quotable dialogue. Though I found Moonrise Kingdom to be an overall stronger effort, the writing in Budapest may just be Anderson's best. Co-writer Hugo Guiness and Anderson create a seemingly endless world filled with a huge ensemble of memorable characters, who even if are onscreen for only a scene, manage to make an impression. The story itself is sprawling and never gets too hard to follow, even when Anderson takes a slight detour to give attention to smaller details/subplots, everything is tied nice and neat together by the end.
"Under the Skin" (dir. Jonathan Glazer; Starring Scarlett Johansson).
- The Academy would never go for it, not in a million years, and that's a sad fact to realize because "Under the Skin" is the most audaciously challenging film to hit the screens in years. Not only is it unlike anything you have ever, or will ever see before, but the film itself has much to say about our own humanity; what exactly does it mean to be human? Featuring a quietly intense performance from Scarlett Johansson, Glazer doesn't just deliver a film, but an entire experience. It is truly the "Gravity" of this year, a film that doesn't simply just tell us the story, but makes us feel. However, where Gravity had the aid of expensive visual effects and the vacuum of space, Glazer's power comes from his ideas, and the strength of the committed performance from not only his lead actress, but his entire team, and that is something more special indeed.
- I've partnered these 2 categories together because they really do go hand in hand, at least in this particular film. Under the Skin is a very subtle piece of work, one that slowly had to penetrate my subconscious for a few hours after seeing it; I was slightly confused on whether or not I liked it once the credits began to roll. There's minimal dialogue in the film; Glazer and his team prefer to show you, rather than tell, through the use of gorgeous camerawork and beautiful music. Cinematographer Daniel Landin and Composer Mica Levi create memorable, haunting moments that render actress Scarlett Johansson in a way she's never been seen before; the film would not be the same without these 2, and a lot of its success is indebted to them.
"Godzilla" (dir. Gareth Edwards; Starring Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Sally Hawkins, Bryan Cranston and Juliette Binoche).
- "Godzilla" is the most beautifully rendered film of 2014 (thus far), besides Jonathan Glazer's "Under the Skin". Though audiences (and some critics) were not impressed with the story Godzilla decided to tell, I was entertained throughout. The film does have its issues, especially in the character development department. But that aside, the visual work on Godzilla is so strong, it's hard not to admire it; how many summer blockbusters this huge come along and take risks with shots and visuals like Godzilla did? Not to mention, there was already a target on its back after the horrible first effort (remember the one with Matthew Brodrick? No? Good). The scene towards the end where the soldiers are falling from the airplane to help fight off the monsters is my favorite scene of any movie released so far this year; the gorgeous color pallets contrasting with the fire and destruction below, and the camera being placed in a descending soldier's POV made for a memorable, great shot that is just one of the many examples of Godzilla's visual achievements.
"The Immigrant" (dir. James Gray; Starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner)
- There are not many actresses that could have succeeded as well in the role of James Gray's tortured Ewa like Academy Award Winner Marion Cotillard did. First of all, let me say how criminal it is that this woman has only 1 nomination (for her winning turn in "La Vie En Rose, a tour de force performance and one of the best in the last decade); since winning the Oscar, Cotillard has delivered several memorable, and worthy performances (she came very close in 2012 with "Rust and Bone), but no post-Oscar winning performance has been as good as this one. Under Gray's tight, quietly intense direction, Cotillard delivers an explosively heartbreaking performance, one that I would give the Oscar to right here without wanting or needing to see any other contenders later in the year. One scene in particular has stayed with me since viewing the film; I cannot forget the expressions Cotillard is able to create with her face, expressions that are able to break barriers and hearts, make tears, and tell whole stories without a single word. She is one of the best actresses working today, and this performance is another one for the ages.
- James Gray said from the start that The Immigrant was his way of telling people the truth about the process of immigration during the 1900's; the story no one ever gets to hear. So very often do we hear the stories about these people escaping their plight to come to America, heralded "the land of opportunity", but never do we hear the horror stories of what happened after they got here. Not only is it a bold effort, but a masterful one. The film itself suffers from a long running time and underdeveloped dramatic third act, however, the work between Gray and lead actress Marion Cotillard is so strong, it's clear that this is the only man with the talent and conviction to make a film so heartbreaking, but gorgeously rendered. Which brings me to my next point...
- The opening shot of The Immigrant alone (pictured above) is worth the award; a wide, tracking shot of The Statue of Liberty from the back. This image alone says so much without saying anything at all, setting the tone of the entire film: America's ignorance of the plight of these poor, helpless incoming immigrants. Cinematographer Darius Khondji Every carefully details every frame, rendering the film in a beautiful lighting that adds to the film's gloomy, morose mood.
"Noah" (dir. Darren Aronofsky; Starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Anthony Hopkins).
- "Noah" was a film that could've been a disaster, and while the film does have some elements that could have been fine tuned before release, it's a thought-provoking and entertaining film throughout. But perhaps no element of the film works better than Emma Watson as Ila, Noah and his wife's adopted daughter. Though she has proved she's not *just* Hermione in "Perks of Being A Wallflower", and that she's capable of great work in "The Bling Ring", her performance in Noah is her best yet. She handles the film's most emotional scenes with a maturity and nuance that could've benefitted co-star Jennifer Connelly's performance. I think Vanity Fair's Katy Rich said it best when she said, "In Noah, watch a lot of people endure things; with Watson, we actually feel it." As an actor, conveying emotions is one hurdle to get over, but to convey them in a way that your audience feels along with you, is another. Watson does that and more in the film, in an unshowy performance that benefits from it's subtlety; she delivers the film's closing monologue, and in doing so, snatches the film away from Russell Crowe.
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