Halfway Mark: Worthy Oscar Contenders from the first Half of the Year

Today officially marks the halfway point of 2014, if you can believe it. I don't know about the rest of you but I feel as if this year has been a blur, and I can say that about a lot of the movies that have come and gone through the last few months.

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.

Is Noah Darren Aronofsky's Darkest Film?

Darren Aronofsky's films are known for their dark undertone, and psychologically tortured protagonists. In Pi and Black Swan, he followed characters who fell down a rabbit hole of paranoia, driven completely by their obsession for perfection. In Requiem For A Dream, he followed 4 characters who become submissive to their very powerful drug addictions, while he explored innate loneliness at the hands of masochism in The Wrestler.

Mr. Aronofsky's adaptation of the famous bible story of Noah and the Arc, is no different. Those hoping for a version like we heard in Sunday School are going to be very disappointed. Much like Nina Sayers, Randy "The Ram" Robinson and Sara Goldfarb, Noah is a man plagued and haunted by delusions, which drive him to nearly tearing his entire family apart. It may just be his darkest film yet.

Darren Aronofsky's Oscar Chances & Noah's Biblical Accuracy

There's been a lot of talk and controversy surrounding Aronofsky's adaptation of Noah's Arc and whether it's faithful to the story we all learned in bible school as kids.

The studio has released a video testimonial from many of those who have seen the film, with religious backgrounds. Take a look, and decide for yourself below as you watch the featurette.

Noah opens everywhere in today.

Trailer for Darren Aronofsky's, "Noah" starring Russel Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, and Anthony Hopkins

Darren Aronofsky is one of the most exciting auteurs of our time. He built indie cred with his most harrowing adaption of "Requiem For A Dream" starring Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly. He also re-ignited Mickey Rourke's career with his critically acclaimed film, "The Wrestler" but it was his last film, "Black Swan" starring Natalie Portman (who won an Oscar for her performance) that won Aronofsky an attention from a wider audience. The film grossed $329,398,046 on a budget of just $13 million. To say it was a success was an understatement, and Aronofsky was rewarded with an Oscar nomination for Best Director.

So how does one follow up with an incredible success like Black Swan? At first, Aronofsky was attached to direct the latest Wolverine film starring Hugh Jackman. However, he eventually passed up on the opportunity, and decided instead to helm, "Noah", his epic retelling of the famous bible story.