Awards: 2014 Broadcast Film Critics Awards Nominations

“Birdman”, "The Grand Budapest Hotel", "Boyhood", "Interstellar", "Gone Girl" lead list of contenders! 

"Wild Tales", "Two Days, One Night", "Ida", "Leviathan", "Force Majeure" make list of impressive Foreign Language nominees!

Kevin Costner, Ron Howard, Jessica Chastain to receive special awards!

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 20th ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS

BEST PICTURE
Birdman
Boyhood - Predicted Winner
Gone Girl
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Nightcrawler
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Unbroken
Whiplash

BEST ACTOR
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton – Birdman
David Oyelowo – Selma
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything - Predicted Winner

BEST ACTRESS
Jennifer Aniston – Cake
Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore – Still Alice - Predicted Winner
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon – Wild

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin – Inherent Vice
Robert Duvall – The Judge
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash - Predicted Winner

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year - Predicted Winner
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Emma Stone – Birdman
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
Tilda Swinton – Snowpiercer

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Ellar Coltrane – Boyhood - Predicted Winner
Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
Mackenzie Foy – Interstellar
Jaeden Lieberher – St. Vincent
Tony Revolori – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Quvenzhane Wallis – Annie
Noah Wiseman – The Babadook

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Birdman - Predicted Winner
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Into the Woods
Selma

BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ava DuVernay – Selma
David Fincher – Gone Girl
Alejandro G. Inarritu – Birdman
Angelina Jolie – Unbroken
Richard Linklater – Boyhood - Predicted Winner

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Birdman – Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., Armando Bo
Boyhood – Richard Linklater
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness - Predicted Winner
Nightcrawler – Dan Gilroy
Whiplash – Damien Chazelle

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
The Imitation Game – Graham Moore
Inherent Vice – Paul Thomas Anderson
The Theory of Everything – Anthony McCarten
Unbroken – Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Richard LaGravenese, William Nicholson
Wild – Nick Hornby - Predicted Winner

BEST CINEMATOGRAPY
Birdman – Emmanuel Lubezki - Predicted Winner
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Robert Yeoman
Interstellar – Hoyte Van Hoytema
Mr. Turner – Dick Pope
Unbroken – Roger Deakins

BEST ART DIRECTION
Birdman – Kevin Thompson/Production Designer, George DeTitta Jr./Set Decorator
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Adam Stockhausen/Production Designer, Anna Pinnock/Set Decorator - Predicted Winner
Inherent Vice – David Crank/Production Designer, Amy Wells/Set Decorator
Interstellar – Nathan Crowley/Production Designer, Gary Fettis/Set Decorator
Into the Woods – Dennis Gassner/Production Designer, Anna Pinnock/Set Decorator
Snowpiercer – Ondrej Nekvasil/Production Designer, Beatrice Brentnerova/Set Decorator

BEST EDITING
Birdman – Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione - Predicted Winner
Boyhood – Sandra Adair
Gone Girl – Kirk Baxter
Interstellar – Lee Smith
Whiplash – Tom Cross

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Milena Canonero - Predicted Winner
Inherent Vice – Mark Bridges
Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood
Maleficent – Anna B. Sheppard
Mr. Turner – Jacqueline Durran

BEST HAIR & MAKEUP
Foxcatcher - Predicted Winner
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Into the Woods
Maleficent

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Edge of Tomorrow - Predicted Winner
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Big Hero 6
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie - Predicted Winner

BEST ACTION MOVIE
American Sniper
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Edge of Tomorrow - Predicted Winner
Fury
Guardians of the Galaxy

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Bradley Cooper – American Sniper - Predicted Winner
Tom Cruise – Edge of Tomorrow
Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Brad Pitt – Fury
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Emily Blunt – Edge of Tomorrow
Scarlett Johansson – Lucy - Predicted Winner
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Zoe Saldana – Guardians of the Galaxy
Shailene Woodley – Divergent

BEST COMEDY
Birdman - Predicted Winner
The Grand Budapest Hotel
St. Vincent
Top Five
22 Jump Street

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Jon Favreau – Chef
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Michael Keaton – Birdman - Predicted Winner
Bill Murray – St. Vincent
Chris Rock – Top Five
Channing Tatum – 22 Jump Street

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Rose Byrne – Neighbors
Rosario Dawson – Top Five
Melissa McCarthy – St. Vincent
Jenny Slate – Obvious Child - Predicted Winner
Kristen Wiig – The Skeleton Twins

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
The Babadook - Predicted Winner
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Interstellar
Snowpiercer
Under the Skin

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Force Majeure
Ida
Leviathan
Two Days, One Night
Wild Tales - Predicted Winner

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Citizenfour - Predicted Winner
Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Last Days in Vietnam
Life Itself
The Overnighters

BEST SONG
Big Eyes – Lana Del Rey – Big Eyes
Everything Is Awesome – Jo Li and the Lonely Island – The Lego Movie
Glory – Common/John Legend – Selma - Predicted Winner
Lost Stars – Keira Knightley – Begin Again
Yellow Flicker Beat – Lorde – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

BEST SCORE
Alexandre Desplat – The Imitation Game - Predicted Winner
Johann Johannsson – The Theory of Everything
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Gone Girl
Antonio Sanchez – Birdman
Hans Zimmer – Interstellar

The show will be broadcast live on A&E network from the iconic Hollywood Palladium on January 15th at 9PM ET/6PM PT.

XXX
Raymond Lo

Awards: 2014 Golden Globes Nominations!

GETT: The Trial of Viviane Ansalem

Movies from Israel, Poland, Russia, Estonia and Sweden make the Best Foreign Language Film list !

"Birdman" leads noms with 7 nods. "Boyhood", "Foxcatcher", "The Imitation Game", "The Theory of Everything" are solid Oscar contenders now!

"Selma" is back with multiple noms!

"Unbroken", "American Sniper", "Mr. Turner", "Wild Tales", "Mommy" snubbed!

2014 NOMINATIONS

Motion Pictures

Best Drama
"Boyhood" - Predicted Winner
"Foxcatcher"
"The Imitation Game"
"Selma"
"The Theory of Everything"

Best Comedy
"Birdman" - Predicted Winner
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"Into the Woods"
"Pride"
"St. Vincent"

Best Director
Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Ava Duvernay, "Selma"
David Fincher, "Gone Girl"
Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Birdman"
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood" - Predicted Winner

Best Actress in a Drama
Jennifer Aniston, "Cake"
Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"
Julianne Moore, "Still Alice" - Predicted Winner
Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"
Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

Best Actor in a Drama
Steve Carell, "Foxcatcher"
Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Nightcrawler"
David Oyelowo, "Selma"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything" - Predicted Winner

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy
Ralph Fiennes, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Michael Keaton, "Birdman" - Predicted Winner
Bill Murray, "St. Vincent"
Joaquin Phoenix, "Inherent Vice"
Christoph Waltz, "Big Eyes"

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams, "Big Eyes" - Predicted Winner
Emily Blunt, "Into the Woods"
Helen Mirren, "The Hundred-Foot Journey"
Julianne Moore, "Map to the Stars"
Quvenzhané Wallis, "Annie"

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
Jessica Chastain, "A Most Violent Year" - Predicted Winner
Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"
Emma Stone, "Birdman"
Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall, "The Judge"
Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"
Edward Norton, "Birdman"
Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"
J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash" - Predicted Winner

Best Screenplay
Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" - Predicted Winner
Gillian Flynn, "Gone Girl"
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo, "Birdman"
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Graham Moore, "The Imitation Game"

Best Foreign Language Film
"Force Majeure Turist," Sweden
"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Ansalem Gett," Israel
"Ida," Poland/Denmark - Predicted Winner
"Leviathan," Russia
"Tangerines Mandariinid," Estonia

Best Animated Feature
"Big Hero 6"
"The Book of Life"
"The Boxtrolls"
"How to Train Your Dragon 2"
"The Lego Movie" - Predicted Winner

Best Original Song
"Big Eyes" from "Big Eyes" music and lyrics by Lana Del Rey
"Glory" from "Selma," Music and lyrics by John legend and Common - Predicted Winner
"Mercy Is" from "Noah," Music and lyrics by Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye
"Opportunity" from "Annie," Music and lyrics by Greg Kurstin, Sia Furler, Will Gluck
"Yellow Flicker Beat" from "The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1," Music and lyrics by Lorde

Best Score
"The Imitation Game" - Predicted Winner
"The Theory of Everything"
"Gone Girl"
"Birdman"
"Interstellar"

Television

Best TV Comedy or Musical
"Girls"
"Jane the Virgin" - Predicted Winner
"Orange Is the New Black"
"Silicon Valley"
"Transparent"

Best TV Drama
"The Affair"
"Downton Abbey"
"Game of Thrones"
"The Good Wife"
"House of Cards" - Predicted Winner

Best Actress in a TV Drama
Claire Danes, "Homeland"
Viola Davis, "How to Get Away with Murder" - Predicted Winner
Julianna Margulies, "The Good WIfe"
Ruth Wilson, "The Affair"
Robin Wright, "House of Cards"

Best Actor in a TV Drama
Clive Owen, "The Knick"
Liev Schreiber, "Ray Donovan"
Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards" - Predicted Winner
James Spader, "The Blacklist"
Dominic West, "The Affair"

Best Actress in a TV Comedy
Lena Dunham, "Girls"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
Gena Rodriguez, "Jane the Virgin" - Predicted Winner
Taylor Schilling, "Orange Is the New Black"

Best Actor in a TV Comedy
Louis CK, "Louie"
Don Cheadle, "House of Lies"
Ricky Gervais, "Derek"
William H. Macy, "Shameless" - Predicted Winner
Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent"

Best Miniseries or TV Movie
"Fargo"
"The Missing"
"The Normal Heart"
"Olive Kitteridge"
"True Detective" - Predicted Winner

Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Honorable Woman"
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Freak Show" - Predicted Winner
Frances McDormand, "Olive Kitteridge"
Frances O'Connor, "The Missing"
Allison Tolman, "Fargo"

Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Martin Freeman, "Fargo"
Woody Harrelson, "True Detective"
Matthew McConaughey, "True Detective" - Predicted Winner
Mark Ruffalo, "The Normal Heart"
Billy Bob Thornton, "Fargo"

Best Supporting Actress in a TV Show, Miniseries or TV Movie
Uzo Aduba, "Orange Is the New Black"
Kathy Bates, "American Horror Story: Freak Show" - Predicted Winner
Joanne Froggatt, "Downton Abbey"
Allison Janney, "Mom"
Michelle Monaghan, "True Detective"

Best Supporting Actor in a TV Show, Miniseries or TV Movie
Matt Bomer, "The Normal Heart" - Predicted Winner
Alan Cumming, "The Good Wife"
Colin Hanks, "Fargo"
Bill Murray, "Olive Kitteridge"
Jon Voight, "Ray Donovan"

XXX
Raymond Lo

Film Review: Is it Goodbye Oscar for Gone Girl?

After being absent from commercial movie theaters for nearly two months, I decided to march back last Friday to catch the first day showing of one of the most awaited films of the fall season.

"Gone Girl"  is Oscar-nominated director David Fincher's take of Gillian Flynn's runaway bestseller. It's a gorgeous film. Sleek and polished like every Fincher films of late. The score is sparse and moody and just about perfect.

I loved it!

Oh, yes, I loved it until the part when Fincher and Flynn (who wrote the screenplay) departed from the book and decided to extend what would have been a quick and wicked ending like in the book in favor of a coda that robbed the movie of its real and more powerful conclusion that came ten minutes earlier.

It's a petty excuse, I know. The detour does not diminish the overall pulp quality of the film and you can actually ignore my complaining and go watch this movie because it is still one of the really good movies this year and let us reward Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck for their wicked and splendid performances in it. As well as Fincher's masterful direction.

Now on to the real question: Does the movie have enough elements of a real Oscar contender? I seriously doubt that now. The extended coda which I presume was conceptualized to allow the audience some breathing room until the final frame to connect it to the beginning was a good storytelling device, yes, but i think that decision backfired and made the film just appear ordinary in the company of other David Fincher masterpieces. The film is good, really good, only not exceptionally good. My standards are high because David Fincher made me set them high.

I was debating on what to headline this post. I was thinking "Gone, gone, Oscar!"

Rating: 4 Stars

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Raymond Lo

Trailers: "Gone Girl"

The full trailer for "Gone Girl" is here!

This David Fincher adaptation of Gillian Flynn's bestselling novel is one of the hotly-anticipated movies of the Fall movie season. It opens October 3. The first week of October is now the unofficial start of the Oscar season. "Gravity" opened around the same time last year. So did "Argo" the year before.

I read the book and if you haven't and you think you know the story, you are dead wrong! I read the book over one week (I have a day job, thankfully) and it's one of those books where you just can't put down. You will not forget Amy and Nick after you've read the book - or, after you've seen the movie.

Watch the trailer below:



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Raymond Lo