On Feb. 22, the eight best movies of 2014 will be competing for The Oscars. Despite being considered a haven of mainstream films, the 87th Academy Awards surprises with some art-house nominees that compete with the high-quality costume films and biography dramas.
“The American Sniper”
Clint
Eastwood’s “American Sniper” is a memoir of Navy
sniper Chris Kyle, the deadliest marksman in the U.S. military history
presented on the big screen. Eastwood avoids showy
patriotic speeches and manages to demonstrate the soldiers’ feelings for their
country through laconic dialogues.
The protagonist is stuck with the
question – whether it is possible to stay the same person you have been before
war after it finishes. Kyle’s wife gives him the answer when she asks him to “be
human again.”
Critics appreciated Bradley Cooper’s job of making naturally reserved
and brutal Kyle more humane. However, the film doesn’t touch the controversy of
the Iraq war. For an American sniper the war is just a duty, the movie argues.
“Birdman”
Those who
have seen heartbreaking dramas by Alejandro G. Iñárritu will see that his comedy
is just as good. The main character, Riggan, was once famous for his role of a
superhero called Birdman. He tries to regain his popularity and succeed as a theater
director. The only thing that guides and encourages him is the inner voice of
Birdman that keeps telling him he is special.
Played by
astonishing actor Michael Keaton, Riggan leaves real life behind and follows self-inspiration
brought to him by the voice of Birdman. It appears to be not the greatest idea
as Riggan ends up neglecting his daughter and wasting almost all his
money. Director does not condemn Riggan,
but rather admires his unique way to see the world.
“Birdman” is
a tragicomedy about the theater where art borders with insanity and that is what
makes it beautiful. The choice of the actor for Riggan/Birdman’s role is not
accidental – Keaton has played Batman in a 1989 film.
“The Imitation Game”
“The Imitation
Game” is a well-designed British biopic about the famous mathematician Alan
Turing’s struggle to crack the code of German cryptographic machine called Enigma
during World War II.
Although “The
Imitation Game” is not an action movie, it makes the audience hold breath just till
the final credits. The unequal battle between a human and a machine inspires
Turing to invent his own machine, a prototype of a modern computer.
The mathematician
becomes obsessed with his new invention and even gives it a name of his beloved
man – Christopher. That brings us to the second dramatic line – the humiliations
that gay people faced in the middle of the 20th century. In the U.K. of the
times of Turing, homosexuals were treated as criminals and were forced to take compulsory
treatment that included hormones injections.
The story is
told in a pretty simple and emotional way that makes a viewer feel empathy for
Turing. However, sometimes the facts in the movie appear to be a little too
simplified.
“The Theory of Everything”
The list of
the best biopics of 2014 wouldn’t be complete without James Marsh’s “The Theory
of Everything” that uncovers the relationship between genius theoretical
physicist Stephen Hawking and his first wife Jane.
Not yet
famous but talented student Hawking meets his future wife and a couple lives
peacefully until scientist gets the inconsolable diagnosis – a motor neuron
disease. Doctors say that Hawking will live for two more years
at best, but Jane refuses to give up on him.
Acting is
the film’s strongest side. Eddie Redmayne, famous for his role in a 2012
adaptation of “Les Miserables,” creates an incredibly trustworthy image of Hawking
and shows the tragedy that lies in inability to control his body.
Felicity
Jones’ heroine dedicates her life to her husband sacrificing herself. The
director sympathizes with her, showing that caring for sick person is a hard
job. Watching how characters get through the challenges inspires to fight one’s
fate like Hawking.
The actor
has already received Golden Globe and British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) and
is considered a likely candidate for winning an Oscar for his performance.
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
The newest
quirky comedy by American film director and dreamer Wes Anderson is about
adventures of an ingenious concierge at a famous hotel in a fictional Republic
of Zubrowka and his protégé, a lobby boy.
Anderson
amazes with his attention to details, making one want to see the film over and
over again to feast one’s eyes on the colorful old-fashioned decorations and grotesque
scenes.
In spite of
being a comedy, the film also covers the world wars. But it seems that the optimistic
protagonists prefer to turn a blind eye on violence and not take it too
serious.
Being a little
bit odd for an average viewer, the film enchants with its stylish entourage and
charismatic characters, making one fall in love with its artificial universe.
“Selma”
A small
Alabama town, Selma wouldn’t be famous if it wasn’t a place for the human
rights movement led by Martin Luther King. A 1965 march to Selma and the
attempts to stop it have attracted attention of America to the racism that
Afro-Americans had suffered. “Selma” is a quality historic drama, but it is not
much different from many other similar movies.
Same to her
characters, director Ava DuVernay made a breakthrough in rights equality in
film industry, as she was the first black female director to be nominated for a
Golden Globe Award.
The viewer
can feel that historic moment in Alabama chills DuVernay to the bone. But she
expresses it in a rather stereotypical Hollywood-oriented manner.
“Boyhood”
It took Richard
Linklater 12 years to shoot his drama “Boyhood” that has already won 140 film awards.
Year after year his film crew gathered to work on a story of a character named Maison,
covering his life from the age of five till 18.
A viewer unavoidably
recognizes familiar family situations in the movie – from family TV nights to
arguments about washing the dishes.
“Boyhood” doesn’t have a remarkable storyline, but it is fascinating to watch
Mayson grow up, makefriends and find his first love, face betrayal and figuring
out life.
“Whiplash”
Critics
call “Whiplash,” the director Damien Chazelle’s second feature film,
the most unexpected masterpiece of the year.
“Whiplash”
has a linear and simple plot, but its atmosphere is similar to a dodgy
psychological thriller. It is about a young talented drummer who dedicates his
life to music and confronts a tyrannical teacher who humiliates his students. When
the teacher finds a boy whose obsession with music and desire to leave his footprint
in the history are stronger than his own ones he decides to make him a world-famous
musician or to break him.
J.K.
Simmons’ performance as a despotic brilliant conductor, who desperately tries
to find another jazz legend, already brought the actor many awards including The
Golden Globe for the best male support actor.
“Whiplash”
focuses on how the abdication from everything except music is a price for the chance
to perform at the big stage.
