The actress scored her 5th Oscar nomination for American Hustle and is finding herself in the awards discussion again for Tim Burton's Big Eyes. But Adams was involved in 2 news stories which showed what an awesome, classy lady she is. First she gave up her first class airplane seat to a man in uniform (and only got caught because a journalist happened to see her). Then when the Today Show tried to get her to talk about the Sony hack, she expressed her reluctance to spread gossip and got unceremoniously booted from the show when she stood her ground. Adams also got good notices for her stint as SNL host. Basically, I love this lady and her 2014 was a good reason why.
With networks trying really hard to land a really great sitcom, ABC's Blackish is clearly the winner of the 2014 pilot season. Fresh, funny and poignant, the show chronicles the lives of an upper middle class black family in a predominantly white neighborhood. The show does a good job of balancing everyday family sitcom hijinks with exploring modern America race issues. The cast, especially Tracee Ellis Ross and the four kids, is remarkable. The show arrived with a unique--and fully formed--point of view and is a great addition to the family sitcom genre.
The MLK biopic Selma has been hailed as one of best movies of the year. Timely, passionate and moving, the film is a visual treat with unique direction by DuVernay. She may well become the first black woman to get nominated for a directing Oscar and she deserves it. Her star Oyelowo is fierce and commanding in the MLK role. The film transcends the biopic genre; it's more about the country during a turbulent time than about a single man. One of the great things about this film is how it really takes the effort to tell a story about the black experience in the 1960s and to paint King as a flawed but remarkable man.
How many movies can say they were in the box office Top 10 the week before they hit home video? Frozen was an undeniable phenomenon in 2014 and its amazing legs at the box office ($1.2 billion worldwide), surpassing all expectations, shows the film is beloved all over. As much as I love Brave, Tangled and The Princess and the Frog, this sisterly love story is a notable win for Disney's princess brand because of its double Oscar wins, success with its target demographic and huge crossover appeal. For the first time in forever, we had a Disney movie take the world by (snow)storm.
She may have played a remarkable Bond Girl in 2006's Casino Royale but Eva Green's true breakout year was 2014. She appeared in and completely stole the show in 2 graphic novel adaptations, 300: Rise of an Empire and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. Neither film is a masterpiece but Green brought complexity, passion and conviction to her characters. Also, Green appeared in the Showtime horror series Penny Dreadul. As Vanessa, Green displayed a ferocious physicality and otherworldly commitment that took me by complete surprise. Her acting is just tremendous, completely morphing her body and voice to fit her horror story character.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe was in a risky position; after the successes of The Avengers, Iron Man 3 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (and Thor: The Dark World), the film was a golden opportunity for Marvel to have its first financial failure. The studio was trotting out a relatively unknown property with no buildup, starring known but not A-list actors that featured a talking raccoon and tree duo . But the film was a critical and commercial success and proved to be one of Marvel's most enjoyably zany and quotable films. With a focus on team dynamic and humor instead of Mandatory Plot Devices, GATG is loose and laidback. With clever marketing and a perfect end of summer release date, the film was able to surpass expectations and become of the most fun movie theater experiences of the year.
The Flash is actually a pretty good show and star Grant Gustin is a major reason for that. He's a good actor and smartly plays Barry Allen equally confused about his new powers and totally thrilled by them. It's fun to see him geek out over stuff just like we would. I don't think I had heard of him prior to watching The Flash but he is a great find. He has good chemistry with his co-stars and is able to anchor the series quite well. I was initially skeptical of Gustin, thinking he'd be just another chiseled but lame CW heartthrob. But I will admit to being surprised by just how cool he is.
I don't think it's fair to call Keaton's Birdman success a total comeback; he was never really gone. But the film is his first leading role in quite a while and a jarring reminder of his talent. So I'm not entirely surprised by the comeback narrative being written about him. As the frontrunner for the Best Actor Oscar, Keaton's performance is layered, funny and physical. I think the whole Batman/Birdman analogy is overshadowing the blood, sweat and tears behind the work (i.e. the performance would still be fantastic even if Keaton had never put on a cape). Whether or not he wins the Oscar, Keaton's acting here is a performance for the ages.
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Starting out as an addictive "did he or didn't he?" murder mystery, Sarah Koenig's podcast smash hit Serial became a maddening and sad exploration of the flaws in the American justice system. As fascinating as the story in Serial is, Koenig herself is the true star. Full of probing questions, meticulous research and infallible journalistic integrity, Koenig managed to weave a coherent story out of inconsistent facts, old trial tapes and frustratingly unavailable witnesses. In an age where few things can capture the public's imagination as a whole, Koenig's hit series became one of the defining moments of 2014.
Following her Oscar win for 12 Years of Slave earlier this year, there was a lot of speculation about Nyong'o's next steps. First she became a bona fide fashion icon during her public appearances and post-Oscar interviews. Then there were rumors that she'd be in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And she did end up getting cast this summer. Her appearance in the upcoming blockbuster teases some speculation for the mysterious film. Nyong'o's indie-to-mainstream leap is exciting because it promises equal representation in a big budget movie. Hopefully, the role will be meaty enough to get Nyong'o on next year's list.
Pike has been around for a long time, paying her dues with supporting roles and love interest characters. Her big break (finally) came with David Fincher's Gone Girl. As the "perfect wife," Amy Dunne, her performance was absolutely brilliant. It's great to see an age appropriate actress get the kind of starring roles and leading characters men her age take for granted. And Pike rose to the challenge. She had to play so many different shades to Amy, while also maintaining an air of icy mystery. If it weren't for Julianne Moore's Still Alice, I would put money on Pike winning the Oscar. This is the kind of performance that doesn't come around all that often and it should be rewarded. I sincerely hope that Pike's career takes off after Gone Girl.
The first season of the HBO anthology series True Detective was only eight hours long but still inspired impassioned thinkpieces, wild speculation and a sprinkle of controversy. And that is due to the talents and effort of writer Nic Pizzolatto and director Cary Joji Fukunaga. Together they crafted a mystery that said more about the titular cops than the clues and culprits. The series was more than a crime show; it had a distinctive, addictive look and language. Check out episode 4's tense, biting tracking shot or many of the malaise-filled monologues. The visuals and the dialogue were spellbinding and made audiences hungry for season 2. Sure, the acting was pretty great but the material the actors had to work with was terrific from the start.
Few directors can release 2 movies in a year. Even fewer directors can release 2 critically acclaimed movies in a year. Even fewer directors than that can release 2 award-nominated films in a year. But Jean-Marc Vallee did. Dallas Buyers Club won 3 Academy Awards with 3 more nominations (including one for Vallee as co-editor). His next film Wild is guaranteed at least an Oscar nomination for star Reese Witherspoon, who's been nominated by the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild, with a few more noms that are possible (including picture, editing and cinematography). Wild became one of my favorite films of the year and is in my opinion an even better expression of Vallee's directorial talent.
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