birdman

Oscars Winners That Actually Deserved To Win (Anyway, That’s All I Got)

oscars winners

It’s been a week or two since the Oscars, so we decided to recap some of the winners from this year. Oddly, we all felt relatively satisfied with how things turned out in 2018 (minus one or two categories, but hey, we get into that). Afterward, we go back in time to talk about some films from the past that have won big awards, specifically winners we actually agree with for once.

We’d love to know what some of your favorite Oscar Winners are, and what you thought about this year’s ceremony, plus any topics and ideas you’d like us to discuss in the future!

Go on…Oscars Winners That Actually Deserved To Win (Anyway, That’s All I Got)

Unopinionated: ‘Birdman’ Was a Good Movie, And That’s OK

birdman unpopular opinion

Every Tuesday, I examine an unpopular opinion in film and argue against it. This week: Why do so many people hate Birdman despite its huge success? 

There are a lot of ways to dislike a film, and sometimes for the worst reasons. So is the case with Birdman, the 2014 dark comedy that won the Academy Award for Best Picture over the likes of Boyhood and Whiplash (my personal favorite film of that year).

The film has been widely praised as a return to greatness for its star, Michael Keaton, as well as the cementing of Alejandro Iñárritu as one of Hollywood’s premiere filmmakers, just as long as he keeps signing Emmanuel Lubezki’s checks.

Like with most movies that achieve high praise among critics, Birdman’s detractors are quite vocal about their distaste for the film’s supposedly undeserved success. And since seeing the film myself in theaters, I’ve been one of those harsher critics.

birdman unpopular opinion

But Birdman isn’t a terrible movie. It’s above average, I would argue, and its resonance with film buffs as a great film, or even a work of art, has plenty of merit for the same reasons all of Iñárritu’s films achieve critical success. Technically speaking, the film is quite masterful.

Birdman centers around an aging actor named Riggan, who once played the superhero, “Birman,” and has yet to find gratification beyond that peak fame he acquired. It’s an obvious parallel to Keaton’s true life, as he of course portrayed Batman in the 1989 Tim Burton film that inspired the majority of that character’s evolution in film, television, and even video games.

To prove he is an actor who transcends the schlock that made him famous, Riggan directs, writes, and stars in a Broadway show adaptation of Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. The title alone is a clear dig into the type of love that fans heave onto their heroes, and this is played out in a satisfying way as we constantly see people stopping Riggan to take a photo, while he stands there unamused. Even when teenagers admit to not even recognizing him, proving that indifference really is the true opposite of love.

This is a film that makes its audience feel clever for catching these clues and making snide remarks about the current state of the superhero genre. Yet so much of it is loud and on the nose, including a fantastic scene where Riggan tells off a Broadway critic for all of the reasons most of us haven’t even bothered to articulate. In fact, the same criticisms he lobs at her apply nicely to Birdman itself.

birdman unpopular opinion

But is anything within Birdman really all that smart? Viewers don’t have to work hard to grasp the film’s deepest themes, and the camera itself even holds your hand by never violating its one-take structure and giving you a specific sense of where everything is laid out. Optimistically, this is an enjoyable trick that shows off the best of Iñárritu and Lubezki’s ability to enliven even the most mundane sets (some of them being gross to even look at), but for some, it comes off as a magic trick, in that finding out the illusion sort of spoils the fun.

But this is no reason to dismiss Birdman, for the same reason you put up with a brilliant friend who acts pretentious from time to time. There’s value in watching an imperfect character study that allows itself to get swallowed in the creative process, which we see with Riggan and his co-stars as they wander backstage with a never-ending purpose. Though it doesn’t amount to anything reasonably profound in the end, Birdman feels like a film that doesn’t even care about its own ending. It’s a show off in the best way possible.

And Birdman is among a long list of films that tackle the existential crises of fame. It’s just a shame that the unique and crafty questions it brings up aren’t answered in an equally compelling way. Without getting into spoilers, its resolution comes straight from the Hollywood playbook of rushed ex machina, and an ambiguous ending does little to assuage this. But the ride itself is still pretty satisfying as long as you don’t take it too seriously.

Grade: B

I’m Jon and thanks for reading this. You can subscribe to my posts by clicking “Follow” in the right sidebar. Or just say hey on Twitter! @JonNegroni

The 10 Movies That Made 2014 Incredible

I don’t usually do “top lists” for movies because, well, who cares what I think? So, instead I made a list of the “best” highlights of 2014.

As usual, I watched plenty of movies this year, but I didn’t see all of them. If there’s a movie missing from this list (or just something about movies in 2014 that you loved), don’t hesitate to share in the comments!

 

#10 The One I Love

the one i love

Mad Men‘s Elizabeth Moss was in a movie with The League’s Mark Duplass this year. But unless you regularly scroll through your Netflix queue (like I do), you probably missed The One I Love, which was one of 2014’s most inventive, and unsettling, films.

It’s hard to describe the movie without spoiling it, but I will say that it’s a dark romantic science fiction comedy (sorry for being so vague) centering around a couple trying to make their marriage work during a weekend getaway.

The movie wins this spot on my list (from Reese Witherspoon’s incredible performance in Wild) simply for being one of the few movies in recent memory to actually make me think critically about relationships and love. In a way that I probably never would have.

This one was 2014’s BEST romantic anything.

 

#9 Captain America: The Winter Soldier

captain america winter soldier

This is the superhero movie that made superhero movies cool again. And with Captain America, no less.

TWS wasn’t just an excellent sequel, it was one of Marvel’s strongest films period, even compared to The Avengers.

It was the perfect film to kick off what turned out to be a fun summer for movies, and it was the first case study of how Marvel can nail just about any genre with their capes.

2014’s BEST hero.

 

#8 Nightcrawler

nightcrawler

Imagine my surprise when this low-profile Jake Gyllenhaal movie about filming crime scenes in LA turned out to be one of the best films in Gyllenhaal’s already incredible career.

I still hold Lou Bloom as Gyllenhaal’s best role yet, and it was easily one of 2014’s most memorable characters.

2014’s BEST car chase.

 

#7 The Imitation Game

imitation game

This isn’t a perfect movie by any means. I think Keira Knightley was miscasted (her final, excellent scene notwithstanding), and parts of the script dragged on. When the credits rolled, I didn’t feel like I knew enough about Alan Turing, though I think that’s the point.

Still, Benedict Cumberbatch did a fantastic job as the genius who invented the first computer, only to be shunned for his private life. The Imitation Game had the most teary ending of any of the movies on this list, and the end still gives me chills when I start to think about it.

Sorry Fury, this was the BEST WWII movie of the year (that I saw, anyway).

 

#6  Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer

A post-apocalyptic science fiction movie about trains? Sheldon Cooper would be proud.

Easily the best sic-fi movie of the year (and there were tons of other great sci-fi movies this year), and I’m really shocked that Chris Evans managed to be in two movies on this list. Never thought I’d see the day circa 2007.

Snowpiercer brings back the overused post-apocalyptic premise that audiences declared “stale” back in, I don’t know, 2012, I guess. It also recycles the familiar rich vs. poor/revolution message that sci-fi has been throwing at us since before my parents watched movies.

Despite this, Snowpiercer was almost impossible not to like. The action, cinematography, and overall tension of watching abused survivors fight their way up the last train on Earth is one of the best ways you can spend a weekend.

And yes, it has the BEST twist ending of 2014.

 

#5 Guardians of the Galaxy

guardians of the galaxy

If Captain America made superhero movies cool again, then Guardians of the Galaxy is the movie that made space operas cool again. And I can’t think of a better way for Disney to tell us a year early that they can handle Star Wars.

This was one of the biggest movies of the year (the biggest in the U.S. for sure), and for good reason. It was funny, the characters were lovable, and the action was on-point.

BEST soundtrack, by the way.

 

#4 How to Train Your Dragon 2

how to train your dragon 2

The subtitle for this movie should really be: Don’t worry Pixar fans! We’ll make a great animated movie for you while you wait for the next Pixar movie in 2015!

This was my favorite animated movie of the year (sorry Big Hero 6. You were a lot of fun, but DRAGONS), and I would even say it’s neck and neck with Captain America for the year’s best sequel.

BEST animation of 2014.

 

#3 Boyhood

boyhood

I watched Boyhood on a plane to Florida recently, and I noticed two important things about the movie: it’s my childhood, but in movie format — I couldn’t stop watching.

A lot of people give Boyhood flack for being a bit of a “gimmick” movie. Its main selling point is that it’s one of the most ambitious films of all time, in that it filmed the same boy (and other actors) for over 12 years. We literally watch him grow up onscreen.

But honestly, that’s not what makes the movie great. Strangely, the movie’s lack of narrative worked for me, and I normally hate mosaics (think Tree of Life or anything else by Terrence Malick). In a way, the boy’s life is the story, which made me connect with Boyhood in a way I don’t think I’ve ever connected with a fictional character.

This one had the BEST script of 2014.

 

#2 Gone Girl

gone girl

Like Boyhood, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen as I watched the movie where even the twists have twists.

Gone Girl is filet mignon. It’s a movie that just gets everything right and cooks it perfectly. The pacing, acting, story, dialogue, and even Ben Affleck are executed brilliantly in this creepy thriller about a man whose wife goes missing.

In my opinion, the BEST story of 2014.

 

#1 Whiplash

whiplash

It’s tragic that this movie hasn’t reached a broader audience yet, but I’m really hoping it will as we enter the new year. Featuring Miles Teller (the future Mr. Fantastic) and J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson and TENZIN), Whiplash is the chaotic tale of how obsession separates ordinary people from legends.

But the real draw of the movie was watching Simmons play the brutal Jazz instructor, Fletcher. His character was the most memorable villain of 2014, I think, and his terrorizing teaching tactics were a real thrill to watch.

And of course, if you’ve seen the movie already, you know that it has the BEST ending of 2014.

whiplash

 

But these aren’t the only movies that made 2014 such a great year for movies. Here are some other standouts:

BEST Cinematography: Birdman

BEST Wit and Humor: Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST Premise: The LEGO Movie

lego movie

BEST Biopic: Selma

BEST New Character: Baymax (Big Hero 6)

BEST Onscreen Pair: The Skeleton Twins

BEST Prequel: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

BEST Special Effects: Interstellar

BEST Actress: Reese Witherspoon in Wild

BEST Action: The Edge of Tomorrow

BEST New Universe: John Wick

BEST Use of Michael Fassbender: Frank

frank

 

Have a great 2015!