Ranking the Best Picture Nominees 2015

Part of the thrill of watching the Oscars ceremony every year is rooting for your favorite movie to win Best Picture.  For many, a reason to view the awards or even look at the list of nominees is to be informed on what movies (often overlooked by general audiences) to watch.  I’m telling you that this year all of them are worth your time.  It’s a great year for Best Picture nominations, snubbing very few movies in the category without great debate.

Not many of us have seen all the nominees and often only cheer on the one or two we have seen.  When a movie we haven’t seen gets the win, we don’t know how to feel about it since we don’t actually know whether the right choice was made or not.  Often people will assume the topic of the movie or pretentiousness gave one film the edge over the bigger blockbuster we all saw.  If you’d like to know how they really do stack up against each other from someone who has seen them all and can comment on them with critical evaluation without prejudice or pretension, read on.  It’s a good list to know even if you have no intentions of watching the event.  So here they are in ascending order.

8. The Imitation Game

It says something about 2014’s movies when The Imitation Game is the weakest of the candidates for Best Picture.  It’s based on the remarkable true story of Alan Turning, a British cryptanalyst, who played a large role in inventing a machine in order to break the Nazi “Enigma” code in World War II and became the father of computer science.  This movie explores various cerebral concepts such as how we define intelligence.  The conversation is pertinent in our modern day world as we approach the reality of artificial intelligence.  It also explores the differences in the way human minds think and what they mean to our existence.  Much of this movie’s power comes from Turning’s tragic end after being exposed as a homosexual and is chemically castrated.  While the movie comes close to achieving a high level of insight, it ultimately fails short of the mark.  The transparent deviations from history made to increase the tension and fit a movie format more concisely run the film afoul.  While liberties with historical fact run rampant in movies as a whole and are not sins in themselves, easily spotted changes and cliches are unacceptable.  The visuals are also so glaringly poor that they’re worth noting.  Benedict Cumberbatch plays Turning and received a Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination for his part, but is essentially another version of his Sherlock Holmes character in the BBC series.

7. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Director Wes Anderson’s fingerprints are all over every frame of this witty comedy.  That means symmetry, bright colors, and unorthodox but effective moments of characters pausing.  If you have seen and liked any of his previous films, you will enjoy this one as well.  Superb acting, charmingly painted facades, and likeable characters give plenty of reason to see Wes Anderson’s great piece of filmmaking.  While his earlier films can be seen as courageous for risk taking, this style is more of the same as before.  Therefore, all that separates this film from his others is the plot.  It follows three characters: an author listening to an elderly hotel owner narrate the majority of the movie, the narrator as a lobby boy, and the concierge the lobby boy worked for referred to as Monsieur Gustave H.  Gustave is a charmingly candid and civil man trying to prove his innocence after his is framed for the murder of the hotel’s owner, Madame D, who leaves him a priceless painting.  It’s hilarious and is absolutely worth a watch for those than appreciate alternative filmmaking styles.

6. Whiplash

While certainly the smallest picture in the list, it is not lacking in great moments.  Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) is a jazz drummer in a prestigious music school vying for the respect of a ruthless and physically abusive teacher Terrence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons).  Fletcher demands the best, and Neyman is determined to excel.  The film boasts the unhinged performance of J.K. Simmons who earned a nomination for his part.  Music plays a tremendous part in this movie.  By the end you, the viewer, are able to hear the difference between good and great.  The movie stops and starts repeatedly in the way of music-then-dialogue with actors’ well done expressions making the audience care about both parts.  It is not for those whose attention easily drifts when watching movies as each moment is crucial to gaining a completely experience.

5. Boyhood

Twelve years in the making, this film takes a grownup view of a fictional character’s path from child to young adult.  It showcases believable characters and situations going through life troubles.  It jumps from year to year without announcement and blends stages of adolescent life well.  The film is short on plot beyond what happens in a particular year but heavy on theme.  Vision and preparation helped make the movie what it is today.  While an impressive feat of filmmaking, the story is not quite enough to warrant a higher place on the list.

4. The Theory of Everything

Another biopic, this film follows the life of renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking from his time at Cambridge University when just meeting his first wife (before his onset of ALS) to after their separation, the release of A Brief History of Time (which he authored), and to the loss of most of his muscle use.  The portrayal of the scientist by Eddie Redmayne is heartbreakingly realistic and is more than worthy of this year’s Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.  He performs the various stages of motor-neuron disease so well that it pulls moviegoers in believing it completely.  Stephen and his first wife, Jane, are sympathetic and human in this piece.  In it, they are coping under debilitating circumstances while Stephen continues to excel in the field of science and earns status as a celebrity.  What is done with the story is so creative and beautiful without at all compromising the integrity of reality.  This is a must-see.

3. Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

This film may lose moviegoers in the first couple minutes with the immediately identifiable pretentious alternative title and opening credits.  Indeed the beginning moments of action are questionable.  But as the movie gets going, it reveals itself to go deeply into criticism and desire of acceptance.  The movie is in part a commentary on pretension.  Michael Keaton plays an actor who used to play a superhero called “Birdman” and creates a play to gain respect from critics who have long ridiculed him for his blockbuster past.  The reality of Keaton having played Batman adds a little something to it.  Those in the art community or any other exclusive field can directly relate to Keaton’s struggle, but his character takes it to a mentally unhealthy level.  The movie follows one continuous shot that jumps in time until the climax when it suddenly abandons the style.  Unfortunately, the ending seconds are non-sensical and are the point of some debate.  The cast is phenomenal throughout and could carry the movie on their own if they had to.  This film is best enjoyed by those that like to intensely think while watching.

2. American Sniper

Those who revile this movie outright fail the litmus test.  To say that the film is pro-war and dehumanizing is to admit the inability to view movies without prejudice.  This is perhaps Clint Eastwood’s greatest masterpiece.  It follows the life of the most lethal sniper in United States history, Chris Kyle.  From the opening scene during the Middle Eastern war we understand exactly what we’re getting into with Kyle’s dilemma on killing a woman and child who seem to have a grenade  ready to use against American troops in an evacuated zone.  Snapping back to Kyle’s childhood, a lecture by his father about sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs sets viewers up to understand Kyle’s mindset throughout the remainder of the movie.  Bradley Cooper completely immerses himself into the role of Chris Kyle physically and mentally.  Through him, any slightly insightful moviegoer should understand the difference between what Kyle says and really feels.  (Unfortunately, some don’t understand and either rally like mindless bigots or crucify him.)  While the people of the Middle East are NOT savages, there is nothing not-savage about Al Qaeda or what they do.  Sometimes the soldiers half-heartedly view the people and terrorists as the same.  The movie very much follows his particular experiences and in doing so shows us a small window into the war unique to him.  Being so specific is a tactic taking by many recent movies in their story telling.  One example is in Lincoln (2012) showing the struggle in passing the 13^th amendment rather than the whole of the president’s life.  It works quite effectively.  The reason American Sniper is not the number one movie of the year is due to its unsatisfying ending.  The real life Chris Kyle was tragically killed by a fellow veteran that he was trying to help through post-war stress.  The movie chooses to end as Kyle gets into the car of that man while his wife looks out through the window.  Here it begins to serve as a memorial to the soldier rather than portraying a narrative.  The way it happened took away emotional impact.  Had the film ended five minutes earlier or later, the piece would be much stronger.  The producers did not want to give the killer “glorified” screen-time or graphically show such a thing when his children would see it.

1. Selma

The fourth and final biopic of the Best Picture nominees, Selma follows Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement in Selma, Alabama.  Like Lincoln (2012), it follows our central character in a specific time and place.  Like American Sniper, it is also criticized most by those that haven’t seen it.  Selma is absolutely the best film of the year.  It courageously takes a graphic view of police brutality and citizen violence against King and his compatriots.  It manages to show all major figures in this piece as both flawed humans and as we remember them –not least of all MLK and Lyndon Johnson.  The relationship between the two characters is the main controversy surrounding this film.  LBJ is not the shining white night many reminisce in this picture.  He is a politician and someone with multiple priorities.  However, nothing in the film goes outside the realm of believability.  In the end, LBJ does in fact choose to be a hero and serves a critical role in passing needed legislation.  (I find it curious that people suddenly care about this film’s so-called historical inaccuracies while they glaze over other movies.  Accuracy has never been a sticking point for the Academy.  Just ask Gladiator (2000).)  It becomes shocking when depicting known acts committed by law enforcement in one of the most racially divided states in US history.  Many moviegoers may have adverse reactions to it and rebuttal subconsciously by calling it a black point of view.  While some can arguably say that about the recent events in Ferguson due to essential facts being truly unknown, the need for the civil rights movement to reach Selma of 1965 was real and the struggle was indeed painful.  Director Ava DuVernay deserved to be at least nominated for Best Director.  It also boasts by far the best ending of all nominated pictures.  Everything about this film is precise and well done.

Halo 4 Campaign Review

343 continues the tradition of light, sound, and magic in the latest installment in the Halo Franchise and the first of three in the Reclaimer Saga.  Gameplay, an epic score, and story culminate into an experience which is not to be missed.  Though it may not stack up as the favorite campaign in the franchise, it is a welcome addition that expanses the Halo universe and sets up the major theme in the new line of story.

 

Gameplay (Heroic difficulty)

 

Halo 4’s gameplay borrows the most from Halo: Reach with the way human and Covenant weapons work as well as armor abilities with some additions.  Like Reach, Halo 4 introduces a variety of new vehicles such as the Mantis and Pelican.  The Covenant weapons behave mostly the same with the replacement of the Plasma Rifle with the “Storm Rifle.”  For those unfamiliar with the way weapons behave in Halo, damage from one of the standard weapons (the battle rifle, assault rifle, DMR, Covenant Carbine) are not enough to kill an enemy of sufficient health like the alien enemy Elites (or fellow Spartans in Multiplayer) without an entire clip unless complete with headshots.  The new strain of weapons comes from the introductory enemy “Prometheans,” which were [No Spoilers] developed by the ancient Forerunner alien race.  The weapons mimic the human and Covenant weaponry with slight differences in handling and special characteristics.  They do not feel like new weapons, but variations of existing ones, which is not a bad thing.  Promethean enemies also mimic Covenant enemies, but only in respect to health and difficulty of dismantling.  Promethean Knights are more satisfying to extinguish than Elites while Promethean Crawlers are nimble and between the difficulty of a Covenant Grunt and Jackal, though less satisfying.  Kill them with headshots.  The humor and adorableness of the Grunt is unfortunately stripped away in Halo 4 with the exception of the option to add a birthday party explosion when dealing a headshot in the options menu.

 

My choice of difficulty, Heroic, is less challenging then previous Halo campaigns due to the abundance of options.  Being able to choose between armor abilities come across, seven varieties of primary rifles, three kinds of grenades, and other specialized weapons makes playing the way a gamer desires easier than ever.  Without the “Famine Skull” option turned on, ammo will be plentiful enough to dispatch hordes of enemies if used efficiently.  However, the game rarely gives a player the tools needed for success and instead requires him/her to earn it by killing the enemies with the weapons desired.  Gameplay is occasionally varied with vehicle missions; though rarely as difficulty as gun gameplay in order to not frustrate those who want to get back to the gunfights as soon as possible.  There even comes a time near the end that feels like “Star Fox” (1993).  Gameplay is overall satisfying and loaded with fun.  Legendary difficulty will be a challenge for any gamer, and along with the all “skull” options turned on, Halo Legendary-All-Skulls-On (LASO) it remains one of the most difficult challenges in video games.

 

Presentation

 

Halo 4 boasts spectacular visuals both during gameplay and cut-scenes equal to if not surpassing the previous best in the franchise, Halo 3.  The mass quantity of visual content seems to be limited only by the aging Xbox 360 console.  The only time when I feel the visuals don’t shine is during a jungle mission in which the organic plant matter lacks the realistic feel the rest of the game is treated with.  The old look of Master Chief’s visor is also missed from Halo 3, though that may just be personal preference.  Sound in the game is an improvement over the franchise’s already award winning quality.  Each action makes a sound that conveys distance, orientation, and magnitude with excellence.  This game is best enjoyed with a surround sound headset.  The most drastic improvement is in gunfire sounding more realistic for human guns and more thought out for alien weapons.  Also changed is the score to the game.  Now renowned composer to the previous Halo games, Marty O’Donnell, has been replaced by “Massive Attack” producer Neil Davidge.  Seemingly inspired from O’Donnell’s work, the soundtrack sounds familiar, though not replicative or emulative.  It works well in the campaign at all times, enhancing suspense and feeling throughout.  However, only some of the music is enjoyable for casual listening to outside of the game.  The music, visuals, and sound shine as well as previous Halo installments and are a primary reason to be wowed by the campaign.

Halo 4 Soundtrack

 

Story (No Spoilers)

 

Halo 4 establishes both morally ambiguity and its concentration on the Master Chief character within its opening scene.  Master Chief is a Spartan super soldier and like all Spartans was kidnapped as a child and turned into something not entirely human.  Spartans are emotionally dysfunctional and sociopathic at times, being closed off and unable to connect to the world around them.  However, the presence of Spartans and in particular Master Chief John-117 spared humanity from annihilation at the hands of the Covenant armada.  John is left in effect a machine doing nothing but his duty with militaristic style and undo resolve.  Ironically, the one connection 117 has is to a digital artificial intelligence, Cortana.  Left alone together adrift aboard the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn spaceship, Master Chief laid in suspended sleep while Cortana had nothing to do but think and rewire herself.  In Halo 4, Cortana comes back more human looking than ever, and is breathtakingly rendered.  Symbolizing Cortana’s evolution towards humanity and being more a young woman than robot, her expressive face tells stories within the story.

 

The story of Halo 4 centers mostly on Cortana’s “rampancy” –an increasingly fatal dysfunction that A.I.s develop after 7 years of service where they literally think themselves to death.  Cortana has been in commission for 8 years.  Throughout the campaign, it becomes the source of urgency as her dysfunction elevates in severity with Master Chief hoping to get Cortana to her maker before she is destroyed.  343 Industries leaves 117’s and Cortana’s relationship ambiguous and largely unspoken, though highly complex.  The highlight is the conversation in which Cortana asserts that she wants to find out who the machine is -him or her?

 

Outside of the overarching story line with Cortana, the premise is the fighting of an ancient enemy left behind by the Forerunners.  With no spoilers, I can elaborate little about the enemy itself and discuss only on its effect.  In truth, it lacks the thrill of the Covenant battles in passed Halos with a lull in the middle of the game.  However, at the end of the mission that feels to lack direction, cut-scenes bring back excitement with new developments and information.  The best part of this story line and the developments with Cortana is the ending that has a huge and one of the most satisfying payoffs in Halo video games.  I do, however, suggest that gamers familiarize themselves with Halo fiction outside of the game.  In particular, the internet mini-series “Halo: Forward Unto Dawn” is so tied into a central character of Halo 4 that it is a must watch (See my review here).  In addition, forerunner fiction from “Halo: Legends” and/or the novels will supplement the experience.

 

With questions left unanswered, it is clear that Halo 4 leaves many things for the latter two installments of the Reclaimer Trilogy to explain.  The campaign is not a completely rounded out story all by itself -nor does it seem 343 intended it to be.  Many in-between parts dealing with protagonists aboard the UNSC Infinity and outside of Master Chief are to be dealt with in “Spartan Ops,” the online chapter multiplayer experience.  Overall, it achieves a story worthy of high praise and keeps this gamer looking forward to Halo 5.

 

VERDICT: 4/5

Forward Unto Dawn Review

343’s Message to Hollywood:

If you’re not making Halo live-action, we’ll do it our-fucking-selves

(No Spoilers)

An unprecedented event in the video game medium, 343 Industries with Microsoft has produced a webseries to tie into the story of its next installment in the Halo franchise.  With good acting, a healthy budget, and creativity, “Halo: Forward Unto Dawn” (2012) soars as an epic chapter in popular art.

The forerunners of Halo, Bungie, and the reclaimers of Halo, 343, have taking great effort and pride in their storytelling.  With “Forward Unto Dawn,” 343 is making it clear it wants no stone left unturned.  The story follows Cadet Thomas Lasky (played by Tom Green) of the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) through his time at the Corbulo Academy of Military Science amidst a war between the rebelling colonists known as the insurrectionists and the central government.  The supplemental videos to the webseries establish that Lasky is morally conflicted, believing that the insurrectionists have a right to freedom as his military family including his revered Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST) brother along with his classmates encourage him to join their counter-insurrectionist cause.  His lack of zeal is reflected in his poor performance his freshman year and is the bane of his squad immediately.  As Lasky gets provoked by his squad, it instigates determination and creativity on the part of Lasky -only on the edge of victory to learn of an allergy which may warrant a medical discharge should he choose to take it.  On the eve of his decision and after sharing a kiss with squad member Chyler Silva (played by Anna Popplewell), the alien axis known as the Covenant surprise attacks the school and the planet, leaving horror and destruction in their wake.  As Lasky and his surviving classmates run and hide, they are momentarily saved by Master Chief Spartan-117 and attempt to follow him to safety.

Like the boot camp portion of “Full Metal Jacket” (1987), the school pushes young soldiers to their limits while demeaning and challenging them, though less militaristic and more prestigious.  Corbulo Academy establishes itself and a major theme of the earlier episodes with the story of Roman General Corbulo, who when asked to take his own life by messengers of Nero Caesar did not hesitate to loyally do so shouting “Axios!” (“I am worthy!”) and falling on his own sword.  Unlike “Full Metal Jacket,” after all of the training portion of the series is over, it does not disappoint with continuing suspense and action.  The invasion of the Covenant armada is as suspenseful as the best thrillers even though viewers that have been gamers of Halo for years know the enemy well.  343 makes good use of a strange, viscous enemy that has camouflage technology.  The acting through the school episodes and the invasion carries the series well, developing empathy with every character involved without weakness.  Acting is bolstered by good special effects with clear views of CG aliens with unparalleled quality in made-for-internet entertainment.  Though brief, it cinematically provides enough to satisfy any Halo fan’s wish for live-action Covenant.

The supplemental episodes are a must for anyone who wants to get as much out of the story as they can.  The music and direction are key supporters, while its only weaknesses are the structure of a webseries and having a not completely satisfying ending.  The set design and style shows off an authentic Halo universe that shines an a example to Hollywood on how to make a Halo movie.

343 meets the challenge of Halo live-action well to not only promote Halo 4, but provide new fiction for the Halo universe.  It develops the character of Thomas Lasky, who as industry officials already revealed will appear in Halo 4.  It gives continued investment in the world outside Master Chief and leaves audiences wanting more.  Undoubtedly, “Halo: Forward Unto Dawn” will be regarded as the greatest mini-webseries yet.

VERDICT: 4.5/5

Halo 4 comes out November 6^th at midnight everywhere

Halo: Forward Unto Dawn comes out on Blu-ray December 4^th, 2012, and is available for viewing on Halo Waypoint and Machinima Respawn on YouTube