Thursday, September 18, 2014

The First 2014 Film Awards Clearinghouse-Four Major Categories/Words from Inarritu/The Playlist Looks at Telluride

Welcome to Monday and another week in the middle of September.

THE FIRST 2014 FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE-FOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES



With Telluride and Venice done and Toronto wrapping up, here's the first look at The FAC for Best Picture, Director, Actor and Actress.  TFF #41 Films in Bold.

The FAC uses the published predictions f the following to develop its list of likely Oscar nominees:

Kristopher Tapley/InContention/HitFix
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Bred Brevet/Rope of Silicon
Nathaniel Rogers/Film Experience
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood
Peter Knegt/IndieWire
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter

A bit later in the season, I'll  add other Oscar experts...but for now...

BEST PICTURE

1) Birdman
2) Boyhood
3) The Imitation Game
4) Foxcatcher
5) Unbroken
6) The Theory of Everything
7) Interstellar
8) Gone Girl
9) Mr. Turner
10) The Grand Budapest Hotel

Comment:  Personally, if I were wagering, my money would likely be on "Unbroken", "The Imitation Game" and then "Birdman" in that order.

BEST DIRECTION

1) Alejandro Inarritu/Birdman
2) Richard Linklater/Boyhood
3) Bennett Miller/Foxcatcher
4) Christopher Nolan/Interstellar
5) Angelina Jolie/Unbroken
6) Morten Tyldum/The Imitation Game
7) David Ayer/Fury
8) Mike Leigh/Mr. Turner
9) Wes Anderson/The Grand Budapest Hotel
10) Paul Thomas Anderson/Inherent Vice

Comment:  Some disconnects here...James Marsh who directs "The Theory of Everything" which sits at #5 on the BP chart doesn't make the Best Direction list while David Yer does for "Fury".  I suspect that Morten Tyldum will gain some momentum as the season moves along.


BEST ACTRESS



1) Reese Witherspoon/Wild
2) Amy Adams/Big Eyes
3) Rosamund Pike/Gone Girl
4) Felicity Jones/The Theory of Everything
5) Meryl Streep/Into the Woods
6) Hilary Swank/The Homesman
7) Shailene Woodley/The Fault in Our Stars
8) Julianne Moore/Still Alice
9) Jessica Chastain/A Most Violent Year
10) Jessica Chastain/Eleanor Rigby

Comment: A tough category in what is perceived as a weak year for lead female roles.  This list is likely very volatile.  Chastain may beat herself out as she has a number of projects and "A Most Violent Year" may not even see release this year.  Frankly, I'm dubious about Streep on "Into the Woods".


BEST ACTOR

1) Michael Keaton/Birdman
2) Benedict Cumberbatch/The Imitation Game
3) Steve Carell/Foxcatcher
4) Eddie Redmayne/The Theory of Everything
5) Timothy Spall/Mr. Turner
6) David Oyelowo/Selma
7) Ralph Fiennes/The Grand Budapest Hotel
8) Bill Murray/St. Vincent
9) Joaquin Phoenix/Inherent Vice
10) Jack O'Connell/Unbroken


Comment:  I think Spall is really in jeopardy here.  Fiennes, Murray and O'Connell duke it out for the fifth spot.


I'll be looking at the Supporting Acting categories and the screenplay categories next week on MTFB/FAC.


WORDS FROM INARRITU


Alejandro G. Inarritu at T-ride (Getty Images)


Friend of the blog Alex Billington of FirstShowing.net got a chance at Telluride to speak with director/writer Alejandro G. Inarritu about his brilliant film "Birdman" and other topics as well.  Alex posted his interview with the autuer here:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/video-interview-birdman-director-alejandro-g-inarritu-discusses-life/


THE PLAYLIST TALKS TELLURIDE, FALL FESTS AND THE OSCAR SEASON



I've included a link to the latest podcast from The Playlist.  The 'cast goes nearly an hour and covers any number of topics from the last couple of weeks.  Take a listen here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/podcast-the-playlist-talks-telluride-tiff-venice-and-reductive-oscar-narratives-20140916


More on Monday.  Have a good weekend!

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