From the LA Times (he’s not including foreign language films and lists the other films in his top ten in alphabetical order):
“Captain Phillips.” Intricate cat-and-mouse doings on a pirate-captured freighter mixing action, character and social conscience.
“American Hustle.” David O. Russell and familiar faces Adams, Bale, Cooper & Lawrence take a scam story to the limit and beyond.
“Frances Ha.” Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig present the joys and sorrows of youth, bringing a touch of the French New Wave to hipster New York.
“Fruitvale Station.” A real-life shooting in Oakland dramatized with assurance and emotional depth by debuting director Ryan Coogler.
“Gravity.” Imagine a camera in outer space and you are there. Knockout visuals show you the view from out there as you’ve never seen it before.
“Her.” Romance in the technological future envisioned by the iconoclastic Spike Jonze and stars Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson.
“Inside Llewyn Davis.” Jason Isaacs soars as a folk singer spending a week in Coen brothers hell. The music, however, is sweetness itself.
“The Invisible Woman.” Star and director Ralph Fiennes, aided by Felicity Jones, brings Charles Dickens to life in a triumph of classic cinema.
“Nebraska.” Bruce Dern and Will Forte in a poignant and ruefully funny father-and-son reunion that showcases the gifts of Alexander Payne.
“Short Term 12.” Exceptional naturalness and empathy in a foster-care group-home drama with a breakout performance by Brie Larson.
“12 Years a Slave.” Unblinking director Steve McQueen presents the horrors of slavery as Hollywood has not shown them before.
Jesus, Ryan, did someone steal your blue blankie? You sound like one of the angriest people on the Internet. You resort eventually to snarky insults on virtually every thread you chime in on. Keep some perspective and calm down.
I think Academy is trying to make a collage which is a good thing for cinema. American studio films + some good indie or foreign material.
Only American movies?! What kind of film critic is he suppose to be then?
Laughable list
Im also very surprised of the continues snubbed of the critical praised Before Midnight. Where did the love go?
I’ll take the bait, though 4M is way too limiting of a criterion. 15M will do – I’m pretty sure no one will really object to 15M in box office as not “indie” enough.
2012: Emmanuelle Riva – Amour (6.7M), Quevezhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild (12.7M)
2011: Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs (3M), Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn (14.6M)
2010: Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole (2.2M), Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone (6.5M), Michelle Williams – Blue Valentine (9.7M)
So 7 of the past 15 Best Actress nominees have been in films that grossed less than 15M total domestically. Not quite 10%, but nearly 50%!
Do actresses in bigger studio ventures still have an advantage, absolutely! But again, give some credit when credit is due.
I wonder what we’d be debating if Frances Ha made $200 million and Gravity had only earned $15M.
How about if We Need to Talk About Kevin had earned $300M and The Blind Side had earned $12M? Which actress would have an Oscar?
That’s my only point in a nutshell, Marshall. Greta Gerwig would be a lock if Frances Ha had earned $200. So it often has nothing to do with the merit of the performances — and once in a while when I stop to think about that, it sickens me.
I really don’t know what you said today and frankly, it’s tangential to my main point. I’m very well aware of AMPAS’s historic and regressive tendencies in many respects. Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t recognize that they’re getting better in some aspects, even if its just a marginal improvement. You can dismiss it as exceptions to the rule, I prefer to hope its progress to a new norm. Only time will tell.
And for the record, I loved Frances Ha and Greta Gerwig. And you know that.
That would be Oscar Isaac, not Jason Isaacs, we Isaacs dont enjoy being confused.
so natural and specific and interesting and lovable
I’m going with Giusi Merli and her portrayal of sour Maria in THE GREAT BEAUTY, who recognizes her?
Seems Kenneth Turan forgot to see any good films this year tha exist outside of Oscarville, USA. And not including any non-English language features is laughable. He couldn’t be pining harder for attention from voters.
I did not like FRANCES HA, it made me not care about Adam Driver, that’s severe damage
Because they don’t much care for movies that don’t make $100M.
Which explains why The Hurt Locker won BP. Or how Amour and Letters from Iwo Jima got BP/BD nominated. Or how Winter’s Bone got in over The Town in 2010. And so forth.
I’ll harp on AMPAS as much as the next guy, but I’ll absolutely give them credit where credit is due. And they’ve been more willing to recognize quality films that have done peanuts at the BO in recent years.
Oh neat, Marshall. Are exceptions to the rule the New Rule now? That should make the stats trackinh extra exciting. The rarities that occur 10% of the time are the best indicators of Academy behavior now? Fun!
Its no secret that I’m no math wizard, but i wonder if you can give me a rough estimate of how many Best Actress nominees appeared in movies that earned $4M or less. Just round it down to the nearest dozen.
My point is that most Academy members will never see 3 minutes of Frances Ha because they don’t think it’s “important.” I believe we can all agree Amour bubbled up in importance too big to ignore. Fat lot of good that did when I came actually getting more thst 15% of the voters to watch it. Do you disagree?
I know youre’ peeved because I had less than lovable things to say about your favorite movie today, but please don’t let that cloud your assessment of the Academy’s historic tendency to ghettoize and ouright ignore indie films in favor of high-value studio juggernauts.
Fully agree about all the love for Frances Ha and replacing Sandra Bullock with Greta Gerwig who was so natural and specific and interesting and lovable.
The Invisible Woman almost put me to sleep. Inert, uninteresting, totally forgettable.
Where’s Philomena? THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! I’ll filing a lawsuit right now!
American Hustle is the most overrated film of the year IMO.
“Jason Isaacs soars as a folk singer spending a week in Coen brothers hell. The music, however, is sweetness itself.”….. Lucius Malfoy??? 😀
I just can’t get enough of the FRANCES HA love from the critics. Really want to watch Her/Inside Llewyn Davis/12 Years a Slave soon.
Frances Ha is so great. I would swap Greta Gerwig for Sandra Bullock’s spot in a New York minute. But the obstacle to that is getting any Academy members to watch Frances Ha. Because they don’t much care for movies that don’t make $100M.