Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
1)
Boyhood A formal experiment becomes a naturalistic drama and documentary about the human experience.
2)
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) It begins in mid-levitation, and soars steadily higher, creating a gravitational pull all its own.
3)
Ida This unforgiving Polish drama reminds us that the present is merely an inescapable accumulation of the past.
4)
Citizenfour Patriot or traitor? This doc about the process by which Edward Snowden made his disclosures has actually changed some minds.
5)
Locke A man, a car, and a cell phone – Steven Knight and Tom Hardy get a lot of mileage from just the basics.
6)
Only Lovers Left Alive "Till death do us part" really means something to vampires who strive to keep their love alive over centuries.
7)
The Babadook Only a sleep-deprived mother could dream up this tormentor – it's a female-centric approach to the haunted-house story.
8)
Force Majeure What, exactly, are the unspoken vows of the marriage contract, asks this droll family study.
We Are the Best!
9)
We Are the Best! Female adolescent lovers of punk also learn about self-love. What's not to like?
10)
Snowpiercer Originality of story and production design excite the senses and take us for a ride on a centrifugal merry-go-round.
Near Misses
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,
Jimi: All Is by My Side,
Top Five,
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Most Overrated
Foxcatcher,
Under the Skin,
Whiplash
Most Underrated
Only Lovers Left Alive,
Jimi: All Is by My Side,
Lucy
Wild Card
Hope for the Future: Two debuts by female directors –
The Babadook and
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night – among the year's best.
Acting Kudos (Male)
Michael Keaton (
Birdman), Timothy Spall (
Mr. Turner), Tom Hardy (
Locke), Ethan Hawke (
Boyhood), Edward Norton (
Birdman)
Acting Kudos (Female)
Agata Kulesza (
Ida), Patricia Arquette (
Boyhood), Tilda Swinton (
Snowpiercer), Julianne Moore (
Still Alice), Kristen Stewart (
Still Alice)
Best Director
Richard Linklater (
Boyhood), Alejandro González Iñárritu (
Birdman), Wes Anderson (
The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Best Original Screenplay
Birdman (Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo),
Locke (Steven Knight),
Ida (Pawel Pawlikowski and Rebecca Lenkiewicz)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn),
Obvious Child (Gillian Robespierre, Karen Maine, Elisabeth Holm),
Snowpiercer (Bong Joon-ho, Kelly Masterson)
Worst Film
The Monuments Men: Like a tire with a slow leak, the hiss of escaped potential is the only sign of life in this George Clooney misfire.
