Image via Hitfix

The statement “while I do not agree with some of the nominations, I am happy about most of them” could literally be said every single year. Time is a freaking flat circle.

There have already been a lot of complaints going around, mainly about the lack of Selma (my review and thoughts on that to come). With a strong presence of films like The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything (NOTE: I haven’t seen either of these yet, so I am guessing here), this was a year made for Oscar movies rather than movies that actually deserved Oscars. However, the ambitious Boyhood and Birdman lead the pack. In order to finally get some Oscar love, Alejandro Inarritu had to finally stop making Oscar movies.

There are many deserving nominees this year. Here are a few I especially loved:

Emma Stone

It is hard to steal the spotlight in a film that is commanded by Michael Keaton and Edward Norton, but Emma Stone really proved her worth in Birdman. I never thought she was a bad actress, but I never knew she was this good. Birdman happens to be the kind of film that forces actors to be at the top of their game. Her monologue about being relevant still shakes me from time to time.

Everything Is Awesome

The Lego Movie‘s egregious snub for Best Animated Feature had everybody shouting, “everything is not awesome!” Weird, as this morning started off so well for the Lego Movie team: the first nomination announced was “Everything Is Awesome” for Best Original Song. This ode to being a square is one of the most joyous songs written this year. The best part was listening to a room full of crusty old Hollywood types gasp as J.J. Abrams announced this nomination.

Inherent Vice

Adapting Thomas Pynchon is not for the faint at heart, and Paul Thomas Anderson was certainly up for the task. Inherent Vice comes to no clear conclusions and strays so far from the three act structure that it sometimes feels more like a collection of stoned weirdos than an actual movie. By the way, that is a compliment.

Rosamund Pike

Well, at least the Academy made room for one terrifying sociopath.

Wes Anderson

The Grand Budapest Hotel is not my favorite Wes Anderson film (alas, I still loved it). However, a Best Director nomination for him has been a long overdue. Sure, it’s fun to crack jokes about his silly scarves and quirkiness, but let’s not forget that Anderson is by far one of the most original American directors working today and that The Grand Budapest Hotel had him going to some fantastically dark places. To celebrate, Wes Anderson grabbed a couple of burgers with Royal Tenenbaum and hit the cemetery.

Whiplash

Whiplash was my favorite film of the year, so by default I am happy about this. I honestly didn’t think it would make the Best Picture cut, despite some of the best reviews of the year. After all, this is basically a horror movie, and the Academy hates those. Whiplash is basically an anti-Oscar movie that sticks it to the those traditional tales of triumphing against all odds. Hey guys, the Oscars take risks sometimes.

March to the beat of your own drum. Image via Entertainment Weekly

Let’s start this review with a new spin on a classic joke:

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Get a cymbal thrown at your head first.

Just in case you were getting sick of watching people in movies succeed without actually putting much work in, Whiplash offers a solution. That solution, of course, is to watch somebody drum until their hands bleed and blister.

Whiplash has been buzzed about ever since it debuted at Sundance this past winter. It both lives up to and exceeds the hype. It is a film that manages to be both insult comedy and horror at the same time. While the horror part might seem like a stretch, I do feel afraid to listen to jazz now.

Every trailer and commercial you might have seen for Whiplash are misleading in a way that serves it well. Remember how you were when you first got into college? You were incredibly naïve in an endearing sort of way. Sure, there are people who knew everything at that point; those people are called liars. Anyway, Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) enters the best music school in the country with high hopes of being the best drummer alive. Even if you find Miles Teller annoying (there are people who do), it is hard to deny the power of his performance here. His stammering awkwardness hides a frightening ambition that is thrilling to watch.

Neyman is about to get the literal slap in the face he didn’t know he deserved. One day, he is “discovered” by Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) and brought into Fletcher’s band. Fletcher is the teacher everybody wants, because he is tough in a way that I have never seen any mentor be in a movie before. He is unpredictable, and perhaps the scariest part about him is that he will never say “good job,” because to him, there is no such thing as a job well done.

I could probably write an entire review about J.K. Simmons’ performance, because that is how good he is in Whiplash. It is sad that people are just now realizing how lucky we are to have him around as an actor, but I guess playing against type is the best way to gain recognition. Normally, Simmons comes off as the kind, mild-mannered Midwestern dad. Here, he plays Mr. Miyagi by way of R. Lee Ermy. In fact, just imagine if the entire first half of Full Metal Jacket was stretched out into a film. That is what Whiplash is. Simmons portrays Fletcher more like a general making sure his troops don’t get shot than a conductor who is about to lead a symphony.

Whiplash takes the typical story of an underdog overcoming the odds and flips it on its head. Remember the training montage in Rocky? Of course you do; it’s when he eats raw eggs and then runs up the Philadelphia Museum of Art stairs. After that, Rocky is suddenly ready to take on Apollo Creed. A similar montage takes place in Whiplash less than halfway through, and is followed by Miles Teller getting yelled at even more. Plus, Andrew gets his Adrian (they even get a nice little meet cute at a movie theater), and then tells her to go away so he can play the drums more. In the world of Whiplash, the training never ends. In most films like this, the effort matters more than the actual outcome of the competition. Whiplash will make you rethink what it means to “push yourself.” It’s not just about doing more than is expected of you; it is about doing more than is humanly possible.

Whiplash also happens to be one of those films that makes you view something you didn’t think you cared much about in a whole new light. First time director Damien Chazelle clearly knows the world of jazz better than anybody and he is not afraid to show the darker side of it. That is right, you will see lots of bloody hands and lots of spit being emptied from a section of Trombones.

Chazelle’s directing puts you right into the center of this world and refuses to take you out until he feels like he is ready to. In a way, Whiplash takes the audience along for a long con. Just as Fletcher pushes Andrew way past all possible limits, Whiplash does the same to the viewer. Just when you think Andrew is finished, just wait, there is even more. Whiplash can be an excruciating ride, and I say that in the best way possible. Few films actually try to push the viewer. Most try to make moviegoing easier and more accessible. Watch Whiplash and prepare to be challenged, and ultimately rewarded. Mankind needs more movies like Whiplash.

Brain Farts From The Edge

• Doctor Fletcher is a doctor. Sure. That reminds of one of my favorite 30 Rock jokes.
• I think I should just open every review from now on with a Catskills style joke.
• Probably the scariest part of Whiplash is that giant vein that bulges out of J.K. Simmons’ head every time he gets angry.
• Inside Llewyn Davis would have been a much different film if Llewyn had Fletcher as a mentor.
• Whiplash deserves a lot of points for its screenplay, which never tries to give its characters any “save the cat” moments. It is hard to find a movie justify a character’s selfishness like Whiplash does.
• Damien Chazelle. With a name like that, you’re basically destined to hang out exclusively in jazz clubs.

Never thought J.K. Simmons could look this scary. Image via Sundance Film Guide

Unfortunately, I did not get to attend the Sundance Film Festival this year. This is tough, because if you’ve been to it once, then you just want to go again and again.

While I couldn’t be there in person, that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t follow all of the action vicariously. Guys, the Internet is a wonderful thing.

Through descriptions and reviews of all of the films that were screened at the Festival, I was able to compile a list of this year’s entries that I want to see the most. Who knows, maybe one of these could be the next “Reservoir Dogs” or “Clerks.” Whatever happens, at least one of (if not all) of these films will have a character who either plays ukelele or looks really sad while taking a shower.

Read the list below:

Boyhood

In order to understand the film, the behind-the-scenes of “Boyhood” is crucial to know: director Richard Linklater filmed it in bits and pieces over a 12 year period in order to accurately capture the aging of the lead child character. This idea is so interesting and ambitious and proves that Linklater is secretly one of America’s most innovative filmmakers. Remember, this is the same dude that also directed “Dazed & Confused,” “School of Rock,” and “Bernie.” Linklater refuses to stick to the same style and formula, which is why I love his films so much.

Image via Sundance Film Guide

Nymphomaniac: Volume I

I have yet to see a single Lars von Trier film (oops), but that doesn’t make me any less excited for “Nymphomaniac,” which was the surprise secret screening at the Festival. “Nymphomaniac” is an epic about sex addiction. If that doesn’t sound indulgent enough, then you should also know that the film had to be split in two, as the original cut is over four hours long. This is what we get for complaining about the length of “The Wolf of Wall Street.” For now, I will see “Nymphomaniac” partly out of pure curiosity, and partly because I never imagined that Shia LaBeouf and Uma Thurman would star together in a Danish sex comedy. Yes, I’ll watch “Melancholia” soon, so please stop asking.

Note: I am pretty sure that any photo, poster, or clip that I put up for this film will offend someone or get me in serious trouble. Go look it up at your own risk. 

The Skeleton Twins

I try not to be pulled in to films by star power alone. However, I will make an exception to this rule when the stars in question happen to be Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. The pair of “Saturday Night Live” alums star in “The Skeleton Twins” as a pair of estranged twins who reunite. The two of them are so good at playing silly, so this will be the first time they really get to play serious (they were both in “Adventureland” together though, albeit as comic relief). The two of them should be great in dramatic roles, just don’t join the dark side for good, guys.

Doing a great impression of “melancholy white people” Image via Sundance Film Guide

Whiplash

“Whiplash” was one of the most highly buzzed about films at the Festival.  J.K. Simmons continues to be an underrated character actor, while Miles Teller is just about on his way to huge stardom, as long as he never stars in anything like “That Awkward Moment” ever again. Once again, I try not to be fully convinced by star power alone, but “Whiplash” had me at “J.K. Simmons yells and curses at Miles Teller a lot.”

Image via Sundance Film Guide

Wish I Was Here

“Wish I Was Here” garnered a strong love it or hate it reaction from Sundance crowds, and I’m not sure if that’s because of the film itself, or because Zach Braff is a fairly divisive figure. I am excited to see Braff’s long awaited Kickstarter-funded directorial follow up to “Garden State.” While it seems fairly uncool to like “Garden State” anymore, it is important to remember that most of the annoying indie tropes associated with the film were original at the time that it came out. Therefore, it is the imitators, as opposed to the inventors, who deserve more of the blame here.* Anyway, if a film caused this much debate at Sundance, then there must be something interesting about it. Hopefully, this could also serve as a comeback for Kate Hudson, who deserves better roles after years stuck in rom-com hell. Also, I am required to end this paragraph by saying that this film also stars Mandy Patinkin.

Image via Sundance Film Guide

*But that whole “two people connect while listening to The Shins” thing? That’s all on you, Braff.

Films I Would See Based On Their Titles Alone: Afronauts, Dear White People