The Power of the Dog - 12 nominations

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Kodi Smit-McPhee

Best Adapted Screenplay Jane Campion (written by)

Best Achievement in Directing Jane Campion

Best Motion Picture of the Year Jane Campion (producer) Tanya Seghatchian (producer) Emile Sherman (producer) Iain Canning (producer) Roger Frappier (producer)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Jesse Plemons

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Benedict Cumberbatch

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Kirsten Dunst

Best Achievement in Production Design Grant Major (production design) Amber Richards (set decoration)

Best Sound Richard Flynn Robert Mackenzie Tara Webb

Best Achievement in Cinematography Ari Wegner

Best Achievement in Film Editing Peter Sciberras

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) Jonny Greenwood

I don't like Westerns.  I don't generally like slow, "methodical" films that kind of meander to their plot. I don't often like films with sinister, intentionally uncomfortable characters.  So you'd think that I'd hate The Power of the Dog, right?  WRONG.  I loved it.  I loved loved loved it.

Jane Campion's film about two wealthy brothers who own a farm captures everything I love about characters and movies. One brother, Phil, eschews all the trappings of wealth.  He can do every job on the farm and never asks his ranch hands to do anything he wouldn't do himself.  It's a culture of toxic masculinity and he is the head "bro."  But we see some cracks in that veneer, and we begin to learn that Phil's identity is more than what he projects.  On the other hand, his brother George is the opposite; polite and the epitome of a wealthy businessman, and when he meets Rose (and her son) at a restaurant she owns that the crew patronizes, he cares for her in a time of emotional crisis and ultimately marries her.  She comes back to the ranch, now the lady of the house, and Phil torments her so subtly that she begins to melt in front of our very eyes.

Important advisory - GET PAST THE FIRST 15 MINUTES.  I have heard numerous complaints that "I couldn't get past..." - I promise, the payoff is worth it.  This is the rare film that the methodical set up has a giant payoff.  The performances are lessons in acting, no surprise given that married couple Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons have both been working since they were kids.  Benedict Cumberbatch never puts a wrong step and newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee is deliciously meek and totally creepy.

As with most sweeping epic films, cinematography and the original score are absolutely critical to this movie's success.  I simply can't say enough good things.  If you have time for just 3 films this year, make this one of them.

Dr. Strange and The Jungle Book - Visual Effects nominees

Dr. Strange

Visual Effects - Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli, and Paul Corbould

Another Marvel masterpiece, Dr. Strange follows the life of Stephen Strange, brilliant surgeon and total narcissist, who loses the precise use of his hands in a terrible accident.  He discovers a monastery in Kathmandu where he learns the ways of a mystical force that allows him to join a group of monks sworn to protect the world and combat the forces of evil.  The Visual Effects in this film are remarkable - a combination of Inception and Avatar in their mind blowing beauty.  When I first saw this film, my first comment when it concluded was, "this will be nominated for Visual Effects."  Plus, the narrative is captivating enough that even folks who have no affinity for superhero films will love it.  It's an incredible accomplishment.

The Jungle Book

Visual Effects - Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, and Dan Lemmon

We all know the story of The Jungle Book, and this film is one of Disney's attempts to remaking their animated stories into live action movies.  Little man-cub Mowgli has been raised by a pack of wolves, and when Shere Khan makes it clear that he intends to kill Mowgli if he doesn't leave the jungle, Mowgli must flee to safety among his own kind.  Along the way, he is escorted by his friend Bagheera, and they meet many characters along the way - some friendly like "Bare Necessities" appreciator big bear Baloo, and some dangerous like "Trust in Me" anaconda Kaa.  There is a truly standout performance by Christopher Walken as King Louie.  This film does justice to those of us who saw the original Jungle Book as children, and captivates those seeing this version as their first introduction.  The Visual Effects are spectacular and the animal wrangling incredibly impressive.  Even adults will love this film!

THE IMITATION GAME - 8 nominations

Best Picture - Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman
Actor in a Leading Role - Benedict Cumberbatch
Actress in a Supporting Role - Keira Knightley (in 2 films with nominations!)
Directing - Morton Tyldum
Film Editing - William Goldenberg
Original Score - Alexandre Desplat
Production Design - Maria Djurkovic (Production Design), Tatiana Macdonald (Set Decoration)
Adapted Screenplay - Graham Moore

We have arrived at my favorite movie of the year, to date.  (I still have a fair few to watch before the end of the list, but let's call this a top contender.)  The Imitation Game is a biopic about Alan Turing, indisputably one of the early creators of the modern computer.  He is portrayed as a socially stunted but brilliant character who is enlisted by Britain to help crack the very complicated nazi code by which the enemy communicates during World War 2.  Turing's social challenges are further complicated by his gay identity, which is still a crime at that time in history.  He hires a handful of colleagues including Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), who help Turing both crack the code and develop more social instincts.  Despite having been central to the allies winning the war, Turing submitted to chemical castration so that he could continue his work, which is a shameful mark in Britain's history.

The entire cast was brilliant in this film, and Cumberbatch did an amazing job of capturing the essence of his character.  Knightley is good, as she always is, and I think almost any good actress in this role would be nominated for the Oscar, because of how well the part was written.  The film is riveting (even though we know the outcome!) and every element does its part to bring together an outstanding piece of filmmaking.  It is an unforgettable film, and will be one that can be seen over and over again.

In particular, I have to note the outstanding musical score.  From the moment the film opens, it is captivating and yet complimentary enough not to make the movie about the music.  Certainly, the production design is authentic and sets the stage in which the story can unfold.  These complimentary pieces are done so phenomenally that they are absolute standouts in their categories.  As always, when a film is this outstanding, credit is due to the captain of the ship, the Director, who leads all of the elements to perfection.  

This film, if you'll pardon the pun, is the real thing.