RIP Edward Herrmann

Just one day after losing Luise Rainer, another endearing presence has lost his battle with brain cancer. Of course I am speaking of the incredible Edward Herrmann, one of my favorite character actors on television. He was FDR in one of the best miniseries in the last 30 years, Eleanor and Franklin. He was the beloved Richard Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, one of the best television shows of the last 30 years, and had countless other parts in television and in film including roles on Grey's Anatomy, The Good Wife, The Practice (which earned him his Emmy Award), St. Elsewhere, Nixon, The Lost Boys, and countless other roles. He will be truly missed, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family tonight. And in honor of his legacy, I might just whip out my favorite Gilmore Girls episodes tonight. I hope you all do the same, and remember the work of a hard-working, underrated gem. Rest in peace old friend.

RIP Luise Rainer

If you have never heard of Luise Rainer, I wouldn't be that surprised. After becoming an instant starlet, and the first actor to ever win back to back Oscars for her roles in The Great Ziegfeld and The Good Earth, she quickly disappeared from Hollywood. Sadly, at the age of 104, she has passed away. Leaving Hollywood was her choice, and while I think agree that it was our lost, it is not often that people are able to leave at their height with an indelible memory of their work. Rainer was one of those actresses, and remains in the forefront of film and Oscar history. My thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family tonight, and I know that she will be missed. Rest in Peace.

North Carolina Film Critics Association Award Nominations

This is only there third year, but I am glad to see the film critics from my home state (Tar Heel born and bred!) staking their claim in the race. Here are the nominees, winners coming in a week!

Best Narrative Film
Boyhood
Birdman
Calvary
The Grand Budapest Hotel
A Most Violent Year
Selma
Whiplash

Best Documentary Film
Citizenfour
Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
Jodorowsky’s  Dune
Life Itself
The Overnighters

Best Animated Film
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie
The Tales of Princess Kaguya

Best Foreign Language Film
Force Majeure
Ida
The Lunchbox
Two Days, One Night
We are the Best!

Best Director
Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Damien Chazelle (Whiplash)
Ava DuVernay (Selma)
David Fincher (Gone Girl)
Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman)
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)

Best Actor
Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Brendan Gleeson (Calvary)
Tom Hardy (Locke)
Michael Keaton (Birdman)
Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin (Inherent Vice)
Ethan Hawke (Boyhood)
Alfred Molina (Love is Strange)
Edward Norton (Birdman)
Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)
J. K. Simmons (Whiplash)

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night)
Essie Davis (The Babadook)
Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything)
Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)
Reese Witherspoon (Wild)

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Jessica Chastain (A Most Violent Year)
Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)
Rene Russo (Nightcrawler)
Emma Stone (Birdman)
Tilda Swinton (Snowpiercer)

Best Original Screenplay
Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Damien Chazelle (Whiplash)
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo (Birdman)
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Jon Michael McDonagh (Calvary)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl)
James Gunn and Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Nick Hornby (Wild)
Graham Moore (The Imitation Game)
Joon-ho Bong and Kelly Masterson (Snowpiercer)

Tar Heel Award
(Special recognition to a performer or film with special ties to North Carolina.)
Zach Galifanikas (Birdman)
Cynthia Hill (Private Violence)
Jake Lacy (Obvious Child)
Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz (Land Ho!)

Women's Film Critics Circle Awards

Best Movie About Women
Still Alice

Best Movie By a Woman
Selma

Best Foreign Film By/About Women
Two Days, One Night

Best Documentary By/About Women
CitizenFour

Best Theatrically Unreleased Movie About Women
Girlhood

Best Actor
Eddie Redmayne "The Theory of Everything"

Best Actress
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"

Best Young Actress
Mira Grosin "We Are the Best!"

Best Comedic Actress
Jenny Slate "Obvious Child"

Best Female Action Star
Oprah Winfrey "Selma"

Best Women's Work/Ensemble
The Homesman

Best Screen Couple
The Skeleton Twins

Best Female Images in a Movie
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Best Male Images in a Movie
Love is Strange

Worst Female Images in a Movie
Horrible Bosses 2

Worst Male Images in a Movie
Dumb and Dumber To

Mommie Dearest Worst Screen Mom of the Year Award
Charlotte Gainsbourg and Uma Thurman "Nymphomaniac"

Best Animated Female
Winnie from The Boxtrolls

Best Family Film
Big Hero 6

Special Mention Award - A Woman's Right to Male Roles in Movies
Jessica Chastain "Interstellar"

Courage in Filmmaking
CitizenFour

Josephine Baker Award
Anita: Speaking the Truth to Power

Karen Morely Award
Belle

Adrienne Shelley Award
Frontera and Private Violence

Courage in Acting Award
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"

The Invisible Woman Award
Felicity Jones "The Theory of Everything"

Acting and Activism Award
Rosario Dawson

Lifetime Achievement Award
Oprah Winfrey

The Oscar Narrative: Pre-Guild Technical Predictions

Starting at the end of this week, and rolling through most of the next week, we still start to here from the major guilds (SAG being the early exception). Some of the big ones like the PGA, DGA, and WGA will have a incredible impact on the big categories, especially Best Picture. But there are a lot of guilds announcing that will also help us clear up some of these tough technical categories. Before they reign in, and shift the landscape completely, here are my predictions:

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki "Birdman"
Robert D. Yeoman "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Hoyte Van Hoytema "Interstellar"
Bradford Young "Selma"
Roger Deakins "Unbroken"

Best Costume Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Into the Woods
Maleficent
The Theory of Everything

Best Film Editing
Birdman
Boyhood
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Selma

Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Foxcatcher
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Theory of Everything

Best Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The Imitation Game
Into the Woods
Maleficent

Best Sound Editing
American Sniper
Fury
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Transformers: Age of Extinction

Best Sound Mixing
American Sniper
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Into the Woods
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Unbroken

Best Visual Effects
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Transformers: Age of Extinction

The 3rd Annual Awards Psychic Music Awards: Winners

Album of the Year
Winner - Arcade Fire “Reflektor”
Runner Up - Sia "1000 Forms of Fear"
Commentary - Rock had a pretty good year, including three of the best albums released. Beck's Morning Phase made the cut to Album of the Year, a great nomination in an otherwise boring lineup. The Black Keys' Turn Blue was a great followup to El Camino, even if it didn't quite meet its predecessor's heights. I'm sure many would say the same thing about Arcade Fire's followup to their Album of the Year surprise The Suburbs, but I think Reflektor is just as good of an album, and easily this year's best (Sia was right behind him). It was so creative, fun, and explosive to listen to (and listen to and listen to over and over again), and it proved that Arcade Fire is one of the best bands working in music today.

Single of the Year
Winner - Sia "Chandelier"
Runner Up - Kendrick Lamar "i"
Commentary - I still cannot get over Sia's chart-topping Chandelier. It is energetic, yet sad. It has booming production values, yet never loses its soaring vocals. And most importantly, it is a brilliant mix of power pop vocals, mainstream appeal, and a moving message. If there is any wish I have for the upcoming Grammy Awards, is that this brilliant pop record beats out its rivals for Record of the Year. It is easily the best of the bunch.

Best New Artist
Winner - Schoolboy Q
Runner Up - Sam Smith
Commentary - Okay, so I love Sam Smith as much as the next person, and when he wins Best New Artist at the Grammys in a few weeks, I will be thrilled, even though his debut album didn't quite match his talent. But I have to give a shout out to Schoolboy Q for his excellent introduction to hip hop this year. I couldn't put him above Kendrick Lamar or Pusha T in the rap categories this year, but I wanted to make sure he didn't go away without some deserved recognition. New artists come out all the time, but few have had quite the impact on their genre in terms of quality this year like Schoolboy Q.

Best Pop Album
Winner - Sia "1000 Forms of Fear"
Runner Up - Lana Del Rey "Ultraviolence"
Commentary - When I first heard Chandelier on the radio, I sincerely thought that it was one of those records that would be the only standout on Sia's upcoming album. It just felt like that was going to happen that way. Luckily, it did not, and if you loved that song, you should definitely check out the rest of 1000 Forms of Fear. It will play endlessly in your head for weeks after the first listen, and proves that Sia is a mega pop talent capable of both quality and accessibility.

Best Rap Album
Winner - Pusha T "My Name is My Name"
Runners Up - Schoolboy Q "Oxymoron"
Commentary - Schoolboy Q is an up and coming rap star that I am sure we are going to here more about in the coming months and years. Congratulations to Grammy voters for recognizing his talent. But this year's best rap album for me was easily the latest effort from Pusha T. He was once a part of the dynamic duo of Clipse (whose Hell Hath No Fury is still one of my favorite rap albums of all time), but he pushes himself, and shows us what he can do as a solo act, and the results were fantastic. Quite simply, My Name is My Name is the best produced, best written, and best delivered rap album of the year, and puts the veteran rapper miles above his more popular counterparts. Another album is coming soon, and I can't wait.

Best Rock/Alternative Album
Winner - Arcade Fire “Reflektor”
Runners Up - Beck "Morning Phase" and The Black Keys "Turn Blue"
Commentary - See Album of the Year

Best R&B Album
Winner - Beyonce "Beyonce"
Runner Up - Toni Braxton & Babyface “Love, Marriage & Divorce”
Commentary - None of Beyonce's singles landed well, but her album as a whole was a marvelous R&B effort. Not only did it have a great landing, with an excellent surprise factor, but it proved to be one of her most cohesive efforts to date. This is probably why none of the singles stood out, because it is best to absorb her work as a whole collection. The real reason why Beyonce is easily her best album, and easily the best in the field this year is that it was her most personal and most emotional album to date, and yet still maintained its massive appeal to fans across the musical spectrum. Only someone with her talents and her magnetism could have pulled it off. And the musical world is a better place because she did.

Best Country Album
Winner - Miranda Lambert "Platinum"
Runner Up - Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones “Foreverly”
Commentary - Miranda Lambert is the new queen of country, and it is not hard to figure out why. She is better than all of her male counterparts (which is usually the case in country music), she crosses over to the mainstream easily without losing her roots, is well-respected by music critics, and makes great country music that is an interesting mix of fire, vulnerability, and pure talent. Automatic was a great showcase for her artistry, and easily the best country album of the year.

Best Pop Performance
Winner - Sia "Chandelier"
Runner Up - Ingrid Michaelson "Girls Chase Boys"
Commentary - See Single of the Year

Best Rock Performance
Winner - Arcade Fire “Reflektor”
Runner Up - The Black Keys "Fever"
Commentary - I suggest you listen to the whole Reflektor album at some point (see above). Fever was a great record from The Black Keys, but I still love the title track from Arcade Fire the best. It is a great representation of a great album, and a band at the top of its game.

Best Rap Performance
Winner - Kendrick Lamar "i"
Runners Up - Eminem feat. Rihanna "The Monster" and Schoolboy Q feat. Kendrick Lamar "Collard Greens"
Commentary - Easily the best rap performance of the year, Kendrick Lamar continues his streak with clever, and most accessible single to date: i. Lamar had a monster release with good kid, m.A.A.d city, and continues to inspire jealousy among his peers, and awe among critics and fans. If the rest of his new album is anything like i, they we are all in for a treat.

Best R&B Performance
Winner - John Legend "All of Me"
Runners Up - Beyonce "Pretty Hurts" and Janelle Monae "PrimeTime"
Commentary - Okay so I know that All of Me has been out a long time, but in the last year it finally hit its stride to become one of the best songs to hit the radio in a while. Like Legend's first hit Ordinary People, All of Me does not rely on anything other than the vocal and piano chops of its performer. It was beautifully composed, and impeccably sung, pitch perfect in its execution, and brilliantly simple. It brought old school soul back to radio and reminded us that you don't need fancy beats, or auto-tune to make quality, engaging, and popular music.

Best Country Performance
Winner - Eric Church “Give Me Back My Hometown”
Runner Up - Miranda Lambert “Automatic”
Commentary - None of this year's country hits matched Kacey Musgraves last year, but I give a lot of credit to Eric Church for his hit single Give Me Back My Hometown. It was a fun song, with a nice message that stands out among the fray this year. It was an immediately likable tune that I still hum every once in a while when the mood hits me. Hopefully, Church gets his first Grammy win this year. He has been around for a while, and The Outsides, and this single, shows him at the top of his game. It is time the industry recognize it.

Black Film Critics Circle Awards

Best Picture
Selma

Top Ten Films
1. Selma
2. Birdman
3. Top Five
4. Whiplash
5. Get On Up
6. Boyhood
7. The Theory of Everything
8. Nightcrawler
9. Belle
10. Gone Girl

Best Director
Ava DuVernay "Selma"

Best Actor
David Oyelowo "Selma"

Best Actress
Gugu Mbatha-Raw "Belle"

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"

Best Supporting Actress
Carmen Ejogo "Selma"

Best Original Screenplay
Selma

Best Adapted Screenplay
Gone Girl

Best Cinematography
Birdman

Best Foreign Film
Ida

Best Documentary
Keep On Keepin' On

Best Animation
The Lego Movie

Best Ensemble
Selma

Pioneer
Ava DuVernay

Rising Star
Justin Simien

Special Mention
Dear White People

Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award Nominations

Best Film
Birdman
Boyhood
Whiplash

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton, Birdman

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, The Immigrant
Tilda Swinton, Only Lovers Left Alive
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best Supporting Actor
Edward Norton, Birdman
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
Laura Dern, Wild

Best Director
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Best Screenplay
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris & Armando Bo, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Best Foreign Language Film
Force Majeure
Ida
We Are the Best!

Best Documentary Film
Citizenfour
The Overnighters
Virunga

Best Canadian Film
Enemy
Mommy
Tu dors Nicole

Best Actor in a Canadian Film
Jake Gyllenhaal, Enemy
Maxwell McCabe-Lokos, The Husband
Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Mommy

Best Actress in a Canadian Film
Julianne Côté, Tu dors Nicole
Anne Dorval, Mommy
Dagny Backer Johnsen, Violent

Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film
Bruce Greenwood, Elephant Song
Marc-André Grondin, Tu dors Nicole
Callum Keith Rennie, Sitting on the Edge of Marlene

Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film
Sarah Allen, The Husband
Suzanne Clément, Mommy
Sarah Gadon, Enemy

Best Screenplay for a Canadian Film
Xavier Dolan, Mommy
Andrew Huculiak, Josh Huculiak, Cayne McKenzie & Joseph Schweers, Violent
Elan Mastai, The F Word

Best Director of a Canadian Film
Xavier Dolan, Mommy
Stéphane Lafleur, Tu dors Nicole
Denis Villeneuve, Enemy

Best Canadian Documentary
Everything Will Be
Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story
The Price We Pay

Best First Film by a Canadian Director
Sitting on the Edge of Marlene
The Valley Below
Violent

Best British Columbia Film
Everything Will Be
Preggoland
Violent

The Oscar Narrative: Post SAG/Globe/Critics Choice Predictions

Best Picture
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
Gone Girl
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Unbroken

Other Contenders - Whiplash, Into the Woods, A Most Violent Year, Nightcrawler, American Sniper, Mr. Turner, Interstellar, Wild, Still Alice, Fury, The Lego Movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Big Eyes, St. Vincent

Commentary - So despite being this deep into December, there are still so many unknowns left in this Best Picture race. I think there are five that are locked, and I would be surprised if they didn't make the cut. Boyhood, Birdman, Selma, The Imitation Game, and The Theory of Everything are leading right now, and if there were only five nominees, they would be the five in the race. But there are probably going to be more than five, and while a lot of pundits are predicting less than nine, I am sticking with nine, because history, and the math, seem to favor that magic number. It looked like Whiplash was going to ride a wave, but it has been mostly J.K. Simmons show so far. It did get a lot of love from the BFCA, and I suspect Chazelle is a good Original Screenplay candidate. That being said, it needs some guild love to prove to me it can play with the Academy as a whole. Into the Woods got some Globe love, but that was expected, and its SAG Ensemble miss was a bit surprising to me. But it is still in play, and will do well at the holiday box office. A Most Violent Year, Mr. Turner, Nightcrawler, American Sniper, and Interstellar all have gotten, and will continue to get enough support to stay in the conversation, but will need to pull off some guild nods. So there are four I think are ahead of these films at the moment. Gone Girl and Foxcatcher are dark films that I think could still play with the Academy. Foxcatcher's miss at the Critics Choice is a bit unnerving, but I still think it will get in. Gone Girl is one that is playing well and both films are borderline as to whether they get in or get left out. The Grand Budapest Hotel has made a hell of a comeback, and it is being re-released into key theaters to follow its triumphs at the Globes, SAG, and the BFCA. I think it will easily get PGA and WGA, and definitely some of the craft guilds, and I think Wes Anderson is a bigger contender than people are giving him credit for in the Best Director race. Finally, Unbroken is hanging on after hitting well with the BFCA. Its fate, like so many of these films hangs on its fate with the guilds and BAFTA. It still probably will play well with older voters, but its reviews are hampering it. It is still in, for the moment.

Best Director
Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Ava DuVernay "Selma"
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu "Birdman"
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"
Morten Tyldum "The Imitation Game"

Other Contenders - James Marsh "The Theory of Everything", David Fincher "Gone Girl", Bennett Miller "Foxcatcher", Angelina Jolie "Unbroken", Mike Leigh "Mr. Turner", Damien Chazelle "Whiplash", Rob Marshall "Into the Woods", JC Chandor "A Most Violent Year", Christopher Nolan "Interstellar", Dan Gilroy "Nightcrawler", Clint Eastwood "American Sniper"

Commentary - Linklater and Inarritu are locked and loaded, probably for a fight to the finish. Ava DuVernay is such a big personality, and is such a well-liked person with such a daring vision, I find it hard to think that she will be left off. And Morten Tyldum has not gotten any major precursors yet, but he is the type of nominee that rides in on the back of his film's popularity. It is that fifth slot for the moment that is tricky (although with the directors, I would say all of the slots except for Linklater and Inarritu are vulnerable). David Fincher got the Globe nod, and is a well-respected director that could easily land the DGA nod like he did for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. He didn't get in last time for the Oscar, can he do it this time? Not so sure. The Theory of Everything is a great actor's vehicle, but for director, it might not have quite enough steam for Marsh to beat out bigger competition. Bennett Miller, Mike Leigh, Clint Eastwood, and Rob Marshall are all previous nominees with pictures in the Oscar hunt. And newer additions like Damien Chazelle, Angelina Jolie (to directing), JC Chandor, and Dan Gilroy add some intrigue to the mix. But I see a star on the rise in the form of Wes Anderson. The Grand Budapest Hotel is raking up accolades, he got in at the Globes, and has certainly paid his dues to earn his first directing nomination. If the film continues to perform the way it has, he could finally pull it off.

Best Actor
Steve Carell "Foxcatcher"
Benedict Cumberbatch "The Imitation Game"
Michael Keaton "Birdman"
David Oyelowo "Selma"
Eddie Redmayne "The Theory of Everything"

Other Contenders - Jake Gyllenhaal "Nightcrawler", Timothy Spall "Mr. Turner", Bradley Cooper "American Sniper", Ralph Fiennes "The Grand Budapest Hotel", Oscar Isaac "A Most Violent Year", Joaquin Phoenix "Inherent Vice", Ben Affleck "Gone Girl", Bill Murray "St. Vincent", Jack O'Connell "Unbroken"

Commentary - Still a tough race, that seems to have settled into a five, which makes me concerned. David Oyelowo missed at SAG, but rebounded at the Globes, I still think despite the SAG snub he is still in. The sixth here is Jake Gyllenhaal, who has done really well so far, and is a previous nominee. The one thing holding him back, and me back from predicting him, is the darkness of the film. Critics love it, actors respect it, but once more see Oyelowo, I think he encompasses Gyllenhaal. But these six are not the only ones in it. Timothy Spall is going to have the British contingency behind him, so he is the dark horse (think Gary Oldman). Bradley Cooper has come back twice to earn a nod, and he is the heart and soul of American Sniper. Ralph Fiennes could benefit from the aforementioned resurgence of The Grand Budapest Hotel, and while I am probably gasping at straws, I still am rooting for Oscar Isaac to make a comeback. This is still the race to watch, and unfortunately the Critics Choice snub shows that it might actually be Carell that is not safe, but then again except for maybe Keaton and Redmayne, no one really is.

Best Actress
Jennifer Aniston "Cake"
Felicity Jones "The Theory of Everything"
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Rosamund Pike "Gone Girl"
Reese Witherspoon "Wild"

Other Contenders - Marion Cotillard "Two Days, One Night", Marion Cotillard "The Immigrant", Amy Adams "Big Eyes", Jenny Slate "Obvious Child", Gugu Mbatha-Raw "Beyond the Lights", Helen Mirren "The Hundred-Foot Journey"

Commentary - I think poor Marion Cotillard is going to have to sit out yet another year, despite a Weinstein push, and two excellent performances. And Amy Adams might have pulled off a nod last year despite a SAG or Critics Choice nod, but American Hustle was a huge Oscar player compared to Big Eyes. So that leaves the five SAG nods, which also matched up with the five nods for Actress-Drama at the Globes. BAFTA might throw in Cotillard or Adams, which could change my predictions. But if that last slot is between them and Aniston, I still think Aniston pulls it off. She has been front and center campaigning for the film, and is a popular actress who is finally getting a role that shows her depth. Oscar voters eat up that kind of stuff, and I bet it pays off for her with an Oscar nomination.

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall "The Judge"
Ethan Hawke "Boyhood"
Edward Norton "Birdman"
Mark Ruffalo "Foxcatcher"
J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"

Other Contenders - Josh Brolin "Inherent Vice", Christoph Waltz "Big Eyes", Tom Wilkinson "Selma", Tim Roth "Selma", Miyavi "Unbroken", Albert Brooks "A Most Violent Year"

Commentary - Boy is this race top heavy. The top four contenders that have played across the board make for an interesting race: Simmons, Hawke, Norton, and Ruffalo. And then it drops off a steep slope. Robert Duvall has made it in at SAG and the Globes for The Judge, a decent role in a less-than-stellar movie, that in any other year wouldn't even crack the top ten. This could easily be our five, but I feel like something is going to happen that squeezes him out. The one that is on the rise is Christoph Waltz. He is once again being pushed in supporting when he is clearly the lead, got a Globe nomination, and it is a brash over the top performance that actors love. The one thing going against him is that Big Eyes is not as big of a Best Picture contender as Django Unchained or Inglourious Basterds. So even if he manages a nomination, I doubt he can win a third, or beat the likes of Simmons and Norton.

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"
Jessica Chastain "A Most Violent Year"
Keira Knightley "The Imitation Game"
Meryl Streep "Into the Woods"
Emma Stone "Birdman"

Other Contenders - Laura Dern "Wild", Naomi Watts "St. Vincent", Tilda Swinton "Snowpiercer", Carmen Ejogo "Selma", Anna Kendrick "Into the Woods"

Commentary - Some interesting choices have popped up in the race: Naomi Watts at SAG, Tilda Swinton at the BFCA (who should be in the conversation, but will most likely be overlooked by Oscar voters). But in the end it looks like the final five could match the Globes. Watts' nod was great, but I really don't see that translating, and for Swinton see above. Jessica Chastain has so many films out this year, and is well-liked among voters. Plus she is dynamite in A Most Violent Year, and I honestly think that her performance could be the one that upsets Patricia Arquette. She just needs to get in.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Gillian Flynn "Gone Girl"
Graham Moore "The Imitation Game"
Paul Thomas Anderson "Inherent Vice"
Anthony McCarten "The Theory of Everything"
Joel and Ethan Coen, William Nicholson, and Richard LaGravenese "Unbroken"

Best Original Screenplay
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo "Birdman"
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Paul Webb "Selma"
Damien Chazelle "Whiplash"

Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards

Always my favorite, glad to see the group honor Snowpiercer and The Grand Budapest Hotel, especially diverting from what has become the norm (Boyhood or Birdman) and honoring a film that has suddenly hit its stride. Check out the full list below:

Top Ten Films
1. The Grand Budapest Hotel
2. Boyhood
3. Birdman
4. Whiplash
5. The Imitation Game
6. Gone Girl
7. Snowpiercer
8. Nightcrawler
9. Foxcatcher
10. The Theory of Everything

Best Actor
Michael Keaton "Birdman:
Second Place: Eddie Redmayne "The Theory of Everything"

Best Actress
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Second Place - Reese Witherspoon "Wild"

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"
Second Place - Edward Norton "Birdman"

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"
Second Place - Tilda Swinton "Snowpiercer"

Best Director
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"
Second Place - Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Best Original Screenplay
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Second Place - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo "Birdman"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Gillian Flynn "Gone Girl"
Second Place - Nick Hornby "Wild"

Best Ensemble
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Second Place - Birdman

Best Animated Film
The Lego Movie
Second Place - Big Hero 6

Best Documentary
Life Itself
Second Place - CitizenFour

Best Foreign Language Film
Force Majeure
Second Place - Ida

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki "Birdman"
Second Place - Robert Yeoman "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

The Gene Wyatt Award for the Film that Best Evokes the Spirit of the South
Selma
Second Place - Cold in July

Nevada Film Critics Society Awards

Best Film 
Gone Girl

Best Actor
Jake Gyllenhaal "Nightcrawler'"

Best Actress
Rosamund Pike "Gone Girl'"

Best Supporting Actor
JK Simmons "Whiplash"

Best Supporting Actress 
(Tie) Jessica Chastain "A Most Violent Year" and Patricia Arquette for "Boyhood"


Best Youth Performance
Ellar Coltrane "Boyhood'"

Best Director
Dan Gilroy "Nightcrawler"

Best Screenplay
Dan Gilroy "Nightcrawler'"

Best Ensemble Cast
"Guardians of the Galaxy"

Best Documentary
"CitizenFour"

Best Animated Movie 
Big Hero 6

Best Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Cinematography Interstellar

Best Visual Effects
Interstellar

Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards

Best Picture
Birdman

Top 10
1. Birdman
2. Boyhood
3. Whiplash
4. Nightcrawler
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel
6. Wild
7. Selma
8. The Imitation Game
9. Snowpiercer
10. Under the Skin

Best Director
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu "Birdman"

Best Actor
Michael Keaton "Birdman"

Best Actress
Reese Witherspoon "Wild"

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons "Birdman"

Best Supporting Actress
Tilda Swinton "Snowpiercer"

Best Screenplay
Birdman

Best Animated Film
The Lego Movie

Best Foreign Film
Ida

Best Documentary
CitizenFour

Best Art Direction
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Cinematography
Birdman

Best Costume Design
Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Editing
Edge of Tomorrow

Best Score
Birdman

Best Song
"I Love You all" From Frank

Best Action Film
Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Comedy
Top Five

Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
The Babadook

Best Family FilmThe Lego Movie

Best Ensemble
Birdman

Breakout Filmmaker of the Year
Damien Chazelle for Whiplash

Youth in Film
Jaeden Lieberher, St. Vincent

William Holden Lifetime Achievement Award
Bill Murray

Academy Announced Foreign Language Film Shortlist

The Academy announced today its nine finalists for the Best Foreign Language Film, and two of my predicted nominees, the Turkey's Winter Sleep and Canada's Mommy failed the cut. I have since added in Mauritania's Timbuktu, and Argentina's Wild Tales into those last two slots, although there is not one among the nine that isn't in the running. A lot of people are shocked that Two Days, One Night didn't make the top nine, but I just didn't see this particular voting body going for the film (I probably should have also seen the Mommy snub coming). Anyway, more on the subject later. Check out www.oscars.org, and check out the list below:

Accused (The Netherlands)
Corn Island (Georgia)
Force Majeure (Sweden)
Ida (Poland)
Leviathan (Russia)
The Liberator (Venezuela)
Tangerines (Estonia)
Timbuktu (Mauritania)
Wild Tales (Argentina)

My updated Oscar predictions:

Force Majeure
Ida
Leviathan
Timbuktu
Wild Tales

Florida Film Critics Circle Award Winners

Best Picture
Birdman
Runner-up: Boyhood

Best Director
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Runner-up: Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman

Best Actress
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Runner-up: Julianne Moore – Still Alice

Best Actor
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Runner-up: Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
Runner-up: Edward Norton – Birdman

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Runner-up: Emma Stone – Birdman

Best Ensemble
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Runner-up: Boyhood

Best Original Screenplay
The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
Runner-up: Birdman (Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn)
Runner-up: Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Best Cinematography
Interstellar (Hoyte Van Hoytema)
Runner-up: The Grand Budapest Hotel (Robert D. Yeoman)

Best Visual Effects
Interstellar
Runner-up: Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Art Direction/Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Runner-up: Interstellar

Best Score
Under the Skin (Micah Levi, aka Micachu)
Runner-up: Gone Girl (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)

Best Documentary
Life Itself
Runner-up: Citizenfour

Best Foreign-Language Film
The Raid 2
Runner-up: Force Majeure

Best Animated Film
The Lego Movie
Runner-up: How to Train Your Dragon 2

Pauline Kael Breakout Award
Damien Chazelle (writer/director: Whiplash)
Runner-up: Gugu Mbatha-Raw (actress: Belle, Beyond the Lights)

Golden Orange
The Borscht Corp.

Utah Film Critics Association Awards

Best Picture
Birdman
(runner-up: The Imitation Game)

Best Director
Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman
(runner-up: Jonathan Glazer – Under the Skin)

Best Actor
Michael Keaton – Birdman
(runners-up: Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel & Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game) (tie)

Best Actrss
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
(runner-up: Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night)

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
(runner-up: Edward Norton – Birdman)

Best Supporting Actress
Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
(runner-up: Tilda Swinton – Snowpiercer)

Best Original Screenplay
Birdman
(runner-up: Nightcrawler)

Best Adapted Screenplay
(TIE) Inherent Vice and Snowpiercer

Best Cinematography
Nightcrawler
(runner-up: Under the Skin)

Best Documentary
Citizenfour
(runner-up: The Overnighters)

Best Non-English Feature
We Are the Best!
(runner-up: Two Days, One Night)

Best Animated Feautre
Winner: The Lego Movie
(runner-up: The Boxtrolls)

The 15th Annual Black Reel Film Award Nominations

Outstanding Motion Picture
Belle
Beyond the Lights
Dear White People
Selma
Top Five

Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture
Chadwick Boseman "Get on Up"
David Oyelowo "Selma"
Nate Parker "Beyond the Lights"
Chris Rock "Top Five"
Denzel Washington "The Equalizer"

Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture
Rosario Dawson "Top Five"
Gugu Mbatha-Raw "Belle"
Gugu Mbatha-Raw "Beyond the Lights"
Tessa Thompson "Dear White People"
Quvenzhane Wallis "Annie"

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Motion Picture
Nelsan Ellis "Get On Up"
David Oyelowo "A Most Violent Year"
Tyler Perry "Gone Girl"
Wendell Pierce "Selma"
Michael K. Williams "The Gambler"

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture
Viola Davis "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby"
Carmen Ejogo "Selma"
Teyonah Parris "Dear White People"
Zoe Saldana "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Octavia Spencer "Snowpiercer"

Outstanding Director, Motion Picture
Amma Asante "Belle"
Gina Prince-Bythewood "Beyond the Lights"
Ava DuVernay "Selma"
Chris Rock "Top Five"
Justin Simien "Dear White People"

Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted), Motion Picture
Gina Prince-Bythewood "Beyond the Lights"
John Ridley "Jimi: All is by My Side"
Chris Rock "Top Five"
Misan Sagay "Belle"
Justin Simien "Dear White People"

Outstanding Documentary
Anita: Speaking Truth to the Power
I Am Ali
Keep on Keepin’ On
Time is Illmatic
Virunga

Outstanding Ensemble
Belle
Dear White People
Get On Up
Selma
Top Five

Outstanding Foreign Film
Difret (Ethiopia)
The Double! (U.K.)
Fishing Without Nets (Kenya)
Freedom Road (South Africa)
Half of a Yellow Sun (Nigeria)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male
Brandon Bell "Dear White People"
David Gyasi "Interstellar"
Andre Holland "Selma"
Stephan James "Selma"
Tyler James Williams "Dear White People"

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female
Jillian Estell "Black or White"
Patina Miller "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1"
Teyonah Parris "Dear White People"
Amber Stevens "22 Jump Street"
Kuoth Wiel "The Good Lie"

Outstanding Voice Performance
Vin Diesel "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Morgan Freeman "The LEGO Movie"
Maya Rudolph "Big Hero 6"
Zoe Saldana "The Book of Life"
Damon Wayans Jr. "Big Hero 6"

Outstanding Score
Terence Blanchard "Black or White"
Kathryn Bostic "Dear White People"
Danny Bramson & Waddy Wachtel "Jimi: All is by My Side"
Mask Isham "Beyond the Lights"
Jason Moran "Selma"

Outstanding Original Song
“It Ain’t Easy” from Top Five - Written & Performed by: Questlove & Elza Colby
“It’s On Again” from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Performed by: Alicia Keys & Kendrick Lamar; Written by: Alicia Keys, Pharrell Williams, Hans Zimmer & Kendrick Lamar
“Glory” from Selma - Performed by: John Legend & Common; Written by: John Legend, Common & Che Smith
“Grateful” from Beyond the Lights - Performed by: Rita Ora; Written by: Diane Warren
“What is Love” from Rio 2 - Performed by: Janelle Monae; Written by: Janelle Monae, Nathaniel Irvin III and Roman Irvin

Outstanding Independent Feature
1982
Christmas Wedding Baby
CRU
The Retrieval
Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the Mind

Outstanding Independent Documentary
25 to Life
Evolution of a Criminal
Let the Fire Burn
Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood
Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People

Outstanding Independent Short
#AmeriCan
Muted
The Voodoo

Outstanding Television Documentary or Special
Finding the Funk
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
On the Run Tour: Jay-Z & Beyonce
The Tanning of America: One Nation Under Hip-Hop
Terror at the Mall

Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series
A Day Late and a Dollar Short
Gun Hill
Rosemary’s Baby
Seasons of Love
The Trip to Bountiful

Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series
Charles S. Dutton "Comeback Dad"
David Alan Grier "An En Vogue Christmas"
Ving Rhames "A Day Late and a Dollar Short"
Keith Robinson "Lyfe’s Journey"
Larenz Tate "Gun Hill"

Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series
Whoopi Goldberg "A Day Late and a Dollar Short"
Imani Hakim "The Gabby Douglas Story"
Letoya Luckett "Seasons of Love"
Zoe Saldana “Rosemary’s Baby”
Cicely Tyson "The Trip to Bountiful

Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series
Richard T. Jones "Lyfe’s Journey"
Harry Lennix "The Fright Night Files"
Mekhi Phifer "A Day Late and a Dollar Short"
Blair Underwood "The Trip to Bountiful"
Bokeem Woodbine "The Fright Night Files"

Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series
Tichina Arnold "A Day Late and a Dollar Short"
Kimberly Elise "A Day Late and a Dollar Short"
Aisha Hinds "Gun Hill"
Anika Noni Rose "A Day Late and a Dollar Short"
Vanessa L. Williams "The Trip to Bountiful"

Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Mini-Series
Reggie Rock Bythewood "Gun Hill"
Stan Foster "My Other Mother"
Princess Monique "Seasons of Love"
Russ Parr & R.L. Scott "The Fright Night Files"
Ryan Richmond "Lyfe’s Journey"

Outstanding Writing, TV Movie or Mini-Series
Reggie Rock Bythewood "Gun Hill"
Shernold Edwards "A Day Late and a Dollar Short"
Dayna Lynne North "An En Vogue Christmas"
Peres Owino & Sharon Brathwaite-Sanders "Seasons of Love"
Kimberly Walker "Comeback Dad"

Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards

These folks not only list their winners, but how their lists panned out across all of their categories. A neat method if you ask me:

TOP TEN FILMS
1. Boyhood
2. Under the Skin
3. Ida
4. The Lego Movie
5. 12 Years a Slave
6. Grand Budapest Hotel
7. Two Days, One Night
8. (TIE) Her andLeviathan
9. The Wolf of Wall Street
10. (Tie) Blue Ruin and The Lunch Box

BEST DIRECTOR
1. Richard Linklater – Boyhood
2. Jonathan Glazer – Under the Skin
3. Pawel Pawlikowski – Ida
4. Spike Jonze – Her
5. Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
6. Andrey Zvyagintsev – Leviathan
7. Steve Mc Queen – 12 Years a Slave
8. Yann Demange – ’71
9. (TIE) Phil Lord and Chris Miller – The Lego Movie and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne – Two Days, One Night
10. Jennifer Kent – The Babadook

BEST ACTRESS
1. Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night
2. Scarlett Johnasson – Under the Skin
3. Essie Davis – The Babadook
4. Julianne Moore – Maps to the Stars
5. Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
6. Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
7. Kristen Wiig – The Skeleton Twins
8. Agata Kulesza – Ida
9. (TIE) Agata Trzebuckowska – Ida and Mia Wasikowska – Tracks
10.(TIE) Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle and Emmanuelle Devos – Violette

BEST ACTOR
1. Jake Gyllenhall -  Nightcrawler
2. Ralph Fiennes -  The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Jack O’Connell – ’71
4. Jack O’Connell -  Starred Up
5. Phillip Seymour Hoffman-  A Most Wanted Man
6. Benedict Cumberbatch -  The Imitation Game
7. (TIE) Chadwick Boseman – Get On Up and Timothy Spall – Mr Turner
8. Michael Fassbender – Frank
9. Irrfan Khan – The Lunchbox
10. (TIE) Tom Hardy – Locke, Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years A Slave, Joaquin Phoenix, Her, Bill Hader, The Skeleton Twins

BEST IRISH FILM
1. Frank
2. Living in a Coded Land
3. Out of Here
4. Calvary
5. Run & Jump
6. One Million Dubliners
7. Gold
8. Standby
9. Noble
10. Unbreakable

BEST DOCUMENTARY
1. Finding Vivian Maier
2. One Million Dubliners
3. Citizenfour
4. Concerning Violence
5. 20 feet from Stardom
6. The Known Unknown
7. (TIE) Night Will Fall, All this Mayhem
8. (TIE) Life Itself, Dinosaur 13
9. (TIE) 20,000 Days on Earth, Next Goal Wins, Living in a Coded Land
10. (TIE) The Missing Picture, The Overnighters, The Case Against 8, Showrunners

BREAKTHROUGH
Jack O’Connell

Austin Film Critics Association Awards

Best Film
Boyhood

Best Director
Richard Linklater, Boyhood

Best Actor
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler

Best Actress
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

Best Original Screenplay
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler

Best Adapted Screenplay
Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman

Best Score
Antonio Sanchez, Birdman

Best Foreign-Language Film
Force Majeure

Best Documentary
Citizenfour

Best Animated Film
The LEGO Movie

Best First Film
Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy)

Breakthrough Artist
Jennifer Kent, The Babadook

Best Austin Film
Boyhood

Special Honorary Award 
Gary Poulter, for his outstanding performance in Joe

AFCA 2014 Top Ten Films:
1. Boyhood
2. Whiplash
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Birdman
5. Snowpiercer
6. Nightcrawler
7. Selma
8. The Imitation Game
9. TIE: Inherent Vice and Gone Girl

Florida Film Critics Circle Award Nominations

Best Picture
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Actor
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

Best Actress
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon – Wild

Best Supporting Actor
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
Emma Stone – Birdman

Best Ensemble
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Director
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood

Best Original Screenplay
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Adapted Screenplay
Gone Girl
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything

Best Cinematography
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Interstellar

Best Visual Effects
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar

Best Art Direction/Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Interstellar
Into the Woods

Best Score
Gone Girl
Interstellar
Under the Skin

Best Documentary
Citizenfour
Life Itself
Jodorowsky’s Dune

Best Foreign Language Film
Ida (Poland)
Force Majeure (Sweden)
The Raid 2 (Indonesia)

Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie

Pauline Kael Breakout Award
Jennifer Kent – The Babadook
Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle/Beyond the Lights

Houston Film Critics Society Award Nominations

Best Picture
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
A Most Violent Year
Nightcrawler
Selma
Whiplash

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson "Inherent Vice"
Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Damien Chazelle "Whiplash"
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu "Birdman"
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch "The Imitation Game"
Jake Gyllenhaal "Nightcrawler"
Tom Hardy "Locke"
Michael Keaton "Birdman"
Eddie Redmayne "The Theory of Everything"

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard "Two Days, One Night"
Essie Davis "The Babadook"
Felicity Jones "The Theory of Everything"
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Reese Witherspoon "Wild"

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin "Inherent Vice"
Ethan Hawke "Boyhood"
Edward Norton "Birdman"
Mark Ruffalo "Foxcacher"
Andy Serkis "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"
J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"
Jessica Chastain "A Most Violent Year"
Keira Knightley "The Imitation Game"
Emma Stone "Birdman"
Tilda Swinton "Snowpiercer"

Best Screenplay
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo "Birdman"
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"
Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Dan Gilroy "Nightcrawler"
Damien Chazelle "Whiplash"

Best Documentary
CitizenFour
Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me
Jodorowsky's Dune
Life Itself
The Overnighters

Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie

Best Foreign Language Film
Force Majeure
Ida
Leviathan
The Raid 2
Two Days, One Night

Best Cinematography
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Interstellar
Nightcrawler
Unbroken

Best Original Score
Alexandre Desplat "The Imitation Game"
Alexandre Desplat "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Johann Johannson "The Theory Of Everything"
Antonio Sanchez "Birdman"
Hans Zimmer "Interstellar"

Best Original Song
Lost Stars - Begin Again
Big Eyes - Big Eyes
I'm Not Going to Miss You - Glen Campbell:
Everything is Awesome - The Lego Movie
Glory - Selma

Technical Achievement
Birdman
Boyhood
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Texas Independent Film Award
Above All Else
Boyhood
Hellion
Joe
No No: A Dockumentary
Stop the Pounding Heart

Best Poster
Birdman
Godzilla
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy
Inherent Vice

Worst Film of the Year
Blended
Dumb and Dumber To
The Identical
Left Behind
Transformers: Age of Extinction

Toronto Film Critics Association Awards

Best Film
Boyhood

Best Director
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"

Best Actor
Tom Hardy "Locke"

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard "The Immigrant"

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"

Best Screenplay
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Animated Feature
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Best First Feature
The Lunchbox

Best Foreign-Language Film 
Force Majeure

Best Documentary Film
The Overnighters

London Film Critics Circle Award Nominations

Film of the Year
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Leviathan
Mr Turner
Nightcrawler
The Theory of Everything
Under the Skin
Whiplash

Foreign Language Film of the Year 
Ida
Leviathan
Norte, The End of History
Two Days, One Night
Winter Sleep

British Film of the Year
The Imitation Game
Mr Turner
Pride
The Theory of Everything
Under the Skin

Documentary of the Year
20,000 Days on Earth
Citizenfour
Manakamana
Next Goal Wins
Night Will Fall

Actor of the Year
Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal - Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton - Birdman
Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
Timothy Spall - Mr Turner

Actress of the YearMarion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night
Essie Davis - The Babadook
Scarlett Johansson - Under the Skin
Julianne Moore - Maps to the Stars
Julianne Moore - Still Alice

Supporting Actor of the Year
Riz Ahmed - Nightcrawler
Ethan Hawke - Boyhood
Edward Norton - Birdman
Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher
JK Simmons - Whiplash

Supporting Actress of the Year
Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Marion Bailey - Mr Turner
Jessica Chastain - A Most Violent Year
Agata Kulesza - Ida
Emma Stone - Birdman

British Actor of the Year
Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game
Tom Hardy - Locke, The Drop
Jack O'Connell - Starred Up, '71 & Unbroken
Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
Timothy Spall - Mr Turner

British Actress of the Year
Emily Blunt - Into the Woods & Edge of Tomorrow
Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything
Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game, Begin Again & Say When
Gugu Mbatha-Raw - Belle
Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl & What We Did on Our Holiday

Young British Performer of the Year
Daniel Huttlestone - Into the Woods
Alex Lawther - The Imitation Game
Corey McKinley - '71
Will Poulter - The Maze Runner & Plastic
Saoirse Ronan - The Grand Budapest Hotel

Director of the Year
Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jonathan Glazer - Under the Skin
Alejandro G Iñárritu - Birdman
Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Mike Leigh - Mr Turner

Screenwriter of the Year
Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Damien Chazelle - Whiplash
Dan Gilroy - Nightcrawler
Alejandro G Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris & Armando Bo - Birdman
Richard Linklater - Boyhood

Breakthrough British Performer
Hossein Amini - The Two Faces of January
Elaine Constantine - Northern Soul
Yann Demange - '71
Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard - 20,000 Days on Earth
James Kent - Testament of Youth

Technical Achievement Award
'71 - Chris Wyatt, editing
Birdman - Emmanuel Lubezki, cinematography
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Joe Letteri, visual effects
The Grand Budapest Hotel - Adam Stockhausen, production design
Inherent Vice - Mark Bridges, costumes
Leviathan - Mikhail Krichman, cinematography
Mr Turner - Dick Pope, cinematography
A Most Violent Year - Kasia Walicka-Maimone, costumes
Under the Skin - Mica Levi, score
Whiplash - Tom Cross, editing

Chicago Film Critics Association Award Winners

BEST PICTURE
Boyhood

BEST DIRECTOR
Richard Linklater -- Boyhood

BEST ACTOR
Michael Keaton -- Birdman

BEST ACTRESS
Julianne Moore -- Still Alice

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
J.K. Simmons -- Whiplash

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette -- Boyhood

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson -- The Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Gillian Flynn -- Gone Girl

BEST ART DIRECTION
The Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
(TIE): Birdman -- Emmanuel Lubezki and The Grand Budapest Hotel -- Robert Yeoman

BEST EDITING
Whiplash -- Tom Cross

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Under the Skin -- Mica Levi

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Lego Movie

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Life Itself

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Force Majeure

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Jack O'Connell -- Starred Up/Unbroken

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Damien Chazelle -- Whiplash

Academy Announces 7 Finalists for Best Makeup and Hairstyling

The Academy has announced its finalists for this year's Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Unlike last year, this race seems to be a more conventional list. So who missed the cut? The big ones for me were Into the Woods and The Hobbit (really shocked here). Other than that, they seem to be right. Here is the list:

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy
Maleficent
Noah
The Theory of Everything.

Online Film Critics Society Award Winners

Best Picture
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Director
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"

Best Actor
Michael Keaton "Birdman"

Best Actress
Rosamund Pike "Gone Girl"

Best Supporting Actor
Edward Norton "Birdman"

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Gillian Flynn "Gone Girl"

Best Original Screenplay
Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Best Cinematography
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Editing
Birdman

Best Animated Feature
The Lego Movie

Best Foreign Language Film
Two Days, One Night

Best Documentary
Life Itself

Detroit Film Critics Society Award Winners

BEST FILM
Boyhood

BEST DIRECTOR
Richard Linklater, Boyhood

BEST ACTOR
Michael Keaton, Birdman

BEST ACTRESS
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood

BEST ENSEMBLE
(TIE) Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Guardians of the Galaxy

BREAKTHROUGH
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash (director, screenplay)

BEST SCREENPLAY
Richard Linklater, Boyhood

BEST DOCUMENTARY
CitizenFour

San Diego Film Critics Society Award Winners

Best Film
Nightcrawler

Best Director
Dan Gilroy,  Nightcrawler

Best Actor
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler

Best ActressMarion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night

Best Supporting Actor
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher

Best Supporting Actress
Rene Russo, Nightcrawler

Best Original Screenplay
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler

Best Adapted Screenplay
Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl

Best Foreign Language Film
Force Majeure

Best Documentary
CitizenFour

Best Animated Film
The Boxtrolls

Best Cinematography
Robert Elswit, Nightcrawler

Best Editing
James Herbert, Laura Jennings, Edge of Tomorrow

Best Production Design
Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pincock, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Best Score 
James Newton Howard, Nightcrawler

Best Ensemble
Birdman

Best Body of Work 
Willem Dafoe – John Wick, The Fault in Our Stars, The Grand Budapest Hotel, A Most Wanted Man & Nymphomaniac 2

Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards

Best Film
"Boyhood"
Runner-up: "Whiplash"

Other Finalists (listed alphabetically):
"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"Guardians of the Galaxy"
"The Imitation Game"
"Life Itself"
"Locke"
"A Most Violent Year"
"St. Vincent"

Best Animated Feature
"The LEGO Movie"
Runner-Up: "The Boxtrolls "

Best Foreign Language Film
"Two Days, One Night"
Runner-Up: "Ida"

Best Documentary
"Life Itself"
Runner-Up: "An Honest Liar"

Best Original Screenplay
Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Runner-up: Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"
Runner-up: Graham Moore, "The Imitation Game"

Best Director
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Runner-up: Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"

Best Actress
Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"
Runner-up: Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"

Best Supporting Actress
Jessica Chastain "A Most Violent Year"
Runner-up: Melissa McCarthy, "St. Vincent"

Best Actor
Ralph Fiennes, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Runner-up: Tom Hardy, "Locke"

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"
Runner-up: Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"

Best Musical Score
Mica Levi, "Under the Skin"
Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Original Vision Award
"Boyhood"
Runner-up: "Under the Skin"

The Hoosier Award
Eric Grayson, film historian and preservationist

The 20th Annual Critics Choice Award Nominations

More details and observations to come later, but off the top of my head, no Foxcatcher really anywhere except for Mark Ruffalo, including no Steve Carell! This is a group that really does a great job of forecasting Oscar nods, although the voters don't overlap. Foxcatcher could end up being squeezed out of major categories. Nightcrawler does extremely well here, and Ralph Fiennes throws in his hat for Best Actor. There are now eight folks for five slots, so no, it is not any easier to predict than it was before. The Best Actress race is really down to six, and while Marion Cotillard could be a critical favorite, and a BAFTA nominee, I still think she is a solid number six. And while I love the additions of Tilda Swinton and Josh Brolin in the supporting fields, I think we have our ten nominees for those categories ready to go. Check back here for more information and of course visit: www.criticschoice.org for all of your BFCA updates!

BEST PICTURE
Birdman
Boyhood
Gone Girl
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Nightcrawler
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Unbroken
Whiplash

BEST ACTOR
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton – Birdman
David Oyelowo – Selma
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

BEST ACTRESS
Jennifer Aniston – Cake
Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon – Wild

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin – Inherent Vice
Robert Duvall – The Judge
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Emma Stone – Birdman
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
Tilda Swinton – Snowpiercer

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Ellar Coltrane – Boyhood
Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars
Mackenzie Foy – Interstellar
Jaeden Lieberher – St. Vincent
Tony Revolori – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Quvenzhane Wallis – Annie
Noah Wiseman – The Babadook

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Into the Woods
Selma

BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ava DuVernay – Selma
David Fincher – Gone Girl
Alejandro G. Inarritu – Birdman
Angelina Jolie – Unbroken
Richard Linklater – Boyhood

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Birdman – Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., Armando Bo
Boyhood – Richard Linklater
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness
Nightcrawler – Dan Gilroy
Whiplash – Damien Chazelle

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
The Imitation Game – Graham Moore
Inherent Vice – Paul Thomas Anderson
The Theory of Everything – Anthony McCarten
Unbroken – Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Richard LaGravenese, William Nicholson
Wild – Nick Hornby

BEST CINEMATOGRAPY 
Birdman – Emmanuel Lubezki
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Robert Yeoman
Interstellar – Hoyte Van Hoytema
Mr. Turner – Dick Pope
Unbroken – Roger Deakins

BEST ART DIRECTION
Birdman – Kevin Thompson/Production Designer, George DeTitta Jr./Set Decorator
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Adam Stockhausen/Production Designer, Anna Pinnock/Set Decorator
Inherent Vice – David Crank/Production Designer, Amy Wells/Set Decorator
Interstellar – Nathan Crowley/Production Designer, Gary Fettis/Set Decorator
Into the Woods – Dennis Gassner/Production Designer, Anna Pinnock/Set Decorator
Snowpiercer – Ondrej Nekvasil/Production Designer, Beatrice Brentnerova/Set Decorator

BEST EDITING
Birdman – Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione
Boyhood – Sandra Adair
Gone Girl – Kirk Baxter
Interstellar – Lee Smith
Whiplash – Tom Cross

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Milena Canonero
Inherent Vice – Mark Bridges
Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood
Maleficent – Anna B. Sheppard
Mr. Turner – Jacqueline Durran

BEST HAIR & MAKEUP
Foxcatcher
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Into the Woods
Maleficent

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Edge of Tomorrow
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Big Hero 6
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie

BEST ACTION MOVIE
American Sniper
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Edge of Tomorrow
Fury
Guardians of the Galaxy

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
Tom Cruise – Edge of Tomorrow
Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Brad Pitt – Fury
Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Emily Blunt – Edge of Tomorrow
Scarlett Johansson – Lucy
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Zoe Saldana – Guardians of the Galaxy
Shailene Woodley – Divergent

BEST COMEDY
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
St. Vincent
Top Five
22 Jump Street

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Jon Favreau – Chef
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Bill Murray – St. Vincent
Chris Rock – Top Five
Channing Tatum – 22 Jump Street

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Rose Byrne – Neighbors
Rosario Dawson – Top Five
Melissa McCarthy – St. Vincent
Jenny Slate – Obvious Child
Kristen Wiig – The Skeleton Twins

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
The Babadook
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Interstellar
Snowpiercer
Under the Skin

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Force Majeure
Ida
Leviathan
Two Days, One Night
Wild Tales

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Citizenfour
Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Last Days in Vietnam
Life Itself
The Overnighters

BEST SONG
Big Eyes – Lana Del Rey – Big Eyes
Everything Is Awesome – Jo Li and the Lonely Island – The Lego Movie
Glory – Common/John Legend – Selma
Lost Stars – Keira Knightley – Begin Again
Yellow Flicker Beat – Lorde – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

BEST SCORE
Alexandre Desplat – The Imitation Game
Johann Johannsson – The Theory of Everything
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Gone Girl
Antonio Sanchez – Birdman
Hans Zimmer – Interstellar

Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards

Best Film
Birdman

Top Ten Films of 2014
1. Birdman
2. Boyhood
3. The Imitation Game
4. The Theory of Everything
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel
6. Whiplash
7. Gone Girl
8. Selma
9. Wild
10. Nightcrawler

Best Actor
Michael Keaton "Birdman
 (Runners Up: Eddie Redmayne "The Theory of Everything", Benedict Cumberbatch "The Imitation Game", Jake Gyllenhaal "Nightcrawler", and Timothy Spall "Mr. Turner")

Best Actress
Reese Witherspoon "Wild"
(Runners Up: Julianne Moore "Still Alice", Rosamund Pike "Gone Girl", Felicity Jones "The Theory of Everything", and Marion Cotillard "Two Days, One Night")

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"
(Runners Up: Edward Norton "Birdman", Ethan Hawke "Boyhood", Mark Ruffalo "Foxcatcher", and Alfred Molina "Love is Strange")

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"
(Runners Up: Emma Stone "Birdman", Keira Knightley "The Imitation Game", Jessica Chastain "A Most Violent Year", Laura Dern "Wild"

Best Director
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu "Birdman"
(Runners Up: Richard Linklater "Boyhood", Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel", David Fincher "Gone Girl", and Ava DuVernay "Selma")

Best Foreign Language Film
Force Majeure
(Runners Up: Ida, Winter Sleep, Leviathan, and Wild Tales)

Best Documentary
CitizenFour
(Runners Up: Life Itself, Jodorowsky's Dune, The Overnighters, The Great Invisible)

Best Animated Film
The Lego Movie
(Runner Up: Big Hero 6)

Best Screenplay
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo "Birdman"
(Runner Up: Richard Linklater "Boyhood")

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki "Birdman"
(Runner Up: Hoyte van Hoytema "Interstellar")

Best Musical Score
Hans Zimmer "Interstellar"

Russell Smith Award
Boyhood

San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award Winners

Best Picture
Boyhood

Best Director
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"

Best Actor
Michael Keaton "Birdman"

Best Actress
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"

Best Supporting Actor
Edward Norton "Birdman"

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson "Inherent Vice"

Best Original Screenplay
Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris; and Armando Bo "Birdman"

Best Cinematography
Ryszard Lenczewski "Ida"

Best Production Design
Adam Stockhausen "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Best Editing
Sandra Adair "Boyhood"

Best Animated Film
The Lego Movie

Best Documentary
CitizenFour

Best Foreign Language Film
Ida

Marlon Riggs Award for Courage and Vision in the Bay Area Film Community
Joel Shepard

Special Citation for Under-Appreciated Independent Cinema
The One I Love

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards

Best Picture
Birdman

Robert Altman Award for Best Director
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"

Best Actor
Michael Keaton "Birdman"

Best Actress
Rosamund Pike "Gone Girl"

Best Supporting Actor
Edward Norton "Birdman"

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Obvious Child

Best Original Screenplay
Birdman

Best Animated Feature
The Lego Movie

Best Documentary
CitizenFour

Vince Koehler Award for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Film
The Babadook

The Oscar Narrative: Why Best Actress Should Not Be Weak in 2014

If you have listened to the pundits, bloggers, and film critics out there, including this one, you probably have heard that this year's race for Best Actress is incredibly weak. Unfortunately that is incredibly true. The types of roles that win Oscars for women are incredibly rare, there are simply not enough movies about women or created by women, and there is still an inherent sexism that pervades the Academy, and the industry as a whole. For example, while character actresses, newcomers, minority actress and older actress can clean sweep the Best Supporting Actress year in and year out, when it comes to the lead performance you have to be attractive and young to actually win. It is a sad state of affairs that says more about our society and our culture than I think any of us would like to hear.

So the Oscar race for Best Actress this year has four locks at this point:

Julianne Moore for Still Alice
Rosamund Pike Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon for Wild
Felicity Jones for The Theory of Everything

In the wake of this year's SAG and Golden Globe nominees, a surprise contender (not a surprise to me, but to a lot of people) has quickly filled that fifth slot. Of course I am talking about Jennifer Aniston's career shakeup in Cake. Throw in Hilary Swank for The Homesman, Emily Blunt for Into the Woods, Marion Cotillard in two roles, and perennial favorite Amy Adams in Big Eyes, and this is probably the Oscar race as it stands. I want to stop here for a second to say this: all of the names mentioned above are terrific actresses, and give worthy performances this year. I hate that in the midst of all this "weak Best Actress" talk that it has belittled the performances that are actually in the conversation. My goal here is not to do that. I would agree that in a stronger year, Amy Adams (always fantastic, but this year in a less-than-stellar film) and Hilary Swank (in a mixed-reviewed Western) would probably not be in the conversation, but are promoted into it because they have proven track records. But both are bright spots in their films, add even if the films as a whole are not as great, that should not diminish their talents as actresses. And while I hate to point this out, all of them are younger and attractive. Once again, that doesn't diminish their talent or their performances, but it does continue to fill in the stereotype that has become the norm in this industry. Any of those names mentioned above would be excellent nominees, and I will be thrilled for whomever gets in come Oscar morning.

So then what is my point to this rambling critique? The Best Actor race is so deep, that every contender comes from a top-rated film. None of them have to ride in on previous coattails or get in because they carry their films above mediocrity. There are plenty of roles for top-notch actors that every nominee could end up coming from a Best Picture contender. The same cannot be said of Best Actress. But it should be. And here is my sticking point. The Academy zooms in on certain films and certain performances, and this year in particular, their choices in their  middle ground are slim across the board. This is particularly sad because overall 2014 was actually a great year for film if they would take a look at some of the bold indies and bold box-office hits that they are going to ignore except in a few categories. The films they have zoomed in on this year focus on men, hence why Best Actor is so much stronger. The Best Actress race is simply a microcosm of the problem this year, and I will present you all, and the Academy voters, if they are paying attention, with a few more contenders that should be in this race to round out the eight or so that actually have a shot.

First on that list is the fantastic Jenny Slate. I initially avoided Obvious Child because the image of Slate I have is her role from Parks & Recreation, which is one of the few parts of the show I actually didn't like. But I am glad I came around to her, and the film as a whole. She was stunning in Obvious Child, perfectly balancing the humor and the seriousness of the tough issue the film tackled. And while were on the subject, in a perfect world Obvious Child as a whole would be in this Oscar conversation the whole way through. Another rising star in the mix is the magnificent Gugu Mbatha-Raw in two wonderful roles this year (Belle and Beyond the Lights) that prove her range as an actor, and that she could easily become a go-to movie star.

On the foreign side Anne Dorval and Agata Trzebuchowska lead fascinating films Mommy and Ida, and despite lots of American attention for their films, have probably been dismissed because they are foreign actresses unknown to the general population until this year. Where is Shailene Woodley despite a great campaign for her? She is sitting on the sidelines because she happened to be in a teen-themed film based on a YA novel. Helen Mirren is sitting out because her film is too light and frothy. Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt (for Edge of Tomorrow) are dismissed for science fiction films. Julianne Moore should be in this race for Maps to the Stars, but the film's leaders decided not to even launch an Oscar campaign because it is simply too much trouble, usually for little reward. What about Tessa Thompson, Jessica Chastain, Melissa McCarthy, Lindsay Duncan, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlotte Gainsbourg? Where is Tilda Swinton for her delicious role in Only Lovers Left Alive (or any of her roles this year for that matter in both female acting categories)? Where the hell is Scarlett Johansson for the magnificent Under the Skin (and how has she yet to earn an Oscar nomination? What about Mia Wasikowska, Kristen Wiig, Rosario Dawson, Maggie Smith, Elisabeth Moss, and Keira Knightley? And why oh why has Angeline Jolie been ignored for her ingenious take on Maleficent?

Now let's put those in a list

Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Felicity Jones "The Theory of Everything"
Rosamund Pike "Gone Girl"
Reese Witherspoon "Wild"
Jennifer Aniston "Cake"
Marion Cotillard "Two Days, One Night"
Marion Cotillard "The Immigrant"
Amy Adams "Big Eyes"
Hilary Swank "The Homesman"
Emily Blunt "Into the Woods"
Jenny Slate "Obvious Child"
Gugu Mbatha-Raw "Belle"
Gugu Mbatha-Raw "Beyond the Lights"
Anne Dorval "Mommy"
Agata Trzebuchowska "Ida"
Shailene Woodley "The Fault in Our Stars"
Helen Mirren "The Hundred-Foot Journey"
Anne Hathaway "Interstellar"
Emily Blunt "Edge of Tomorrow"
Julianne Moore "Maps to the Stars"
Tessa Thompson "Dear White People"
Jessica Chastain "Miss Julie"
Jessica Chastain "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby"
Melissa McCarthy "St. Vincent"
Lindsay Duncan "Le Week-End"
Rinko Kikuchi "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter"
Charlotte Gainsbourg "Nymphomaniac"
Tilda Swinton "Only Lovers Left Alive"
Scarlett Johansson "Under the Skin"
Mia Wasikowska "Tracks"
Kristen Wiig "The Skeleton Twins"
Rosario Dawson "Top Five"
Maggie Smith "My Old Lady"
Elisabeth Moss "The One I Love"
Keira Knightley "Begin Again"
Angelina Jolie "Maleficent"

So yes, sexism is a problem in the American film industry. But this year, it is less of an issue compared to the Academy, and frankly us as the media, who has pigeon-holed the Oscar race this year. Look at that list, it is simply magnificent. That is the race we deserve, that is the race we should have. Not eight names or nine, but thirty-six. This is a weak year for the Best Actress Oscar, but it is a strong year for female actors in film, if we would only take the time to look.

European Film Award Winners

Best European Film
Ida

Best European Comedy
The Mafia Only Kills in the Summer

Best European Director
Pawel Pawlikowski "Ida"

Best European Actress
Marion Cotillard "Two Days, One Night"

Best European Actor
Timothy Spall "Mr. Turner"

Best European Screenwriter
Pawel Pawlikowski "Ida"

Best European Cinematographer
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski "Ida"

Best European Editor
Justine Wright "Locke"

Best European Production Designer
Claus-Rudolf Amler "The Dark Valley"

Best European Costume Designer
Natascha Curtius-Noss "The Dark Valley"

Best European Composer
Mica Levi "Under the Skin"

Best European Sound Designer
Joakim Sundstrom "Starred Up"

Best European Discovery
The Tribe

Best European Documentary
Master of the Universe

Best European Animated Film
The Art of Happiness

Best European Short Film
The Chicken

European Co-Production Award
Ed Guiney

European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award
Agnes Varda

European Achievement in World Cinema
Steve McQueen

People's Choice Award for Best European Film
Ida

San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award Nominations

Best Picture
Birdman
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
Under the Skin
Whiplash

Best Director
Wes Anderson "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Jonathan Glazer "Under the Skin"
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu "Birdman"
Mike Leigh "Mr. Turner"
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch "The Imitation Game"
Jake Gyllenhaal "Nightcrawler"
Michael Keaton "Birdman"
Eddie Redmayne "The Theory of Everything"
Timothy Spall "Mr. Turner"

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard "Two Days, One Night"
Essie Davis "The Babadook"
Scarlett Johansson "Under the Skin"
Julianne Moore "Still Alice"
Reese Witherspoon "Wild"

Best Supporting Actor
Ethan Hawke  "Boyhood"
Gene Jones "The Sacrament"
Edward Norton "Birdman"
Mark Ruffalo "Foxcatcher"
J.K. Simmons "Whiplash"

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette "Boyhood"
Jessica Chastain "A Most Violent Year"
Agata Kulesza "Ida"
Emma Stone "Birdman"
Tilda Swinton "Snowpiercer"

Best Screenplay, Original
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu; Nicolas Giacobone; Alexander Dinelaris; Armando Bo "Birdman"
Richard Linklater "Boyhood"
Wes Anderson; Hugo Guinness "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Mike Leigh "Mr. Turner"
J.C. Chandor "A Most Violent Year"
Damien Chazelle "Whiplash"

Best Screenplay, Adapted
Gillian Flynn "Gone Girl"
Graham Moore "The Imitation Game"
Paul Thomas Anderson "Inherent Vice"
Joon-ho Bong; Kelly Masterson "Snowpiercer"
Nick Hornby "Wild"

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki "Birdman"
Robert D. Yeoman "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Ryszard Lenczewski; Lukasz Zal "Ida"
Dick Pope "Mr. Turner"
Daniel Landin "Under the Skin"

Best Production Design
Kevin Thompson "Birdman"
Adam Stockhausen "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
David Crank "Inherent Vice"
Suzie Davies "Mr. Turner"
Ondrej Nekvasil "Snowpiercer"

Best Editing
Sandra Adair "Boyhood"
Douglas Crise; Stephen Mirrione "Birdman"
Leslie Jones "Inherent Vice"
Paul Watts "Under the Skin"
Tom Cross "Whiplash"

Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie
The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Best Foreign Language Film
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Force Majeure
Ida
Two Days, One Night
Wild Tales

Best Documentary
CitizenFour
Finding Vivian Maier
Jodorowsky's Dune
Life Itself
The Overnighters

Special Citation (fo under-appreciated independent cinema)
Blue Ruin
The Galapagos Affiar
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Listen Up Phillip
The One I Love

Chicago Film Critics Association Award Nominations

Best Picture
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Under the Skin
Whiplash

Best Director
Wes Anderson--The Grand Budapest Hotel
David Fincher--Gone Girl
Alejandro G. Inarritu--Birdman
Richard Linklater--Boyhood
Christopher Nolan--Interstellar

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch--The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal--Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton--Birdman
David Oyelowo--Selma
Eddie Redmayne--The Theory of Everything

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard--Two Days, One Night
Scarlett Johansson--Under the Skin
Julianne Moore--Still Alice
Rosamund Pike--Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon--Wild

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin--Inherent Vice
Ethan Hawke--Boyhood
Edward Norton--Birdman
Mark Ruffalo--Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons--Whiplash

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette--Boyhood
Jessica Chastain--A Most Violent Year
Laura Dern--Wild
Agata Kulesza--Ida
Emma Stone--Birdman

Best Original Screenplay
Birdman--Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo
Boyhood--Richard Linklater
Calvary--John Michael McDonagh
The Grand Budapest Hotel--Wes Anderson
Whiplash--Damien Chazelle

Best Adapted Screenplay
Gone Girl--Gillian Flynn
The Imitation Game--Graham Moore
Inherent Vice--Paul Thomas Anderson
Under the Skin--Walter Campbell & Jonathan Glazer
Wild--Nick Hornby

Best Foreign Language Film
Force Majeure
Ida
Mommy
The Raid 2
Two Days, One Night

Best Documentary
Citizenfour
Jodorowsky's Dune
Last Days in Vietnam
Life Itself
The Overnighters

Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Lego Movie
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Best Art Direction/Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Interstellar
Into The Woods
Only Lovers Left Alive
Snowpiercer

Best Cinematography
Birdman--Emmanuel Lubezki
The Grand Budapest Hotel--Robert Yeoman
Ida--Ryszard Lenczewski and Lukasz Zal
Inherent Vice--Robert Elswit
Interstellar--Hoyte Van Hoytema

Best Editing
Birdman--Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrion
Boyhood--Sandra Adair
Gone Girl--Kirk Baxter
The Grand Budapest Hotel--Barney Pilling
Whiplash--Tom Cross

Best Original Score
Birdman--Antonio Sanchez
The Grand Budapest Hotel--Alexandre Desplat
The Imitation Game--Alexandre Desplat
Interstellar--Hans Zimmer
Under the Skin--Mica Levi

Most Promising Performer
Ellar Coltrane--Boyhood
Gugu Mbatha-Raw--Belle/Beyond the Lights
Jack O'Connell--Starred Up/Unbroken
Tony Revolori--The Grand Budapest Hotel
Jenny Slate--Obvious Child
Agata Trzebuchowska--Ida

Most Promising Filmmaker
Damien Chazelle--Whiplash
Dan Gilroy--Nightcrawler
Jennifer Kent--The Babadook
Jeremy Saulnier--Blue Ruin
Justin Simien--Dear White People