Spearie Award Winners 2014

And here are the winners for the 2014 Spearie Awards. I have included the winners below, along with the runners up and descriptions for why I chose each winner. I came to my decisions through a mix of quality along with difficulty and apparent effort in each category. And please remember, these picks are just my opinions, and are meant to stir up discussion. So I welcome any and all reactions.

The list of nominees can be found here

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

J.K. Simmons-Whiplash

Runner up: Edward Norton-Birdman

Simmons is the clear choice in this category. He is intense, unpredictable and, at times, terrifying. J.K. Simmons has always been a talented performer, and it's great that he finally found a role that truly showed what he was capable, and he certainly made the most of it, and the film wouldn't be half as intense in another actor's hands. In a year of great performances, this was the easiest choice to make. 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

The Grand Budapest Hotel-Milena Canonaro

Runner up: Snowpiercer-Catherine George

Wes Anderson's films have always been visually fascinating, but he truly topped himself with The Grand Budapest Hotel. Featuring hundreds of costumes in several different types of locations and time periods, each feels distinct and helps to create who the characters are. Great costumes tell you about the character wearing them, and this film was no exception. Colorful, varied and beautiful, Milena Canonaro checked all of the boxes. 

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Guardians of the Galaxy-Lizzie Yianni Georgiou

Runner up: The Theory of Everything-Anita Burger and Nora Robertson

In a day where blockbusters use CGI for everything *cough*thehobbit*cough* it's great to see a major studio release that decided to use makeup so extensively. The effort that went into creating these creatures practically can be seen in every person and alien that was made. The film simply wouldn't have worked as well if all of these characters were created with CGI, and it adds a level of realism that isn't often felt these days.

BEST ACTION SEQUENCE

X-Men: Days of Future Past-Quicksilver vs. Guards

Runner up: Captain America: The Winter Soldier-Freeway Shootout

Since Bryan Singer left the X-Men series some things had been sorely missing. The superpowers were still there, but it felt like there was some untapped potential. Singer had always found some creative, unexpected ways to use the superpowers, but when he left, those scenes seemed to go with him. So it made sense that when he returned to the series he brought back one of the greatest examples of these scenes yet: the scene where Quicksilver uses his super speed to take out a bunch of guards. We see the scene from his perspective and watch as time slows down. The fact that Quicksilver plays around and enjoys himself adds to the fun of this scene, easily the best sequence of the film.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Interstellar-Paul Franklin, Catherine Liu, David Lowry and Elaine Essex Thompson

Runner up: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes-Matt Kutcher, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon, Joe Letteri, Mike Perry, Alessandro Saponi and Paul Story

It's been a great couple of years for space films. While last year's Gravity, though, was almost entirely CGI, Interstellar is notable for, much like Christopher Nolan's other films, using CGI to enhance it's practical effects rather than to replace them. Though much of it had to be CGI, simply by its nature, the filmmakers really tried to base their look off of what these space oddities would theoretically look like. This effort shows and helps to ground Interstellar in science where it can and bring a look to things we do not yet understand.

BEST SOUND MIXING

Whiplash-Thomas Curley, Craig Mann and Ben Wilkins

Runner up: Captain America: The Winter Soldier-Petur Hliddal, Tom Johnson and Juan Peralta

Musically based films always seem to have the advantage in this category. Whiplash, however, goes above and beyond the call of most of these films. In the musical scenes one can recognize and tell every trumpet blow, piano key and, of course, drum beat from each other. This creates and amazing and powerful soundscape that puts the audience right on stage with the performers themselves.

BEST SOUND EDITING

Captain America: The Winter Soldier-Daniel Laurie and Shannon Mills

Runner up: Whiplash-Craig Mann and Ben Wilkins

For my money Captain America: The Winter Soldier was the best film Marvel Studios has made yet, and easily had the best action yet. Much of the credit for that goes to the sound design. The Winter Soldier had an intense and powerful feel to it which grounded it, and its sound design, which felt more rough and real world than the rest of Marvel's canon, added to this feeling. Possibly the best action film of the year, and definitely the best sound editing.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Emma Stone-Birdman

Runner up: Keira Knightley-The Imitation Game

Emma Stone has always been a reliable actress, usually falling into the cute-good girl role. This troubled daughter of an equally troubled dad, however, is by far her greatest work yet. She steps away from her usual image and makes the most of the large amounts of quick dialogue she is given. Her scenes with Edward Norton really sealed the deal on her winning this award, as they actually wind up being the best scenes in the film, largely due to their surprising chemistry.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Birdman-Emmanuel Lubezki

Runner up: Hoyt Van Hoytema-Interstellar

Birdman would win this award if only for the fact that most of the film is essentially a single shot. However, Emmanuel Lubezki didn't settle for that and instead made the shots brilliantly composed,  beautifully lit and the camera movements were fluid and exciting. Lubezki has made a name for himself with the kind of fifteen minute long shots that are at play here and in Gravity,  and there is nobody better at these complex but amazing camera flourishes. 

BEST FILM EDITING

Whiplash-Tom Cross

Runner up: The Imitation Game-William Goldenberg

Whiplash is one of the most well edited films of the last few years. Tom Cross' work builds up the intensity perfectly. Cutting quickly to set up the motion of a scene and to establish the soundscape, then holding very intense shots for long enough to allow the actors to give their performances. He mixes many styles and rhythms and speeds together, and should be given much of the credit for the film being as intense as it is. 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

The Lego Movie-Grant Freckelton

Runner up: The Imitation Game-Maria Djurkovic

Yes, really. Every single piece of the world of this movie was made out of lego bricks. That means that, though digital, the production designer essentially had to build the world with Legos. This had to take an insane amount of effort, much more than needed to be put into the film. This insane attention to detail is what made this potential cash-in film something truly great.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The Imitation Game-Alexandre Desplat

Runner up: Interstellar-Hans Zimmer

Alexandre Desplat can always be counted on to create a great score. The Imitation Game's music enhances and works with the film beautifully without distracting from it at all. The music is emotional and simple and dramatic, which is everything this film needs it to be. There were a lot of great scores this year, making this one of the tougher categories to pick, but the emotional center of Desplats work is what puts this film ahead.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

The Last Goodbye-The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Runner up: Split the Difference-Boyhood

While The Battle of the Five Armies was easily the weakest of the six Middle Earth films, it featured the best final song of the series. This is because "The Last Goodbye," performed by Billy Boyd, who starred as Pippin in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is less a film for The Battle of the Five Armies and more a thoughtful farewell to the entire series of films. While one may wish that The Hobbit films were stronger than they were, it is still sad to say goodbye to this world for the last time. The song connects this feeling, and gives us a chance to say goodbye to the characters we have come to love, and a fantastic and imaginative world that has unfortunately told all of the stories it will tell. Though I wasn't very emotionally affected during the film, hearing this song over the end credits brought a swell of emotion over me, which is exactly what it was meant to do.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Imitation Game-Graham Moore (Based on the book "Alan Turing: The Enigma" by Andrew Hodges)

Runner up: The Theory of Everything-Andrew McCarten (Based on the book "Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen" by Jane Hawking)

The Imitation Game is, in part, about the creation of a computer. Somehow the screenplay by Graham Moore manages to make an exciting thriller out of that premise. What really pushes the screenplay forward, and the film itself into true greatness, is the way it mixes this plot with Turing's personal struggles as a gay man at a time where that was the last thing anyone wanted to be. The film brilliantly mixes three timelines together, creating a portrait of a man forgotten by history, finally getting the recognition he deserves much too late.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Boyhood-Richard Linklater

Runner up: Nightcrawler-Dan Gilroy

Boyhood has become essentially THE coming of age film. Filmed over the course of 12 years, Linklater constantly found interesting and creative ways to track the way these characters grew over time. The fact that these characters grow realistically is a huge part of what makes this film amazing. Reportedly most of the film was written at the outset, but as the years went on Linklater rewrote and edited the script to reflect the ways that the actors and times have changed. This style of writing allowed the film to have a narrative thrust while still staying timely and evolving in a realistic manner.

BEST ACTRESS

Felicity Jones-The Theory of Everything

Runner up: Rosamund Pike-Gone Girl

Eddie Redmayne delivers fantastic work in The Theory of Everything, but Felicity Jones arguably has the harder role. While Redmayne has to act without most of his movements and, for much of the film, without his voice, he gains instant sympathy for his plight. Jones, meanwhile has to generate sympathy as somebody who is at times fed up with taking care of someone who needs to be taken care of. Jones manages to fully flesh out the person behind the recognizeable figure, and makes Jane Hawking into much more than just Stephen Hawking's wife, but instead into a troubled, but strong and resolute woman who manages to keep moving through unimaginable circumstances. What makes the performance really work, though, is the fact that she shows the uncertainty of the character, and she shows just how hard this is for Jane Hawking. For somehow managing to be the most interesting character in the film, Felicity Jones truly deserves this award. 

BEST ACTOR

Jake Gyllenhaal-Nightcrawler

Runner up: Benedict Cumberbatch-The Imitation Game

This was easily the toughest category to pick this year. All 5 of the nominated performances were worthy of winning, and I at several points in the past week was planning to give the award to Cumberbatch. But in the end it was the eyes that got me. Gyllenhaal says so much with his eyes in the movie. His performance in Nigthcrawler makes the film. He creates one of the most memorable characters of the year and is much of what makes this film so sickly memorable. And his eyes will stick with you long after the film is over. To say any more would do a disservice to anyone who has not yet seen the film, so all I will say is see Nightcrawler if you have the stomach for it and you'll see what I'm talking about.

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

Birdman-Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts

Runner up: The Imitation Game-Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong, Charles Dance, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Rory Kinnear

Birdman is a film about acting, so it makes sense that the acting would be part of what made it as great as it is. Every actor delivers a strong performance, no easy feat when they had to deliver their lines in fifteen minute long takes while remembering complex blocking. The film is a great example of great actors at the tops of their game, anchored by a career best turn from Michael Keaton. The actors really manage to deliver in a strong way here, all creating flawed, three dimensional characters that could have been leads in their own films.

BEST DIRECTOR

Richard Linklater-Boyhood

Runner up: Morten Tyldum-The Imitation Game

One does not spend twelve years making a film if said film is not a labor of love. While not all labors of love work out, Richard Linklater can rest easy knowing that his work did not go to waste. Linklater's work on Boyhood is marvelous, and his intense care for the project shows through the entire film. He has created a world that moves forward realistically, at a perfect pace, and that doesn't lack for realistic drama. This is perhaps one of the most realistic fictional films ever made, and Linklater's direction is integral in the film achieving that goal, and for making 2 hours and 45 minutes feel like the perfect length for a movie, if not too short. 

BEST PICTURE

Boyhood

Runner up: The Imitation Game

Boyhood is a modern marvel of filmmaking. A film that was shot in real time, managing to capture life through the eyes of a young man as he grows up and experiences it. It is an unrepeatable effort, and one that works as much for what happens in front of the screen as behind it. The way the film was made would mean nothing if Mason were not a fascinating character who we cared to watch grow. We become engrossed in his world, relate to his struggles, and connect to the way he views the world, changing around him, as he can do nothing but change and adapt. There is no film quite like Boyhood and likely never will be, and there was no film this year that was as meaningful or relatable without feeling like it was trying too hard.