Oscar Results 2015

Well, the Oscars were announced last Sunday, so while they’re still fresh in our memories, I might as well give a quick follow up post concerning my thoughts on the results. Not much to declare here, so let’s cut to the chase.

Best Picture

I am so glad Birdman won. While I would also have been happy with Whiplash winning this award, I basically just didn't want Boyhood to win. I know that seems a bit harsh, especially since I haven’t seen it yet, but the fact that it came out around half a year ago, went through the whole charade of being nominated for awards left, right and centre and have perfect scores from critics (Metascore is 100), and then had the balls to not really have a proper cinema run over here in the UK, or at least, not near where I live, sort of left a bad taste in my mouth. But I'm sure the film itself is fine. Besides that, it’s also good to see Selma didn't win. I have nothing against the film, but it simply isn't a 2014 release, in my eyes.

Best Actor

Predictions are running well so far, and so consequently I am also happy with Redmayne’s win. Not really much to say here that wasn't really said in my last post, so I guess I’ll leave it at that.

Best Actress

First prediction to go awry. I honestly wasn't expecting Julianne Moore’s performance from Still Alice, as the film seemed a bit too low profile for the Academy to notice, but I'm glad they’re opening their eyes a bit. I personally haven’t seen the film, but it looks very interesting, and based on what I said in my last post about going above and beyond in your role, I would imagine a sufferer of Alzheimer’s to be a challenging role indeed.

To be honest, I'm basically just glad Reese Whitherspoon didn't win for her role in Reese Whitherspoon: The Movie or to go by its alternate title, Give me an Oscar please, featuring Whitherspoon. So, I guess I've got to watch out for those flying pigs.

Best Director

Refer to the ‘Best Picture’ section above.

Best Supporting Actor

Since I wrote my last post, I have finally had the chance to see Whiplash, and it’s pretty damn good. Easily my second favourite film of the year, as long as you still consider it a 2014 release, and one of the things that made it so compelling was J.K. Simmons. If you haven’t seen it yet, be assured, he’s just as good as everyone’s been saying. Really, there was no competition for this category. As great as Edward Norton may have been, I can see Fletcher becoming one of the most memorable characters from this decade of film. Stupendous stuff, and well deserving of the Oscar.

Best Supporting Actress

[Insert frustration pertaining to Boyhood] But seriously, I'm just glad Meryl Streep didn't win. Oh, don’t give me that look; she’s got plenty of Oscars. It might seem a bit weird that I keep wanting certain people to not get Oscars, but as far as I see, preserving the value of an Oscar is just as much about making sure the wrong people don’t get it as it is the right people getting it. In fact, I think they should be able to refuse to give an Oscar out if all the nominations in the category were shit. Of course, that doesn't really apply here, but it’s an idea to consider.

Best Cinematography

You know, despite what I said, it’s actually a slight shame that Whiplash didn't win this. Don’t get me wrong, I still think Birdman rightfully deserved it more, but Whiplash still had some absolutely fantastic cinematography. If it had come out any other year, it would have won the Oscar, but unfortunately it just couldn't compare to Birdman’s one shot illusion. Tough luck, Whiplash. Bravo, Birdman.

Best Animated Film

Big Hero 6 was the deserving winner, although it was the only one of the nominations I've seen, but it was a fantastic film. I've heard some people lament that How to Train Your Dragon 2 didn't win. Personally, I haven’t seen it or it's predecessor yet (don’t worry, I’ll get there in due time) so I can’t really comment. However, Big Hero 6 was better than some of the Best Picture nods, in my eyes, so on that philosophy alone it deserves the win.

Best Visual Effects

Interstellar makes sense. For the Oscar that is, although I suppose the plot is more or less comprehensible, as well. It always brings me joy when a high-concept film uses both computer and practical effects to achieve its visuals; it shows me that there is still hope for the industry to eventually learn that the 100% CGI is not the way to go, and if you combine the two, the end result almost looks real.

Best Sound Mixing / Best Editing

Whiplash was a fantastic film, both emotionally, but almost more so technically. So even though it missed out on the cinematography Oscar, the Academy still decided to make up for it. Whiplash’s strongest technical element besides its cinematography was its editing, and the two went hand in hand to make some chillingly brilliant sequences. Sound mixing seems an odd Oscar to me, since I've never really seen, or heard I suppose, bad sound mixing. It doesn't really seem like the kind of thing that’s a) massively noticeable, relative to other components or b) worth its own award, separate from Best (Sound) Editing. But anyway, Whiplash was a film about music, so I guess that’s grounds for Best Sound Mixing? I don’t know; sound’s not my forte, okay.

And that about wraps it up. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the turnout this year, and also quite happy with how many films I managed to see in the past few months. Judging by my current progress, I'm going to get through a lot of films in 2015, so you’ll be sure to see another one of these posts next year. In the meantime, it’s back to regular film discussions next time, and I've got a film lined up that I am just about ready to gush about from every orifice. So, that’s something to look forward to.

Although not for the cleaners, I guess.

Oscar Nominations 2015

Well, the news has finally broken; the Oscar nominations have been announced. And with a month or two left for film fans to bicker back and forth on who should win, it’s only traditional I should throw my hat into the ring, and give you my take on things. So, just briefly, I'm going to be running down for each of the major categories the film I want to win, and which film will most likely win, with reasons attached. I'm not going to cover the entire cavalcade of categories, because I mean really, who cares about the Oscar for best costume design?

Best Picture

Who I want to win: Birdman

Oh Birdman, why couldn't you have come out slightly earlier? If anyone was looking through my Top 5 of 2014, feeling that a lot of the entries were a bit lacklustre, it’s because they were. Had I have actually seen Birdman last year, or if it had even been fucking released in Britain last year, I would have given it my film of the year position, in place of The Imitation Game. But I guess we can’t change our past. Birdman is a film I find rather difficult to describe; it’s really something that should just be seen rather than explained to someone. The one thing I can talk about though is the cinematography. Some may have heard, but the majority of Birdman is presented as if it were one, continuous two-hour take, with no edits (of course, being an editor, I noticed where the cuts were; namely when the camera passed behind an object and the frame went to blackout for a fraction of a second). Anyway, I personally love these ‘oners’, and from that cinematography standpoint alone, this film had me captivated. The story is also tragic and personal, and supported by an absolutely stellar cast. There’s really not much to complain about here, and I think it’s time something with as much ambition and unique identity as this gem received some well-deserved Oscars.

Who will probably win: Boyhood

Haven’t seen it yet. I would have, but every time I've gone to the cinema recently, it doesn't seem to be on. Odd. Anyway, it sounds interesting. I'm not sure if I’d like it more than Birdman, but it’s certainly an ambitious concept, and it looks like the Academy’s just about ready to shoot its load right into Boyhood’s smug little face, so all the power to it.

Best Actor

Who I want to win: Eddie Redmayne – Stephen Hawking (The Theory of Everything)

I've never been able to really notice good or bad acting as such. Even as an actor myself (I've actually been an actor three times as long as I've been a film buff), I still find that acting is acting, and outside of particular examples, I normally can’t tell. So for me, I think this award should go to someone who has to go above and beyond for their role. The Theory of Everything charts the life of Stephen Hawking, the legendary physicist, and his relations with his first wife. Of course, Hawking suffered from Motor Neurone Disease, and is nowadays hooked up to a wheelchair, unable to move much more than his hand, and the film, inevitably, must chart this decay from fairly energetic young man all the way through the difficult stages of paralysis until wheelchair bound, and that is by no means an easy feat for any actor. But Redmayne pulls it off spectacularly with plenty of emotion and believability, to the point it feels like you really are seeing this man struggling to live. It’s not every day you see a performance of this kind, let alone executed so well, and so I think this stand-out performance needs some stand-out recognition.

Who will probably win: Michael Keaton – Riggan (Birdman)

It’s hard to say who the academy will vote for. Steve Carell in Foxcatcher looks half dead in the trailer and I haven’t seen American Sniper yet, so I don’t know about Bradley Cooper. Cumberbatch, Keaton and Redmayne were all excellent in their respective roles, and if able to I’d want all three to get Oscars. My gut says Keaton will probably get the Oscar though, but it honestly could go either way.

Best Actress

Who I want to win: Felicity Jones – Jane Hawking (The Theory of Everything)

My earlier mentioned ignorance of ‘good’ acting combined with the fact I've only seen one of the titles from the nominations so far, makes this a struggle to choose. While I may just be going with Jones because hers is the only performance I actually saw, she is also very deserving of it. The Theory of Everything is an incredibly emotional piece by default, but it’s really kept aloft by its acting talent, and the previously mentioned Redmayne as well as Jones both contribute so much character to the film. In particular, Jones’s character must endure so much grief to see her husband slowly degrade, having to evolve from wife to carer, and we see as her life becomes more and more of a tragic struggle. I thought considering this role, her acting was spot on, and I think it should deserve some recognition.

Who will probably win: Reese Witherspoon – Cheryl (Wild)

As previously mentioned, I haven’t seen any of these films besides The Theory of Everything, so I don’t even have an opinion on this. So instead, I'm going to talk about the lump of Oscar bait that people refer to as Wild. Not seen it, because it’s literally only just been released here, but I've seen the trailer a couple of times and, just, eugh. I'm surprised they didn't just rename the film ‘Give Witherspoon an Oscar, please’. Featuring sterling performances from Witherspoon and a bunch of other people you don’t care about, the film concerns Reese Witherspoon going for a walk, and that’s about all you’ll gather from the trailer, since it’s too busy showing Witherspoon chewing the scenery to actually give us any idea of what the film will be about. It’s not like she doesn't already have an Oscar; if anyone should be doing this kind of film it should be poor Mr Dicaprio. But maybe the Academy aren't as naïve as I keep making them out to be. Maybe they’ll catch on and give the Oscar to someone more deserving. And maybe pigs really can fly.

Best Supporting Actor

Who I want to win: Edward Norton – Mike (Birdman)

Oh my god, Norton’s voice has actually broken! For context, over my Christmas holiday, I decided to watch American History X for the first time (family friendly Christmas viewing, of course) and I was taken aback by just how high pitched Norton’s voice is. Here we see this neo-Nazi skinhead, standing proudly with his muscles on display, hands on head with Swastika showing proudly, striking fear into the hearts of every mortal in the near vicinity. Then he speaks. Ok, it’s not exactly chipmunk level, but it’s higher than you’d expect coming out of a body like that. After I made this revelation, I just couldn't take him seriously during any of his hate speeches; he sounded like a 12 year old having a hissy fit over not getting what he wants. But I digress. In Birdman, Norton plays an influential and brilliant actor, who also happens to be a complete and total perfectionist, and demands the same from everyone else involved. He really is enthralling to watch, and his character is a great rival for Riggan, as they continue to piss each other off until the only way to sort it out is a tighty-whitey fighty, which is how I am going to refer to that scene from now on. And as previously mentioned, he finally sounds like he’s grown a pair. Hooray for all.

Who will probably win: J.K. Simmons – Fletcher (Whiplash)

I would love to have seen this film, but it, like Wild, has also only just come out here at time of writing. Although now it has been released, I'm definitely going to try and catch a showing. Anyway, I’ve heard exceptional things about Simmons’s performance, and would love to have seen it by now. Since everyone is already gushing over him, I’d be surprised if the academy ducked out and gave it to someone else.

Best Supporting Actress

Who I want to win: Keira Knightley/Emma Stone – Joan Clarke/Sam – (The Imitation Game/Birdman)

Honestly, I’d be happy with either. Both had excellent roles, and both performed them brilliantly. Knightley, taking a similar route to Felicity Jones, portrayed the wife and friend of Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, and like with The Theory of Everything, the combination of her and Cumberbatch deliver the tragic storyline with emotional resonance, which may have nearly almost moved me to seriously consider shedding a tear. Yeah, get over it. Although, I guess that is slightly irrelevant, as it was more Cumberbatch that moved me rather than Knightley. Anyway. Equally, in Birdman, Stone delivers a surprisingly good performance as Riggan’s rebellious yet loving daughter Sam. That sounds a bit harsh on reflection, and I’ll be honest, I’d sort of written Stone off as a bit of eye candy to get the ticket sales off of horny teenage boys. Essentially like Megan Fox only actually attractive and, as I have now found out, not a shit actor. I mean, I've seen her in Zombieland and The Amazing Spider Man 2, but there she was pretty much filling the eye candy quota. But now that I've seen her in a more adult and serious piece, she’s actually quite a believable and engaging actress, and while she’s only really playing a stereotype, she does enough with the role to make her stand out as human character, with flaws and goals. What’s more, the relationship between father and daughter, and mother come to think of it, is very believable, and doesn't feel forced at all, which film families often do in lesser productions. So yeah. Either one deserves it.

Who will probably win: Meryl Streep – Witch (Into the Woods)

Well, I haven’t seen Boyhood, as previously discussed, so I have no idea how Arquette fared in that, and I never even noticed not-Witherspoon in Wild, she just blended in amongst the rest of the not-Witherspoon cast, in order to make more room for Witherspoon to act at people in hopes for an Oscar. So, I guess it’s either Knightley, Stone or Streep.

Has anyone seen Meryl Streep’s IMDb page? Apparently, she’s won 3 Oscars, and has received “Another 163 wins & 239 nominations”. I know, it’s crazy. For comparison, Knightley has been nominated for 2 Oscars and received “Another 28 wins & 68 nominations.” I mean, I realise Meryl Steep has been acting for a lot longer, but how is she getting this many nominations so easily? Only explanation; Streep is in cahoots with the Academy. Either that or the board members are just running out of ideas. "OK, so we've got Knightley, Stone, Arquette and not-Whitherspoon; we need one more. What? Streep? Yeah, that'll do."

And now, a quick run-down of some of the remaining categories.

Best Director

Who I want to win: Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman)

Who will probably win: Richard Linklater/Wes Anderson (Boyhood/The Grand Budapest Hotel)

Best Original Screenplay

Who I want to win: Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy) – I mean come on, Nightcrawler deserves something, doesn't it?

Who will probably win: The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson & Hugo Guiness)

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Who I want to win: The Theory of Everything (Anthony McCarten)

Who will probably win: Whiplash (Damien Chazelle)

Best Cinematography

Who I want to win: Emmanuel Lubezki (Birdman)

Who will probably win: Emmanuel Lubezki (Birdman)

I swear to God, if he doesn't get the Oscar, I'm going to be thoroughly pissed. (Also, why has Ida got two of these nominations?)

Best Visual Effects

Who I want to win: Interstellar (The one Oscar it does deserve)

Who will probably win: Interstellar

So, to bring this post to a close, I’d like to quickly give you my impression of the Oscars. The Oscars should be a ceremony to commemorate the very best that film has to offer, and give out recognition to the productions and teams working behind them that deserve it. But nowadays, the Oscars have become yet another soulless marketing ploy. Films are created and released right before Oscar season, with mature story-lines but often devoid of any true meaning, but just with the illusion of depth to score it Oscars at the Academy, who clearly haven’t caught on yet. Probably the prime example of this ‘Oscar-bait’ is last year’s best picture winner 12 Years a Slave, a film about slavery whose only reason for existence seems to be to get said award. “Oh look, it’s about slavery and based on a book that’s based on real life. That’s all it needs to qualify!” Even though there have been plenty of films made about racism and slavery, which would be fine if 12 Years added anything to the genre. But it doesn't. I watched 12 Years a Slave, and I don’t think there was a single point made by the film that wasn't already made in Django Unchained not to mention all the other films it surely borrowed from. Shit, they even have similar scenes; the whipping scene in particular being almost a shot for shot rip-off of Django. My point is, 12 Years didn't really do enough to distinguish it as a notable film, yet critics and the Academy queued up around the block to suck on its balls, even though there were other films that year which deserved their attention.

My point is that while some of these films may be good, and often are, there’s still many who shamelessly only exist to get awards and not for the reason films are supposed to be made in the first place; entertain their audience or even make a point. The other annoyance is release dates. Almost all of these Oscar worthy pictures have come out in only the last three or so months, and that is unacceptable. There is an entire twelve month stretch they could utilise, but no, release it right at the end of the year so that it only barely counts as a 2014 release and so that its fresh in everyone’s mind when Oscar season rolls around, even though a truly Oscar-worthy film should be good enough and insightful enough to stay with you months, even years after watching it, which just highlights how forgettable some of the obvious Oscar bait can be. Anyway, the problem is that all of these films will come out incredibly late over here in the UK, most not materializing until January. I have no idea why, it’s not like they have to re-edit them to be more British or dub them or anything. How can I possibly make a Top 5 of 2014 blog post, when almost all of 2014’s best films aren't even here until 2015?! And with the Oscars announced at the end of February, this gives film buffs like me, who have other commitments by the way, only about two months to try and catch up on the numerous releases. And they’re still only just trickling out of the Hollywood floodgates as we speak, with Whiplash and American Sniper being released last Friday and Big Hero 6 and Selma still to come. I've been lucky enough to have some extra free time over the past weeks than I normally would, which I've used to make a feeble attempt at a catch-up, watching titles like Birdman and The Theory of Everything, but there’s no way I’ll be able to watch everything I want to by the time February 22^nd rolls around.

But that’s just my ramblings. Good luck to all the nominated people and pictures, especially my picks, and may Birdman, er, I mean, may the best films win.

My Top 5 Films of 2014

The final hours of 2014 are looming ever nearer, whilst the shining future-world of 2015 is just around the corner. I’m sure many of you are already full to the brim with chocolate and alcohol and preparing your fireworks in order to celebrate the festivities. But, before we all set off our own personal barrages, I think it’s time for a moment of reflection. 2014 has been an eventful year or, at least, it has been for me. Not only have I completed my GCSE exams and made the jump to A Level, and of course I started this very blog, but I’ve also learnt that; Cuba isn’t a very relaxing holiday destination, some new music is fantastic (thank you, Royal Blood), and that a bookshelf can only hold so many DVDs. Which brings me nicely to my next point.

If it wasn’t implied by the title, or by the name of the blog, or anything else, allow me to spell it out. As is always the case, I find myself looking back at this time of the year and thinking about all the films that have graced both the big and small screen, and especially as Oscar season draws near, thinking about the best this year had to offer. So, here’s my two pence.

Sorry. Anyway, to see out the year, listed below are my Top 5 favourite films of 2014. Obviously, these are subject to my opinion, and there are quite a few films I didn’t see because I didn’t have time/couldn’t be arsed/ they looked shit (delete as appropriate), so if your beloved Sharknado 2: The Second One isn’t on here, then my ‘humble’ apologies...

5. The Wind Rises – Hayao Miyazaki

OK, so this was technically released in Japan in 2013, but I live in the UK, where it was a 2014 release (and an obscure one at that), so yeah. Talking of which, I saw the trailer playing at my local Vue, which is the only way I found out this film existed, and so decided, as a new found Ghibli fan, to see it. I had to go up to London just to find the one cinema which was playing it, and the audience consisted of a ground-breaking two people; me and my dad. Talk about a wide release. Although, I admit having an entire cinema to yourself is pretty cool. But I digress. The Wind Rises is Miyazaki’s twelfth and final feature film at the legendary animation studio, and follows the allegedly fictionalized story of Jiro Horikoshi, an engineer who designed Japanese fighter planes during WWII; showing us his first dreams of flying, inspired by Italian aeronautical designer Caproni, through to his joining of Mitsubishi Internal Combustion Engine Company and eventually the success of his fighter planes along with his marriage to Naoko Sotomi. The comparison to Ghibli’s other WWII film, Grave of the Fireflies is inevitable, and I think while both are great, they still pale in comparison to their more fantastical works, such as Princess Mononoke, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and Howl’s Moving Castle. I just think the studio seems to handle abstract, fictional worlds better than grim, realistic ones. Maybe one day I’ll dedicate a post or two to a more in depth discussion of this, but to bring this entry to some form of conclusion (I told you I tend to ramble), The Wind Rises is a beautifully animated and well paced biopic, with plenty of emotional moments. By any other studio, this would be an awesome achievement, but unfortunately doesn’t quite reach the dizzying heights of Ghibli’s usual output. 8/10, Medium Recommendation

4. Robocop – José Padhilaan

I thought it was great. No, I’m serious; I thought it was a really well done film. Keep in mind, whilst a copy of the original 1987 Sci-Fi classic does reside on my overburdened bookshelf, I have not yet gotten around to watching it, at time of writing, and with a fresh outlook untainted by nostalgia goggles, the remake is a great time. So what, it’s not Oscar territory, but then neither was the original. The story concerns police officer Alex Murphy, played this time around by Joel Kinnaman (nope, me neither), who whilst trying to take down crime lord Vallon, is horrifically injured by a bomb planted in his own car. With this being the future and all, the omnipotent corporation OmniCorp (could have been worse; could have called it The Corporation) decide to rebuild him, turning him into the titular cyborg cop, but Murphy’s pesky human emotions get in the way of efficiency, and they decide to make him more machine than man. Okay, it may be the tale of the human soul vs. cold robotics that we’ve all seen before, but in a rare change of pace for a Hollywood blockbuster, the moral messages are actually very nicely handled, showing both sides of the argument, and even the pacing is handled well; keeping the action at a modest level throughout, and building up to its explosive finale. How does it compare to the original? No idea, maybe I’ll do a post on that someday, but if you are a big fan of the original, or just a sci-fi fan in general, I’d say it’s worth a look. 8/10, Medium Recommendation

3. The Lego Movie – Chris Miller, Phil Lord

I’ll admit, I was sceptical about this film at first. It looked a bit too kiddy and too much like a two hour long advert for me to really get excited about it on release, even as a huge Lego fan. But after hearing universal praise from critics and friends alike, I eventually decided to check it out on my flight back from Cuba (if you’re wondering, I watched The Wolf of Wall Street and 12 Years a Slave on the way over), and I was very pleasantly surprised. While there were several parts which seemed to be made specifically to sell a line of sets, predictions that appear to be correct based on the merchandise, the film still has a genuinely enjoyable story and messages, and, contrary to my fears, actually has some decent humour. The story may not be ground-breaking; a Lego man is plucked out of his routine life and embarks on an adventure to overthrow a tyrannical leader, assembling a colourful cast of characters as he goes from location to location. But if you want a simple yet fun experience, this film will easily deliver, and might even stir up childhood memories of constructing crude models and making up your own haphazard stories, frankensteined together from all the plots of your favourite films (who didn’t try to make their own Star Wars VII when they were younger?). To conclude, The Lego Movie does what it says on the box; a simple yet creative childish romp which will leave even adults smiling. 8/10, Medium Recommendation

 2. Godzilla – Gareth Edwards

Back when I was about 12, I remember hearing word that another Godzilla film was in the works, and getting excited about seeing it. Then, I didn’t hear much more on the subject and got interested in other films, and so the excitement left my mind somewhat. But then the film was finally released this year, and I went to see it with friends, and I recall feeling some of that childish glee return as I saw the king of the monsters onscreen. This sounds a bit misleading, because I was never exactly a Godzilla fan as a child; the giant monster genre was something that always fascinated me, but I never really got into them, mainly because most were Japanese and therefore hard to get hold of over here in the UK. So it was great to finally see a big budget monster flick on the big screen down at my local cinema, but it was also great to see an American take on the franchise which wasn’t shit, unlike the Roland Emmerich disaster from 1998. There’s not really much to say in terms of story; there are some weird giant aliens destroying various parts of America, and Godzilla shows up to stop them. Ok, yes there’s more to it than that, but it’s a Godzilla flick; the story’s not important, what matters is the action and visuals. And on that front, Godzilla excels. The dark gritty visuals and excellent sound design, especially where the aliens are concerned, create a dark, brooding atmosphere which give the film an apocalyptic air, and combined with the higher focus on human characters, makes this feel more like a national disaster rather than a campy showdown between men in suits. The best way to describe this is probably ‘the Godzilla film for the Cloverfield age’, since they both feature this grittier tone and human-centric storylines. And if this is the way modern monster movies are heading, then you can expect my full endorsement. Godzilla may not be an award winning piece, but its unbeatable popcorn entertainment; blockbusters at their roaring best. 8/10, Medium Recommendation

1. The Imitation Game – Morten Tyldum

This film very nearly put me on the edge of possibly tearing up. And yes, that’s the best you can probably expect from me in terms of an emotional reaction to a film. The Imitation Game is a biopic charting the career of WWII mathematician Alan Turing, as he attempts to break the German enigma code by creating a machine, dubbed Christopher, which would eventually go on to be the first step into the world of computing. The film also shows Turing’s downright appalling treatment by the government for being a homosexual, despite the enormous contribution he made to winning the war (it is estimated that his work shortened the war by three years) as well as technology in general. Despite being a computing student myself, I’ll admit I didn’t know much about Turing prior to watching this film, although my parents have remarked, both of them being programmers, that there were a few liberties taken with the story of Turing. But liberties or not, the story still stands strong and, as previously said, even managed to make me emotional, which is a rare achievement for any film. The acting is superb, Benedict Cumberbatch does a great job of portraying Turing in an admittedly similar vein to his Sherlock performance, although that’s hardly a negative point, and Keira Knightley also shines as Joan Clarke, Turing’s friend and wife. Although it may lose out to the other giants such as Interstellar and Birdman come award season, I sincerely hope this gem gets at least some Oscars, because it truly deserves them. 9/10, High Recommendation

And there we have it. Now there were a large number of films I didn't see, so this list does seem a bit lackluster, but I'm sure I'll get around to them in the new year. Thank you all for reading, and I'll see you all in 2015, where hopefully I might post some more articles.

When I'm not out on my hover board wearing my self-lacing shoes....