Each year a group of films join the ranks of other great movies that were snubbed by The Academy in the past. This list includes Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Kubrick’s The Shining, and Hitchcock himself. While these movies won’t be taking home little gold statues, they may perhaps be more worthy of your attention than those that will.
Nightcrawler
Dir. Dan Gilroy
You have never seen Jake Gyllenhaal like this. Subtly dangerous, perhaps psychopathic, definitely creepy, Gyllenhaal delivers the performance of his career. Desperate for work in LA, Lou Bloom begins to videotape crimes to sell to news stations. However, voyeurism soon turns to participation as Lou becomes unable to simply observe. A wonderful exploration of the nighttime underbelly of Los Angeles, Gyllenhaal seems to fit right in among the shadows and obscurities of the city. If you still think of Gyllenhaal as a rom-com star after seeing this, you clearly missed his laugh at The Court Jester. If anything is creepier than that, let me know.
Obvious Child
Dir. Gillian Robsespierre
Donna (Jenny Slate) is a comedian who draws from all aspects of her everyday life as a twenty-something in New York, sex life included. After a one-night stand, Donna expectantly gets pregnant and must face the reality of being an independent woman, able to make her own decisions, in a modern age. One of the few films, ever, written by, directed by, and starring a woman, Obvious Child deals with a serious subject in a realistic, and yet empowering way. Leaving behind the quirky, idiosyncratic nature of a film such as Juno, Obvious Child manages to cinematically tackle the multifaceted nature of an issue like abortion.
The Book of Life
Dir. Jorge R. Gutierrez
An animated exploration of the Mexican Day of the Dead traditions, The Book of Life exceeded nearly every expectation I had. Believing it to be a “cute” (in a rather diminutive use of the word) love story, the story of Manolo (Diego Luna) and Joaquin’s (Channing Tatum) strife to win the woman of their dream’s love was touching, witty, and beautiful. Aesthetically exceeding the modern films of Disney (Frozen, Brave, etc.), the cake was the anachronistic use of modern songs such as Creep by Radiohead, and I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons.