The Films of 2014. The 15th annual FiLM BiTCH Awards
PICTURE | ACTING | VISUALS | AURALS | EXTRAS | SPECIAL | SCENES
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Best Picture
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| BIRDMAN Alejandro G Iñarittu (Fox Searchlight) October 17th |
BOYHOOD Richard Linklater (IFC Films) August 15th |
IDA |
PRIDE Matthew Warchus (CBS Films) September 26th |
UNDER THE SKIN Jonathan Glazer (A24) April 4th |
 A fantastically original contemporary exploration of acting neurosis, star persona, career reinvention, and popularity (the movies) as the slutty little cousin of prestige (the stage). |
 Linklater's grand experiment -- filming the lives of one fictional family over 12 years -- pays off generously with this warm, funny, sprawl of a coming of age drama. There will be tears. |
The year's coldest film, ultra precise and mercilessly told, is also quite nearly it's most hypnotic as a novice discovers she's Jewish and sets out to dig up her family history. | A miracle Feel Good triumphs that employs a light touch and genuine wisdom in its telling of a life-changing true story of solidarity among strangers. The ensemble fully earns your love. |  A mysterious woman prowls Scotland but finds herself too curious about her prey. Unforgettable visuals and an unthinkably perfect underscore add to its abstract power and genuine frights |
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if you would like an Oscar correlative (8 wide) Honorable Mentions (Full Article) |
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Best Director
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| Xavier Dolan MOMMY (Roadside Attractions) Qualifier |
Ava DuVernay SELMA (Paramount) Dec 25th |
Jonathan Glazer UNDER THE SKIN (A24) April 4th |
Alejandro G Iñarittu BIRDMAN (Fox Searchlight) October 17th |
Richard Linklater BOYHOOD (IFC Films) August 15th |
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| Finalists: Pawel Pawlikowski Ida | Wes Anderson Grand Budapest Hotel Semi Finalists: Jennifer Kent The Babadook | Alain Guiraudie Stranger by the Lake | Matthew Warchus Pride | Ira Sachs Love is Strange | Ruben Ostlund Force Majeure |
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Best Original Screenplay
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| BIRDMAN Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo |
FORCE MAJEURE Ruben Östlund |
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wes Anderson (with help from Hugo Guinness on story) |
NIGHTCRAWLER Dan Gilroy |
PRIDE Stephen Beresford |
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Wonderfully surreal, extremely funny and characters that actors can really devour like an oroborus (yes the casting helps there). Plus that play within a movie about the movie star writing that play. Perfect. |
Transcends its inciting incident quickly to become a much larger satire on marriage, infidelity, grudge holding, and crushed male ego. It's verbosity is so bruising / funny it ocassionaly reminds of an Albee play. |
Inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig, its fanciful stories within nostalgic stories (and detours which don't derail - neat trick!) provide a wonderful mix of high and low comedy and timelessness. Plus pathos and confectionery! |
Lou Bloom is a beautifully written deviant but Gilroy's gift to moviegoers doesn't stop there. The dialogue is memorable with a specifically rich take on the infinite soulessness of catchphrases. Gripping escalation, too. | Unconcerned with things you just don't do like providing no protagonist (!) offering instead a rich tapestry of communities and subcommunities which is the point. So much heart and humor and political fire. |
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Finalists You can see J.C. Chandor talents growing still in the throwback crime saga A Most Violent Year; and Damian Szifron comes up with several truly Wild Tales. Can't wait to see his next picture. |
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Best Adapted Screenplay
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THE BABADOOK
Jennifer Kent |
GONE GIRL
Gillian Flynn |
THE LEGO MOVIE
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UNDER THE SKIN Walter Campbell & Jonathan Glazer |
WILD
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| Her short film Monster was the embryo. Her baby has grown into a superbly unsettling monster. He has a silent movie flatness to slip right under your door and into your dreams. |  Not every author can transfer mediums / slice up their own work so mercilessly but this is a corker of a movie so well done. |
 Better a Clio than an Oscar but you have to admire the creative ways it handles "play" with famous toys and hilarious riffs on a rich trove of iconic characters |
I'm guessing they lured it into inky black death to harvest its life force. That's one way to adapt a book, I suppose. No traces of literature remain. This is pure cinema. |  This memoir can't have been easy to adapt but the movies kaleidoscope of quotes and memories with ample room for cinematic interpretation and sound are a beauty. |
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Finalists: Allegorically heavyhanded maybe but structurally dynamic -- all forward motion, and memorable characters in Snowpiercer; Another clever graphic novel genre riff can be seen in Edge of Tomorrow |
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Best Animated Feature
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The Boxtrolls
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The LEGO Movie
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Song of the Sea | ||
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Finalists: -- |
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