The next review in our series of Oscar nominated pictures will be The Imitation Game.With seven Oscar nominations (including for Best Picture), 1 Oscar win (for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay), and ranked 207 on the IMDB Top 250, The Imitation Game was easily one of the most decorated movies of 2014 and was one of the most hyped. The story of Alan Turing (which only became known in recent years) is one of the most intriguing ones out there. For those of you who don't know, Turing was a Cambridge professor who played a big role in cracking the German Enigma machine. Without his efforts, Nazi Germany might have won World War II. However, Turing was prosecuted because of his homosexuality, which was then seen as a crime in Britain. Because Turing's work was classified for a long period, it has only recently been celebrated. The story of Turing (along with Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch playing Turing) drew a lot of attention and Oscar buzz. At one point, many were sure The Imitation Game would win Best Picture and Cumberbatch would win Best Actor. Though neither of those predictions would come true, the film was a massive success, both financially and critically.
The movie revolves around Turing's life (everything from his school years to his life after the war)and it does a beautiful job of telling it. Keira Knightley (who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress) played the role of Joan Clarke, who helped Turing break the Enigma and was engaged to him for six months. The two have fantastic chemistry together that makes the movie even more enjoyable to watch. While Knightley is definitely deserving of her nomination, it is Cumberbatch's performance that steals the show. He does an absolutely masterful job as Turing, managing to capture every essence of Turing's personality.
Morten Tyldum (who received a nomination for Best Director) does a great job organizing the scenes, allowing everything to flow well and tell Turing's story. The score (which earned Alexandre Desplat a nomination) is absolutely beautiful and punctuates the movie wonderfully. The title song is hauntingly beautiful and will transport you back to the movie every time you listen to it.
The Imitation Game was one of the best movies of 2014 and Benedict Cumberbatch gave an iconic performance that will be remembered for years to come. If you haven't seen this movie yet, do yourself a favor and check it out.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Whiplash Review
In case you missed it, the 2015 Academy Awards took place last month. Reviews of the event itself were mixed, but it cannot be denied that some of the movies honored at the event were truly spectacular. The Academy Awards are wonderful publicity for the movies that are nominated. After all, the event serves as a validation as to how good some of these movies are. A nomination for a prestigious award such as Best Actor, Best Director, or Best Picture will go a long way in persuading someone to watch a movie. With that in mind, ASTOABW would like to give special attention to some of the movies honored at the Academy Awards. First up: Whiplash.
Though it was nominated for Best Picture and is #37 on the IMDP Top 250, the big selling point for Whiplash is the incredible performance given by J.K. Simmons. Not only did he win over 30 awards for his performance as Terrence Fletcher (including the Oscar for Best Acting Supporter), but his performance is already being considered one of the most iconic performances of the decade. The lead actor, Miles Teller, also gives a splendid performance as Andrew Neiman, a young drummer with dreams to be a great jazz musician.
The story revolves around the relationship between Neiman, a first-year student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory, and Fletcher, the conductor of the jazz band at Shaffer. Neiman is placed into the core band (the main band) after Fletcher hears him play. Though Fletcher first appears to be kind and forgiving, it soon becomes clear that that is not the case. Fletcher is hell-bent on finding the next jazz legend, and he will stop at nothing in order to do so. He pushes Neiman, often with unconventional methods, to reach his full potential. The performances by both men, along with their incredible chemistry, is what drives this movie.
At a running time of 107 minutes, the movie does not drag in any spot. Any deviation from the main plot ties in beautifully with the rest of the movie. It results in the viewer being completely glued to the screen, a true cinematic miracle. On top of that, the movie is punctuated with a beautiful soundtrack (they won an Oscar for Sound Mixing). It is all but a guarantee you will be humming "Whiplash" and "Caravan" for at least a few days after you watch the movie.
If you haven't watched Whiplash yet, hopefully this post persuaded you otherwise. It is a truly excellent movie that is worth your while.
Though it was nominated for Best Picture and is #37 on the IMDP Top 250, the big selling point for Whiplash is the incredible performance given by J.K. Simmons. Not only did he win over 30 awards for his performance as Terrence Fletcher (including the Oscar for Best Acting Supporter), but his performance is already being considered one of the most iconic performances of the decade. The lead actor, Miles Teller, also gives a splendid performance as Andrew Neiman, a young drummer with dreams to be a great jazz musician.
The story revolves around the relationship between Neiman, a first-year student at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory, and Fletcher, the conductor of the jazz band at Shaffer. Neiman is placed into the core band (the main band) after Fletcher hears him play. Though Fletcher first appears to be kind and forgiving, it soon becomes clear that that is not the case. Fletcher is hell-bent on finding the next jazz legend, and he will stop at nothing in order to do so. He pushes Neiman, often with unconventional methods, to reach his full potential. The performances by both men, along with their incredible chemistry, is what drives this movie.
At a running time of 107 minutes, the movie does not drag in any spot. Any deviation from the main plot ties in beautifully with the rest of the movie. It results in the viewer being completely glued to the screen, a true cinematic miracle. On top of that, the movie is punctuated with a beautiful soundtrack (they won an Oscar for Sound Mixing). It is all but a guarantee you will be humming "Whiplash" and "Caravan" for at least a few days after you watch the movie.
If you haven't watched Whiplash yet, hopefully this post persuaded you otherwise. It is a truly excellent movie that is worth your while.
Monday, January 19, 2015
14 Big Stories of 2014
2014 now lies in the history books, and it was definitely one to look back and reflect upon. New inventions were created, conflicts were started, and events happened that no one will soon forget. As we do every year (or at least since 2012), we're going to look back at 14 of the biggest stories of the year. These stories range from technology to politics to sports to everything in-between. Let's get started.
1. The Ebola Outbreak- It seems like every year, there is a "new and exotic" disease that everyone is afraid of getting of. Past examples include SARS and swine flu. This year, it was Ebola. Despite the disease existing for decades, 2014 was the year it burst into the international spotlight. Soon, countries all over the world were taking preventive measures against it. The Ebola Fighters were even named POY by TIME.
2. Ferguson, Missouri- This small town was put on the map after an African-American teenager named Michael Brown was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Brown was unarmed at the time, but reports conflict about his actions right before his death. In response to the teen's death, the city erupted in violent protests that featured tear gas and looting. Wilson (who was married in October) was found not guilty by a grand jury, causing even more unrest. The riots were the most tweeted about event of the year.
3. ISIS- Originally an al Qaeda splinter group, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria burst onto the headlines this summer. In June, they began invading cities in Iraq. Later that month, they announced the creation of a caliphate. Since then, the radical Muslim group has continued to shock the world by releasing the videos of beheading hostages and recruiting people from all over the world, including the United States.
4. U.S./Cuba Relations- In December, President Obama made a landmark announcement would begin restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba. He announced that the U.S. would re-open an embassy in Havana and soften travel restrictions. The move came about after Cuba released American Alan Gross, who had been held captive for five years. This ends a thaw between the two countries that started in 1961.
5. Malaysian Airlines- It was not a good year for Malaysian Airlines. First, in March, Flight 370 disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. Crews are still searching from the plane. Then, four months later, Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 passengers and crew members were killed. A final report on the crash is expected in August of 2015.
6. Taylor Swift- The country star's newest album 1989 was the best-selling album of 2014 and one of only two albums that sold over 1 million copies (the other was the Frozen soundtrack). Swift also made headlines when she had all of her music pulled from Spotify.
7. Luis Suarez- The Uruguayan soccer star made headlines at the World Cup when he bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during a match. As a result, Suarez was suspended for the rest of the Cup. After this incident, Suarez left Liverpool FC for FC Barcelona. The transfer fee of 75 million pounds set a new record.
8. Robin Williams- The world was shocked when comedy legend Robin Williams passed away on November 11th. The coroner ruled that the death was by suicide. Williams leaves us with classic works such as Dead Poets Society, Jumanji, Aladdin, Good Will Hunting, and Good Morning, Vietnam.
9. Landon Donovan- The greatest American soccer player of all time first made big headlines when it was announced that Coach Jurgen Klinsmann had not selected him for the World Cup roster. Instead, Donovan worked as a World Cup analyst for ESPN. Then, in December, Donovan and his team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, beat New England Revolution to win the MLS Cup,
10. Chris Pratt- Pratt started the year as a cast member on the penultimate season of Parks and Recreation. Then, in the summer, Guardians of the Galaxy released, which Pratt starred in as Star-Lord. The Marvel movie turned out to be a huge success and was one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. To top it all off, Pratt hosted the season premiere of Saturday Night Live in September.
11. The Interview- Originally, this was supposed to be a standard movie. Starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, this movie was about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. However, this movie jumped into the limelight when the dictator announced that there would be big consequences if this movie was released. Sony was then hacked by a group called Guardians of Peace, which was against the release of The Interview. Despite all of this uproar, the movie was released in select theaters and online.
12. Midterm Elections- On November 4th, the Midterm elections took place. Despite a very low voter turnout (36.3%), the Republicans took control of the Senate and kept their grip on the House of Representatives. Many political analysts interpreted this as unhappiness over President Obama's policies.
13. Matthew McConaughey- It was an all-around fantastic year for McConaughey. Many people believed that his best days were behind him, but the Texan proved them all wrong. First, he won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Dallas Buyers Club. which he also won a Golden Globe for. Then, he was nominated for two Emmys for HBO's True Detective: one for his lead role and the second for being one of the shows's executive producers (the show was nominated for Best Drama Series). He capped off his wonderful year with the release of the sci-fi movie Interstellar.
14. International Sporting Events- Two big international sporting events took place this year: the FIFA World Cup, which took place over the summer in Rio de Janeio, Brazil, and the Winter Olympics, which took place in February in Sochi, Russia. Germany beat Argentina in the finals to clinch the World Cup while Russia won more medals and gold medals than any other country.
What was your favorite story of 2014? Comment and let me know.
1. The Ebola Outbreak- It seems like every year, there is a "new and exotic" disease that everyone is afraid of getting of. Past examples include SARS and swine flu. This year, it was Ebola. Despite the disease existing for decades, 2014 was the year it burst into the international spotlight. Soon, countries all over the world were taking preventive measures against it. The Ebola Fighters were even named POY by TIME.
2. Ferguson, Missouri- This small town was put on the map after an African-American teenager named Michael Brown was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. Brown was unarmed at the time, but reports conflict about his actions right before his death. In response to the teen's death, the city erupted in violent protests that featured tear gas and looting. Wilson (who was married in October) was found not guilty by a grand jury, causing even more unrest. The riots were the most tweeted about event of the year.
3. ISIS- Originally an al Qaeda splinter group, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria burst onto the headlines this summer. In June, they began invading cities in Iraq. Later that month, they announced the creation of a caliphate. Since then, the radical Muslim group has continued to shock the world by releasing the videos of beheading hostages and recruiting people from all over the world, including the United States.
4. U.S./Cuba Relations- In December, President Obama made a landmark announcement would begin restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba. He announced that the U.S. would re-open an embassy in Havana and soften travel restrictions. The move came about after Cuba released American Alan Gross, who had been held captive for five years. This ends a thaw between the two countries that started in 1961.
5. Malaysian Airlines- It was not a good year for Malaysian Airlines. First, in March, Flight 370 disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. Crews are still searching from the plane. Then, four months later, Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 passengers and crew members were killed. A final report on the crash is expected in August of 2015.
6. Taylor Swift- The country star's newest album 1989 was the best-selling album of 2014 and one of only two albums that sold over 1 million copies (the other was the Frozen soundtrack). Swift also made headlines when she had all of her music pulled from Spotify.
7. Luis Suarez- The Uruguayan soccer star made headlines at the World Cup when he bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during a match. As a result, Suarez was suspended for the rest of the Cup. After this incident, Suarez left Liverpool FC for FC Barcelona. The transfer fee of 75 million pounds set a new record.
8. Robin Williams- The world was shocked when comedy legend Robin Williams passed away on November 11th. The coroner ruled that the death was by suicide. Williams leaves us with classic works such as Dead Poets Society, Jumanji, Aladdin, Good Will Hunting, and Good Morning, Vietnam.
9. Landon Donovan- The greatest American soccer player of all time first made big headlines when it was announced that Coach Jurgen Klinsmann had not selected him for the World Cup roster. Instead, Donovan worked as a World Cup analyst for ESPN. Then, in December, Donovan and his team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, beat New England Revolution to win the MLS Cup,
10. Chris Pratt- Pratt started the year as a cast member on the penultimate season of Parks and Recreation. Then, in the summer, Guardians of the Galaxy released, which Pratt starred in as Star-Lord. The Marvel movie turned out to be a huge success and was one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. To top it all off, Pratt hosted the season premiere of Saturday Night Live in September.
11. The Interview- Originally, this was supposed to be a standard movie. Starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, this movie was about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. However, this movie jumped into the limelight when the dictator announced that there would be big consequences if this movie was released. Sony was then hacked by a group called Guardians of Peace, which was against the release of The Interview. Despite all of this uproar, the movie was released in select theaters and online.
12. Midterm Elections- On November 4th, the Midterm elections took place. Despite a very low voter turnout (36.3%), the Republicans took control of the Senate and kept their grip on the House of Representatives. Many political analysts interpreted this as unhappiness over President Obama's policies.
13. Matthew McConaughey- It was an all-around fantastic year for McConaughey. Many people believed that his best days were behind him, but the Texan proved them all wrong. First, he won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Dallas Buyers Club. which he also won a Golden Globe for. Then, he was nominated for two Emmys for HBO's True Detective: one for his lead role and the second for being one of the shows's executive producers (the show was nominated for Best Drama Series). He capped off his wonderful year with the release of the sci-fi movie Interstellar.
14. International Sporting Events- Two big international sporting events took place this year: the FIFA World Cup, which took place over the summer in Rio de Janeio, Brazil, and the Winter Olympics, which took place in February in Sochi, Russia. Germany beat Argentina in the finals to clinch the World Cup while Russia won more medals and gold medals than any other country.
What was your favorite story of 2014? Comment and let me know.
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