20 Most Anticipated Performances of 2014

Yes, we're well into 2014 already but as we all know from the Oscars, nothing of note gets released before May right? Jokes aside, I like to post this list around this time since we have a bit more info (images, casting news, trailers etc.) about the upcoming film year than we do in January (and partially for the Oscar reason too, I can't help it). Looking ahead, there are a number of acting performances that seem like they could be very exciting. So here they are, my Top 20 Most Anticipated Acting Performances of 2014:

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HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT: Mean Girls

This week on Hit me with your best shot, Nathaniel decided to revisit "Mean Girls" in honour of its 10-year anniversary! This fantastic teen comedy has built up a solid reputation since its release, due mainly to its quotable lines and memorable scenes. Critics have also championed the script's sharp observations about silly high school politics. Really, the mind games are enough to make your head spin!

Upon this rewatch, I was again reminded of how genuinely enjoyable it is. The plot moves along with a remarkable efficiency and it's so consistently funny. Even more impressive is that it has aged quite well in this superficial #selfie age of ours.

While the film is known for its humour, my chosen shot is more of a downer. It comes from an unintentionally "meta" moment involving Lindsay Lohan's Cady Heron character.

Click below for my favourite shot...

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MOVIE OF THE WEEK: Noah

This week's top pick is the religious epic "Noah", directed by Darren Aronofsky. It's a doomsday tale that's well-known around the world, even to those with only a casual knowledge of the bible. With Aronofsky at the helm, the story is given his own unique interpretation, delivering something that fits well within his daring filmography.

If you're one of the few without any knowledge of the story, here's a quick refresher. The setting is an ancient time, many years Before Christ. Noah is a simple man who recieves a prophecy from God, depicting an impending flood that will wipe out mankind for their wickedness. Due to the goodness of him and his family, he is charged with building an Ark to save his loved ones and the innocent animals that roam the earth. In this interpretation, this sets up a war between Noah and the masses, who are lead by a man named Tubal-Cain (Ray Winstone).

As you watch the events unfold, you're likely to ask yourself several key questions. Why save the animals? Why such drastic measures? Why is only Noah's family being saved? It must have been a hard task for Aronofsky to adapt this material coherently enough to appeal to a wide audience. The concept is one that's so ludicrous that it can only come from a basis in religion. In tackling this challenge, Aronofsky gives us a strong philosophical interpretation that we can relate to.

To address the first pair of questions, Aronofosky made a rather brilliant choice to take an environmentalist perspective. To show man's insatiable appetite for consumption, he depicts them as brutes who savagely mistreat man and animal alike. Even cannibalism is on the cards for these wicked people. The horrific imagery involved is a far cry from the Sunday School concept of cute zoo animals walking up to the ark "two by two, hurrah!" From my memory, it always seemed like they were saving the animals "just because". To see the destruction on display then, was a great way to internalize the severity of the situation. What's even more fascinating about the environmental take is how defiantly un-Christian it is! The common philosophy of Christian teachings is that man is to have dominion over all things on earth, including the ability to eat the animals who are so generously provided by God. The blatant environmentalist framing is therefore a bold choice that works well, giving a more understandable context.

The other question goes through a more complicated examination. When Noah first breaks the news to his family, his son asks "But what of us?" He responds by explaining that they get to start over in the new world like the animals. This isn't the first instance that the question arises however. Later in the film, when the sh** hits the fan, he starts feeling some survivor's guilt, prompting him to declare that they need to die as well. As Noah struggles to understand to God's true intent, he goes through great internal debate over the true meaning of good and evil. It turns out to be the most significant moral quandary of the film, as the ramifications of God's wrath results in much of the internal family drama that makes up a large portion of the plot.

As this is an Aronofsky film, the strength of these philosophical questions is equally matched by his bravura directing style. From the suitably brash score (at once "ugly" and captivating) to his lurid visuals, this is a tour de force of directing. Say what you want about the success of this vision, but at least you can't accuse him of phoning it in.

Admittedly, he does get carried away with the theatrics of certain plot points and the fantasy elements. Personally, I was a bit perplexed by the "rock monsters" and the general presence of supernatural forces (why do some people still have these powers when man has fallen from grace?). Still, these flaws weren't enough to take away from the rich themes and thrilling production values. Indeed, a few scenes are seared into my memory. Namely, the image of the earth covered in clouds and another where Noah sits alone in the Ark with the wailing cries of those left behind in the background.

His willingness to go to these dark places is the true mark of a confident auteur. It's a wonder then, that Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly manage to carve out such fully-realized characters within this obvious director's showcase. Connelly exudes a perfect air of grace, while Crowe captures the deeply flawed, tortured soul of Noah. Seriously, talk about a misanthropist!

In the end, Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" is unlikely to convert any new disciples to his "fandom". It's just too "out there". For those willing to go along with it though, this is a noteworthy entry alongside his other audacious films (especially "The Fountain"). If you're a fan of these types of films, then you should be able to find something to like here.

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OSCAR WATCH: Tribeca Fest Awards

I know I already did a wrap-up post for my Tribeca coverage but after the announcement of the festival's various awards, I felt I needed to chime in with some further thoughts. The main story of course, is that Talya Lavie's "Zero Motivation" won Best Narrative Feature and Libyan revolution doc "Point and Shoot" won Best Documentary Feature. By some stroke of luck, the former was the only film from the competition section that I scheduled and it turned out to be the top film! I haven't seen the other eligible films, but it's a definitely a respectable winner.

Of course, as an Oscar blogger I instantly started to think of these films in the context of the upcoming awards season. Over the past few years, the Tribeca Film Festival has established itself as a launching pad for several Oscar nominees in Best Foreign Language Film and Best Documentary Feature categories. For example, "War Witch" and "Broken Circle Breakdown" were big winners at Tribeca and rode that buzz to eventual Oscar nominations. On the documentary side, "Taxi to the Dark Side" won the top prize at Tribeca before its Oscar win, while "Searching for Sugar Man" and "Cutie and the Boxer" both placed 2nd for the audience award before their eventual nods. It therefore stands to reason that "Zero Motivation" (assuming it wins the Ophir Award to become Israel's submission) and "Point and Shoot" (it already has a pedigree due to its twice nominated director Marshall Curry) have gotten early boosts in Oscar's Foreign Language and Documentary Feature races respectively.

Further down the list of award winners, there are several other films to take note of in terms of Oscar potential. By virtue of having directors whose films have been submitted before (most countries tend to favour a core group of directors), the following are likely to be selected as the official submissions for their countries: "Human Capital" (Italy) and "I Won't Come Back" (Estonia). In addition, "Manos Sucias" could feature in the race after two notices here (Best New Director and Audience Award 2nd Place) but I'm not sure about its eligibility (joint Colombia-USA production with an American director). Mexico could also go with "Güeros", winner of Best Cinematography and a Special Jury Mention for Best New Director (more notably, it previously won Best First Feature at the presitigious Berlin Film Festival).

In other news, Oscar guru Harvey Weinstein could be back for glory with another inspiring music doc "Keep On Keepin' On". The film picked up awards for Best New Narrative Director on Thursday and was soon acquired by The Weinstein Company just before adding the Heineken Audience Award to its haul today. It certainly sounds like a major contender to me. Other winners in the documentary competition include "Regarding Susan Sontag", "Mala Mala" and "Ne Me Quitte Pas", so look out for those as possible Oscar contenders too.

Here's the full list of award winners from the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival:

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TRIBECA FEST: Wrapping up the festival

The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival continues through April 27th but sadly, my time is up. This was a different experience from NYFF last year due to my tight schedule (had a wedding to attend) which forced me to watch some films online. Still, it was a pleasant experience overall, even though there were no knockout films. I could definitely see myself coming back, especially to try out some of the cool sidebar events.

To close out my coverage, here are a few random thoughts and observations:

• The festival's rush ticket system lived up to its reputation. I managed to get a last minute ticket to the buzzy world premiere of "Every Secret Thing".
• In the words of Cate Blanchett, "The world is round, people!" Films directed by and starring women ended up being my favourites of the festival.
• Of the many first-time filmmakers, I think Talya Lavie is the one to watch. I'd love it if she won the Best New Narrative Director award.
• As a foreigner, it's a bit confusing that so many of the screenings aren't actually in the TriBeCa area. Why did I spend so much time in Chelsea and the East Side?
• Favourite film: Every Secret Thing
• Favourite director: Amy Berg, Every Secret Thing
• Favourite performance: Don Johnson, Alex of Venice
• Favourite screenplay: Nicole Holofcener, Every Secret Thing

Here's how I'd rank the 8 films I saw (in order of preference):

Every Secret Thing
Alex of Venice
Zero Motivation
Ice Poison
Boulevard
Beneath the Harvest Sky
The Bachelor Weekend
Karpotrotter

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TRIBECA FEST: Beneath the Harvest Sky

My Tribeca Film Festival experience came to a close today with a VOD screening of "Beneath the Harvest Sky". Here are my thoughts on this moody teen drama:

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TRIBECA FEST: The Bachelor Weekend

I'm no longer in New York, but I'm still very much in festival mode. Using Tribeca's VOD service on iTunes I'll be reviewing two more films from the festival selection. First up is "The Bachelor Weekend".

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HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT: Pocahontas

This week's film for Hit me with your best shot is an animated one - 1995's "Pocahontas". This tale of forbidden love had the unenviable position of following "The Lion King" from the year before and it proved to be a tough act to follow. As a Disney fan myself, I take no pleasure in admitting that this is one of my least favourite Disney films. Among a slew of memorable musicals from the studio's renaissance period, this one only managed to have one good song ("Colors of the Wind"). Furthermore, something about the character animation always falls flat for me.

However, the environments surrounding these characters are very lovely. In retrospect it makes sense perhaps, considering the pro-nature themes of the film. The beautiful setting was therefore the focal point of my favourite shot this week.

Click below for my favourite shot...

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TRIBECA FEST: Zero Motivation, Incident Urbain & Karpotrotter

My day at the Tribeca Film Festival took on a decidedly foreign spin, as I sampled a trio of films from world cinema. These included "Zero Motivation" (Israel), short film "Incident Urbain" (France) and "Karpotrotter" (Slovenia). Read on for reviews of these films below:

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TRIBECA FEST: Alex of Venice, Every Secret Thing & Boulevard

The Tribeca Film Festival got into full swing for me today with my first set of actual theater screenings. It was a long day, as I watched a trio of films - "Alex of Venice", "Every Secret Thing" (yay for "rush" lines) and "Boulevard. Here's what I thought of this diverse set:

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