Tuesday 20 January 2015

Best Actor 2014

And the Nominees Are:

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game

Eddie Redmayne in The Theory Of Everything

Michael Keaton in Birdman

Bradley Cooper in American Sniper

Steve Carell in Foxcatcher

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. Keaton
2. Cooper
3. Cumberbatch
4. Redmayne
5. Carell

.. I think

Michael McCarthy said...

1. Michael Keaton
2. Bradley Cooper
3. Eddie Redmayne
4. Benedict Cumberbatch
5. Steve Carell

I will always trust Louis to give honest, unbiased, unprejudiced reviews, but I gotta say if Carell gets higher than a 3.5 I'm gonna start questioning reality.

Matt Mustin said...

Oh Christ, this is a tough one.
1.Keaton
2.Cooper
3.Redmayne
4.Cumberbatch
5.Carell

Michael Patison said...

Very difficult indeed
1. Michael Keaton
2. Bradley Cooper
3. Benedict Cumberbatch
4. Eddie Redmayne
5. Steve Carell

Anonymous said...

1. Keaton
2. Cooper
3. Redmayne
4. Cumberbatch
5. Carell
What is your ranking of the Best Picture nominees? And if Nightcrawler and Gone Girl would have been nominated, where would you put them in your ranking of the nominees?

Mark said...

1. Keaton
2. Redmayne
3. Cumberbatch
4. Cooper
5. Carell

Maciej said...

1.Keaton
2.Cooper
3.Redmayne
4.Cumberbatch
5.Carell

RatedRStar said...

Keaton will win, if anybody has any sense, they will put Carell last because its so obvious that he was the worst.

1)Keaton
2)Redmayne
3)Cooper
4)Cumberbatch
5)Carell

John Smith said...

1.Keaton
2.Bradley
3.Redmayne
4.Carell
5.Cumberbatch

Luke Higham said...

1. Keaton - 5
2. Cooper - 4.5 to 5
3. Cumberbatch - 4.5 to 5
4. Redmayne - 4.5
5. Carell - 4 to 4.5

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your top twenty films of 2014.

Lezlie said...

1. Michael Keaton
2. Benedict Cumberbatch
3. Eddie Redmayne
4. Bradley Cooper
5. Steve Carell

moviefilm said...

1) Michael Keaton
2) Eddie Redmayne
3) Benedict Cumberbatch
4) Bradley Cooper
5) Steve Carell

Robert MacFarlane said...

1. Keaton
2. Cooper
3. Cumberbatch
4. Redmayne
5. Carell

mcofra7 said...

1. Keaton
2. Cumberbatch
3. Cooper
4. Redmayne
5. Carell

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

1. Birdman
2. Whiplash
3. Nightcrawler
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. Selma
6. Gone Girl
7. The Imitation Game
8. American Sniper
9. The Theory of Everything
10. Boyhood

Luke:

1. Birdman
2. Whiplash
3. Nightcrawler
4. The Babadook
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel
6. Inherent Vice
7. Edge of Tomorrow
8. A Most Wanted Man
9. Foxcatcher
10. Guardians of the Galaxy
11. The Drop
12. Locke
13. Calvary
14. Fury
15. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
16. Frank
17. The Zero Theorem
18. Two Days One Night
19. Stretch
20. The One I Love

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Without spoiling your alternate reveiws, are there any other performances you would give 4 or a 4.5 to. Also are you still considering reviewing Spall, McConaughey, Serkis and Waltz.

Scott Gingold said...

1. Keaton
2. Cumberbatch
3. Redmayne
4. Cooper
5. Carell

Scott Gingold said...

Louis, and everyone, rank and rate the 20 nominees past nominated performances. Here's mine:

Steve Carell
1. Foxcatcher - 3

Bradley Cooper
1. Silver Linings Playbook - 5
2. American Sniper - 4
3. American Hustle - 3.5

Benedict Cumberbatch
1. The Imitation Game - 4.5

Michael Keaton
1. Birdman - 5

Eddie Redmayne
1. The Theory of Everything - 5

Marion Cotillard
1. La Vie en Rose - 5
2. Two Days, One Night - 5

Felicity Jones
1. The Theory of Everything - 4

Julianne Moore
1. The Hours - 5
2. Boogie Nights - 5
3. Still Alice - 5
4. The End of the Affair - 4
5. Far from Heaven - 4

Rosamund Pike
1. Gone Girl - 4.5

Reese Witherspoon
1. Wild - 4.5
2. Walk the Line - 3.5

Robert Duvall
1. The Apostle - 5
2. The Great Santini - 4.5
3. Apocalypse Now - 4
4. The Judge - 4
5. Tender Mercies - 4
6. The Godfather - 3.5
7. A Civil Action - 2

Ethan Hawke
1. Boyhood - 4.5
2. Training Day - 1.5

Edward Norton
1. American History X - 5
2. Primal Fear - 5
3. Birdman - 4.5

Mark Ruffalo
1. Foxcatcher - 4.5
2. The Kids are All Right - 4

J.K. Simmons
1. Whiplash - 4

Patricia Arquette
1. Boyhood - 4

Laura Dern
1. Rambling Rose - 4.5
2. Wild - 4

Keira Knightley
1. The Imitation Game - 4
2. Pride & Prejudice - 3.5

Emma Stone
1. Birdman - 5

Meryl Streep
1. Bridges of Madison County - 5
2. Kramer vs. Kramer - 5
3. Sophie's Choice - 5
4. The Iron Lady - 5
5. Ironweed - 5
6. Doubt - 5
7. French Lieutenant's Woman - 4.5
8. The Deerhunter - 4.5
9. Silkwood - 4
10. August: Osage County - 4
11. A Cry in the Dark - 3.5
12. Postcards from the Edge - 3.5
13. Julie & Julia - 3.5
14. Adaptation - 3
15. One True Thing - 2.5
16. Devil Wears Prada - 2.5
17. Music of the Heart - 2
18. Out of Africa - 2
19. Into the Woods - 2

Scott Gingold said...

Correction: I give Simmons a 5 in Whiplash

Robert MacFarlane said...

Do I have to?

Luke Higham said...

Carell
Foxcatcher - 3.5

Cooper
American Sniper - 4.5 (leaning towards a 5)
Silver Linings Playbook - 4.5
American Hustle - 2

Cumberbatch
The Imitation Game - 4.5 (leaning towards a 5

Keaton
Birdman - 5

Redmayne
The Theory of Everything - 4.5

Cotillard
Two Days, One Night - 5
La Vie En Rose - 5

Jones
Theory of Everything - 4.5

Moore
Boogie Nights - 5
Still Alice - 4.5
Far from Heaven - 4
The Hours - 3.5

Pike
Gone Girl - 4.5

WitherSpoon
Wild - 3
Walk The Line - 2.5

Duvall
Apocalypse Now - 5
Tender Mercies - 5
The Apostle - 4.5
The Great Santini - 4.5
The Judge - 4.5
A Civil Action - 4.5
The Godfather - 4

Hawke
Boyhood - 4.5
Training Day - 4.5

Norton
Primal Fear - 5
Birdman - 4.5
American History X - 4.5

Ruffalo
Foxcatcher - 4.5
The Kids are all right - 2.5

Simmons
Whiplash - 5

Arquette
Boyhood - 2

Dern
Wild - 3.5

Knightley
Pride & Prejudice - 3
The Imitation Game - 3

Stone
Birdman - 4.5

Streep - OVERRATED
Fuck it, I'm not wasting an hour on her. Her best performance was in Silkwood or Sophie's Choice.

GetDonaldSutherlandAnOscar said...

Steve Carell
1. Foxcatcher - 3.5/4

Bradley Cooper
1. Silver Linings Playbook - 4.5
2. American Sniper - 4.5
3. American Hustle - 2.5

Benedict Cumberbatch
1. The Imitation Game - 4/4.5

Michael Keaton
1. Birdman - 5

Eddie Redmayne
1. The Theory of Everything - 5

Marion Cotillard
1. La Vie en Rose - 5
2. Two Days, One Night - 5

Felicity Jones
1. The Theory of Everything - 4.5

Julianne Moore
1. The Hours - 4.5
2. Boogie Nights - 5
3. Still Alice - 5
4. The End of the Affair - 4.5
5. Far from Heaven - 4.5

Rosamund Pike
1. Gone Girl - 4.5

Reese Witherspoon
1. Wild - 4
2. Walk the Line - 3.5

Robert Duvall
1. The Apostle - 5
2. The Great Santini - 4
3. Apocalypse Now - 5
4. The Judge - 4.5
5. Tender Mercies - 5
6. The Godfather - 4
7. A Civil Action - 4.5

Ethan Hawke
1. Boyhood - 5
2. Training Day - 3.5

Edward Norton
1. American History X - 5
2. Primal Fear - 5
3. Birdman - 5

Mark Ruffalo
1. Foxcatcher - 4
2. The Kids are All Right - 3

J.K. Simmons
1. Whiplash - 4.5

Patricia Arquette
1. Boyhood - 3

Laura Dern
1. Rambling Rose - 4
2. Wild - 3.5

Keira Knightley
1. The Imitation Game - 4
2. Pride & Prejudice - 5

Emma Stone
1. Birdman - 5

Meryl Streep
1. Bridges of Madison County - 4
2. Kramer vs. Kramer - 3.5
3. Sophie's Choice - 5
4. The Iron Lady - 4
5. Ironweed - 3
6. Doubt - 3.5
7. French Lieutenant's Woman - 4.5
8. The Deerhunter - 4
9. Silkwood - 4.5
10. August: Osage County - 3.5
11. A Cry in the Dark - 3
12. Postcards from the Edge - 3.5
13. Julie & Julia - 3
14. Adaptation - 4.5
15. One True Thing - 2.5
16. Devil Wears Prada - 3.5
17. Music of the Heart - 3
18. Out of Africa - 3.5
19. Into the Woods - 4.5

GetDonaldSutherlandAnOscar said...

Also, by the way:

1. Keaton
2. Cooper
3. Redmayne
4. Carell
5. Cumberbatch

Kevin said...

@Scott:

What was so bad about Hawke's performance in Training Day that it warrants only a 1.5? I personally thought he gave a very solid and sympathetic lead performance and I will give him a 4.5

1. Keaton
2. Cooper
3. Cumberbatch
4. Redmayne
5. Carell

Luke Higham said...

I'll do the possible alternates as well
Supporting
Fassbender
Shame - 5
12 Years A Slave - 5
Hunger - 5
Frank - 5
Inglourious Basterds - 4.5
Fish Tank - 4.5
Prometheus - 4
Jane Eyre - 4
X-Men First Class - 4
The Counselor - 3.5
X-Men Days of Future Past - 3.5
A Dangerous Method - 3.5
300 - 3
Haywire - 3

Armitage
The Hobbit Battle of The Five Armies - 4.5
Desolation of Smaug - 4
An Unexpected Journey - 4

Kebbell
Dawn of The Planet of The Apes - 4.5
Dead Man's Shoes - 4
The Sorcerer's Apprentice - 2
Wrath of The Titans - 2

Corden
Into The Woods - 4.5
One Chance - 3.5
The History Boys - 3

Gandolfini
The Drop - 4.5
Enough Said - 4.5
Into The Loop - 3.5

Poulter
Joe - 5

Brolin
Inherent Vice - 4.5
No Country for Old Men - 4.5
W. - 4.5
Milk - 4.5
Oldboy - 4
Men in Black 3 - 4
The Goonies - 3

GM said...

1- Keaton
2- Cumberbatch
3- Redmayne
4- Cooper
5- Carrell

Luke Higham said...

Steve Carell
Little Miss Sunshine - 4.5
The 40 Year Old Virgin - 3.5
Anchorman - 3

Benedict Cumberbatch
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - 4
The Fifth Estate - 4
Desolation of Smaug - 3.5
Star Trek Into Darkness - 3.5
12 Years A Slave - 3.5

Michael Keaton
Beetlejuice - 4
The Other Guys - 3.5
Toy Story 3 - 3.5
Batman - 3.5
Batman Returns - 3.5
Jackie Brown - 3

Bradley Cooper
The Place Beyond The Pines - 4
Guardians of The Galaxy - 4
The Hangover - 4
Limitless - 3.5
The A-Team - 3
Wedding Crashers - 3
The Hangover Part II - 2.5
The Hangover Part III - 2

Eddie Redmayne
Les Miserables - 4
Black Death - 3
Elizabeth The Golden Age - 2/2.5
My Week with Marilyn - 2
The Good Shepherd - 1

Luke Higham said...

Duvall
To Kill A Mockingbird - 4/4.5
THX 1138 - 3.5
The Godfather Part II - 3.5
Network - 4/4.5
Falling Down - 4.5
Gods and Generals - 4
Kicking and Screaming - 3
We Own The Night - 4
The Road - 4.5
Get Low - 5

Ethan Hawke
Before Sunrise - 4.5
Before Sunset - 4.5
Before Midnight - 4.5/5
Gattaca - 3.5
Before The Devil Knows Your Dead - 4.5

Ruffalo
Eternal Sunshine - 3
Zodiac - 4
Shutter Island - 3
The Avengers - 3.5

Norton
The People vs Larry Flynt - 4
Fight Club - 4.5
25th Hour - 4
Kingdom Of Heaven (Directors Cut) - 4.5
The Illusionist - 3.5
The Painted Veil - 4
The Incredible Hulk 2.5/3
Moonrise Kingdom - 4
The Grand Budapest Hotel - 3

J.K. Simmons
Spider-Man - 3.5
Spider-Man 2 - 3.5
Spider-Man 3 - 3
Juno - 3
Burn After Reading - 3

Psifonian said...

1. Keaton
2. Cumberbatch
3. Cooper
4. Carell
5. Redmayne (good physicality but an otherwise empty portrayal)

Luke Higham said...

Jake Gyllenhaal
Donnie Darko - 4.5
The Day After Tomorrow - 3
Brokeback Mountain - 4
Jarhead - 4/4.5
Zodiac - 4.5
Brothers - 4
Source Code - 4.5
End Of Watch - 4.5
Prisoners - 5
Enemy - 5
Nightcrawler - 5

Tom Hardy
Star Trek Nemesis - 3
Layer Cake - 3
Bronson - 5
Inception - 4
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - 4.5
Warrior - 4
The Dark Knight Rises - 4
Lawless - 4
Locke - 5

Brendan Gleeson
Braveheart - 4
The General - 4.5
A.I - 3/3.5
28 Days Later - 4.5
Gangs of New York - 4
Co;d Mountain - 3.5
Troy - 3
Six Shooter - 4.5
Kingdom of Heaven Directors Cut - 3.5/4
Goblet of Fire - 4
In Bruges - 5
The Guard - 4.5/5
Edge of Tomorrow - 3.5
Calvary - 5

Philip Seymour Hoffman
Hard Eight - 3
Boogie Nights - 3.5
Happiness - 4
Magnolia - 4
The Talented Mr Ripley - 3.5
Almost Famous - 4
Along Came Polly - 5
Capote - 5
Mission Impossible III - 3.5
Before The Devil Knows Your Dead - 4.5
The Savages - 4
Charlie Wilson's War - 3/3.5
Synecdoche. New York - 4.5
Doubt - 4.5
Moneyball - 3
The Ides of March - 3.5
The Master - 5
Hunger Games Catching Fire - 3
Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 - 3.5
A Most Wanted Man - 5

Guy Pearce
Priscilla - 3/3.5
L.A. Confidential - 5
Ravenous - 4.5
Memento - 5
The Proposition - 4.5
The Road - 3
The King's Speech - 3.5
Animal Kingdom - 4
Prometheus - 2
Lawless - 2.5
Iron Man 3 - 2.5
The Rover - 5

Robert MacFarlane said...

Can you guys please stop the lists? It's becoming tedious now.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Also, am I REALLY the only one who likes Cumberbatch (and that film) less on reflection?

Luke Higham said...

David Oyelowo
The Last King of Scotland - 3
Rise of The Planet of The Apes - 2
Red Tails - 2.5
Lincoln - 2
The Butler - 3
Selma - 5
A Most Violent Year 3.5/4

Joaquin Phoenix
Gladiaor - 3
Quills - 2.5
Signs - 3/3.5
Walk The Line - 3
We Own The Night - 4.5
Two Lovers - 4.5
The Master - 5
Her - 5
Inherent Vice - 5

Matthew McConaughey
Lone Star - 4
A Time To Kill - 4
Contact - 3.5
Amistad - 2.5
Tropic Thunder - 4
The Lincoln Lawyer - 4/4.5
Bernie - 3.5
Killer Joe - 4.5
Mud - 4.5
Magic Mike - 4/4.5
The Paperboy - 3
Dallas Buyers Club - 5
The Wolf of Wall Street - 4.5
Interstellar - 5

Timothy Spall
Secrets & Lies - 5
Hamlet - 3
All or Nothing - 4.5/5
Sweeney Todd - 3
The Damned United - 4
The King's Speech - 1.5
Mr Turner - 5

Ralph Fiennes
Schindler's List - 5
Quiz Show - 4.5
The English Patient - 4
The Prince of Egypt - 3
The Constant Gardener - 4.5
Wallace & Gromit COTWR - 3
In Bruges - 5
The Duchess - 4
The Reader - 3
The Hurt Locker - 3
Skyfall - 3
The Grand Budapest Hotel - 5

Anonymous said...

@kook160: I don't love the film and I like it less than when I first saw it, but Cumberbatch is a strong 5 for me. Devastating performance.
On an unrelated note, GDSAO, we often agree in ratings (just to name two, you're the only one who would give a 4 to NPH in Gone Girl and a 5 to James McAvoy in Atonement), but, really, just a 3 for Meryl in A Cry in The Dark? The film is mediocre but she's amazing, a 5 for me.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I mean, really? Cumberbatch was just so actory in the role. It always felt like I was watching someone put on an act than actually becoming the character.

Luke Higham said...

Nicholas Cage
Raising Arizona - 4
Leaving Las Vegas - 4.5
The Rock - 3
Con Air - 3
Face/Off - 3
Adaptation - 4.5
Matchstick Men - 4
World Trade Center - 3.5
Bad Lieutenant - 5
Kick Ass - 3.5
Joe - 5

Andy Serkis
Two Towers - 4.5
Return Of The King - 4
King Kong 3/3.5
The Prestige - 3
Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll - 4.5
Rise of The Planet of The Apes - 4.5
The Adventures of Tintin - 3.5
An Unexpected Journey - 4
Dawn of The Planet of The Apes - 4.5

Channing Tatum
Magic Mike - 3.5
Jump Streets 1 & 2 - 4
Foxcatcher - 5

Christoph Waltz
Inglourious Basterds - 5
Carnage - 4
Django Unchained - 5
The Zero Theorem - 4.5
Big Eyes - 2.5

KoooK160: You can rest easy now.

JackiBoyz said...

1.Keaton
2.Cooper
3.Redmayne
4.Cumberbatch
5.Carell

Anonymous said...

@luke higham: Can I ask your ratings and thoughts on Nicole Kidman in The Paperboy? I really liked her, she was good in handling the over-the-top, trashy nature of the role as well as her self-disgust as she honestly doesn't think she doesn't deserve anything better than Cusack's character.
@kook160: I can see what you mean as it is definitely a mannered performance, but his mannerisms were very convincing for me and not at all distracting. He was moving and he nailed the brilliance of Alan Turing's genius, while never holding anything back on his sometimes unlikeable behavior.

bondfan said...

1. Keaton
2. Redmayne
3. Cumberbatch
4. Carell
5. Cooper

Luke Higham said...

Ralph Fiennes
Spider - 4.5

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I thought she was fine, although it's been 2 years since I last saw it.

mcofra7 said...

Prediction change
1. Keaton
2. Cooper
3. Redmayne
4. Cumberbatch
5. Carell

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

1) Keaton (my score: 5/5)
2) Cumberbatch (my score:5/5)
3) Redmayne (my score: 4.5/5)
4) Cooper (my score 4.5/5)
5) Carrell (my score3.5/5)

Personally I'm rooting for Cumberbatch (i thought he was excellent and emotionally resonant), but there's no doubt keaton will be the winner for louis and on oscar night.