The 2013 Indiana Film Journalists Awards

The critics' group I belong to has released our annual year-end awards.  I've included the release in its entirety below, but I wanted to weigh in on some of the selections up here first.

12 Years a Slave won Best Picture, and I am completely okay with that selection.  I thought 12 Years was one of the most effective films of the year (I gave it a Vader), and it was #2 on my ballot.  My #1 was Mud, a film I consider a new American classic.  I was glad to see Mud made it on the top ten list.  My #3 was Dallas Buyers Club, a film that did not make the top ten, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I have yet to write a review for that film (I'll get to it soon), but trust me, it'll be a glowing one. 

As far as the rest of the top ten, I don't have any issues.  There are some on there that I didn't like as much as the rest of the group, but there is not a single film on that list that I think is a "bad" movie.  And I was very happy to see that I'm not the only one who enjoyed Prisoners.  That's a film that I feel is getting less and less attention as the year ends, though it deserves more and more.

Chiwetel Ejiofor won Best Actor, and that's another choice I can easily support.  Once again, Ejiofor was my #2 selection, with Matthew McConaughey as my #1 choice (he was runner-up).  So many good performances this year, and I think we got the top two right.

As for Best Actress, we went with Adele Exarchopoulos from Blue Is the Warmest Color.  This, along with our Supporting Actor award, will turn the most heads.  I have to be honest, I abstained from this and the Best Foreign Film category because I did not get around to seeing Blue, but I am proud of our group for making a unique selection.  And I look forward to watching the film so I can latch onto the group and take credit for making the selection as well.

The Best Supporting Actor award is another one I am proud of (and I had a slight hand in this one!).  Barkhad Abdi, the first-time actor who portrayed a Somali pirate in Captain Phillips, won top honors for a performance that could have easily been one note, but ended up being the most compelling actor in the film.  (No offense to Tom Hanks, who was also very good in the film.)  Abdi was actually my third choice (I did say a "slight" hand in the decision), with Michael Fassbender at #1 and Jared Leto at #2.  I doubt that Fassbender gets much recognition in this crowded category this year, but his performance really put 12 Years a Slave over the top for me.  As for Leto, I think we'll be seeing his name more than Abdi's as more awards roll out.  I'm fine with that, as his performance was great.  

The Best Supporting Actress category went to Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle.  I was more interested in the the runner up, June Squibb in Nebraska.  She had some great moments that stole the show in the second half of that sad, but funny film.  And that's saying something as Bruce Dern and Will Forte did a fine job in that movie.

That's about all I have to say about the awards this year.  Once again, hats off to the IFJA for making some good, interesting choices.  I'm just glad to be a part of it, hopefully doing more harm than good to each category.  Anyway, here is the write-up and full list of the 2013 Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards.

"12 Years a Slave" wins top honors from Indiana film critics

 

The Indiana Film Journalists Association, an organization of writers dedicated to promoting quality film criticism in the Hoosier State, is proud to announce its annual film awards for 2013.

 

"12 Years a Slave" won top honors, taking the prize for Best Film and earning a total of four awards. Chiwetel Ejiofor won for Best Actor, Steve McQueen won in the Best Director category and Hans Zimmer took the prize for Best Musical Score.

 

"Her," which was the runner-up for Best Film, made a strong showing with Spike Jonze earning the award for Best Original Screenplay. It also won the Original Vision Award, which recognizes a film that is especially innovative or groundbreaking. Eight other movies were named Finalists for Best Film.

 

Adele Exarchopoulos took Best Actress honors for "Blue is the Warmest Color," which also was awarded the prize for Best Foreign Language Film. Jennifer Lawrence earned the Best Supporting Actress award for "American Hustle," while Best Supporting Actor went to Barkhad Abdi for his work in "Captain Phillips."

 

"Frozen" won Best Animated Feature, and "The Act of Killing" took Best Documentary. In their third cinematic go-round together, Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy won the Best Adapted Screenplay prize for "Before Midnight."

 

The Hoosier Award, which recognizes a significant cinematic contribution by a person or persons with roots in Indiana, or a film that depicts Hoosier State locales and stories, went to "Medora," a documentary film directed by Andrew Cohn and Davy Rothbart.

 

IFJA members issued this statement with regard to the Hoosier Award: "In chronicling the plight of a hapless high school basketball team from a tiny, economically depressed Indiana town, Cohn and Rothbart managed to tap into the way Hoosiers are transfixed by their hoops obsession, as well as explore the harsh choices Indiana teenagers often face. In many ways, the film stands as stark counterpoint to the seminal "Hoop Dreams." These players aren't vying for a spot in the NBA, but to win a single game and lay claim to their dignity, both on and off the court. It is a quintessentially Hoosier story told with craftsmanship, unique insight and uncommon grace."

 

The following is a complete list of honored films:

 

Best Film

Winner: "12 Years a Slave"

Runner-Up: "Her"

Other Finalists (listed alphabetically):

"All Is Lost"

"Before Midnight"

"Captain Phillips"

"Frances Ha"

"Mud"

"Prisoners"

"Spring Breakers"

"The Wolf of Wall Street"

 

Best Animated Feature

Winner: "Frozen"

Runner-Up: "The Wind Rises"

 

Best Foreign Language Film

Winner: "Blue is the Warmest Color"

Runner-Up: "The Grandmaster"

 

Best Documentary

Winner: "The Act of Killing"

Runner-Up: "Stories We Tell"

 

Best Original Screenplay

Winner: Spike Jonze, "Her"

Runner-Up: Peter Morgan, "Rush"

 

Best Adapted Screenplay

Winner: Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, "Before Midnight"

Runner-Up: John Ridley, "12 Years a Slave"

 

Best Director

Winner: Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave"

Runner-Up: Spike Jonze, "Her"

 

Best Actress

Winner: Adele Exarchopoulos, "Blue is the Warmest Color"

Runner-Up: Brie Larson, "Short Term 12"

 

Best Supporting Actress

Winner: Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle"

Runner-Up: June Squibb, "Nebraska"

 

Best Actor

Winner: Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years a Slave"

Runner-Up: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club"

 

Best Supporting Actor

Winner: Barkhad Abdi, "Captain Phillips"

Runner-Up: Jeremy Renner, "American Hustle"

 

Best Musical Score

Winner: Hans Zimmer, "12 Years a Slave"

Runner-Up: Hans Zimmer, "Rush"

 

Original Vision Award

Winner: "Her"

Runner-Up: "Gravity"

 

The Hoosier Award

"Medora," Andrew Cohn and Davy Rothbart, directors

(As a special award, no runner-up is declared in this category.)

 

About IFJA: The Indiana Film Journalists Association was established in February 2009. Members must reside in the Hoosier State and produce consistent, quality film criticism or commentary in any medium.

 

http://indianafilmjournalists.com

"Mud" Is a Truly Great American Film

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, starring Tye Sheridan, Matthew McConaughey, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, Joe Don Baker, Sam Shepard, and Michael Shannon - Rated PG-13



 

Even Vader had to deal with heartbreak...

Writer/director Jeff Nichols makes real movies.  After his impressive debut, Shotgun Stories, he ventured into different territory with Take Shelter.  Now, with Mud, Nichols has made another entertaining, thought-provoking film that feels like real American cinema. 

Being from the Midwest, I am forced to be defensive every now and then as this part of the country is the butt of many jokes.  For some people (key word: “some”), the Midwest and the South are home to a group of moronic racists who are all on the verge of doing violence to city folk.  That may seem like an extreme version of an American stereotype, but if you watch enough television and film featuring characters from the middle and the bottom of this country, you see that a lot of people find this area to be filled with terrifying people.  Thankfully, Jeff Nichols is around to combat that.

Nichols makes films that take place in Arkansas, but they feel like they could potentially take place in any small town in the Midwest or South.  Mud is more of a river film than an Arkansas film.  There have been many comparisons to Mark Twain’s stories of the Mississippi and that makes sense, especially because of the young protagonists.  I was more interested in the location and theme of the film than the Twain influence, if for no other reason than I am not that well read when it comes to Twain. 



Location aside, Mud is one of the best films I’ve seen this year for many reasons, chief among them is the theme concerning the disillusionment that comes with young love.  Mud may be titled after Matthew McConaughey’s character, but the real protagonist is Ellis, played by Tye Sheridan (The Tree of Life).  Ellis is a 14-year-old who lives for the river.  His family literally lives on the river and makes their living off it, as well.  Ellis and his friend Neckbone (Nichols definitely has a gift for picking unique, simple names for his characters) spend every moment they can on the river, which is what leads them to Mud.  The boys find a boat stuck in a tree due to a recent flood.  As they are making their claim on it they discover that Mud has been living in it while on the run from assorted people.  Mud is hiding out while he waits to be reunited with the love of his life, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon).  The boys, Ellis in particular, decide to help Mud.

The motivation of Ellis to help a possibly dangerous man is what makes this film interesting.  He doesn’t help him because it’s McConaughey, and he’s so charismatic.  It’s because Mud is in love, and Ellis believes that love conquers all.  Ellis believes that he is falling in love, as well, after going on a date with a local popular girl.  His reality, and life on the river, is also dependant on the fact that his parents (the always great Ray McKinnon and Sarah Paulson) are in love and together.  When his own love starts to falter and his parents mention divorce, it becomes vital to him to help Mud reunite with Juniper.  Mud is his last hope that true love exists and makes everything okay.

Sheridan is the true star of this film, and not just because he’s a young actor who is not annoying.  He is completely believable as Ellis.  You can see the heartbreak in his eyes when things start to go badly.  Mud hinges on Sheridan’s performance and is a stronger film because of how impressive it is.  But he still isn’t the title character.

Which brings me to Mud himself.  McConaughey has been receiving a lot of praise for this movie, and rightfully so.  His natural charm comes through easily in the character, which makes you want everything to work out for him.  I don’t know that it’s his best performance, but it is certainly up there.  And, of course, it’s light years above those one-note characters that plagued his career for a decade or so.  Mud is probably the best example so far that McConaughey has returned to proper acting.

The rest of the cast is great, too.  Reese Witherspoon is fine as Juniper, even if the character is a little on the damsel-in-distress side.  Sam Shepard has some nice scenes as a mysterious, grizzled neighbor.  Joe Don Baker proves he’s still a commanding presence, even in a short role.  Michael Shannon is always a great addition to the cast, though his character is more of an oddity than anything else, what with his homemade scuba gear.  And Jacob Lofland makes Neckbone the funniest character in the film.  His inflections of the expletive “shit” are almost poetic.

Neckbone is not the only aspect of the film that is humorous.  In general, this is a fun film to watch.  While the themes of lost love within a small community might sound like miserable, pretentious, indie crap, it actually makes for a good time at the movies.  There’s even a bit of action scattered throughout the film, as well.  Honestly, for lack of a better term, Mud is feel-good movie.  That actually might bother some people who need their great films to be filled with grit and misery.  But the positive edge of Mud is not just there to please the audiences; it’s there because the story and theme require it.  (I’ll explain more in the spoilers section.)

There are multiple reasons to check out Mud: the reality of it, the performances, the themes, etc.  The important thing is that you watch it.  This is a unique and entertaining film, and it deserves a bigger audience than it has received so far.  If it doesn’t come to a theater near you, keep an eye out for it on video, at least.

Random Thoughts (SPOILERS)

Okay, ending first.  Normally, the overly happy ending would bother me.  Mud should probably be dead.  Some people are so unwilling to buy the happy ending that they take the meaning of the ending to be Mud in the afterlife.  But that doesn't work because Sam Shephard (who wasn't shot) is with him, and he's all bandaged up.  Do you really need stitches and gauze in heaven?  Anyway, I'm okay with the ending because Mud was not just a character in the film.  He represented Ellis's hope for true love.  If Mud dies, then that means Ellis will never be able to love anyone for the rest of his life just because his parents got divorced and some stuck-up rich girl made fun of him.  Hardly excuse for a life of solitude.  So with Mud surviving, it shows that Ellis's hope for true love took a bit of a beating, but it's still alive.  This would also explain the little wave he gets from the girl near the end.  So a good film doesn't require a negative, even realistic, ending if it sacrifices the entire point of the film.

I haven't really come across it anywhere, but I imagine some might want to compare this film to Beast of the Southern Wild.  I only want to point it out because I didn't care for that movie nearly as much as most people because I found it a bit pretentious, and the magical element seemed unnecessary.  Mud, on the other hand, doesn't need a giant animal trudging through the river or anything like that.  The boys don't need to go running around with sparklers and crap.  It's a real movie, and that's why it's better.  Also, Neckbone is a much better name than Hushpuppy.

I almost held off giving this movie a Vader because of McConaughey's shirt.  I loved that they made a point about him never taking the shirt off...only to have him take it off anyway.  To be fair, he only took it off when he seemed to have lost hope.

I was not expecting to give this film a Vader, but I honestly cannot think of any problems with it.  It just worked for me on every level.