Now, you may be wondering why a blog called Catholic Skywalker would choose a Superman statue as it's award, and not something from Star Wars. The reasons are 3-fold:
1. The Catholic Skywalker Awards will cover movies, television, and comic books. Superman is an icon for all three.
2. The pose he has here, revealing his inner hero, is symbolic of the revelation of truth and beauty that we should find in all good art.
3. It's a statue I actually own, so I can use this photo on my blog.
We have actually had a number of very good movies in theaters. When I started doing my movie reviews on this blog, I feared that most of the articles would be me pointing out the flaws I saw. Instead I was delighted to find that most of the movies I went to see kept me entertained and emotionally connected (except for the amazingly dreadful Upstream Color, one of the few movies that I just could not finish, and I finished Holy Motors!).
Regardless, I have gone through as many movies as possible this year. There were several that I missed and so was unable to place. So of the movies I've seen this year, here are the winners:
(My appreciation and judgment of a film should
not be taken as a recommendation. Choosing to watch any of these
films is the reader's responsibility)
BEST
PICTURE
Man
of Steel
I
know this will be a controversial choice, seeing as how critics and
moviegoers are divided on this, but I remain adamant: Man
of Steel
was the best movie of 2013. Reboots and retellings are always
difficult, especially when you have a story that has been told over
and over again in so many different artistic mediums. But director
Zack Snyder and producer Christopher Nolan have made Superman feel
fresh and new again. There have been a lot of complaints about how
angsty this new movie is, devoid of the fun found in Iron
Man
and The
Avengers.
But those are unfair comparisons. Man
of Steel
tries to bring this character of extraordinary power and virtue to a
world that feels as real as possible. Snyder employed the shakey-cam
method (the movie's biggest drawback) and a hard lighting scheme to
make the film feel more grounded in reality than anything else I've
seen Snyder do. The performances are top notch, with Henry Cavill
owning the cape and tights, Amy Adams as the best written and
performed Lois Lane I've seen, a scenery-chewing Zod from Michael
Shannon, and the wearily paternal turn of Kevin Costner as Jonathan
Kent. And the movie soars as a spectacle of action. This is the
Superman movie I've been waiting to see, something that visually
matches my imagination. And thematically, the movie is rich with
imagery and motifs regarding faith, free-will, morality, and the
like. And then the movie has smaller, quieter moments, as when
Jonathan watches his son play in the fields and you get the sense
that all fathers must have: that their child has greatness within
them. And it is in those moments that the movie truly touches the
heart.
RUNNERS
UP
Gravity
– Unlike
any film I have seen. Astonishing in its visuals.
World
War Z – I
was as surprised as anyone with how smart, scary, and cool this film
was.
The
Wolverine – The
best movie for this character yet. A grim, but well constructed
action film
The
Way, Way Back – a
small movie with a big heart that is honest in showing the pain of
growing up surrounded but alone.
BEST
DIRECTOR
Alfonso
Cuaron
– Gravity
There
is one reason why this spot did not go to Zack Snyder, and that is
because Alfonso Cuaron made a visual experience like none other in
Gravity.
I was mesmerized by the cinematography that had to be developed over
several years. He makes space feel at once claustrophobic and an
infinite nightmare abyss. All of this he does while gliding his
camera with seemingly little effort to capture the action and the
character. The visuals truly are beautiful and scary. And he uses
the edits so effectively that his long takes feel like plunging
underwater and holding your breath. But his film grabs you for its
brief 90 minutes until its final, powerful last image that stays with
you long after the movie is over.
RUNNERS
UP
Zack
Snyder
– Man of Steel
Ben
Stiller
– The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
David
O. Russell
– American Hustle
Peter
Jackson – The
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
BEST
ACTOR
Christian
Bale – American
Hustle
This
character is a far cry from his Academy Award winning turn as a crack
addict in The
Fighter.
Bale is at his best here as Rosenfeld. He completely takes on the
persona of a low-rent con man, with all of the tacky trappings. He
is overweight and balding and looks like a low-life if ever there was
one. If that had been all to his performance, that wouldn't be
much. But Bale takes us past that exterior as Rosenfeld sinks
into the quicksand around him. You can see his desperation as
he starts running out of choices and all the ones he has left are
bad. In the second half of the movie, he really grabs you
through his eyes with every meaningful, potent glance.
RUNNERS
UP
Hugh
Jackman
– The Wolverine
Martin
Freeman – The
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Joseph
Gordon-Leavitt – Don
Jon
Robert
Downey Jr. - Iron
Man 3
BEST
ACTRESS
Sandra
Bullock – Gravity
Watching
the first half of Gravity,
I paid more attention to the daring visuals than to the performances.
And in that first half, lead actress Sandra Bullock's performance
was acceptable and fine, but nothing to write home about. But
about halfway through, she focuses her talent and her skill to give
one of the most viscerally emotional performances I have seen on
screen. It is, without a doubt, the best performance of her
career. Her emotion, especially her fear, is palpable. But when this
gives way to the aching sadness in her heart, we feel a depth deeper
than the cold space that surrounds her. Towards the end, she makes
an emotional appeal for someone to pray for her soul and a somber
statement that no one ever taught her how to do it. In those moments
she holds the mirror up to our nature and shows our true helplessness
without the Divine. I was so deeply moved, which is why she earned
this spot.
RUNNERS
UP
Amy
Adams
– Man of Steel
Amy
Acker – Much
Ado About Nothing
Jennifer
Lawrence – The
Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Shailiene
Woodly – The
Spectacular Now
BEST
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sam
Rockwell
– The Way, Way Back
The
Way, Way Back
is the story about a very young teen trying to survive a blended
family drama. But Sam Rockwell owns this movie. His character Owen
charms his way into your graces from his first moments on screen, so
that you are as gravitationally drawn to him. Rather than simply
covering himself up with layers of cool, Rockwell shows you with his
performance that he obviously cares deeply about others, though he
covers it with aloof humor. This is the most charismatic I have
ever seen Rockwell, who embodies the kind of cool mentor/friend that
we all wish we had when we were young. And Rockwell does not play
him as a man with all of the answers, but simply as someone who
believes that if you really care, your instincts can't be too far
off.
RUNNERS
UP
Bradley
Cooper
– American Hustle
Jeremy
Renner
– American Hustle
Kevin
Costner – Man
of Steel
Michael
Shannon – Man
of Steel
BEST
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy
Adams – American Hustle
I've
said already that Amy Adams is the best onscreen Lois Lane I've seen
in this year's Man
of Steel.
But it is her performance in American
Hustle
that gets the Best Supporting Actress award. Amy Adams is fantastic
as a smart woman who gets trapped in her own lies. As I noted in my
review, her Sydney takes on a British persona "Lady Edith
Greensley," and she slips in and out of her accent throughout
the film. At first I thought this was a flub, but then I
realized what Adams was doing. Her character can no longer tell
what thoughts of hers are real and what are the fictions she's
invented. She begins to lose track of who she was. As her
relationship strains with her partner and lover, her mutual
attraction with the domineering FBI Agent DiMasso grows, but you can
never tell if is real or a hustle. And the brilliance of the
performance is that Adams shows you that Sydney can't tell either.
RUNENRS
UP
Jennifer
Lawrence –
American Hustle
Julianne
Moore –
Don Jon
Jenna
Malone – The
Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Rila
Fukushima – The
Wolverine
BEST
SCREENPLAY
Nat
Faxon and Jim Rash – The
Way, Way Back
Oscar
winners Nat Faxon and Jim Rash have written a script that feels
alive and honest. How many of us as teens felt so alienated from
everyone except our closest friends? Duncan cries to Owen about
the water park "This is the only place I'm happy." The
script captures that innate human desire to know and be known. And
it shows the dangers of parents abdicating their roles as the adults
and acting like adolescents. One of the most touching moments for me
was when Duncan's mom finally begins to understand her son's life
outside of the house, which she has completely missed because of her
selfish hedonism. The dialogue is poignant and witty, often at the
same time, without ever feeling heavy-handed or preachy.
RUNENRS
UP
Eric
Singer and David O. Russell
– American Hustle
Alfonso
and Jonas Cuaron - Gravity
David
S. Goyer – Man
of Steel
BEST
MAKEUP
The
Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug
WETA
once again demonstrates why they are the master of make-up effects,
filling their world with enhancements that are both fantastic and
subtle.
RUNNERS-UP
World
War Z
Thor:
The Dark World
Star
Trek Into Darkness
BEST
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Man
of Steel
As
I wrote above, the movie uses every special effects trick available
to bring to life the fully imagined power of Superman
RUNNERS-UP
The
Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug
World
War Z
Thor:
The Dark World
Star
Trek Into Darkness
BEST
SCORE
Hans
Zimmer – Man
of Steel
He
had the unenviable task of competing with the irreplaceable John
Williams' score. But Zimmer filled his work with swelling, mythic
heroism and delicate, heartbreaking melody.
RUNNERS-UP
Howard
Shore – The
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Steven
Price – Gravity
Joss
Whedon – Much
Ado About Nothing
Michael
Gianchinno – Star
Trek Into Darkness
BEST
SONG
“I
See the Fire” - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
A
stirring guitar ballad about loss, death, and the friendships that
can endure those things.
RUNNERS-UP
"Dirty
Paws" – The
Secret Life of Walter Mitty
“Silhouettes”
- The
Hunger Games: Catching Fire
BEST
COSTUMES
The
Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug
Not
only are the costumes beautiful, but they feel as if they belong in
that world. In other words, it never feels like the characters are
wearing “costumes”, but are wearing the clothes of a bygone
culture
RUNNERS-UP
Man
of Steel
Thor:
The Dark World
The
Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Below
are the list of all the films of 2013 that I have seen, ranked in
order of excellence:
And now we here at Catholic Skywalker would like to celebrate the best in Television this year.
There are a lot of wonderful programs out there that, unfortunately, time has not permitted me to see (I only caught up the Breaking Bad this year).
There are a lot of wonderful programs out there that, unfortunately, time has not permitted me to see (I only caught up the Breaking Bad this year).
Shows
we watch:
| COMEDY | DRAMA | REALITY |
Simpsons
How
I Met Your Mother
New
Girl
The
Middle
Community
Parks
and Recreation
The
Big Bang Theory
The
Office
The
Soup
SNL
Raising
Hope
Brooklyn
99
|
Walking
Dead
Castle
Game
of Thrones
Arrow
Revenge
Agents
of SHIELD
Downton
Abbey
Elementary
Breaking
Bad
|
Amazing
Race
Survivor
|
Best
Drama:
Breaking
Bad
I
was a late convert to this show, so this summer was spent catching up
on the entire series before the finale. And I have to say that the
accolades thrown onto this series were not hyperbolic. Breaking Bad
is bold and fresh and violent and funny and scary and tragic all at
the same time. This past season was fantastic as it built everything
to its final, inevitable conclusion. And yet even in the end, when I
thought I had everything figured out, the show still surprised me,
particularly Walt's final confrontation with his business partners.
The direction of the show was absolutely gorgeous while drawing you
deeper into Walter's world. What was great about the show was that
it had a clear moral line, even when its hero broke it. You could
follow the through-line from Walt's sins to his suffering like an
arrow. And the finale was what a finale should be: satisfying with
closure and definitive in its finality. If you missed this show,
watch the entire thing now.
Runners-up
-Castle
-Elementary
-The
Walking Dead
Best
Comedy
The
Big Bang Theory
When
I was convalescing after some surgeries this year, the one show that
was my biggest comfort TV viewing was The
Big Bang Theory.
I've talked to some people who like the earlier episodes which were
much more science-nerdy. However, I prefer this later development
with bringing in two more female leads in Bernadette and Amy. It
rounds out the show better and creates more balance in tone and
humor. One of the things that makes this show stand out from all
other Chuck Lorre productions is that the characters are actually
growing and changing. There is a big beating heart under all the the
geeky-crude humor. Now that we are in the 7th
season, the show doesn't feel like it is slowing down. Instead, it
feels like it is just hitting its stride. This is a sitcom that can
still be mined for comedy gold after repeated viewings. And for that
reason, it is the Comedy of the Year.
Runners-up
Parks
and Recreation
Community
The
Office
Best
Actor in a Drama
Bryan
Cranston – Breaking
Bad
I
don't know what more I can add to the accolades that Bryan Cranston
has already earned for his Walter White. He has created one of the
most compelling characters ever seen on television. His work on the
show is masterful. One moment, his is the most pitiable, puny man in
existence and the next he is a steely-eyed mastermind. And this
transition never feels forced or false. Every action is potent with
believability. And through it all, even at his worst, Cranston
infuses Walter with enough pathos that you yearn if not for his
success then at least his salvation. I don't think I've ever seen
anything quite like what Bryan Cranston has done, in all my years of
television watching. I don't think I will again.
Runners-up
Nathan
Fillion – Castle
Johnny
Lee Miller - Elementary
Andrew
Lincoln - The
Walking Dead
Best
Actress in a Drama
Anna
Gunn – Breaking Bad
While
I can't say that I was a fan of her cloying and selfish character,
Gunn did a tremendous job of showing the strain of her relationship
to mastermind Walter White. Her Skyler White wanted to be a smarter,
less violent Lady Macbeth, but she also is left to wrestle with the
damned spot of her sin. She knows that she bought into Walter's
world and that the reckoning is upon her. Gunn mixes guilt with fear
and anger not only at Walt, but especially at herself.
Runners-up
Stana
Katic – Castle
Emily
Van Camp – Revenge
Lucy
Liu - Elementary
Best
Supporting Actor, Drama
Scott
Wilson – The Walking Dead
Playing
virtuous is much more difficult than playing wicked. Not only does
playing evil allow for a lot more scenery-chewing, but it is much
more difficult to put your thoughts and actions into the kind of
person who is better than you actually are. Most of the time,
someone of heroic virtue comes off as bland or unreal. That is why
Scott Wilson's Herschel is so good. Herschel is a man who is trying
to be a saint in a world without rules. Wilson lets the strain of
that show on every inch of his wrinkled face. And he carries that
burden in his voice, a voice dripping with aged wisdom and
compassion. His speech about making a choice about risking your life
was one of the best moments ever on The
Walking Dead.
The entire episode focused on Herschel not giving up on people. I
found Scott's portrayal inspiring and moving and worthy of praise.
Runners-up
Peter
Dinklage – Game
of Thrones
Aaron
Paul – Breaking
Bad
Dean
Norris – Breaking
Bad
Manu
Bennet - Arrow
Best
Supporting Actress, Drama
Emily
Bett Rickards
– Arrow
Emily
Bett Rickards's Felicity Smoak is arguably the best thing on an
already terrific show. What makes her performance so good is that
she grounds it in the psychology of the audience. The writers have
her ask the obvious questions that we in the audience would ask (“If
it's an energy drink, why is it in a syringe?”) but she does it in
a way that taps into our collective feeling. She is our mouthpiece
for the show and she brings some much needed humor to the dark doings
in Starling City. Rickards knows when to play for laughs, but when
she is in a scary situation, her fear is palpable and real. Outside
of the lead, she may be the most important person to the success of
Arrow.
Runners-up
Laurie
Holden – The
Walking Dead
Lauren
Cohan- The
Walking Dead
Lena
Heady – The
Game of Thrones
Danai
Gurira
– The
Walking Dead
Best
Actor, Comedy
Jim
Parsons – The
Big Bang Theory
He
has already won a few Emmys and other awards, so why not spread the
wealth? Because Parsons' Sheldon Cooper is as funny as he is
infuriating. Guest star Bob Newhart's “Professor Proton” asked
the obvious question to Leonard: “Why are you friends with him?”
This is a question that could be posed to the audience. Sheldon is
self-centered, elitist, and judgy. Yet we have a deep and abiding
affection for him. I think it is because Parsons not only milks the
laughs with amazing skill, but he gives Sheldon a child-like quality.
Sheldon is an innocent child who throws tantrums. And just as you
show patience to a child who doesn't know any better, Sheldon gets
the same accommodation while you laugh along the way.
Runners-up
Rain
Wilson – The
Office
John
Krasinski – The
Office
Garret
Dilahunt – Raising
Hope
Joel
McHale - Community
Best
Actress, Comedy
Amy
Poehler – Parks
and Recreation
Once
again Amy Poehler takes the best actress spot. There are a lot of
good women comedians out there, but Poehler is the funniest one
working in television today. Her Leslie Knope is full of an insane
amount of energy at which you work hard just to keep up. And it is
very difficult to play someone fully sincere while at the same time
not making them stupid. While Poehler's Knope is smart, she wears
her heart on her sleeve. She gives herself over to any emotion she
feels, like Homer Simpson if he were oriented towards
public-spiritedness. What's great is watching Leslie try to overcome
things that she can't. After she has a mini-breakdown from lack of
sleep because of her heated campaign for city council, I dare you not
to laugh.
Runners-up
Zooey
DeChannel – New
Girl
Kaley
Cuoco – The
Big Bang Theory
Patricia
Heaton – The
Middle
Best
Supporting Actor, Comedy
Simon
Helberg – The
Big Bang Theory
Howard
Wolowitz was my least favorite character on The
Big Bang Theory
for a long time. He was a lothario with no game. But over the years
Helberg not only gave him a lot of charisma, but he also brought up a
ton of laughs. Helberg probably has the best zinger-delivery on the
show. And he can actually act. Watch the episode about his father's
letter or when he sings about Bernadette and you can see the big,
beating heart covered under layers of self-loathing. Helberg has run
the slow game of making Howard lovable.
Runners-up
Neil
Patrick Harris– How
I Met Your Mother
Donald
Glover – Community
Nick
Offerman – Parks
and Recreation
Best
Supporting Actress, Comedy
Martha
Plimpton – Raising
Hope
For
years, Plimpton has been playing the foolish-yet-wise matriarch of
the Chance family. And she has always matched the wacky, warm tone
of this crazy show. Her Virginia is alternately venal and virtuous.
She is a woman who tries to do the right thing (but only after trying
out a lot of bad things). Unlike her husband Burt, Virginia
constantly tries to act and appear smarter than she is. I love how
she thinks she can be a lawyer because she's watched a lot of Law
and Order.
Plimpton doesn't hold Virginia up for ridicule. We laugh more with
her than at her, because she taps into our own unspoken assumptions
about life that we get from pop culture. Her timing with jokes and
sight gags is fantastic and she helps bring the laughs to this little
gem of a show.
Runners-up
Aubrey
Plaza – Parks
and Recreation
Yvette
Nicole Brown – Community
Alison
Brie – Community
Mayim
Bialik – The
Big Bang Theory
The Catholic Skywalker Awards for Comic Books will be posted this Wednesday.