5 Films That Passed Under The Radar
Because the Oscars aren’t always right
1. Whiplash
Allright, it was nominated for a few Academy Awards. But it didn’t get the success it deserved. If J.K. Simmons terrifying performance was applauded, Miles Teller’s genuine and heart-rending interpretation of an aspiring Jazz drummer should’ve been just as much, but he seemed to pass unnoticed next to Benedict Cumberbatch or Eddie Redmayne in their leading roles. The film isn’t as ambitious as Birdman, or as topical as Selma, but it is a jewel nonetheless. Its well-calculated and suspenseful pacing had us gripping our seats, and our hearts beat as fast as those drumming solos.
2. Snowpiercer
Disguised as a post-apocalyptic “déjà vu” action flick, Snowpiercer hides much more than it lets believe. In a world where humanity boils down to a few people surviving on auto-sufficient train, South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho has created a metaphor for a capitalist society at its breaking point. As a revolution takes form from wagon to wagon, the film teaches us about our world and what’s wrong with it. It is considering this brilliant perspective that Snowpiercer stands out from other catastrophe movies, and perhaps it was simply too well camouflaged behind a Hollywood look to be taken as seriously as it should.
3. Nightcrawler
Except for an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, Nightcrawler didn’t raise as much attention as it should have. Maybe it was the odd, almost creep-like protagonist or the unusual subject of crime TV journalism that failed to engage the general public. For us however, it was exactly this distance created between the peculiar hero and the spectator as well as the curiously appalling yet fascinating subject that made the film the original piece we were waiting for. Nightcrawler intrigues, and the voyeurism atmosphere it conveys builds up a guilty interest for more. We couldn’t turn our eyes away.
4. A Most Violent Year
There are no explosions, nor startling plot-twists. But A Most Violent Year kept us glued to the screen during its entire 125 minutes. The tensed atmosphere was established not only by an extremely well-constructed story, but also by a precise and suspenseful pacing as well as a bold vintage-but-modern aesthetic that transported us right to 80’s New York. And, no surprise here, Jessica Chastain outdid herself, again. She and Oscar Isaac lead the slow-paced yet captivating tale brilliantly. We are still not over the fact the film didn’t make the Oscars.
5. A Place Beyond The Pines
In this visually striking thriller, there is no single hero. The duality between outlaw Ryan Gosling and policeman Bradley Cooper is pushed to its limit : the spectator’s side changes throughout the movie, accomplishment few directors have completed as brilliantly as Derek Cianfrance. This complexe narrative experiment was successfully completed by an on-point cinematography that explores light and color in a artistic yet pertinent way. A Place Beyond the Pines captivates both visually and narratively, and it’s surprising the Academy never noticed. I mean, have you seen Ryan Gosling’s face?