Your Winners for the 2014 Hollmann Awards!

No boring speeches... No big lead-ins... But still musical numbers! It's the Hollmann Awards!

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Milena Canonero
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Wes Anderson films have always been the reliable source for Costumes with a capital "c" -- the old European hotel setting allows for some old school elegance, even while staying true to the auteur's specific look.

2. Mr. Turner, 3. G.B.F., 4. The Immigrant, 5. Pride

BEST ENSEMBLE

Fiona Weir
Pride

Everyone is given their moment to shine, and there's not a weak link in the bunch -- all 468 actors nail the balance of drama and comedy, and each is recognizably human.

2. Mr. Turner, 3. Gone Girl, 4. Selma, 5. We Are the Best!

One of these winning films won more than two! Which one? Find the answer, and more awards, after the jump!

The Hollmann Awards Nominees!

Ballots for this year's Academy Awards are due, with the nominees to be named this coming Wednesday. Excitement city! Even more exciting: before you hear what those bums think, you get to see the nominees for the 2014 Hollmann Awards!

I happen to think it's been a great year for film -- check out my Top 25 -- yet this was also one of the easiest times I've ever had making a ballot. Both actress categories were no-brainers; ditto for Best Picture. Actor and Director were more challenging -- and that led to some surprises!

As usual, I deliver the nominees to you in the order in which I locked them in -- except for Best Picture, which I've saved for the end. So, shall we get on with it?

After the jump, I mean...

2014 in Longlists

Longtime readers are familiar with my love of the Longlist. It's a simple concept -- every category gets 15 (or fewer) titles being considered, as a lead up to the release of official nominees. A way of narrowing-down, but letting the fans/readers in on how the mind is working.

Years back, BAFTA used to release them -- the last I remember is 2011, when we got to see who all from My Week with Marilyn made the cut -- but they've since abandoned the process (a shame, since I would have loved to have seen who Rene Russo bested to get her Best Supporting Actress nomination). But I like to keep it going. Mostly to hold off any real decision-making.

So here are the finalists in the 18 categories for the Hollmann Awards.

BEST PICTURE

Beyond the Lights

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Homesman

Ida

A Most Violent Year

Pride

Selma

A Walk Among the Tombstones

We Are the Best!

BEST DIRECTOR

Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel 

J.C. Chandor, A Most Violent Year

Damien Chazelle, Whiplash

Ava DuVernay, Selma 

David Fincher, Gone Girl

Scott Frank, A Walk Among the Tombstones 

Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler 

Alain Guiraudie, Stranger by the Lake 

Tommy Lee Jones, The Homesman 

Mike Leigh, Mr. Turner 

Richard Linklater, Boyhood 

Pawel Pawlikowski, Ida 

Gina Prince-Bythewood, Beyond the Lights 

Justin Simien, Dear White People 

Matthew Warchus, Pride

Actress, Song, and...well, the rest, obviously. After the jump.

Top 25 of 2014!

2014 has gone! So what better time to look back on it?

Last year, I labored long and hard over my Top 24, culled from the 91 movies I saw. This year, I did one better: a total of 92. So why not? Let's tick it back up to a full 25. It just feels right.

As usual, everything is ranked from 25 to eleven; my Top Ten is alphabetized, since I like doing my Hollmann Award Nominations all traditional-like. And if you want a complete list of the other 67 films that didn't make it -- check the bottom.

And now that's all done...the Top 25 of 2014!

25. Fury

dir/scr: David Ayer
cin: Roman Vasyanov
A stirring depiction of the horrors of war, exposing not just the brutality done to men in combat -- though that, certainly, is gruesomely on display -- but what is done psychologically. Having the tone and style of the film slowly shift to match the lead's own arc from unwilling participant to "kill 'em all" grunt was effectively executed.

That's just the beginning -- activist, artists, actors, and a whole lot of gays, after the jump!