Rilee and I have had a goal to see all the movies nominated for Best Picture this year. We are still missing a few, but with the Oscars coming up we thought we would write a little review of the ones we have actually seen.
The Artist: We both loved this show. It was such a unique, incredible movie watching experience. Luckily we were able to see it on the big screen at the Broadway. I think that the perfect way to see this movie would be to go to an older theatre with lots of charm and get a thing of popcorn and sit back and enjoy. The Artist feels like a refreshing retelling of Singing in the Rain, with more subtleties and, because of the era we live in now, more between-the-lines commentary on the state of modern cinema that has become bogged down with 3D visual fluff and no story.
Prediction: This will win the Oscar for best picture, and Jean Dujardin has my vote for Best Actor.
Stars: Rilee gives it 5 and I give it 4.8
Rating: Suitable for the whole family. Nothing anywhere near offensive.
Midnight in Paris: Rilee and I both changed our minds at the last minute, and put this above The Descendants on our list of favorites. The writing of the historical figures put this movie over the top for me. So good. The Hemingway character was brilliantly written. Overall, this movie is very charming, well written, and well acted. It made me excited to go to Paris and Rilee even more excited than she already was. Don't let the fact that Woody Allen directed this movie effect your decision to see this show (whether you like him or hate him). Of all his movies that I have seen, this one was less about Allen and more about the story.
Prediction: Though we loved this movie, we both felt it was the least "Oscar-esque" of all the ones we saw.
Stars: Rilee gave it 4.5 and I gave it 4.7.
Rating: Nothing offensive in this one, though those not interested or acquainted with literature may find it boring.
The Descendants: The Descendants is an emotional journey of a father and his two daughters trying to make sense of their life in the midst of a family tragedy. Though that sounds heavy, it is able to balance itself with timely humor. I loved the issues brought up in the movie, how it portrays the real emotions of family members dealing with the unexpected exit of a flawed love one and their own failings, riding the waves of grief, hurt, love and even hatred, and eventually reinforcing the bonds with the people still in their lives. The back drop of Hawaii and localized issues is a great added bonus.
Prediction: This could win, but we think George Clooney has a better shot at winning Best Actor than the movie has to win Best Picture.
Stars: Rilee gave it 4.5 and I gave it 4.6
Rating: Strong Language. They use the "F" word some, if you can find it with the swears edited via Clearplay or something, its worth watching.
The Tree of Life: This movie was the hardest for us to rate. It defies categorical placement and is not at all easy to recommend to friends since everyone has such a different personal interpretation of it. If we were going purely on artistry and experience, it would have to be on top of the list. Personally, I enjoy plot driven movies better than experimental, and that is the only reason all the others are above it on this list. I walked away thinking about this movie more than any I have seen in a long time, and like a TS Eliot poem you get more meaning out of it the more time you spend with it. The comparisons to an Eliot poem are plentiful, actually. The Tree of Life is a blend of breath-taking imagery with dialogue and non-sequential storyline interspersed. You jump from a micro view of a family's past to the macro view of creation to the present day in a heartbeat, with the whole kaleidoscope of sounds, colors, images, storyline, and feeling coming together to create something beautiful yet unexplainable. I walked away from the movie feeling like I had just had a very spiritual experience, one that conventional movies can rarely deliver.
Prediction: After The Artist, this movie has the best shot of winning Best Picture.
Stars: Rilee-5, Tommy-4.75
Rating: Everyone
The Help: OK, there are a lot things good about The Help, and we really did overall enjoy it, but when it was all said and done, our reaction was just, "Meh." The biggest knock against it for us was that it tried too hard. You know they are trying to make you cry the whole time. You feel emotional, no doubt, but you feel the movie wanting you to feel emotional more, if that makes any sense. Another thing we had against the show was that it missed a lot of potentially powerful moments and character developments. You never really see Skeeter recognize her own prejudices and come to terms with her own upbringing, and the tension and struggle of her being accepted into the black community is downplayed. The acting is pretty great, though, and you really do love the characters you are supposed to love and hate the ones you should hate. If you haven't heard of Jessica Chastain, this is another one of her four standout performances this year.
Predictions: Long shot to win Best Picture, though the subject matter and acting helps its chances. Chastain has an opportunity to win Best Supporting Actress.
Stars: Rille- 3, Tommy- 3.7
Rating: Probably not for young kids.
Haven't seen yet: Hugo, Moneyball, Warhorse, and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
2 comments:
i rate your ratings a+++!! no but really excellent post. im sad to say ive only seen one on the list (midnight in paris), time to get cracking! the artist just showed up in theaters here, well have to go this week.
Great reviews. I didn't know what to think about "The Descendants"which I haven't seen yet. Some movies get so much hype. Now I want to see it. Hugo is uneven. The casting is wonderful and the tribute to Melie is important. My friend, Khali, said she thought it was heartless. I got tired of the child being in trouble all the time.
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