A coworker told me that I should start a blog where I review movies (probably, she was tired of hearing me rave about all the latest movies), so here it is. Let’s see how long I can keep it up before switching between two tumblr accounts becomes too annoying.
An Oscar nominations post seems fitting, I think. I never used to be terribly interested in the Oscars, but it’s only within the past year or two that I’ve actually really gotten into movie watching. So, what I think about the Oscar nominations… or, the ones I care about, anyway.
I can’t say enough about James Franco’s performance in 127 Hours. I was absolutely transfixed. The thing about these movies (the ones with a one-person cast) is that no matter how good the writing is, or the editing, or the score, the success of the movie hinges entirely on the actor. And James Franco nailed it on this one. He carried me along, mesmerized, on his emotional roller coaster. THIS MAY BE A SPOILER FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NOT SEEN THE MOVIE OR, EVEN MORE AMAZINGLY, HEARD THE TRUE STORY. But the part where he is trying to cut the nerve in his arm? It took everything I had to not burst out crying at the expression on his face. Anyway, enough said. Fantastic movie, and James Franco proved himself once again to be an incredibly diverse and talented actor. (Note: I have not seen “Biutiful”)
I’ll admit, I’m a total sucker for Christian Bale. I’m always impressed with his dedication to his career, which is often shown through his arduous gaining and losing of weight. However, I don’t think anyone can deny his presence in The Fighter. He may not have been the main character but he stole the show; his was the story I cared about the most. All I can do is refer to the scene where his lady friend asks, “What is this movie about again?” and the documentary dude says, “It’s about crack addiction.” The subtle but heart-breakingly noticeable change of expression on Christian Bale’s face basically summed up the entire movie. (Note: I have not seen “Winter’s Bone”)
I can’t make a judgment on this one on who I think should win, as I have regrettably only seen Black Swan and The Kids Are All Right. Though Natalie Portman was absolutely enthralling, and I would say she deserves the Oscar, I can’t really be objective. However, I will say that I don’t think Annette Bening deserves the nomination. The movie was good, but if anyone deserves the nod, it’s Julianne Moore. That being said, Annette Bening’s dialogue seemed too stiff and scripted.
(Now here’s where I skip over a bunch of categories that don’t interest me.)
First of all, I can’t even BELIEVE Danny Boyle didn’t receive a nomination for this one. 127 Hours was flawless. That aside, I don’t know much about directing and can’t say from seeing a movie how much influence the directing had. Just wanted to express my outrage.
I’m torn between Black Swan and 127 Hours. I loved the way Black Swan left the viewer just as confused and disoriented as Natalie Portman’s character. I also feel that 127 Hours did much the same thing, and the score, effects, and.. well.. everything, just worked so well together. TIE!
I think Inception has to win just for the “Inception noise.”
As a dedicated Harry Potter fan I think it would be pretty neat to see this film take home an Oscar, but Alice in Wonderland was pretty stunning, visually. Either way I don’t care too much.
AND THE BIG ONE! HERE WE GO!
Ohhh shit, y’all. Here’s where it gets intense. As I mentioned before, I haven’t seen “Winter’s Bone.” I’d also like to mention: what the ffffuuuuu is Toy Story 3 doing here?! I mean, come on, I understand the nostalgia and all, but best picture? Next to some of the best directors OF ALL TIME?! Give me a break. To be perfectly honest I think The Kids Are All Right was given the nomination to acknowledge the Academy’s comfortability with homosexuality. It was a fine movie, I give it that. I was interested and engaged and legitimately interested in the well-being of the characters. However, some of the acting was lacking and Mark Ruffalo… well, he was a bit of a dick and I always find him a bit weird anyway. But, it was refreshing to see a movie about a gay couple that wasn’t some over-the-top fantasy about cowboys. The movie said, “SEE?! We have normal problems like straight people too. We raise healthy children and we have marital troubles and we are just like anyone else.” That, I appreciated. I think Brokeback Mountain was almost a step back but I’m not a part of the LGBT community so I can’t speak with much authority. THAT BEING SAID in a very long-winded manner, I don’t think it deserves any Oscars. Even if Julianne Moore is a total babe. The Coen brothers, and the cast of True Grit, are pretty amazing, but the movie was nothing spectacular. I think I might have to go with The King’s Speech on this one. I’ve said how I feel about the rest of the movies — utterly phenomenal — but The King’s Speech left me with the best taste in my mouth and in the end, that’s what’s most memorable for me. I didn’t have nightmares, I didn’t feel like I wanted to crawl in a hole and erase my memory, and I didn’t have to watch a young man cut his own arm off. I’m sure I’ll change my mind lots before the show but that’s where I stand at the moment.
