ALONG COMES MARY

I admit, most years I do not pay too much attention to The Oscars. While I am a huge movie person & have seen loads of the award-winning films from years past, I do not think I have ever made an effort to see each of the ones up for best. But, enter my main squeeze, Michael 😉 He takes it pretty seriously & we are trying to catch each of the 2013 films before Oscar night. We have seen 5 thus far.

I thought it would be cool to give a quick re-cap of these films & my opinion….I will say, it will be nice to write out my thoughts…as the post-chats with Mike can be pretty heated as we seem to have different views!

The Wolf of Wall Street

The latest from Martin Scorsese follows a young, naïve, wanna-be business man as he rises to the top of his game in the stock markets…so high, that the fall-downs are beyond brutal. Leonardo DiCaprio, as always, is brilliant. Watching him portray a young man simply trying to make a good income for his family when he starts out in the 1980s hit such lows as he gets too far in his game, is both entertaining & devastating. One of the drawbacks for this one, though, is the script. The entire cast is fantastic, but at times, the dialogue was just not there.  I also feel it could have been edited a bit more; some scenes did drag a bit, making an already lengthy film feel even more so.

Her

Spike Jonze is certainly a modern genius in the land of movies. Her was no exception. Following a lonely Joaquin Phoenix post-divorce, Her takes place in the future & I loved seeing how Jonze perceives LA in a very futuristic setting, it gave the movie a subtle sci-fi vibe. When he is able to create his very own AI voice to talk with on his laptop, he ends up feeling more alive than he has in years & sets out on making ‘Samantha’ (voiced by Scarlett Johannsen) his lover. Her has many messages that are timeless & relatable to us all, no matter what era we are in or from. Joaquin nails the loneliness we all have felt & at times, is nearly creepy as he is truly in love with simply a voice. With this film, the script is beyond what makes it. Poetic, sorrowful, meaningful. It should get the Oscar for Screenplay. I am disappointed Scarlett didn’t get a nod as the AI voice; making a character so convincing with nothing more to go with it has got to be one of the trickiest things to achieve as an actor.

Gravity

Ah, the movie with all the hype! One of my first conversations with my now-boyfriend was about this film, back in September. I finally got to experience it with him for my first time (his 3rd) at The Chinese Theatre afew weeks back. I was super skeptical about Gravity. Especially, alas, because it stars Sandra Bullock. An actress whom I have never been impressed with. For all of us who feel like that about her, she proved us wrong in this movie! While George Clooney is her co-star, this is truly a Bullock blockbuster & shows how one is literally forced into survival mode…but 300 miles from earth, in space. She, in my opinion, would deserve the Best Actress Award for this far more than The Blind Side. The effects are first of its kind & I was surprised how triggering & disturbing this film affected me; it is intense.

12 Years A Slave

Another film very deserving of all its recognition. In 1841, Solomon Northup is a free & dedicated family man in upstate New York where he earns his livelihood playing the violin. Conned, & sold into slavery, we see him & others in conditions no one should ever be forced into. I was appalled yet reminded how some people choose to think. While we have come very, very far, some of this cruelty & close-mindedness is still very at the forefront today. Everyone on-screen gave such a stellar, heart wrenching performance & I feel Chiwetel  Ejiofor is the best pick for Best Actor. Michael Fassbender, who portrays one of the ‘Masters’ buying the slaves, is an excellent choice for Best Supporting, too–but, I also loved Jonah Hill, also up, in Wolf of Wall Street-tough decisions, here!

American Hustle

Hustle has a lot going for it, too. Many nominations are well-deserved here. My personal favorite in this con-man dramedy was Amy Adams, who is nothing short of stunning as Christian Bale’s (who, like usual, is great & really becomes his character; I always forget I am watching Christian Bale) mistress, Sydney. Then, in comes Bradley Cooper, working in an attempt to put an end to this duo, but may soon find out he is in over his head. This movie progresses greatly as the plot thickens & you may find yourself thinking, huh? at times, but, just keep watching & it all begins to make sense.

Have you seen any of the Oscar nominated films for the year? Please throw in your 2 cents! xo