With little more than two weeks left before the Oscars, is it worth it to view all eight? Even for those of us who think this was a great year for movies, eight by Feb. 22nd may be pushing it. To help you decide, I’m including short reviews for the nominees I’ve seen so far (two left to go).
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Review: Loved it. Funny, charming, even moving. Wes Anderson draws you into his impeccably created world. My vote for the Oscar of those I’ve viewed.
Pros: Originality, great acting, artistry, entertainment
Cons: Can be too quirky for some; everyone won’t find it funny.
Boyhood
Review: Hated it. Watched it during a blizzard and preferred scraping off my car.
Pros: Ambition; you have to hand it to Richard Linklater for trying on something of this scale.
Cons: Gimmicky choices, mediocre acting, dull script. Very long, with supposedly subtle insights that are generic rather than thought provoking. I’m Dazed and Confused about why most of the scenes were worth depicting, and why the film is garnering so much praise given its lack of character development.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Review: Clever, whimsical, with impressive editing. I was engaged the whole time, and never knew what would happen next.
Pros: Strong acting, convincing portrayal of theater life, originality, wonderful transitions
Cons: The touches of magical realism can be off-putting to some. May require an interest in theater, especially backstage drama.
Whiplash
Review: Riveting. Intense. Captures the high stakes of a competitive music program and asks interesting questions about how far a teacher can push a talented kid. (Obviously, few to none would support how far this teacher goes, but the question is still an intriguing and relevant one.)
Pros: Acting: J.K. Simmons is brilliant, and newcomer Miles Teller gives an effective, understated performance. A beautifully paced, streamlined film.
Cons: Stressful to watch. Possibly limited in terms of whom it reaches; may require an interest in the arts, teaching.
American Sniper
Review: Intense, with an impressive performance by Bradley Cooper. I have some issues with the film’s accuracy and politics. I typically dislike Clint Eastwood films, but thought this a fitting choice for him (close to a Western in its values, characterization). Overall, I thought it a good film despite all of my reservations about its message.
Pros: Much stronger than most biopics, with poignant, subtle depictions of Chris Kyle’s suffering—and by extension, that of other veterans. Draws viewers into the conflict zones, causing us to experience fear, stress, and moral confusion.
Cons: Some repetitiveness in the portrayal of his tours. A lack of nuance in many respects: Some demonization of the Iraqis (carefully chosen bad guys—even a long-term sniper rival). A one-note development of his family. Careful avoidance of the rationale for American presence there. Not a single portrayal of a wrong target hit (unbelievable with all of those kills). Glorification of a controversial figure. Why didn’t Eastwood, given the issue with Kyle’s fabrications in the memoir this film is based on, not to mention the director’s own inventions, just loosely base the movie on Kyle’s story? The tribute to veterans is heartfelt and moving, but the glamorization of this particular Navy Seal and lack of doubt about the justice of our involvement are concerning. War is never as clear-cut as Eastwood would like it to be.
The Imitation Game
Review: Fascinating story. Surprisingly quick paced given the subject matter. Poignant portrayal of the loneliness of a genius (Alan Turing) in a time period in which his homosexuality and socially awkward nature were poorly understood. The kind of biopic that makes you Internet research as soon as you get home.
Pros: Fine acting from Benedict Cumberbatch—so far, I’d give the Oscar to him or Cooper. Just a good movie altogether. The one I would recommend to the broadest audience; I can imagine few who would dislike it. There have been some objections to the film’s biographical accuracy, but unlike in American Sniper, the complexity of the portrayal makes it clear that Turing was not easily pinned down, that all of this story has not been told.
Cons: The story of Turing stuck to me afterward, but the movie hasn’t as much as I thought it would. I would have changed the proportions a bit, as Turing’s suffering due to his sexuality is given emphasis but not fully developed until near the end of the film.
There you have it! My highly opinionated reviews….Feel free to disagree with me.
Thank you! I needed this.
You are welcome.:) I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts on those you saw.
Nice little Cliff Notes for those of us who aren’t able to regularly get to the cinema. I’m a mother of three lil’ ones, so solo outings are few and far between. (And even then, I usually opt for one of the classic movie showings.)
Thank you! I’ll do the other 2 if I make it on time:) I wish they hadn’t increased the number of nominees a few years back. I’m glad it’s 8 instead of 10, but it’s still too many for most of us! And a classic movie showing is absolutely preferable to most of the Oscar nominees each year:) Leah
I couldn’t get through Budapest and thought Boyhood was a refreshing break from formula. I guess we don’t only disagree about old movies.
Nice to see you here, Micah:) Don’t tell me you actually thought the acting was bearable in Boyhood, even if you didn’t mind the tedious script?
Have to agree with Micah on Budapest. I fell asleep twice. I’m in between you two on Boyhood. Appreciated the concept but was quite bored. Whiplash is the best thing out there. LOVED IT. Then Imitation Game. Next I’d put Begin Again, which was great and isn’t in the running at all.
That’s the movie I keep wanting to see and forgetting about…Thanks for the reminder. And thanks for commenting, Rach! Now you just need to watch your next classic film, honor that bet:)
Well that tears it! You and I should start going to movies together!! Loved Budapest, hated Boys, liked Birdman but it was a bit too much “inside baseball,” and thought The Imitation Game didn’t do justice to the material; Derek Jacobi played Turing in a television play a few years back and was incredible, though…
It’s nice to have company on Boyhood! My older sister and aunt agree with us, but most seem shocked I didn’t like it. I agree. We SHOULD watch movies together:) You know, I think you’re right about Birdman. I need to see if I can track down that Jacobi performance…
Must admit, the only one I’ve seen from this list is Grand Budapest which I loved – but I’m a massive Wes Anderson fan so that’s no surprise! Will be interested to her your thoughts on The Theory of Everything – in my opinion not a best pic, but Redmayne is certainly a contender for best actor.
I have to confess that my memories of slogging through A Brief History of Time in college have kept me from that one, and now it’s too late to go to see it without a lot of distance and trouble. I’m waiting for the DVD release, as I like Redmayne and would like to see his performance. Selma I’d rather see in the theater. If you see one more of these six before the 22nd, consider Whiplash. Not as likely to win as the others, perhaps, but so tightly wound it’s fascinating to watch. Probably the only one besides Budapest I’m definitely going to watch again.
Loved Grand Budapest. Pure genius, that one. Birdman–ugh. So dark and artsy. And Imitation Game was fascinating story but movie itself was a bit slow . . . I hope GB doesn’t falter just b/c of the timing of release . . .
Yes, it’s true that Birdman is dark and artsy, and Imitation Game occasionally plodding. I still liked both, but understand why you wouldn’t. Here’s hoping for G. Budapest though! Definitely the best of the bunch.:) Leah