This year in preparation for the Oscars, Matthew and I decided to watch all of the best picture nominees (except The Wolf of Wall Street) in order to be more educated in our guesses and the winners. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. So here are our reactions (Jessica and Matthew):
American Hustle
This film was brilliant. I love the layers upon layers of cons in this film. It is funny and yet thrilling to watch. The actors were phenomenal and Christian Bale was amazing with his quiet but powerful performance. It was one of the more entertaining nominees and each of the characters has such a different story but they all fit together so well.
Hey everyone, Matt here. Where to begin with American Hustle?. . . I loved it, one of my two favorites of the best picture nominees (tune in a bit later to find out which one is my other favorite). Great performances by the actors, Christian Bale was outstanding, he didn't say much but that's what made his character so fun to watch, you knew exactly what he was thinking and yet never knew exactly what he was doing. Bradley Cooper too, Jennifer Lawrence proved her versatility, Amy Adams didn't annoy me, and Jeremy Renner's hair was to die for. Lastly, the great directing by David O. Russell kept you on your seat, and I can't help but buy this one when it comes out.
Captain Phillips
I have a hard time with this one and the reactions to it. I understand that the fimmaker was trying to show the stories of two captives (Captain Phillips and the Somalia Pirates) but I feel like this message was lost in the production. Of course you can't argue that the last scene was very good but one scene doesn't make a good movie. Not to mention the controversy with what actually happened versus the hollywood version.
My overall reaction to Captain Phillips was "wow this is a really intense situation," and "why doesn't anybody on the boat have a gun to defend themselves in pirate infested waters, because the hoses were so affective (sarcasm)." Those thoughts aside I enjoyed the movie. I don't know how Captain Phillips was in real life but I enjoyed the story presented in the film. That being said, while watching this movie I think it's important to recognize the tragedy of the lives these pirates are forced to live. They're not villains, and I only wish the true story could have ended without their lives being lost. But I thought the movie was well done.
Dallas Buyers Club
Dallas Buyers Club is a very very impactful movie and was my pick for best picture. The actors were so amazing in such difficult roles. The story was riveting and yet heartbreaking. The growth and change of the characters throughout the story was something that everyone can learn from. I feel like this is a must see and will move anyone who watches it.
By far the strongest of the best picture nominees. I loved this movie, the message was so powerful, and the performances by Matthew McConaughotty and Jared Leto were great, especially the latter. I thought this film was the greatest achievement of all the others for its brilliant story telling and how it dealt with very very heavy subject matter, still relevant today. Best Picture in my book.
Gravity
This one was a very entertaining watch but lacked the depth that a lot of the other nominees had. The film making was definitely original, however, some of the effects were transparent (that retainer floating by...) But Gravity is still a very fun watch and watching the behind the scenes is very inspiring. It is especially impressive all of the very very long shots without camera breaks.
I thought Gravity was done perfectly, I don't know how it could have been any better. The directing by Alfonso Cauron was so impressive, I can't imagine all the planning that had to go into every shot, considering how long each one had to be and all the motion involved with the camera as well as the actors on screen. Impressive, but I didn't think it had the strength of story and difficulty that nominees like Dallas Buyers Club and American Hustle had.
Her
I think that this film is very important for our generation, it definitely makes you question the place of technology in your life. The film making was genius, I love the production design and the overall color and temperature of this movie. It is genius how there are so many single people in the background with their phone and people's reaction to his relationship with his operating system. I was so surprised and disappointed that Joaquin Phoenix didn't get nominated for best actor. This one was my personal favorite.
Very clever film, I was shocked that Joaquin Phoenix didn't receive a nomination for his performance, but I think the real winners for this film were the writer, cinematographer, and production designer. A lot of this movie took place in the mind of the main character and I felt like they really took you there. I think this film had a very strong message regarding technology, and is very relevant to today's world. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and thought it was an artistic achievement.
Nebraska
I was pleasantly surprised with the humor and real life feel of this movie. I love how the black and white contributes to the age of the main characters and old town feel. But I love how relatable and contemporary this movie is at the same time. There were a lot of cool, artistic shots. I love the story and the father-son relationship.
Well we made it to my other favorite, Nebraska! What a great movie, not only because it was hilarious, but also for the directing, writing, and the cinematography. I was so surprised at how entertaining this movie was, and so much went in to that. I can't say enough about this movie, so just know that I love it and I'll just leave it at that.
Philomena
As a mother, this story is heartbreaking. The chemistry between the actors and the fast pace of the movie were really what made this one so good for me. Judi Dench was my pick for best actress because I love how she maintains her sweet demeanor through a range of emotions. The message of forgiveness in this story is inspiring and something to strive for.
Dang this movie was sad, especially thinking about our own son Lincoln and how hard it would be to have him taken from us. This one, like Nebraska, surprised me with how engaging it was. What could have been such a dull film was written and directed so well that you didn't lose interest at all. I particularly loved the score by Alexandre Desplat, it added so much to Judi Dench's amazing performance, and let's give Steve Coogan some credit too, he portrayed his part very well. And while this movie was very sad, the ending was very satisfying, and I left it feeling happy.
12 Years a Slave
This really was a good watch but I disagree with it winning best picture. The story of Solomon was very inspiring and it was heartbreaking to see on screen what the slaves had to endure. I can't argue that the scene where Solomon is hanging was brilliant in the way that it made you feel uncomfortable. That was incredible filmmaking. However the film making and editing got to be confusing at times. The story was moving but this was a year of a lot of moving stories.
Another great movie, I loved a lot of the cinematography, and the directing decisions by Steve McQueen. The acting was good, so much of the film was hard to watch due to the hardships Solomon, Patsie, and others had to endure. That being said, I didn't think this one deserved the best picture nod. The movie got a bit confusing at times, certain characters didn't seem necessary for the story to be told, and I know you'd agree, I wish Brad Pitt's beautiful face could have been on screen a bit longer. While it was a very well made movie, I think that greater achievements were made by multiple of the other films nominated. Slavery is a difficult subject to portray, and I think they did great with it, but I was already against slavery going into the film, and I feel like as a society we've come such a long way from it. Solomon's story is very inspiring, but I felt like it was another story of courage and overcoming hardship, which is common (and great!) but films such as Dallas Buyers Club treated something new, and something that we have still not overcome. That's why I picked Dallas Buyers Club over 12 Years a Slave, both great movies, but on achieved more in my eyes.
Our Oscar Winners
Best Picture:
Dallas Buyers Club
Dallas Buyers Club
Actor:
Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Actress:
Judi Dench
Cate Blanchett
Supporting Actor:
Jared Leto
Jared Leto
Supporting Actress:
Lupita Nyong'o
Jennifer Lawrence
Animated Feature Film:
Frozen
Frozen
Cinematography:
Nebraska
Gravity
Costume Design:
American Hustle
The Great Gatsby
Directing:
12 Years a Slave
Gravity
Film Editing:
Gravity
American Hustle
Makeup & Hairstyling:
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
Music - Original Score:
Her
Philomena
Music - Original Song:
"Let it Go"
"Let it Go"
Production Design:
Her
Her
Sound Editing:
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Sound Mixing:
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Visual Effects:
Gravity
The Hobbit
Writing - Adapted Screenplay:
Philomena
Philomena
Writing - Original Screenplay:
Her
Nebraska
