Best Picture Nominees

All of the Best Picture nominees were interesting this year. They each had positives whether it be underlying theme or a phenomenal performance. Most of them contained both. There were a few that could have been a tad shorter, but overall it was a great selection of movies. Here are my thoughts on each of the nominees.

I didn't have one bit of interest in this movie when I saw it was about car racing so imagine my shock when it completely captured my attention. In fact, it ended up being my second favorite out of the whole group. The story is both identifiable and intriguing even if you don't have interest in cars and/or racing. While it did run a tad long, the fantastic performance by Christian Bale kept me totally engrossed. How he didn't end up nominated for his acting in this one is beyond me. The story was two-fold and one about loyalty and knowing when to hold your ground and when to concede. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Chris and I watched this one in two parts. It was just so so so long! Its length dwarfed its impact in my opinion. Maybe we didn't need to see quite so much of the build up of DeNiro's character or maybe we didn't need to see quite so much of the back and forth drama of Pacino's character and Pesci's troupe or maybe we didn't need to see quite so much about the side characters. I'm not entirely sure what needed to be cut, but it just seemed like a real slog to get through to the end. Needless to say, DeNiro, Pacino, and Pesci all performed at the very top of their game in this one. They were phenomenal to watch together.

This dark comedy took me by surprise. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get past the weirdness of it, but I really enjoyed it. That being said it certainly isn't for everyone. It was a quite bizarre (and sad) story. I loved the theme of love and acceptance for all that it drove home albeit in a strange manner. Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson were both great in their supporting roles. It was refreshing to see this time period through the eyes of seemingly innocent children though.

Ironically, Chris and I watched this one the night before the nominees were announced because we had heard such varied reviews about it from friends. Neither of us particularly cared for the movie as a whole, but it definitely packed some punch. It was such a sad, sad story. Phoenix was stunningly phenomenal in it. I was in complete awe of his performance despite finding the movie as a whole quite difficult to watch.

I watched this one with parents on Christmas Day. It was a refreshing angle on a classic story. I enjoyed following the sisters throughout each of their ups and downs with love and career. It definitely has the tear jerker element that seems to always accompany these types of tales, but it didn't stand out in too many other ways for me. The story is solid. The acting is good. The film just didn't leave a particularly lasting impression on me.

I watched this one alone in a couple of spurts so maybe I need to give it a go again all in one sitting, but I didn't find anything particularly great about it. It was a story about a crumpling marriage and all that entails when a child is involved, but I didn't find it all that interesting. There were two specific scenes that I really liked - the opening montage with voice overs and the scene in which Adam Driver's character is desperately trying to impress the emotionless social worker to prove he is worthy of child custody. I did appreciate the comedic relief throughout, but the movie just wasn't super interesting to me as a whole.

In my somewhat unpopular opinion, I simply thought this was your standard war movie. It was incredibly predictable and followed the typical trajectory for these types of films. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. The story was moving and the cinematography was fantastic, but overall it was just average. Your run of the mill war tale. Most definitely worth watching and even stunning in presentation throughout, but the story was far too familiar.

I watched this one via Redbox during one of Olivia's long naps one afternoon. It was fun to watch Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt play buddies...and aging Hollywood legends - ha! Overall, it didn't strike me as particularly interesting though. I enjoyed watching LDC's (as Pitt affectionately referred to him at the Golden Globes) character wrestle with the aging process as he progressed from main attraction to final fling in his career. It was quite poignant. My guess is it likely felt all too real for DiCaprio though I by no means think he is in the twilight of his career at this point. Pitt was fantastic. His character was fun and truly the life of this film. It was exciting to watch him in this role. Overall, the movie had high points via the actors selected to fill the lead and supporting roles; however, it would have been unwatchable for me if less well-known/liked actors filled those shoes.

I loved this film! It was incredible in every way imaginable. It had the perfect mix of everything - comedy, suspense, social commentary, drama. It was a gripping tale of the haves and have nots. The subscripts made no difference to me at all. In fact, I'm not certain it would have felt the same if it had contained Americans speaking English. Part of the appeal of the film was the feeling that I was learning more about a different culture while at the same time realizing that culture was identical to my own. I can't wait to watch it again with Chris. The hype is 100% well deserved! Make it a priority to watch this one - exhilarating and fascinating from start to finish. It had me on the edge of my seat at every turn!

Did you see any of the Best Picture nominees this year?
Which did you enjoy most?

Andrea :)