The Man introduced me to a fun thing that AMC theaters does every year. The Saturday (or this year Saturdays) before the Oscars, they show all the movies nominated for Best Picture. Last weekend was sold out, so we created our own movie marathon at home. This means I missed out on Avatar and Precious. So please keep that in mind with my picks below.
UP: I actually laughed out loud and cried real tears. That’s the sign of a good story and characters developed enough that we care about them. The animation was impressive (again, given that I didn’t see Avatar.) Hope it wins Best Animation.
District 9: Best use of unnecessary gore and F-bombs. We also watched the producers cut where he said he had no intention of making a political statement by setting the film in South Africa, so so much for that angle. If I would have been in a theater, I would have walked out when (spoiler!) the main dude ripped off his own fingernails. Not a fan.
A Serious Man: I know there are always Oscar contenders that I just don’t get. Perhaps it’s my lack of art appreciation, but this film was just odd. And on top of the oddness, it just seemed like a takeoff on American Beauty. They also had a ridiculous about of F-bombs and hair-washing. Strike out!
This is the point that I’m reviewing movies we saw in the theater. Thank goodness. These were all 100 times better than the other three.
An Education: A very well done movie about a very hard time to grow-up female. Sure, our main character was given all of the food, clothing, and (eh, kinda) love she could need throughout childhood, but when a man came to sweep her off her feet and keep her dad from having to pay for college, her chances of an education were lost. At that time, many parents (my grandparents included!) thought women only went to college for the MRS degree and/or to become a teacher or nurse. No choices. How scary. Ignorance is bliss and these women knew everything.
Hurt Locker: First World Problems. This movie reminds the viewer that all we dare bitch about are only First World Problems. How dare we. This film is a fantastic display of the realities of modern day war. (Or at least I assume it is close to truth.) These men (in this film, just men) deal with SO much and then we expect them to come home to live normal lives. Crazy. Anyway, this film was superbly acted, edited and directed. Additionally, this was the only movie that had an appropriate amount of F-bombs. That would be every other word out of my mouth if I lived in their world! This is my pick for best movie of the year.
Up In the Air: I’ve been looking forward to this movie since it came out. It showcases George Clooney, the joys of racking up frequent flier miles, and a pretty accurate display to how the meetings I put on end up. It is an interesting time to give the main character a career in firing people. Rumor has it some of the people who lost their job in the movie had lost a job in real life. Spending the day with George Clooney would almost be worth it! There is an interesting twist in this movie that honestly shocked me. Added bonus: Sam Elliot would play my dad in a movie, so they win extra points for giving me 3 minutes with a mustache and crinkly eyes reminder.
The Blind Side: This movie surprised both Randy and I. Given the story (that everyone already knows), we were expecting some major cheese. But instead of weepiness, I came away from this movie inspired. This family (and the school) did something because it was the Christian thing to do. How many of us can say that? They were fortunate enough to be able to afford all the things necessary to raise another child, but it makes you think…what could I do to be like them?
Inglorious Bastards: This is exactly what I expected from a Quentin Terantino movie. I don’t like Quentin Terantino movies. The end. (If I would have written this directly after watching the movie, that would have been my review. The more I think about it, the more I think this was a good film. The gentleman who won supporting actor (yes, I’m feverishly writing this so its posted before the Best Picture is announced!) did a great job. So did others. (Yet for the record, I have never seen a movie where I’ve enjoyed Brad Pitt ‘s acting. This did not break that streak. I have spent the whole day trying to say “Nazis” like he did though…) The music, film editing, and even clothes selections were very interesting. If you can stand gore, you may enjoy this film.)
