Written by Chris Wright
Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences votes on a variety of different categories to recognize and celebrate outstanding achievements in film. I recently screened every nomination for this year’s Academy Awards and this is what I thought of each of them. These are in no particular order, but in the order in which I saw them. Here is my take on all 9 of this year’s Best Picture Nominations.
Philomena
This movie is surprisingly funny. Especially considering the subject matter. An elderly British woman, played by Judi Dench, decides to track down her son, 50 years after he was forcibly taken from her. Philomena tackles loss and grief with appropriate dignity and touches on faith in a respectful way (tearing down restrictive, condemning theology, by emphasizing a deeply personal faith). The humor, mostly originating from Martin Sixsmith’s character Steve Coogan, is never disrespectful but witty and tongue-in-cheek.
Dallas Buyers Club
I was equally surprised by this period piece, set in 1985. Matthew McConaughey play a straight electrician and rodeo cowboy who finds out he has contracted HIV. But this is less a film about HIV, AIDS, and homosexuality than a scathing review of the FDA and it’s restrictive policies that sometimes hurt innocent people. McConaughey steals the show in his portrayal of Ron Woodroof and Jared Leto shines as Rayon, a transgender character, so convincing you forget it’s Leto.
Wolf Of Wall Street
This film is unapologetic in its content and presentation. Through the outrageous excess and debauchery depicted in the film director Martin Scorsese demonstrates the incredible decadence of Jordan Belfort’s life. The supporting cast, which includes Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Rob Reiner, and Kyle Chandler, is notable. But the real stand out here is Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance as Jordan Belfort. This is easily his best role.
12 Years A Slave
A heart wrenching story that needed to be told, 12 Years A Slave is an absolutely beautiful film with many standout performances. Chiwetel Ejiofor delivers a great performance as Solomon Northup, but so does the entire cast. Steve McQueen masterfully takes an enormous and diverse cast with varying levels of acting experience and crafts one of the most compelling stories on this list. The stand out performances here are Lupita Nyong’o as the slave girl Patsey and Michael Fassbender as Edwin Epps, her master.
Nebraska
I’m actually kind of surprised that this film is on this list. It takes a while to get going and honestly didn’t resonate with me at all. Still, it touches on the importance of family legacy that resonate with the audience. One of the main takeaways from Nebraska is the importance of doing things for people that are important to them even though they’re not necessarily important to you. Why? Because you love them.
Captain Phillips
Holy cow. This movie, man. High intensity from the beginning with non-stop tension. You feel as if you are there on the boat with Captain Phillips. Director Paul Greengrass keeps you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll.
Her
For a movie about falling in love with a computer, I was surprised at how human this movie feels. It’s about learning to love, what makes a relationship, and is an examination of the human condition. Voice work by Scarlett Johansson and the soundtrack by Arcade Fire is the key to this movie’s success.
American Hustle
I really like David O. Russell. As a director and writer. This film is less about David O. Russell than his other efforts, however, and focuses on his cast. Still, the cast doesn’t disappoint and this is an incredibly fun movie. Part caper, part gangster movie, it is evident that stars Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence enjoyed making this movie. That joy translates to the audience and the star power, alone contained in this movie makes it worth the trip.
Gravity
If I’m being completely honest, and I am, this is my choice for best picture and my favorite movie of the year. It is literally perfect. From the 17-minute long continuous shot in space to the dramatic conclusion, Alfonso Curon does a masterful job of telling this story. The sound, music, visual effects, and acting performances are phenomenal. I wouldn’t mind if this movie won every award it was nominated for.
That’s it! If you want to talk about any of my choices, hit me up on Twitter. Enjoy the Oscars!
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