Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Disappointment and Delight

When I saw the trailer for Captain Phillips, I knew I was supposed to want to see it.  I knew it was going to be highly dramatic with world class acting and still, I did not much want to  see it.  I saw it this weekend  and I now know why that was the case.  I knew going in that the good Captain Phillips' ship would be taken and eventually some large, sea-faring vessel would arrive with big guns and rescue him.  The middle part was not presented in such a way that I cared much about how it all went down.  The final half hour of the film was tight, suspenseful and enjoyable but honestly, the film had so far lost me by that point that I was just kind of mad at the movie's director, Paul Greengrass for waiting so long to make it interesting. 


Nebraska is real without being boring.  These are characters that you know or have known, maybe your family or neighbors.  They manage to be familiar and yet still surprise you from time to time.  Nebraska is funny without trying too hard.  There is humor even in the more mundane, disappointing, and sad aspects of life.  This movie finds those moments with honesty and without going over the top.  It's a small movie with heart and personality and it may just end up being my favorite of the Best Picture Nominees.

(I swear this has nothing to do with Peyton Manning shouting Omaha in all of my dreams.  They didn't even visit that city in the movie!)

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