I can't believe I thought about not doing the challenge this year! I managed to see every nominee in every category! My first time getting through 100% of the nominees!
Since I just picked up the last nominee today, here's my review: The Breadwinner had beautiful animation and it was super hard to watch how the Taliban tears families apart. Ok, done! Whew!
How can I best recap my adventure?
I love the Movie Pass...I recommend you look into it if you are likely to watch one movie in the theatres per month. That membership saved me so much money this month!
I ate a lot less popcorn this year after my Ferdinand binging mishap. I also slept through sizable chunks of more films this year; whether it was due to a busy schedule or old age setting in, only time will tell.
I love just showing up for a movie that I know nothing about and settling in for the ride. I should do that at other times during the year, as well.
I hope the staff of the Laemmle Theatre doesn't get too concerned about me when I stop showing up several times a week...maybe I should send word that I'm ok?
Now there's nothing left but to set up camp on the couch and watch hours of Oscar coverage and cheer on Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway to finally get it right this year!
I am going to declare my favorites in every category now. DO NOT use this for your Oscar polls! I am always wrong.
Actor, Leading: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Actor Supporting: Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards
Actress, Leading: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards
Actress, Supporting: Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Animated Feature: Coco
Cinematography: Bladerunner 2049 and Darkest Hour, tied.
Costumes: No opinion. But one woman, Jacqueline Durran is nominated for TWO of these spots! I think she needs to share.
Directing: Jordan Peele, Get Out
Documentary: Faces Places
Documentary Short: Heroin(e)
Film Editing: I, Tonya
Foreign Language: On Body and Soul and The Insult, tied.
Make Up & Hair: Darkest Hour
Music, Score: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Music, Song: Remember Me, Coco
Best Picture: Get Out
Production Design: The Shape of Water
Short Film, Animated: Lou
Short Film, Live Action: The Eleven O'Clock
Sound Editing: Baby Driver
Sound Mixing: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Visual Effects: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Writing, Adapted: Call Me By Your Name
Writing, Original: The Big Sick
Thank you for reading! Thank you for cheering me on! Happy Oscars!
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Last Batch of Goodness!
Movie: Last Men in Aleppo
Nominated for: Best Documentary
How I watched: Amazon rental, on an iPad, in my kitchen
When I fell asleep: I didn't
Thoughts: Documentaries these days can be so brutally shocking. The things we are able to witness, to see, to live with other people on the other side of the world, it's almost more than I can bear sometimes. I am ashamed of myself, for not being more informed about what has been happening in Syria for so long. For knowing as much as I do, and yet carrying on with my life. For being part of a society that simply lets it happen. I also know that this global awareness is still relatively new to us. It is unfathomable. We are wired to deal with the problems in front of us. To help, protect, and support our own families, our own tribes...what do we do about a conflict we can have no control over? Atrocities that are so out of reach? Suffering as far removed from us as it can be? What do we do? I am sure I can have little effect; I am also sure that at the very least I should sign petitions or write to someone in power. This movie was difficult and depressing and I guess that's what is powerful and compulsory about it.
Movie: Loving Vincent
Nominated for: Animated Feature
How I watched: Amazon Rental
When I fell asleep: About half way in.
Thoughts: This animation is stunning! I just wanted to lay back and let the images wash over me and I had a little trouble staying connected to the story and what was being said. It's the primary tension in the piece: marrying breath taking, vibrant art with a kind of dour and bleak mystery vibe. While the story of how Van Gogh died is interesting, the mystery feels a bit forced because you know they aren't really going to drop new information on you at this point. Once I became acclimated to the beautiful images it was hard to stay invested.
Movie: Marshall
Nominated for: Original Song
How I watched: Amazon Rental
When I fell asleep: Early and often
Thoughts: Look, this week has been tough. I don't get to these movies until 10 or 11pm sometimes, after a full day of meal prep for kids, carpooling, mothering, editing a feature length movie and sometimes writing! So here's what I can say; Chadwick Boseman is a pretty great actor. Josh Gad seemed a strange choice. The production value on this film felt somewhat lacking. I'd like to know more about Thurgood Marshall.
Movie: Victoria and Abdul
Nominated for: Costumes, Make Up & Hair
How I watched: Amazon Rental
When I fell asleep: No! Daytime screening!
Thoughts: This movie was charming! It was so lovely to see a love story between two adults that wasn't a romantic one! I think we ought to have more of those. The acting was great and it was beautiful to watch. A very pleasant final screening.
Nominated for: Best Documentary
How I watched: Amazon rental, on an iPad, in my kitchen
When I fell asleep: I didn't
Thoughts: Documentaries these days can be so brutally shocking. The things we are able to witness, to see, to live with other people on the other side of the world, it's almost more than I can bear sometimes. I am ashamed of myself, for not being more informed about what has been happening in Syria for so long. For knowing as much as I do, and yet carrying on with my life. For being part of a society that simply lets it happen. I also know that this global awareness is still relatively new to us. It is unfathomable. We are wired to deal with the problems in front of us. To help, protect, and support our own families, our own tribes...what do we do about a conflict we can have no control over? Atrocities that are so out of reach? Suffering as far removed from us as it can be? What do we do? I am sure I can have little effect; I am also sure that at the very least I should sign petitions or write to someone in power. This movie was difficult and depressing and I guess that's what is powerful and compulsory about it.
Movie: Loving Vincent
Nominated for: Animated Feature
How I watched: Amazon Rental
When I fell asleep: About half way in.
Thoughts: This animation is stunning! I just wanted to lay back and let the images wash over me and I had a little trouble staying connected to the story and what was being said. It's the primary tension in the piece: marrying breath taking, vibrant art with a kind of dour and bleak mystery vibe. While the story of how Van Gogh died is interesting, the mystery feels a bit forced because you know they aren't really going to drop new information on you at this point. Once I became acclimated to the beautiful images it was hard to stay invested.
Movie: Marshall
Nominated for: Original Song
How I watched: Amazon Rental
When I fell asleep: Early and often
Thoughts: Look, this week has been tough. I don't get to these movies until 10 or 11pm sometimes, after a full day of meal prep for kids, carpooling, mothering, editing a feature length movie and sometimes writing! So here's what I can say; Chadwick Boseman is a pretty great actor. Josh Gad seemed a strange choice. The production value on this film felt somewhat lacking. I'd like to know more about Thurgood Marshall.
Movie: Victoria and Abdul
Nominated for: Costumes, Make Up & Hair
How I watched: Amazon Rental
When I fell asleep: No! Daytime screening!
Thoughts: This movie was charming! It was so lovely to see a love story between two adults that wasn't a romantic one! I think we ought to have more of those. The acting was great and it was beautiful to watch. A very pleasant final screening.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Fatigue is Setting in!
You Guys! I am tired! Four more screenings...four more days...I think I can...I think I can...
Movie: Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
Nominated for: Best Documentary
How I watched: Amazon Prime
When I fell asleep: A couple of times in the middle third of the film.
Thoughts: Abacus Bank is "small enough to jail," whereas all of the large Wall Street Banks were "too big to fail". The story was very interesting but as it is about banking and finances, it ended up being a little too dry which made it feel too long.
Movie: All the Money in the World
Nominated for: Acting
When I fell asleep: Which time?
Thoughts: I started the movie once and didn't last ten minutes. My daughter found me sleeping and woke me up, helped me make a cup of tea and restarted the movie for me. I also used my other trick: laundry. I had a whole load of towels and a load of clothes I had been saving for just such a moment. The second time I got through about 40 minutes, I'd guess. As soon as all the laundry was folded, I sat back on the couch and fell asleep. Every once in a while I would wake up and fool myself that I was getting caught up on the plot. I can't really weigh in, other than the 40 minutes I did see was not enough to get me super invested. I wonder if Christopher Plummer got the nomination just as part of the Kevin Spacey backlash, which I'll concede is a pretty baller move by the academy. But I don't want to be unfair to Plummer, since I didn't actually catch much of his performance. I hope he had a character arc; at the beginning he was just a gross shell of a man who prized his extravagant wealth above all else. It's possible that the real J. Paul Getty was never any more than that.
Movie: Live Action Shorts
DeKalb Elementay - Ugh! A movie about a school shooter. I almost wanted to walk out because I just did not want to see this topic. It was a fine; a hopeful piece about how school shooters maybe just need to be seen as human and shown some love. Also, the bravery it takes to be the person to show that love. All the more hopeful, I suppose, because it was based on real events.
The Eleven O'Clock - The standout by far! I really enjoyed this clever and amusing short about mistaken identities.
My Nephew Emmet - Tragic racism in the south in the 1950's. Heart breaking and quiet. So quiet I dozed off a little bit.
The Silent Child - A movie about how hearing families are complete assholes to their deaf family members. This one was trying to champion a great cause but felt like it pushed a little too hard.
Watu Wote (All of Us) - This short was well acted and well put together. The message being that even when you have been deeply wounded, it doesn't help to paint the "other" in too broad of strokes. Here, here!
Movie: Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
Nominated for: Best Documentary
How I watched: Amazon Prime
When I fell asleep: A couple of times in the middle third of the film.
Thoughts: Abacus Bank is "small enough to jail," whereas all of the large Wall Street Banks were "too big to fail". The story was very interesting but as it is about banking and finances, it ended up being a little too dry which made it feel too long.
Movie: All the Money in the World
Nominated for: Acting
When I fell asleep: Which time?
Thoughts: I started the movie once and didn't last ten minutes. My daughter found me sleeping and woke me up, helped me make a cup of tea and restarted the movie for me. I also used my other trick: laundry. I had a whole load of towels and a load of clothes I had been saving for just such a moment. The second time I got through about 40 minutes, I'd guess. As soon as all the laundry was folded, I sat back on the couch and fell asleep. Every once in a while I would wake up and fool myself that I was getting caught up on the plot. I can't really weigh in, other than the 40 minutes I did see was not enough to get me super invested. I wonder if Christopher Plummer got the nomination just as part of the Kevin Spacey backlash, which I'll concede is a pretty baller move by the academy. But I don't want to be unfair to Plummer, since I didn't actually catch much of his performance. I hope he had a character arc; at the beginning he was just a gross shell of a man who prized his extravagant wealth above all else. It's possible that the real J. Paul Getty was never any more than that.
Movie: Live Action Shorts
DeKalb Elementay - Ugh! A movie about a school shooter. I almost wanted to walk out because I just did not want to see this topic. It was a fine; a hopeful piece about how school shooters maybe just need to be seen as human and shown some love. Also, the bravery it takes to be the person to show that love. All the more hopeful, I suppose, because it was based on real events.
The Eleven O'Clock - The standout by far! I really enjoyed this clever and amusing short about mistaken identities.
My Nephew Emmet - Tragic racism in the south in the 1950's. Heart breaking and quiet. So quiet I dozed off a little bit.
The Silent Child - A movie about how hearing families are complete assholes to their deaf family members. This one was trying to champion a great cause but felt like it pushed a little too hard.
Watu Wote (All of Us) - This short was well acted and well put together. The message being that even when you have been deeply wounded, it doesn't help to paint the "other" in too broad of strokes. Here, here!
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