And the Oscar goes to… (2018 edition)

Time for my annual thoughts on the Best Picture nominations from this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. While not on the big screen to capture all their glory, it is fun to see what they were made of and to see if I felt the same as the Academy. This year all films were viewed using Blu-Ray discs.

Comments are based on personal preferences, and don't take into account popularity at the box office.

So without further ado here are my thoughts on this year's Best Picture Nominations for the 2017 Academy Awards presentation.

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME – Oliver (Armie Hammer) is the summer intern hired by an Italian archeologist. Elio (Timothée Chalamet) is the archeologist’s teenage son trapped in the town, and entering his time of sexual and sensual exploration.

This film is basically about human interaction. No special effects. No amazing set decorations. The only extra thing that’s used to set the mood is a great background sound from Sufjan Stevens. While it’s not very loud as to dominate the scenes, it’s tempo and haunting sound helps intensify the mood as the main relationship in the film progresses.

Whereas last year’s official Best Picture winner, Moonlight, was more about following Chiron’s exploration with his sexuality, and very little of the actual sex act portrayed, exploration and sexual scenes are nearly equal partners in this film. Just a warning that it’s not a film for the children, or a first date where you’re still not completely comfortable with the other person.

DARKEST HOUR – The House of Commons has lost faith in their current leadership, and reluctantly rallies behind someone many consider having questionable leadership skills.

Darkest Hour is one of two WWII-themed films nominated for Best Picture this year. But, it’s not a “war” film in the traditional sense of the genre.

Rather, the film revolves around the choice of Winston Churchill as a replacement for Neville Chamberlain as leader, and the political intrigue not publicly known during the first few weeks of his administration.

Gary Oldman gives a career performance in the lead roll. Absolutely stellar. And it was helped along by the Oscar Award winning makeup and hair stylists who transformed the actor into a near double.  

DUNKIRK – Trapped against the English Channel, over 300,000 British and French troops seem to be destined for capture by the Nazis, only to be rescued by an impromptu flotilla of personal watercraft from English Coastal towns.

The film was very technical with all the effects and editing needed to pull it off. Unfortunately, it seemed more of an ensemble film, with nobody sticking out as a main protagonist. There was no real character development.

Dunkirk reminded me of the WWII classic The Longest Day. But, for me, that film succeeded because it was three hours long. Dunkirk wasn’t even two. Plus, it had significantly more name recognition in the cast, whereas Dunkirk had only a handful of big names, and most were on the screen in bits and pieces. 

 GET OUT – Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) is nervous about meeting his girlfriend’s parents for the first time. Adding to the situation is that he’s African-American, while she is Caucasian and has not told them about his ethnicity.

The immediately hit it off, much to his relief. But, things start to get strange and he starts to think things aren’t necessarily what they seem to be.

Writer-director Jordan Peele is now breaking into feature films, after honing his craft in television production.

The basic premise of interracial relations served well at the beginning before the audience is left behind and draped with a surreal horror atmosphere. Though some scenes were slow in nature, I wasn’t bored, as the relatively short 104 minute run time kept pace.

 LADY BIRD – Lady Bird is a poster child for Teenage Angst. She thinks her mother hates her no matter what she does. Her father is apathetic. She has one goal, to leave her hometown of Sacramento, California as far off in the proverbial rearview mirror as she possibly can.

Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn, The Grand Budapest Hotel) is mesmerizing as the teenager, and it’s hard to remember she’s an adult at times.

Writer-Director Greta Gerwig takes us through Lady Bird’s senior year as she readies herself for college. Will it be an East Coast school of her choice, or the more practical choice of her mother, a local college? While not an autobiography, Gerwig knitted in her experiences of growing up in Sacramento into the story.

Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne, The Big Bang Theory) is great as the mom which Lady Bird believes hates her no matter what she does, and a good counter, grounded in life’s experiences, to the teen’s future looking mind.

The only complaint is the VERY abrupt ending the viewer is treated to.  

PHANTOM THREAD – Dresses from the House of Woodcock are prized around the World. But, in the mind of Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) you don’t own one of his creations. You are simply the occupier.

Along the way, Woodcock runs into Alma (Vicky Krieps), a restaurant waitress, who he sees as his perfect woman. Not because of her personality or beauty. But, because of her measurements.

The film is a tightly crafted by writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will be Blood, Punch Drunk Love, Boogie Nights). Unfortunately, that’s the best thing I can say about this film.

I had no love for any of the three main characters. Neither the narcissistic designer who was all about his designs, nor Cybil (Lesley Manville), the woman who stood in the shadows helping keep the design house running, nor Alma, Woodcock’s inspiration and love interest who gets pouty at the drop of a hat when she thinks she’s being ignored, or passed by.

THE POST – Daniel Ellsberg was a private contractor assigned to the American military. His role was an analyst. But, quickly became disillusioned with what he saw as a cover-up of the US’ march to war in Viet Nam.

Veteran actors Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep are surrounded by a seasoned ensemble. Both performances are solid. But, not the best of either careers.

The main focus of the film involved the Washington Post’s involvement with what is now known as the Pentagon Papers, and the decision on whether to publish their content, or not.

While it was interesting, I was disappointed that it ended when it did. So much is spent on the debate on whether to publish, yet very little on the actual trial. The film’s running time is just under two hours, so perhaps it was thought adding additional content would lose the audience. But, the trial decision had a major impact on the American Freedom of the Press, and is somewhat timely with the recent WikiLeaks scandal. 

THE SHAPE OF WATER – A cleaning crew (Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer)  stumbles into a top secret government study, eventually stealing the project to save it from the evil clutches of the government man (Michael Shannon) who would destroy it.

The special effects are amazing, and this certainly has to be one of the best designed films of the bunch. Unfortunately, I was turned off a tad bit by the outright sexual content that seemed to be added just to be added, which really didn’t advance the plot of the film in anyway. Some of the things would probably fly right over the head of some younger children. But, some would make for unavoidable conversations.

Doug Jones (Star Trek Discovery, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy) does it again! Andy Serkis is the most well known of the new generation of actors we don’t recognize because of they’re full covered in makeup or computer graphic effects. But, Jones is certainly up there with him in talent.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI – A mother’s frustration over a perceived lack of effort to find the killer of her daughter causes her to use three large billboards to publicly shame the town sheriff.

Writer Martin McDonagh penned a tight script, which revolved around the transformation of the two main characters, and in this circumstance wrote it with the lead actors in mind; a fact that explains why their performances fit like a glove.

Frances McDormand (Fargo, Moonrise Kingdom) showed us the pain of a mother losing a child in a most horrific way, and what lengths a person would go to have their frustrations heard.

Equally as pleasurable to watch was Sam Rockwell in what could be argued is his biggest role to date. It’s a shame both he and Woody Harrelson were nominated for Best Supporting Actor for their roles in Three Billboards because Rockwell’s character was more important to the plot. Harrelson was OK. But, his sheriff didn’t have nearly the screen time that Rockwell’s character did.

* * *

So what would have been my choice for Best Picture?

Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri

Granted it was a pretty gritty film. But, it was a well thought out journey for the main characters, with an ending that felt just right. While it might’ve leave some people wanting a sequel, I hope there isn’t one. It isn’t necessary. 

Previous entries:
And the Oscar Goes to… (2013 edition)
And the Oscar Goes to… (2014 edition)
And the Oscar Goes to… (2015 edition)
And the Oscar Goes to… (2016 edition)
And the Oscar Goes to… (2017 edition)

And the Oscar goes to… (2017 edition)

Here we are again. The annual blog entry with my thoughts on the Best Picture nominations at this year’s Academy Awards!

Please note that, with the exception of seeing Arrival in the theater, I watched all the films on either DVD or streaming as they became available so reviews were written over several months.

Comments are based on personal preferences, and don't take into account popularity at the box office.

So without further ado here are my thoughts on this year's Best Picture Nominations for the 2017 Academy Awards presentation.

ARRIVAL – Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is an eminent linguistics professor, who has been called upon in the past by the United States government. After classes are interrupted by the arrival of several ships from outer space, her life is turned upside down as she’s hired to try and communicate with the aliens.

Unlike many first contact type films, we are introduced to the aliens almost immediately, and a majority of the film deals with Banks and the other scientists trying to establish communications.

The big problem I had with this film was that is seemed physically muted and dark throughout. Apparently this was done intentionally. But, it made the film hard to  watch, especially the darkness even in scenes that would have been brightly lit otherwise.

The ending was rushed and unsatisfactory. It was as if they were going along then someone said they needed to wrap it up immediately. I was left with several burning questions that weren’t answered.

FENCES – Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) has a life where it seems everything is coming at home, and is in constant turmoil. He tries to get other people to see it his way by trying to explain it away.

Fences is a straight adaptation of the August Wilson play. Wilson also wrote the screenplay. Wilson’s screenplay is very rich, capturing every nuance from the play.

But, herein lies a problem. Most of what is seen on the screen are long scenes of dialog as one would see when going to a play. There were only a handful of times when there’s silence, allowing the viewer’s eye to soak in the situation.

Another issue is the camera seems to always be in motion. Even close-ups have an ever so slight movement which is noticeable and distracting once you notice it, and it’s not the case of it necessarily being handheld. It’s something along the lines of what Ken Burns introduced with The Civil War.

The ensemble cast was the best part of this film. Washington decided to reassemble the same cast who performed the play so many times on Broadway. They, along with newcomer Jovan Adepo (The Leftovers), brought performances that fit like a glove.

HACKSAW RIDGE – Like most American males, Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) wanted to due his duty, and signed up for the US Army. The issue for Doss was that his religion forbade his touching a gun and taking another life. Despite multiple challenges from his trainers he made it through Boot Camp and was assigned to the Pacific Theatre of War, and the Battle of Okinawa.

Garfield was a great choice for Doss, with his small stature and meek delivery. He was completely believable in the part.

I appreciated that the original screenplay concentrated on two parts; the challenges of Boot Camp, and then a two day period from Okinawa. Most war films want to come to a conclusion of the war. But, that would have watered down Doss’ amazing contributions, and the lives saved.

Special Effects were incredible, capturing the intense violence and gore of military combat. Bodies were ravaged with realistic intensity which might make some viewers queasy.

HELL OR HIGH WATER – Tanner and Toby Howard are a modern day cross between Bonnie & Clyde and Robin Hood. Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) is just a few days short of his retirement from the Texas Rangers, and would nothing more than to catch up with the unknown criminals before he has to turn in his badge.

The film starts out with a couple of robberies interspersed with some down time. Unfortunately, the down time is frequent, and quite slow.

Dialog between Ben Foster (Tanner) and Chris Pine (Tobey) is tight like you’d expect from a couple of brothers who took different paths in life. But, just didn’t make me sympathetic to what they were doing.

The stark New Mexico scenery is a great stand-in for west Texas, including the small towns. The brightness and clear blue sky exudes the feeling of a hot summer environment.

HIDDEN FIGURES – Three unassuming African American women battle stereo types and racial oppression to help send American astronauts into space.

When I first heard of this film, it looked cute, almost sappy like at times. But, I was pleasantly surprised.

The screenplay was based on the Margot Lee Shetterly non-fiction book of the same name, and it did a great job of creating an inspirational story, yet kept us balanced by not sugar-coating the terrible treatment of African-Americans by society of the time.

All three lead actresses (Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe) did not overplay their characters, following the balance in the screenplay.

Another thing worth mentioning is the soundtrack, which helped punch up certain scenes, which would have been so bland without the well chosen songs.

I would have liked to have seen a little more about Mary Jackson’s night courses, and any challenges she faced. But, ultimately that might’ve bogged the film down, which was already over two hours in the theatrical version.

 LA LA LAND – Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) both have dreams to make it big. After running into each other several times in one day they fall madly in love. The question is will their relationship strengthen their dreams, or dash them?

Every so often musicals seem to pop up in Hollywood, and then they do, they’re the talk of the town. They’re unique and so easily stand out.
I wish I could say I jumped on the La La Train too. But, I can’t. The opening ensemble number was great, and I was looked forward to what was about to come. Unfortunately, there weren’t nearly as many musical numbers as I’d expected. Several times the background music comes up hinting at a musical number, only to move on to something else.

And while I understand the ending, it was way too long, yet predictable.

LION – Saroo goes looking for work with his older brother. After nodding off he awakes and goes searching for his brother, to no avail. He then checks for him on a train, which ends up taking him to Calcutta, which is over 900 miles from home.

Lion is basically divided into three parts. The first part follows Saroo’s wandering Indian streets in hopes of finding his mother and brother. The second part covers his coming to his adoptive homeland of Australia and the new life it brings, and then the third his search to find where he was from, and the family he left behind.

Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, The Newsroom, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) gave yet another strong performance. But, the thing that drew me the most was young Sonny Pawar, who plays the young Saroo in his very first role. You are drawn in as he screams his brother’s name in vain.

Filming in the streets of Kolkata, and other parts of India, brought a raw look to the film which stood out from the other Best Picture nominees.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA – After the tragic loss of his brother, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) has his life turned upside down when he’s named the guardian of his nephew Patrick.

Over the next two plus hours the viewer is thrown back and forth between the present day and flashbacks from past relationships with his brother and ex-wife (Michelle Williams), and that’s pretty much it.
Just when it seems like issues are going to be resolved, the film is over, leaving the viewer to wonder if things actually worked out.

Affleck does a great job capturing the somber Lee, who has been dealt with a world of hurt over the past decade, or so.

The other gem of a performance is Lucas Hedges, as Lee’s nephew. The teen angst of unexpectedly losing a parent, and the confusion it creates for the young man work well against Affleck’s somber role.

What puzzles me is the nomination of Williams for Best Supporting Actress. Most of the nominees had pretty small contributions to their films so perhaps it was just a lean year. But, Williams had at best two scenes that were longer than 60 seconds, and one of those was basically nothing more than swearing on camera.

MOONLIGHT – From a young age Chiron felt something different. He would sneak subtle glances of other boys his age, which brought him bullying from classmates as well as his mother.

The best way to describe this film is as several vignettes that are strung together that the viewer follows along with Chiron as he meanders through life.

The most standout of the cast was Mahershala Ali (Crossing Jordan, Treme, House of Cards) as Juan. It’s a shame he was gone no more than a third of the way through the film. I would love to have seen more of the relationship between him and Chiron. He could best be described as an anti-hero, who was doing what he thought best for the young boy, and was obviously pained when confronted by Chiron over his drug sales.

* * *

So what would have been my choice for Best Picture?

Lion

This was probably the toughest year since I’ve started doing a Best Picture review. Despite any flaws mentioned above, most of the films left me entertained.

It came down to Hacksaw Ridge, Hidden Figures and Lion. All three films kept me interested from beginning to end. But, the exotic location, and the magnetic innocence of the Sonny Pawar is what through the balance.

Previous entries:
And the Oscar Goes to… (2013 edition)
And the Oscar Goes to… (2014 edition)
And the Oscar Goes to… (2015 edition)
And the Oscar Goes to… (2016 edition)

And the Oscar goes to… (2016 edition)

Here we are again. The annual blog entry with my thoughts on the Best Picture nominations at this year’s Academy Awards!

Please note that, with the exception of seeing The Revenant in the theater, I watched all the films on DVD as they became available so reviews were written over several months.

Comments are based on personal preferences, and don't take into account popularity at the box office.

So without further ado here are my thoughts on this year's Best Picture Nominations for the 2016 Academy Awards presentation.

THE BIG SHORT – in the first part of the 21st Century, a rogue investor named Dr. Michael Burry (Christian Bale) came up with a new idea to bet that the booming home mortgage would come crashing down. When things didn’t see to go as planned, a deeper analysis showed just how volatile the housing economy was, which eventually brought down some of world’s most prestigious financial institutions.

With it’s gritty language and occasional dialog where the characters talk directly to the viewer reminded me a lot of 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street.

A great ensemble cast transports me back to the ten years ago, when things were melting down. Particularly worth mentioning are Bale and Steve Carell, (Mark Baum).

At time, the language got to me. I realize it was part of probably part of the original novel and, no doubt, part of the high pressure investment banker environment. But, I got tired hearing it.

  BRIDGE OF SPIES – During the Cold War, the US thought they were untouchable. Butt, then Francis Gary Powers got shot down without taking himself with the plane. Luckily, they had a card up their sleeve with a Russian spy locked up. But, could publicly make a swap over something neither side acknowledged as happening?

Tom Hanks knocked out yet another  strong performance’'; this time as James B. Donovan. As a person with no political experience, he had to use his trial lawyer abilities to make things happen the way he wanted them to go. Hanks knew when to act like a fish out of water, while at other times a strong force driving the agenda.

For any history buff, this was a great film. It had the look and feel of the period it was set in. It did seem at times to be a bit slow, like a slowly boiling tea kettle.

   BROOKLYN –  In 1950s Ireland, a single girl, seeing no hope in her native homeland, is sponsored for emigration to America, where she flourishes in her new surroundings.

The movie is based upon the award winning 2009 novel of the same name, by Colm Tóibín.

Relative newcomer Saoirse Ronan gives a stellar performance as Ellis Lacey (pronounced A-lish). This was her first adult role, and she carried it off fantastically. Her seemingly always moody portrayal lasts throughout most of the film, where she’s challenged by those around her, thinking they know what’s best for her. But, there’s a believable glimmer of hope when things change for her.

Unfortunately, it had a relatively short running time, and left me wishing for more interaction with her family and the Americans who befriended her.

   MAD MAX: FURY ROAD – In a post-apocalyptic world rival bosses control the limited supplies. One person breaks ranks and tries to escape her bondage to find a better place. Along for the ride is Max, who was captured while wandering the wastelands.

Trying to capture lightning in a bottle twice, George Miller dusted off the Mad Max franchise. In the 31 years since Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was released there have been tremendous advances in movie making. Had they not have been, this film would’ve been simply an addition to the cult series.

What made this so popular was the virtual non-stop action filled with lots of explosions, extraordinary costumes and vehicles set in out of this world-looking environments, and a loud ear piercing sound track.

Deservedly so, it won most of the Oscar’s technical awards. But, any of the actors could’ve been replaced with others, and nobody wouldn’t been worse for wear. That’s saying a lot considering the main actors were Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.

Was this really Best Picture nomination worthy? No. While it was certainly entertaining, it was pretty much devoid of much of a plot, and was just a chase film from beginning to end.

   THE MARTIAN – A sudden storm during a manned mission to Mars sends the crew scrambling to escape before disaster happens. Unfortunately, during their departure one of them appears to have been killed.

The next morning astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) wakes up to find he is alone, with what’s left of their base camp in shambles. Through ingenuity he’s able to survive and even communicate with NASA, sending the organization into a race against time to rescue Watney before supplies run out.

The first trailers of this reminded me of a 1960s sci-fi flick, Robinson Crusoe on Mars and I expected most of it was going to be just Watney’s struggles. However, it had a fair balance of screen time from a good crop of supporting actors.

Jordan’s Wadi Rum, with it’s vast scenery and rust red sands, was a perfect stand-in for the Martian surface. 

  THE REVENANT – Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a frontiersman hired to guide a fur trapping expedition into the untamed wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. While guiding the group to a nearby fort, he is brutally savaged by a wild grizzly bear, and eventually left for dead by his the party.

This was a gorgeous film. There are plenty of shots which really didn’t do anything to add to the story; just art for art’s sake.

It’s probably not too far of a stretch to say this was DiCaprio’s most strenuous acting gig, and I’d probably say it might be his best role to date.

One thing that disappointed me was to come home and read about Glass, only to find out a good chunk of what was in the film was fabricated out of thin air. As long as that doesn’t bother anyone you should thoroughly enjoy this film.

I do have to warn everyone that if get sick at torture and mayhem, you might get really ill with the beginning where Glass is mauled by the bear. It may be the most graphic movie scene I’ve ever watched. The good news is that if you make it through the first half hour of the film, you’re probably going to make it through the rest.

   ROOM – An 11ft by 11ft room is the entire world for Ma (Brie Larson) and Jack (Jacob Tremblay) . While there’s a door and a skylight, those are windows to the World, a place they’re forbidden to go. Their only contact is Old Nick (Sean Bridges), the provider of everything they need.

This was Emma Donoghue’s first feature length script, and based upon her award-winning 2010 novel of the same name. I have a special place in my heart for screenplays which are penned by the author of the original work.

To be honest, I found this film slow. VERY SLOW! It took a good 20-30 minutes before we finally found out why they found themselves in this predicament. I expected it to pick up at that point. But, it really doesn’t. The latter of the film moves along just as slow.

Larson won this year’s Best Leading Actress Award. Her portrayal is fine for the role, and I haven’t seen the other nominees’ performances. But, it didn’t leave me dumbstruck. The real gem of this film was 9-yr-old Tremblay, who knew nothing of the real world. His innocence was believable, and I look forward to further things from him as he matures as an actor.

Rounding out the main cast were veterans William H. Macy and Joan Allen, as the parents. Great talent. But, anyone could have probably played these roles, and had just as much impact on the film.

The film wasn’t bad. But, was it really one of the best eight films from all of last year? Not so sure.

  SPOTLIGHT – In 2001 the Boston Globe’s special investigative unit, Spotlight, turns it’s attention on a sexual abuse case from several years prior. What first appears to surround one priest, eventually exploded into one of the most horrific scandals in American history, including the cover up to try and sweep it under the rug.

This is certainly one of the best films of the year, and can probably be said of the last decade. The richness and depth reminds me a lot of another investigative journalism movies, All the President’s Men.

It boils along slowly as the team uncovers fact after fact about the scandal, until they break things wide open in the blink of an eye.

A great ensemble cast, anchored by Mark Ruffalo (Mike Rezendes), kept me interested from beginning to end.

* * *

So what would have been my choice for Best Picture?

Spotlight

This was probably the easiest choice for me over the last four years since I started my post-Oscar reviews. Despite the creepy subject matter, it kept me interested from beginning to end without having some kind of flaw.

The only other film that did that was Mad Max: Fury Road. But, I just don’t consider that one Best Picture material because of the simplistic plot.

Previous entries:
And the Oscar Goes to… (2013 edition)
And the Oscar Goes to… (2014 edition)
And the Oscar Goes to… (2015 edition)

And the Oscar goes to… (2015 edition)

Here we are again. The annual blog entry with my thoughts on the Best Picture nominations at this year’s Academy Awards!

Please note that, with the exception of seeing The Imitation Game in the theater, I watched all the films on DVD as they became available through the Alameda County Library System, so reviews were written over several months.

Comments are based on personal preferences, and don't take into account popularity at the box office.

So without further ado here are my thoughts on this year's Best Picture Nominations for the 2015 Academy Awards presentation.

AMERICAN SNIPER – Chris Kyle, is arguably the most famous service man of our generation, and holds the unofficial sniper record for most kills in combat during his four tours of service in Iraq, as well as furthest successful shot.

Bradley Cooper (Nip/Tuck, Hangover series, Silver Linings Playbook) did an amazing job of Kyle as someone with ice water running through their veins (an important trait for a sniper)

Throughout the film, Kyle pretty much kept a cool demeanor no matter what he was doing, except for one brief incident after returning home, which was a pivotal point in the film.

Those who crave war action are richly rewarded, with it’s realistic combat scenes. Not quite to the constant level of Black Hawk Down. But, not a sleeper either. If anything I wish there had been more screen time dealt with Kyle’s life post-Iraq, especially his relationship with fellow veterans.

I applaud filmmaker Clint Eastwood for not actually showing Kyle’s murder at the very end; instead choosing to fade-to-black with words simply stating the fact on the screen. He then used silence during the closing credits, magnifying the solemn nature of that event.

What’s unfortunate is they chose not to mention the death of fellow veteran Chad LIttlefield during the same incident that claimed Kyle. While it doesn’t ruin the film, it absence wasn’t necessary, and it would have added all of 20 seconds to the film.

BIRDMAN – Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) is a veteran actor trying to break into Broadway with an original play, which he’s written, directs, and stars in. Unfortunately, it seems like he runs into roadblock after roadblock, including his biggest handicapped of the public knowing him best for playing a super hero named Birdman.

A varied stable of character actors (Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Amy Ryan, Andrea Riseborough) support Keaton in this endeavor. Unfortunately, none of the characters were likeable enough for me. Neither was Keaton’s character for that matter.

At times it was hard to figure what direction the film was taking, especially with the interjection of a gruff voice, which was supposed to be the Birdman character; first as a voice over, and then as a character on the screen.

I will give kudos to filmmaker Alejandro González Linarite (Babel, Biutiful), who decided to use a soundtrack made completely of a drum solo. The staccato injection of drum licks did add a grittiness to the film.

BOYHOOD – Boyhood follows the life of Mason (Ellar Coltrane), a young Texas boy, from youngster to his leaving for college, and the challenges he faces along the way.

While the plot may sound like an ordinary film, Boyhood is not. Filmmaker Richard Linklater (Fast Food Nation, School of Rock) came up with the idea of producing his film over twelve years, so that they could use the same young actors, rather than try and get several actors that may look similar.

While I applaud the outside the box thinking by Linklater, the movie was just so so. I felt like I was along for the ride, with no particular place to go.

Patricia Arquette (Olivia) certainly earned her Best Support Actress nomination, spending quite a bit of screen time setting up things to come.

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL – There is no greater goal in life than to be the lobby boy at one of the many posh European hotels. At least, that’s the feeling of Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) and his mentor Mr. Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes).

We travel along with Mr. Gustave and young Zero as they go about their daily lives, trying to survive military intrigue and those that would conspire to steal the hotel for their very own.

Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom) has another hit on his hands. The pacing is just right to keep the viewer interested, with costume and set design which draws the viewer into the film.

He was also blessed with a huge ensemble cast of some of the best actors in Hollywood and Europe.

THE IMITATION GAME – One of the most important events, which led to the Allied victory in World War II, was the British breaking of the “unbreakable” Enigma Code.

The Imitation Game depicts the efforts of a select group of individuals, led by the quirky Alan Touring, and the eventual downfall of Touring, after he was eventually outed for homosexuality in the 1950s.

Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a solid performance as Touring, eliciting feelings both of annoyance and sympathy for the character.

Set and costume design really brought the viewer into the era; especially Christopher, the machine which spins, clacks and pops on its way to solving the unsolvable Nazi code.

SELMA – Selma takes place during one of the seminal moments in American Race relations, and surrounds the famous march between Selma and Montgomery; a fifty mile stretch across the state of Alabama. The film is wrapped in the horrific brutality, which took place at that time, and which led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

David Oyelowo’s portrayal of Martin Luther King, Jr. is absolutely stunning. He casts off his British accent, and captures King’s mannerisms to a tee. Yes, his voice is perhaps a tad higher in pitch than King, but, his cadence is spot on.

Unfortunately Oyelowo’s performance is somewhat diminished by the film’s pacing. It starts out with a literal bang. But, then slows to a glacial pace for nearly half the film, when the first march attempt takes place nearly 50 minutes in.

Tom Wilkinson (Shakespeare in Love, Batman Begins, The Kennedys) delivers a rather adversarial performance as LBJ, painting the 36th president as more interested in his legacy than what that legacy actually contained. At time I was like, “wow” while at others it was more like “Hmm?”

The portrayal of Gov. George Wallace (Tim Roth) seems to blow in the wind. Sometimes he’s the racist that history paints him, while at times there seems to be an underlying spark of the futility of it all.

Interestingly, the theme song by John Legend and Common is only used at the very end. While the rap lyrics would have been misplaced taking place though out, the strong sound might have breathed some sorely needed pep into other places.

 THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING – Some world renowned scientists are not commonly know by people, and stay that way for their entire life. Not so for Stephen Hawking, whose theories have revolutionized the way people think of things.

This film could have done the typical thing and followed Hawkings accomplishments throughout his life. But, they decided to take a different path, which made it more compelling to me.

The Theory of Everything gives us a brief glimpse of Hawking’s life. But, mostly concentrates on the period from just prior to a simple slip and fall brought out a diagnoses of what came to be nicknamed Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

I particularly liked the way ToE concentrated on the human aspect of Hawking. Yes, they mention some of his theories. But, that was just a brief part of the film.

Eddie Redmayne gave a career-defining performance in the lead role. Playing famous people, especially living famous people, can be daunting. Throw in Hawking’s affliction, and it’s enough to challenge even the staunchest veteran actor.

WHIPLASH – Young Andrew (Miles Teller) has a dream in life. To be not just one of the best drummers, but the best drummer of all time. Standing in his way is instructor Terence Fletcher (played by fellow UM alumni T.K. Simmons. GO GRIZ!!) who seems to be part nurturer and part Marine Corp drill instructor, with little warning of which one is going to show up at any time.

Simmons may have only been the supporting actor. But, he stole the show. It’s a far distance from the Farmer’s Insurance guy, which many people, including Teller, only knew him as.

This one has a twisty-turny plotline that had me saying “WOAH!” several times. Just when I thought things were going one way, the film took me in a totally different direction.

There are a handful of slow times in the film, which just don’t stand up to the other 90%. Fortunately, the music is where it’s at, and you can’t help but watch the screen wondering what’s coming next.

* * *

So what would have been my choice for Best Picture?

The Grand Budapest Hotel

This year’s choice much harder than the last two times I made my choice for Best Picture. Three films really stood out, American Sniper, Whiplash and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The latter won out because of its amazing cast, pacing that constantly moved the story along, the surreal colors in costume and set design, as well as the “feel good” feeling it left me with once the film was over.

As a side note, I don’t normally mention films that were not nominated. But, I can’t write this without mentioning The Judge, with Robert Duvall and and Robert Downey, Jr. It could have beat out any of the other films nominated, included Birdman; which actually won the award.

Previous entries:
And the Oscar Goes to… (2013 edition)
And the Oscar Goes to… (2014 edition)

And the Oscar goes to… (2014 edition)

Last November I wrote a blog entry with mini-reviews for the 2013 Oscar Awards.

It was an interesting exercise, so I decided to do it again.

I watched as DVDs became available through the Alameda County Library System so reviews were written over a couple months, not immediately back-to-back.

Comments are based on personal preferences, and don't take into account popularity at the box office.

So without further ado here are my thoughts on this year's Best Picture Nominations for the 2014 Academy Awards presentation.

AMERICAN HUSTLE – American Hustle is a visit to the recent past where hair styles were bigger, clothes were gaudy and music was still psychedelic.

Throughout watching the film I had to keep asking myself exactly who was conning whom? Just when you thought things were going one way, it took a left turn and went another.

Character development was intricate, with the main ones having many layers like an onion. I never really felt sorry for any of them. But, it was like a train wreck coming on, you wanted to keep watching.

The strongest character was probably Sydney (Amy Adams). Vulnerable at times, she knew how to control men when she needed to and it was intriguing watching her spin her web.

It's easy to see how American Hustle garnered Oscar nominations in all the Big Five categories, plus five others.

Though the screenplay is clearly fictional, it really works because it liberally borrows from actual events; the ABSCAM scandal.

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS – Captain Phillips takes us on the five day piracy epic of the MV Maersk Alabama cargo ship in November 2009.

Tom Hanks portrays Capt. Richard Phillips, the commander of the ill-fated cargo vessel. His demeanor was pretty much an even keel all the way through as if he was trying to diffuse the situation as best he could.

Producers took a gamble in casting four native Somali expats, who never acted before. This could have been disastrous. But, they carried it off very well. Being naturally gaunt, and looking like they were constantly hopped up on qat, and their characters were more interesting than Hanks'.

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB – In the early days of the AIDS crisis, people scrambled to find anything that might help to put off the inevitable.

Ron Woodruff (Matthew McConaughey) was a blue color worker and part-time bull rider who contracts AIDS through unprotected sex.

We follow Woodruff as he turned a quick buck scheme into something that prolonged lives and his transformation from borderline homophobe to civil activist.

Yet another amazing acting job by McConaughey, proving he's one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood.

I appreciated that director Jean-Marc Vallée chose not to stereotype the Dallas transvestite community, and explore their human side in supporting characters, such as Rayon (Jared Leto).

GRAVITY – Nothing is peaceful than floating 600km above the surface of the Earth in the vacuum of space.

One minute Mission Specialist Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is fixing a problematic satellite taking in the view; the next she's whirling out of control after a close encounter with space junk demolishes the space shuttle.

George Clooney and Bullock received equal billing in promos for Gravity. But, make no mistake; this was Bullock's film. Clooney's screen time was minimal at best.

An interesting tactic used was to constantly keep the camera moving for most of the film. This movement, even so slight, added to the ultra-realistic effects, gave me feeling as if this was actually shot in outer space.

After several minutes of Bullock hyperventilating and tumbling through space I began to wonder if that was all we were going to see. Fortunately, they moved the plot along in different ways.

They packed about three hours of events into the film's 93 minute running time, so we were kept on the edge of our seat for most of it.

HER – A guy breaks up with his live-in girlfriend, and then relies on his computer's rather unique operating system for companionship.

Her is probably the strangest of this year's Best Picture nominees.

It's effectively a total of two hours-worth of conversations between Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) and Samantha (Scarlett Johansson); the body-less voice of his computer's operating system.

Phoenix sure has come along way since his 1986 debut in SpaceCamp, and Theodore must've been his hardest role yet because he had to effectively talk to the air as if he's interacting with a real person that's not visible.

Johansson had the luxury of showing up to a sound booth to record her lines and it wouldn't surprise me if she never set foot on the set.

Though the pacing of the film was slow most of the time, my biggest problem was the extreme foul language used when it just wasn't necessary. This included Writer/Director Spike Jonze in a cameo where his character excels at swearing and flipping the viewer off.

NEBRASKA – Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) won $1,000,000! At least that's what Woody thinks, and despite his failing health he's willing to walk a thousand miles to collect; much to the consternation of his immediate family.

Woody's son David (Will Forte) finally relents to drive his father the 850 miles to Lincoln, Nebraska to collect what's due him.

Along the way they visit Hawthorne, where Woody grew up, and where it seems like nothing has changed.

Nebraska is one of those films absolutely loved by  film festival goers, which I could never really get into.

It's thankfully short, yet it seems to drag on as if it were twice as long. Compounding that problem was the choice to film it in black and white.

Director Alexander Payne chose to use B&W because he always wanted to shoot a film in that medium, and because he felt this movie should be done that way.

To me, the choice didn't add anything which a grainy effect wouldn't have to a color film. Supposedly, they also produced a color version. But, that was never released. It would be interesting to compare the two some day.

On a positive side, the give and take between Dern and Forte was great, and kept me from dozing off.

Anybody who has had a grandparent who religiously pestered them to fill out PCH sweepstakes forms year after year will sympathize with David as he tries to dissuade his father every chance he gets before finally throwing his hands up in defeat.

PHILOMENA – Philomena has kept a deep secret for 50 years. So deep, that she hadn't even shared it with her daughter.

Her daughter, after learning of her older brother, connects mom up with former BBC reporter Martin Sixsmith, who accompanies her on her real life journey to be reunited with her son, forcefully given up for adoption so long ago.

This film was an absolute gem. It's 97 minute running time is packed with detail that moves the story along, keeping the viewer's interest.

Judi Dench, best known to American audiences as M, in the James Bond franchise, was absolutely astounding. What's particular fascinating are the scenes where there is no dialog and her facial expressions were enough for the moment.

Steve Coogan took a step out of his comedic comfort zone to play a very serious Sixsmith. Not only was Coogan the lead actor. But, he also had his hands in writing the screenplay and film production.

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET – Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) had an amazing gift at being able to sell things.

Unfortunately, while working on Wall Street, he met a smooth talking mentor who showed him how to not take no for an answer.

After his firm was dissolved in the 1987 stock market crash, he took a job in the relatively unregulated penny stock world, building a fortune in a short time, and bringing him under the microscope of the FBI.

This film starts out like a race horse firing out of the gate. It tries to hook your attention with lots of flash and dash like one of those 1980s investment infomercials.

Unfortunately, it doesn't keep that pace and there are some dead times where you begin to lose interest. Frankly, it's just too long, with a running time of three hours.

The ensemble of supporting actors brings variety to the screen. But, this film is all about Belfort, and when DiCaprio is off his mark, it fails.

12 YEARS A SLAVE – As a Free Man of Color in the North, Solomon Northup stood out amongst his fellow residents of Hebron, New York.

In 1841 he was introduced to two men who were interested in hiring him for his skills with the violin.

However, Northup soon woke up in a foggy state, his fancy suit replaced by the chains of a slave.

12 Years A Slave follows his tribulations while living as a slave in the southern plantation system, and his eventually freedom and reunification with his family.

This film was both wonderful and horrific at the same time. Wonderful in that it's beautifully photographed and meticulously written. Horrific in that some of the attention to details might cause most people to become sick to their stomachs.

It's a fact that slaves were whipped. This has been shown many times before in movies. But, the makeup effects portrayed the results of whipping at a level I've never seen before in a movie.

Another issue some might have is the usage of the N word. I know of several people who refused to see the movie because it was used at all. Had they watched it, they would have probably left the theater within the first 20 minutes.

Screenwriter John Ridley wrote a script which seemed like a compilation of several vignettes, rather than one single story. At times it switched from one to the next rather abruptly.

* * *

So what would have been my choice for Best Picture?

Philomena

A real gem. Acting was not over the top, and melded kept us interested with several twists and turns along the way.

While some events may have been enhanced by creative license, it was done to move the plot along. This was probably the closest to what really happened compared to the other films based on real life events.