It’s been a little while since I did this in the “year of the movie” sequence of posts. This year, last minute, I realized how much fun I had when I did that. I thought that even with only two weeks ago, I could make a push through all the “Best Picture” nominees. I did. The Academy Awards show is already on my TV as I write this, so I’ll keep it short, because I want to publish my predictions before the winners are realized. Chris Rock and Steve Martin are killing the opening jokes. And so, I’ve seen every one and I will only make a prediction on Best Picture, with caveat that I was not able to see Parasite. A brief comment, and a selection and that’s it this time around…

Not a racing fan, per se, but I’ve had my experience at Watkins Glen when I was young. This movie capture the sound and feel better than anything ive ever seen on any screen. It felt real, it had a good rendition of a real story, and in the end, I loved the movie. Production and cinematography was great. The acting was good, especially from Christian Bale.

 

 

Powerful. A cast of who’s who in acting. I see why it was nominated. Especially Al for Hoffa. I had two problems with it. It needed to be edited down. Sometimes a great movie needs the length, but this one suffered a little from it. Having these great men play their characters as young men was distracting and ineffectual. I applaud the attempt, but in the end it took away from it.

 

 

Wow, what a unique pick. I watched this one today so it is fresh. How do you put Hitler and anti-semitism in a movie, deliver a message, and laughs to go along with it? Here it is, and it deserves to be here. “F-OFF Hitler!”

 

 

I have never been much of a fan of DC movies. I think the majority of them are just bad. There are some exceptions – and this movie is at the top of them all in terms of depiction of mental illness, blow your mind acting, and suspension of disbelief in a super-hero universe. I had low expectations and was bowled over by Joker.

 

 

I read Little Women in high school – because we had to for one of my english classes. That was a very long time ago, and I didn’t have the near appreciation for good writing that I do now (or even a few years later in college). My wife has a better memory of it than I do, and she couldn’t wait to see this movie. I was truly impressed at how immersive it was, and the writing that carried from the book into the spoken word. I think there were a couple of opportunities to deliver a more emotional punch around a central point in the movie that was in the book, and left out of the movie, and so therein lies a noticeable imperfection.

 

 

Ok I’ll be honest, I hated this movie. Misnomered – probably to get people to watch it, because whose going to watch the real name: Divorce Story.  The acting is good, but not great. There are actors I would have picked from other movies before Adam Driver for sure. The story feels very real – and since I’ve been through a contentious divorce, it made me sick and angry. A well done movie then, yes – but there was too much whitewash in the end – so I don’t feel it belongs here at all.

 

 

An incredible movie from beginning to end. A great story. Intense. Hours went by, most on the edge of my seat, and I didn’t notice the time pass. I did not have the time to dig deep and verify the historical accuracy of its details – but it made me want to. Great acting and cinematography. It has it all.

 

 

I knew the story of Sharon Tate. As I watched Taratino’s the fictional story spin up in style and powerful acting, set and surrounded by real Hollywood places and people of the late 60’s I leaned more and more into the film, wondering where fiction might meet reality. Tartantino re-wrote it in his patented way and like nearly all of his films, shocks you with that one mind blowing scene intensity. Fantastic Film. Admittedly, I’m a Taratino fan, and both DiCaprio and Pitt were pretty incredible.

 

 

I didn’t see it. Not by intent… I just ran out of time. If it wins, my bad – I will see it post show.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed reading this, and get the chance to see all these good films. What did you choose?