Written PostOscars 2016

Oscars 2016

I always enjoy watching the Oscars every year, though I don’t waste too much mental energy caring about what movies actually win the awards.  If I did I’d be frustrated beyond measure.  My favorite movies of any given year are usually quite different than those that are nominated for and/or win Academy Awards, and I am comfortable with that.  But I do still usually quite enjoy watching the Oscar show.  With a funny, lively host, the Oscar telecast can be very entertaining, and I can certainly think of far less enjoyable diversions than three hours focused on movies.

This year’s Best Picture nominees are:

The Big Short — I really loved this film, a funny and heartbreaking look at the 2008 financial collapse.  Writer/director Adam McKay figured out an enormously creative, lively way to bring this potentially dry subject matter to life, and he assembled a phenomenal cast to do so.  Click here for my full review.

Bridge of Spies — This might not be one of Steven Spielberg’s best films, but that doesn’t make it any less terrific.  The whole cast is great, and the film is anchored by outstanding lead performances from Tom Hands and the remarkable Mark Rylance as Russian spy Rudolph Abel.  The film also has a message that is critically important in this day and age: emphasizing that what makes America great is the sacredness of the rule of law, and our upholding of the rights that all men and women deserve.  Click here for my full review.

Brooklyn — I only just recently saw this film, but I’m so glad I did.  I adored this small, sweet film that tells the story of a young immigrant to the United States caught between her old home and her new one.  I love that this film champions the value of immigration, and holds a spotlight on the courage of these young men and women, so many of whom were so important in building the country that we have today.  Saoirse Ronan is magnificent in the lead role, an acting home run.  Click here for my full review.

Mad Max: Fury Road — This was my favorite movie of 2015 so holy cow, I can’t believe this batshit crazy action movie has been nominated for Best Picture.  But good lord does it deserve it.  Fury Road is extraordinary from the first frame to the last, a master class in how to create and develop rich characters through propulsive action.  The film is jam-packed with unbelievable action sequences that had my jaw on the floor, while all the while cleverly taking the very male-centric elements (car-based action) to tell a very female-centric story.  Charlize Theron’s fierce work as Furiosa is instantly iconic, one of the very best performances of this or any year.  Click here for my full review.

The Martian Another 2015 film that I deeply loved, The Martian is hugely entertaining, telling a riveting sci-fi story brought to life with a deep, phenomenal cast under the guidance of Ridley Scott’s extraordinary eye for visuals.  Matt Damon knocks it out of the park in the lead role of astronaut Mark Watney, abandoned all alone on Mars.  Drew Goddard’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s spectacular book is note perfect — this is one of the best adaptations I have seen in recent memory.  And on top of all of that, the film has a deeply important message about the importance of intelligence and science.  Click here for my full review.

The Revenant — This is the only 2015 Best Picture nominee that I disliked.  While I deeply respect the extraordinary film-making on display, the film is so successful at putting the audience right in the middle of the horrific experience suffered by Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) that I found it to be enormously unpleasant to sit through.  Oh well.  I did love Birdman, though!!  Click here for my full review.

Room — This is the only 2015 Best Picture nominee that I haven’t yet seen.  I hope to get to watch it soon.

Spotlight — Another terrifically entertaining and important film.  A spectacular cast brings this tragic true story to life with riveting energy.  Written and directed by Tom McCarthy, the film demonstrates an impressive clarity of story-telling, bringing a complicated tale to the screen in a fashion that makes it easy for an audience to follow.  The film’s emphasis on the importance of long-term newspaper investigative reporting is a deeply important message for today.

I’m impressed by how many of this year’s Best Picture nominees were on my own Best Films of 2015 list!

Click here for part one of my list, numbers twenty through sixteen.

Click here for part two of my list, numbers fifteen through eleven.

Click here for part three of my list, numbers ten through six.

Click here for part four of my list, numbers five through one.

Let’s hope this year’s Oscar telecast is fun!  With Chris Rock as the host I have high hopes.

See you all back here on Monday!