Oscars 2015: Part 1

Whenever the holidays roll past us, my heart begins beating a little bit faster.  Not because I have a whole new set of sweaters gifted from Christmas, or because I beat out the other resolution-ers at the gym for the elliptical nearest the E! channel television.  But because, it's officially Awards Season!  As an avid movie fanatic, it's my absolute favorite time of year.

The Golden Globes are already over, and they were a wonderful pre-cursure to knowing all of the movies that should be at the top of your must-see list this year.  And now, drum roll please, the nominations have been announced for the king of all award shows: The Oscars!  If you're anything like me, all you're seeing right now is gold and red.  Take a moment to allow your heart rate to slow back to normal.  I've been glued to the Academy Awards from a very young age.  In fact, the red carpet was my entry into the world of fashion.  Growing up in the midwest before the dawn of the internet, high fashion was not accessible to me.  That is, until the red carpet came around each year.  It was the one and only time that high fashion was broadcast out of my giant tube television.  True story: before I moved to New York thirteen years ago I thought "Chanel" was pronounced "Channel", after only having read it to myself in Vogue magazines at my mother's hair salon.  Embarrassing, but true.  Anyway, I digress... This year the Oscar nominations list can be summed up with a total of 15 films to round out all major categories, with the exception of Best Animated Film.  The list is as follows:

Each year I try to see as many of the movies as I possibly can, and so far this year I'm doing pretty well.  We have until the end of February to get that list checked off completely, so let's get to the theaters people!  If you'd like to hear my two cents on each of the films, keep reading as I break down my thoughts and opinions of the nominated films.  This is Part One of my Oscar Nominated Reviews.  Let me know what you think about what I have to say on twitter @ChChChCheckIt.

The Imitation Game

My personal favorite of 2014, The Imitation Game was a masterpiece in all aspects.  It was equal parts visually beautiful, interesting, educational, funny, poignant, and heart-wrenching.  Similar to Argo, as a true story held from the public knowledge, this biography is about the brilliant Alan Turing basically winning the war against the Nazis single-handedly and is worth seeing for everyone.  Benedict Cumberbatch (spell check, please?) is an amazing actor, and this film spotlight his immense talent wonderfully.  The added spotlight of injustice against LGBT people throughout history is also very important, especially in the current climate surrounding marriage equality.  This film would be by personal vote for Best Picture, if I were a member of the Academy.  Sigh, some day...









Birdman

If you were to see only one movie in the Best Picture category list this year, Birdman should be it.  The acclaim behind this film is strong, and for good reason.  This movie was wild and thoughtful, funny and a little weird, and stunningly well-made.  Most of the film is shot in long extended takes, with virtually no visible cuts between scenes, making it feel like a theater performance.  I found the meta aspects of the story to be incredibly clever. Michael Keaton plays a washed up actor looking for a fresh start after starring long ago in the first-ever super hero movie series Batman Birdman.  Plus any New Yorker familiar with Times Square and the theater district will be able to place the exact location of almost every scene in the film, something I quite loved doing.  It's worth mentioning that Emma Stone was beyond amazing in this movie, truly deserving of her Best Supporting Actress nomination.  She basically needs to be acknowledged as as American Treasure right now and have her face put on dollar coins or something.  Sorry Sacagawea, see Birdman and you'll understand.




Foxcatcher

Take a drink anytime someone uses the phrase "physical transformation" when discussing this movie.  A nominee for Best Picture at the Golden Globes, Foxcatcher was understandably left off this list for the Academy Awards.  It's the slowest moving movie of this season, and dragged on longer than anything I've seen in recent memory.  If Channing Tatum wasn't rolling around in skintight spandex for half of the movie, I don't think I would have gotten through it.  However, Steve Carell's performance was worthy of the acting nomination because, you guessed it, of his incredible physical transformation into weirdo billionaire John du Pont.  If you love being simultaneously bored yet super creeped out put this movie to the top of your list, otherwise I would skip it.








The Grand Budapest Hotel

Easily the most charming film on the Oscars list, I absolutely loved watching the quirky misadventures that escalated within The Grand Budapest Hotel.  I've always loved Wes Anderson.  His style is artistic and unique and I'm left delighted and entertained after each of his movies.  His newest selection did not disappoint, and was one of his better films in recent years.  My favorite aspect was his use of cropping select scenes into a square, a very smart decision considering our current Instagram-centric society.  Although most of the characters lacked any kind of development and at times it felt more like peering into a Wes Anderson dollhouse rather than any kind of a real story, the stunning visuals and smart humor more than made up for it..  The story of this wondrous hotel and it's occupants was fun, and at times moving, and I quite enjoyed being along for the ride.






Selma

Selma was incredibly powerful and is absolutely a must-see for every single person today.  This dramatic re-telling of monumental moments in the life of Martin Luther King Jr. focused on his massive achievements rather than his untimely death.  I must admit, before seeing this movie I was fairly undereducated on the specific details of his fight for civil rights, and I am so happy that I now have a better understanding of exactly what happened.  The story is absolutely heart breaking and makes you want to scream at the injustices.  One woman behind me actually was shouting loudly throughout many of the most difficult scenes. (Thank you, New York.)  Most importantly, it blows my mind that this was only a few short decades ago, and gives me hope for our future and how far we can go in such a short time.  Martin Luther King Jr was truly a hero for all mankind, and I'm so pleased that this movie is receiving the well-deserved recognition that it is.  Also: Oprah.






Wild

I adore Reese Witherspoon.  Is there anyone cuter than she is?  Probably not.  One of my favorite facts that I've learned about her is that when she reads a new book that she loves, she immediately buys the movie rights for it.  This happened with Gone Girl (another film on the Oscars list this year) and also with Wild, a film which she starred as self-destructive author Cheryl Strayed.  Admittedly I'm a bit of a mama's boy, so I was very moved by the underlying story of the deep relationship between Cheryl and her mother, played by fellow Oscar nominee Ellie Sattler Laura Dern.  Cheryl's journey as a long distance hiker was inspiring, and made me want to start up hiking as a hobby, but only for a minute.  Have you been to an REI? It's way intense.  I think I'll just stick with watching the film, over living it.  If nothing else go for the vivid scenery and stay for the uplifting quotes left in journals along the Pacific Crest Trail.





Into The Woods

If the Academy Awards happen and Meryl Streep isn't nominated, can it really be called the Oscars?  The name Meryl Streep, or Meryl if you're best friends like I am in all my wildest dreams, has become synonymous with unparalleled talent.  How many nominations has she received in her career?  Approximately seventeen. Thousand.  There is no one else in the game quite like Meryl.  This year she wowed everyone with her ridiculous singing voice, because why wouldn't she be able to sing better than anyone else?  Into The Woods was a fun and light hearted movie, which tapped into my love of musical theater.  My midwest family who I saw it with didn't necessarily appreciate it as much as I did, but everyone's tastes are different.  Maybe they needed an intermission break, as if it were on Broadway.  But whether you pause for a break or not, Anna Kenrick is still charming, Johnny Depp wants to eat you, multiple dashing princes dance around in a babbling brook, and Meryl Streep slays everything around her.  But why would you expect anything less from the queen of the silver screen?