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| Peppy Miller in' The Artist ' getting the all star treatment Imbd page here |
I watched A LOT of films last weekend. Something about the Oscar buzz got my film buff out and I went pretty crazy watching films back to back ( all of them which have either won an oscar or have been nominated ) Its been somewhat of a tradition of mine to watch the best picture that wins every year and the latest Oscar awards reminded me that there was a new one to be watched this year. Let me start off by just saying that I am crazy about movies. Like most other avid film watchers, it's all about escapism. I like to disconnect from the world and get completely lost in a movie. The more emotion or tears involved the better, I live for drama and movement even outside of the decorating world!
The Shape of Water
* * * * *
Everybody is talking about this film with good reason because it's incredible.
The Artist
* * * *
It takes a lot to recreate bygone eras authentically in order to eschew the corniness that's inevitable if you get it wrong. Without a doubt, The Artist achieved credibility in this movie right down to the fact that it's a silent one. At first, it was challenging as a viewer because of my information hungry mindset which speaks volumes about the day and age we're living in, but I soon discovered that words weren't essential to the film at all. The message is carried through by the simple story line proving complexity is absolutely un-essential in making impact. Because it's a silent film, facial expressions and show of emotion was highly dramatised which I particularly enjoyed. Action must speak louder than words since there's an absence of them altogether.
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
* * * and a half
The first thing I thought of when Frances McDormand accepted her award as best actress was that in some ways, this role was meant for her. It was the unbridled and ecstatic version of who she was so no wonder she was the standout in this film. Her thank you speech revealed a lot about herself. She had a manic energy about her, a woman who's always been irreverent and genuine in who she was. I loved watching her character and thought she was hilarious at certain parts of the movie as well. Un-apologetic, scathing, threatening... but also kind, vulnerable and hurt proving that she was just as much of a victim as a perpetrator. A deeply interesting and thought provoking investigation on the real effects of taking the law into your own hands.
Moonlight
* * * and a half
It's hard to mention this movie without referencing the embarrassing and totally out there reception it received at last years Oscars. In reality, it had won the best picture for the year but the award was mistakenly given to La La land which had to be revoked live in front of millions. I gotta be real, La la land is one of the most hyped up, over rated films in recent years and if you ask me it's not only hard to watch but downright annoying in certain parts.
Moonlight once again put the spotlight back on minorities. It's finally time for the victimised and marginalised to be heard and taken into account. Moonlight affected me because the ending was real. In many ways, there was no ending but rather a hint at the perennial struggle that continues even after racial and/or sexual discrimination end in a persons life. Chiron's reality is one that people living in the real world share and movies like this bring us back down to earth to remind that there's still so much work to be done.
I, Tonya
* * * *
It really does seem like every single movie I watch with a strong female lead ends the same way. In utter shit. Without going into more in fear of spoiling it for you, I will say that the ending didn't surprise me. Margot Robbie seems to be killing it in every role she's been offered and so far, there's not a typecast in sight. The cinematography is ace and I also particularly enjoyed some of the arty ways they framed their shots. Watching her grow up in a broken family as well as being the under dog in society made her rise to fame and success all the more sweeter.
Birdman
* *
I'm not sure if I should even include this since I stopped watching about twenty minutes in. The reason was pretty simple, it was unbearably pretentious. I like a good pretentious movie, not an actual pretentious one. The way the characters spoke, interacted and reacted to each other was so sped up it felt like a dialogue between Rory and her mum in Gilmore Girls and on top of that, you felt excluded from the story. It wasn't a movie that was made for entertainment purposes nor was its make supposed to be geared towards us as an audience. This was truly one of those films where the director had the reign and they took it full frontal. But who would ever say no to an offer of complete creative direction? I guess this is to be expected.
Visually, this movie got five stars for me. That slow, balmy summer lifestyle was depicted on point in Call me by your name. Think old country estates with tapestries on the walls and ice cold salt water pools. I love films like this and I dub them as 'leisure films' because the entire story line is centered around leisure. Having time and money to be able to idle and enjoy life in a slow and restful way. Time and space to delve into one self ( or each other ) and time and space to concentrate on what matters to you. Work and the daily grind are a non issue here.
I watched this as a means of fantasy more than anything else. The story was touching and deeply felt which I know many people will agree with me on, but something about it just failed to really grasp at my heart strings or to leave a lasting impression ( to be fair, after The shape of water things aren't the same anymore ) I thought the ending was very realistic which I liked but at the same time, I forgot the movie quite quickly and automatically slotted it into my 'leisure' films category, rather than 'unforgettable' films category
Have you guys seen any of these movies? Which ones were your favourites?
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