Awards season is always a very exciting time, but to be honest, I don’t typically watch the Oscars for the movies. I watch for clothes. As shallow as that may be, I am sure some of you agree with me. Oscar nominations are usually for movies that I find just a little odd. But, if you plan to watch the Oscars simply in hopes of spotting celebs in all their glamour, you might as well know something about the films being featured this year. At least we can sound like the smart, cultured women we are!
So, let’s discuss the nominations for best picture. After expanding the category to allow for up to ten nominations, The Academy surprisingly only selected eight films this year, excluding hit movies (WHY?). I feel like they are upsetting mainstream moviegoers, aka chick flick lovers like me, but oh well. We will still watch for the clothes.
American Sniper: Directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, the film was nominated for 6 awards overall, but received really mixed reviews. Let’s be honest, most people probably saw this movie for Bradley Cooper and Clint Eastwood. While the film delivers a compelling and complex story of a man, it does so in a romanticized, Hollywood way. And don’t even get me started on that fake baby…
Imitation Game: Again, this one was all about the cast. Who doesn’t want to see Keira Knightley (go feminism! – if you saw the movie you know what I’m talking about) and Benedict Cumberbatch on the big screen? This film wonderfully portrays the story of a brilliant war hero during World War II. The movie is most noteworthy for Cumberbatch’s remarkable performance, for which he received a nomination for Best Actor.
Birdman: Let me preface this by saying this movie was thoroughly confusing. A washed-up actor tormented by his famous superhero movie role, Birdman, from decades earlier tries his hand at writing and directing a Broadway play. He to life a short story by Raymond Carver, and a mess ensues. This sounds cool, and I really wanted to see the movie, but it too gets mixed reviews.
Selma: Selma, a movie that feels very relevant in light of current events, supposedly barely made the cut. The film wonderfully portrays the two sides of King’s life as not only a leader and a hero, but also a philandering husband.
Boyhood: This movie is the predicted winner of many critics, and is coming off a recent Golden Globes win. The film was impressively filmed over the course of 12 years using the same cast to literally depict the story of growing up, putting a new perspective on the coming of age story. This is cool guys, go see it! Yes, I actually like a movie for real!
The Theory of Everything: Shout out to Eddie Redmayne for being a great Steven Hawking. Seriously though, conveying his disorder in a compelling, sensitive, and respectful manner could not have been easy, and he did an amazing job. Overall though, this movie wouldn’t have been on my top eight list.
The Grand Budapest Hotel: This movie was really weird. Not bad, just so strange. Who comes up with these things, and who really enjoys watching them? Apparently, a lot of people who I clearly do not understand. It is a very creative story and won a Golden Globe for best comedy, so at least it has that going for it.
Whiplash: If you are really into music this might be the movie for you. This drama delves deep into the world of competitive music, exposing the relationship between student and teacher. While it may not sound intense, trust me, it is.