About those "Best Picture" movies ...
It was a Monday morning, the last week in January, when I decided to see every "Best Picture" nominated film in the 2018 Academy Awards.
It took until March 4 to get that done. I only wanted to attend the movies during daytime hours, and that's pretty easy because the Davenport theatres are about 10 minutes from my home. But the showings disappeared for a few weeks, and that made the project harder. I saw "Dunkirk" and "Get Out" on Blueray discs at home; the other films were at Cinemark, Davenport, and I saw "Phantom Thread" at Regal Cinemas, Moline. Impressions, now that the Oscars are over:
Overall, there were two coming-of-age films among the nominees; "Call Me By Your Name" involved a teen-age boy; "Ladybird" a teen-age girl. In addition, two of the films concerned 1940, in British history: "Darkest Hour," and "Dunkirk." Curiously, we did not have a riveting World War 1 movie in the mix this year; this is the 100th anniversary of the "War to end all wars."
1. "Call Me By Your Name;" Tastefully done, and as a bonus, it showed the grand majesty of northern Italy. What made me understand this film better was a fine soliloquy by actor Michael Stuhlberg, who played the father of the teen boy, Elio, Best Actor nominee Timothee Chalamet. The teen's love interest, Oliver, had left Italy, and he was devastated. But his father spoke movingly of first love to his son ... To experience a first love is precious, in any form, he said.
2. "Darkest Hour;" A real acting coup for Gary Oldham, who played Winston Churchill. I saw this film last; it might have been better to see this one first, and "Dunkirk" second. Both films were about the same time in British history, and do explain the beginning of World War II more fully to us Yanks.
3. "Dunkirk;" One of those vast, affecting war films. I am always impressed by how British Army officers are played in movies, and the raw courage on the part of regular folks, like the hundreds of "just folks" who rescued the British Army in this film. It reminded me of another classic World War II film, "Bridge on the River Kwai," reflected in Dunkirk's Commander Bolton, played by Kenneth Branagh.
4. "Get Out;" Jordan Peele's fine horror film that could have picked off the "Best Picture" win last night. What this film has to say about race relations, in the context of absolute horror, is beyond what I could explain. It is gratifying to know this film is becoming a classic in the genre.
5. "Lady Bird;" from female director Greta Gerwig. I loved this film and wished I could have seen it with my daughter. Suffice to say it is effective, true-to-life and telling with two terrific performances, from Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, both Oscar nominees.
6. "Phantom Thread" is the second art movie I've seen with Daniel Day-Lewis (the other was "My Left Foot.") I thought the music in this film was outstanding, and the movie was truly beautiful, with just a bit of evil involved to provide the spice. The original score was by Jonny Greenwood, he of Radiohead.
7. "The Post" left this life-long journalist cheering and crying. This, folks, is why newspaper journalists work long hours with relatively low pay, passionately trying to right the wrongs of a democratic government and stand up for the public, the citizens, who are entitled to know the truth of how tax money is spent. Meryl Streep is this country's best actress.
8. "The Shape of Water" won the Best Picture award last night, and had the most nominations. I enjoyed this movie, too, but the bad guy, played by Michael Shannon, used a type of electrified cattle prod in his work, and I had to cover my eyes in those parts of the film. That's on me. It's a triumph for director Guillermo del Toro.
9. "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" was my personal pick for Best Picture, probably because I could identify with Frances McDormand, who played Mildred, mother of the slain girl. But all actors did very well in this film, and I do feel it, overall, was best this year.
It took until March 4 to get that done. I only wanted to attend the movies during daytime hours, and that's pretty easy because the Davenport theatres are about 10 minutes from my home. But the showings disappeared for a few weeks, and that made the project harder. I saw "Dunkirk" and "Get Out" on Blueray discs at home; the other films were at Cinemark, Davenport, and I saw "Phantom Thread" at Regal Cinemas, Moline. Impressions, now that the Oscars are over:
Overall, there were two coming-of-age films among the nominees; "Call Me By Your Name" involved a teen-age boy; "Ladybird" a teen-age girl. In addition, two of the films concerned 1940, in British history: "Darkest Hour," and "Dunkirk." Curiously, we did not have a riveting World War 1 movie in the mix this year; this is the 100th anniversary of the "War to end all wars."
1. "Call Me By Your Name;" Tastefully done, and as a bonus, it showed the grand majesty of northern Italy. What made me understand this film better was a fine soliloquy by actor Michael Stuhlberg, who played the father of the teen boy, Elio, Best Actor nominee Timothee Chalamet. The teen's love interest, Oliver, had left Italy, and he was devastated. But his father spoke movingly of first love to his son ... To experience a first love is precious, in any form, he said.
2. "Darkest Hour;" A real acting coup for Gary Oldham, who played Winston Churchill. I saw this film last; it might have been better to see this one first, and "Dunkirk" second. Both films were about the same time in British history, and do explain the beginning of World War II more fully to us Yanks.
3. "Dunkirk;" One of those vast, affecting war films. I am always impressed by how British Army officers are played in movies, and the raw courage on the part of regular folks, like the hundreds of "just folks" who rescued the British Army in this film. It reminded me of another classic World War II film, "Bridge on the River Kwai," reflected in Dunkirk's Commander Bolton, played by Kenneth Branagh.
4. "Get Out;" Jordan Peele's fine horror film that could have picked off the "Best Picture" win last night. What this film has to say about race relations, in the context of absolute horror, is beyond what I could explain. It is gratifying to know this film is becoming a classic in the genre.
5. "Lady Bird;" from female director Greta Gerwig. I loved this film and wished I could have seen it with my daughter. Suffice to say it is effective, true-to-life and telling with two terrific performances, from Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, both Oscar nominees.
6. "Phantom Thread" is the second art movie I've seen with Daniel Day-Lewis (the other was "My Left Foot.") I thought the music in this film was outstanding, and the movie was truly beautiful, with just a bit of evil involved to provide the spice. The original score was by Jonny Greenwood, he of Radiohead.
7. "The Post" left this life-long journalist cheering and crying. This, folks, is why newspaper journalists work long hours with relatively low pay, passionately trying to right the wrongs of a democratic government and stand up for the public, the citizens, who are entitled to know the truth of how tax money is spent. Meryl Streep is this country's best actress.
8. "The Shape of Water" won the Best Picture award last night, and had the most nominations. I enjoyed this movie, too, but the bad guy, played by Michael Shannon, used a type of electrified cattle prod in his work, and I had to cover my eyes in those parts of the film. That's on me. It's a triumph for director Guillermo del Toro.
9. "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" was my personal pick for Best Picture, probably because I could identify with Frances McDormand, who played Mildred, mother of the slain girl. But all actors did very well in this film, and I do feel it, overall, was best this year.
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