Oscar Dash 2016--The Results

The Oscars ceremony last night was one of the most interesting, edgy, and entertaining I've seen. Despite my Oscar Dash failing miserably (still have most of the films to see), I really enjoyed the show. Congratulations to all the winners!

The Best Picture Winner: Spotlight


Click here to see the full list of winners.

Hail, Caesar!

Hail, Caesar! (Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, 2016)

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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Comedy, Hollywood, Film about Film, 1950s

For a lover of cinematic history, this film really delivers. It's jam-packed with references to the quintessential genre films that dominated Hollywood films in the late 1940s and 1950s: musicals, westerns, epics, and broody dramas. And talk about a star-studded cast! I've never been so entertained by Channing Tatum and Frances McDormand, though her role is small, is hysterical. A fun film that pokes fun at the world of show business.

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here

Mr. Turner

Mr. Turner (Mike Leigh, 2014)

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Rating: Q=7, P=4 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Biopic, 19th Century, Art

Like stepping into one of his masterpieces, Mr. Turner transports you to 19th Century England--from the cloudy, dusty atmosphere of the city to the clear, picturesque and open countryside. I thoroughly enjoyed the visuals of this film. This is serious artistry and craftsmanship. The viewer really comes to understand why Turner felt compelled to paint the landscapes he saw--they were utterly beautiful.

Timothy Spall is incomparable as Turner--both gruff and polite, mysterious and sincere, closed and highly attune to the complexity and fragility of life.

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Badlands

Badlands (Terrence Malik, 2008)

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Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Based on Real Events, Crime, Coming of Age,

This is a film about what happens when you start something you just can't stop. But not because of fear, rather because of pride and reputation. It's a fascinating look into cause and effect--an irrational act in the heat-of-the-moment leads to a series of unbelievable, senseless killings.

Beautiful scenes of the upper-Midwest grasslands and prairie add a haunting quality to the tale. I was reminded of the Coen Brothers' Fargo on many occasion. Perhaps the quiet, small-town isolation can breed a kind of boredom that sometimes goes out of control. Both Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen give tremendous performances as the young, odd couple.

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here