The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro, 2017)

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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

Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Romance, 1960s

I finally watched this best picture winner! It was a beautiful--the subtle light and colors, use of interesting angles and shots, lovely music. It was charming--a fairy tale, absolutely, but also one set during the space race in 1960s Baltimore. Definitely unusual. It is a true escape--the whole time I was watching, I was absorbed in the story, which is probably the most important element that makes a good movie. At least in my opinion.

Sally Hawkins was phenomenal and the whole thing just made me happy.

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Hell or High Water

Hell or High Water (David Mackenzie, 2016)

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Rating: Q=5, P=3 / Thanks But No Thanks

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

Crime, Neo-western, Detective, Complex Relationships, Thriller

This film just didn't do it for me. The story of bankers taking away farmer's lands is an old one, and a current one so I appreciated a film about it. But the other familiar stories--desperate men turning to crime, one last hurrah for a retiring detective--felt sub par; just not as good as other detective crime films. It's a dark story, gritty and sad, and you just know how it will end.

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here

Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures (Theodore Melfi, 2016)

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

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

1960s, Space Program, Race, Gender, Civil Rights

This movie is great in so many ways--it is thoughtful, funny, difficult, important, and true. I think the following scene in the script sums it up well:

Karl Zielinski: Mary, a person with an engineer's mind should be an engineer. You can't be a computer the rest of your life.

Mary Jackson: Mr. Zielinski, I'm a negro woman. I'm not gonna entertain the impossible.

Karl Zielinski: And I'm a Polish Jew whose parents died in a Nazi prison camp. Now I'm standing beneath a spaceship that's going to carry an astronaut to the stars. I think we can say we are living the impossible. Let me ask you, if you were a white male, would you wish to be an engineer?

Mary Jackson: I wouldn't have to. I'd already be one.

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La La Land

La La Land (Damien Chazelle, 2016)

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Rating: Q=7, P=5 / Can't Get Enough

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

Musical, Relationships, Romance, Inspirational, Arts

A bold and colorful explosion of music and dance, but also a thoughtful story about following your dreams. I appreciated that the main characters fell in love and helped each other but didn't remain together--not something you usually see in a romance but a conclusion that is very true in real life.

The best part of this film is not the music (although, the jazz was great!), in my opinion, but the visual artistry. The bright, splashes of colors jump off the screen and the dance sequences are lovely and fun. Near the end of the film is a striking homage to early musicals of the 1950s and 60s, which I also appreciated.

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Lion

Lion (Garth Davis, 2016)

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Rating: Q=8, P=8 / Obsession

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

Reunions, Complex Relationships, Tearjerker, Based on Real Events, Adoption, Philosophical

This film. I can't even begin to describe how this film made me feel. This story boils down all the essential human emotions in one place and, if you let it take you in, it truly leaves you feeling grateful for life and relationships. Lion is a story about determination and willpower as much as it is about the fragility of existence. It is about fate and how in one moment your whole life can change. It is about humility and sacrifice. Most importantly, I think, it is about hope.

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Fences

Fences (Denzel Washington, 2016)

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

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

1950s, Race, Family, Based on Play, Complex Relationships, Philosophical

While films that feel/sound like stage productions have never been my favorite, I did enjoy the messages of this story. And the acting was truly great--wow, Viola Davis.

This story is about choices. How much of our lives are determined for us and how much do we choose? And how do our choices and actions affect others? Fences is about struggle, battle, coming to terms with decisions and situations that are forced upon you. It is also a poignant story about family and the complicated relationships between husband and wife, father and son, brother and brother, and mother and child.

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Moonlight

Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, 2016)

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Rating: Q=7, P=7 / Obsession

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

Coming of Age, LGBT, Complex Relationships, Tear-jearker

What a deeply moving story. Moonlight speaks for the young boys without fathers, without a mothers who can teach him, who are bullied and teased, who are born into dangerous communities, who are confused in a society that devalues difference. This film is a powerful visual symphony, using imagery, movement, and light more than language to express the feelings of growing up and discovering oneself. Every moment was carefully constructed and the results are beautiful. Most definitely worthy of Oscar Best Picture. A triumph.

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Oscar Dash 2017: The Results

Well that was memorable! The results are in: Best Picture goes to...La La Land! I mean, wait...Moonlight! ;)

Click here to view all the winners.


I can't wait to see all these wonderful films over the next months. Stay tuned for my reviews!

Oscar Dash 2017: The Nominations

Here we go, again! It's Oscar Dash 2017!

Well, this year I'm way behind (only seen one of the best picture nominees!) just like last year. I guess other things become priority to fall/winter movie-going. But I will try to see as many as possible, as in the past, before the ceremony. And then I'll continue after, too, so you'll have my review for each one. Don't forget to watch the big celebration on February 26. Here are the nominees for best picture:

Arrival


Fences


Hacksaw Ridge


Hell or High Water


Hidden Figures


La La Land


Lion


Manchester by the Sea


Moonlight


Click here to see pictures and all the other nominations!