They Call It Myanmar: Lifting The Curtain

They Call It Myanmar: Lifting The Curtain (Robert Lieberman, 2012)

Click here for the basics

Rating: DOCQ=5, DOCP=4 / Quite Legible

Scale K=2, Scale L=3, Scale M=2, Scale N=2

Documentary, Social Commentary, Human Condition, Southeast Asia (Burma/Myanmar)

This was a stark film about the resilient and beautiful people living in the truly isolated country of Myanmar. It is about astonishing poverty and shows what happens when a government does not care about people. A land rich with resources and willing/capable citizens but no structure, no welfare, almost no hope. Yet somehow the people still work and are quietly patient for the day things will improve. If only we all could be this strong. This film made my heart break.

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SPECIAL: All 87 Best Picture Winners

I thought it would be fun to see a list of all the winning films and contemplate how they compare to one another. How many have you seen? I've seen 53/87. That's only 60% --not too bad.

Some of these are clearly better than others, some won because they were novel or epic but aren't really that spectacular or moving, and some are true masterpieces. Of the ones I have seen, I highlighted ten of my favorites.

2014 - Birdman
2013 - 12 Years A Slave
2012 - Argo
2011 - The Artist
2010 - The King's Speech

2009 - The Hurt Locker
2008 - Slumdog Millionaire
2007 - No Country for Old Men
2006 - The Departed
2005 - Crash
2004 - Million Dollar Baby
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002 - Chicago
2001 - A Beautiful Mind
2000 - Gladiator

1999 - American Beauty
1998 - Shakespeare in Love
1997 - Titanic
1996 - The English Patient
1995 - Braveheart
1994 - Forrest Gump
1993 - Schindler’s List
1992 - Unforgiven
1991 - The Silence of the Lambs
1990 - Dances With Wolves

1989 - Driving Miss Daisy
1988 - Rain Man
1987 - The Last Emperor
1986 - Platoon
1985 - Out of Africa
1984 - Amadeus
1983 - Terms of Endearment
1982 - Gandhi
1981 - Chariots of Fire
1980 - Ordinary People

1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer
1978 - The Deer Hunter
1977 - Annie Hall
1976 - Rocky
1975 - One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
1974 - The Godfather Part II
1973 - The Sting
1972 - The Godfather
1971 - The French Connection
1970 - Patton

1969 - Midnight Cowboy
1968 - Oliver!
1967 - In the Heat of the Night
1966 - A Man for All Seasons
1965 - The Sound of Music
1964 - My Fair Lady
1963 - Tom Jones
1962 - Lawrence of Arabia
1961 - West Side Story
1960 - The Apartment

1959 - Ben-Hur
1958 - Gigi
1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai
1956 - Around the World in 80 Days
1955 - Marty
1954 - On the Waterfront
1953 - From Here to Eternity
1952 - The Greatest Show on Earth
1951 - An American in Paris
1950 - All About Eve

1949 - All the Kings Men
1948 - Hamlet
1947 - Gentleman's Agreement
1946 - The Best Years of Our Lives
1945 - The Lost Weekend
1944 - Going My Way
1943 - Casablanca
1942 - Mrs. Miniver
1941 - How Green Was My Valley
1940 - Rebecca

1939 - Gone with the Wind
1938 - You Can't Take It with You
1937 - The Life of Emile Zola
1936 - The Great Ziegfeld
1935 - Mutiny on the Bounty
1934 - It Happened One Night
1933 - Cavalcade
1932 - Grand Hotel
1931 - Cimarron
1930 - All Quiet on the Western Front
1929 - The Broadway Melody
1927 - Wings

Happy watching!

Oscar Dash 2015: The Results

Oscar Dash 2015! It happened. And the winner is...

Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

What do I think? Pretty much amazing. I was very happy by all the results!

For all the categories, click here.

The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Isao Takahata, 2014)

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Rating: Q=8, P=8 / Obsession

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

Animation, Japan, Folktale, Whimsical, Philosophical

I love this movie so much! From the gorgeous illustration --and over-cuteness at the beginning--to the enchanting and haunting koto music to the beautiful moral. Perhaps this world is full of imperfections, impurities, selfishness, and materialism. But it is also full of beautiful wilderness, kindness, and love. This story will make you think about happiness and memory. It will make you want to run away into the woods, away from all the false customs and rules of "civilized" life. It will make you want to shed your many robes and dance in the falling blossoms of a cherry tree.

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