Sunday, February 27, 2011

And the Winner is.....


I love movies...love love them!
The lights dim and
I settle into the big backed chair
breathing in the anticipated ride
the ride?
The ride of superb storytelling!

Cause my reason for going
to movies is not to be entertained...
if that was the case I would have
never seen Million Dollar Baby
or Titanic, Schindler's List,
Monsters Ball or Silence of the Lambs
(which I watched admittedly from the hallway.)
I go for the craft of storytelling
its research. I pay close attention
to the wonderment of how the story is told.

And the Oscars for me is the prize,
the ball...
the event that celebrates that storytelling.
And every January I am on a missions to
watch every film nominated for Best Picture!

Friends and girlfriends start to appear
very busy and won't answer their phones
because they know Operation Oscars is in motion!
And they will be talked in to being
a part of that mission!
And tho I don't mind seeing movies alone
so much more fun to dissect them
at length with a companion!

Its is a daunting task I must say.
When they went to ten best pictures
over the former eight,
it became a full time job.
One I am paid for in only
pure indulgent joy!

And for the first time
EVER I saw all of them..
Yaay! Truly a silly feat to be proud of!
And ...most of my friends are still talking
to me even...
which was sort of touch and go over
127 Hours
when my friend M Lou kept
swearing at me under her breath
as Aaron begins to saw off his arm
to save his life....

Tho I really don't have time to do this
and the sun is out
for the first time in three days,
I will ignore the lake calling my name and
write this short review.

(Cause I do not think I can do this
again...I may actually
have a life next year...ha!}

The Fighter
This was my first movie for Operation Oscar
and maybe my favorite.
Mostly, for the colorful characters!
Amy Adams is at her feisty, sexy best!
The mother, Melissa Leo
is without argument
Best Supporting actress.
And if they could give those seven ugly
couch sisters an award
for their hairdo's alone. Ha!
I wanted more of them!
Without too much slow motion
flinging, spurting, sweat and blood,
as most fighting movies have,
they nail the inspirational part!

Black Swan
Artsy and avant-garde which I love.
What's real, what's not? It's a terrifying ride
thru the brutal world of ballet!
Natalie Portman should get Best Actress.
to quote a friend, "she made me
so uncomfortable."
"When an actor can do that you can't
take you eyes from them."
Tho the skin references
rough going personally,
the moment she turns into the
Black Swan feather by feather...
is worth the journey!

Kids Are All Right
At first I was excited a lesbian film
was a mainstream nomination.
Until I saw it... although intriguing
and Annette Bening and Julianne Moore
made adorable lesbians
I was bothered by the seduction of Mark Ruffulos'
character...found the whole story annoying
and wouldn't agree that it is Oscar worthy!

True Grit
Wasn't on my list at all to see!
Never saw the first one and
when the Golden Globes snubbed it
I was hoping the Oscars would too
but they didn't.
In true Coen Brother's style it
was extreme and grim.
Tho new comer Hailee Stienfield
was a wonder to watch...
Jeff Bridges hard to understand
with the marbles he seemed to
have in his mouth!
And the ending dreary dreary! UGH!
( M Lou was mad at me for this one as well)

Winters Bone
Super Ugh... just shoot me now...
a young girl has to kill squirrels and beg for help
in the Ozarks cause her family and neighbors
are horrible and mean and crack users!
And then she has to saw off the arm of her
murdered father who is anchored in a river
to prove he is dead.
Again, Best picture??? really?

Social Network
Hmm? Liked it, thought Jesse Elsenberg
believable and brilliant
and a movie about computer communication?
Wouldn't have worked without the screen play by
Aaron Sorkin.
Wins for the writing!
But I wasn't as moved by it as I wanted to be...
and feel like I missed something?
Did I?

Toy Story 3
As an illustrator no one is a bigger fan
of the rise of animation as an Art Form
and Pixar would be have been my destination
if I was younger.
Its incredible that a cartoon (so to speak)
can be in Best picture category
I don't think its a candidate but
a thoughtful and clever story...
will never look at old toys the same way.


Inception
Loved this concept very thought provoking
a little confusing which made watching it at home
a good choice...!
What? Replay....zzzzzzz okay
that makes sense...the special affects,
a hands down winner!

Kings Speech
Saw this one alone and wish I hadn't...
it was a wonderful piece of history
and superbly acted.
I am predicting a sweep for them
including Best Actor for Colin Firth!

127 Hours
Tho I left it for last
and treated it like something I
HAD to do like a smelly job!
(Not fan of blood or limb severing.)
I was so won over by
the story telling quality
and the editing was
amazing, for a tale that happens all in
one location, a claustrophobic cavern!
Metaphorically stunning!
The only movie that moved me to tears!
On my list of
"Only Watch Once But worth It Movies"

The Town
Tho not nominated I think it should have been.
A worth while watch!
Actor, writer, director, Ben Affleck
creates a action packed well
told story in this movie!

There I did it
saw all of them
and wrote a blog about it
and the winner is???? Me!

Yaay...now that's done
and my Happy Oscar Day messages sent
to my 'rolling their eyes at me' friends
have to fill out my ballot
(one for who will win
and one for who I want to win)
and then get out my cocktail dress
for the feigned red carpet...!

If you are an Oscar nut like me
...enjoy!

Pam Piper rain