Photo from abc.com.
We’re a few weeks out from the 86th annual Academy Awards and those of us who love movies are scrambling to catch up with the performances and films that will be honored on the first Sunday in March. I’ve posted a few reviews (linked below) to a handful of these nominated movies and will work through a few more prior to the big night!
The Cinnamon Girl and I have seen FOUR of the NINE movies nominated for Best Picture (Gravity, American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club and Captain Phillips. We’ve seen TWO of the FIVE Best Actor nominees (Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey),TWO of the FIVE Best Actress nominees (Amy Adams and Sandra Bullock), THREE of the FIVE Best Supporting Actor nominees (Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto and Barkhad Abdi) and ONE of the FIVE Best Support Actress nominees (Jennifer Lawrence).
I must admit that there are few films I will see just because they are nominated or have nominated performances in them. I’ve learned my lesson (call it the “I Drank Your Milkshake Then Left You Wondering Why You Saw This Movie in the First Place” Lesson) in the past. If I didn’t have a desire to see the movie before it was nominated, I probably don’t want to see it now.
However, there are a few movies here that we may make an effort to catch prior to Oscar night because we did, independent of the awards themselves, have a desire to see them. Philomena is primary on this list. The Wolf of Wall Street is next.
I cannot see making myself sit though Nebraska, which is, I am sure, a fine film. It simply has a tone and flavor that I find personally off-putting. Her falls into that category, too, although I remain fascinated by how much Joaquim Phoenix reminds me of The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki. Anyone else feel that, too?
Which brings us to 12 Years a Slave. I have absolutely no doubt this is a wonderful film. I am sure it’s an important film. I suspect it might change my way of thinking… though perhaps not so much as Amy Poehler’s (watch the opening monologue to the Golden Globe Awards for her take on the movie – it’s worth it!):
I just don’t know that I want to feel that… bad. I don’t want to feel as bad as I know I would feel watching the film. I guess that’s not why I go to the movies. This may make me shallow. I am okay with the label. This may illustrate that I am not an auteur. I am very okay with that.
I love movies and I love to love them. I just don’t think I’d love 12 Years a Slave.
Oh, and August: Osage County, despite your fine cast, I am riding that same fence about you.
And There Came a Day... 