My Annual Academy Awards Movie Review

The Academy Awards are this Sunday. Many folks don’t care about this award show. I am not one of those folks. I have been watching this show since I was eleven and I love it. I enjoy watching the stars arrive, I like looking at all the gowns and I actually get pleasure from watching the show. Someone asked me once why I like award shows so much and I answered truthfully. “It’s a show completely devoted to encouragement. I love that.”


And I try to see as many of the nominated movies as I can. Call it a hobby, but I really love it.

So here is my annual review of the 10 nominated movies:

The King’s Speech – SEE IT – This is a wonderful film that tells a piece of history while demonstrating the power of having a voice. King George the sixth, played by Colin Firth, has a stuttering problem and is terrified of speaking in public. But as a King, he must speak. I loved this movie and so did my husband. The friendship between Colin Firth’s character and Geoffrey Rush’s character is the heart of this movie and it drives the action. This movie contains the F word but it is used comically – the King does not stutter when he cusses.

The Fighter – SEE IT ONCE – MAYBE RENT IT– This is a movie based on a real life story of two brothers and boxers who live in Lowell, Massachusetts. The story is what drew me to enjoy this film. And great acting. Christian Bale is a stand out as a crazy older brother addicted to crack. I wouldn’t see it again, but I LOVED the story.

Inception – SEE IT WITH A FRIEND– It’s on DVD – We bought it! Inception is a movie about dreams and dream travelling with others to unlock and plant secrets. Sounds confusing, right? Well, it can be but I found it wonderfully challenging. My son LOVED this movie and has seen it a few times. Each time, he notices something different. This is the kind of movie that causes a wonderful discussion afterward. See it with a friend so you can talk about it after.

The Social Network – RENT IT- I enjoyed this movie, simply because I enjoy Facebook. So, it was interesting to see the story behind the website. Of course, this movie is fiction, but much of it is based on truth. I loved West Wing and the writer Aaron Sorbin wrote this movie. He writes banter like no one else. His writing has a rhythm all its own. If you don’t like Facebook, skip this movie, but if you enjoy wonderful dialogue, check it out.

Toy Story 3 – SEE IT, BUY IT, and bring the tissues! I saw this movie by myself on a Monday afternoon. Only four other people were in the movie theatre with me and I’m glad of it. I bawled like a baby. WONDERFUL movie, complete with the entire Toy Story gang. If you are a parent, this movie will get to you. Unless of course, you are a heartless, unfeeling piece of wood.

True Grit – Rent it – My father was a huge John Wayne fan, so of course, I’ve seen the original True Grit more than once. I went in to the theatre with low expectations. Jeff Bridges did a good job, although at times it was as if he was doing an imitation of John Wayne. The girl who plays Matty was wonderful, as was the dialogue. Written formally with a pioneer kind of flare, the words struck me as original, even though much of it was exactly the same as the first movie. There are a couple of changes from the original, both of which I didn’t like that much.

Winter’s Bone – Rent it if you dare – I watched this movie on On Demand. It was a Sundance winner – a film, not a movie. Quiet, haunting and chilling. It’s set in the Ozarks and has a Deliverance feel to it. The hillbilly bad guys in this movie would make the Mafia think twice. But the story is really interesting. A 17 old girl tries to find her father who has disappeared because he put up their home for bail and if he doesn’t show up for court, they’ll lose their house. I really thought this was an interesting film, but walking a mile in the backwoods of the Ozarks kind of gave me the creeps. :0)

The Kids Are All Right – SKIP IT – I went to the theatre thinking the story line sounded intriguing. Lesbian couple’s kids find their father and drama ensues. What I discovered was a porno flick with snippets of story. During most of this movie my eyes were on my popcorn. I HATED IT. HATED IT. When I came out of the theatre, I went straight for the movie poster, thinking I had mistakenly went to a NC-17 movie. Nope, it was R. Wish I’d never gone.

127 Hours – Didn’t see it – Just can’t find the time to pay money to watch someone cut off their own arm. Maybe I’ll Netflix it though.

Black Swan – Didn’t see it – I heard so much about this movie that was negative. It’s a psychological dream-like film that explores a ballerina’s drive to perfection. There are some things I just can’t see spending money on. This is one of them.