Yes, the actual Oscars have passed but a plethora of Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning films are now hitting the shelves of Acorn.
American Hustle: If you can get beyond the really bad hair, the only slightly less offensive fashion and the seventeen unnecessary plot twists, you might enjoy this con within a con within a con trip back to the ’70s. What I came away with was a deep thankfulness that I was too young to remember the ’70s. Oh, and Jennifer Lawrence looks exactly like Ellen Barkin looked three decades ago. Amy Adams is enjoyable and does stretch her acting chops a bit but, other than that, I’d rather rewatch the remake of The Italian Job than sit through this one again. Ultimately unmemorable.
12 Years a Slave: This movie did not live up to expectations. The harrowing tale of human spirit triumphing over what can only be described as the ultimate in betrayal and existential horror was, sadly, lost throughout much of this film. It was lost to horrible editing, a weird soundtrack that succeeded in taking me completely out of the flow of the movie multiple times and an overall amateurish feel to a movie that should have been so much more. The acting, overall, was superb and, in the hands of a different director and editor, this movie would have been worthy of the Oscar praise it received.
Saving Mr. Banks: Charming, if slightly heavy-handed. The curmudgeonly P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) and the hyper-fantastical Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) square off in this tale about the journey of Mary Poppins from book to screen and, ultimately, from sad past to brightened, toe-tapping future.
Captain Phillips: Nary an eyepatch or a parrot in sight in this harrowing true story of the taking of a cargo ship by Somali pirates. “I’m the captain now.” The movie was excellent and kept me engaged throughout. The final scene is the one that stuck with me. Strength finally shattering like crystal on concrete puts an emotional exclamation point at the end of this already claustrophobically fear-laden movie.
Gravity: As a space aficionado, I found this movie disappointing. I was really looking forward to it but expectations can be an unwinnable game. It was visually exciting and, I’m sure, a little vomit-inducing for the more dramamine-dependent viewers. The repetitive nature of the danger had the effect of dulling the actual drama inherent to the situation. Ultimately, the rebirth theme was so heavy-handed by the end that it became eye-roll inducing. And, she totally would have burned up on re-entry!
Frozen: A masterpiece. Of all of these lauded movies, this is the one I’d watch again. The story of the Ice Queen and her sister. Simple and beautiful. As usual for the fairy-tale dramas, love and sacrifice save the day and the world. Not as usual for the fairy-tale dramas, it’s not the prince riding to the rescue…although the ice cutter does give it a valiant try. Icy coldness shattered by an act of true love. You can’t get more fable-tastic than that! And, if you know how to get the song “Let It Go” out of your brain, please let me know.