Get
ready for the Oscars! (February 26, 2017)
Check your local theaters to see if they run a viewing package for films
that are nominated for best picture.
Here
are some of the films nominated in various categories: (best picture, leading
actor, leading actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, directing, writing, cinematography, costume
design, film editing, production design, sound design/editing/mixing, music and
visual effects)
Below
are some of the highlights:
"Allied"
Old-fashioned
espionage, romance and Casablanca. In
1942, Canadian intelligence officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt, "The
Curious Case of Benjamin Button") locks eyes and lips with a French resistance fighter, Marianne Beausejour
(Marion Cotillard; "The Dark
Knight Rises," "Inception").
Their mission is to attain an invitation
to an event where a Nazi ambassador will be attending. A ticking clock
counts down to a diversion, the duo executes the assassination with precision
and make their exit. Max and Marianne
move to London, get married and have a baby daughter. It's domestic
bliss until Max is notified by his superiors that Marianne might be a German
spy. Max refuses to believe that Marianne is not who she says she is and
goes to great length outside of the official channel to prove her innocence.
It's a conflict between duty to his country and love for his family. "Allied" plays like a beautiful
montage with sumptuous sets, luxe lighting, impeccable costumes and glamorous
stars. It's a glossy
spies-in-love war drama, old-Hollywood
style. Check out the full review and
trailer here.
***
"Arrival"
A dozen
alien spaceships have descended on various locations around the world.
Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams, "Batman
v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," "American
Hustle," "Leap Year")
is an expert linguist recruited to help decode the language of aliens. Language is the basis of civilization.
It's how we understand and communicate with the world around us.
And therefore, our brain is wired to comprehend certain elements of life
in definite ways, such as the notion of time. However, since we may not
be alone in this universe, our understanding may not necessarily be-all and
end-all. It would behoove us to keep an
open mind, observe, listen, learn to seek meaning and understanding, including
a principle or practice that may differ from our normal perception, and do our
best to communicate with one another. The
ingenuity of the film lies in the overarching premise, pieces that come in the
form of the past, present and future that connect a life story to the overall
theme. An enlightening tale about the
human mind, communication and perception, "Arrival" is thoughtful and thought-provoking. Check out the full review and trailer
here.
***
"Doctor Strange"
Superhero
meets sorcery. Dr. Stephen Strange
(Benedict
Cumberbatch, "The
Imitation Game") is a brilliant neurosurgeon, who is also self-centered
and an all-around jerk. His glorious
career ends when he suffers nerve damage from a car wreck. He discovers the existence of the Ancient One
(Tilda Swinton, "Hail, Caesar!"),
the guru of mystical and martial arts. Dr.
Strange magically transforms into a master sorcerer; from forming a glowing
weapon with his disfigured hands to floating from one dimension portal to
another, casting spells and manipulating energy, space and time. He violates the natural law of time in order
to gain the upper hand and preserve humanity. Everything is not in the
clear, however. There's an inherent order of things, including life and death,
and they balance humanity. It's a
visually impressive spectacle. Skyscrapers, walls and floors are
twisting, turning, shifting, shaping, folding and collapsing. Ruins
rebuilt. The parallel realms are a kaleidoscope of colors, fire, light
and darkness. Blending fantasy and magic
with superhero action and humor, "Doctor Strange" is a fresh,
entrancing entrance into the ever-expanding Marvel Universe. Check out the full review and trailer
here.
***
"Hidden Figures"
“Hidden
Figures” is a remarkable story about three African-American women who worked at
NASA in the age of space race as
the 'human
computers.' While it tells a weighty
story, it is filmed with a lighthearted tone and has a breezy pace. Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy
Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) work at a segregated
research center. Racism and sexism
permeate every fabric of the severely prejudiced society. Not only relegated to the back of the bus,
there are 'colored' sections for everything - work area, restroom, cafetaria. Memorable scenes pack emotional and
inspirational punch, powered by great acting. These women march on every day with
dedication, diligence, persistence, resilience and determination. It's a
fine balance between knowing their place, stepping back and showing deference
to their peers and supervisors, and at the same time, being resourceful,
assertive and confident in themselves in seizing opportunities, moving towards
achieving their dreams, and being a part of history. And if history has taught us anything,
there's always a first in everything. "Hidden Figures" is
phenomenally uplifting and life-affirming. Check out the full review and trailer
here.
***
"La La Land"
An
aspiring actress (Emma Stone, "The
Amazing Spider-Man") and an idealist jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling;
"The
Big Short," "The Ides of
March," "Drive")
fall in love and work through their ambitions to make it in the city of
dreamers and movie stars. The charming leads sing, tap and twirl through
their meet-cutes and rocky relationship.
The road to achieve one's dreams is not without crushed hopes and
personal sacrifice. Los Angeles is
aesthetically filmed, awash with a pastel palette and accentuated with pops of
bright colors. Dreamlike cityscapes and streets in daylight, twilight and
illuminated night. Flared dresses in blood red, royal blue, emerald green
and canary yellow. Melodious
song-and-dance numbers include memorable sequences such as a real freeway
traffic jam, whimsical tap-dancing on the hill in the dusk, magical floating
among the stars in the planetarium, among others. There's also a
melancholic duet on the original song for the movie, "City of Stars." A romantic musical that blends Old Hollywood fantasy with modern reality, it's a
lovely movie to end or start the year. Check
out the full review and trailer here.
***
"Manchester by the Sea"
A
mournful loner, handyman named Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck; "The
Finest Hours," "Gone Baby Gone")
rushes to his hometown upon hearing the news about his brother's condition in
the hospital. After his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler; "The
Wolf of Wall Street," "Argo"),
dies, he is appointed guardian of Joe's teenage son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Returning home is one of the hardest things for Lee, who faces
reminders of his painful past, including his ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams;
"My
Week with Marilyn," "Shutter Island"),
and the working class community that whispers behind his back. Lee was a
happy-go-lucky guy with a loving family and friends. An unfathomable
tragedy broke him and drove him out of town.
"Manchester by the Sea" is exquisitely shot, with the winter
seaside town as
an integral part of the film. Snowy streets, gray skies, cold seas
and fishing trips. It pulls you in
gently and it's soberly absorbing. It feels like real life, with
messiness and setbacks. Not everything broken can be made whole again.
A simple slice of life story, yet a complicated one. Check out the full review and trailer
here.
***
"Passangers"
Jim
Preston (Chris Pratt, "Jurassic
World," "Guardians
of the Galaxy"), is aboard a spaceship transporting over 5,000
passengers to a new planet. All
passengers are in cyrosleep during the planned 120-year interstellar trip.
Jim's pod has malfunctioned, awakening him 90 years too soon. A second passenger, Aurora Lane (Jennifer
Lawrence; "The
Hunger Games" series, "X-Men"
series, "American
Hustle"), is also awakened later.
Eventually Jim and Aurora realize they are onboard of a sinking
spaceship. The movie's got very cool
visual effects. A super sleek spacecraft with expansive exterior and
interior design that looks futuristically real. A viewing deck for a
luminous cosmic show. An infinity pool at the edge of deep space. While it's easy to judge Jim's morally
questionable actions, none of us will likely never know what it truly feels
like being the last person alive. The movie touches on an existential
and morality issues. It may be easy to
dismiss "Passengers" as a Titanic in space with a Hollywood ending, but
it's more than that. "Passengers" offers a sci-fi romance with
a thought-provoking twist. Check out the
full review and trailer here.
***
"Sully"
On
January 15, 2009, a flight took off to the clear winter skies under the command
of Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger (Tom Hanks; "Bridge of
Spies," "Saving Mr.
Banks," "Captain
Phillips," "Cloud Atlas"). Shortly after, bird strikes damaged both
engines and disabled the aircraft. After a distressed exchange with the
air traffic controller and rapidly evaluating his options, the veteran captain
made a split-second decision to glide his plane onto the Hudson River.
That decision proved to be crucial in saving the lives of all 155 people
onboard. Sully is heralded as a hero by
the press and public, yet facing intense investigations from NTSB. Clint Eastwood successfully stages
realistic-looking crash and rescue scenes. Chills fill the air when passengers shiver
out in the open, sliding down the rafts, lining up the wings or plunging into
the frigid river. Flying may be a routine experience these days.
Until it isn't. You'll come out with a greater respect and
appreciation for the fine men and women that help keep our skies friendly. "Sully" is an unassumingly riveting
docudrama with a heart and a touch of miracle.
Check out the full review and trailer here.
***
"Zootopia"
It's not another animation. "Zootopia" zestily deals with
complex issues, such as racism, sexism, discrimination, segregation, bullying,
stereotyping, nature vs. nurture. It cleverly camouflages them behind cute
animation mirrors, making
them are surprisingly engaging and entertaining. Not to mention shrewdly
humorous. An ambitious little bunny grows up a in farm, becomes a cop,
and moves to Zootopia. In this vibrantly
rendered, diverse utopia, preys and predators exist harmoniously. But reality is complicated. Through a
series of unfortunate incidents, the bunny reluctantly teams up with a sly fox with
a traumatic past. They work on an intricate investigation, uncovering the
whereabouts of missing mammals. City hall politics are involved, fear campaigns
and peace rallies. Blame game and misdirection abound. In the end,
there is no perfect world. We all make mistakes. We don't always
get along. But we also can try to do our best to make a difference, and
in the process, we can make the world a better place. Imaginatively fresh and very grown-up,
"Zootopia" is quite possibly the most brilliant, best animation of
all time! Check out the full review and
trailer here.
