Oscar season is my favorite time of year for films. All of the best movies are praised and I always find myself watching something that I wouldn't have otherwise picked out. Life sometimes takes over: school has been busy, taking Anatomy & Physiology this year, and my health hasn't been fantastic, so I haven't had much time to watch, or much energy to write. But, here I am, on spring break, ready to get back at it.
I wasn't able to watch the Academy Awards until a few days after the show aired. Because we don't have cable, and Hulu is always a little bit behind, I had to stay off of social media until I was able to watch it because I wanted to be surprised. I thought Chris Rock was a good host, although, he over-killed the whole diversity issue and made some offensive jokes. I wish they would have brought Ellen back, but I digress.
I try to watch all of the major nominees each year and I am slowly making my way through them. I had already seen Bridge of Spies and The Martian, both of which were fabulous, but this week I have gotten to watch two more: Room and Spotlight.
Brian and I watched Room a few nights ago and it was quite clear that it deserved its nomination for Best Motion Picture, and that Brie Larson deserved her Oscar. I have adored her since watching United States of Tara in which she played Tara's spunky teenage daughter, Kate (pictured top right). She made a turn from portraying teens, like in 21 Jump Street, and doing minor roles, such as in Trainwreck, to a leading lady in an Oscar-nominated film. Needless to say, I was a happily surprised when I heard that she was nominated for her first real leading role. Jacob Tremblay, the young boy who plays her son, Jack, in the film, is incredibly talented! I think he should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but he just won Best Actor at the Canadian Screen Awards, so I'll let it slide.
Room is an independent film that follows a young mom, Joy (Brie Larson), who was kidnapped seven years prior, and Jack, her five year old son. They are trapped in a small room with no connection to the outside world except through the one window in "room," a skylight, and their captor. He "visits" Joy every night and brings them limited supplies. Joy has designed a life, a daily routine in "room," to give Jack a sense of normalcy, but she has sheltered him from the fact that there is a world outside. Things that we take for granted, knowledge that most people would consider common, such as how to walk up stairs or hold a phone, are things Jack has never experienced.
Spotlight is another film that was nominated for several awards, including Mark Ruffalo for Best Supporting Actor. If you don't already know how I feel about Mark Ruffalo, please, read my post on Foxcatcher. He is incredibly versatile and uses every bit of his body to ensure his character is portrayed with accuracy. When you watch Spotlight, or any other movie he is a part of, for that matter, you will understand what I mean. Ruffalo's portrayal of "Spotlight" investigative reporter, Mike Rezendes, was certainly Oscar-worthy. While I was somewhat bummed that he didn't win, Mark Rylance from Bridge of Spies, deserved his award.
It is tough to watch for many reasons, but mostly because the victims' accounts are true and quite detailed. The amount of priests involved and the power of the Catholic Church to cover up these horrible crimes is unbelievable! My only qualm is that there are a lot of characters thrown at you right from the start which made the story a bit difficult to follow. Because of this, I would like to see the film again to ensure I fully understood it. Even with that, Spotlight is a must see, if not for the talent, then for the effect these events had on history. Just read a summary to get familiar with the characters before you watch it. 8/10
Until next time,
Amanda
No comments:
Post a Comment