There are 9 nominees for Best Picture this year and I must say, I can’t decide on a winner. These 9 movies are truly Oscar worthy. The nominees are:
Lincoln, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, Silver Linings Playbook, Les Misèrables, Amour, Django Unchained and Beast of the Southern Wild.
CLICK HERE to see a complete list of 2013 Oscar winners.
LINCOLN: My rating: 10/10 Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor!
I picked Lincoln to win Best Picture because I was mesmerized from the onset of the movie. I was in tears by the time the Gettysburg address was recited. By the time Tommy Lee Jones came on the scene, I was frozen to my seat and taking in every word. By the end of the movie I was totally engrossed not wanting Lincoln to end. Performances by Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones and Daniel Day-Lewis were extraordinary. I finally understood what it takes to pass a bill. The entire process is just amazing. Lincoln was a real history lesson and an insight into current day issues. Washington is just one big courtroom trying our life’s issues where everyone believes they’re a chief and we the people are the Indians! I loved this movie the most out of all the other Oscar nominations. I believe it should win.
AND THE WINNER FOR BEST PICTURE IS:
ARGO: My rating: 9.5/10
Argo ran a close second for me, as it told a true story that everyone knew the ending of but managed to keep you on the edge of your seat. I found Argo exciting, well acted, well cast and quite humorist in all the right places. Argo is up for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Music (Original Score), Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). Considering this was Ben Affleck’s first directing endeavor, “he done good”. I’m sorry to see that he was snubbed by the Academy for a director’s nod but am glad to see that he won other awards for this project. Argo was another history lesson that showed us what determination and team work can do, even with an impossible situation like this one. Even though Lincoln is my first pick, I wouldn’t be upset if Argo won.
ZERO DARK THIRTY: My rating: 8.5/10
In my humble opinion, Zero Dark Thirty was not as good as Argo or Lincoln but none the less, entertaining and well acted. Up for Best Picture as well as Best Actress and Sound Editing, Zero Dark Thirty didn’t spark my interest as much as I thought it would. Most of the focus was concentrated on Jessica Chastain’s character which didn’t seem credible in the real world. Since this is a true story I think it should basically stick to the facts. I have nothing to base any misinformation on, so I will focus on the entertainment factor rather than the factual aspect. Zero Dark Thirty told a pretty good story for the most part, I just didn’t think it was truthful.
THE WINNER FOR BEST DIRECTOR IS:
LIFE OF PI: My rating: 9/10
This story was told with all the guts and hardship one could muster. Life of Pi is up for Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Music (Original Score), Best Music (Original Song), Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). I loved the graphics and technical aspects of this movie. Based on one man’s powerful imagination, a tragedy emerged that was pushed to the background so that we could be a part of a story of all stories. I found Life of Pi exciting, entertaining, well acted and well directed. This movie was a relief and an escape from some of the not so good stories I’ve seen lately. Oscar worthy, I highly recommend Life of Pi.
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: My rating: 10/10 Jennifer Lawrence won Best Actress!
I saw this movie on my birthday. What a birthday surprise. I laughed out loud throughout the movie. I was so entertained I had to see it twice. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence (both nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively) were incredible. I was being hit from every angle of this movie (in a good way). I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give anything away. I think the element of surprise was one of this movie’s strong points. I think this movie is a “must see”. I would not be upset if Silver Linings Playbook won for Best Picture. Comedies usually don’t win so I don’t hold out much hope and Lincoln is still my pick. Silver Linings Playbook is also up for Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay).
LES MISÈRABLES: My rating: 8/10 Anne Hathaway won Best Supporting Actress!
Les Misèrables is up for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Music (Original Song), Best Production Design and Best Sound Mixing. I saw Les Misèrables on Broadway and loved it. On the big screen, I think it losses some of its misery. Russell Crow was amazing, as was Hugh Jackman and Ann Hathaway. Don’t get me wrong, the story was still sad and unfortunate and I still fell in love with the actor’s singing and ability to tell such a sad story in song. I just didn’t fell the misery as I did on Broadway. This just could be inclusive of my feelings but that’s all I have to go on. I also felt Les Misèrables was done to death. Part of me was a little tired of the same old songs. Overall, Les Misèrables was a very good musical that deserved the Oscar nod because of the acting and talent it took to bring it to the big screen.
AMOUR My rating: 8.5/10
What a story. Up for Best Picture, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Writing (Original Screenplay). Amour dealt with a problem we will all experience if we continue to live. So in love and compatible were these two people. Old age problems struck and the rest was Amour telling the story of two elderly people who depended on each other for survival. This is a story I can relate to since my parents were in a similar situation. I think these actors deserve kudos for their performances and the director, Michael Haneke did a brilliant job bringing a much needed issue to the audience’s attention. There is a twist to the story that really deserves deep thought. I found the movie a little slow at times but overall, it was well done!
DJANGO UNCHAINED: My rating: 9.5/10 Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor!
Oh my, what shall I say? I went on a fantasy, gun totting, America at its worse, wanted for bounty killing spree ride that hasn’t been seen since the likes of Natural Born Killers. And I was rooting for the killers all the way. Django (the D is silent) is up for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best sound Editing, Best Writing (Original Screenplay) and Best Cinematography. Django is an action packed thrill ride and a feel good movie that I don’t expect will win Oscar. However, this movie will go down in history as one of a kind. The entertainment factor is endless. The acting was superb and the German, played by Christoph Waltz was unsurpassed. I don’t believe he will win Oscar but I can tell you this character was unforgettable. I loved the movie and highly recommend it.
BEAST OF THE SOUTHERN WILD: My rating: 10/10
Beautifully told, this movie was quite a surprise. Its raw footage and documentary styled format will hit you right where it hurts. It’s hard to believe people actually live like the folks in this story but they do and if we didn’t know it before, we know it now. The amazing talent of the star of this movie was very moving. Only 5 years old when she auditioned and 10 now, Quvenzhanè Wallis is youngest actress to be nominated for an Oscar. I found it hard to believe how well she portrayed her character. I was duly impressed. The movie was real and told a pretty harsh story of a little girl who had no mother and only a very sick father to raise her in the back woods of Louisiana. Her journey is Oscar worthy as this movie is up for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). Overall I loved this movie and highly recommend it to all.
CAROL's WORLDS 