We’re just a few hours away from the Oscars 2018! I’m just reviewing the movies nominated for the ‘Best Picture Category’ in Alphabetical Order.
Short Review of “Call Me by Your Name”
This film transports the viewer to Italy along with the magnificent story that it presents. One of the best romantic movie to have come out in recent times, ‘Call Me By My Name’ is about a 17-year old, Elio, exploring his sexuality and falling in love with a 24-year old American, Oliver, who is visiting Italy to assist Elio’s father in academic paperwork.
Amazingly well-layered conversations that speak to you, beautifully captured scenes,
Although this one doesn’t go into the social complexities of being Gay instead focusses on the emotional aspects that individuals themselves go through, is still compelling to watch. And love.
Simply put, this is an amazing Love Story. Watch this.
P.S Listen to all the songs of this movie. Thank me, later.
Short Review of “Darkest Hour”
Churchill glorification just isn’t my thing and this one (thankfully) doesn’t entirely focuses on that, plus adds a few other viewpoints.
Gary Oldman pulls off the Churchill look with elan and the story moves at a brisk pace, not letting you feel bored at all. Having watched Dunkirk, there’s a context to the happenings and it all feels like reading a few pages of history.
The one quote that stayed with me, “Churchill mobilized the English language and sent it to battle.”
Short Review of “Dunkirk”
Nolan’s Dunkirk follows a nonlinear storyline as it tries to deliver a war-story with a music that keeps you on edge a brilliant cinematography. And it does. However, with the absence of a central character in the story your itch to root for one character, like every other Nolan movie, remains unfulfilled. But perhaps, that was the intended tone Nolan wanted to give Dunkirk.
To make heroes out of the spirit of survival. In a movie bereft of one-liner masterpieces, when one soldier upon returning home explains, ‘All we did was survive’ ‘And that’s enough’ pat comes the reply.
Short Review of “Get Out”
Scary? Yes, a little. But you won’t ‘get out’ of this engaging and enjoyable watch that is a movie about the entrenched racism of the society in the mask of Horror.
Apart from the overall arc of the horror/thriller, the brilliance lies in the way racism of everyday lives has been portrayed. This movie shows the awkwardness, still persistent, among races. The apparent differences still are the ‘elephants in the room’.
Watch this edge-of-the-seat horror/thriller. Pretty sure this is going to make a lot of people uncomfortable.
Short Review of Lady Bird
One of those rare çoming-of-age movies which don’t get limited to 1 aspect of life. Lady Bird is about Finding Love, Relationships with parents, Changing friendships, education, the zeal to grow up and leave a place, and lots of Teenage Angst thrown in.
Everyone can see themselves in the movie. From Parents trying to make ends meet to trying hard to explain to their kids on things they do for them, the inability of showing love to their kids, this covers it all. Of course, this centers around how ‘Lady Bird’ tries to fly, out and above everything.
One dialogue that stayed with me of a conversation with Lady Bird and her mother:
“I want you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be.”
“What if this is the best version?”
Saying that I loved this movie would be understating my feelings.
Short Review of “Phantom Thread”
Phantom Thread is Surreal/ It digs deep into the human psyche and how the needs shape behavior. How certain people just don’t change, while others change to change the latters’ unwillingness.
Daniel Day-lewis is a genius in his portrayal of the Couturier and the detailing of how he goes about carrying out his trade, its effect on his personality and behavior just gel brilliantly.
Performances are good, however, not my cup of tea. Watch this one if you’re a Daniel Day-Lewis fan.
Short Review of “The Post”
The movie, notwithstanding the backdrop, goes in the same tone as to how Spotlight went, until the buildup starts focussing on Meryl Streep’s character. Of course, she’s brilliant (as always), but what a wonderfully written character hers is. This movie, among many other things, is about Meryl being the ONLY woman frame by frame. Rising from being not able to matter to ensuring she tells them all, she means business. A scene where she walks out of the Courthouse while a sea of women watches her admiringly (without uttering even a single word) is a victory. Well played, Spielberg. You are truly a genius.
Of course, the movie is about a Newspaper standing firm on its resolve to question the government and as one of the judges puts it, ‘The Free Press was to serve the governed not the governor’.
It is a movie to watch. Arguably the best from the list for me.
Short Review of “The Shape of Water”
So, I did love the performance and the music. However, the very predictable plotline just doesn’t make it Oscar-worthy for me.
The story hardly offers anything new and I’m yet to understand all the hype around this movie. But, am I the only one?
A decent one-time watch.
Short Review of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
A mothers cry to find justice for her murdered daughter finds a place in the 3 Billboards outside Ebbing. The hoardings ask and hold the authorities responsible for no action taken regarding the murder.
A bad-ass performance by Frances McDormand just keeps your tempo up, while everything else will take you to an emotional high, and hit you hard.
Another worthy contender for the Oscars. The tight-knit plot even with a fleet of characters, this one is an amazing watch.
Don’t miss out on Watching this. I have a feeling that McDormand might win for her performance.
Okay, now that you’ve read the short reviews of Oscar Nominated Movies of 2018, what are your picks?
Here’s my order of preference:
- The Post
- Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Call Me by Your Name
- Get Out
- Lady bird
- Dunkirk
- Phantom Thread
- The Shape Of Water
I won’t mind if any of the top 3 get the Oscars for the ‘Best Picture’.