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<p>Saw the movie last night, and this ^^^ was absolutely true! Hope there’s a Oscar nomination for him down the line.</p>
<p>Just got back from Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Again, take this review with a grain of salt… I did not read the books, nor did I see the first movie - so flame away! About an hour into the movie, I had to keep repositioning myself in my seat so I’d stay awake. I think because I didn’t have the knowledge nor background of the trilogy, I just didn’t have any stake in the story line. I’m sure others will feel much differently. As we walked out, D1 told me I have to read the books (I’m the only one in the family who did not), then see the first movie.</p>
<p>Saw Catching Fire. Saw the first movie last month so I was able to follow story. I like movies to have endings. Do not like having to wait over a year for an ending. Guess I will get the book.</p>
<p>Did anyone see “Nebraska”? If you have the patience for a slow-paced film, there’s a lot of merit there. The landscape is a almost a character in the film – Midwest High Plains: Montana, the Dakotas and Nebraska.</p>
<p>The treatment of the Alzheimers is deeper than “The Iron Lady.” Instead of watching from the outside of that illness, showing behaviors, this film shows a complicated struggle. The middle aged son crawls inside his Dad’s world, emotionally, trying to grasp the inner logic that motivates his old man. </p>
<p>The original muscial score begins with an American folk sound (fiddle, guitar mostly) but ventures far beyond. I love folkmusic, but this composer took that genre into something far beyond. Hard to describe, but very beauitful and fresh.</p>
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<p>The third book in the trilogy is so awful that you may be fine not knowing how it ends.</p>
<p>paying3tuitions – a friend of mine said Nebraska was great. I want to see it.</p>
<p>I saw Dallas Buyers Club – very impressed with Jared Leto – not so impressed with McConaughey. I don’t know – he just didn’t seem so different (other than physically emaciated) from the taciturn, slow Southern dude he’s played before. I was expecting more of a performance from him. At points, it was hard to watch. One of those films you appreciate rather than enjoy.</p>
<p>We saw “Saving Mr. Banks” yesterday, which I expected to love with all my heart, but I was disappointed. The cast was marvelous - Emma Thompson absolutely perfect, as were Jason Schwartzman, B. J. Novak, and Bradley Whitford as the Mary Poppins songwriters/screenwriter. Colin Farrell did well with the tricky part of P.L. Travers’ alcoholic father, and I think Tom Hanks was as good as any actor could have been as Walt Disney. But for me, the movie was just too Disney Version. There were too many manipulative, manufactured moments, imo. I did think the last 15 minutes (the premiere of Mary Poppins and aftermath) were excellent - they saved the movie for me.</p>
<p>Have seen lots of movies recently:</p>
<p>American Hustle: Great fun if you remember the '70s, and some excellent performances (especially by Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams), but ultimately what H and I dubbed ‘Scorsese-light’.</p>
<p>Nebraska: Bruce Dern is superb, and the whole thing is a lovely elegy on a father-son relationship. If you like slower, thoughtful movies then it’s for you.</p>
<p>Philomena: Judi Dench is, as always, delightful, but the movie is somehow not as gripping as it ought to be. There’s a good article in today’s NY Times about the true story it’s based on (includes many spoilers): <a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/12/fashion/Philomena-True-Story-Michael-Hess.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/12/fashion/Philomena-True-Story-Michael-Hess.html</a></p>
<p>Inside Llewyn Davis: The music is wonderful, and as someone who lived in Greenwich Village (but long after 1961!) it was fun to spot familiar places. There’s a substantial section in the middle where I think the movie goes off the rails, but it’s the Coen brothers so I forgive them. Will not be everyone’s cup of tea.</p>
<p>I saw Philomena a few weeks ago, and something still has me puzzled. When Judi Dench got to meet her friends daughter, who was raised as her sons sister - why didn’t they talk at all about that woman’s mother? I would have thought something would have been said about it.</p>
<p>And why did the sons boyfriend not want to talk to her? </p>
<p>I did think it was a good movie, very touching in some parts.</p>
<p>Over the last week or so saw Saving Mr. Banks and American Hustle. </p>
<p>Both of them had many superb performances and are well worth seeing. </p>
<p>I have to say that I really loved the former. As a lover of Mary Poppins–the real Mary Poppins in the books–I was not at all happy with the movie, back when I was a kid. Mary Poppins was NOT a sugary person. Emma Thompson, on the other hand, could have been born to play Mary Poppins, and is great as Travers. Tom Hanks’ performance was possibly the best of his career, IMHO. There is a scene near the end of the movie where he visits Travers in London that is simply mesmerizing.</p>
<p>American Hustle is a blast. Everyone is tremendous, and the pace and structure are super.</p>
<p>We’ve seen Nebraska, Philomena, American Hustle, Saving Mr. Banks, August:Osage County and Inside Llewyn Davis. All were very good, can’t go wrong with any of them. I would say my favorites were Nebraska and August:Osage County. Meryl Streep was phenomenal. DH and our two sons would say American Hustle</p>
<p>American Hustle got nominations in all acting categories! I couldn’t ask for a better cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper!!</p>
<p>Stunned that Robert Redford wasn’t nominated for his work in “All Is Lost”. Similarly stunned that “Inside Llewyn Davis” was pretty much blanked. No nomination for Emma Thompson for “Saving Mr. Banks”? Wow.</p>
<p>I thought that “Don Jon” was clever and would be up for a best original screenplay, but clearly I am a terrible prognosticator.</p>
<p>And it’s odd to see all of the nominations for Captain Phillips, but no best foreign film nomination or even shortlisting for “A Hijacking”.</p>
<p>I saw American Hustle and thought it slow and disappointing despite having high hopes for it. Found myself looking at my watch repeatedly although the last third was a great deal more engaging than the first 2/3. Apparently mine is a minority opinion - incidentally I thought Silver Linings Playbook was over-rated last year. Saving Mr Banks I found quite depressing - Emma Thompson and Tom Cruise were both outstanding - but again I thought it was too long, however, the ending was more upbeat. Also saw the latest Hobbit adventure which was orders of magnitude better than the first film IMHO and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to seeing August: Osage County.</p>
<p>It was an unusually good year for movies, but still … I was disappointed to see no nominations for Emma Thompson, Robert Redford, or Tom Hanks. That Best Actor category was going to be tough to crack, though. I kind of feel that Meryl Streep got Emma Thompson’s nomination, because Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock and Judi Dench seemed to have locks, at least imo.</p>
<p>I’m very happy with the supporting actor and actress nominees.</p>
<p>I haven’t seen American Hustle but I have always been fairly “meh” about Jennifer Lawrence (with the exception of Winter’s Bone), Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper. I hope they show me something in that movie that I haven’t seen thus far in their performances.</p>
<p>Husband and saw “Her” last night. Wow, was that ever strange! I thought it was very good, while H hated it. It’s set in the future and seemed very believable. It deals with technology and human emotions.</p>
<p>I saw “Her” and HATED it. I don’t mind strange movies and have seen and enjoyed other Spike Jone’s movies. This one bored the he** out of me. Like sitting in a Starbucks and listening to two twenty-five year olds at another table talk about their feelings for two hours. Good God! </p>
<p>I suffered from embarrassment by proxy throughout the whole ordeal, as well. Horrible.</p>
<p>Carter’s- I feel the same about Jennifer Lawrence and I’m hesitant to go see American Hustle. Same with Her- I feel it might be as you described, EPTR. Think I’ll wait until they are both on Netflix.</p>
<p>Darn auto correct Cartera!</p>