Movie Madness (part 1)

For the first time in history, I have managed to see all of the movies that are up for Best Picture in the Academy Awards before the ceremony. Here is my brief take on each film.

Black Swan

I would definitely consider this the most visually-striking film of the year. It was extremely creepy and beautiful at the same time (the final scene was mind-blowing). My weak stomach forced me to keep my eyes closed for about one-fifth of the movie, but the rest of the time, they were glued to the screen.

The Fighter

The Fighter was not what I expected at all. From what I had heard of the movie, I thought it would be tragic tale of addiction and defeat. Instead, it was a quirky, and even funny at times film with over-the-top characters. After seeing some footage of the family that the movie is based on, it was clear that these “characters” were actually very realistic. Dicky Ward (portrayed by Christian Bale in the film) is a larger-than-life goof ball, and Bale played the part flawlessly.

Inception

Inception seemed long – really long. I mean, I thought that van was never going to hit the water. I wasn’t that in to it, but those types of movies usually aren’t my thing. In all fairness, I saw Inception shortly after having surgery, and I think I was still a little whacked out on pain-pills. Maybe it would make a little more sense to me if a saw it with a clear head.

The Kids Are Alright

This is another movie that was not what I expected. I actually did think that this one was going to be funny, but it got very real, very quick. The dynamics of the relationships in the movie are very deep and intriguing. I enjoyed it much more than I expected.

The Kings Speech

Amazing. The Kings Speech basically had everything that I could want in a movie. It was touching, funny, inspirational and, most importantly, historically accurate. Em and I went and saw this with my grandparents, and it was fun because they remembered when the events in the movie were actually taking place. I can’t say enough about the casting and acting in this film. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush were unbelievable both individually and as a duo.

Alright, I think that’s enough for now. I don’t want to give you all of the goods at once. More to come.