I have always loved movies and for a number of years, had a great Oscar party complete with friends, costumes/dressing up and even prizes. Hey--an Oscar party is a good reason to bust out those old bridesmaids dresses. Even with the number of times where I've hunkered down with AMC and friends or family members to watch one of those Katherine Hepburn or Hitchcock marathons, it just never gets old. Love a rainy day, PJs and a movie marathon.
Now I have disagreed with some of the Academy's choices in the past. I feel that the best movie of the year should be something that should be timeless and everyone should see and enjoy. That is how I felt about "Hugo" last year. It was a gorgeous film, such wonderful cinematography plus an excellent story. Unfortunately, the Academy did not take my advice but that happens quite a bit so I'm used to it.
I think some of the movies that really didn't deserve the top spot include The Artist, No Country for Old Men, Crash, Lord of the Rings, Chicago (which I HATED...not going to lie), Gladiator and the one I really really dislike that keeps coming back to haunt me...Titanic.
However, I found that Slumdog Millionaire, although depressing, was quite a good film. Million Dollar Baby was not necessarily the best film but it was good. Braveheart might seriously be the best film of the last 20 years. It is not just because I lived in Scotland and that my aunt's family is the Wallace family, but it was a masterful piece of storytelling. So visual...and there are kilts.
As I get older, I understand "film" better. When I saw The Last Emperor with a friend in a movie theater in Detroit, I think I may have fell asleep. But seriously, I was also 16 and it was the 80s. I think that Ferris Bueller and 16 Candles were also pretty much award winners in my book. Oh and St. Elmo's Fire. I went to Catholic school and I didn't remember any St. Elmo but it was the brat pack so that was as close to God as I was going to get!
In terms of contemporary movies, I thought that Out of Africa was absolutely poetic. I just wanted to go and live in Isak Dinesen (pen name)'s world. I fell in love with Dances with Wolves and the unraveling of the story. That felt timeless.
Now the 80s were a time to cry. Terms of Endearment...really? Not a dry eye in the house. Ordinary People--one of my all time favorite young adult books--was one of the saddest and most haunting of films. I am sure to people today, it probably feels like that teen angst wasn't much but I can tell you that at the time...heartbreaking. Kramer vs. Kramer. What can I say? My brother and I had watched it several times on HBO. I didn't know a lot of families who were struggling with the broken family situation, the push and pull of divorce so it seemed all so tragic to me.
Lovely films? Storytelling crafted well? Snappy reparte and outstanding music? Amadeus, The Godfathers, Annie Hall and The Sting. A run of outstanding musicals...the soundtracks I listen to over and over in my car AND used to wait to have them come on TV (and eventually cable or VHS): The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady and West Side Story. The visual beauty of Gigi's Paris and the south's Gone with the Wind, along with the majesty of the score, vivid costumes and tragedy of the times make them some of my all time favorite films. Plus Leslie Caron never ages. I realize that she is French but seriously, never ages.
So before the Oscars 2012 come come calling at the end of February, you may want to take a look at the movies below. There are some fantastic ones and an excellent way to spend some time. As for this year's race, I am on my way to seeing as many as I can. I think that many from the beginning of the year are often forgotten by the time the announcements come out, but there are still good ones to see. Argo might be my favorite. I remember that time...I remember the helpless feeling, the nation's struggle and when I learned about what really happened, I felt like there is so much history to really learn, or relearn. Zero Dark Thirty was better than I had thought and again, much to learn, even though it wasn't that long ago. Lincoln was outstanding...what a champion for his time. Not sure it's the best film of the year, although I wouldn't be disappointed if it wins, but Daniel Day-Lewis's performance is absolutely magical, perfect, amazing. Next up for me is Beasts of the Southern Wild and Silver Linings Playbook, which is finally coming here. I didn't like the book Life of Pi and hoping I can actually sit through the film. Same with Les Miserables. I've seen the stage musical and not a fan of the film, but feel I need to see it. Unlike most people, I actually like Anne Hathaway. Also I like Naomi Watts so that film may also be on the list.
Cheers to you this Oscar season. Enjoy!
2011 - "The Artist"
2010 - "The King's Speech"
2009 - "The Hurt Locker"
2008 - "Slumdog Millionaire"
2007 - "No Country for Old Men"
2006 - "The Departed"
2005 - "Crash"
2004 - "Million Dollar Baby"
2003 - "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
2002 - "Chicago"
2001 - "A Beautiful Mind"
2000 - "Gladiator"
1999 - "American Beauty"
1998 - "Shakespeare in Love"
1997 - "Titanic"
1996 - "The English Patient"
1995 - "Braveheart"
1994 - "Forrest Gump"
1993 - "Schindler’s List"
1992 - "Unforgiven"
1991 - "The Silence of the Lambs"
1990 - "Dances With Wolves"
1989 - "Driving Miss Daisy"
1988 - "Rain Man"
1987 - "The Last Emperor"
1986 - "Platoon"
1985 - "Out of Africa"
1984 - "Amadeus"
1983 - "Terms of Endearment"
1982 - "Gandhi"
1981 - "Chariots of Fire"
1980 - "Ordinary People"
1979 - "Kramer vs. Kramer"
1978 - "The Deer Hunter"
1977 - "Annie Hall"
1976 - "Rocky"
1975 - "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest"
1974 - "The Godfather Part II"
1973 - "The Sting"
1972 - "The Godfather"
1971 - "The French Connection"
1970 - "Patton"
1969 - "Midnight Cowboy"
1968 - "Oliver!"
1967 - "In the Heat of the Night"
1966 - "A Man for All Seasons"
1965 - "The Sound of Music"
1964 - "My Fair Lady"
1963 - "Tom Jones"
1962 - "Lawrence of Arabia"
1961 - "West Side Story"
1960 - "The Apartment"
1959 - "Ben-Hur"
1958 - "Gigi"
1957 - "The Bridge on the River Kwai"
1956 - "Around the World in 80 Days"
1955 - "Marty"
1954 - "On the Waterfront"
1953 - "From Here to Eternity"
1952 - "The Greatest Show on Earth"
1951 - "An American in Paris"
1950 - "All About Eve"
1949 - "All the Kings Men"
1948 - "Hamlet"
1947 - "Gentleman's Agreement"
1946 - "The Best Years of Our Lives"
1945 - "The Lost Weekend"
1944 - "Going My Way"
1943 - "Casablanca"
1942 - "Mrs. Miniver"
1941 - "How Green Was My Valley"
1940 - "Rebecca"
1939 - "Gone with the Wind"
1938 - "You Can't Take It with You"
1937 - "The Life of Emile Zola"
1936 - "The Great Ziegfeld"
1935 - "Mutiny on the Bounty"
1934 - "It Happened One Night"
1932/1933 - "Cavalcade"
1931/1932 - "Grand Hotel"
1930/1931 - "Cimarron"
1929/1930 - "All Quiet on the Western Front"
1928/1929 - "The Broadway Melody"
1927/1928 - "Wings"
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