Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Beasts of the Southern Wild [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 2013

Nominated Oscar	Best Motion Picture of the Year Dan Janvey Josh Penn Michael Gottwald
	Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Quvenzhané Wallis
	Best Achievement in Directing Benh Zeitlin
	Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Lucy Alibar Benh Zeitlin

Fox Searchlight Pictures
Directed by Benh Zeitlin
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, 20th Century Fox)

Living in extreme poverty on an island off the coast of southeast Louisiana, a young girl and her father struggle to survive after a storm, and melting ice caps, flood their rural community. Their relationship is strained by his drinking and hot temper, from which she escapes by drawing and vivid daydreams of giant "beasts" which are released by the melting ice. In the film's best scene, she dances with a woman at a "catfish shack" whom she believes is her mother. Meanwhile, her father is hospitalized and she must face his impending death. This film contains some striking imagery and the girl's predicament is disconcerting. However, it depends too much on Louisiana stereotypes of a self-destructive, never-ending party lifestyle, making it difficult to empathize with the adults in the story.

Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 2013

Won Oscar	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Christoph Waltz
	Best Writing, Original Screenplay Quentin Tarantino
Nominated Oscar	Best Motion Picture of the Year Stacey Sher Reginald Hudlin Pilar Savone
	Best Achievement in Cinematography Robert Richardson
	Best Achievement in Sound Editing Wylie Stateman

The Weinstein Company
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Anchor Bay)

A German bounty hunter befriends a slave in Texas, then asks him to be his partner. The two of them spend the winter in western mountains where Django, the slave, becomes a master gunslinger. Having promised to reunite him with his wife, they head to Mississippi in the spring. They pretend to be slave buyers in order to gain entrance to the plantation of the man who owns the woman. However, things go sour and a bloodbath ensues. The always entertaining Tarantino doesn't disappoint, but the over-the-top, stylized violence, much of it enhanced with CGI, often resembles a cartoon. As a result, it is impossible to take seriously, and the film devolves into a comical mess that might have worked better as a horror movie than a western.

My Left Foot (1989)

My Left Foot [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 1990

Won Oscar	Best Actor in a Leading Role Daniel Day-Lewis
	Best Actress in a Supporting Role Brenda Fricker
Nominated Oscar	Best Picture Noel Pearson
	Best Director Jim Sheridan
	Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Jim Sheridan Shane Connaughton

Miramax
Directed by Jim Sheridan
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Image Entertainment)

A boy with cerebral palsy is raised in a large Irish family, adored by his doting mother but initially rejected by his hard-drinking father. As a teenager, the boy teaches himself to write, and paint, with his only controllable limb: his left foot. He becomes a successful artist and author and achieves fame in his native country. Daniel Day Lewis gives a remarkable physical performance, apparently he often refused to come out of character during production. While eliciting sympathy, Lewis' character can also be quite unlikable: he is prone to violent, alcohol fueled, outbursts. For some reason, many interior scenes are harshly overlit. Nonetheless, Lewis' performance alone overcomes these shortcomings.

I Was a Communist for the FBI (1951)

I Was a Communist for the FBI DVD

Academy Awards, USA 1952

Nominated Oscar

Best Documentary, Features Bryan Foy

Warner Bros.
Directed by Gordon Douglas
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)

Frank Lovejoy works undercover for the FBI as a high ranking member of the Communist party in Pittsburgh. As a result, he is disowned by his family and hated by neighbors. Eventually he is called to testify before Congress and his real political beliefs revealed. Ironically, the movie is as much propaganda as the "Communist" stereotypes it portrays on-screen. Dorothy Hart is steamy as the Communist school teacher who tries to seduce him but ultimately has a conscience. Nomination as best "documentary" is mystifying, as this is obviously a work of fiction with a strong noir influence.

Philomena (2013)

Philomena [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 2014

Nominated Oscar	Best Motion Picture of the Year Gabrielle Tana Steve Coogan Tracey Seaward
	Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Judi Dench
	Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score Alexandre Desplat
	Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Steve Coogan Jeff Pope

The Weinstein Company
Directed by Stephen Frears
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Anchor Bay)

Elderly Judi Dench, a widow in Dublin, wonders about the fate of a son who was forcefully taken from her and given up for adoption in a convent decades earlier. She is introduced to a journalist through her daughter, and he agrees to help her search for him for a story. The nuns are not much help, so they follow the clues to America where they soon discover her son's fate. This in turn leads full circle back to the nunnery in Ireland. Steve Coogan as the journalist is mostly a distraction: attempts at humor fall flat and arguments about religion and atheism embarrassing. However, Judi Dench makes up for all of that: she carries the film through her simple, unassuming character; a pure joy to watch.

Olimpiada en México (1969)

Academy Awards, USA 1970

Nominated Oscar

Best Documentary, Features

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Alberto Isaac
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Survey of the 1968 Olympic games covers all of the expected bases. The opening ceremony is quaint compared to the spectacles of today. This is followed by the competition itself, mostly forgotten athletes breaking decades-old records. Despite all of this it manages to be engaging: the short weightlifter who does flips after winning, an ugly water polo match between Russian and Yugoslavia, the iconic "Black Power salute" from the podium by two black Americans and especially the marathon, where one runner struggles to make it to the finish line hours after the winner in a half-empty stadium. It's all extremely well-shot, with unintrusive narration, natural sounds and a classical score. It does, however, rely a little too much on slow motion, which can try one's patience.

Spring Parade (1940)

Academy Awards, USA 1941

Nominated Oscar	Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Joseph A. Valentine
	Best Sound, Recording Bernard B. Brown (Universal SSD)
	Best Music, Original Song Robert Stolz (music) Gus Kahn (lyrics) For the song "Waltzing in the Clouds"
	Best Music, Score Charles Previn

Universal Pictures
Directed by Henry Koster
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Austrian peasant girl Deanna Durbin falls asleep on a haystack and finds herself in the big city of Vienna. She is taken in by a friendly baker and given a job. She intercepts a note meant for the baker's daughter and thinks the soldier who wrote it wants to take her out. They end up having a great time and falling in love. However, they have to overcome a few obstacles along the way, including convincing the Austrian emperor that she did not try to kill him! Silly romantic musical where everyone in Vienna is happy and dancing waltzes all the time.

Saving Face (2012)

Saving Face DVD

Academy Awards, USA 2012

Won Oscar

Best Documentary, Short Subjects Daniel Junge Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

HBO
Directed by Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Victims of horrendous "acid attacks" in Pakistan seek comfort and reconstructive surgery from a visiting London doctor. He listens in disbelief to their stories about husbands, bosses or boyfriends who disfigured them, usually because they refused their proposals of sex. The surgeon can only do so much, but it is clear just his presence helps immensely. Progress on the political front is championed by a member of Parliament who successfully enacts a new law mandating a life sentence for these crimes. There is enough material here to expand to a full-length feature, more back story on the victims for example, so I felt a little slighted at the end of 40 minutes.

Boyhood (2014)

Boyhood [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 2015

Won Oscar	Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Patricia Arquette
Nominated Oscar	Best Motion Picture of the Year Richard Linklater Cathleen Sutherland
	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Ethan Hawke
	Best Achievement in Directing Richard Linklater
	Best Writing, Original Screenplay Richard Linklater
	Best Achievement in Film Editing Sandra Adair

IFC Films
Directed by Richard Linklater
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Paramount)

Epic story of a single mom and her two children, as she struggles to make something of her life and the kids just try to grow up. Told mostly from the point of view of Mason, the young boy, who can't understand why his father only visits occasionally or his sister constantly fights with him. Mom eventually gets remarried, but he turns out to be an angry alcoholic, and after a divorce and a few years living with friends, marries yet another drunken loser. She finally settles down in her middle age as a college professor. Meanwhile, Mason deals with his own teenage romance as he transitions from high school to college. The gimmick of using the same actors filmed over a decade doesn't really add much to the film, and actually becomes a distraction when you try to spot the jumps in time by hairstyles. Overlong by at least an hour, mostly because of dwelling on the teenage melodrama, with an anticlimactic ending that resorts to t-shirt philosophy as its ultimate insight: "it's always right now".

The Great American Cowboy (1974)

Academy Awards, USA 1974

Won Oscar

Best Documentary, Features Kieth Merrill

American National Enterprises
Directed by Kieth Merrill
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Rodeo documentary that concentrates on the national competition between old pro Larry Mahan and up and coming newcomer Phil Lyne. We follow them across the country as they wrestle steers, ride bucking broncs and bulls, including the "unridable" Oscar. There isn't much suspense as far as the competition goes, and slow motion is overused, but I did like Oscar as well as the rodeo clowns.

Christmas Holiday (1944)

Academy Awards, USA 1945

Nominated Oscar

Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Hans J. Salter

Universal Pictures
Directed by Robert Siodmak
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

A soldier on the way to Europe finds out by letter that his fiance married someone else. When his flight gets diverted to New Orleans due to weather, he meets lounge singer Deanna Durbin. Through flashback, she recounts the events in her life while married to Gene Kelly. Happy at first, his gambling habit leads to murder, conviction and a life sentence. He escapes and mistakes her friendship with the soldier for romance, confronting them one dark and stormy night. Good atmosphere in this noir-ish thriller, but Kelly is miscast and unconvincing.

Winter's Bone (2010)

Winter's Bone [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 2011

Nominated Oscar	Best Motion Picture of the Year Anne Rosellini Alix Madigan
	Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Jennifer Lawrence
	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role John Hawkes
	Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Debra Granik Anne Rosellini

Roadside Attractions
Directed by Debra Granik
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Lionsgate)

Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Lawrence tries to keep her family together when her dad goes missing after posting their home and possessions as bail. Her search for him leads her through the backwoods of Missouri, populated by drug addicted rednecks. She soon finds out her dad was probably killed by relatives trying to protect their crank and meth monopoly. In order to save the family home she must prove it to the police, which involves a trip to a lake. Heavily influenced by Texas Chain Saw Massacre, with the same sense of overbearing angst, but never quite goes in for the kill.

Moneyball (2011)

Moneyball (Mastered in 4K) (Single-Disc Blu-ray + UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Academy Awards, USA 2012

Nominated Oscar	Best Motion Picture of the Year Michael De Luca Rachael Horovitz Brad Pitt
	Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Brad Pitt
	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Jonah Hill
	Best Achievement in Film Editing Christopher Tellefsen
	Best Achievement in Sound Mixing Deb Adair Ron Bochar David Giammarco Ed Novick
	Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Steven Zaillian (screenplay) Aaron Sorkin (screenplay) Stan Chervin (story)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Bennett Miller
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Sony)

Oakland A's General Manager Brad Pitt adopts the statistical approach of a young mathematician to put together a new team with little money. He ostracizes long-time scouts and most of the fans, but when the team starts winning he starts to think maybe they can go all the way to the World Series. A surprisingly intelligent "sports" oriented movie, although Pitt's character can be somewhat aloof. The constant product placement is also distracting.

Wabash Avenue (1950)

Wabash Avenue DVD

Academy Awards, USA 1951

Nominated Oscar

Best Music, Original Song Josef Myrow (music) Mack Gordon (lyrics) For the song "Wilhelmina"

Twentieth Century-Fox Film
Directed by Henry Koster
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Betty Grable is the star attraction at a turn-of-the-century Chicago saloon. Traveling huckster Victor Mature falls in love with her and decides to make her a star. He tries blackmailing the saloon owner, an old business partner, but when that fails he resorts to cheating at cards. Meanwhile, they both try to win Grable's hand in marriage. Somehow she manages to pick between both of these losers. Occasionally colorful, such as the scenes at the Chicago World's Fair, but mostly dumb and sexist.

The Cider House Rules (1999)

The Cider House Rules [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 2000

Won Oscar	Best Actor in a Supporting Role Michael Caine
	Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published John Irving
Nominated Oscar	Best Picture Richard N. Gladstein
	Best Director Lasse Hallström
	Best Art Direction-Set Decoration David Gropman (art director) Beth A. Rubino (set decorator)
	Best Film Editing Lisa Zeno Churgin
	Best Music, Original Score Rachel Portman

Miramax
Directed by Lasse Hallström
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Lionsgate)

Michael Caine is a doctor at a remote Maine orphanage in the days of WWII. He trains orphan Tobey Maguire to deliver babies and perform the occasional abortion. However, Maguire unexpectedly leaves to work on a farm one summer. There he falls in love with Charlize Theron, the lonely girlfriend of a flyer sent off to the war. He also helps a pregnant migrant worker who is the victim of incest. Eventually, Charlize's boyfriend returns and Maguire decides to return to the orphanage to pick up where he left off. A depressing parade of abused orphans, abortion, rape, incest and drug abuse, with Maguire smirking his way through it all.

That Uncertain Feeling (1941)

That Uncertain Feeling (The Film Detective Restored Version)

Academy Awards, USA 1942

Nominated Oscar

Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture Werner R. Heymann

United Artists
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

A woman in a happy marriage decides it's too good to be true so starts seeing a psychiatrist. She meets kooky piano player Burgess Meredith and she falls for his charming if naive worldview. When her husband finds out he give her an easy divorce. However, when she gets engaged to Meredith her now ex-husband tries to win her back by flirting with his secretary to make her jealous. Incredibly, it works. Not the best from  Lubitsch, the setting is rather static and the plot melodramatic, but even lesser Lubitsch has its moments.