Goal Completed

I went to An Education today meeting my goal of seeing all ten nominated films by the time the Oscars are presented tomorrow night. Today is a mini-review of nine of the nominated films while adding who here on the blog might enjoy the movie the most. Tomorrow is my review of the tenth film, AN EDUCATION, my Oscar picks and your life updates.

BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR

THE HURT LOCKER. About a bomb squad in Iraq. Directed BY Kathryn Bigelow, starring Jeremy Renner. Tense study of man at war. About a soldier that prays everyday that he gets to go home and when he does make it home he finds he doesn't fit in. The scene where he is grocery shopping with his wife is heart tugging. She asks him to get some cereal. You see him standing in the cereal aisle alone not knowing what brand to choose, feeling completely lost. Pat, Mary Z, Ellen.

WORST MOVIE EVER NOMINATED FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.

DISTRICT 9. Nobody but the actors mommy and daddies would like this movie.

THE SURPRISE MOVIE.

UP

I don't like animated movies. I was dead sure I wasn't going to like this movie. The only reason I watched it is because of my goal. I loved this movie. Anyone here with a heart would like this movie. About an elderly man that loses his wife, then starts a journey to visit the place he and his wife were always going to visit. A little ranger goes along to get some merit badges. Voices of Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, and Jordan Nagai.

THE MOST INSPIRING MOVIE NOMINATED THIS YEAR.

THE BLIND SIDE.

Mary W and her boys, Dona, Kim, Snug, Connie, DR. And I also think Pat and Mary Z would like this movie but I am not as sure as I am of the others.

Stars Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Jae Head. and driected by John Lee Hancock. Rich family takes in homeless high school student who becomes a football star.

A MOVIE TO DAMN LONG.

AVATAR

At 160 minutes is probably 159 minutes to long. Stars Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez and directed by James Cameron. Moves between real people and animated characters. A paraplegic ex-marine finds a new life on the distant planet of Pandora, only to find himself battling humankind alongside the planet's indigenous Na'vi race. Most of it was alien to me. Maybe Pat because of the special effects but the length would bother her.

THE MOST HEARTBREAKING MOVIE THIS YEAR.

PRECIOUS.

I just reviewed this movie last week so won't write about it here. Ellen, Dona, Mary Z and Pat might like the story and the acting.

THE GUYS' MOVIE NOMINATED:

Directed by the Coen Brothers. Always have to have a Coen Brothers movie nominated, it is the law.

A SERIOUS MAN

A black comedy set in 1967 concerning a Midwestern physics professor whose staid and stable life slowly begins to unravel after his wife announces that she's leaving him. Stars Michael Stuhlbarg and Richard Kind among others. Kind of depressing but I think Pat, Ellen, Mary Z, and Bev might like it.

SPEAKING OF DEPRESSING:

UP IN THE AIR.

Starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick and directed by Jason Reitman. Man travels a ton to places just for the purpose of firing people while in the process mentoring a young woman and trying to obtain a goal. When he meets his goal it isn't what he thought it would be. I think Bev because of her theater reviewing background might like this and Pat because of the music maybe.

WORLD WAR TWO MOVIE NOMINATED

INGLORIOUS BASTERDS.

Another law is that a World War II movie has to be nominated every year. Violence sells. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth and Mélanie Laurent. The film tells the story of two plots to assassinate the Nazi Germany political leadership, one planned by a young French Jewish cinema proprietor (Laurent), and the other by a team of Jewish Allied soldiers led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Pitt). I really can't think of anyone here that would love this movie. Some of you might tolerate it for the acting and for justice prevailing.

Tomorrow before my Oscar picks I will review AN EDUCATION, a movie that I think all the women here except maybe DR might enjoy.

The questions of the day: Have you ever been inspired by a friend or spouse to travel to a specific place? Have you ever met someone from another planet? Taken in a homeless high school teen? Felt completely lost in a grocery store? Accomplished a goal only to find out it wasn't all you thought it would be? Felt Precious? Felt like no matter what you did things would just get worse? Felt like your forehead was tattooed? Had an affair with a married man or woman that you thought was single? Yes. Yes. No. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. No. Yes. The questions are a summary nine of the ten movies nominated for an Oscar this year! I just could never figure out what District 9 was about so don't have a question to match that movie.