And the Oscar goes to…
View(s):With the Oscars round the corner here’s a round up of the movies that have been nominated for best picture
Argo
Ben Affleck might finally have paid us back in full for the horrors of Daredevil. Based on true events, Argo chronicles the life-or-death covert operation which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis. While militants hold 52 hostages in the US embassy in Tehran, six Americans are hiding out with the Canadian ambassador. Enter Tony Mendez, a CIA ‘exfiltration’ specialist who comes up with an audacious plan to rescue them. Though one of the most accomplished of the actor’s 3 films, it would be nice to see him cast someone else in the lead role.
- Director: Ben Affleck
- Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman
Django Unchained
Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained presents Tarantino’s usual mix of bloody violence, subversive humour and a great soundtrack. You’re rooting for Django, whose ability to identify the murderous Brittle brothers brings him into an unconventional partnership with German born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz. Determined to rescue Django’s wife Broomhilda, the two men pursue her to Candyland where the malevolent slave owner Calvin Candle reigns supreme. Racists beware!
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio
Silver Linings Playbook
Pat Solitano knows he has to get his life back together – a stint in a mental institution has taken its toll on his marriage, but with the help of his parents he’s hoping to reunite with his wife. However, when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own, their lives change in ways neither could have foreseen as they discover the silver lining.
- Director: David O. Russell
- Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro
Les Misérables
An all-star cast brings the world’s longest running musical to the big screen. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, a parole breaker on the run, with ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) always in hot pursuit. Valjean’s life changes forever when he agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette. The director’s choice to have his actors’ sing their songs live on camera has inspired both love and loathing in critics.
- Director: Tom Hooper
- Stars: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway
Zero Dark Thirty
The controversial film reunited the Oscar winning team of director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal from The Hurt Locker for a look behind the scenes of the decade long hunt for Bin Laden. Unflinching portrayals of CIA black site interrogation rooms balance against the elite team’s dedication to a seemingly impossible hunt, one that could and does cost some of them their lives. The film ends with a gripping re-enactment of the Navy S.E.A.L operation that finally found the ‘world’s most dangerous man.’
- Director: Kathryn Bigelow
- Stars: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt
Lincoln
This is Lincoln as we’ve never seen him before. In his determination to see the 13th Amendment passed and slavery abolished, there’s seems little he will not sink to, no ally he won’t seek, not opportunity he won’t exploit. Day-Lewis’ accomplished portrayal brings to life an iconic American president, a man who grieved for the child he lost, a man with a weakness for story-telling, an all too human figure with a surpassing moral courage who would define the fate of an entire nation.
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn
Life of Pi
Director Ang Lee’s wildly successful 3D adaptation of what some dubbed an un-filmable book turned into one of the year’s most breath-taking cinematic experiences. We follow the story of a young castaway as he is thrown into an epic adventure of survival and discovery. He’s not alone, alongside is another terrifyingly ferocious survivor – a fully grown Bengal tiger.
- Director: Ang Lee
- Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain
Beasts of the Southern Wild
In a forgotten but defiant bayou community cut off from the rest of the world by a sprawling levee, a six-year-old girl exists on the brink of orphanhood. Now, there’s a fierce storm headed her way, one that will inspire her to heroic extremes as she tries to save her ailing father and sinking home. Sheer visual poetry, this visceral, joyous film is about the triumph of the human spirit.
- Director: Benh Zeitlin
- Stars: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly
Amour
This French drama, written and directed by Austrian filmmaker Haneke introduces an elderly couple named Georges and Anne. Once teachers of music the couple are now retired and have a daughter, who is also a musician, but lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke that leaves her paralysed down one side of her body. How the two cope is the basis for an unflinching exploration of what it means to grow old and to be in deeply in love. Nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture, best director and best foreign-language film Amour is one of the best films of the year.
- Director: Michael Haneke
- Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert
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