Oscar Nominations 2014

Best picture:
Nominees -American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena, 12 Years a Slave, The Wolf of Wall Street
Tali -My heart says Her but my money is on American Hustle.
Leo - I would love for American Hustle to win, but Twelve Years a Slave just has that vibe.

Best actor:
Nominees - Christian Bale, Bruce Dern, Leonardo DiCaprio, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthew McConaughey
Tali- Matthew McConaughey
Leo - Matthew McConaughey, I'm almost certain.

Best supporting actor:
Nominees -Barkhad Abdi, Bradley Cooper, Michael Fassbender, Jonah Hill, Jared Leto
Tali -Can I vote for Jonah Hill's teeth? No? Ok.. then Michael Fassbender.
Leo - Michael Fassbender is my personal pick but it's going to Jared Leto.

Best actress:
Nominees -Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Judi Dench, Meryl Streep
Tali -My heart is with Amy but my money is on Cate Blanchett.
Leo - I really think this should go to Amy Adams. Cate Blachett might get it and also deserve it, but Amy Adams' performance in American Hustle was one of the best I've seen in any movie, not just this year.

Best supporting actress: 
Nominees -Sally Hawkins, Jennifer Lawrence, Lupita Nyong'o, Julie Roberts, June Squibb
Tali -LUPITA FOREVER.
Leo -Lupita Nyong'o

Best director: 
Nominees -Alfonso Curaron, Steve McQueen, Alexander Payne, David O. Russell, Martin Scorsese
Tali - Alfonso Curaron.
Leo -Alfonso Curaron

Best animated film:
Nominees -The Croods, Despicable Me 2, Ernest and Celestine, Frozen, The Wind Rises
Tali - I haven't even seen it yet but I bet it's gonna be Frozen.
Leo -Frozen

Best original song:
Nominees - Happy (Despicable Me 2), Let It Go (Frozen), The Moon Song (Her), Ordinary Love (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)
Tali - I am going to out on a limb here and say Ordinary Love.
Leo - Let It Go

Other calls we'd like to make:
Tali - Gravity for Best Cinematography; Her for Best Original Screenplay; 20 Feet From Stardom for Best Documentary
Leo - iono. Gravity is probably going to get all of the sound mixing, editing, and etc. awards.

Gravity

Tali: You all know this movie. I know this because I was one of the last people to see this movie. I get terribly squeamish to the point of onset nausea whenever people are free form falling - superheroes flying with intent are fine, but I knew this movie would be problematic for me. With that being said, I finally got around to watching this on the safety of my laptop screen. Here's the thing: obviously the achievement of cinematography in this film is is the best cinema has to offer. The exquisite imagery coupled with unbelievable suspense has me yelling at the screen more so than I had in a long time. However, didn't anyone else find the script lacking? The dialogue cliche? SPOILER: And what's with Sandra Bullock's obviously whip-smart character needing George Clooney to come back from the dead and "save her?" Those things kind of brought this movie down for me. One helluva ride though. 78/100.

Leo: I saw this movie as soon as it came out because I was a huge fan of his installment of Harry Potter as well as Children of Men. This movie lived up to those standards. He has a way of not only raising the logical stakes but the way the audience views them and feels about the characters. It's safe to say Sandra Bullock was not my ideal choice for this part but she really surprised me and kept me believing. I do agree, George Clooney was acting as his usual self for most of the movie, but there were times when he sort of moves out of his comfort zone and it was very interesting. Unlike with Tali, the dialogue didn't really bother me but that's possibly because I was busy feeling sick and uneasy along with the characters. The cinematography was just incredible that any small plot or dialogue cliches were lost in space along with any other reservations. 91/100.

The Lego Movie

Tali: The Lego Movie is more than a kids movie. It is the silly, wacky, and at times touching story of Emmet, your average, work-a-day construction worker (who is a Lego piece) and his surprise journey saving Lego Land. I did not play with Lego as a kid, so for me this movie was less nostalgic than it would be for others. But, this movie just makes fun of itself so much, that the parodied nature of it makes it so much fun. OF COURSE Morgan Freeman is the prophet character, OF COURSE Chris Pratt is the loveable goof, Allison Brie as the "uni-kitty", Nick Offerman as the pirate, etc etc. The puns are so good and the graphics even better. Bring a kid or bring your significant other! 85/100.

Leo: This movie was literally made for me and I love it as I do with most well-done animation movies. One of the things I respect most about movie-making is to have an equal effect on all audiences of all ages / opinions / etc. and this was a very good example of that. The jokes were funny to everyone, some of them more because I understood everything (the fire pieces, the jumping jacks, etc) but they were more or less all ages all maturity levels fun. It did not take itself too seriously, and the twist at the end really grounded the movie and made it about something rather than just entertainment for entertainment's sake. The casting was perfect. If you haven't seen the "bloopers", you should also watch those. I know there are some people who would dismiss this movie just because its animated but that's just an insecure cop-out. If you are secure enough about your maturity (or immaturity) to enjoy animated films, you will enjoy this one. 93/100.

Nebraska

Tali: Nebraska tells the story of Woody, an elderly and somewhat absent mined drunk who believes he has won a million dollars in a sweepstakes, and sets off to Lincoln, Nebraska to obtain his prize. I knew from the first time that I saw this trailer, that this movie was going to be worth seeing. The story is so rich yet realistic and the humorous bits fit in just right. Bruce Dern and June Squib are incredibly perfect together - the bickering and unpleasantly aging couple are so real they just leap out of the screen. A wonderful movie!! 88/100.

Leo: Another movie I did not want to see, but another movie I enjoyed very much (I guess the Oscars aren't as bullshit as I thought???). Bruce Dern, June Squib, and Will Forte were a perfect combination of serious and funny - none of the jokes were forced and they were all so real. The scene where all of the old men were sitting in silence without reacting (or subtly reacting) watching the TV was one of the funniest things I have ever seen and I can't even understand why. They started talking about the Chevy and the Buick and I was laughing the whole time. It was a very well done movie and it wasn't too sad at the end. 84/100.

Philomena

Tali: Philomena is based upon the true story (sensing a theme here with these Oscar nominations this year) about an Irish lady, who with the help of a disgraced English journalist, set out to once and for all find her long lost son, which she has been attempting to do unsuccessfully for 50 years.I had my reservations about this movie at first, but honestly I cannot even remember why. Judi Dench, as always, is outstanding. The story itself is very touching and captivating and sweet. The central (and true) backstory of the Irish nuns is also very interesting, and Philomena's unwavering commitment to his Catholicism bares attention as well. I would say Judi is a contender, for sure. 87/100.

Leo: I'll admit that I did not want to see this movie until the Oscars came out but I was pleasantly surprised. This movie was funny and witty while also being sad and powerful. There is not much else to say about this film. Judi Dench is amazing (did you know she's blind?) and carries the film. Steve Coogan was also great. I really think his character was one of the most important parts of the film for the story because it acted as a sort of link between the audience and Philomena. Audience sympathized with him - when he got mad, we got mad. It was really well-done and was a very easy movie to watch. 89/100.

Dallas Buyers Club

Tali: Dallas Buyers Club is the true-life story of Ron Woodroof, a drunken cowboy who gets diagnosed with AIDs at the height of the crisis on the 1980's. He eventually starts a drug smuggling ring in an attempt to have alternative HIV/AIDs treatment medications reach a wider audience. It is important to note, that Ron was not a champion of the LGBT community - throughout the movie (and in real life, allegedly), Ron remained fairly homophobic and transphobic, and it's clear that he only went into the drug smuggling business for selfish reasons. However, this movie tugs on your heart strings and is truly inspiring. It also reminds us just how important finding a cure for this disease is for our and future generations. Matthew McConaughey is at his absolute best. Jared Leto was also great, though I believe that reputation should be given where reputation is due, and his role most certainly should have gone to a real trans actor. Definitely a must-see and definitely a contender this awards season. 86/100.

Leo: This is one of the Oscar movies that I actually did want to see, namely because I'm a huge fan of this "new" Matthew McConaughey who all of the sudden decided that he's not a surfer dude anymore and is an incredible actor. He does not disappoint. He sells this role incredibly well and makes you actually like the character, even though he's homophobic. Jared Leto was also incredible. I would not be surprised for Dallas Buyers Club to sweep the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories. The movie itself is very good, but not in the sense that I'd want to see it again or consider it a top contender. The story was....predictable but not really strong enough to have me care too much. The cause and the actors made this movie what it is. 81/100.

Captain Phillips

Tali: Captian Phillips explores the real-life tale of a cargo ship travelling through the Horn of Africa, at which point it becomes hijacked by Somali Pirates. Admittedly, I was initially weary of this film - I am not a Tom Hanks fan (in his later years) and there was something about this film that I was not excited about. How can I sit through a movie when I know full well what it going to happen the whole time? The first portion of the movie was quite slow.. but eventually, once the crew of amazing Somali actors hopped onto the ship, the pace picked up and the stakes were raised. It definitely exceeded my expectations, but it was certainly not the best (or top 5.. or top 10) movie of the year. 65/100.

Leo: If you see this movie because you like Paul Greengrass films, namely the Bourne series, you will be.....satisfied? I liked this movie and as much as I think Tom Hanks is great, he was basically being Tom Hanks for the first 85% of the movie. I found myself saying "ok Tom Hanks" a lot during the film. However, I do think the direction of the movie was good enough to earn this movie a nomination. Knowing what happens to the Captain doesn't really detract from the insane suspense at the end of the movie. That last 30 minutes of the movie alone really makes this movie worth seeing. However, not enough to be considered a top contender for best picture. Make another Bourne movie though plz. 67/100.