Bridge of Spies

This was a very solid drama that felt both expansive and intimate at once, which is no easy feat. The acting was very solid, the plot well paced and well executed, and the direction was engaging. I was pulled into the story and remaining completely entrenched through the end. A solid movie, and not out of place in the Best Picture nominees I think. I was surprised to note the Coen brothers wrote this (at least in part) but Spielberg directed. I think that was a smart choice - this film could have been mishandled easily and, honestly, the Coen's would likely have done so. A fine film. 4/5

Bridge of Spies on Netflix

True Story

This is just exceptionally good acting by Franco and Hill. I knew Franco had it in him, but I've only seen Hill do drama a couple of times, so it was really refreshing to see him stretch in this film. Great story, totally engaging. I really liked this. 4/5

True Story on Netflix

Some Like It Hot

Who can resist falling in love with Marilyn Monroe when you watch one of her films? She's gorgeous, talented, and can sing like a lark. I adore her, and I loved this film. It was funny and very sweet, a real treat. Can't believe it took me this long to see it! Loved it! 5/5

Some Like It Hot on Netflix

The Bothersome Man

I had a strange reaction to this dark and brooding Norwegian film. It's billed as a black comedy, but I actually found it to be profoundly disturbing in many ways. Given the very dark and violent movies I tend to really enjoy, I found my strong reaction rather odd. There's one particular set of scenes that felt so sadistic and viscerally disturbing that I really got knocked out of the plot while I digested what I had just seen. Having said all that, this is a tremendously interesting movie. People could argue for days about the ultimate meaning of it all and never come to a final conclusion. It's very dark, very dry, and visually impactful - everything you see has some level of meaning. I can't say I enjoyed this per se, but I was intrigued by it and I will think about this film a lot over the next few days. 4/5

The Bothersome Man on Netflix

Burnt

I feel like I've been souring a bit on Bradley Cooper lately - I think it feels like he's been spinning his wheels a bit I guess. I loved what he did in this film though - he was fire one moment and water the next. He really gave this his all and I appreciated it very much. The script was a bit lean though - could have used more character meat and about 10 more minutes to develop backstories a bit more thoroughly. Overall, nicely done, I was fully engaged. 3.5/5

Burnt on Netflix

White Rabbit

This gritty film had a lot of potential. Judging from the deleted scenes and alternate ending, it was originally darker and more punchy, but this final edit watered things down too much for me. There was a neat reveal I didn't see coming, I'll give it that. 3/5

White Rabbit on Netflix

Big Eyes

Thankfully, this Tim Burton movie doesn't feel like a Tim Burton movie. Adams and Waltz were lovely, and the story was told and paced well. A very engaging film. 3.5/5

Big Eyes on Netflix

Final Draft

I don't know why I had this confused with "Vulgar" in my mind, but this film couldn't be further from that. This was a germ of a good idea badly executed, in part because I think it must have been difficult to convey whether we were in a fantasy world or reality with such a small budget. There was the potential for a great subplot here, but it never surfaced, which was the real shame. Not unwatchable, but not really good either. 2.5/5

Final Draft on Netflix

The Lady in the Van

Maggie Smith was just brilliant in this, one of the best performances by an actress of last year so far for me. This was a very touching movie, a good comedic paring with Richard Gere's astonishing turn in "Time out of Mind", for which I still can't believe he wasn't nominated. A lovely film. 3.5/5

The Lady in the Van on Netflix

Brooklyn

I feel about this film much like I felt about "Spotlight". It's a lovely film with tremendous acting. I was moved by it and drawn along by the story. It was directed and paced very well. But I'm just not sure this should be an Oscar nominee. Maybe I'm spoiled by independent film, but I would rather see a film attempt to be different and great and fall short than play everything safely. Safe is good and fine and lovely, but Best Film? Not quite, at least not for me. 4/5

Brooklyn on Netflix

Trumbo

Once again, I find myself writing a derivation on a theme. This is a fine movie with a great performance by Bryan Cranston, but I simply cannot say it was good enough to warrant a Oscar nomination. A nomination should go to someone who has done something transcendent, who has totally lost themselves in a role and become someone else. Cranston was great, but I always knew it was Cranston. To me, that is not Oscar-worthy, and given how many performances were better last year - and I'm just getting started mind you - I really don't understand this trend. A very good film nonetheless. 3.5/5

Trumbo on Netflix

The Danish Girl

Let's start this review by stating the obvious. This is the best Eddie Redmayne has ever given, far better than the role his won the Oscar for last year. He was beautiful and poignant and tragic and shy and delicate and courageous and transformative. He was a revelation and I will be stunned if I see much better from this year's crop. However, the movie itself was Oscar-bait at best. It was shallow and vapid and hung entirely on the performances of Redmayne and Vikander, who was also outstanding and rightfully deserving of her awards. I understand the acclaim for Redmayne but not for the movie itself. I continue to be amazed at the actions of the Academy. 3.5/5

The Danish Girl on Netflix

Dead Man's Shoes

This thriller has a twist to it, which unfortunately I saw about half way through. It's well acted, but a bit thin in plot and quick in pacing - I would have liked more character detail. just okay for me. 3/5

Dead Man's Shoes on Netflix

The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun

This French psych thriller is ingenious with its plot. Stylishly directed, the cinematography is beautiful, as is the acting by the lead actress. Very nicely done. 4/5

The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun on Netflix

The Forest

When this movie was released in theaters, there was a huge backlash against it. A lot of charges were leveled that it sanitized the seriousness of suicide in Japan and made light of a very dark situation. I thought these charges were largely foolish, as this was meant to be a simple thriller and not a serious drama/horror film about suicide. But I've got to say after watching it that I really wish the filmmakers has gone a more serious route. This had the potential to be a serious and impactful psychological horror film that explores suicide in all its complexities, but instead threw all it potential away for a few cat scares. Which is sad, because the bones of a real film were here just waiting to be found. Sadly, all that remains is a bland, boring, vapid movie about nothing at all. Such a waste. 2/5

The Forest on Netflix

The Big Short

I admit I wasn't expecting much from this Oscar nominated picture - it seemed on the surface to be pandering to the Oscar crowd far too much. I was shocked to be pulled into it's style and substance almost immediately. This is a tremendously good film, buoyed by truly exceptional acting all the way around. The direction was smart and sleek, and I even loved the fourth-wall breaks. This was a truly outstanding film worthy of the nomination it got, and that was rare last year in my opinion. A great film. 5/5

The Big Short on Netflix

Babette's Feast

This is a tender and lovely movie with strong messages about art, love, and faith. It's shot simply with a gentle eye, but was so delicately beautiful. Charming. 3.5/5

Babette's Feast on Netflix

Miss You Already

Yes, this is a sentimental cry-fest, but it's beautifully acted with a solid plot. If you liked "A Fault in Our Stars", you'll like this lovely yet tragic film as well. 4/5

Miss You Already on Netflix

Buddy

This Norwegian film purports to be a comedy, but it feels more like a dark-edged dramedy to me for the most part. The not-so-subtle themes of mental illness, teenage pregnancy, and infidelity make this a black comedy, but one with a heart and real characters that I believed in and rooted for. Great acting throughout, I'll be interested to see more from this group of actors and filmmakers. 3.5/5

Buddy on Netflix

Creed

Wow, where to start. There were high points in this movie. I enjoyed a lot of the callbacks to the "Rocky" series. The training sequences were great and staging the whole of the first fight between Creed and Leo the Lion in one continuous shot was ballsy as hell and really worked. However, that's where my praise has to end. Michael B. Jordan is a much better actor than this movie let him show. If you liked him here, please rent "Fruitvale Station" immediately, for which he should have gotten award attention. Creed's character development was shallow at best, and we aren't given enough of him as a child in the streets for me to buy the rage he stows inside him. But, for me, the crime was how Rocky's character was written. Anyone who knows anything about concussive trauma knows that, if you follow the trajectory of Rocky's head trauma, he should be significantly impaired in this film, and he's just not. Stallone has always been so careful to sell Rocky's TBI that I was floored at how much better his condition was than in "Rocky Balboa". However, when I saw Stallone neither wrote nor directed this film, so much made sense. This was an average film that could have been great in more capable hands. And, further, Stallone's performance was not strong enough for the Oscar nod he got. Sorry, but this was just average for me. 3/5

EDITED TO ADD: Ack, totally forgot. The revelation in this film was Tony Bellew who played Pretty Ricky Conlan. I had to look him up after I finished, and he really is a boxer. Damn that kid can act. I hope to see him do more in the future.

Creed on Netflix

The Martian

What can I say? This is a brilliant movie from start to finish. Damon is wonderful, the script flows evenly, and it doesn't feel two hours and twenty minutes long at all. There's no question this is indeed an Oscar film - it's bold and brilliantly executed from start to finish. Here's to hoping I see more films like this. 5/5

The Martian on Netflix

In the Heart of the Sea

This action/adventure film is bold, to be sure, but it truly works. The tale is epic, and the scope of the sets, CGI, and direction are equally epic. It feels a touch saccharine at times, and at others very dark and tragic. The rather masterful acting really holds this story together and makes for compelling viewing. Better than I expected. 3.5/5

In the Heart of the Sea on Netflix

Cinema Paradiso

How have I never seen this magical & lovely film before? It's ambitious and very sweet, although a bit overly sentimental in places. A real treat, I enjoyed this. 4/5

Cinema Paradiso on Netflix

Spotlight

This is a great film, an excellent film really. It's tightly written and wonderfully acted by everyone in the cast. It takes a tough subject, which is a true story to boot, and tells both in a poignant and realistic way. This is an important film, one that people should see, because this subject is so real and vital and timely. But, having said all that, I can't understand how anyone would vote for this film for Best Picture over "Room". I just can't. "Room" is a better film in every way. It's more ambitious, it's better directed, better acted, and even more of a tough subject in a lot of key ways. I don't see anyway that "Spotlight", no matter how good and solid it is, beats "Room", and I wonder how many other Oscar nominees I'm going to say that about, because I'm just getting started going through the nominees. I'm startled that last year "Birdman", which was such a atypical Best Picture nominee, won, and this year the "Birdman" of this crop didn't. And I have to wonder about that, something I'll be wondering as I watch more of the nominated pictures. 4.5/5

Spotlight on Netflix

Insomnia

I saw the American remake of this Norwegian thriller years ago, but even after all this time I remember the remake being tighter and more cohesive than the original. Certainly the characters in the remake were more fleshed out, and I even liked Pacino & Williams better than their Swedish counterparts. Just average for me. 3/5

Insomnia on Netflix