Well I've been watching a crapload of movies. For some reason- and I've never done this before- I decided to get a hold of as many Oscar nominated movies as I can. And this year, there are 10 for Best Picture, and I've seen them all.
The Hurt Locker
Plot: American soldiers in Iraq, a unit that diffuses bombs; about the addicting adrenaline rush of the work and the emotional and psychological effects.
The mighty GKarsEye says: unique take on the whole "war movie" thing. The tension of some of the "battle" scenes- and you can't get more tense than trying to diffuse bombs in the middle of hostile territory- is fantastic. The rest of the scenes were awkward and plodding and could simply not hold as much interest as those, but I'm not sure if that's not on purpose, since the whole movie is actually about comparing the visceral experience of battle vs the mundane. I didn't think this movie is as brilliant as some, but it was different, it was engaging, it was good.
An Education
Plot: late-50s or early-60s British high school girl meets older man and starts to rebel against her middle class parents and teachers pushing her to formal education.
The mighty GKarsEye says: high-brow British melodrama can only work for me if the actors are engaging, and the lead is. I don't know who she is, but she's definitely got it. The guy, not so much at first because given the story you'd expect him to be some dashing charming rogue, but the fact that he isn't actually helps flesh out the girl's character. Didn't like the ending, though- too pat and, I dunno, quick. Overall, it's excellent for what it is and succeeds.
District 9
Plot: aliens = immigrants!
The mighty GKarsEye says: sweet lookin', fun, thrilling, not-too-long, not-too-retarded sci-fi-ish action flick. Hollywood- more like this please!
Avatar
Plot: Hollywood patronizes Americans by attacking corporatism and harming the environment while making billions of dollars and getting millions of people to drive to movie theaters.
The mighty GkarsEye says: what a horrid, audience insulting piece of utter garbage. Hollywood- no more like this, please! If I hear one more time about how this is the "future of fiilm-making," I'm going to... well, I guess I'll just do more of what I do now- listen to Thelonious Monk records and bitch about things on the internet.
Up
Plot: It's a cartoon about an old man who ties balloons to his house and flies to South America with a boy scout. Also, it's a cartoon. Nominated for a Best Picture oscar.
The mighty GkarsEye says: that he's almost depressed that of all 10 nominated films, this one handles the topic of romantic love better than all the rest put together (except maybe An Education). I mean the opening alone... my god. Heartbreaking. IT'S A CARTOON! And the music.. I was shocked it was an original score. Really makes the whole movie.
A Serious Man
Plot: The Coen Bros get more Coen Bros-y than ever, setting a movie in their childhood of 1960s middle-American jewry by telling the story of Job in a "modern" setting.
The mighty GKarsEye says: I was thrilled that they had a new one, as I am a big fan, even though (or maybe because) their record is spotty. Very self-indulgent, quirky, superficial, but at their best they end up with something greater than the sum of its parts. And when this movie started, I was elated at the promise, and the characters. But half-way through, I started getting this empty sick feeling that this movie was going nowhere, and that stupid ending... I didn't like this movie, despite a few funny moments. Really a lot of navel-gazing bullshit, like American Beauty or Donnie Darko or some crap that people used to love but is really just awful.
Up In the Air
Plot: George Clooney plays George Clooney who George Clooneys his way in airports and then George Clooney.
The mighty GKarsEye says: I actually like Clooney, but here he comes off as what you would imagine he'd be like if he was the total dick you might have guessed from his looks and fame (ironic because I've met him briefly, known others who met him for longer and by all accounts he's a pretty cool guy).
This is one of those movies where Hollywood patronizes by telling us that living our normal lives makes us pretty darn special. Mr. Fancy Pants over here flies around the world, talks a lot of game, snags himself a pretty sweet FwB, but he learns- for no reason at all other than it's in the script- that people have to get married and have children. Holy shit I spoiled it for you- you're welcome.
Inglorious Basterds
Plot: Quentin Tarantino makes a Quentin Tarantino movie about how Quentin Tarantino likes Westerns and Nazi movies and Quentin Tarantino movies.
The mighty GKarsEye says: and it's fun as all hell. I mean it's completely and utterly retarded and stupid, but a whole heck of a lot of fun. The main villain Nazi guy steals the show.
The Blind Side
Plot: magnanimous rich white people take in a retarded black boy and turn him into a mediocre left tackle for the Baltimore Ravens.
The mighty GKarsEye says: I am a sucker for sports movies and it's based on a true story so there's no way I could not enjoy this, but Bullock was actually pretty good (I like her as an actress, she just makes eye-gaugingly horrendous films), and even Tim McGraw(!) was decent, but did they have to make the kid SO dumb? Look I know you don't have to be a Rhodes scholar to play football, but you have to keep your wits about you and remember stuff, and in this movie everyone treats him like a pet.
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Saphire
Plot: Emotional torture porn, based on the weird life affirmation people seem to get by watching others suffer.
The mighty GKarsEye says: I'm all for crediting work but does the title have to be that long? Anyway, there's this teenage girl, and everyone abuses her and makes her eat and she's humungous and then they beat her and treat her like garbage so she can't read and is giving birth all the time but she was raped and... you know what, there's more, so much more. It's just the saddest goddamn movie ever. So, enjoy that.
But Mo'Nique (I'm not check the spelling of that) was really something. Amazing.