Best Picture Nominee 2

Spike Jonz's Her is a film that takes you on an great emotional journey of hapiness, love, sadness and curiosity. The film may make you question how "love" is actually supposed to go. Love is not only emotional but also physical, so of course it's supposed to be between two human beings,  or is it?  The film doesn't just ask what it might mean to fall in love with a computer, but what it means when we humans fall in love with one another. "What is it?" "Why is it special?" "What makes it last?" "What makes it go wrong?"  and on this level, Her is both provocative and profound. Director Spike Jonz captiavtes the story of love like no other movie has. The computer in the film  has a personality; one programmed to fit his sensibilities to a technological T, and it's not long before he realizes that his new OS, which calls itself  Samantha is even better than advertised. Samantha's voice, which is that of actress Scarlett Johnason is very soft and compelling and not your typical software voice, so you can see why maybe Theodore begins to have emotions.
     Joaquin Phoenix, who played the main character of Theodore, makes you feel every emotion he feels, but also makes you feel uncomfortable. He conquered the role and it showed in every scene of the film. Each scene makes you feel a different emotion than in the previous as the film develops. The sexual, spritual  and emotional aspects of Her is what makes the movie an al around good film. I would reccomend anyone going to see it who loves to look at life and love in different ways and not just the "typical" way.

 

   

Best Picture Nominee

12 Years a Slave is an intruging film that makes us question our histroy in a way like no other. It forces other races to come to the true terms on how African Americans were treated prior the Civil War. There are many movies that deal with the Civil War period, but none are represented from a slaves point of view as in the 12 Years a Slave. The film teaches us lessons not just for our historical examinations, but for future dealings with those who are different than we are. Director Steve McQueen did a wonderful job in the way in which each scene was set up to clearly show the most traumatic way humans were treated. Each actror and actress depicted a perfromance that left you in awe. Lead actor Chiwetel Ejiofor who played the leading role as Solomon Northrup  executed each scene like no other. The emotion from his performance was pouring threw the screen. Portraying the role as  a once free man who was tricked into slavery by participating in a violin perfromance, he gives the audience a since of sadness yet hope all in one, as he takes you through his journey as a slave for 12 years.

       Supporting actress Lupita Nyong'o who played the role of a slave woman by the name of Patsey capitvated the audience's attention as she took you on her journey of pure struggle and immortality. As an African American woman the way she took on the role and dominated , made me feel as if I was on the journey with her. When she cried I cried. The film was very well deserving of this nomination , and I would not be suprised if it actuall took home the gold. I belive it is a film that people of all races should see not just African Americans and Caucasians , because human life and the intensity of human suffering are similar and while that may be tough for some to watch, it's imperative that they do.

 

Academy Award Nominations

Awards season officially kicked into high gear Thursday morning, when the long-awaited big reveal of this year's Oscar nominees.

The 86th annual Academy Award's nominations were announced on January 16th , and as usual there were well deserving nominees and of course some snubs. The top nominees this year were Gravity, American Hustle and 12 Years of Slave. Actors Leonardo Dicaprio, Christian Bale, Bruce Dern, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Matthew McConaughey all got nominated as expected, but one actor on the other hand got snubbed, and that was Tom Hanks. His role as "Captain Phillips" was very much deserving of a nomination as well as his movie "Saving Mr. Banks," which many thought would get nominated for "Best Film." The leading ladies this year were Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, American Cate Blanchett, and Julia Roberts, while the lady who got snubbed was Oprah Winfrey for her role in Lee Daniel's "The Butler." Being that The Academy is full of narrow minded people, snubs like these were expected. Surprisingly this year there were more hits than misses. The 86th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, will take place on Sunday, March, 2nd. Tune in to see which actors and actresses take home the gold!