I like the Oscars, I don't swear but it, but you mostly know what the Award entitles, so when you watch an "Oscar nominated/winning movie" you know what you are getting yourself into most of the time.
Now, from the Best Movie nominees, I saw Mad Max, Room, Spotlight and The Big Short, (all except Max in last 3 days) and will try to squeeze in a one or two more till sunday.
Now, Big Short actually disappointed me. The whole movie is so confusing and disjointed, and it doesn't really go anywhere. It's basically 3 stories that are not connected in any way except that all 3 of them deal with shorting the stocks. Narative is also all over the place, it is interjected by these wierd slidehows, by characters breaking 3rd wall, and this explanations of the whole shebang, CDOs, AAA properties, etc. And that is the worst part, I think they've tried to explain the whole deal to me like 5 times all together, and the whole time I was still struggling to get it, and by the end I both still didn't understnad most of it, and didn't care at all.
Steve Carrell is fucking great and that is about the only good thing I can say. Bale getting the nomination and not him is an error for sure.
Spotlight is pretty good. My main "problem" (even tho it's not really a problem) is that is is just so un-kinematographic (it lacks things like character progression and flow that you usually expect of the movies) that if feels more like a documentary. Subject is very touchy and I don't think that being non-explicit was bad, I feel that showing the victims and showing the range of emotions that main characters (reporters) go through the movie has nailed how the viewer feels as well, at that was great. It had some really strong scenes, my favouirte ones are when
A guy "leans" on Robby in a bar (near the end) and Robby is completely in disbelief, realzing how this whole thing escalated as much as it did and
When he argues how they are as responsible as the lawyers, as nobody noticed, especially him who had the list years ago in his desk.. Also Ruffalo is surprisingly good.
The Room was a big surprise. I actually expected a it to be much more light and more of a standard "bestseller adaptation" (like Girl with Dragon Tattoo and the like), but it hit hard. It takes a while to realize what exactly is going on and the movie makes a good use of that time, also both Mom's and Jack's mental state after they get out is, I believe, done so believable, as well as the reaction of the people/family. It's a great movie, and a emotional rollercoaster for sure.
Now, Mad Max. I saw it 3-4 times for sure. I love the movie. The world that George Miller made is superb. Every small detail of it, he nails. The technologies, the lingo, the society, every single thing I was amazed by. I already spoke of the movie before, I am not going to. I am not sure that this can win it (But LOTR and Avatar did it), but I secretly hope so.
Spotlight or Room taking it, I don't mind either.