OSCAR Nominated Movies

I realize that no one reads this blog.  My audience is myself.  So I'll just occasionally talk about the things that I find interesting in this horrible world that we are living in.  I'm talking about the dictator trump and his junta government, the GOP legislative branch (we haven't even seen yet the havoc that the supreme court will wreak in the future).  I find it difficult to even get up every day.  Weekdays are especially bad.  That's when our country's structure is torn apart by these barbarians.  I believe these are the bleakest and frightening times in our country, perhaps since the Civil War.

I've vented now.  To an audience that doesn't exist.

In years past, I attended films at the theater frequently, especially during the award season.  I am too old and jaded now.  I didn't see anything until recently when a lot of movies (the one's that I like are released).  I posted recently about Hidden Figures.

Since that post I've watched twice, LaLa Land.  This will go down as one of my favorite films ever.  I have friends who disagree with me vehemently about this movie.  I thought it was a beautiful homage to film, musicals, Los Angeles and many other things.  There were so many scenes which evoked film classics and stars:  Singing In the Rain, Gigi, Cabaret, New York New York, among many.  It also pays respects to jazz.

This movie was exceptional because of the brilliant performances by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.  The dancing transported me to Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire days.  This is not a traditional musical which is driven by the vocal talent.  It reminded me more of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's when she sang "Moon River."  I loved this movie and will watch it many more times in the future.  I sobbed throughout and some of my favorite scenes were when Emma and Ryan were dancing in the stars and clouds.

The next film we've watched was A Dog's Purpose.  I am very sensitive about animals.  I expected that this would be a movie which provoked "floods", as the Mitford Sisters said.  It did.  It was good.  But exhausting.  The poor dog lives nine lives (I think).  That was 8 more than I could take.

Finally, last night watched Lion.   WOW!  What a beautiful film.  Why do we live in a world where wealth is so imbalanced.  I think Dev Patel is the sexiest man alive.  He is also a brilliant actor.  I have not seen the nominated performances but Dev Patel was worthy of it.  Ryan Gosling was as well.  I refuse to watch the Affleck film that he won for.  Sounds too dark for me.  And he is a mysogynist.  I think the world of Matt Damon but I'll skip this movie.

If you have the opportunity to see LaLa Land, A Dog's Purpose or Lion, then do it.  For me they were a sob fest.  The first and last films were truly masterpieces.