Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (July 2014)

I didn’t watch that many new movies this month, but there were some films I will love for the rest of my life! Here are my favorites of this month.

5. Blue Jasmine

I loved both Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins in this movie. Their performances were amazing. I really liked “Blue Jasmin”.

 

4. Hunger

With this I have seen all three movies directed by Steve McQueen and starring Michael Fassbender. It’s not my favourite, but it definitely a movie you should put on you ‘to-watch’ list. Great acting, great cinematography and camerawork.

 

3. Nebraska

I wish Bruce Dern got more leading roles, he proved he’s worthy of it. And Will Forte, normally the funny guy in silly comedies no one wants to see, really surprised me in his more dramatic role. I liked “Nebraska” and director Alexander Payne can add another great movie to his resume.

 

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Wes Anderson movies are growing on me. This guys has become one of my favourite directors and every time I think I have seen it all, he amazes me again. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is amazing!!

 

1. Intouchables

This movie touched me in every way possible. Such a beautiful film, one that everyone should watch. If this doesn’t do anything to you, even a little bit, you’re not human.

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Girl Most Likely, A Million Ways to Die in the West

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 87: Nebraska

Director: Alexander Payne

Genre: Comedy/ Drama

Runtime: 115 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk, Stacey Keach

Description: Woody (Bruce Dern) is an aging, booze-addled father who makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son David (Will Forte) in order to claim a million-dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize.

Review: We go on another trip with director Alexander Payne. This time we travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, where the elderly Woody thinks a million dollars is waiting for him. After getting a letter, he seriously thinks he has won a million dollars. Woody is determined to get that money and because no one can change his mind, his son David takes him there. On the way there, they make a stop in Hawthorne, where Woody’s family lives.

This film fits Payne’s oeuvre perfectly. Humor and melancholy alternate. Father and son grow closer during the road trip together. Although the movie shows some similarities with Payne’s previous film “Sideways”, “About Schmidt” and “The Descendants”, it dares to be different because it was filmed in black and white. This gives the film a timeless quality.

The acting is fantastic. Bruce Dern really carries the film as Woody. That Oscar nomination should have been a win. And Will Forte, who is mostly known for little roles in silly comedies, really surprised. His performance is vulnerable and touching. And June Squibb, as Woody’s wife Kate, is hilarious.

Alexander Payne managed to make another great movie, it’s moving and full of heart.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Oscar Predictions 2014

I'm going to predict the winners for this years Oscars again. I have no idea! I'm super excited about Ellen Degeneres hosting, she amakes me laugh. Here is my list of who should and would win.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Should Win: "12 Years a Slave"
Would Win: "American Hustle"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Should Win: Bruce Dern for "Nebraska" (actually Tom Hanks for "Captain Phillips", but no nomination!
Would Win: Matthew McConaughey for "Dallas Buyers Club"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Should Win: Amy Adams for "American Hustle"
Would Win: Cate Blanchett for "Blue Jasmin"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Michael Fassbender for "12 Years a Slave"
Would Win: Jared Leto for "Dallas Buyers Club"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Lupita Nyong'o for "12 Years a Slave"
Would Win: Lupita Nyong'o for "12 Years a Slave"

Best Achievement in Directing
Should Win: Alexander Payne for "Nebraska"
Would Win: Alfonso Cuarón for "Gravity"

Movie Trailer Sunday (105)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Grace of Monaco
Description: Grace Kelly, age 33 and having given up her acting career to focus on being a full time princess, uses her political maneuvering behind the scenes to save Monaco while French Leader Charles de Gaulle and Monaco's Prince Rainier III are at odds over the principality's standing as a tax haven.
Director: Oliver Dahan
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, Frank Langella, Paz Vega, Parker Posey, Milo Ventimiglia, Derek Jacobi
Trailer: Trailer "Grace of Monaco"

Nebraska
Description: After receiving a sweepstakes letter in the mail, a cantankerous father (Bruce Dern) thinks he's struck it rich, and wrangles his son (Will Forte) into taking a road trip to claim the fortune.
Director: Aexander Payne
Starring: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Stacy Keach, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk
Trailer: Trailer "Nebraska"
Comment: Bruce Dern is back!!

The Last Days On Mars
Description: On the last day of the first manned mission to Mars, a crew member of Tantalus Base believes he has made an astounding discovery, fossilized evidence of bacterial life. Unwilling to let the relief crew claim all the glory, he disobeys orders to pack up and goes out on an unauthorized expedition to collect further samples. But a routine excavation turns to disaster when the porous ground collapses, and he falls into a deep crevice and near certain death. His devastated colleagues attempt to recover his body. However, when another vanishes they start to suspect that the life-form they have discovered is not yet dead. As the group begins to fall apart it seems their only hope is the imminent arrival of the relief ship Aurora.
Director: Ruairi Robinson
Starring: Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas, Romola Garai, Olivia Williams, Tom Cullen
Trailer: Trailer "The Last Days On Mars"
Comment: Space movies aren't always very succesful, but I'm drawn to it. This looks exciting.

The Broken Circle Breakdown
Description: Elise and Didier fall in love at first sight, in spite of their differences. He talks, she listens. He's a romantic atheist, she's a religious realist. When their daughter becomes seriously ill, their love is put on trial.
Director: Felix Van Groeningen
Starring: Veerle Baetens, Johan Heldenbergh, Robby Cleiren, Geert Van Rampelberg
Trailer: Trailer "The Broken Circle Breakdown"
Comment: The movie already came out in our country, but I still haven't seen it.

Blue is the Warmest Color
Description: The story of a young lesbian couple's beginning, middle and possible end.
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Starring: Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Salim Kechiouche
Trailer: Trailer "Blue is the Warmest Color"
Comment: I heard lots of great things about it.