Recently the nominees for this year's Academy Awards were announced. I found it really interesting that 6 out of the 9 nominated for best film were set in the past ranging from the 1920's to the 1950's. Vintage must be in? But then hey, we knew that already! On February 26th, I will dust off my tiara and put on my evening gown for my yearly dreamy trip to the red carpet:
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"The Artist"Set in Hollywood, 1927: "As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break." I love the idea of a modern day film set in black and white. It's such a bold and interesting idea.
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"Hugo""The Invention of Hugo Cabret" concerns a 12-year-old orphan who lives in the walls of a Paris train station in 1930 and a mystery involving the boy, his late father and a robot." Lately a lot of mediocre films have been presented in 3-D. This ethereal movie leaves you feeling like you were a part of the storyline as opposed to a spectator in your seat.
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"Midnight in Paris""Gil and Inez travel to Paris as a tag-along vacation on her parents' business trip. Gil is a successful Hollywood writer but is struggling on his first novel. He falls in love with the city and thinks they should move there after they get married, but Inez does not share his romantic notions of the city or the idea that the 1920s was the golden age. When Inez goes off dancing with her friends, Gil takes a walk at midnight and discovers what could be the ultimate source of inspiration for writing. Gil's daily walks at midnight in Paris could take him closer to the heart of the city but further from the woman he's about to marry." This film allows the viewer to travel back and forth in time. In the end, we are made to feel that the reality of the past was what made Gil's present more lucid.
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"The Help""An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African-American maid's point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis." This film brings the book to life in a quiet and poignant way. It's nice to see a story from the point of view of these brave, black women. I love the fashions as well!
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"War Horse""Young Albert enlists to service in WWI after his beloved horse, Joey, is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and across Europe as the war rages on." This is a visually breathtaking film, its story worthy of bringing Spielberg out of his directorial hiatus.
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"The Tree of Life""The impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith." Two powerhouse actors set the stage for this moving drama.
And the Oscar goes to......? You be the judge and enjoy the many vintage journeys along the way.
Carol