This year nine films have been given the honor of being nominated for Best Picture. I managed to catch most of them pretty early thanks to Cineworld having so many Unlimited preview screenings which certainly was a bonus! Not forgetting to mention that my number one film from 2016 is amongst the nominees as well!
It is time to have another look at each of the films that have been nominated and I will let you know what I want to win, what I think will win and what I think has an outside chance of taking home the Oscar!
Arrival – Review
This film was one of them that was released rather early in comparison to the rest of the nominees. It is a very powerful and thought-provoking film in the Sci-Fi genre which dares to be a little different and raise questions which we haven’t really seen on-screen before. With a very good performance from Amy Adams, I know a lot of people are confused that she did not get an Oscar nomination for her efforts. I will admit I am not her biggest fan but I was very impressed with her in this film.
Fences – Review
An adaptation of the very successful play and reuniting a lot of the cast from the award-winning Broadway run from 2010. Fences is a very powerful film as a man struggles to decide how is best to raise his family and stay true to himself at the same time. Always looking back on how he missed out rather than how it can be changed for the sake of his son. Dialogue heavy being based on a play and I think my love for Theatre growing over the years as really helped me buy into films just like this one.
Hacksaw Ridge – Review
Based on the true story of a man who made a huge difference in war without ever firing a weapon. Taking it upon himself to save as many of the men as he physically could never giving up and wanting to put a little bit of good in the world. I felt that the film was like two merged together which did not really feel like the same one from the first part of a love story to the brutal nature of the war. The war scenes are brutal at times and that is certainly an important aspect of showing what it really is like to be battling.
Hell or High Water – Review
This was my favorite film from 2016, I saw it at a preview screening and thought it was just fantastic. Everything about it was just slick and the build up of it was perfect. A modern western with some interesting messages to go along with it as well. As two brothers battle the system whilst chased by an almost retired cop. Oscars love Jeff Bridges and I do too! But I was equally as impressed with Foster and Pine who worked really well together in this impressive film.
Hidden Figures – Review
I was very impressed with this film and its true story on how black women made a huge impact at NASA. Working as computers due to their incredible maths skills and having to do all of the hard numbers work as the US attempted to put men in space. I am guessing it was not a very widely known story which I thought made it even better to watch. I actually thought it should have received more nominations for Taraji P. Henson and Kevin Costner as they were both brilliant as well.
La La Land – Review
What more can I honestly saw about La La Land? As you will already know it has taken up quite a few blog posts as I have continued to gush over it again and again. I do love it and I totally get the hype around it. As a huge musicals fan this was always going to be a film I wanted to see, I will admit that I was slightly nervous heading to see it for the first time as I was scared that I could have ended up disappointed. Luckily that did not happen and I will be very happy if it does an incredible Oscars sweep in all honesty. The musical numbers just work so well and the performances from Stone and Gosling are brilliant to watch.
Lion – Review
An inspiring true story about a young Indian boy who ends up lost hundred of miles away from his home and in a true twist of fate gets adopted by a couple in Australia. As he grows up he becomes haunted by his young life and really wants to find his birth mother and siblings. We closely follow both journeys and cannot help but wait to see a happy ending in a truly horrendous situation. With fantastic performances to keep you engaged, even when the second half takes the slower turn and the huge use of Google world.
Manchester by the Sea – Review
A powerful drama which relies heavily on the performances from Affleck and Hedges, which are impressive but not outstanding in my opinion. I don’t think they are much different to what we usually get for awards, but it does take a look at how low your life can really go and ways in which you can then deal with this, or struggle to deal with the events which unfold.
Moonlight – Review
You will probably already know that I am not a fan of anything about this film. I thought it was very poor and confused to why it has even been nominated. It’s in three parts as the character shows changes from the different stages of his life, which I will admit could have been really interesting. But I felt the changes were too drastic and the fact it all ends up about one tiny event and coming back round to that took even more away from it. I think with this one you seem to either hate it or you love it and are blown away by it.
Predictions
What I want to win – La La Land (Hell or High Water – have to mention it with it being my top 2016 film)
What I think will win – La La Land
Outside chance – Hidden Figures
