Best Picture Bender: Getting to know the nominees

To say that this entire movie is over the top is an understatement. The movie is based on fact, and actually written by the character Leonardo DiCaprio plays, Jordan Belfort.
The amount of F-bombs uttered in the movie is over 500 and is seamlessly paired with the extreme amounts of sex and drug use. While this may turn some people off of it, the film as a whole was definitely entertaining.
Before watching it I thought DiCaprio partially just got the Best Actor nominee nod for his name value, but he sunk his teeth into the role and was highly believable as Belfort. The emotion was pouring out of him in every scene.
The nearly three-hour film did not have many dry spots, but it needed an identity and could not distinguish itself between a comedy or a drama.
Was it worth the Best Picture nominee, perhaps not, but its merits do definitely outweigh the negatives.
— Film reviewed by Brendan Cross
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill
Run-time/MPAA:
179 minutes/R
Total Nominations: Five
Rating: 4 Stars
“Philomena” is a definite dark horse to win Best Picture. I cannot see it quite garnering the support it needs, but the duo of Steve Coogan and Judi Dench provide great performances with Dench portraying the title character of Philomena Lee.
She, along with Coogan, go on a journey to find her long lost son whom she had not seen since he was taken away for adoption in the U.S. when he was only months old.
The story has some twists and turns and kept me guessing as to the whereabouts of her son. There is a great combination of moments that will make you teary-eyed and scenes that will have you laughing out loud that really cements the movie as being one of the best of the year.
Dench is nominated for Best Actress and has a decent shot at the victory with her endearing performance.
— Film reviewed by Brendan Cross
Director: Stephen Frears
Starring: Steve Coogan, Judi Dench
Run-time/MPAA:
94 minutes/PG-13
Total Nominations: Four
Rating: 5 Stars
“Nebraska”, Alexander Payne’s follow up to the 2011 critically acclaimed film “The Descendants”, was a huge disappointment, and left me scratching my head. The dysfunctional family, lead by Bruce Dern’s character, Woody, along with his son Dave, played by Will Forte, was incredibly relatable.
The family’s quest for riches is far fetched, Woody (clearly senile) believes that he has won a million dollars and puts himself at risk throughout the film in order to retrieve it. Dave, feeling sorry for his crippling father agrees to help and travels from state to state to collect their winnings.
The film’s dialogue is dry and mostly uncomfortable, the grainy black and white picture is questionable and unnecessary, while the acting left something to be desired.
It has become a trend as of late to feature characters in films to be unlikable. For me this trend is quickly fading and frankly this film felt stale. The plot left me wondering “who cares?”, there was no substance nor meat within the story. A bore.
— Film Reviewed by Alex Tagliamonte
Director: Alexander Payne
Starring: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Bob Odenkirk
Run-time/MPAA: 110 minutes/R
Total Nominations: Six
Rating: 2 Stars
Personally, I was not too enthusiastic to see this movie. The premise seemed promising enough, a recently single man, Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), gets involved romantically with his operating system Samantha, (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). The film follows their relations through the trials of any seemingly normal couple.
For the first few minutes I found the movie quite charming, but the film quickly fell apart as I could not get past Phoenix as the main role. Something about him irks me and, in my opinion, really sent the movie into a tailspin. I kept thinking of the similarities between this film and “Lars and the Real Girl,” and in the end, I found the plot to be pointless and I was left bored.The rest of the cast (including Amy Adams) did a good job. I truly think that if Phoenix had been replaced with a different actor, the film could have been more enjoyable.
— Film reviewed by Joseph Delano
Director: Spike Jonze
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson,
Run-time/MPAA:
126 minutes/R
Total Nominations: Five
Rating: 2 Stars
Alfonso Cuarón creates an intense, beautifully shot and suspenseful sci-fi thriller about survival in the film “Gravity.” 
Sandra Bullock and George Clooney play Dr. Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalski, respectively, two astronauts on a routine spacewalk, however disaster strikes, leaving their shuttle destroyed.
Stone and Kowalski are tethered to each other as they spiral out into the dark abyss; the deafening silence marks their unlikely chances of survival. Their fear quickly becomes panic, which eats away the little oxygen they have.
Bullock gives the performance of her career; she radiates fear, intelligence and courage throughout the film with simply a look. Cuarón creates “Gravity” with such suspence, it is astounding and will leave you breathless.
— Film reviewed by Alex Tagliamonte
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
Run-time/MPAA:
124 minutes/PG-13
Total Nominations: Ten
Rating: 4 Stars
“Dallas Buyers Club” is a story of a homophobic rodeo cowboy who becomes transformed by his circumstances. Mathew McConaughey plays an AIDS patient, Ron Woodroof, with enough salt to make you forget McConaughey’s general appeal.
Woodruff rebels against the experimental treatment prescribed, AZT, and decides to fight the disease his own way, as the drug does more damage than good.
The film picks up when Woodroof travels to Mexico to purchase alternative medication and smuggles them into Dallas. He turns his smuggling into the Dallas Buyers Club, where members pay a fee for the medication.
His business receives help from transsexual AIDS patient, Rayon, the jarring Jared Leto. Woodruff overcomes his homophobia and shows genuine affection for Rayon, someone he can now relate to, an outcast.
— Film reviewed by Alex Tagliamonte
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto
Run-time/MPAA:
117 minutes/R
Total Nominations: Six
Rating: 4 Stars
Holy crap! I was not expecting this movie to be as outstanding as it was. To say that Tom Hanks embodied the persona of Captain Richard Phillips would be an understatement.
Hanks, along with newcomer Barkhad Abdi, presented a tour de force in such an intense way. I love movies that leave me on the edge of my seat even when I know how the story ends. The dynamic between the old and the new was paralyzing. The story is simple enough, two captains from opposite sides of the earth clash in international waters, culminating in one of Hanks’s best performances.
It is criminal that Hanks was not nominated for Best Actor this year, but Abdi just might triumph in his bid for Best Supporting Actor. This movie is worth the watch, as Hanks is stellar and Abdi is a real gift.
— Film reviewed by Joseph Delano
Director: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi
Run-time/MPAA:
134 minutes/PG-13
Total Nominations: Six
Rating: 5 Stars
“American Hustle” was as entertaining as they come as the star-studded ensemble cast, featuring their 70s style regalia and boisterous personalities, took the spotlight in every scene.
It centers around a con scheme where Rosenfeld (Bale) and Prosser (Adams) work with an F.B.I. agent (Cooper) to bring down local politicians. While it will win a fair share of awards, I cannot see it wining the big prize. It was definitely a treat to see, but not as captivating as some of the other nominees.
Four of the five main cast were nominated for awards. Christian Bale for Best Actor, Jennifer lawrence for Best Supporting Actress, Bradley Cooper for Best Supporting Actor and Amy Adams for Best Actress. I think Amy Adams has the best shot to win in her category of Best Actress. I feel that she embodied her role more that the rest of the cast.
— Film reviewed by Brendan Cross
Director: David O. Russell
Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper
Run-time/MPAA: 129 minutes/R
Total Nominations: Ten
Rating: 4 Stars
The challenge with the topic of slavery in film is the possibility of alienating your audience.
For myself, I love movies that push the audience to be more open and to take risks.
This film was amazing. Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played Solomon Northrup, lead an outstanding cast that included a stunning Michael Fassbender as plantation/slave owner Edwin Epps and newcomer Lupita Nyong’o, who is a truly wondrous revelation as Patsey.
The recounting of Northrup’s life as a captured free man sold into slavery in the south was emotional, frightening and immensely powerful.
While the film did not end triumphantly and the overall feeling of the movie was not generally positive, I did leave the theater a better person.
— Film reviewed by Joseph Delano
Director: Steve McQueen
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o
Run-time/MPAA:
134 minutes/R
Total Nominations: Nine
Rating: 5 Stars