Birth of a Nation: The Review

Birth of a Nation is about the remarkable true story of Nate Turner. Nate Turner was a slave who was also a preacher. He would later lead a slave rebellion that was responsible for the deaths of several slave masters. He was later executed for his actions.

Over the past two months Birth of a Nation has been making headlines, but not for the reasons that Fox Searchlight would have liked. When the film debut at the Sundance Film Festival back in January it was met with wide praise and anticipation. Fox Searchlight purchased the rights to the film for a record $17.5 million.  I was shaking in my boots with excitement thinking about seeing this film. I knew it would be a film that would shake me to my emotional core.

 Two months ago,  it was revealed that the director Nate Parker was accused of raping a fellow college student in the late 90's. He was later acquitted for those charges. It became difficult for the film to shake off that revelation. I admit that my excitement  for the film became clouded. There was such much noise on social media, it was hard to figure out if it was worth seeing the film. I decided to watch the film and judge the film for the work that it was. I left behind any preconceived notions that I might have had.

 What I found out was this film was a masterpiece. Not only was it one of the best films that came out this year, it was probably one of the most powerful films that I have ever watched. The film was visually remarkable. Blood spatter on a cloth  of dying man was almost foreshadowing the rebellion. Corn being filled with blood to portray Nate's grief. The transition of the crying boy to the soldier he would become fighting for the Union. Parker did a marvelous job directing this film.

It is not an easy film to watch. It will sit with you long after the film credits roll. It is a movie that deals with a slave rebellion. There are scenes that show the brutality of slavery. There was one scene in particular that I had to turn my head away. I won't spoil it, but I will say it had to deal with a force feeding.

Aja Naomi King's portrayal of Cherry Turner was simply breathtaking. I hope she gets some award recognition, but it is looking very doubtful right now.

It is your choice to watch this film. I completely understand if that is something you cannot do. For me, this film was worth seeing. 

Knee Jerk Reactions: 88th Academy Awards

I got locked out of my house just moments ago, so I was not able to watch the Academy Awards nominations live. After checking updates on Twitter, I am completely pissed. I did not win $200 gift card to Amazon because my predictions were so off. They were a couple of sneak attack in there.

Too Much Mayo:  Last year no actors of color were nominated in the acting categories. This year was no different. It is not like people of color are not giving standout performances, they are. Which makes the nominations extremely frustrating for me but I am not surprised. A lot of actors I adore got nominated but I was still disgusted by the nominations. I knew that no woman of color were going to get nominated for the acting categories.I was sure Idris Elba would get nominated for Beasts of No Nation but nothing. I knew Will Smith was not going to get nominated and Michael B. Jordan was unlikely but still a possibility. I wish my darling Jason Mitchell picked a nomination for his riveting performance of Eazy E. It would be been an Adrien Brody winning Best Actor surprise. Throughout the award season, Shameik Moore and the fantastic film Dope have been shut out. The Academy had a chance to make history with the nomination of Mya Taylor for Best Supporting Actress, but they did not happen. The whole acting category is a mess to me.
Best Actress:  Jennifer Lawrence is unstoppable. She just bagged her fourth Academy Award nomination in six years.That is insane especially considering she is getting the Anne Hathaway treatment of 2013. Brie Larson and Saoirse Ronan picked up nominations for Room and Brooklyn. They are the frontrunners for this category and I do not care which one of them wins. They are both amazing and deserve all the success in the world. If Charlotte Rampling wins I would be happy too. She is amazing and this is her first nomination. What needs to said about Cate? She is acting royalty. 

Best Supporting Actor: Tom Hardy and Mark Ruffalo  were pleasant surprises in the Best Supporting Actor category. They are two of my favorite actors in the game right now and I am always elated when they get recognition. Idris was snubbed and I was hoping Michael Shannon would pick up a nomination. I would have jumped over the moon if Oscar Isaac snuck in there for Ex Machina. I feel that Sylvester Stallone has this one in the bag for Creed.

Best Actor: The only category I got completely right. A lot of acting perfection in this category. I think this is Leo's year. What else does this man need to do to win? What else?  If he does not win I hope Bryan Cranston brings it home. If Bryan does win,  he will be only one award short of the EGOT. Oh no, I think I'm rooting for Bryan now. I am officially a bad 90's kid.

Best Supporting Actress: I am pissed that Kristen Stewart did not get nominated for Clouds of Sils Maria. I knew that with a lack of Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA nomination she was a long shot, but I thought there was a chance. I was hoping my girl Alicia Vikander was going to get a double nomination for her roles in both Ex Machina and The Danish Girl. I am happy that she got nominated for The Danish Girl but I wish it was for Ex Machina instead. I think Jennifer Jason leigh is going to win for The Hateful Eight.

Best Picture: I was campaigning for Straight Outta Compton and Mad Max: Fury Road to get nominated for Best Picture. Unfortunately, I was not successful. Yes, Mad Max got nominated but it was not a victory for me. The Best Picture race is not too much Weisswurst festival. There are few films produced by women that are nominated. A few films about women were also nominated. The Revenant  is a victory for Latino filmmakers. I think it is a race between Spotlight and The Revenant for Best Picture. I would be doing cartwheels if Mad Max wins but I don't think it is going to happen. 

Achievement in Directing: The nominations of George Miller and Alejandro G. Inarritu make me happier than a clam. I am shocked that Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg got snubbed. This makes their Best Picture nominations bittersweet. 

Best Original/ Adapted Screenplay: There is a lot of female screenwriters recognized this year. I have no idea who is going to take the prize in either category. I am happy that Straight Outta Compton, Ex Machina and Inside Out picked up nominations. I have not watched any of the films nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay but I am thrilled at Nick Hornby's nomination for Brooklyn. 

Best Original Song: I am saddened that "See You Again" did not pick up a nomination for Best Original Song. It would have been such a great tribute to Paul. I always get emotional when I hear it.  It definitely should be there instead of the disaster that is "Writings on the Wall". That  song was atrocious and that is the nicest thing I can say about it. I am happy that The Weeknd snuck up in there, I was not expecting that. It not a song the Academy would usually go for it. I feel that this award is going to go to Lady Gaga and she deserves it.

Best Original Score: Ennio Morricone has this in the bag. 

Best Documentary Feature: Yes to Amy and What Happened, Miss Simone? 

Best Animated Feature Film: Inside Out has this category but Anomalisa is a strong contender. Shocked that The Peanuts Movie and The Good Dinosaur did not get nominated. I am happy that Shaun the Sheep Movie got nominated. 

Best Animated Short: Why is "Lava" not nominated? That gem made me cry like a 2 year old.  Rooting for "Sanjay's Super Team". 

Achievement in Production Design/ Costume Design: I am rooting for Mad Max for Production Design and Cinderella for Costume Design. Here are two categories that are flooded by female talents. I just wish more females were recognized in the bigger categories. 

Star Wars: It seems that Star Wars: The Force Awakens was not treated with much respect by the academy. It did pick up a lot of nominations but not in the major categories. 

Consensus: I am still going to watch because Chris Rock is going to kill it. He has so much material just based on the nominations alone. The Oscars are becoming my problematic fave. 

Best Movies of 2015 : Part I

Best Pictures of 2015

Straight Outta Compton

I got something to say... Straight Outta Compton was a triumph.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max felt like an independent blockbuster. It was the best ride I took this entire year. This film was spectacular.

Inside Out

Pixar outdid themselves with this heartwarming instant classic.

Spotlight On

Tangerine

Gritty with career making performances. 

Clouds of Sils Maria

I just adore European films. They're understated and allow their actors to shine in them.  The scenery in this film was breathtaking. 

Weisswurst Festival : The Road to the Oscars

Really? Really? 

Those were my thoughts when the Oscar nominations were announced this morning. I knew what I was seeing but I did not believe it.  How on earth did Ava DuVernay not pick up a Best Director nomination? How in the world did David Oyelowo not pick up a Best Actor nomination? Can someone tell me how the best reviewed film only walked away with two nominations? What? Not to mention no women were nominated in the writing categories. Somehow, Gillian Flynn amazing script was not good enough. It is amazing how much the Academy differs from the Critics. I am so disappointed in the Academy.

There were some good news that came out today.  I was pleased that The Grand Budapest Hotel picked up 9 nominations. Arguably one of my favorite films that came out last year. I have yet to see Whiplash and Birdman but hell yeah to their nominations. They are two films that I am dying to check out. I am peeved that David did not get nominated but some lovely men got nominated this year. No matter how much I love Eddie and Benedict ,I think Michael Keaton is the favorite to win Best Actor.  If that happens, this 80's baby will be happy. I will also be happy if Julianne Moore picks up Best Actress this year. It has been a long time coming.

I was shocked that Lego Movie did not get nominated for Best Animated Feature. I did not see that coming.  On the plus side Everything is Awesome is nominated for Best Original song. Do you know what that means? That means The Lonely Island and Tegan & Sara will be performing live. I also get to see Common and John legend perform Glory. I am thrilled that How To Train Your Dragon 2 picked up a nomination. That movie had me crying like a newborn baby. I called Lauren Dern's nomination for Wild. I am so happy that Marion Cotillard snuck in there for Best Actress. I admit, I am shocked that Gone Girl did not get more love. A thought it would at least pick up Best Picture and Best Director nominations.

It seems that Netflix is closing in on films as well. The streaming service picked up a nomination for Virunga. Now I am torn between wanting Citizenfour to win or Virunga. I have not seen Citizenfour yet because I am already a paranoid person. I feel that won't be good for my psyche. Congrats to Laura Poitras.

I may not be happy with all the nominations but it is going to be a good show. Tune in on February 22 for the 87th Academy Awards. I am sure that Neil Patrick Harris will deliver as host. 

12 Years A Slave

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano and Brad Pitt
Written by: John Ridley
Directed by: Steve McQueen
Rating: 5/5 Unicorns

I can count the films that have left a lasting impression on me. Steve McQueens's 12 Years a Slave is the most powerful film I have ever experienced. I do not use those words lightly. You do not simply watch 12 Years a Slave, it is a film that you experience. It is brutal, intense, incredibly moving  and when it is all said and done an extraordinary achievement in film-making.

12 Years a Slave is the remarkable true story of Solomon Northup( Chiwetel Ejofor), a free man who is sold into slavery. You witness the monstrosities that occurred to men like Solomon. You see how slave owners made it their mission to break their slaves. How they had the audacity to justify their actions with the scripture. This film does not sugar- coat the horrors of slavery. It is not easy film to watch but it is essential for the human race to watch this film. You cannot watch 12 Years a Slave without leaving a changed man.

Besides the strong narrative the film is beautifully made. The cinematography is stunning and the score is haunting. Steve McQueen continues to prove himself as one of the strongest and unique voices in film-making. In terms of acting, there is no weak link in this film. All the actors give award winning performances. I will be shocked if Chiwetel Ejofor does not take home the golden statue after this career defining performance. I was incredibly impressed by Lupita Nyong'o performance of Patsey. Her story was one of the saddest tales ever told. There is one scene that involves her being whipped to the inch of death, I am not sure how I got through that scene. She is a talent that everyone will be talking about. I believe she will be nominated for Best Supporting Actress when the Award Season begins.

12 Years a Slave is not only the best film of the year but one of the best films ever made. You will be doing yourself a complete disservice by not watching this film.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Starring: Quvenzhane Wallis, Dwight Henry and Levy Easterly
Directed by: Benh Zeitlin
Written by: Benh Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar
Rating: 5/5 Unicorns

Six- year-old Hushpuppy( Quvenzhane Wallis) lives in the Bathtub (southern Louisiana bayou community) with her hot-tempered ailing father (Dwight Henry), who is preparing her for life without him. When a storm approaches threatening to destroy all that she loves, Hushpuppy must begin to apply all of his lessons. With the approaching storm, the melting of the ice caps unleash the prehistoric creatures called aurochs.

Beasts of the Southern Wild has been on my radar for a couple of months now. I was completely ecstatic to see the film pick up four Academy Award nominations last week and after finally watching it they were completely deserved.  Quvenzhane is a revelation as Hushpuppy. I remember when I was her age, I could barely read yet alone be able to have that emotional integrity. Dwight Henry as Wink was riveting. You loathed and felt for him at the same time. I can't believe this was his first acting credit, talk about acting from your soul. The last scene in this movie had me crying like a two year old. It was incredibly powerful. Just remember to bring your tissues when you watch this magnificent film.

There was level of fantasy in this film and it was just beautiful to witness. You are not sure what is real and it liked that the viewer was never made aware of it. I really like the directing style of Benh Zeitlin . He has a great career ahead of him. The cinematography in this film was breathtaking and the score was beautiful especially in the final scene. I can understand way these elements were recognized by critics. Do yourself a favor and immediately check out Beasts of the Southern Wild. You will not be disappointed.

When it all goes quiet behind my eyes, I see everything that made me flying around in invisible pieces. When I look too hard it goes away. And when it all goes quiet I see they are right here, I see that I'm a little piece of a big, big universe and that makes things right. When I die, the scientists of the future; their gonna find it all, their gonna know, once there was a hushpuppy and she lived with her daddy in the bathtub.  Hushpuppy, Beasts of the Southern Wild 

Nominations are in

Earlier this morning the 85th Academy Awards nominations were announced by host Seth MacFarlane and the lovely Emma Stone. Being a great amateur film critic I got up literally at the crack of dawn  to catch the nominees. There were quite a few surprises this morning.

• Best Director

One of the biggest snubs was in the Best Director category  As you are aware I predicted that both Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow were shoo-ins for this category. These two directors have been the frontrunners along with Steven Spielberg. I was completely floored that they did not pick up a nomination. The two directors that were nominated instead were Michael Haneke for Amour and Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild. I am pleasantly pleased that Mr. Zeitlin was nominated. I always knew that Quentin Tarantino was a bit of a wild card but I was hopeful he would get a nod. David O.Russel got a well deserved nomination in this category for the darling Silver Linings Playbook.

• Best Supporting Actress

One of the biggest surprises in this category was Jacki Weaver picking up nomination for her part in Silver Linings Playbook. I did not even predict her for a wild card but I am extremely pleased that she picked up this nomination. I believe that this award really is between Sally Field and Anne Hathaway. The only reason that none of them would pick up this award is if Silver Linings Playbook does a sweep. It could happen.

• Best Supporting Actor

Leonardo Dicaprio was once again overlooked by the Academy. Which I find to be a complete shame because he was absolutely brilliant in Django Unchained. I am happy that Christoph Waltz got a nomination because he was my wild card.

• Best Actress

I did a great job at predicting the nominees in this category. My wild card pick Quvenzhane Wallis is the youngest nominee in this category. As of right now Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence are the frontrunners in this category. I would not count out Emmanuelle Riva either.

• Best Actor

The only category I had 100% accuracy.  Daniel Day-Lewis is the favorite in this category but I would not count out Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper.

• Best Picture

I was happy to see the majority of my picks getting nominated this morning. The only one that failed to pick up a nomination was Moonrise Kingdom. The Best Foreign Film favorite Amour picked up the final nomination in this category. Sources are suggesting that it will be hard for Argo and Zero Dark Thirty to win in this category because they failed to pick up Best Director nods. If that is the case Lincoln is looking as the shoo-in but I wouldn't be surprised if Silver Linings Playbook wins instead.

• Overall

Besides the snubs in Best Director and Best Supporting Actor category I am pleased with the nominees this year. Lincoln leads the list of with 12 nominations followed by the beautiful Life of Pi with 11 nominations.