Reviews of the Best Picture Nominees for 2016

I don't go to the movie theater much these days, but I wanted to check out all of the movies nominated for a Best Picture Oscar this year.

It took a little searching, but I was able to get all the movies on my home tv package. Here's my take on the nominees for 2016:

Spotlight

This movie features an ensemble cast and is based on real life events. It focuses on the fall of dozens of priests across the country based on an investigation by the "Spotlight" staff of the Boston Globe. Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams are nominated for supporting roles for this film.

The movie gives an eye-opening account of the extent of the cover-up of the sex scandal in the church going all the way up to Cardinal Law. It was a riveting account and held my attention throughout. The movie also shines a spotlight on the massive changes going on in the newspaper business over the past decade. I enjoyed the movie, but I don't think it will win the Oscar.

Bridge of Spies

This is another true story. We learn about the exchange of spies between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the cold war. American attorney James Donovan (Tom Hanks) plays a key role in facilitating the exchange by going to East Berlin during this hostile time. This Steven Spielberg film has amazing cinematography. You actually feel the cold as Donovan is walking the streets in Berlin. Outside shot to win the Oscar in my view.

Room

This movie is gut-wrenching. Brie Larson plays the lead character (Ma) who was kidnapped as a young woman and she is held captive in a storage shed in a man's backyard. During this time, she has a baby boy who is now age 5 as we join the story. Imagine living in a 10 x 10 room with a young child from birth to age 5. A child with not one toy until the bad guy gives him a remote control truck on his 5th birthday. They never leave the room and all the child knows of the world is this room. They do manage to escape and then we follow the story of Mom trying to teach her son about the world when all he knows is that she is his entire world. Expect to cry while watching this heart-wrenching tale which is not a true story. Oscar winning performance from Larson in this movie. I do hope she wins. I don't think the movie will win, though.

The Martian

Boy did this movie surprise me. I'm not much of a sci-fi person so I was not looking forward to this one. But it is way more than I expected. A U.S. astronaut (Matt Damon) is stranded on Mars for more than 500 days. We follow Mark Watney as he finds ways to grow food on Mars. It is also quite funny in some aspects. Reminds me of a combination of Castaway and Lost in Space. Lots of high tech drama as you would expect in a Ridley Scott film, combined with the human spirit. Damon could make a strong case for an Oscar for this role. I also think the movie has a shot at winning.

The Big Short

Ensemble cast including Christian Bale (nominated for Supporting Actor), Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt and Steve Carell. This is an account of the collapse of the housing market in 2008 which led to an economic crisis world-wide.

The high finance jargon is a little hard to follow, but cameos are used in a humorous way to explain some of the complex terminology. Anthony Bourdain compares leftover fish to mortgage bonds in a clever way. Even Selena Gomez puts her spin on the complexity by comparing the crisis to black jack bets.

Brooklyn

This film is a romantic drama about a young Irish woman who leaves Ireland for New York to start a new life. She falls in love with an Italian young man in Brooklyn and they secretly marry before she has to suddenly go home to Ireland after the death of her sister. During her return home, she meets another young man who falls for her, but doesn't realize she's married. She ultimately realizes she loves her husband and she returns to Brooklyn, her new home. Saoirse Ronan is an Irish-American who lives in Manhattan. In 2007, she was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for her role in Atonement. I was expecting more from this film. I would have liked more development of her relationship with husband Tony. Outside shot to win as best picture.

Mad Max Fury Road

This is not my kind of movie, but I tried. Charlize Theron stars in this post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller. She and a group of women are being chased through the wasteland. To be honest, that's where I stopped. Too loud and weird for me.

The Revenant

Didn't get to see this one yet. It's not available on-demand quite yet. But many say Leonardo DiCaprio is a shoe-in to win an Oscar, finally. The movie is also a favorite in the Best Picture category.

My pics based on the movies I watched:

Best Picture: The Martian

Best Actor: Matt Damon

Best Actress: Brie Larson