Oscar Weekend

This year I've seen 5 of the 10 Oscar Best Picture nominees and for the most part I'm really loving them {we really want to watch Killers of the Flower Moon this weekend, but at 3.5 hours it's a commitment!}.  While they say Oppenheimer is a guarantee to take home the big prize, you can't go wrong watching any of these films which include some amazing performances and wonderful stories.  

Barbie was the first film of the bunch we saw and I absolutely see where all the summer hype came from.  While it may look frilly and fun from the outside {which parts of it definitely are!} it is such a poignant and important social commentary that everyone needs to see.  10/10.

Be warned - Oppenheimer is 3 hours long and the timeline jumps around throughout the entire thing.  Once you know that, sit back and enjoy this true story of the creation of the atomic bomb and the internal struggles associated with creating something so destructive.  Amazing performances and a truly gripping story, we've been waiting to watch this one since we were in New Mexico and told about the filming of it there.

I say that we are in our Paul Giamatti era since we're deep into watching Billions, and The Holdovers made me love this actor even more {if possible}.  The story of a grumpy teacher, a lonely student, and a grieving cook forced to spend the holiday break together is full of funny adventures and heart wrenching bonds and is absolutely one of my favorite movies of the year.

I watched Maestro on the plane the other week and was in awe of the natural dialogue and chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan in this story about the great conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia.  A beautiful story that spans a lifetime, I liked this telling of their story a lot more than I thought I would.

Past Lives is a quiet, thoughtful film about love, destiny, and timing and I absolutely loved the themes and questions this story brought up.  Greta Lee is wonderful as Nora, a South Korean immigrant who is reunited with her childhood love after 20+ years and the emotions, connections, and even silences are beautiful to watch.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Oscar Fashion

After watching the Live Red Carpet from the Oscars and being blown away by some of the looks, I realized we had no way to stream the actual awards ceremony - whoops!  Oh well, the fashion is the best part of the night anyway, right?  Here are a few of my fave looks of the night - they are so good!

Nicole Kidman

Emily Blunt

Cara Delevingne

Kerry Condon

Salma Hayek

Angela Bassett

Michelle Yeoh

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Oscar Weekend

I've spent the last few weeks trying to catch up on as many Oscar movies as I could and I'm proud to say I've seen 7 of the Best Picture nominees {and hoping to watch another this weekend}.  There are some stellar standouts and some I wasn't as excited about, so without further ado here are my reviews for the movies I've seen:

My favorite out of the bunch is The Banshees of Inisherin.  I adored this movie about two lifelong friends who suddenly aren't speaking, much to the confusion of one of them.  It's sweet, heartbreaking, and funny all at once with a wonderful cast and gorgeous backdrops.  A word of advice - watch with subtitles because those Irish accents are thick.

After hearing great things about Elvis we knew we had to give it a watch - anything Baz Luhrman does is a joy in my opinion.  The music and story suck you in, highlighting the complicated relationship between Elvis and his manager.  It made me want to dive deeper into the story of this legend - there's so much to know - and Austin Butler portrayed the King wonderfully.

I'm not entirely sure what to think of Everything Everywhere All At Once, the story of an immigrant mother who is unwittingly tasked with saving the world by traveling to different dimensions/universes, but it kept us entertained, laughing, and saying WTF more often than not.  An interesting ride that's sure to win lots of awards on Sunday.

As much as I wanted to, I just couldn't get into Tar, the story of an internationally acclaimed female conductor and composer.  I adore Cate Blanchett and she is of course wonderful in this movie, but I found the film slow and long with only small bursts of energy to keep my interest.

I loved watching Spielberg's The Fabelmans, a semi-autobiographical story of growing up in the post WWII southwest.  The acting is strong and relatable {Michelle Williams is always so good} and the story kept me entertained until the very end.  One of my faves of the bunch!

I loved the dialogue and strong female voices in Women Talking, the story of women in an isolated religious community deciding what to do after horrific events, but this movie is definitely not for everyone and luckily one of the shortest films of the bunch.  A wonderful cast and interesting story, I think it would make a phenomenal play - maybe that's next?

After many months of trying to avoid it, we finally watched Top Gun: Maverick and boy did it live up to the hype.  I went into it wanting to hate it {ugh, Tom Cruise} but it is an action-packed joy that I just couldn't take my eyes off of.  Filled with memories from the original and some strong newbies, I don't think this one will win but I can see why people would watch it over and over again - so fun.

Which do you think will win?  Will you be watching on Sunday?  Cheers!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Oscar Fashion

There's so much to say about the Oscars this year, but I think for now I'll stick to the fashion I loved the most :)  There was a lot of red, a lot of black, and omg Zendaya.  Which looks were your fave this year??  

Zendaya

Zoe Kravitz

Simu Liu

Lupita Nyong'o

Jennifer Garner

Emilia Jones

Timothee Chalamet

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Oscar Weekend

This year has been incredibly hectic with moving and renting out my house, but I still managed to see 6 of the the 10 Best Picture nominees for this year's Oscars {and I'm hoping to watch another this weekend!}.  I was pretty underwhelmed this year except for one or two fantastic films, but am curious to see who brings home the gold on Sunday!  

We watched CODA this past week and WOW.  CODA stands for Children Of Deaf Adults and while it starts out as a normal, slightly heartbreaking family story, it suddenly flips and makes you feel ALL the emotions.  There were many waterworks during this one {as Susannah's dad said, he lost about a quart of water watching it}, but it is worth it for my favorite film of the year.  A must watch!

Full disclosure, we've only watched the first 2 hours of this 3 hour film because the subtitles suddenly went on on HBO and since the entire thing is in Japanese, it was hard continue without them.  Despite that, Drive My Car is a really beautiful, slow story set in Japan about unexpected friendships and loss and I'm hoping to finish it this weekend.

I am probably the wrong audience for Dune having never read the book and not being super into SciFi, but I really disliked it when I watched it late last year.  Great actors and sweeping scenery, but I just could not get into it.  If Dune is your thing, great, but otherwise I'd skip it :)

Nightmare Alley is a beautifully filmed {albeit long} story following a travelling carnival worker and his rise to success on his own.  It's fun to watch and has an awesome cast and while it comes full circle at the very end, it takes a while to get there.  Watch if you're intrigued by the carnival or a fan of Guillermo Del Toro films.

I'm probably supposed to love The Power of The Dog but I really just couldn't get into it.  The acting is fantastic, the scenery gorgeous, but the storyline was slow and sparse and just not for me.  If you're a big fan of film I'm sure you'll love it, but if you're hoping for action or something that will grip you, this isn't it.

Nothing like a 'the world is going to end' film to round out the list, but despite it's harrowing {and eerily familiar} message, Don't Look Up was one of my faves of the year.  The actors are superb and the storyline frightening, making it an entertaining yet cautionary tale for all.  One of the must see's of the list!

***As an aside, I also watched some of the films not nominated for best picture but instead for Best Actress and thought they were fabulous - most notably Olivia Colman in The Lost Daughter {she can do no wrong} and Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

Which was your fave this year?  And who do you think will win??  Happy Friday!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Oscar Fashion

Though the Oscars felt pretty boring this year {no music, no jokes, no movie trailers}, I did find some of the fashion to be pretty amazing {and colorful!}.  In a year where we've been homebound and living in sweatpants 24/7, it's fun to see beautiful dresses and fantasize about a day when we may get dressed up again {though maybe I'll start with jeans before ballgowns}.  Here are a few of my favorite red carpet moments from Sunday.

Zendaya

Carey Mulligan

Angela Bassett

Halle Berry

Regina King

Alan Kim

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Oscar Weekend

With the combo of being "stuck" at home during quarantine, too many streaming services, and a delayed awards season, I was able to watch all 8 Best Picture Oscar Nominees this year from the comfort of my own home {whether it was out of intrigue or boredom we'll never know}.  Here's my list of what you must watch, what you can skip, and who should win on Sunday night.  Cheers!

Frances McDormand is quite possibly one of my most favorite people {that I don't know}- I adore her.  Her performance in Nomadland is moving, heartbreaking, and absolute perfection and this movie following modern day nomads in the Southwest will leave you thinking about it long after it is over.  Examining human relationships and resilience, this is one I would definitely recommend to everyone.

I absolutely loved The Trial of The Chicago 7, a true story that takes place in 1968 around the Democratic National Convention and feels incredibly relevant today as it was back then.  The acting is superb and the story intriguing, and it's one of my top picks for most entertaining and watch-worthy of the bunch.  

Unfortunately I don't have a lot of great things to say about Mank.  I couldn't get into this story about Herman Mankiewicz trying to finish writing Citizen Kane in the 1930's as it bounced around all over the place, and while I typically enjoy a black and white movie I think this one could have benefitted from a bit of color.  Unfortunately, my least favorite of the bunch.

Judas and the Black Messiah tells the true story of an FBI informant infiltrating the Black Panther Party and the internal struggles he faces when his allegiances are called into question.  An important story that again feels as relevant today as it was in the 1960's, this one will leave you angry, questioning, and ready to take action for social justice.

I had really high expectations going into Promising Young Woman and while overall I liked it {I think} I found myself at times confused and a little lost.  It's a tale of revenge but left out {or glossed over?} some important details that I think would've helped the movie flow better.  Carey Mulligan, however, is fantastic and while it wasn't my favorite of the bunch, I'd still recommend giving it a watch for it's important commentary on social issues.

What would you do if you suddenly lost your ability to hear?  That is the question asked in Sound of Metal, a heartbreakingly beautiful story of a heavy metal drummer who faces that exact battle.  Through the twists and turns of Ruben's journey you find yourself rooting for him, yelling at him, and empathizing with the painful decisions he must make.  A truly beautiful film.

Sir Anthony Hopkins is a genius and his portrayal of a man with dementia in The Father is so raw and real you feel everything right there with him.  At first I wasn't entirely sure what was real and what wasn't, which I later realized is the point of the movie as you are living life through Anthony's eyes.  A heart wrenching and beautiful film, this was one of my faves of the bunch {but bring tissues!}.

Trying to capture the "American Dream" is the premise of Minari, a beautiful film that follows a Korean family trying to start a farm of their own in 1980's rural Arkansas.  But is it easier said than done?  With the threat of it all being taken away, I found myself rooting for the Yi Family and their persistence through the toughest and most heartbreaking of times.  Definitely one of my faves of the bunch and one I'd highly recommend to all!

Have you seen any of these?  Which was your fave?  

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Oscar Fashion

I successfully predicted all the big winners on Oscar night, but the biggest surprise every year is what we'll see on the red carpet.  It wasn't my favorite year of Oscar fashion, but in looking through the best {and worst} dressed lists, I found a few that really stood out against the rest.  Here are my faves from Sunday - which were yours?

Natalie Portman

 Renee Zellweger

 Zazie Beetz

 Brie Larson

 Geena Davis

Brad Pitt

xoxo,
stephanie marie