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