The Lord of the
Rings:
irector
Peter Jackson’s mammoth adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved trilogy finally
comes to a close with The Return
of the King, an installment many critics have argued is the
strongest of the three. Despite the fact that predecessors
The Fellowship of the Ring and
The Two Towers received oodles of nominations, the series has thus
far walked away with technical awards only. Certainly the most emotional entry
in the trilogy, The Return of the King provides just the sort of
excitement and drama that fans have come to expect from this series. Despite
being shutout in the acting categories, the film has already been named best
film of the year by several film critic associations and at the Golden Globes —
but will the Academy honor what is deemed a fantasy film? Millions of fans
moved by the films certainly hope so.The Return of the King Lost in
Translation
ever
underestimate the underdog. While a small movie in a year filled with
historical epics and heavy dramas,
Lost in Translation managed to leave a mark on audiences. Best
Actor nominee Bill Murray
plays Bob Harris, an aging movie star looking to make a quick buck shooting a
whiskey commercial in Tokyo.
Scarlett Johansson is Charlotte, a young woman who has tagged along with
her photographer husband, only to find he is too busy for her. The two cross
paths and connect in a way that only two sleepless, lonely visitors to a
strange city can. Their friendship is bittersweet with both knowing that it
must come to an end. Coppola
proves she is a talent to be reckoned with, bringing out a solid performance
from Johansson and a brilliant one from Murray, whom she wrote the part for.
While it likely won’t bring home Oscar gold for Best Pic, Coppola could very
well step onto the podium for Best Original Screenplay.Master and
Commander:
nspired by two Patrick O’Brian
novels (hence the title), Master
and Commander brought back the seafaring adventure with a bang.
Russell Crowe stars as Captain Jack Aubrey, the tough yet compassionate
leader of a British vessel whose assignment is to track down the enemy ship
that fired upon them. Director
Peter Weir has fashioned a story that’s packed with compelling characters
and thrilling action sequences, not to mention some fantastic performances (the
aforementioned Crowe, Paul
Bettany as the ship’s doctor, etc). While Crowe was overlooked for his
role, there is no denying Weir’s attention to detail and ability to create a
film that deserves to be in this category.The Far Side of the World Mystic River
his murder mystery certainly doesn’t qualify as the feel good movie of the
year, but certainly as one of the best. This adaptation of the best-selling
novel by Dennis Lehane boasts a second-to-none cast, led skillfully by director
Clint Eastwood. The story begins with one of three childhood friends
getting into a car with two strangers. Abused for days, he escapes to find his
life and the lives of the people around him, have changed. Years later, the
three men are reunited by tragedy when
Sean Penn’s daughter is murdered. Penn is pitch perfect as a father
filled with grief and rage. Together with
Tim Robbins’ traumatized murder suspect, Kevin Bacon’s torn homicide
detective and Marcia Gay
Harden and Laura Linney as the women trying to hold it all together, this
film is an acting tour de force. It is up to the voters to decide if this
Boston tale will be able to overshadow Middle-earth.Seabiscuit
ot on
the heels of its Golden Globe nomination,
Seabiscuit -- like the titular horse -- defied all the odds and
managed to snag an Oscar nod, even though most pundits agreed it didn’t stand a
chance since it hit screens early in the year. Director
Gary Ross’ delightfully old-fashioned tale of Seabiscuit, a
Depression-era racehorse that captured the interest of a nation, proved that
audiences are hungry for well-crafted stories, appropriate for the whole
family. Ross also manages to create a film with tension and anticipation --
even though many people already knew how the story ends. With a superb cast
that includes Tobey
Maguire, Jeff
Bridges and Chris
Cooper, Seabiscuit could gallop home a winner one more time.
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