The Oscar Project
Up next today is my 8th and 7th favorite first time watches from this year. Yesterday we had two completely different films, and the same could be said for these two selections. 8: Belfast (2021) After all the hype for this film at the Oscars last year, it ultimately only received one award, for Best Original Screenplay, out of the seven nominations it had, including Best Director and Best Picture. This is one of those films where it has to really connect with you on a personal level to raise it to the top of all films in a given year. Unfortunately, like Cyrano in yesterday’s post, this didn’t hit me like that, but that doesn’t take away from the beautiful aspects of the film. I agree with the nominations of Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor. They were the heart of the movie for me. In other areas, the film was beautifully shot and I was a bit surprised it didn’t garner a Best Cinematography nomination last year. I know many people get turned off by films presented in black and white these days, but I felt it really gave the film some beautiful visual moments that couldn’t have been achieved in color. 7: Clerks II (2006) I’m not sure how I missed writing a review of this when I watched it back in September. I figured it would be hard to top the original in pure craziness, but somehow this film matched if not even exceeded the first. It’s interesting that this lands on the list the same day as Belfast. While Belfast was a beautiful film that I downgraded slightly because I didn’t connect with it on a personal level, Clerks II was an OK film that I have to elevate because it does connect with me. Granted, I don’t have personal experience with some of the wilder elements of the film (donkey) but at its core, the film is one of two friends growing apart because they are at different points in their lives. I think we’ve all experienced something like that at least once, and that’s what elevates it for me on this list. Kevin Smith has had some big hits and some duds throughout his career, but I think it’s safe to say he knows how to tell a story and definitely knows how to get a laugh, the crazier the better. If you’ve missed any of my posts in this series so far, check them out below and leave a comment with some of the best movies you’ve watched from the past this year.
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AuthorI'm just a film buff who wants to watch great movies. Where else to find the best, than the list of those nominated by the Academy each year? Archives
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