I had hoped "LINCOLN" would make it five.
NOPE!
(I will be tarred & feathered by most viewers-so be it).
From the beginning to the very end, "Sliver Linings Playbook" had me riveted to the original story and stunning characters; especially the tour-de-force performance by Bradley Cooper. I know a bit of his acting background and was always waiting for him to pull out all that learning and apply it --here he exceeds it, over & over & over & over...
Finally the muses smiled upon him w/ a perfect blend of a genius script, sensitive director, gripping introspection (which his character reveals in morsels to his audience) and a terrific supporting cast. I cannot believe this is the hunk behind movies which had never challenged him before like those "hangover" ones. He was always beautiful to look at but here we got to see that overt beauty take a back seat to his spirit and cerebral manipulations.
For my money I would give him the Oscar right now!
Not since Jack Nicholson In "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" or Al Pacino in "Dog Day Afternoon" have I seen an actor own a character with so many ebbs & flow to it. He has you in the palm of his hands & does a complete 180 just when you think you understand his next move. BRAVO!
The story is full of genuine family dynamics, hope, betrayal and lots of humor interwoven and so desperately needed since it tackles a myriad of uncomfortable issues.
Jennifer Lawrence acts years beyond her young life. She gives the type of performance a much more seasoned actress would. Again, I cannot believe this is the girl from "The Hunger Games"--what a difference a script makes! I nominate her for best actress as well. And finally Robert DeNiro does not phone in his performance, as he has been doing for years. He gives his character the complexities desperately needed--and man is he funny!
I URGE YOU TO GO & SEE IT TODAY! You will feel better than when you came in--guaranteed!
OH, THEN THERE'S "LINCOLN".
I may sound full of contradictions in what you're about to read but let me be clear, I kept looking at my watch; never a good sign.
I gotta say Kushner wrote a great screenplay (typically dense) based on Goodwin's book. Spielberg directs it almost brilliantly (though some of the scenes screamed studio back lot & not Civil War). Spielberg does display brilliance when we first see Lincoln (Day-Lewis) --perfect lighting/camera work, etc.--it literally gave me chills.
Daniel Day-Lewis could not be a better Abe; his resemblance is uncanny, although he seemed to be channeling Bill Clinton in his tone & delivery. HE WILL GET THE OSCAR, SADLY.
The first grueling three quarters of the movie was a glorified history lesson with names & facts thrown at the audience (I get it , they were establishing the foundation for what was to happen later, but UGH! REALLY? A HISTORY LESSON?). I kept hearing how audiences around the country actually cheered at certain parts--of course, the overt musical manipulation made you do that-again UGH! Every actor in Hollywood appears at some point. It must have been really special to have a tiny but pivotal part for S.Epatha Merkerson. Obviously, this was THE film to be in-shades of "Gone with the Wind", if you will.
What happened , for me, was the old Merchant-Ivory curse: a really well made film that simply wasn't entertaining. Like I told a friend who salivates with anything regarding politics & history, "For people like you, this was a filmic orgasm". I, on the other hand, barely experienced foreplay-and no one was more sorry than moi.
I wanted to love it. I barely liked it.
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