Award Season Films

I rarely watch movies in the theaters, but I was able to catch up on many of the movies nominated for awards this past season over the last few weeks on my return flight from Spain and a couple of library borrowings that I had put on hold awhile ago. All of them were good in some ways, but I definitely liked a few more than others.

Favorites:
True Grit: I don't normally like Western-type movies, but this was a charming yet gritty movie where I really liked the characters, particularly Hailee Steinfield's character. I'm really impressed by her poise and style both in the movie as well as during as well as during award season. Then there's the always likeable Jeff Bridges, who plays the essentially same guy well in all his movies.

A King's Speech: I like movies that interrelate interesting personal stories within a larger historical context. The story was interesting and I liked and really rooted for all the characters.

The Kids are All Right: I just watched this last night and I thought it was an interestingly awkward yet empathetic character-driven film. Plus, I like all movies set in Los Angeles; I think a good portion of the film was filmed in nearby Venice / Mar Vista as well as Silverlake / Echo Park.

Not so favorites:
Black Swan: On the plus side, I liked the dancing and costumes in the movie. I just didn't like the characters, I wasn't really rooting for anyone. I like movies where I actually like and can empathize with the characters; Natalie Portman's character was a little too annoying, pathetic and crazy for me.

The Town: I thought the movie was ok but not great. It was entertaining, but I thought there were some holes and weaknesses in both the plotlines and the characters. Plus though her role was small, I find Blake Lively irritating (or at least I have difficultly separating her from her annoying character on Gossip Girl).

Tangled: Ok, so best song doesn't really count as an award winner, but nevertheless I watched Tangled because I love Disney. It was rather forgettable and formulaic; definitely not destined to be a Disney classic.