I held off on this list until after the Oscars, to focus my attention on the festivities. This also meant I watched fourteen films in a one week period, in order to officially see EVERY SINGLE NOMINEE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
This meant that I saw Abacus: Small Enough To Jail, A Fantastic Woman, On Body and Soul, The Breadwinner, and Loveless. I really loved A Fantastic Woman and The Breadwinner, which were emotional and rich, and I thought Abacus and Loveless were well-made, even if I didn’t adore them. However, I did not like On Body and Soul. Outside of the very good Alexandra Borbély, the film really has nothing to offer. I also had a second viewing of nominees Coco and Darkest Hour, both of which I stand by as strong films. I also watched some great performances by the nominees, in order to complete my Greatest Performance list. I loved Richard Jenkins’ The Visitor, and I liked aspects of Lesley Manville’s Another Year (I think I’m destined to like, not love all of Mike Leigh’s films) and Gary Oldman’s Sid and Nancy, but was left wanting more from The People vs. Larry Flynt (although Edward Norton is a godsend). In terms of old favorites and new films, I watched Shaun of the Dead for the third time with a friend of mine, and I have to say that film is remarkable. I was also blown away by Happy Death Day, which plays as a cross between slasher movies, Groundhog Day, and Heathers (the satire in that film is remarkable). And I ended my week by watching Dirty Harry, which I was surprised to find I loathed. What a poor excuse for an action movie, a police procedural, and a Clint Eastwood movie. Even his famous line felt unmemorable and kitschy.
Other than the Oscars, I have continued watching The Office. I’m about halfway through season five, and it’s still holding strong. I also watched my usual shows, like The Middle, Modern Family, and Speechless. I also watched Daniel Kaluuya in Black Mirror, which was a real treat. And then there’s Atlanta, which returned on Thursday and is just as great as it was its first season. I could watch the “Florida Man” sequence on repeat. Oh, and in terms of podcasts, I listened to The Sauce, a podcast about the infamous McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce debacle, only to learn that it was essentially a three part advertisement for McDonald’s (I also tried the sauce last week, which was good, but not life-changing).
What about you? Did you watch the Oscars? Did you see any of the nominees before doing so? Let me know in the comments, and enjoy the relaxing week we have ahead of us.
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