Theeb and Youth complete my attempt to watch all of the nominated films

2/26/16 Youth, nominated for Best Original Song, 2015

Several thoughts crossed my mind as I watched Youth: if I hit myself in the head with a hammer, would it be as painful as this movie? if I ever had people I wanted to get out of my house, I would play this movie; how does ground glass taste? I would rather eat glue. So you can probably infer that I did not like this movie. And you could go to the head of the class. I thought I might be in for a couple of pretension filled hours because I loathed the other film by writer/director Paolo Sorrentino which one for Best Foreign Film a couple of years ago A Great Beauty (my review of the film) . The movie was made kind of how I cook, get whatever you have available, cook some of it, throw it together and hope you don't poison yourself, and if you're really lucky, you might get a few good bites. There were a few good moments, mainly because Michael Caine is so damn good, but it was mostly pretentious with a dash of Bergman, Fellini and Allen. I actually got so angry I wanted to turn it off, but I paid $4.99 on Amazon and damn it, I was going to get my money's worth or try to get my money back. It's old people looking back on their lives but only seeing their future and eventual demise; nobody seems too sad, just matter of fact. It's just awful. The movie was nominated for Best Original Song, Simple Song #3, and that was one of the few highlights, but it was as the END of the movie. I think the next time a film by this director is nominated in any category I'm just going to pass, or wait for it to be free from the library, because I am not paying for this shit again.

2/27/16 Theeb, nominated for Best Foreign Film, 2015

I'm glad I watched Theeb after Youth because I'd rather end on a good film than a bad one. The entry from Jordan is set in 1916, during the middle of the First World War (think Lawrence of Arabia) where the Turks and the Ottoman Empire are fighting the British and the Allies. The title character, Theeb, which translates to wolf, is the youngest son of the late sheikh of the area, and he is very close to his older brother and middle son, Hussein. When strangers, including an English officer, visit asking for an escort to the Roman Well along the pilgrim road, the new sheikh and eldest brother offers Hussein's assistance, even though the road is at risk for bandits. As Hussein sets off with the two men, Theeb chases after them. It's too risky to send him back alone, and the officer will not let Hussein take Theeb back, so they must carry on with him. I have to say the sight of the little boy hanging on for dear life at the back of the camel is pretty funny. The men arrive at their destination, only to find their comrades have been killed and they are surrounded and outnumbered by brigands. The English officer and his guide are shot, leaving Hussein and Theeb to try and escape. Hussein is a very good shot, but they are at a severe disadvantage and Hussein is killed. Theeb is left on his own, until one of the bandits comes back, having been shot by Hussein and abandoned by his compatriots. He and Theeb have to make an uneasy peace because they need one another. As they enter their strained relationship, riding across the desert, it reminded me of a Western, not exactly True Grit, but I was struck by the child/adult relationship, begrudging one another's mere existence. Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat is the young man who plays Theeb, and for someone who was not a trained actor (none of the Bedouin cast were actors) he was extraordinary, especially considering some of the scenes he had to play and that he was alone a good deal. You kind of had an idea that something bad was going to happen during the movie, especially when the English officer arrived, I knew it wasn't going to go well, but even saying that, you didn't know exactly what was going to happen. There are enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. The scenery is absolutely amazing, it is not just sand dunes; we get sand dunes, oases, high cliffs, rock formations. Stunning. This movie may not be on your radar, but if you're looking for something different (and good), I would recommend this. Unfortunately, this is the only foreign film nominee I was able to see, so I can't make any intelligent comparisons to the other films, but it is a wonderful movie, regardless.

And thus ends my quest to watch all of the 2016 nominations. I have watched 49 out of 57 nominees, which is 86% (if I did my math correctly), and it is the best I have done so far, and I would dare say I have seen more of the nominees than most Academy voters. There may be a few movies you won't have heard of, but should see, Theeb would be one, but also The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, Racing Extinction and The Hunting Ground. I will continue my tradition of blogging live while watching the Oscars. I watch so you don't have to. I must go iron my outfit for tomorrow. See you on the Red Carpet.