Recovering from an Oscar night hangover

Well, Oscar night hit me harder than expected, or it might have been the binge viewing I did leading right up to Oscar night, but in any event, I'm easing myself back into writing with some movies and television shows I have watched, then I promise, I'll return to the list.

Normally I include the date I watched the movies, but it this case, I can only tell you it was in February.

Fruitvale Station, 2013, not nominated

This movie is based on the true story of the killing of Oscar Grant at Fruitvale Station, a stop on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) in San Francisco in 2009. Michael B. Jordan stars as Oscar, a young black man trying to get his life together after some run-ins with the law. Octavia Spencer (Oscar-winner from The Help) plays Oscar's mother. The story is told in flashbacks, showing us a glimpse into Oscar's troubled past, but also that he could be a pretty good guy. The run-in with the transit police depicts what the chaos of that New Year's Eve could have been like. The movie got a lot of hype during the festival season and there were many people disappointed and surprised that it didn't get any Oscar nominations. The movie certainly tugs at your heartstrings and plays on all kinds of emotions, and Jordan and Spencer are really good, but there were so many great films and nominees, that I don't think they were at that level (I mean Tom Hanks was overlooked for two fabulous roles). It's definitely a movie worth seeing, just expect to be a little angry when it's over.

42, 2013, not nominated

42 is about the great baseball player, Jackie Robinson and his move into major league baseball, which up until 1947 excluded African-Americans. It's probably inconceivable to most of us that sports (as so many other things) were segregated and that to desegregate them came at great cost. But, in 1947, baseball was segregated and it took a lot of courage, from the Brooklyn Dodgers' owner, Branch Rickey, to players like Pee Wee Reese, Hank Greenberg and others and the man himself, Jackie Robinson. Opposing players (and sometimes his own team) would heckle, jeer, taunt and try to intimidate Robinson while he couldn't do anything other than play better than anyone else. Chadwick Boseman played Robinson (he is no stranger to sports movies, having roles in The Express (football) and Draft Day (football), and he captured the restraint and strength that I can only imagine Robinson displayed; Harrison Ford was Branch Rickey, and once I stopped being distracted by the makeup, I could almost believe Ford as Rickey. Robinson's wife, Rachel (Nicole Beharie) was grace and strength and had to be as resolute as Jackie during the whole process. Mrs. Robinson is still alive today at 91. The movie is a great way to introduce kids (or history-haters) to a period of American history with a sports kicker. It's like a spoonful of sugar.

Red Tails, 2012, not nominated

Red Tails is about The Tuskegee Airmen, black pilots and crew who fought in a segregated unit during World War II. It stars Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ne-Yo, and Michael B. Jordan (among others) as the pilots. During the Second World War, black pilots were not seen as fit for combat and were limited in their duties until they were presented the opportunity to fly coverage for a bomber squadron; they did better than the squadron they replaced and were later asked for by the bomber pilots. Similar events happened to black soldiers during the Civil War (Glory). Again, it seems so out of what most of us know in our 21st century world, with leaders like Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, oh and the current President of the United States, Barack Obama (the lunatic fringe doesn't count). I have to say I was much more interested in the snippets of historical content than the characters (I would have been interested in the characters, but I hate to say it, I don't think they had the a-team for this movie; the acting was pretty bad). In fact, I thought about turning the movie off, since it's not on my list, but I wanted to learn more about the airmen. Having said that, there may be a better movie out there (because this was long as well as poorly acted).

Monuments Men, 2014

Monuments Men is another movie ripped from the pages of World War II history. George Clooney is leading a group of art historians, architects, restorers to find and save the great art treasures of Europe before they are destroyed by the Nazis. The cast includes Bill Murray (who uses his impeccable delivery to great effect), John Goodman, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett. Here's the thing - I think George Clooney can direct other people very well, but he cannot direct himself. Even though he had the 'most important' lines, they came out sounding unnatural, forced and like they were being read right from the page. I would love to see the special features on the DVD because I hope they include more information on the men and women who participated in these missions as well as more information on the art they saved. Thumbs up.

Television shows
Veep, season one
Julie Louis-Dreyfus was nominated for so many awards for her role as Vice President Selina Meyer, who finds all kinds of creative ways to put her foot in her mouth or upset the national temperament by just saying something stupid. I thought it was hilarious and pretty much laughed the whole time. I can't wait for season 2 (I can't remember who kept beating out Julia for the best actress in a comedy, but I think Julia might have been robbed, she is definitely a comedic genius).

House of Lies, season one
I love Don Cheadle, I think he's brilliant, but I hated House of Lies (not to be confused with House of Cards with Kevin Spacey). I thought I would like it, it kind of makes fun of consultants and having spent my fair share of time with consultants, I thought I would feel a connection. Yeah, no.

Phil Spector, 2013, nominated for Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild awards

If you've read this blog before, you may have figured out that I love movies about music, especially documentaries. Phil Spector is not a documentary, but based on recent events. Phil Spector is pretty universally recognized as one of the best and innovative music producers; there is also a common opinion that he's a little unstable. Al Pacino plays Phil Spector, and similar to his role as Jack Kevorkian, he becomes Spector; Helen Mirren is Spector's attorney, Linda Kenney Baden, who is defending Spector against a murder charge for shooting a woman in his driveway. I only watched this because I'm a huge Helen Mirren fan and I liked Pacino as Kevorkian; if I was interested in Phil Spector, I think I would have found a documentary or something more about the music. And that's what I want to tell you, this isn't about the music, so don't think it is. Mirren and Pacino weren't enough to make me care; the focus was on prepping Spector for his trial and it showed his extreme quirks, but I wasn't interested, and I don't think this was Mirren at her best either. The good news is it was less than 4 hours long.

Come back next week when I'll cross a few more Oscar films off my list.