TheFman said:

First Reformed (2017) - A minister of a small congregation in upstate New York grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns and a tormented past.

I liked the contrasting straightforward/surreal presentation. And what a kooky ending. 4/5

The Favourite 10/10, An exquisite, eloquently scripted, film that captures a bitter slice of life. Have a lick of salt and a bite of lemon after consuming. Amazing sets, costumes and directorial control.

The Academy Award-Nominated (and other highly commended) Animated Short Films 2019:

Bao (2018) - A Chinese-Canadian woman suffering from empty nest syndrome gets a second shot at motherhood when one of her handmade dumplings comes alive. 4/5

Late Afternoon (2017) - An elderly woman drifts back through her memories. She exists between two states, the past and the present. 3.5/5

Animal Behaviour (2018) - Animated anthropomorphized characters in a therapy session. 4/5

Weekends (2017) - The story of a young boy shuffling between the homes of his recently divorced parents in 1980s Toronto. 3.5/5

One Small Step (2018) - TAIKO Studios presents the story of Luna, a Chinese American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. 3.5/5

Wishing Box (2017) - A pirate discovers a treasure chest and brings it aboard his ship. Upon opening the chest, he discovers there is more to the chest than meets the eye. 2.5/5

Chik-Chirik (2018) - Our life is like walking on a tightrope. 3/5

The Academy Award-Nominated Live Action Short Films 2019:

Madre (2017) - While at home in her apartment with her own mother in Spain, a woman gets a phone call from her six-year-old son, who's on holiday in France with his father. Every parent's nightmare ensues. 4/5

Fauve (2018) - Set in a surface mine, two boys sink into a seemingly innocent power game with Mother Nature as the sole observer. 4/5

Marguerite (2017) - An aging woman and her nurse develop a friendship that inspires her to unearth unacknowledged longing and thus help her make peace with her past. 3.5/5

Detainment (2018) - Two ten year-old boys are detained by police under suspicion of abducting and murdering a toddler. A true story based on interview transcripts and records from the James Bulger case which shocked the world in 1993. 4/5

Skin (2018) - A small supermarket in a blue collar town, a black man smiles at a 10 year old white boy across the checkout aisle. This innocuous moment sends two gangs into a ruthless war that ends with a shocking backlash. 4/5

This was the bleakest group of short films I can remember nominated for Academy Awards. Whovever chose them must not like children since four out of five are about kids being abandoned, killed or traumatized in some way.

[Edited 2/23/19 22:19pm]

The Academy Award-Nominated Documentary Short Films 2019:

A Night at the Garden (2017) - Archival footage of an American Nazi rally that attracted 20,000 people at Madison Square Garden in 1939, shortly before the beginning of World War 2. 3.5/5

Lifeboat (2018) - Volunteers from a German non-profit risk the waves of the Mediterranean to pluck refugees from sinking rafts pushing off from Libya in the middle of the night. 3.5/5

Period. End of Sentence. (2018) - In a rural village outside Delhi, India, women lead a quiet revolution. They fight against the deeply rooted stigma of menstruation. 4/5

Black Sheep (2018) - After the high-profile killing of Damilola Taylor, Cornelius' family move out of London. But when they discover their new town is run by racists, Cornelius takes a drastic step to survive. 3.5/5

End Game (2018) - This movie follows visionary medical practitioners who are working on the cutting edge of life and death and are dedicated to changing our thinking about both. 3.5/5

The Driver Is Red (2017) - Set in Argentina 1960, this true crime documentary follows secret agent Zvi Aharoni (Mark Pinter) as he searches for a mysterious man named Ricardo Klement. 3.5/5

The Driver Is Red was a bonus acclaimed documentary short added to the screening of the nominated short films.

sexton said:

The Academy Award-Nominated Live Action Short Films 2019:

Madre (2017) - While at home in her apartment with her own mother in Spain, a woman gets a phone call from her six-year-old son, who's on holiday in France with his father. Every parent's nightmare ensues. 4/5

Fauve (2018) - Set in a surface mine, two boys sink into a seemingly innocent power game with Mother Nature as the sole observer. 4/5

Marguerite (2017) - An aging woman and her nurse develop a friendship that inspires her to unearth unacknowledged longing and thus help her make peace with her past. 3.5/5

Detainment (2018) - Two ten year-old boys are detained by police under suspicion of abducting and murdering a toddler. A true story based on interview transcripts and records from the James Bulger case which shocked the world in 1993. 4/5

Skin (2018) - A small supermarket in a blue collar town, a black man smiles at a 10 year old white boy across the checkout aisle. This innocuous moment sends two gangs into a ruthless war that ends with a shocking backlash. 4/5

This was the bleakest group of short films I can remember nominated for Academy Awards. Whovever chose them must not like children since four out of five are about kids being abandoned, killed or traumatized in some way.

[Edited 2/23/19 22:19pm]

I can't even bring myself to think about watching 'Detainment'. The Jamie Bulger case was horrific. Bulger's mother called for the nomination to be banned.

maplenpg said:

sexton said:

The Academy Award-Nominated Live Action Short Films 2019:

Madre (2017) - While at home in her apartment with her own mother in Spain, a woman gets a phone call from her six-year-old son, who's on holiday in France with his father. Every parent's nightmare ensues. 4/5

Fauve (2018) - Set in a surface mine, two boys sink into a seemingly innocent power game with Mother Nature as the sole observer. 4/5

Marguerite (2017) - An aging woman and her nurse develop a friendship that inspires her to unearth unacknowledged longing and thus help her make peace with her past. 3.5/5

Detainment (2018) - Two ten year-old boys are detained by police under suspicion of abducting and murdering a toddler. A true story based on interview transcripts and records from the James Bulger case which shocked the world in 1993. 4/5

Skin (2018) - A small supermarket in a blue collar town, a black man smiles at a 10 year old white boy across the checkout aisle. This innocuous moment sends two gangs into a ruthless war that ends with a shocking backlash. 4/5

This was the bleakest group of short films I can remember nominated for Academy Awards. Whovever chose them must not like children since four out of five are about kids being abandoned, killed or traumatized in some way.

[Edited 2/23/19 22:19pm]

I can't even bring myself to think about watching 'Detainment'. The Jamie Bulger case was horrific. Bulger's mother called for the nomination to be banned.

That's totally understandable. Detainment was easily the most tragic since it was based on true events. I found Skin to be the hardest one to watch though. Ugh.

RBG (2018) - The exceptional life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon.

What was most notable was how sharp she still sounds in contrast to how frail she looks now. 4/5

Capernaum - (5 of 5) - This Lebonese film is my favorite of the year. It is so engaging that you forget it is a movie. Heartbreaking but at the same time has a sliver of hope. It is nominated for best foreign film and wond the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes, deservedly so.

First Man (2018) - A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

I was unaware of the number of people who died in the space race and the toll it took on Neil Armstrong and his family so it was very good in its portrayal of those traumas. 4/5

Isle of Dogs (2018) - Set in Japan, Isle of Dogs follows a boy's odyssey in search of his lost dog.

I'm going to give this film high marks despite its negative portrayal of cat lovers. 4.5/5

Hulk (2003) starring Eric Bana and Jennifer Conelley. I really wanted to like this film.....but I found it to be boring and the editing really annoyed me. Too much talking and not enough action! and I preferred The Incredible Hulk (2008). I give this a 1.5 out of 5

[Edited 2/24/19 22:47pm]

Alita

well, it wasn't that original (those roller-ball-games seems to appear in about every second 'future' movie), and sometimes the CGI seemed a bit off, but i still enjoyed it pretty much.
But... no ending??? What's the point?? If they kept the ending for a next movie, they could have warned so from the beginning.

Roma (2018)

One of the most beautiful films of 2018 was also one of the more ponderous films of 2018. Had it been a little more cohesive, I think it would have won the Best Picture Oscar in a walk.

.75

Ugot2shakesumthin said:

namepeace said:

VIII has its flaws, but I agree that in hindsight everybody will claim they always loved the film. IMO, an argument can be made that it's better than any film in the canon other than V or IV.

Every scene Master Skywalker was gold. The fight with the imperial guards was gold. The end fight scene between Kylie and Master Skywalker was gold. I cared about the characters, that’s something you can’t say about Force Awakens or the prequels.

Indeed. It was almost like watching the Skywalker Saga getting over a midlife crisis.

Green Book (2018)

Taken for what it is, and taking into account the "dramatic license" with the facts and Great Savior narrative, it was an entertaining film lifted -- maybe even saved -- by Mahershala Ali's performance.

Studio 54 (2018)

A fun, informative and unsparing look at the rise and fall and rise of Studio 54 and its creators. I enjoyed it.

TheFman said:

Alita

well, it wasn't that original (those roller-ball-games seems to appear in about every second 'future' movie), and sometimes the CGI seemed a bit off, but i still enjoyed it pretty much.
But... no ending??? What's the point?? If they kept the ending for a next movie, they could have warned so from the beginning.

I can see why First Man won the best visual effects Oscar over Avengers. The effects on First Man were seamless. It looked realistic.
CGI has hit a block wall. I really haven’t noticed much of an improvement in at least a decade. It all looks like a cartoon. Perhaps it’s because of time restraints and budgets, but unless the actors can add charm and warmth to the coldness and cartoon aspects of CGI I’m digging these movies. Ready Player One was like CGI vomit on the screen with the actual actors adding nothing.

CGI is amazing when great care is taken. Heck, the CGI from the original Jurassic Park and Terminator 2 still look amazing because it knew the limitations and augmented CGI with practical effects.

I give it a pass on the Marvel movies because it’s fantasy and fits the comic style but especially because the actors they choose are so damn charming. The actors pull off the Marvel movies more than the cheesy CGI.

Green Book 4/5

enjoyed it immensely.... i'd had a rough day and found this movie a pleasure to watch

Toy Gun

A bit silly, as obviously none of the actors are talking in their native tongues. It looks like a first movie of a Directing student, and probably is. Still, have seen worse last month surely.

Alita: Battle Angel (2019) - A deactivated female cyborg is revived, but cannot remember anything of her past life and goes on a quest to find out who she is.

Maybe it's because I'm not familiar with the source material, but I didn't connect with the story as much as a felt I should. The special effects however were over-the-top. 3/5

A Bad Moms Christmas

I laughed like I used with some of the best comedies, totally