So if you're like most people, you watched the Oscar nominees get announced and were like "??????, what the heck is a hurt locker and who dares compare it to Avatar?" Shame on you. You're doing yourself a disservice. There's simply no excuse for anyone to not bone up on all of the amazing nominees this year, especially since multiplexes have begun giving these great movies the run time they deserve, after completely ignoring them the first time around. So this week I thought I'd do something a little different, and run down the 3 Oscar contenders that are now back in theaters that I think everyone needs to jump in their car and plunk down their money to see right now.
3. Crazy Heart
Nominated for Best Actor, Jeff Bridges is finally receiving the Oscar recognition he so rightly deserves. In Crazy Heart he plays broken down, drunken former country music star, Bad Blake, who's life has been a template for the heartache he puts in his music. Flat broke and struggling to stay afloat while battling his numerous personal demons, a chance to finally turn his life around presents itself when he meets single mother Jean(Maggie Gyllenhall), and they form a reluctant relationship. A pretty familiar story, made great by Bridges' vulnerable performance.
2. Up in the Air
I've perhaps said more about Up in the Air than I have any film this year. An amazingly prescient, timely film featuring three superstar performances, all of which have been nominated for award this season. George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a termination specialist, firing people for large corporations lacking the backbone to do it themselves. A loner by nature, Bingham experiences an awakening of sorts when his own way of life is threatened by the arrival of two sexy women into his world. It's the role Clooney will be remembered for 20 years from now, and Jason Reitman's(Juno, Thank You for Smoking) most complete film to date.
1. An Education
A breakout performance like Carey Mulligan's in An Education come along so rarely, it must be recognized and appreciated properly. The young star absolutely shines with a sexiness and maturity of a young Hepburn in this classic tale, written by the typically guy centric Nick Hornby(High Fidelity, About a Boy, Fever Pitch).
DVD Pick: The Hurt Locker
What is that movie that's tied with Avatar for most nominations? It's Kathryn Bigelow's(James Cameron's ex-wife, coincidentally) The Hurt Locker, the best war film since Saving Private Ryan. Breaking the trend of bland, ideological films about the Iraq War, The Hurt Locker stands uniquely on it's own, presenting a side of the war we've never seen before. Jeremy Renner stars as the hot headed, adrenaline fueled team leader of an Explosive Ordinance Disposal squad. His need for danger puts his team at immediate risk, creating an explosive atmosphere even when not in the hot zone. There isn't a more tension filled, edge of your seat thriller anywhere. I defy anyone to watch this film and not become engrossed in it almost immediately. Here's hoping the little war film that struggled to get distribution can take down James Cameron's big blue techno-monster this year.
