Hi everyone, happy Monday! Here is part 2 of the Oscar nominated movies for 2015!

Even though it’s taken me over a year to do this whole challenge, I really liked doing it and am actually thinking about picking another year to complete. Let me know what you think, do you like these types of posts? 🙂

American Sniper: Based on the true story of Chris Kyle who was born into a military family, became an American Sniper, and ended up saving a lot of American soldiers due to his precise shot. But this also sets him apart, and makes him a huge target during the war. After four tours, Kyle struggles to be a good father and husband and once he leaves the war for good, he still caries it with him. This film’s storytelling was so well done; the acting also really set this film apart. Sure the plot faltered a little in the middle and the viewer questioned what was going to happen, it shortly picked back up and it was just so hard hitting. This film was definitely heartwarming, and heartbreaking.

Mr. Turner: The story of painter J.M.W. Turner and how he lived the last twenty-five years of his life. The viewer is taken through the story of how he met a seaside landlady and pretty much fell in love, leaving behind his faithful housekeeper; which was kind of sad to see. We also got to see the how crazy his lifestyle was, but his paintings were graceful, and painted with such elegance and poise, and the imagery was insanely beautiful. That was the saving grace for this film, as it was quite dull and extremely slow in pace. The story moved at a crawl, but watching the introduction of the camera at the end was hilarious to watch. The characters were also somewhat dull; they say that Turner was eccentric, and he was a bit, but he spoke in grunts and it was just really off-putting. Clocking in at two hours and a half, it felt like it went on forever. Overall, it was a film that was very quiet and more for the artistic eye.

Unbroken: Louie Zamperini has worked his whole life to become a runner, with the help of his brother. When he finally makes it to the 1936 Olympics World War II breaks out and he enlists. Things take an awful turn when the plane he’s on crashes, but he manages to survive 47 days on this raft, only to be caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a POW camp. This film is based on the true story of Louie Zamperini, and it was very well done. It was heartbreaking, yet engaging to watch. The first part of the film zipped by and was highly entertaining; the second part of the film, still entertaining, but it felt like it dropped a little bit in interest. It felt like the second part of the film was dragged out more so than the first. This was definitely an incredible story, and one that was definitely worthy of being told. It mixes history with entertainment; the viewer doesn’t feel like they’re getting a history lesson, although it’s very educational.

Last Days in Vietnam: This film is a documentary, documenting the last days of the Vietnam War and how American military men, as well as many others, had to evacuate and leave the country. This film showed the desperate attempts everyone had to make in order to flee. It was a great perspective to see how it all played out, as many would not know any of these details. The one downside to this film was that it was very heavily rooted in history, that sometimes things got lost because it was almost history overload, but that being said it left the viewer very informed. To see clips from the actual last days really put it into perspective, and having a few of the men from those clips being interviewed and talking about those days was super fascinating. This documentary is more for the history buff, but can be enjoyed by anyone.

Citizenfour: This film is a documentary about the NSA spying scandal that swept the nation. Edward Snowden is the mastermind behind the hacking and the leaks so when he sent encrypted emails to Laura Poitras she took a reporter out to Hong Kong to meet him and find out the story. This film was very interesting, even if you’re not an American, it was still very interesting to hear what Snowden had to say and to learn just a little bit more. This film took what everyone had heard in the news and spun it so that we now see the person behind it all, giving an extra eye into the whole picture. Even if unfamiliar with the scandal, it was very easy to get up to speed with it, and get that rounded perspective. It was definitely engaging and a worthy documentary to pursue.

Interstellar: Earth is slowly becoming unlivable; Professor Brand has this theory that if they send Earth’s population through a wormhole to inhabit another planet it could save the human race. Brand sends his daughter Amelia to go, along with Joe Cooper a pilot, and a few others. But once up there, they realize that things aren’t as simple as Professor Brand has hoped, or think he has hoped. This film for the most part was really well done; the plot was great, and the concept as a whole was truly captivating but the way they filmed it felt really long. Clocking it at just under three hours this film is slow to get to important key information of the movie. It starts off slow, but takes off gradually, but even then the film stays at this lull pace that leaves the viewer wondering what is going to happen, is anything going to happen? The end is a complete inception of time and space which gets pretty interesting. Overall, really good movie, but very long.

Wild Tales: A Spanish film dealing with crazy situations. The film is broken down into five short films, each film deals with an odd thing, or a coincidence, and for the most part they all end with someone dying, or being killed. Otherwise the characters in the short end up alive, but in a better place almost. This film is so unpredictable, and that’s what makes it so intriguing to watch. The characters all just let loose on the smallest of things and it’s entertaining to watch them get themselves out of these situations they have set for themselves. The plots were all really elaborately thought out, although some shorts felt very much like a soap opera with its drama, but for the most part all were really well done. Overall, for a good laugh, and some serious thriller-like action, check this film out.

Selma: The story of Martin Luther King Jr. leading black people to victory in a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Fighting for the right to vote, this film takes on the struggles black people faced living in a world where the white man ruled. The film also showcased the brutality to white people who supported the black community. This film was very powerful, and the actors all really came together and brought to life history. The clips of the actual event that were added at the end of the film were also very effective in playing to the viewer’s emotions, and really brought it home that this actually happened. This film ran a little long, and at times would lose the viewer’s attention with smaller plotlines, but those would help to feed into the major plots, which became so intriguing to watch. Overall, it’s a very historical film, and emotional one.

Boyhood: A film that was twelve years in the making follows a boy named Mason through boyhood. The film takes the viewer through his life between the age of 6-18, and all the normal, and not so normal struggles a kid goes through. Through school, his parents divorce, abusive step-parents, falling in love, the film portrays boyhood in all its glory. The fact that this film took twelve years to film is incredible in itself; it’s amazing to watch all the characters grow with the film. There isn’t anything too special about the plot, but what is special are the characters. Throughout the film there are little pieces of pop culture, and events that let the viewer know what year it is, which was cleverly done. Clocking in just under three hours, this film is long, but doesn’t always feel that way because it’s fascinating to watch, but on the other hand it feels like watching a lifetime pass before your eyes. Overall, it’s a worth while film to watch because it’s a beautifully crafted, super relatable film.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Peter Quill finds himself with a league of misfits when he steals an orb from a powerful villain. When Peter finds out the power that the orb has, he and his new misfit friends, a raccoon with a gun, a tree-man named Groot, Gamora a pretty green lady, and Drax who has a lot of anger, team up to help save the universe. The film is filled with witty, or what’s supposed to be witty dialogue; some it falls flat and it’s a little weird when characters reference other pop cultural things, such as Footloose. Music was a big player in this film as well, every few scenes a popular song would play to lighten, the already lightened mood. The film was already comedic; it didn’t really need any comic relief. The characters and the acting was well done, the amount of character development that was thrown into this two-hour film made it worth watching, aside from all the action and saving the world. The characters learned to become friends and that was nice to see. Overall, it was a pretty good film in all regards, just the dialogue could have been better.

Timbuktu: A West African film where the people of Timbuktu are forced to live under strict rules. Living in the dunes, where the rules aren’t as strict lives a cattle herder and his family; thinking he is safe, until one day one of his cows is shot and these leads to a war. The fate of him, and his family’s life is now decided by the law. The film was truly captivating even though there isn’t much dialogue and scenes move rather slowly, letting the viewer really take in what is happening. There are quite a few languages in this film, and the creators really used this to their advantage, as some scenes would have subtitles, while others wouldn’t to showcase that not everyone understands each other; it was very well done. The film just kind of ends, as things get decided, and conclude the final scene makes sense, but at the same time felt abrupt. Overall, it was beautifully well shot, and told.

Finding Vivian Maier: A documentary focusing on the life of Vivian Maier. Narrated and directed by John Maloof, a young photographer who purchased a box of her negatives, which got him questioning who this woman was. A nanny by day, but also a photographer. Her work was brilliant, and full of life. As the documentary revealed more and more, the viewer got a sense of who she was with interviews from the people she nannied and her employers. It was really well put together, although some of the same shots got used a few times, which felt repetitive, but it was really quite fascinating to see this life that she kept hidden from everyone. They all knew she took photos, but they had no idea how creative, and well a photographer she was. John exposed her work for the world to see. Overall, this film was interesting and peculiar.

Into The Woods: This film takes on the classic stories of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack the Bean Stalk, and Rapunzel, twists them to fit into the story of a baker and his wife. They are desperate to have a baby and so the evil witch tells them to grab all these items to make a potion and she will grant them a baby. So all the characters find themselves traveling into the woods. Just when the viewer thinks the film is over, a new plot begins. This is when plots start to become ridiculous, and so far out there that the viewer gets bored. The first half of the film would have been great if it wasn’t a musical. The plot was good, entertaining, and kept the viewer engaged but the songs went on forever. As the songs went on they got boring, and very repetitive. The second half felt so unnecessary and random. Although the film was two hours in length, it felt a hell of a lot longer. The acting was good, but at times felt over acted. Overall, it was an alright film, not really worth watching; not even for Meryl Streep, or Johnny Depp’s acting.

Tangerines: An Estonian-Georgian film that takes place during the War in Abkhazia. When a fight between the two enemies happens in front of Ivo’s house, a man who grows tangerines, Ivo takes it upon himself to save whoever is left alive. This just happens to be a Georgian and a Chechen, and they want to kill each other. Over the course of the film there is a lot of tragedy that hits, that by the end it’s almost humbling to watch. The characters start to grow not just on the viewer, but on one another. The film was a little dry with mostly dialogue, but it worked for how serious the topic being dealt with was. That being said, the plot was really well done, and it stayed interesting, and engaging. The acting was well also done. Overall this film was very unexpected in a good way.

Beyond The Lights: The story of a young girl who named Noni who is very talented; her mother see’s this potential in her and makes her into a huge star. The only problem is that Noni has a hard time coping with all the fame; always being told what to do she tries to kill herself when Kaz, a cop, saves her, not only her life, but from herself. The film takes a look at what it’s like to be a star, and goes behind the scenes into their life. The plot wasn’t anything original, and it wavered a few times, on the brink of boredom because of it’s lack of originality. But it did have its moments where the acting was good, and the plot was just right, it just was hit or miss unfortunately. Overall, this film was alright, the romance was clichéd but cute, and the acting was fairly good, but it wasn’t anything special.

The Theory of Everything: The story of the famous theorist, Stephen Hawking. This film takes on the story of his life, not his work life, but his personal life. It also not only looks into Stephen’s life, as that has been done before, but it really focuses in his wife, Jane’s life. The film shows the struggles she had to go through to help him out, but also what it’s like to raise three kids, and wanting a career of her own. It isn’t thrown into the viewers face that this is a story of Hawking, rather it is exposed almost an hour in who this film is about. The acting was very well done, not only did Eddie Redmayne do a great job at playing Hawking, but Felicity Jones did a wonderful and impactful job playing her role as Jane. It does start off quite slow, but it’s all just set up for what is to come, and what the directors choose to show that make the rest of the film move quickly. What was predicted as two years has turned into a lifetime and it’s fascinating and moving to watch.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Genetically evolving apes who can speak and understand English have made a home for themselves, when humans find them. The humans think they are fighting to save the human race, and the apes think they are fighting to save the apes; caught in the middle are Caesar, an ape who can see the good in humans, his followers, and Malcom, a human who sees no harm in the apes. It’s war, but it’s the outcome of the war that matters. The film had its intense high points of interest where the viewer just couldn’t look away, but for the most part the film was slow going, but still relatively interesting. The acting was alright, there has been worse and better, a lot of CG was used, so if you’re into apes riding horses this is for you.

Virunga: An exposé on SOCO, a British oil company. French journalists take to Eastern Congo, Africa where SOCO are planning on taking over a national park in Virunga. The park holds lots of wildlife, and is home to the endangered mountain gorilla. The documentary takes a look at what it takes to save these poor animals, who have lost almost everything due to poachers. It’s a fascinating documentary, but a little one sided in the fact that they go into a lot of trouble to persuade the viewer into thinking SOCO is the bad guys; even if they are it’s a journalist’s job to show both sides, and that’s what made this film feel a little propaganda-ish because obviously they are choosing what to show in this war. The film opens on a funeral, which is a little off putting, but puts into perspective what this film is about real fast, and really makes an impact. It gets very intense at times as this documentary was made to open people’s eyes, and show what is happening in Eastern Congo, and to show that the people in Virunga just want peace.

Inherent Vice: It’s California, 1970 and private detective, Larry Sportello, or Doc gets a case that really rattles him. An ex-girlfriend of his comes to him asking for help when her new boyfriend’s wife is plotting to commit him to a mental hospital. Soon after both she and her boyfriend go missing and it’s up to Doc to solve the case. The film goes on a wild ride, through psychedelic trips, and crazy mayhem. As much as the plot is a good one, the film falls flat with executing it; scenes take forever to get to the point, or have any relevance to the plot. Doc has to jump through all these hoops to get back to the main plot that the viewer almost looses sight of what this that actually is. The film does have it’s one or two really good moments, but for the most part it’s a little off putting, and falls down the rabbit hole a few times.

The Boxtrolls: Creatures who live under the city of Cheesebridge who live in boxes. When their lives are threatened because the higher class in city have spread rumours that the Boxtrolls are evil creatures who steal babies. It’s up to Egg, a human who has grown up a Boxtroll, and his new sidekick, Winnifred, a young girl who helps him see the truth, to help save the future of the Boxtrolls. The films plot was predictable, and for the most part wasn’t that interesting; but it did have its moments of hilarity, and drama. The animation was really well done, it’s too bad the story couldn’t have been better to really complement the stop-motion animation. Overall this film isn’t quite worth watching as it’s slow and a little nonsensical.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya: When a woodcutter discovers a small girl grown out of a bamboo, he knows she’s special and that heaven has sent her to live like a princess. Growing rapidly every day the Princess grows into this beautiful woman who then has to choose a suiter, but she doesn’t want a man so she makes them travel far and wide for the most impossible gifts. This film was extremely compelling in the sense that her story was ever evolving, and the viewer had no idea where it would go, or what could possibly happen. Based on the Japanese folklore tale, this film takes viewers through the culture of Japan, weaving it in and out of the story. The film was in Japanese, and told a beautiful story, while using beautiful imagery to tell it. The watercolour based storytelling gave it that rich narrative that left viewers in wonder. This was a wonderful film that was enjoyable and elegant to watch.

Salt of The Earth: A documentary taking a look at the French photographer Sebastião Salgado. It’s his son Juliano who narrates the story about his father and the photographs he took in the poorest and deprived cities in the world. The film looks at forty years’ worth of photographs, and the film is mostly just showcasing them all. It’s true when they say that a picture is worth a thousand words because all the photos speak for themselves. This film shows how horrible we can be as human beings, it shows what we’ve done to each other and it’s a little horrific to see, but at the same time it’s so eye opening because it’s something that we don’t see every day. Mid-way through the film we see that Salgado wants to give up and he loses hope after all that he’s witnessed, but he manages it to turn his life around in trying to save environments and starting to plant new wildlife, which is quite beautiful. This documentary was definitely something to see and brought a new perspective in the human race.

Leviathan: Kolya’s world is being turned upside down. Someone is threatening to take his home and the land he lives on, and as the film continues on he begins to lose everything in his life, even himself. Struggling to keep things together but falling apart at every seam Kolya needs to put up a fight, and as the events unfold the viewer gets to see if he’s strong enough to battle it out. This film’s storytelling was very well done. It was very simple and not done up, or over the top, but plain and simple, which worked magnificently. The imagery was also very simplistic and really helped carry the story along. It helped to set the tone for scenes and was enjoyable to see. The film had many ups and downs that kept viewers very engaged. Filled with Russian culture, it was different than an American film but in all the good ways. The actors and the acting all seemed genuine and very well done; this helped with characters and their development throughout the story as each character goes through a bit of a crazy arc, which was fascinating to watch. This was a little something different, and it was beautifully done.