Hello! Happy Monday! Today I’m going to be posting something a little different. I’ve decided to take on a very big challenge, and that is to watch all the Oscar nominated films of 2015!

Guys, this post has been sitting in my drafts, ready and waiting to be posted since June 2016- that’s over a year! Well I can finally say it will now see the light of day!

It occurred to me one day that I haven’t watched a film in a few months, and I really missed just parking myself down in front of a TV (or my laptop) and just watching a movie, so I made myself a challenge- a very difficult challenge! Now I’m not watching any of the shorts that get nominated or else I may be here forever, but I have included documentaries. So this post includes half the nominations from the 87th (2015) award show, I will post the other half next week- or else this post would go on forever. Enjoy!

Maleficent: The story of a fairy named Maleficent who lives in her peaceful forest kingdom. It isn’t until one day she is betrayed by someone she thought truly cared about her, that her pure heart turns to hate and revenge. She goes after the king’s daughter Aurora, putting a curse on her. When Maleficent realizes what she’s done, it may be too late. The film dives a little deeper into the Disney tale of Sleeping Beauty, which is fun to watch. The overall plot was really well done. The creatures were a little strange, but for the most part done well. The acting was superb; Angelina Jolie did an incredible job playing Maleficent, although at times her acting was over the top, it died down and it was great. The three fairies look like they’re added for comic relief, but really just come off as annoying, ditzy, characters who weren’t worth the screen time. Overall, the story is very Disney, filled with right and wrong, and fighting evil for good, but it was done really well, and it’s very much worth the watch.

Birdman: Riggan Thomas, played by Michael Keaton, is an actor who has fallen out of the spotlight and is now on his last efforts to remain relevant. Starring, and directing in a play he wrote in the retelling of a Broadway classic “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” he tries to shine after his big hit many years ago “The Birdman”, but that all goes downhill when one of their actors gets hit with a stage light and can’t act. Finding a replacement comes quickly, but not easy as the actor’s a little full of himself, and this leads to Riggan getting into fights, and nearly ruining the show. The film was well done, and the acting was very spot on. Although the plot wavered at times, as the directors threw in that Riggan heard a voice in his head, which was his past self as Birdman, and that was interesting, and really moved the plot along, but it took away from the original plot at times because scenes got really strange. That aside, the actors really played their roles, it was also strange to see Zach Galifianakis outside of his slapstick comedy role, and in a more serious comedy role. It was a little funny to watch actors… be actors. This film is definitely entertaining, and worthy of a watch.

Begin Again: One night at an open mic session Greta, played by Keira Knightley, changes her whole life. After moving to New York from England due to the success of her long-time boyfriend Dave, played by Adam Levine, things take a turn when he becomes famous. Trying to move on her friend Steve pushes her to perform, which gets her noticed by Dan, played by Mark Ruffalo, a washed up A&R rep trying to pick up his life. He wants to sign her to his label; instead they embark on this inspiring journey recording an album all over New York City. This film is truly moving and inspiring. The plot from start to finish is impactful, and makes the viewer just want to go out and create something. The characters were so dynamic, and fresh, and the actors really did a great job, although it was hard to take Adam Levine seriously with that beard, playing their roles. It felt real, and authentic, which only fueled the plot. The writers and directors didn’t take the two main characters on a romantic plot twist, and that was so refreshing to see. At times it looked like they would go down that route, but it was so good to see they didn’t. This film is a must-see because the story is so uplifting and heartwarming.

Still Alice: Starring Julianne Moore as Alice, a 50-year-old professor of linguistics and communication. Ironically she slowly starts to forget the simple words and things, with the help of a neurologist it is found she has early onset Alzheimer’s. The film takes the viewer through Alice’s journey through the disease, and how she plans to keep fighting the good fight every day. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, but the film does a good job of portraying what it’s like, not just for the person with Alzheimer’s but for the people around them. Kristen Stewart, who plays one of her daughter’s, Lydia, does a fantastic job. All the actors play their roles so well, this film is definitely one to watch, everything from the acting to the plot, to the dialogue is done so well. The viewer thinks they know how it will end, but the directors gave it a beautiful ending that leaves the viewer satisfied, and not completely heartbroken; it’s graceful and elegant.

Song of The Sea: The story of Ben and his sister Saoirse. What Ben doesn’t know is that his sister isn’t human. When their grandmother finds Saoirse washed up on the shore one night, she makes them move away from the ocean. This slowly starts to kill her as Saoirse is part of the last magical race who become seals. It’s up to her brother to help save her. The film was a beautifully told tale of heroism, and bravery. The animation was done so well, it looked very hand crafted and drawn out, which made it look like a storybook come to life. There was well-fitting music that really brightened the film too. Overall, this film was wonderful, visually, and sonically to watch, as well as the story was captivating, and original.

Two Days, One Night: A French film about a woman named Sandra. She has taken a sick leave and wants to return back to work, but her employer has put it to a vote, either she is laid off or the rest of the employees get their bonuses. Sandra, with the help of her husband Manu, take the weekend (two days, one night) to try and convince her co-workers to vote to help keep her job. It’s a very raw, and powerful film that takes on how much a person is willing to go to try and provide for oneself, and for one’s family. The film was almost shot documentary style, and with a lot of shaky cam, which was a little off-putting, but it helped to put in prospective how these characters are feeling. As much as the film was inspiring, it was a tad slow, and didn’t use any score to move the film, so it was silent at times. Overall, it was a nice story, but visually boring.

The Imatation Game: Based off a true story of a man named Alan Turning, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who is assigned during World War II to help break the code, Enigma. This code will stop the Nazis and end the war. The film was beautifully crafted, and excellently scored. The actors were mesmerizing to watch; Keira Knightly and Charles Dance excellent in their roles, as well as Cumberbatch who was exceptional. Turning’s life was so fascinating, and it really showed in this film; from the acting to the filming, and directing. The film bounced around with the time frame, sometimes it was a bit jarring, but played nicely into the overall re-telling of the story. Overall, this film was a moving adaptation that is definitely worth watching, as it’s suspenseful and yet a heartbreaking tale.

Wild: Based off the story of Cheryl Strayed, portrayed by Reese Witherspoon, a woman who has lost her mother, her relationship has ended, and her life has been turned upside down. This leads to her decision to find herself by hiking through the PCT. Never before has she hiked so it makes for one hell of a trip. This film, although starts off a little slow, really transforms as it continues. For the majority of the film, the viewer is confused as to why she is on this hike, and it’s through flashbacks we get her life story, and why she’s doing this. At times the flashbacks get blended together, but for the most part are a very effective way to get the point across. Witherspoon does a remarkable job playing Cheryl. Overall, this film is definitely something wild, adventurous, and is packed with drama.

Whiplash: Andrew, played by Miles Teller, has his mind set out to be the next best drummer, but his teacher, played by J.K. Simmons, is insane. Pushed to his limits, Andrew fights to death to strive and be what his teacher thinks is truly the greatest. Just when Andrew thinks he’s going to give up, he pushes on further. This film is completely insane, and emotional; the plot took an idea that has been done and made it fresh. J.K. Simmons’ character is what really brought this film to life; his crass humour, and his unwillingness to give up, or stop pushing really gave the film that reason to watch. Miles Teller also has to be praised for his remarkable job as his character leaps and bounds throughout the film. Although this film started off slow, and it felt like the plot was going nowhere, it picks up and never slows, keeping viewers at the edge of their seats, and catches them when they aren’t expecting it. Overall, this film really opens up the life of a musician, and this one story is memorable.

The Judge: Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Hank Palmer a successful lawyer. When he gets the phone call his mother has passed away he has to go back to his hometown for the funeral, only he ends up doing a lot more. His father, a long time judge, and is well known throughout the town is being tried for murder, only he can’t remember doing it. Hank and his father are not on the best of terms, or on any terms for that matter. But Hank becomes his father’s lawyer throughout the trial. The film is long, but is worth every moment of it. Throughout the film you see relationships between family and how broken some of them are. The majority of the plot is watching, and finding out if Hank and his father will reconcile. Overall, it was a really put together plotline that kept watchers engaged by making sure nothing was expected. The actors all did a fantastic job of playing their roles, it really did feel like a family, though be warned it can get very sad!

X-Men Days of Future Past: The next film in the X Men series. This time the X Men send Wolverine to the past, 1973, to stop events from happening. It’s up to Wolverine to get this done in order to stop the super robots from destroying all the mutants. The film was really well produced and the actors did excellent job acting. The film was not only full of serious action scenes but a lot of comedy was worked into the plot. If you’ve seen the previous films, this film pretty much erases what happened in the past, leaving what comes next a complete and utter mystery. This leaves viewers wanting more and questioning what they just saw. It’s only another two years until it’s revealed what’s to come.

The Lego Movie: When the Lego Universe is in danger of being glued together forever, it is up to one guy to save them all. A prophecy is set to help find this guy, and once they do, they realize that he may not be the guy at all. Though he does help them get through all the different Lego Lands and to try and defeat the evil Lord Business. It’s a movie of triumph and perseverance to get the bad guy, and try to break molds. The moral of the story was to try and get people to break out of their molds and let people build what they want, instead of sticking to the instructions. Though the ending was a little odd, the rest of the movie was action packed, and filled with great dialogue. Overall, a creative movie that included all sorts of different Lego sets to bring a great meaning to life. The film was well done!

Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me: A documentary of the singer/songwriter Glen Campbell in his last year of tour. He is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and so it is decided that he will do one last album and a farewell tour. This film was a real take of what the disease does to a person, and the struggles they go through. This took an interesting perspective on how it affects a singer’s life, and performing. The directors did a great job adding in family home videos to really illustrate that what Campbell is loosing are those memories and it just makes the film that much more emotional. It was also very nice to see other artists talk about Campbell and the effect he’s had on their lives; and to top it all off they speak about their personal struggles with Alzheimer’s, and it just adds to the beauty of this documentary.

Foxcatcher: Based on a true story, it’s the year 1987, and Olympic wrester Mark Schultz, played by Channing Tatum, gets an opportunity to step out of his brother Dave’s, played by Mark Ruffalo, shadow. John du Pont, the wealthiest man asks Mark to train for the 1988 Olympics on his team the Foxcatchers. This leads Mark down a dangerous path. Not only does du Pont want Mark, he wants Dave as well, and he spends the whole film trying to get him. But every time Dave turns him down. The film is very slow, with very little plot development. Clocking in over two hours, this film runs on and on; scenes drag without sound, even when there is dialogue it is spoken softly and slowly. The ending is shocking, but the viewer has to make it through the whole movie to get there. As much as it is an interesting story, it wasn’t portrayed in an interesting or entertaining matter. The actors did a great job; it was almost hard to recognize them, but the film was just cinematically boring.

Nightcrawler: Lou Bloom, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, finds himself in the business of filming car crashes, fires and other crimes around L.A. At first he starts off as an amateur, selling his work to the lowest rated television network, but soon finds a real strength. Fighting his way to the top until he hits it real big with a three-homicide murder. Bidding his time right to get bigger stories, it’s a question of whether it’s right or wrong. Lou’s character is a master manipulator, and Gyllenhaal plays him to the dot; commanding and persuasive, his character is so believable. The film’s plot was questionable at the beginning, but the viewer was engrossed after the first fifteen minutes. Hitting its stride mid-way, the viewer had no idea where it could all go. Suspense, with thrown in thriller plots really made for a watchable, and enjoyable movie.

Big Hero 6: When Hiro’s brother Tadashi risks his life to save his professor, young genius Hiro is left without a brother, but what he is left is his brother’s creation, Baymax. Baymax is a sweet loving, marshmallow looking robot who is a healthcare personnel. Together with the help of Tadashi’s friends they fight to find the person responsible for his death, and find the person behind the mask who stole Hiro’s creation. This film was funny in all the right places, but was touched with sadness. Something needed to happen in order to progress the plot, but in the beginning it felt too sad and raw. As the plot thickened it became a story about facing loss, and having the right people there to guide you through it. It wouldn’t be a Disney film without a villainous character, although this one was a mild one who the crew, Big Hero 6, have to defeat. Overall, it’s a touching, a truly hilarious film overcoming the loss of a loved one.

The Grand Budapest Hotel: The crazy adventures of Gustave H., a concierge at the Grand Budapest Hotel. It all starts when he meets his new lobby boy, Zero. From there he trains him with everything he knows, which later comes in hand when he is wanted for murder. The film takes slapstick comedy to knew places, as every scene is meant to be cut and slapped together to be funny, which for the most part just felt like it was forced to be funny. Although there were genuine moments when it was actually funny, and those were enjoyable. The plot was ridiculous, and a little hard to follow at times, but at others engaging. It was like watching a Monty Python film with a purpose, as this films goal was to find out the origin story of the Grand Budapest Hotel. Overall, this film is definitely not for everyone, but for those who appreciate comedy will find this different and original.

Ida: Orphaned by the war, and raised by the convent, Anna is on the verge of taking her vows when is told of her family, and that her real name is Ida. When she meets her aunt Wanda things take a bit of a turn. Wanting to find the burial site of her parents, her aunt helps her, but also guides her down a path not very Christian. The film was very slow, and very dull, as it was shot in black and white, but don’t underestimate its effectiveness. There was hardly any dialogue, but the dialogue that was used was very crucial in getting the point across, as were the camera angles. At times the angles were odd, but as the film continued it was clear how effective and relevant they were to the plots execution. It’s a Polish film of a girl in the 1960s who is struggling with her religion, and who she is as a person. It’s truly a wonderful film, and beautifully put together, even if it doesn’t seem so at first; take the time to get into it and watch, for it’s really good.

Gone Girl 
How To Train Your Dragon 2
Captain America: The Winter Solider
The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies