Captain Phillips

The trailer for this movie makes the film look really intense, so I was a little skeptical in how suspenseful this movie could be before watching it the other day. This film is based on a true story that happened in 2009, but I did not recall much of the details from when it actually happened, so I didn't really have an idea of how it would end going into it.

This movie did a really good job of creating and keeping tension throughout. I found myself getting really nervous and tense for certain scenes, not knowing what would be the outcome. By the time the movie ended, I let out a sigh of relief, not because the movie was bad, but because I had tensed up so much because of what went on during the movie that I was finally able to relax. Tom Hanks does a really good job of portraying a person who is trying to stay strong while experiencing a dangerous situation. Barkhad Abdi (who plays the leader of the Somali pirates who hijack the ship) does a great job of creating a character who can be threatening but also adds a layer of desperation and sympathy to his character as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. It did a good job of being very suspenseful yet grounded and realistic. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a movie that is based on current events and is looking for a good and suspenseful movie to watch.

Oscar nominee: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Barkhad Abdi), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp6jpeDeQmE

Pulp Fiction

This is only the second time that I have seen this movie, and I can say that I liked it a lot more the second time around. I did enjoy it the first time I watched it, but the second time I appreciated it even more. I really like the non-chronological storyline, because while it does jump around, it all comes together in the end. All of the characters are incredibly well-acted, especially Samuel L. Jackson. The film also has really interesting references to other films (which is a common trait in Tarantino films), especially the film Kiss Me Deadly, where the idea of the mysterious briefcase appears. Overall, I really liked this film and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in seeing a good movie and anyone who enjoys or is interested in watching a Tarantino movie.

Oscar Nominee: Best Picture 1995, Best Actor 1995 for John Travolta, Best Supporting Actor 1995 for Samuel L. Jackson, Best Supporting Actress 1995 for Uma Thurman, Best Director 1995 for Quentin Tarantino
Oscar Winner: Best Original Screenplay 1995 for Quentin Tarantino

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7EdQ4FqbhY

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

I bought this movie for 25 cents at a local sale as a Father's Day present for my dad, and my parents and I decided to watch it last week. I thought it was really cool to have it based on The Odessey by Homer. Even though I've never read the book, there are some parts that were recognizably from the book, such as the sirens. The movie was funny and interesting, and while sometimes I did get confused with what was going on in it, I enjoyed the twisted plot. Once and a while it was also hard to understand what the main characters were saying because of their thick accents and the speed of which they were talking. Overall I did enjoy the movie, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes The Odessey, is looking for something different, and anyone looking for a dramedy.

Oscar Nominee: Best Adapted Screenplay 2001

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1C2gCXo4Gs

Django Unchained

I've always enjoyed Tarantino movies, so I was really excited when it came out in theaters. I enjoyed seeing this movie then, and after watching it two nights ago with my parents, I still enjoyed it. The acting by all the characters is very well done, and the plot is interesting and entertaining. It is a long movie, but it never gets boring. The dialogue is well-written and the action is pretty much constant. If you have never seen a Tarantino movie, be prepared for a lot of bloody violence. Most of his movies contain this sort of violence, but parts of this movie are tough to watch. I would really recommend it to anyone who is a Tarantino fan, someone who may be interested in a take on a Western movie, or anyone looking for a good movie to watch.

Oscar Nominee: Best Picture of 2013
Oscar Winner: Best Supporting Actor 2013 for Christoph Waltz; Best Original Screenplay 2013 for Quentin Tarantino

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8CZKbDzP1E

Lincoln

After finishing this movie, I can officially say that I have watched every single Best Picture nominee of 2013. Lincoln was a really well-acted movie, every nominated actor and actress in this movie thoroughly deserved it. It was so interesting to see all the hard work that went into establishing the 13th Amendment, and the intense debate that went on. My only negative on this movie is that it is very much a dialogue-based movie, so there is much action as there is talking. It was hard to motivate myself to sit down and watch it because it was so wordy and 2 and a half hours of talking is sometimes hard to stay awake through. I would recommend this movie if you're into historical movies.

Oscar Nominee: Best Picture 2013
Oscar Winner: Best Actor 2013 for Daniel Day-Lewis

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSAbAuLhqs

War Horse

My parents and I just watched this last night and we all seemed to enjoy it. It's a pretty sad movie, but it was also a very interwoven tale that was intriguing to see. It was also interesting that the majority of the story was told from the horse and what the horse experience rather than people, which made the story so interesting to make this story told with little dialogue (since the horse doesn't speak). I found this movie pretty compelling and interesting, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys war movies.

Oscar Nominee: Best Picture 2012

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRf3SfeMRD4

Wreck-It Ralph

This is my third time seeing this movie, but it was the first time for my parents. I really liked everything about this movie, and it was really cool to see video game characters like Sonic the hedgehog and Bowser from Super Mario Brothers in certain points of the movie. When I first saw this movie, it was because Skyfall was sold out and my friend and I decided that we would go see Wreck-It Ralph because it looked really good and we were 30 minutes away from home, so we were like: might as well go see something. My sister, who was also with us, did not want to see it, but she didn't really have a choice. She actually ended up really liking the movie, and came to watch it with my parents and I yesterday. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys video games and anyone who wants to see something that's good for the whole family.

Oscar Nominee: Best Animated Feature 2013

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87E6N7ToCxs