Movie Monday: Early Oscar Contenders Edition - Birdman & Foxcatcher

I like to see as many Oscar movies as possible, so it's always a good idea to get an early start on watching movies that are possible contenders. We've actually seen several recently that will definitely get several Oscar nods: Interstellar, of course, I've already talked about, Birdman, and Foxcatcher.

Birdman was weird in a super fun way. Michael Keaton starts as an aging actor who played an action hero called Birdman (not Batman, okay? Totally not Batman. Not even similar) when he was younger. He is trying to rekindle his past glory through a Broadway play that he is writing and directing. It gets weird, with Keaton believing he actually has Birdman's powers, but the audience is never quite sure if it's real or not, which was really quite cool. The whole thing is shot in what seems like one seamless sequence (though it's obviously not), and it gives the film a really interesting and unique flow. Keaton deals with all kinds of conflict, both internal and external, as he struggles to ensure that this play will be a triumph and not a symbol that his life, both professional and personal, is over. I have to give a mention to the soundtrack, which is jazzy and mostly drums, so super unique and just unlike anything I've heard before in a film.




Foxcatcher was a movie I was really anticipating. I'd heard good early buzz, and of course I like Steve Carrell a lot, and was looking forward to seeing how he'd do in a dramatic role, especially one that was already getting Oscar buzz. Foxcatcher is about a gold-medal winning yet down-on-his-luck wrestler (Channing Tatum) who catches the eye of a wealthy old guy (Steve Carrell) who would like to sponsor him and live vicariously through him. And then it gets creepy, but not as creepy-gross as I thought it was going to be!

I saw an early screening of the movie on Saturday. Now, I'm a person that generally doesn't not like movies. I love a good popcorn flick, or a heavy handed drama, or anything that doesn't feel like I wasted my time, and most movies tend to generally be worth my time. Foxcatcher is a movie where I can only say: I didn't love it. I don't know, I guess it didn't speak to me? I just didn't find it terribly interesting, I guess. It seemed quite a bit too long; I think shortening it would have drastically improved it. The performances were fantastic, though, probably the best part of the film. Steve Carrell loses himself in the character of John Du Pont; Channing Tatum actually gives a great performance as well in a role that seems fairly suited for him, but he excels in it; and Mark Ruffalo is pretty reliably great. But that's about all I can say about it.