ROOM-Nominated for 4 Oscars!

In a day and age where technology defines us, social media interactions are almost vital to survival and travelling and seeing the world is the global trend, ROOM comes as a shocker to say the least.

Room is the story about a young mother who is imprisoned in a shed with her son, Jack who knows no outside world apart from the stories his 'Ma' tells him or the television, which he does not know is filled with real people!  This is his reality! His Ma tries to make life as normal as possible and in spite of nightly visits by their captor, his sanity, to a certain extent, is intact within the Room. The question though  is, can they escape this Room? And if they can, then how would they be able to cope with the Real World after being so detached from it!!

Room is not just a story of the relationship between a Mother and her son. It is a story about strength and survival. It's a movie that is so open to interpretation that you really do ponder on what our 'Room' is!!  Irish director, Lenny Abrahamson has successfully steered the movie however he wants to, Extracting sympathy, frustration and even Joy, although in it's fleeting moments.

The movie is up for 4 Oscars including Best Picture, but the category where they have their biggest strength and could potentially be their only Oscar for the night is Brie Larson for the Best Actress in a Leading Role. She really has brought this movie to life in every which way. Her interactions with her on-screen son Jack is what really is the crux of the movie. It's truly a gem of a performance.

Room is a grim movie. It's going to make you potentially sad if you get too involved but at the end of it, it is a story of hope. Hope for a better future, and a Real life. I would certainly recommend you watch this movie alone or in a small group, if possible. I'm going with 4 out of 5 for this one.

Hope you enjoy the Oscars!

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THE MARTIAN - Nominated for 6 Oscars!

How would you feel if you were stranded all alone on an alien planet? Limited Food, Limited Water and No way of contacting anyone! Would you give up? or would you find a way to survive. Much Like the Tom Hanks classic - 'Cast Away' , The Martian is a Survival Story of a Man, in a seemingly hopeless situation.

Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon is a Botanist and an Astronaut for Nasa who is in Mars with a team, for an expedition. Due to unforeseen circumstances , they are forced to evacuate from the planet during a storm, but in the process ,the team presume Mark to be dead and leave him behind. Having realized that he is all alone on the planet, Mark must figure out a way to survive in Mars, all alone!

What's amazing is the way the character is written.The Movie is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay , adapted from the best selling novel of the same name by Andy Weir. This is the category I think they have the biggest strength because the Movie focuses mainly on the central character who is alone most of the time. So all his interactions are not with other people, but his surroundings. This is the kind of scenario which could be very hard to handle as it could get monotonous or boring but to still create an engaging screenplay is definitely very credible.

Although the Movie did do well at the Golden Globes, I don't think it would do as well at the Oscars, purely because of the competition. Ridley Scott is a fine Director and he truly has made a Good and Entertaining Movie, but this is far from being his best work and therefore, his absence in the Best Director Nominations is justified.

Now, no review of The Martian would be complete without the mention of the soul of the movie, Matt Damon. We all know him as a fine actor and an intense action hero at times, but with this movie, he has truly outdone himself. Portraying the angst and hope of Mark with ease, he infuses a whole lot of Comedy as well, which breaks the tension of this hopeless situation that the character is in.

The Martian is far from being a classic. Gravity was honestly miles ahead of this film. But despite it's many flaws, it has a Huge Heart, and that keeps you engaged. I would rate The Martian 3.5/5.
It might not win many Oscars, but it's worth a watch.

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BRIDGE OF SPIES - Nominated for 6 Oscars!

When you have a combination of the writing of the Cohen Brothers, the Direction of the Cinematic Genius, Steven Spielberg and the Acting Prowess of Tom Hanks, you already know that this is going to be more than just another movie. Nominated for 6 Oscars this year, Bridge of Spies is far from being one of the frontrunners, but you certainly want to see this one!

The Story is Inspired by True Events about the US Attorney, Donnovan who is asked to represent an alleged Soviet Spy, Rudolph Abel who is caught by the US Government at the height of the Cold War. Having forced to take the thankless job in the first place, you think this might be leading to a Period Courtroom Drama which is Pro-National, but what transpires is an unlikely bond of mutual respect between the US Attorney and the Alleged Spy while at the same time there is an American Spy who lands up as a prisoner of the Soviets!! Would Donnavan serve his duty as a US Citizen and a Family Man or would he be an honest lawyer and serve his 'client' in the best way possible at the risk of being called a Traitor!

Now, Tom Hanks has been brilliant in his performance and it's really sad to see that he did not get a nomination for the movie but the much deserved Mark Rylance(who plays Abel, the alleged Soviet Spy) is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for an amazing performance to say the least. He portrays the indifference with such ease and extracts sympathy effortlessly. I would love to see him win this one.

Now the main man, Spielberg, also did not get a nomination for Best Director, but the fact that the movie is nominated for Best Motion Picture, speaks volumes for his direction as well. What could have been a grim period war drama turns out to be an warm story of an unlikely friendship. It tells the story of an American Hero but without patronising him. And Only Spielberg is capable of infusing humour in the most tensed situations without it seeming forced.

Bridge of Spies is a long movie, but definitely not a boring one. Give it your undivided attention, and you will appreciate it for what it is- a Diplomatic Movie about Morals and Friendship. I'll rate the movie at a 4 out of 5. Watch out for this Dark Horse at the Oscars!!

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