Thursday Movie Picks: Oscar Winning Movies

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This week's theme from Wandering Through The Shelves is Oscar winning films. (And if you're not participating in this, you really should be) The only catch was you had to picture winners from the Best Picture, Best Animated Feature, or Best Foreign Film categories. I decided to choose one from each. Here are my favorites:

 1) American Beauty
I'm not sure if I'll ever love another movie as much as I love this one. It's been my favorite for years.

 2) Life is Beautiful
I realized when going through the winners that my favorite foreign films rarely win. This film is my favorite of all the winners. (From the films I've seen, of course) It's brilliant. 

 3) WALL-E
I think this is Pixar's best work, and it's the first time that I can recall watching an animated feature and thinking to myself: "Wow, we have come so far with animation." This is gorgeous.

Comments

  1. MyerlaFebruary 19, 2015 at 7:09 AM

    American Beauty is amazing, when I went to America it was my Trek Leader's favorite film, and a damn fine choice it is.

    I have yet to see Wall-E (I admit this with some guilt), but I will promise to see it and Life is Beautiful soon

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 19, 2015 at 7:37 AM

      WALL-E is so wonderful! Even though my kid has made me watch it 1000 times over, I still enjoy it. And yes, American Beauty is so amazing.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 19, 2015 at 7:37 AM

    I've been revisiting 1999 for my Fisti Awards and GOD, that year was so rich. I love American Beauty, maybe more for what it was able to do with tone than anything else, really. It's expertly directed.

    I hate Life is Beautiful.

    Wall*E's first half is utter perfection and my favorite thing Pixar has done, but the second half dives head first into a regurgitation of every other 'robots take over humanity' films and felt too silly, for me. I like the film, but it felt like too different films meshed together.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 19, 2015 at 7:39 AM

      I saw that you gave Life is Beautiful a really shitty grade on someone else's blog a few days ago! lol Why do you hate it?

      WALL-E's first half is definitely stronger,but I laughed so hard when the 2001 Space Odyssey started playing when the captain walks for the first time. I was the only one in the theater that apparently found that funny, aside from my neice who was only laughing because I was.

      Delete
    2. WandererFebruary 20, 2015 at 4:25 AM

      It has been a long time but I remember really not liking Life is Beautiful too. I think it has to do with Benigni. He's a comedian and he seems like he does the slapstick kind of comedy which comes through in the movie...he's just a little too over the top.

      Delete
    3. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 20, 2015 at 4:08 PM

      Benigni I don't really care for either. I liked him here, but never in anything else.

      Delete
  3. DellFebruary 19, 2015 at 8:29 AM

    I really could copy and paste Fisti's comments and use them for my own. American Beauty is a masterpiece. I didn't care for Life is Beautiful. Wall-E is great early, very average late. I will say that the first half of it is so great that it far outweighs the second. Good stuff, Britt!

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  4. .February 19, 2015 at 10:30 AM

    I also choose American Beauty. It's one of my favorites!

    I couldn't get into WALLl-E like everyone else. It was really beautiful, but the story fell flat for me.
    On a side note, I haven't been as impressed with Pixar lately.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 19, 2015 at 12:08 PM

      WALL-E is the last thing Pixar put out that I really loved. Though I did appreciate Up's score.

      Delete
  5. DanielFebruary 19, 2015 at 10:50 AM

    I remember really loving Life is Beautiful at the time, but all the hate from various film-loving corners has me feeling like I need to revisit it. I have never understood most of the hate that has come American Beauty's way. WALL-E is so great. I love how it largely eschews dialogue for like 75% of its running time. And the animation truly is stunning. The "Dancing" scene is one of my favorite things ever.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 19, 2015 at 12:06 PM

      I love the dancing scene. I didn't realize there was a lot of hate for Life is Beautiful as a whole. I know a lot of hate got thrown towards the actor. And I will never understand American Beauty hate either. I'm bias, but that film is perfection.

      Delete
  6. UnknownFebruary 19, 2015 at 11:39 AM

    I could've guessed your #1. Y'know on account of your online name. ;-) It is such a terrific movie, and I really like WALL-E too.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 19, 2015 at 12:04 PM

      lol. Yep, I'm pretty much the most predictable person on the internet.

      Delete
  7. RuthFebruary 19, 2015 at 11:49 AM

    I LOVE that you included Wall•E!! I'm even more gutted now that I didn't include Best Animated Picture on my list, as I LOVE so many Pixar films. Life is Beautiful is so heart-wrenching yet it's not so overly somber.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 19, 2015 at 12:04 PM

      Life is Beautiful managed to have lighter moments in a film about the Holocaust. That's impressive to me.

      Delete
  8. Kevin PowersFebruary 19, 2015 at 2:26 PM

    I have never seen Life is Beautiful. I've never been able to shake my heartbreak, at 14, when they called Benigni's name instead of Tom Hanks, and then he danced and hopped all around the place. Seriously, though, it always did seem like a sweet movie given the harsh subject matter. American Beauty is one of my favorite BP wins for sure, and Wall-E is gorgeous.

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    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 20, 2015 at 4:02 PM

      Lol yeah Benigi's celebrating was really excessive that night. I think that rubbed a lot of people the wrong day.

      Delete
  9. JoshFebruary 19, 2015 at 7:38 PM

    Interesting picks. I love American Beauty, and Wall-E and Life is Beautiful have their moments, even if they're uneven for me.

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  10. thevoid99February 19, 2015 at 8:51 PM

    That shot in WALL-E always brings a tear to my eye for me. I just love that film. It's still my favorite Pixar film.

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  11. Big Screen Small WordsFebruary 20, 2015 at 12:24 AM

    Wall-E is my favorite Pixar movie of all time, it's a wonderful movie. I still have to see the rest of Life is Beautiful, and I need to watch American Beauty soon. Great picks!

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  12. NikaFebruary 20, 2015 at 7:51 AM

    Great choices. American Beauty is my #2 of all time, Life is Beautiful is in top ten and Wall-E is one of my most favorite animations. So, I love your list

    ReplyDelete

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