Fall time is Oscar time, which means gathering up your movie-watching friends and scrambling to find the best seats in the house. Here are my top five movies that are in the running for this year’s Academy Awards.
1. The Theory Of Everything (11/7/14): Eddie Redmayne stars as Stephen Hawking in this soaring depicture of Hawking’s legacy. The movie spans the great physicist’s life from attending schooling and encountering first loves, to battling a vicious motor neuron disease that ultimately renders him speechless and relying on a motorized scooter for transport. Redmayne is already one of the assumed “Best Actor” nominees for his marvelous impersonation of Hawkings (which he spent six months preparing and studying for). Hawking’s story is touching and nothing short of inspiring, and Redmayne delivers a powerful performance.
2. Whiplash (10/10/14): Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons portray a toxic relationship between a drummer (Teller) and his perfectionist teacher (Simmons). This movie will beg the question: how far is too far in pushing someone to succeed? Expect a captivating performance from both stars as Teller “bares it all” in this riveting drama akin to Natalie Portman’s disturbing portrayal of an obsessed ballet dancer in Black Swan.
3. Foxcatcher (11/12/14): Suspense and discomfort are the leading emotions embedded in this true story of the Olympic wrestling gold-medal winning brothers, Mark and Dave Schultz (played by Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo, respectively). Seeking an Olympic gold medal, Mark Schultz gets connected to millionaire, and slightly-off-his-rocker, John Du Pont (Steve Carell, sporting a fake nose), as Pont insists upon being his coach. This psychological thriller already has Steve Carell in Oscar contention for his portrayal and will leave you chilled to the bone.
4. The Imitation Game (11/21/14): A team of mathematicians and code breakers are paired together with the aloof Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) to break the Nazi war code. While trying to crack the code, Turing is accused of being a Soviet spy and must try to defend himself from accusations while trying to put an end to World War II. Cumberbatch will most likely be nominated for best actor, and coupled with an array of previous Oscar winners, prepare to be entranced by this film.
5. Interstellar (11/7/14): Christopher Nolan’s new movie hosts a plethora of already Oscar-winning actors, the likes of which include Mathew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine and a slew of other nominaees. When Earth’s natural resources are virtually depleted, Cooper (McConaughey) is asked to leave his family to find the last possible hope for the human race. Expect to be taken on a cinematic voyage with Nolan at the wheel.
