Well it's that time of year again. Time to watch Oscar-nominated films that is. So far, I've seen A Star is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book. A Star is Born is entertaining but not the calibre of the other two. Although Gaga is very good in A Star, I feel that the movie itself is not destined for greatness.Malek's Freddie Mercury is the stuff of Oscar-level performances. He's brilliant, naughty, moves like a drag Queen and keeps us looking at him throughout this 200+ minute movie. Because I wasn't a Queen fan, I learned a lot about this legend and regret that I did not pay attention to Mercury while he was alive.
Mortensen is transformed in Green Book. I find him convincing as a 1960s Italian bouncer living and loving in Brooklyn. He reveals his racism early on in the movie and his education begins when he takes on a two-month contract driving Don Shirley on a tour which includes of the deep South of the States.Mahershala Ali is Don Shirley and I know very little of the legend himself but his portrayal of a gifted, homosexual musician is sensitive and skilled. I enjoyed this feel-good movie it makes me believe that the friendship that grew between these two individuals was genuine. Shirley's character is educated, refined and deeply lonely, Vallelonga is a milder version of Archie Bunker, and is surrounded with an extended family where displays of affection and bickering are equally present. Both men are better people at the end of this movie and the viewer is allowed to bathe in the glow of a happy ending.
One good, one very good and one excellent movie checked off the list. The Oscar lineup is promising this year.
