Oscar picks for 2013

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/oscars-ballot2014/index.html?picks=1d2b3d4b5e6b7b8b9b10a12b11c13b15e14e17c18e16c21a20b19a22e23c24a

I find the critics' fawning adulation of "The Wolf of Wall Street" utterly baffling. I did not see any of the moral take on the price of hedonism, and I can remember no instance of "velvet glove subtlety" anywhere in the film. Rather it was a overlong and poorly done attempt at quasi-docudrama-satire that ultimately felt like a prequel to "The Hangover", but without any of the comedy or good looking men. 

I'm reminded of my similar bewilderment a few years ago, when "everyone" thought that "Mystic River" was the greatest movie of the year - another one that mystified me, as I found that movie plodding and obvious, with ridiculous caricatures and characters and dialogue. I remain convinced that Marcia Gay Harden won the supporting actor Oscar primarily because her character in the film was the only one that made any sense.

Adult World (2013)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1067765/

Cute little story, and so good to see John Cusack back and excellent as always. A nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Tangled (2010)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398286/

The remarkable animation in this one makes it very much worth watching, if you can endure all of the songs (there seem to be an awful lot of these, and they don't all weave in well with the story). This telling of Rapunzel has some clever elements, but is also a bit scary for kids, so overall I think it misses its mark as adults likely find it too juvenile.

Dorothy Mills (2008)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034306/

A spooky little thriller set on a foggy and isolated island off the coast of Ireland. The story effectively combines ghosts and madness, and makes for a creepy movie. Good performances overcome the gaps in the script.