Hello Dolls,

I love to sit back and spend an afternoon in front of the tube watching movies or even taking a mid-week matinee during the day! This past year especially has been a great year for some of the most anticipated films. With the Oscars coming up this weekend, I want to recap on last year’s biggest hits and give you a list of some of the most talked-about films this year. All of these movies were great in their own distinct ways so make sure you carve out time to catch up and watch these if you haven’t already!

The Irishman

The Irishman which premiered on Netflix was an amazing performance by leading stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. It is nominated for 10 Oscars this year including Best Picture and Best Director. It is a crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Steven Zailian. The film is based on the 2004 book “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt. The main character is based on real-life hitman Frank Sheeran and his journey and life serving the Buffalino family, the Italian-American Mafia crime family in Pennsylvania. What I love about this film is that most of the details were true to life. The story is told from Sheeran’s point of view as he is an elderly Veteran in a nursing home. He recalls different events and things that happened throughout his life that led him to where he is now. Each scene It is coldly captivating and the storylines are hearty and authentic.

The Joker

The Joker is one of the most talked-about films this year, being highly controversial in both good and bad ways.  It is a psychological thriller based on the DC Comic characters starring  Joaquin Phoenix as the iconic supervillain himself, The Joker. Unlike many of the Warner Brother DC films, The Joker is its own origin story, a series apart from the rest of the franchise. It is based in 1981 and it shows the Joker as a child and his upbringing dealing with mental illness in his mother and within himself. He struggles with depression and a manic laughing disorder and has frequent episodes throughout the movie. As he got older, he took a job as a clown to support him and his disabled mother and himself. TheJoker is excellent because it shows a great depiction of real-world mental illness and wraps up the Joker’s story all in one.

It received some outstanding praise for  Joaquin Phoenix as he performed very well in telling the joker’s story. Other’s felt that the story was a little triggering given today’s social climate. I thought it was incredibly scripted and written and the perfect follow up to the c Nonetheless, it is an excellent cinematic classic that broke the box office records nationwide. The Joker is nominated for 11 Oscars this year including Best Actor, Best Picture, and more.

 Marriage Story

Marriage Story is a another film that debuted on Netflix this past year. The movie follows a young artistic couple and their son managing the challenging circumstances of their separation and eventual divorce. The film stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as the actual married couple. It’s told from the perspective of their characters, Charlie and Nicole. Charlie is a director in New York City and owns a theater company that produces plays. Nicole who stars in some of his plays eventually lands an offer in Hollywood to star in a television pilot. This drives a wedge between the two as they try to live and parent their child on two opposite sides of the country. The in-depth raw part of the movie is watching the divorce process play out in a way the real couples go through every day.

This movie gives a very real look at two young, passionate people trying to figure themselves out and follow their dreams, while still maintaining their family and marriage. It is directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Noah Baumbach. At some points, the realness and up the closeness of how candid the actors were was almost too much to handle. They both did an amazing job at portraying such an emotionally taxing and difficult situation. This film is nominated for 6 awards including Best Original Screenplay.

Whether you are having an Oscars party or simply staying at home to enjoy the awards, the Oscars are a great show to watch this weekend. 2019 was an incredible year in film with a host of other great movies that I didn’t have time to mention. Whatever you do, make sure you at least try to watch some of the nominated films so you can know first hand why they won and why they are so awesome!