Chicago (2002)

Murdering Floozies, Booze & Jazz

This Broadway musical adaptation looks like a typical party thrown by the Weinstein brothers. There is booze, music, dance, and of course heaps of Oscars (6 to be exact). Chicago takes you back to the roaring 20s in the jazzy capital of crime. I rank this movie among the best musicals ever made and it will be hard to top it. Watching it is like taking this flamboyant ride to a colorful and corrupted past. Call me a kiss ass but I can shout loud and proud that Chicago is practically perfect in each and every feature. Blazing humor? Check. Splendid cinematography? Check. Mind-blowing choreography? You got it too (my personal favorite bit being the Cell Block Tango). Renée Zellweger is a good Roxie Hart but I personally root for Catherine Zeta-Jones who is the one to stand out among her fellow cast members. She is magnificent in the role of Velma Kelly: raw, sarcastic, sexy... She has it all and shatters the big screen with talent. She gets the Academy Award to prove it. I'm carried away in the girl power whirlwind every time I watch it or listen to the soundtrack. Chicago is bold because it dares underscoring societal issues behind its glitter and idealism. Death penalty, crooked justice system, the run to fame (its rivalry and irrelevance)... I find magical how Chicago can switch from a furtive shooting to a megalomaniac staging every other frame. This musical is all you've ever dreamed of. Where else can you see Richard Gere tapdancing and Queen Latifah as a jail guard?

1 reason to watch: I'll give you 6! Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction,  Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, & Best Sound Mixing.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Your (Almost) Typical Messed-Up Family Gets All 4 Acting Nominations at the Academy Awards

Silver Linings Playbook is the Oscar-winning cake you get when you mix the following ingredients: Harvey Weinstein's production skills, David O. Russell's directing technique, and a terrific multi-generational cast (from Robert De Niro to the thrilling comeback of Chris Tucker). Today being the US-release of the DVD, I had to celebrate by reviewing this universally acclaimed movie. This story adapted from the novel The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick has already helped and will help so many misfits. Unlike most of the audience, I don't think the characters portrayed in this movie are nuts. I found a lot of myself in both Pat (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who have just been damaged by life. SLP is a simple story about families and the constant struggle it is to maintain relationships. O. Russell focuses on many kinds of relationships. From parenting to friendship, love, or sibling tension: whatever your problem is, you will find an answer in SLP. I adore the O. Russell technique that reveals his actors' talent. The movie was nominated in all 4 acting categories at the Academy Awards which hadn't happened in 31 years. Jacki Weaver does a mean Philadelphian accent. Robert De Niro in the role of a father with affection and addiction issues is captivating. Weirdly enough, Cooper and Lawrence is an on-screen couple that works. I actually forgot that she is too young for the role because she delivers such an intense performance. She is the only one who came back home with a well-deserved Oscar. I was delighted by Cooper's radical mood swings or Lawrence's defying monologue to De Niro's face. It's a pleasure to see Tucker as Pat's friend from the institution and Julia Stiles as Tiffany's control freak of a sister (and now we can all agree that Stiles is a much better dancer than Lawrence). SLP will speak to the common folk because you can relate to the characters. It is about family issues, coping with loss, football, addiction, dancing like 'dad at prom', and fitting in. Silver Linings Playbook is about life.

1 reason to watch: If you find yourself misunderstood by your relatives, this will give you hope and give them insight.