We’ve all been there.
It’s Oscar time, and you’ve only seen a few of the movies. Sure, they’re all great, but you want to know which ones are right for you. After all, you can’t see every film, can you?
Struggle no more, as MTV News has rounded up helpful reviews from our friends at Film.com for pretty much every film that secured an Oscar nomination this year. From Best Documentary Short to Best Picture, you’ll be fully covered for your Oscar binge-watching.
So dive in, and don’t come out of your house till you’ve seen every last one (kidding! Get some air, and make sure to hydrate well).
“American Hustle”
Nominations (10): Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Directing, Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design, Original Screenplay
“While ‘American Hustle’ disappoints from a story standpoint and fails its perceived status as a worthwhile Oscar contender, it still satisfies on the strength of its wholly entertaining cast of characters and visually appealing look and feel. It may not leave much of a mark upon first blush, but its bold highlights seem engineered to ensure decades of fans yelling out about “science ovens” and hoping that someone will recognize such brilliance.” — Full Review
“Captain Phillips”
Nominations (6): Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Film Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Adapted Screenplay
“‘Captain Phillips’ is a film so tense that it makes ‘Gravity’ feel like a foot massage … many viewers will be moved to tears as the centrifugal force of the narrative finally tapers during the end credits, the accumulated weight of the trauma they’ve just witnessed sinking unto their shoulders.” — Full Review
“Dallas Buyers Club”
Nominations (6): Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Screenplay
“It’s all about the performances. [Matthew] McConaughey and [Jared] Leto don’t just give voice to the disenfranchised of the 1980s, but all people suddenly faced with impossible challenges. The fireworks caused by pitting never-say-die Texas bravado against heartlessness is a powerful mix, and ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ somehow manages to be an inspiring tale amidst all this sadness.” — Full Review
“Gravity”
Nominations (10): Best Picture, Best Actress, Directing, Cinematography, Film Editing, Original Score, Production Design, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects
“The fact that Cuarón’s film strives to be something more than thoroughly harrowing — no small feat in and of itself — solidifies its existence as a marvel of not just technical craft but sheer imagination as well. The one imaginable caveat that keeps ‘Gravity’ from embodying every reason I go to the movies is its lack of a musical sequence (though, in fairness, I didn’t stay after the credits). This is breathtaking, dizzying filmmaking. This is truly awesome.” — Full Review
“Her”
Nominations (5): Best Picture, Original Score, Original Song, Production Design, Original Screenplay
“Perhaps the most striking thing about Spike Jonze’s ‘Her,’ a tender Vonnegut-esque fable about a man who falls in love with his phone’s sentient operating system, is how seldom the film feels like a high-concept exercise. It’s to the immense credit of Jonze’s script, a sensitive and genuinely curious look at programmed living and the follies of possessive love that unfolds like ‘When Harry Met Skynet,’ that the film’s central relationship ultimately feels like a somewhat typical portrait of modern romance.” — Full Review
“Nebraska”
Nominations (6): Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Directing, Cinematography, Original Screenplay
“‘Nebraska’ still has much merit, but for Payne it is a little underwhelming. (For what it’s worth, though, Taylor’s other work includes ‘We Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry,’ so this is definitely a two-way partnership.) It’s not just that this is a small film, it is a slight film, and a little hard to fully embrace … There are some laughs — and a few moments worthy of tears — but there’s a breaking point of believability in here somewhere that keeps ‘Nebraska’ merely good as opposed to great.” — Full Review
“Philomena”
Nominations (4): Best Picture, Best Actress, Original Score, Adapted Screenplay
“All told, it’s a remarkably well-realized turn from one of our greater living actresses [Dench], and although it’s hard to see Martin as little more than the usual Coogan type — sarcastic, self-deprecating, opportunistic — in comparison, he serves as a much-needed angry, atheistic foil to a woman defined by hope as much as woe.” — Full Review
“12 Years A Slave”
Nominations (9): Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Directing, Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design, Adapted Screenplay
“Ejiofor’s tightly clenched conviction perfectly embodies hope and righteousness against all odds. He gives the best performance of his career to date, and what’s more, he gives ‘Slave’ its bruised, beating heart with every scene.” — Full Review
“The Wolf Of Wall Street”
Nominations (5): Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Directing, Adapted Screenplay
“Scorsese, meanwhile, strives to reflect the manic vigor of Belfort’s salesmanship in his filmmaking, and the result is a farce of wild comic invention — it’s an epic cranked into overdrive, and, not insignificantly, a film without shame.” — Full Review
“Blue Jasmine”
Nominations (3): Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay
“When Allen conceives of a character this great, it’s hard not to wish for him to slow down and maybe write that extra draft to refine his creation, but Blanchett — at once both repellant and eminently relatable — uses the casual tone to her advantage, the same way that monster movies use miniatures for scale. It’s brilliant work, delicately exposing the rot at the heart of Jasmine’s regrets until there’s only one left.” — Full Review
“August: Osage County”
Nominations (2): Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress
“You know that big scene in certain types of dramas where a character finally gathers his or her courage and tells off the bad guy, expressing decades of pent-up frustration; finally exacting righteous justice? This film is overrun with ’em. To be fair, one of the dozen or so fights might have worked, and perhaps individually maybe they all work, but once you weave them all together it becomes entirely clear that long expository monologues are to be the predominant technique utilized here, with no room left for quieter, more subtle moments.” — Full Review
“The Great Gatsby”
Nominations (2): Costume Design, Production Design
“Of course, much mention is made of greedily pursuing the future as a means of repeating the past, which is arguably the approach that Luhrmann himself has embraced with all his modern intrusions, a flashy means to a melodramatic end. In the end, his ‘Gatsby’ takes the fitting form of a cocktail glass, at once undeniably polished and unfailingly empty.” — Full Review
“Before Midnight”
Nominations (1): Adapted Screenplay
“If Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy do indeed give their beloved Celine and Jesse a break from reuniting every nine years in a different European locale to hash out their romance, no small comfort could be taken from the fact that ‘Before Midnight’ manages to be an emotionally astute and tremendously enjoyable conclusion to this rather improbable trilogy.” — Full Review
“The Broken Circle Breakdown” (Belgium)
Nominations (1): Foreign Language Film
“‘The Broken Circle Breakdown’ happens to be a canny encapsulation of all-American values and post-9/11 disillusionment as seen through a foreign prism. More importantly, it’s a superb tearjerker, juxtaposing the inherent passion and sorrow of romance to masterful effect in between beautiful bluegrass ballads.” — Full Review
“The Missing Image” (Cambodia)
Nominations (1): Foreign Language Film “The use of clay figures is easier to take than film images of starving children and grieving families, but the innocence of the figures take on their own unique sadness. ‘The Missing Image’ concludes by saying that no one living should ever witness such things, but ‘if you do see, you must tell.’ — Full Review
“The Great Beauty” (Italy)
Nominations (1): Foreign Language Film
“There’s not a single frame of this abundantly gorgeous film that isn’t pure Italian. Gambardella’s world-weary look back at his sweet life, eclipsed by his turning sixty-five, is a dizzying fantasia of flash and filigree, and what it lacks in direct narrative is well patched-over with frenetic and emotion-rich sequences. This movie is a sight and sound workout.” — Full Review
“The Croods”
Nominations (1): Animated Film
“Overall, ‘The Croods’ is very solid at building character, and that’s no surprise given the pedigree of the work. To be completely fair, it’s not as good as ‘Lilo & Stitch’ or ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’ but it’s in the ballpark, and being a bronze-medalist in a crowd full of winners is nothing to be ashamed of.” — Full Review
“Despicable Me 2”
Nominations (2): Animated Film, Original Song
“Near the end of “Despicable Me 2″ there’s a musical interlude that slays, and it’s clear that the creators of the film were just dying to get to this bit, figuring (correctly) anyone who made it this far with a mere smirk would depart the theater with a huge smile. “Despicable Me 2″ is a generally effective sequel, even if it often doesn’t qualify as a stand-alone bastion of cinema.” — Full Review
“Ernest & Celestine”
Nominations (1): Animated Film
“‘Ernest & Celestine,’ meanwhile, is a gorgeously animated and charmingly conceived French triumph that may very well be the best nominee. Unfortunately, not nearly enough people have seen it.” — Full Review
“Frozen”
Nominations (2): Animated Film, Original Song
“Though we’re still showing our children the lives of princesses, at least the two main characters here have a relationship steeped in humanity. That, plus strong music and pristine visuals adds up to some lovely moments. ‘Frozen’ is a family film, sure, but the fact that it’s brave enough to to not fully reside in the snow bluffs of blatant child pandering is to its eternal credit, because no one wants to be the guy dinging the innocence of youth at this time of year.” — Full Review
“The Wind Rises”
Nominations (1): Animated Film
“While the cinema’s most revered animator confirmed on September 6th that he intends to put down his pencil once and for all, “The Wind Rises” is such a magnificently lucid summation of Miyazaki’s fierce humanism and singular genius that the film itself serves as a formal farewell.” — Full Review
“The Grandmaster
Nominations (2): Cinematography, Costume Design
“‘The Grandmaster’ … is meticulously made and extraordinary to look at. Leung makes his entrance fending off a slew of challengers with his bare hands, during a downpour no less. As he swirls, kicks and jabs amid the raindrops, the Panama hat he’s wearing turns damp and soft, yet it still looks great, a bit of Hollywood glamour that can’t be destroyed even when left to the elements. Leung and his cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd capture it all with the utmost care, and if it had been possible to choreograph the movements of individual raindrops, they would have.” — Full Review
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
Nominations (2): Cinematography, Sound Mixing
“Despite some ambiguity, this is not ‘A Serious Man.’ This is far and away the most straightforward thing the Coens have ever done. There’s very little of their trickster-ish ways, either in the story or the dialogue. (There are quotables, don’t get me wrong, but by Coens standards very few.) It’s a character piece, and one of the best, and most understated, movies I’ve ever seen about the grieving process.” — Full Review
“Prisoners”
Nominations (1): Cinematography
“Rarely a moment is ever wasted, a consequence ignored, and though the climax is a corker, the final shot is even better. ‘Prisoners’ requires and rewards your attention in equal measure. Be ready.” — Full Review
“Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa”
Nominations (1): Makeup And Hairstyling
“‘Bad Grandpa’ proves unexpectedly warm-hearted, showcasing its bystanders’ innocence (and, in the case of an unexpectedly rousing climax in a biker bar, their selflessness). One must also marvel at the fearlessness of young actor Jackson Nicoll, who commits to the pranks more thoroughly than the made-up Johnny Knoxville and barrels right through even the most unbearably awkward scenarios.” — Full Review
“The Lone Ranger”
Nominations (2): Makeup and Hairstyling, Visual Effects
“At their best, ‘[Pirates of the] Caribbean’ and ‘Rango’ represented the ideal outcome of a costly creative collaboration, lively and lithe despite their blockbuster burdens. ‘The Lone Ranger’ isn’t that. It’s the end result of a calculated brand — two and a half hours of ‘fun’ in air quotes. — Full Review
“The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug”
Nominations (3): Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects
“There is plenty of activity in the film, with much less sitting around than last time. We do not, for example, waste 40 minutes singing songs and washing dishes. Yet there’s still precious little that actually happens. Bilbo and company run afoul of giant spiders in one tingly scene, face orcs now and then, and eventually have a lively experience with Smaug (voiced to plummy perfection by Benedict Cumberbatch). Some of this is thrilling enough, as far as it goes. But storywise, we’re hardly any further along when the movie it ends than we were when it started.” — Full Review
“Lone Survivor”
Nominations (2): Sound Editing, Sound Mixing
“‘Lone Survivor’ ultimately seems at war with itself, torn between its duties as an entertaining, engaging movie and a somber, sincere memorial, and in splitting the difference, the film effectively assaults its audience almost as aggressively as its subjects.” — Full Review
“All Is Lost”
Nominations (1): Sound Editing
“Not any schmoe can play this role. It takes a screen legend with whom all audiences have a preexisting relationship. Redford is in every single shot of the film and his performance is terrific. By and large he’s stoic, but he’s not inhuman. He keeps his grunts to a minimum while he takes his lumps, but we’re always aware of just what he’s strategizing. Not for a minute does he ever think he won’t get out of this somehow — not until the very end when he goes for broke on one final way to get noticed by the passing ships in the night.” — Full Review
“The Book Thief”
Nominations (1): Original Score
“Life would be a lot easier if ‘The Book Thief’ were just straight-up awful. Then we could totally ignore this latest hodge-podge of war drama and children’s fable. Unfortunately, ‘Downton Abbey’ vet Brian Percival’s adaptation of Markus Zusak’s bestseller has the temerity to have one or two moments that are actually quite terrific.” — Full Review
“Saving Mr. Banks
Nominations (1): Original Score
“‘Saving Mr. Banks’ has all of the pieces in place to earmark it as a masterpiece – a stirring story, real life roots, wonderful performances, and a rich visual background – but it doesn’t fully deliver on its promise. There’s charm and delight here, to be sure, but it is occasionally obscured by attempts to make it somehow darker, deeper, and more dramatic.” — Full Review
“The Invisible Woman
Nominations (1): Costume Design
“That very Victorian sense of scandal looms over the proceedings, with social propriety constantly pinching love like a corset. The costume and set design are all expectedly impeccable throughout, while cinematographer Rob Hardy (‘Shadow Dancer,’ ‘Red Riding 1974’) evokes a suitably shadowy look ideal for both the scantily lit era and our protagonist’s lingering doubts.” — Full Review
“Iron Man 3”
Nominations (1): Visual Effects
“The plot concocted between Black and co-writer Drew Pearce is fairly standard-issue in the end, but the story itself benefits from a minimal preoccupation with setting up future Marvel movies and one particularly cheeky second-act gambit that echoes the director’s usual Hollywood-set larks with surprising effectiveness.” — Full Review
“Star Trek Into Darkness”
Nominations (1): Visual Effects
“The insistence of Abrams and Co. to stick with their policy of legacy-mining and expecting us to all squee with joy is, at heart, why I’m grousing – even though I admit that, in broad strokes, I enjoyed ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ a great deal.” — Full Review
“The Act Of Killing”
Nominations (1): Documentary Feature
” According to [Anwar] Congo and members of the country’s government, gangsters are a fundamental cog in Indonesia’s mechanics. They have been since 1965, when the military staged a coup against Indonesian leaders, took power of the nation, and tasked men like Congo to slaughter anyone with Communist ties. As Congo boasts in the film, during the year long purge that followed the coup, he singlehandedly killed over 1,000 people. Today, he’s revered as a hero. ‘The Act of Killing’ depicts the legend in all his glory.” — Full Review
“Cutie And The Boxer”
Nominations (1): Documentary Feature “‘Cutie and the Boxer,’ the spectacular new documentary from Zachary Heinzerling, is about one woman’s realization that being a mere support system for her husband is not a fulfilling life. More excitingly, she does something about it.” — Full Review
“The Square”
Nominations (1): Documentary Feature
“To say that Jehane Noujaim’s ‘The Square’ is a film that speaks for itself would be a gross understatement. This extraordinary documentary gives voice to Egypt’s revolutionaries and by following a small handful of activists through two and a half years of protest, finds a way to speak for a much wider, global community of resistance.” — Full Review
“Twenty Feet From Stardom”
Nominations (1): Documentary Feature
“Neville’s assembly of it all does feel just a bit too calculated to suggest a darkness before the dawn when discussing so many failed solo careers in the film’s home stretch before sending us out, of course, on a song. However, between the welcome anecdotes, the wealth of archival footage on display, the well-polished production values and an inevitably remarkable soundtrack spanning the greatest decades of American rock and soul, ‘Stardom’ mostly hits the right notes.” — Full Review
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