Review: "The East" is a Bold and Ambitious Yet Distant Political Thriller

Left to right: Ellen Page and Alexander Skarsgard

As we enter the summer season, it is time to notice those films that could stand a chance at the Oscars. As I stated in a recent post, there are some that stand a chance (so far, Frances Ha has sadly been axed). The East being one of the more prominent ones, if solely because of its political activism narrative that draws back on former nominees like All the President's Men. However, upon watching the film, it may seem bolder to nominate The East simply because it isn't a typical political thriller. It has a lot of bizarre things going on at its core.

Review: "Frances Ha" Will Make You Believe in Modern Love

Left to right: Mickey Sumner and Greta Gerwig

*Note: This review originally appeared on the website CinemaBeach. Not covered is its Oscar chances, which don't feel too good. At most, it could get a Best Original Screenplay nomination, but it seems unlikely.

In 2005, director and writer Noah Baumbach released the highly successful The Squid and the Whale. Dealing with a family’s divorce, he managed to blend despair with comedy in an exciting new way. His stories deal with internal struggle that looks lethargic on screen. Despite this, his strong suit lies in his ability to slowly unravel facts and information through awkward character moments. With his latest film Frances Ha, he attempts to translate that to the life of a young woman whose life falls apart when her best friend moves away. Is he able to capture the magic again, or is it time for his movies to do something external?

"The Wolf of Wall Street" Trailer Promises the Greatest Wall Street Party Ever

Leonardo DiCaprio

Almost with an uproar and a dance to match, director Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street has hit the scene. This past week saw the launch of the trailer set to Kanye West's "Black Skinhead" and packing so much life and humor into a story that looks to be The Great Gatsby by way of Wall Street. Most of all, it set anticipation high. Is it possible that we just saw the first film to be taken seriously for an Oscar nomination this year?

My Top 20 Favorite Post-1970's Academy Award Best Picture Winners

As someone who enjoys writing about the Oscars for fun, I have also tried to make a decision to watch all of the Best Picture winners. At very least, this would help me to understand the cultural impact more and notice trends. I have gone through some highs and lows, and in the end, I come away with expectations that were either met or disappointed. In the past week, I have reached a new milestone with my goal and have seen every film that has won after 1970. The following is a compilation of my top 20 favorite as well as some honorable mentions and the five that I felt were least deserving (hint: I found some I liked less than Crash)