On the Big Screen

Dating a film major and cinematographer has its perks, and having a constant movie buddy ranks pretty high on my list. And when I say constant–I truly mean constant. Ryan and I tend to watch at least 1 movie a week, and we are two of Louisville’s best patrons of the $5 movie night on Tuesdays.

Today I’m reviewing, in no particular order, our favorite recent films that we watched over the past year. A few of these are fairly new, so you may still be able to catch them in theaters. Others would make the perfect rental for a quiet movie night spent at home.

The Theory of Everything There is definitely a reason this film was nominated for and won several Golden Globes and Oscars. It is just flat out beautiful. The screenplay captures the plot in a really interesting way, and certain scenes are aesthetically incredible. I will warn you before watching that some parts tend to be heart wrenching. Eddie Redmayne was awesome role in his role of Stephen Hawking. After loving his performance in Les Miserables as well, he’s definitely an actor I’m going to keep an eye out for in the future.

The Imitation Game I’m not too proud to admit that I’m a bit of a nerd. I went through a phase in high school where I was really interested in military codes, especially as they pertained to WWII. Of course, I was jazzed when The Imitation Game came out about the British cryptanalysts who cracked the Nazi code Enigma. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and I loved this story that idolizes the MI6 mathematicians.

Bridge of Spies Can you sense a theme yet? Apparently I have a thing for history, because Bridge of Spies also made my short list this year. This story follows an everyday lawyer who is basically forced into making negotiations with Russia and Germany during the Cold War. You seriously can’t go wrong with a Steven Spielberg flick starring Tom Hanks.

Trainwreck You can officially count me as a fan of Bill Hader and Amy Schumer after seeing this movie. Although I’m not typically a fan of slapstick comedy, I was near tears at several points. If you’re in the mood for a good laugh, Trainwreck is a great go-to.

Trumbo In my opinion, Trumbo’s 70% critic score is sorely lacking. I went into this movie not knowing quite what to expect from the story line, but found myself feeling very invested by the end. This movie takes a critical look at the blacklisting of suspected Communists in Hollywood starting in the late 1940s. With the current hot political climate, this is a good movie to watch as it will force you to think about our rights and what you can and cannot be condemned for, whether or not the majority agrees.

American Sniper If you see one movie on this list, I suggest seeing American Sniper. Opinions on the war in Iraq aside, this movie will make you absolutely feel for the men and women who are fighting in the Middle East. After watching this movie, the theater was absolutely silent in reverence. Bradley Cooper nails his role as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. This is a story that needs to be told.

Cheers!

Sarah