Nancy's Reads & Reels: 2011 Movies You Might Have Missed

Everybody has an opinion when it comes to the Academy Awards so here are mine: 2011 movies I saw that weren’t nominated for an Academy Award, although actors and actresses are nominated in some.

Take Shelter: all our fears realized in one movie with an acting tour-de-force by Michael Shannon (he should have been nominated).

Margaret: What a shame that this movie didn’t get a wide release. The role of a lifetime for Anna Paquin (she should have been nominated) as a Manhattan teenager who witnesses an accident and feels she is responsible.

50/50: This movie about a young man being diagnosed with cancer was funny and sad. Despite Seth Rogen’s usual potty mouth, Joseph Gordon Levitt and the rest of the cast strike just the right note.

Melancholia: Even though confusing and a real downer, it’s still interesting and visually stunning. The movie is about depression and the end of the world but go see it anyway.

A Better Life: A father willing to do whatever it takes to save his rebellious son. As an undocumented Mexican he risks it all to buy a truck and go into business for himself. I had never heard of Damien Bircher (the father) but he is nominated.

My Week with Marilyn: Very enjoyable bit of fluff. Did not dig too deeply into Marilyn Monroe’s psyche, with which we are all too familiar. Michelle Williams (nominated) as Marilyn Monroe and Kenneth Branagh (nominated) as Laurence Olivier capture their characters very well.

Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy: Didn’t understand some of it but kept trying. Gary Oldman is nominated and is great.

Bridesmaids: Raunchy but hilarious. Melissa McCarthy is nominated. Kristen Wiig is nominated for original screenplay.

Into the Abyss: Werner Herzog’s death row documentary exploring a murderous rampage. Don’t we all wonder why people do the things they do and in this film why one man gets life in prison and another gets the death penalty? I haven’t seen any of the nominated documentaries but will probably see them on Netflix.

As usual, I’ve seen almost all of the films nominated for best picture (except War Horse) and the only two that surprise me are Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Midnight in Paris. I liked both films but would have thought Melancholia, Bridesmaids (has a comedy ever been nominated?) or My Week with Marilyn would have been in the running.