TRAVIS BYRAM'S MOVIE REVIEWS

It's been a busy past few weeks, but I've had time to check out one of my biggest misses from 2013's Oscar season, starring an Oscar in it, and that's the Coen brother's Inside Llewyn Davis . There was critical vocalization against this being snubbed in this month's ceremonies, only getting nods for its cinematography and sound mixing, losing both to that little outer space movie. Well, going inside Inside Llewyn Davis , I can see both sides of this heavily polarized film. First off, it's for sure a Coen brother's movie. It's quirky, has their signature wit, inspired music and John Goodman. All of those things are its strengths. The cinematography is initially infuriating: why have it so dimly lit you sometimes literally can't see what's going on at nighttime on the screen? But then it hit me: it was an intentional choice. The life of Mr. Davis can certainly not be interpreted as a positive one, to himself or to the nearly parasitic relatio...

With the snow that's currently pummeling Virginia, it's a relief to say I was able to sleep in and miss a day of school, giving me an additional day to reflect on last night's Oscars! First and foremost: my predictions were correct! Happy to say that all my major predictions were correct, but on the technical side, I underestimated the power of Gravity ! I'm not sure if I've written this anecdote before on this blog, but when I saw the very first sneak preview trailer of it in theaters, I rolled my eyes at Bullock's constant panting and was sure it'd be ridiculous. Pass the salt because I'm eating my words...$700 million and seven Oscars later,  Gravity has turned into a true phenomenon, and had 12 Years a Slave  been released this year it surely would've taken home it's eighth prize for Picture. Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey, both sporting an unorthodox white, took the trophies for Dallas Buyers Club , deserved entirely, which also picked...

With the Oscars being tomorrow, there's no better time than to choose and decide which films will take home the gold, and which were unjustly snubbed! I choose the films that SHOULD win a miniature statue, and the ones that WILL, for better or worst, take the trophy. BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: (Blue Jasmine, Nebraska, Dallas Buyers Club, Her, American Hustle)   Should Win: Nebraska. Her has the flashiest concept, and very well written, quirky dialogue coming out of a mousy Amy Adams and a mustachioed Joaquin Phoenix. But everything in Payne's Nebraska felt real to me, and his filmography deserves a third writing Oscar for Bob Nelson's genuinely rural sounding work. Will Win: Her. Spike Jonze is up for three awards; producing this film, writing "The Moon Song" and penning this script. This'll be the one he gets the Academy Award for. BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: (12 Years a Slave, Philomena, The Wolf of Wall Street, Before Midnight, Captain Phillips) Should/W...