Tropic Cinema Loads Up
On Oscar Nominees
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades
In case you missed “Les Misérables” or want to see it again (my wife has seen it three times
and plans to go back again), the acclaimed Oscar-nominated musical has begun
its run at the Tropic Cinema.
And I recommend you go
just to hear it!
During other local runs,
the sound was in monaural, but the Tropic is cranking up its high-tech stereo system
to bring you this great music as you’ve never heard it before. Anne Hathaway’s
plaintive “I Dreamed a Dream” will bring tears to your eyes, the bouncy “Master
of the House” will have you dancing in the aisles, and “In My Life” will make
your heart swoon during this great story of love and redemption amid France’s 1832
June Rebellion.
You’ll rejoice in the
singing performances of Hugh Jackman as convict-turned-mayor Jean Valjean, Russell
Crowe as the relentless police inspector Javert, Amanda Seyfried as Jean
Valjean’s adopted daughter Cosette, Eddie Redmayne as love-smitten Marius,
Samantha Barks as the rejected Éponine, and Anne
Hathaway (following in her mother’s footsteps) as the tragic Fantine -- for
which she’s likely to receive an Academy Award.
However, if you prefer a visual spectacle to an audial
one, “Life of Pi” remains on the Tropic screens. Ang Lee’s masterful tale of an
Indian boy marooned on a lifeboat with a snarling tiger is a great metaphor
about life, beliefs, and survival.
Based on the celebrated book by Yann Martel, it’s a
story that everyone in Hollywood said couldn’t be translated to film, yet here
it is. You have to see it just to admire the tiger, a CGI creation that I defy
you to tell from the real creature, every hair, every gleaming fang, in place
thanks to cinematic magic.
If you prefer lighter fare, don’t miss “Silver
Linings Playbook,” the feel-good rom-com about two crazy people (literally) who
find each other. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence force us to root for them
as nutty-couple Pat and Tiffany against all odds, psychiatric evaluations, and
family interference. Both are up for Oscars, as is Robert DeNiro as Pat’s
obsessive-gambler dad and Jacki Weaver as his caring mom. Following Jennifer
Lawrence’s wins at Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild, look for her to walk
away with a golden statuette too.
A different kind of historical drama, “A Royal
Affair” reveals the true ménage à trois between Mad King Christian VII of
Denmark, his unfaithful queen, and the German doctor who ruled the kingdom.
Mikkel Boe Folsgaard, Alicia Vikander, and Mads Mikkelsen bring this threesome
to life. This riveting bit of filmmaking is up for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film.
And if you’re ready for something new to see, even
though it’s a look back to the tragic AIDS pandemic of the ’80s and ’90s, “How
to Survive a Plague” is an important documentary that hits home to many
residents of Key West. Director David France has used archival footage and new
interviews to trace the search for a cure to this deadly human immunodeficiency virus infection.
These films currently playing at the Tropic Cinema
represent some 34 Oscar nominations, so you won’t want to miss them. After all,
the Tropic’s annual Academy Awards gala is coming up on February 24th.
srhoades@aol.com
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