This year’s Oscar-Nominated movies to Rent or Buy

RENT OR BUY

Blade Runner 2049

Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner who’s been missing for 30 years.

  1. Achievement in cinematography: Roger A. Deakins
  2. Achievement in production design: Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Alessandra Querzola
  3. Achievement in sound editing: Mark Mangini and Theo Green
  4. Achievement in sound mixing: Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill and Mac Ruth
  5. Achievement in visual effects: John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert and Richard R. Hoover

Dunkirk

In May 1940, Germany advanced into France, trapping Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. Under air and ground cover from British and French forces, troops were slowly and methodically evacuated from the beach using every serviceable naval and civilian vessel that could be found. At the end of this heroic mission, 330,000 French, British, Belgian and Dutch soldiers were safely evacuated.

  1. Achievement in cinematography: Hoyte van Hoytema
  2. Achievement in directing: Christopher Nolan
  3. Achievement in editing: Lee Smith
  4. Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score): Hans Zimmer
  5. Best motion picture of the year: Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
  6. Achievement in production design: Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
  7. Achievement in sound editing: Richard King and Alex Gibson
  8. Achievement in sound mixing: Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker and Gary A. Rizzo

Beauty and the Beast

Belle (Emma Watson), a bright, beautiful and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a beast (Dan Stevens) in its castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the beast’s hideous exterior, allowing her to recognize the kind heart and soul of the true prince that hides on the inside.

  1. Achievement in costume design: Jacqueline Durran
  2. Achievement in production design: Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

Victoria & Abdul

Abdul Karim arrives from India to participate in Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee. The young clerk is surprised to find favor with the queen herself. As Victoria questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge an unlikely and devoted alliance that her household and inner circle try to destroy. As their friendship deepens, the queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes, joyfully reclaiming her humanity.

  1. Achievement in costume design: Consolata Boyle
  2. Achievement in makeup and hairstyling: Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard

Last Men in Aleppo

Members of the volunteer group White Helmets offer aid to the wounded during the Syrian civil war.

  • Best documentary feature: Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed and Søren Steen Jespersen

Baby Driver

Talented getaway driver Baby (Ansel Elgort) relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. After meeting the woman (Lily James) of his dreams, he sees a chance to ditch his shady lifestyle and make a clean break. Coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), Baby must face the music as a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.

  1. Achievement in film editing: Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos
  2. Achievement in sound editing: Julian Slater
  3. Achievement in sound mixing: Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin and Mary H. Ellis

War for the Planet of the Apes

Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species and the future of the planet.

  • Achievement in visual effects: Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon and Joel Whist

Loving Vincent

Loving Vincent is the world’s first fully painted feature film produced by Oscar-winning studios Breakthru Films and Trademark Films.

  • Best animated feature film of the year: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman and Ivan Mactaggart

Review: ‘Blade Runner 2049’

Director Denis Villeneuve returns after his recent Oscar nomination to embark on a journey into the wildly complex and dangerously beloved world of Blade Runner, a 1983 sci-fi classic from director Ridley Scott loosely adapted from the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Creating a sequel from a classic is always a daunting task, but actually achieving a film worthy of standing next to the original is a feat very few can say they’ve met, but Villeneuve can now stand amongst the great who have come before him and watch as his film, Blade Runner 2049 is cherished for decades to come.

The year is 2049, and the world has been turned on it’s head by advancements in bio-engineering that have created human-like “Replicants” that have integrated into society. A group of trackers called Blade Runners, are tasked with hunting down old Replicants capable of dangerous actions and bringing them to justice. One such Blade Runner, K (Ryan Gosling) has stumbled upon a secret buried deep in the Earth that could trigger the collapse of society. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years, and who could be the key to unlocking the mystery. As Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) continues on in his quest to create the perfect Replicant, destined for planetary expansion, his questionable practices begin to come to life and a dark secret is about to expose the Replicant program.

This bold, beautifully crafted, visually stunning and mind bending sequel is nothing short of sensational with an all star cast lead by Ryan Gosling and Harrison FordGosling calm demeanor and presence are perfect for the Blade Runner world. It is equally as wonderful to see Harrison Ford back in one of his many iconic roles as Deckard. Seeing the character again and finding out what happened to him following the events of the original film was exceptionally satisfying and Ford was up to the task. Jared Leto is haunting in his portrayal of the designer Wallace. Leto leaves nothing to chance, electing to embrace the darkness and bring to life a cerebral villain for a new generation of sci-fi fans. Director Denis Villeneuve vision is suited for this world above all others. Together with Cinematographer Roger Deakins, Villeneuve expands on the epic world created in the original while still keeping the look that makes Blade Runner so iconic to fans worldwide.

Overall, Blade Runner 2049 is a long journey at 164 minutes, but a journey worth taking. A beautifully crafted classic that will stand the test of time and wow fans of science fiction and neo noir for years to come.

Stars: 4 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene? NO

Trailer: