Nebraska

There is nothing more ordinary than a man realising in his old age that he has wasted his whole life trapped in a relationship and that every day he regrets the moment he said yes to his nagging and wrinkled wife. But this is just the first of many natural life themes that Nebraska so beautifully, humorously, and poignantly depicts. Perhaps for the first time, the Americans have managed to flawlessly put together a story that is more typical of classic Czech cinema in its ideas – and this peculiar family is full of character contrasts, petty disputes and envy of property that thanks to the excellent actors (I'm sorry that Dern probably won't have a chance to win the Oscar), great dialogues and effectively portrayed emotions. The black-and-white set design is just a bit of a redundant art element, but otherwise the Oscar nominations are absolutely warranted. 90% (02/23/2014)

A bitter comedy about old age, its sorrows, and how life works. Except for the neatly wrapped-up ending, unfortunately, many human destinies probably don't end so pleasantly. I think everyone would wish to have such understanding and loving offspring as Woody Grant (superbly portrayed by Bruce Dern) found in his son David on the journey towards the dream prize. This black-and-white road movie has a huge soul and certainly has poetry, which is enhanced by the aforementioned lack of color. Alexander Payne has impressed me most so far with his excellent film Sideways, but I think Nebraska is a little better. (90%) (08/17/2020)

Nebraska is a proper American comedy with some dramatic overtones. Essentially, it’s neither a comedy nor a drama. It’s something in between. You see, the premise itself is one big parody of contemporary society. Which is really nice. You also get a number of pretty good acting performances. Especially the old guy Bruce Dern’s performance is definitely Oscar-worthy. But the whole thing is done in black-and-white, which creates this wannabe artsy impression. It may have been a bit unnecessary, but whatever. (02/21/2014)

A bit about aging, a bit about sadness, a bit about family. And due to the swinging indie spirit, actually a bit about nothing. The acting in Nebraska is certainly excellent, but the directorial style of Alexander Payne manifests in the same way that once unpleasantly surprised me in Sideways and disappointed me in The Descendants two Oscar seasons ago. For a while, a story about ordinary people is told without any embellishment, only to then start oscillating between heightened moods of love, desires, or nostalgia. And this cycle repeats itself several times. Such dreaming and sobriety can satisfy many, which I actually understand quite well. However, I feel somewhat deprived, just like in the two aforementioned cases. (02/21/2014)

One of those movies that focuses on old age, which, by all accounts, tries to emphasize it even with its black and white presentation. I don't see any other reason for that. Nonetheless, it is a film that will definitely captivate you, thanks to the incredible performances of Bruce Dern and June Squibb, who carry this film, along with the portrayal of the father-son relationship, which is very human. It's not a perfect family, but they stick together and I really like that. That's how a family should be. It can't be perfect, that's not possible, but it can be as perfect as you wish. (03/02/2014)