Nebraska

      ""Nebraska" is the best movie I've watched in the last 10 years!" boasted my doctor when he realized he was in the presence of a movie buff. It was hard not to go watch immediately after.
Disclosure: I watched "Nebraska" last week, and not yesterday. This is relevant because Nebraska is a movie that gets better in hindsight.
      Knowing Alexander Payne and his work, I entered the theatre knowing I shouldn't expect epic story lines, major action sequences and fast paced story telling. And, true to my expectations, the story unfolded slowly, relying more on the strength of the characters involved than on major plot twists. The movie is very.... very... slow. Payne takes him time to tell this simple story, and while watching it, the word "boring" would sometimes pop in my head.
     However, something magical happens at the end of this movie. The emotional thread on which the movie is based on is so, so strong that when the movie comes to a close, even if the story itself seems a bit disappointing, it pays off, and pays off wonderfully. It's not a narrative pay off, mind you, but an emotional one.
     And here's the funny thing, which to me attests to the movie's quality: when remembering the movie, the word "boring" is nowhere to be seen. In fact, I see myself smiling remembering certain sequences and dialogues, and even though it wasn't the best movie I've seen in the last ten years, it was definitely one my recent favorites.

P.S: If the Oscars were about giving the prize to the best actor, and not the one that went through the biggest physical transformation - I'm talking to you, McConaughey! -, Bruce Dern would be taking it home.