if you're gonna freak out every time that you see a frozen chicken, I think we should go to the hospital

Award winners all, and not a bad one in the bunch. What a relief!

The Lady Eve (1941) - "A trio of classy card sharks targets a socially awkward heir to brewery millions for his money, until one of them falls in love with him."
Source: I borrowed the Blu-ray from the public library
I watched it because: I reserved it because it was on the AFI list, but knew nothing about it beyond that
AFI: 100 Years ... 100 Laughs (2000) #55

100 Years ... 100 Passions (2002) #26

IMDB: 7.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 100% Audience: 87%

notable quote: "I could imagine a life with you being a series of ups and downs, lights and shadows, some irritation, but very much happiness."
costumes, hair & makeup: the costumes and hairstyles from the 40s are alluring and flattering. They were still 'dressing for dinner' and so forth, which makes the characters appear at their best
acting: Barbara Stanwyck was not drop-dead gorgeous, but had a fascinating quality that made her unforgettable. Her performance as Jean Harrington shows this perfectly; other actresses in the film were prettier, but the moment Jean left the room, everyone wanted her back. Henry Fonda's Charles Pike was adorable, a little loose, and very attractive. The two made a lovely couple.

intangibles: fun, weird, and just what I was looking for
Academy Award nominee: Best Writing, Original Story
overall: recommended

Thelma & Louise (1991) - "Two best friends set out on an adventure, but it soon turns around to a terrifying escape from being hunted by the police, as these two girls attempt escape from the crimes they committed."
Source: I borrowed the Blu-ray from the public library
I watched it because: I pulled it from the AFI list - and it's one of those movies that everyone else has seen
AFI: 100 Years ... 100 Thrills (2001) #76

100 Years ... 100 Cheers (2006) #78

IMDB: 7.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 85% Audience: 82%

notable quote: "Airholes."
story: nowhere near what I'd imagined it would be, the story starts out slow and then blows the Hell up
visuals: if you like that whole red dust thing, this will appeal
costumes, hair & makeup: adequate to place the film at a date and time
acting: Harvey Keitel (Investigator Hal Slocumb) is great here! It would have been easy to play his character as a dumbass, slow to the trigger, but he's got just the right mix of savvy and sympathy.

intangibles: though I'm not really a "girl-power" person, I appreciated what they were going for here and got swept up in it as much as anyone would. And hey, now I get all those pop-culture references that have been flying over my head for 20 years!
Academy Award winner: Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Actress—Geena Davis (Thelma Dickinson)

• Best Actress—Susan Sarandon (Louise Sawyer)

• Best Director—Ridley Scott

• Best Cinematography

• Best Film Editing
overall: recommended

The Imitation Game (2014) - "During World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing works to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: it won some awards
IMDB: 8.0/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 89% Audience: 91%

notable quote: "Sometimes it's the very people who no one imagines anything of, who do the things no one can imagine."
story: it's a story you've heard or seen before, but probably not quite like this
visuals: very well done, both in the present-day (i.e. adulthood for the characters) and in flashbacks
acting: besides the obvious (Cumberbatch and Knightley), I enjoyed the performances of Matthew Goode (Hugh Alexander) and - however brief - Jack Bannon (Christopher Morcom)

intangibles: there have been several media projects in this vein, where the socially awkward genius, with the help of some kind and understanding friends (with thick shells to withstand the unintentional rejections and worse), makes good, usually at a terrible personal cost. Read: A Beautiful Mind, Shine, Good Will Hunting, Little Man Tate, Big Bang Theory.... This one doesn't uncover much that has not been done before. But it does so beautifully, sensitively, assertively, and without apologies for the era. I was charmed, saddened, and liked it quite a bit.
Academy Award winner: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Picture

• Best Actor—Benedict Cumberbatch (Alan Turing)

• Best Supporting Actress—Keira Knightley (Joan Clarke)

• Best Director—Morten Tyldum

• Best Film Editing

• Best Music, Original Score

• Best Production Design
overall: recommended

Amour (2012) - "Georges and Anne are an octogenarian couple. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, also a musician, lives in Britain with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke and the couple's bond of love is severely tested."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: it had won some awards
IMDB: 7.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 93% Audience: 82%

notable quote: "'What would you say if no one came to your funeral?'

    'Nothing, presumably.'"
story: the simplest, quietest story—a man and a woman who love each other through good times and bad
costumes, hair & makeup: real. It was a reverse dream; there were moments when I had to stop and remind myself that I was not watching it as it happened, in truth.
acting: Fearless. Jean-Louis Trintignant (Georges) and Emmanuelle Riva (Anne) shocked and desolated me; their performances were masterly.

intangibles: how can I recommend a film that made me sob? Well, how can I not? It broke my heart.
Academy Award winner: Best Foreign Language Film of the Year (Austria)
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Picture

• Best Actress—Emmanuelle Riva (at the time, the oldest ever nominee for Best Actress, at 85 years 321 days)

• Best Director—Michael Haneke 

• Best Writing, Original Screenplay—Haneke
overall: wholeheartedly recommended

Manchester by the Sea (2016) - "A depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenaged nephew after the boy's father dies."
Source: I borrowed the Blu-ray from the public library
I watched it because: it had won some awards
IMDB: 7.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 96% Audience: 78%

notable quote: "Are you fundamentally unsound?"
story: like a tightly-budded flower, it first appears to be pretty simple but ultimately unfolds into something intricately complex and elaborate
visuals: gorgeous New England
acting: phenomenal. This is a master class. Casey Affleck (Lee Chandler) is mesmerizing. Michelle Williams (Randi Chandler) is raw emotion. Kyle Chandler (Joe Chandler), in a woefully brief role, is tenderness and strength, frustration and control. The cast plays off each other beautifully.

intangibles: some movies defy explanation. This is a combination of the combined sensibilities of The Perfect Storm, Good Will Hunting, The Fighter, and the banked tension in every Hal Hartley film. I mean that in the best of ways. Expecting to barely tolerate it - or even actively dislike it - I walked away profoundly moved. It is truly outstanding.
Academy Award winner:
• Best Actor—Affleck

• Best Original Screenplay
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Picture

• Best Supporting Actor—Lucas Hedges (Patrick Chandler)

• Best Supporting Actress—Williams

• Best Director—Kenneth Lonergan
overall: most highly recommended

[the title quotation is from Manchester by the Sea]