Catching Up on Post-Oscar Buzz

My wife and I used to pride ourselves on seeing all the films nominated for Best Picture before the show itself. (That is if you consider self-flagellation something to be proud of.) That has fallen by the wayside in recent years. Perhaps we have grown wiser, or perhaps we are too poor or too busy to see everything we would like. Regardless, I am trying to catch up on the nominated films, and some others that have slipped through the cracks recently. Hence, the following reviews.