I didn't like anything in this week's film releases that I wanted to so I took this opportunity to go back and revisit one of the earlier films which is now up for Best Picture along with 9 other nominations. It was Master and Commander with Russell Crowe. I enjoyed it even more the second time around as after the first time we saw it, I did some digging into the history of 1800s era and what possessed so many of these men to want to live this life of drudgery on the ship. I found out that this life was more than they had on land or that some of the men were Shanghied or that the young ones were from aristocratic families who wanted their young sons to apprentice this way of life.
You lose yourself in the story because of the excellent acting of most all the characters especially Russell Crowe as Capt. Jack Aubrey. It may not win but it was an exceptional film and I appreciated it's re-release so we can view or see it again, as in my case, and judge for ourselves.
-Barbara Higdon
