A Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man – Bardo, False Chronicles of a Handful of Truths

Mexico's entry for International Feature is a curious one, mostly because it's very clear that the decision to submit it was down to the prestige of the filmmaker rather than the film itself. With a barely passable Rotten Tomatoes score of 60%, Bardo, False Chronicles of a Handful of Truths relies almost entirely on the … Continue reading A Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man – Bardo, False Chronicles of a Handful of Truths →

Eat the Rich – The Menu

There is a certain boldness to Mark Mylod's The Menu that few other movies could pull off. That gamble came in the form of the film's two major trailers, which made it very clear that the movie would contain quasi-horror elements about a high-end chef trying to murder his patrons. There were even overt references … Continue reading Eat the Rich – The Menu →

Heroes Without Capes – Eternal Spring

I've made it clear many a time on this blog that I'm not a religious person. It's just not for me, and it likely never will be. But that doesn't mean that I don't wholeheartedly support religious freedom. If you have faith, good on you. I truly hope it makes you feel comfort and fulfillment … Continue reading Heroes Without Capes – Eternal Spring →

Going on Record – She Said

Harvey Weinstein is a piece of shit, truly garbage made flesh. Even before the truth came out about his predatory sexual behavior and outright rape, he basically represented the worst Hollywood had to offer. He was mean, aggressive, greedy, and his unabashed bribery and woefully unethical campaigning is the reason Slumdog Millionaire won Best Picture … Continue reading Going on Record – She Said →

I Am Sam – The Fabelmans

My relationship with the work of Steven Spielberg has been a complicated one over the last decade or so. He's undeniably one of the greatest creative and visionary minds in cinema history, harnessing the pure magic of movies while actively coming up with new tricks at every turn. Over the course of nearly five decades, … Continue reading I Am Sam – The Fabelmans →

The Dying Lands – Utama

There really isn't much to Bolivia's Oscar entry, Utama, in terms of story and character. There are basically only three main players, all largely confined to a tight space on a llama farm in the Andes. The plot is fairly simple, about an elderly couple trying to get by as severe drought makes life at … Continue reading The Dying Lands – Utama →

Finding Namor – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

The death of Chadwick Boseman hit a lot of people really hard, myself included. He was an amazing actor, by all accounts a wonderful human being, and the way he suffered in silence through the cancer that took his life showed the fortitude of the very superhero that made him most famous. After the first … Continue reading Finding Namor – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever →

The Tangled Web – Holy Spider

The International Feature category offers an incredible array of films from a wide variety of artists, but one of the more unique aspects is the political one. Each country that participates and submits a film does so through their own selection process in line with their national laws. As such, there is often controversy when … Continue reading The Tangled Web – Holy Spider →

Slags to Riches – The Estate

When I named The Estate as this month's "Redemption Reel," I may have oversold things. Reading it over again, in three paragraphs it might seem like I was pre-endorsing the film as one of the great comedies of the year, and if that's how it came off, I apologize. Mostly I was just delighted to … Continue reading Slags to Riches – The Estate →

Down in the Trenches – All Quiet on the Western Front

As I mentioned far too many times I'm sure in the last year, the idea of remaking a previous Best Picture winner is essentially blasphemous as far as I'm concerned. In almost every case it either feels like the height of hubris, with a filmmaker basically saying they can do it better despite the older … Continue reading Down in the Trenches – All Quiet on the Western Front →