Norway's Oscar entry, The Worst Person in the World, represents the inevitable shifts along life's journey, both through its main character and its director. This is the third film in Joachim Trier's acclaimed "Oslo Trilogy," which also includes 2006's Reprise and 2011's Oslo, August 31st, so in a meta sense, this last entry is the … Continue reading Mercurial Rising – The Worst Person in the World
As we get closer to the Oscar Blitz, I'm trying to quickly make up for lost time and go back over the films I either wanted to see earlier in 2021 but missed, or holding my nose and watching the ones that are all but assured to get nominated come Tuesday based on Awards Season … Continue reading Using Your Words – CODA
Every era of the James Bond franchise has its own unique qualities and characteristics, both for good and ill. The Sean Connery years framed the Cold War against the backdrop of a suave and sophisticated super spy. The Roger Moore era leaned heavily into camp value. Pierce Brosnan's run relied heavily on grandiose spectacle. George … Continue reading Junk Bond – No Time to Die
We're just over a week away from Oscar nominations, and I have exciting news. For the first time ever, I will complete the International Feature shortlist! Okay fine, maybe it's only exciting to me, but it is something of an achievement. I've now seen 12 of the 15 films, and with the announcement of Austria's … Continue reading Full (of it) House – Plaza Catedral
After the success of Belle, the announcement by Funimation of a new anime film also prominently featuring music instantly piqued my interest. Through a special, three-day engagement, the newest film from Yasuhiro Yoshiura (director of the acclaimed Pale Cocoon and Time of Eve), Sing a Bit of Harmony (original Japanese: Let Me Hear You Sing … Continue reading AI School Musical – Sing a Bit of Harmony
The journey through the probable Netflix Oscar nominees continues with a film I was really looking forward to seeing when it was first announced, but that sadly fell by the wayside as my free time became coopted by other projects and obligations. As a fan of musical theatre, I was quite excited for tick, tick... … Continue reading Sheer Heart Attack – tick, tick… BOOM!
We're but a few weeks away from Oscar nominations, and since the shortlists were released last month, I haven't been able to make any further progress on the 15 semifinalists for International Feature. I saw 10 of the films before the announcements were made, but nothing since. That ends today, as the first of three … Continue reading Bovine Intervention – Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
It's amazing to me that it's been 12 years since the acclaimed Jane Campion has directed a film. Until now, her most recent work was the well-received but barely seen Bright Star, about poet John Keats. It's been nearly 20 years since her last mainstream film, the underwhelming In the Cut. While her output has … Continue reading The Sheep’s Clothing – The Power of the Dog
I'd wager that most people know the concept of the Uncanny Valley, where the brain triggers a negative response to something artificial that's made to look human but comes up short somewhere in the middle. It played over and over in my mind while watching Mamoru Hosoda's latest film, Belle (originally titled The Dragon and … Continue reading Lend Me Your Voice – Belle
Welcome to the third part in our miniseries on the 2021 Documentary Feature shortlist. You can find the recaps for Part 1 and Part 2 in their accompanying links, and as previously mentioned, I have individual reviews for Summer of Soul, The Rescue, and Flee. Today's installment will bring us up to 12 on this … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – I’ve Got a Little List, Part 3
I Actually Paid To See This 