In 2016, Spotlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture. A captivating look at the sheer grinding work of investigative journalism, the film was rightly lauded for its procedural pace and the almost documentary-style approach taken as the Boston Globe uncovered one of the most pervasive and shocking scandals in modern history. Five years later, … Continue reading Spotlight on Romania – Collective
It's an odd quirk of mine. I love a film with a long title, especially when it's done tongue-in-cheek. It shows that the movie doesn't take itself too seriously, even when dealing with heavy themes or when it's reaching for some prestige. Think Dr. Strangelove; or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the … Continue reading Long Title, Short Substance – Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
Four years ago, Gianfranco Rosi's documentary, Fire at Sea, was submitted by Italy to compete for what is now called International Feature at the Academy Awards. It didn't get nominated in that category, but it did get a nod for Documentary Feature. History seems to be possibly repeating itself now with his follow-up feature, Notturno … Continue reading Nearly Silent Night – Notturno
The idea of a film detailing the misadventures of men going through a midlife crisis is nothing new. In American cinema alone, it's had a wide range of success and quality, from the Hangover trilogy to basically everything Adam Sandler and David Spade have done since they left Saturday Night Live. But just because the … Continue reading Life Has a Two Drink Minimum – Another Round
Here's a bit of breaking news. I can be a cynical asshole at times. I can hear your shocked gasps through the internet itself at this stunning revelation. But it's true, especially as we get closer to Awards Season. With the Academy's timetable shifted back by two months, we're just now getting to the point … Continue reading Silence Like a Cancer Grows – Sound of Metal
Before I delve into the steaming pile of "meh" that is The Midnight Sky, let me first preface by saying that I am a huge fan of George Clooney. I've followed his career for most of my life. He's the only reason I saw any episodes of ER (just not a fan of medical dramas … Continue reading Clooney Goes 0-for-4 in Space – The Midnight Sky
One of the most profound films I've ever seen is 1998's After Life, a Japanese film (original title Wonderful Life) directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, the auteur behind 2018 Palme d'Or winner and Oscar nominee Shoplifters. In this glorious exercise in self-reflexive cinema and existentialism, a group of social workers operates a way-station between life and … Continue reading Life After Death After Death – Dick Johnson is Dead
When I first heard there was going to be a sequel to The Croods coming out in 2020, I admit I was a bit surprised. I remember liking the original well enough, but I figured that the fact there wasn't an instant follow-up, like so many animation studios do, meant that the property didn't get … Continue reading Unevolved, But Inoffensive – The Croods: A New Age
Late in 2019, the Academy revealed the list of films submitted for the Oscar for Animated Feature, an eclectic mix of mainstream studio fare, low-budget foreign entries, and innovative pieces of high art. I made it my mission to see as many of the submissions as possible before the nominations even came out, mostly in … Continue reading Hey Look, A Magical Cat Movie That Doesn’t Suck! – A Whisker Away
It's a rare thing when an actor gives a performance that truly feels otherworldly, as if they're so lost in a role that nothing could extricate them from the moment. It can reach deep within your own being as a viewer, even if you have no real-life connection to the character. It's transformative in a … Continue reading When Levee Breaks – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
I Actually Paid To See This 