“Call Me by Your Name” is based on the 2007 novel by Andre Aciman. At the post-screening Q&A I recently attended, Aciman said that while writing the book, “I had no idea where it was going, and I didn’t want it to stop.” While watching the film, I had a good idea where things were […]
Last year it was “Moonlight”. In 2015 it was “Mad Max: Fury Road”. It seems that every awards season I’m in the minority when it comes to one or two highly-praised contenders. Heading into “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” I never thought it would be this year’s submission to the category. A talented, all-star cast. […]
“In the Fade” is Germany’s entry in this year’s Academy Awards Foreign-Language category. But as we’ve seen recently, that isn’t the only category in play for foreign-language submissions. Isabelle Huppert was nominated for Best Actress last year for “Elle”, and “Amour” was a Best Picture nominee in 2013. Diane Kruger (“National Treasure”, “Inglourious Basterds”) finally […]
“Lady Bird” marks the directorial debut of actress Greta Gerwig. She also wrote the screenplay. And no, this is not a biopic of former First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson, but rather an offbeat, coming-of-age comedy that, in the wrong hands, could’ve been quite ordinary. Instead, Gerwig’s smart writing, simple but effective direction, and talented ensemble, […]
Actress Gloria Grahame won an Academy Award for her performance in 1952’s “The Bad and the Beautiful”. She also had roles in numerous other Hollywood classics, including “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Oklahoma!” and “The Greatest Show on Earth”. Grahame was married four times, but it’s a late-in-life romance (post-divorce No. 4) that’s the focus of […]
“I, Tonya” made a big splash at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, instantly skyrocketing stars Margot Robbie and Allison Janney to the top of the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards season races. And boy, do they deserve to be there. This is the second recent movie based on an event that […]
“Suburbicon” is George Clooney’s sixth directorial feature. He and frequent collaborator Grant Heslov also co-wrote the script, originally penned by the Coen Brothers way back in 1986. Of course, Coen Bros. material is usually quirky and “out there”, and “Suburbicon” is no exception. This is a peculiar, somewhat thought-provoking, but ultimately thin film. The setting […]
“Last Flag Flying” is co-written and directed by Richard Linklater – the man behind “Boyhood”, “Bernie” and the “Before” trilogy with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. This time around, he takes a different approach to his usual quirky, offbeat filmmaking style. “Last Flag Flying” is much more of an actors movie than a profound directorial […]
“The Florida Project” earned rave reviews following its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May. A24 quickly picked-up the film for distribution, with an eye on an awards season. Similar to last year’s “Moonlight”, which earned A24 its first Best Picture Oscar honor, “The Florida Project” is unique, experimental filmmaking. But while writer/director Sean Baker […]
For its time, 1982’s “Blade Runner” was mind-blowing, sophisticated science fiction at it’s best. Its long-awaited sequel, “Blade Runner 2049” is equally worthy of such praise. Of course Harrison Ford starred in the original, which came out around the same time as his early “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” films. In the past decade, Ford’s […]