This visually beautiful and engaging animation from the Ghibli Studio combines fantasy with deep human experiences of loss, loneliness, love, and desperation simply through visual animation, music, and a few shouts. It reminded me of last year’s Swiss Army Man, with a man stranded on an isolated island showing the value of fantasy in survival, […]
Following his 2014 indie St. Vincent, writer/director Theodore Melfi delivers one of 2016’s most heartwarming and rousing true stories. If Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) does snag her second Oscar nomination, along with presumed nominees from Fences, Moonlight and Queen of Katwe, the Academy might take credit for the diversity reversal,
The South American perspective of Jackie Kennedy is apparently similar to a horror movie seen through the eyes of director Pablo Larraín. In his first English language film, the 40-year-old surprisingly molds Jackie in the same structure of fellow Chilean director Alejandro Amenábar’s The Others (2001). The vicious editing choices paired with the savage musical
This magical, musical animation from Disney incorporates folklore and myth to tell a story about identity with reverence for history and the preservation of the world. It’s a hero’s—actually, a heroine’s—journey where she must go out into the world far beyond her safe island and undergo many trials to save her people and their land.
A most amazing story! And if there are skeptics, that’s understandable. Nevertheless, after listening to This American Life’s (Podcast #556) reporting on this story last year, as well as the audiotapes obtained by the lovers, I’m inclined to believe it. Never underestimate a despot like Kim Jong-il! There is a saying among high officials in
Ah…Werner Herzog is one of my favorite filmmakers. Take this film, for instance, in which he mixes up technical jargon, scientific wonder, and humanitarian reflections while slyly slipping in bits of humor, such as—well, I won’t give it away, but when you hear an Elvis Presley song, you’ll likely agree with me. Lo and Behold
What a perfect blend of visual beauty, creativity, magical stories, and delightful lessons for life! The American stop-motion animation studio Laika is well known for its quality work (Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls), and Kubo and the two Strings represents their best in my opinion. The visual beauty lies mostly in the sheets of paper that
Denis Villeneuve’s creative direction with “Sicario” last year was nothing short of masterful. His work, so good, that it nearly overshadowed the stellar script by actor turned screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. The sophomore script from Sheridan is the real main character in Hell or High Water and the most original writing I’ve seen this year. Similar
I love the sheer humanness of this Japanese film with deliberate exposition and minimal music, which highlights the visual beauty on the screen and eloquent mindfulness of the dialog. Writer of the screenplay and director Hirokazu Koreeda has adapted Akimi Yoshida’s diary into a “moviescape” [I don’t know how else to put it] in which
It might just be the most adorable film of 2016. Writer/director Taika Waititi (Eagle vs. Shark, What We Do in the Shadows) has crafted a film that appeals to all ages. For younger children it’s a wild adventure in the New Zealand bush, for adults it’s a hilarious coming of age story. Hunt for the