How and where “Parallel Mothers” fits into this year’s awards race is almost the bigger dialogue than what the film is about or whether it’s good or not. Some history: Spain has submitted Pedro Almodóvar’s films seven times to the Academy Awards; only three of those were actually selected as one of the nominees for […]
Pablo Larraín’s latest film “Spencer” is a wild departure from the expected historical biopics or the kind of presentation seen on “The Crown”. Familiarizing yourself with Larraín’s particular style is recommended, meaning you should see his masterpiece “Jackie” before watching “Spencer”. It’s the audacity in Larraín’s script that makes “Spencer” surprisingly fun to watch. In
With contenders like Amy Adams, Viola Davis, Carey Mulligan, and Frances McDormand, it might surprise you to hear that it is actually British newcomer Vanessa Kirby who is the frontrunner for best actress at the upcoming Academy Awards. Maybe newcomer isn’t fair, because you have probably seen her as Princess Margaret on “The Crown.” She
“Can I get you anything” is an odd question to ask someone moments away from an execution. “Clemency,” the new film starting Alfre Woodard attempts to put the viewer in a place they haven’t been before, inside the mind of a death row warden. From the shocking opening moments of a nearly botched lethal injection
Academy Award winner Renee Zellweger (“Cold Mountain,” “Chicago”) drops a house on the acting competition this year, portraying one of our most beloved film icons. “A blip” is what Bridget Jones would have called Zellweger’s soft return in the third installment of the Jones character, but “Judy” isn’t simply a comeback, it redefines the Texan’s
Known for his inventive indie films, Richard Linklater (“Boyhood”) takes aim at the mainstream, with his adaptation of the best-selling book Where’d You Go, Bernadette. The Oscar-nominated director from Austin cast Cate Blanchett in the lead role, a choice that fans of the book had long predicted and hoped for. It’s a return to greatness for her
Irish director Neil Jordan is a bit unpredictable when you sit down for his films. “The End of the Affair” was unpredictably sexual, “The Brave One” outrageously violent and suspenseful, even his vampire flick “Byzantium” gave the genre a completely different perspective. His latest thriller “Greta” makes very good use of Isabelle Huppert, recently Oscar
Documentary filmmaker Matthew Heineman successfully navigates the transition to feature films with A Private War. Like embedded war laden journalism films before it, A Private War follows the extremist (not extreme) style dedication of women who put duty and self-assigned purpose over everything else, including their own lives. Veronica Guerin comes to mind, although her
The title of Melissa McCarthy’s new film could also be a question to critics and audiences who have watched her career dive bomb in the last couple of years. She’s gone downhill since blasting onto the film scene with “Bridesmaids,” the introduction to her one-note comedy routine that earned her an Oscar nomination. “Can You
There are simply not enough films with Oscar winner Emma Thompson at the forefront. Director Richard Eyre (Notes on a Scandal, Iris) has crafted a rousing performance vehicle that could land Thompson back in awards consideration. The Children Act is written by Ian McEwan (Atonement) whose one of the most wonderfully British screenwriters around. Eyre,