“Bodied” Film Review

Bodied (2018) is co-written and directed by Joseph Kahn, a prominent music video director, telling a loosely-autobiographical story by rapper Kid Twist. It stars Calum Worthy as Adam, a graduate student who discovers the world of battle rap as part of his thesis project and becomes a subject of controversy. Eminem also co-produced the film, which is fitting given the comparisons that have been drawn so far to his iconic film 8 Mile (which, incidentally, drops on Netflix tomorrow). How does the film stack up to such a legendary precursor?

2019 Golden Globes Nomination Predictions

The first film awards show of the 2019 season, the Golden Globes, just wrapped up its voting period, with nominees announced on December 6th. The ceremony kicks off Oscar season as the first precursor to the big night, and it will be an interesting look at how the races could shake out in major categories. How do I think things will play out?

*NOTE: All nominees are sorted in order of how likely I believe they are to earn their spot.

The Best Film from Each Year of the 2010’s

Earlier this week, a Twitter thread posed a simple question to the world: What is your favorite film from each year of the past decade? I found the question a compelling one, not only to gauge what people think of cinema in general over the past 10 years but how people rank the various films within each year. I of course chimed into the debate, and wanted to share my thoughts on each year below.

“Green Book” Film Review & Analysis

**UPDATE: Check out my recent Script Analysis post for the film’s Oscar-winning screenplay, breaking down how the film uses formula in its favor!

---

Green Book (2018) is co-written and directed by Peter Farrelly, previously best known for comedy flicks like Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary. It is based on a true story of a white club bouncer (Viggo Mortensen) who acts as driver and security for a famed black musician (Mahershala Ali) through the Deep South in the 1960’s. The film came out of left field to win the People’s Choice award at TIFF this year, the festival’s highest honor. Could it be a dark horse contender at the Oscars?

2019 Independent Spirit Award Nominations Analysis

This morning, the 2019 Independent Spirit Award nominations were announced, and there were plenty of surprises. The ceremony has historically been a fairly good prognosticator of the Oscar races, and this could be our first glimpse into what the major races look like. What fared well and what didn’t?

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” Film Review & Analysis

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) is an anthology western from the Coen Brothers. It stars an ensemble cast including Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Zoe Kazan, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson and others. Originally planned as a 6-part miniseries, it was adapted into a single feature-length film and submitted for awards consideration. How does it stack up with the other great films the Coens have created over their illustrious careers? *SPOILERS AHEAD!*

“Widows” Film Review & Analysis

Widows (2018) is the newest Steve McQueen film, his first since the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave (2013), written by Gillian Flynn of Gone Girl fame. It stars an ensemble cast including Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Daniel Kaluuya, Colin Farrell, and Liam Neeson. The crime drama follows a group of women whose late husbands were involved in a failed armed robbery, forcing them to finish the job themselves. How triumphant is McQueen’s return to cinema, and will it attract Oscar attention later this year? *SPOILERS AHEAD!*

Belated Film Review Round-Up #3 (Documentary Edition)

Welcome to another belated film review round-up, where I look back at films released several months ago that I finally got a chance to see and review. Today’s edition focuses on documentaries: not my favorite genre and not one that I typically write reviews about, but there have been several fascinating ones this year that I felt the need to write about. Enjoy my thoughts on Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead, Three Identical Strangers, and Free Solo!

“Outlaw King” Film Review & Analysis

Outlaw King (2018) is the latest from director David Mackenzie, who also helmed one of my favorite films of this decade, 2016’s Hell or High Water. The historical biopic tells the true story of Robert Bruce (Chris Pine), a Scottish king who launched a guerrilla war against England in the 1300’s. For those not in the know, it essentially picks up where Braveheart left off, which chronicled the events directly prior to this film. It’s by far the most expensive production Netflix has ever signed off on (over $120 million), with extravagant set designs and epic battle sequences. Is the final product worth the exorbitant cost?

“Boy Erased” Film Review & Analysis

Boy Erased stars Lucas Hedges as Jared Eamons, a pastor’s son who is interred at a gay conversion therapy camp (based on a true story). Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman co-star as Jared’s religious parents, as does Joel Edgerton (who also wrote and directed the film) as the eccentric head of the conversion therapy camp. With such a stellar cast and explosive subject matter, the film is sure to attract Oscar buzz. Does it live up to expectations?