“Pain and Glory” Film Review: The Virtues of Vulnerability

Pain and Glory (2019) is the latest film from esteemed Spanish filmmaker and two-time Oscar winner Pedro Almodóvar. It stars Antonio Banderas as Salvador Mallo, a film director undergoing a life crisis, in the semi-autobiographical tale of Almodóvar’s life. It was one of the most acclaimed films out of Cannes Film Festival, where Banderas won the Best Actor award. Where does it rank among Almodóvar’s filmography? Will the film stand a chance in this stacked Oscar field?

“Dolemite Is My Name” Film Review: If Beale Street Could Laugh

Dolemite Is My Name (2019) is a comedy-drama biopic about Rudy Ray Moore, a popular blaxploitation actor of the 1970’s. It stars Eddie Murphy as Moore, in a tale about how the man rose to popularity and created his famous Dolemite persona. It has drawn serious Oscar heat thus far, particularly for Murphy in the lead role. Is it worth the hype?

2020 Golden Globes: Best Picture Race Analysis & Predictions

The deadline for studios to submit their official Golden Globe classifications has passed, and we now know definitively which films will go Drama and which will go Comedy/Musical. Who made the right or wrong decisions? Who will be the final five in each category? Let’s take a closer look!

“The Lighthouse” Film Review & Analysis: Mesmerizing Madness

The Lighthouse (2019) is the sophomore directorial effort from Robert Eggers, best known for the 2015 period horror The Witch. The black-and-white chiller stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as 19th-century lighthouse operators slowly unraveling into madness. After a successful Cannes debut way back in May, it has finally made its way stateside and opened to rave reviews. What makes this one special? Is it as good as advertised? Could it be an Oscars player? Why did Robert Pattinson spill his beans??!?

Best Picture Oscar Race Analysis: October Edition

As we head deeper into awards season, I want to do periodic check-ins on the state of the Best Picture Oscar race and which films are being buzzed about as potential contenders. Right now we don’t have a clear frontrunner, but there are certainly a number of films vying for the prize that feel like they could legitimately win. Here are my thoughts on the major players in the race and my current predictions for what will be nominated at the 92nd Academy Awards!

“The Laundromat” Film Review: Making (Non)Sense of Corruption

The Laundromat (2019) is the latest from Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh, written by Scott Z. Burns and starring Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, and Antonio Banderas among others. It tells the true story of the Panama Papers, the documents that exposed offshore tax evasion and fraud, and the journalist(s) who uncovered them. It was pegged as a potential Oscar frontrunner some months ago but released to unspectacular reviews at the festivals before an unceremonious dump on Netflix. What went wrong?

“El Camino” Film Review: A Breaking So-So Movie

El Camino (2019) is the feature-length Breaking Bad spinoff film, starring Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman in the immediate aftermath of the show’s final episode. It finds everyone’s favorite meth cook Jesse on the run from the law (and his captors) after Walter White dramatically freed him from Neo-Nazi bondage. Written and directed by bae Vince Gilligan, it dropped last night on Netflix after a tight spoiler embargo window, an immediate red flag. Does that make the film a disaster, or does it hold up to the standard set by its predecessor, one of the greatest television shows of all time?

Foreign Film Fridays: “Monos” (Colombia, 2019)

Welcome back to my recurring Foreign Films series, where I examine some of the best foreign-language movies of the recent past! Today we have a new release that’s still in theaters: Sundance-favorite Monos, from Colombian documentarian Alejandro Landes. This war drama follows a group of child soldiers in a guerrilla outfit of a rebel army, tasked with guarding a captured American known only as “Doctora”. Despite 2019 being such a strong year for foreign cinema, Monos has managed to carve out a place for itself and make a case for awards consideration in several categories. What sets this film apart?

“Parasite” Film Review & Analysis: Finding Absurdity in the Appalling

**UPDATE 2/12/20: Check out my more recent Script Analysis of Parasite where I dissect the film’s screenplay, including symbolism, themes and hidden messages!

Parasite (2019) is the Palme d’Or-winning film from South Korean legend Bong Joon-ho. The dark comedy-thriller features a low-income family who swindles their way into the good graces of the wealthy family who employs them. It is already a massive success overseas and frequently cited as a major contender for the upcoming Oscar season. Will it have awards legs? Are all of its good notices well-earned?

“Joker” Film Review: A Genre-Bending Triumph

Joker (2019) is a totally-not-controversial, universally-agreed-upon film from beloved filmmaker Todd Phillips, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker in the greatest acting performance of all time. It is a masterpiece unmatched by any other cinematic accomplishment of the past 100 years, and there is nothing to discuss about it because we all have the same opinion about it. Right guys? …Guys?