“Little Women” Film Review: Back to the Future

Little Women (2019) is Greta Gerwig’s new adaptation of the classic Louisa May Alcott novel. It stars Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson and Eliza Scanlen as the March sisters, with Timothee Chalamet, Laura Dern, and Meryl Streep among others in supporting roles. Despite underperforming throughout awards season thus far, it has drawn very strong reviews and still figures to make waves at the Oscars. Does it have what it takes?

“Wildlife” Film Review & Analysis

Wildlife (2018) is the directorial debut of actor Paul Dano, who co-adapted the screenplay from a book alongside his wife Zoe Kazan (of The Big Sick fame). It stars Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal as a married couple beginning to drift apart as their teenage son (played by Ed Oxenbould) watches on.

“A Star is Born” Film Review

A Star is Born is the directorial debut of Bradley Cooper and the third remake of the 1937 original of the same name. It stars Cooper and Lady Gaga as an alcoholic rock star and the bar singer he discovers and falls in love with, respectively. It’s a sordid tale of love, addiction, and fame updated for the modern era. Does Cooper’s first stint behind the camera prove successful? Is the chemistry between him and real-life popstar Gaga genuine and earned? Will it scoop up half a dozen Oscars next year as many are already predicting?

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” Film Review

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the latest hit Netflix exclusive, directed by Susan Johnson based on a YA novel by Jenny Han. It stars Lana Condor as Lara Jean, a shy teenager whose life is upended when secret letters to her boy-crushes are revealed to the world. August sure seems to be the month of Asian-American leads with this, Searching, and Crazy Rich Asians dropping all within a couple weeks of one another. It’s already drawn strong reviews around the web with a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score. Does it live up to the hype?

“The Miseducation of Cameron Post” Film Review

The Miseducation of Cameron Post was written and directed by Desiree Akhavan based on the coming-of-age novel by Emily M. Danforth. It starts Chloe Grace Moretz as title character Cameron, a gay teenager who is sent to conversion therapy camp by her ultra-religious aunt. The film made waves at Sundance earlier this year, taking home the coveted U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. Is it worthy of such a prestigious honor?

Foreign Film Fridays: “Incendies” (Canada, 2010)

Welcome back to Foreign Film Fridays, where I highlight some of the best non-English-language films of the past decade or so! Today we have another French-language film, this time from our neighbors to the north, and a filmmaker who has since broken into the American mainstream: Denis Villeneuve. Before he was wowing audiences with box office hits like Sicario, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049, Villeneuve was a darling of the French Canadian film circuit as a writer-director. His 2010 adaptation of a Wajdi Mouawad play, Incendies, is a gripping mystery-thriller about two fraternal twins, Jeanne and Simon, who return to their Middle Eastern homeland following their mother’s death to uncover her dark past.

“Harry Potter” Adaptation Analysis: From Page to Screen

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is one of the most beloved book series of all time, and it’s generally accepted that the film series is a faithful and equally enjoyable adaptation. And now, eleven years and counting since the last book was published, a new generation is much more likely to experience the series primarily through film, thanks to the prevalence of visual media and generally shorter attention spans of today’s youth. While I enjoy the films for the most part, I grew up with the books and they hold a special place in my heart that the films can’t quite match. In addition, as time goes on and the initial euphoria and nostalgia of watching the books coming to life wears off, I have noticed aspects of the films (small and large) that don’t sit that well with me. Today I’ll be examining what changes were made from page to screen and how they affect the overall experience of the story.

The Problem(s) with Video Game Movies

Hollywood has tried (and mostly failed) to adapt a video game to the silver screen several times now…34 times in fact, since 1993. The results have not been promising, ranging from just okay (this year’s Rampage and Tomb Raider) to mediocre (Warcraft, Assassin’s Creed) to just atrocious (Postal, Alone in the Dark). As an enthusiast of both video games and films, I want to explore the factors contributing to the shocking lack of quality in the genre, and what challenges are standing in the way of our first truly great video game adaptation.

“13 Reasons Why” Season 2 Review

The second season of the hit Netflix drama continues the story of Liberty High School, as students deal with the fallout of Hannah Baker’s suicide and the implicating tapes she left behind. The first season was surprisingly strong, a gripping drama that managed to transcend the usual pitfalls of the high school drama genre. Can the second season, with its source material now exhausted after the first season ended, live up to expectations of the first and justify its continued existence with original content?

“Disobedience” Film Review

Disobedience is co-written and directed by Sebastián Lelio based on the novel of the same name by Naomi Alderman. It tells the story of Ronit (Rachel Weisz), who returns to her Orthodox Jewish community after her father passes away, only to find that her presence is not exactly welcome, causing tension with old flame Esti (Rachel McAdams) and her husband.

I was introduced to Lelio’s work earlier this year when he won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for A Fantastic Woman. I thought that film was fine, though it lacked a cohesive third act and felt kinda incomplete as a story. Regardless, it was clear then that Lelio has a great visual eye and I was excited to see what he could accomplish with a strong story, and an adapted work seemed like a perfect place for him to break into the mainstream. And I’m happy to report that he has made one of the most fascinating films of 2018. *SPOILERS AHEAD!*