“Jojo Rabbit” Script Analysis: Pride, Peer Pressure and Persecution

Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit (2019) was one of the more controversial and polarizing films in the Oscar race this season, drawing passionate acclaim and vehement opposition in almost equal measure. It managed to take home the Best Adapted Screenplay award, but still there are those out there who believe the film is irresponsible in its depiction of Nazis. Is it dangerous to defang Nazis and show them to be bumbling oafs? Or does it serve the needs of this particular story and further the themes of radicalization and intolerance? Let’s dive deeper into the screenplay and figure it out for ourselves!

Oscars of the Decade: 2010’s

As 2019 awards season comes to a close, wrapping up another quality decade of cinema, I thought it would be fun to look at each of the Academy Award winners of the past ten years and declare an ultimate winner in each major category. What films, performances, scripts, and more will endure the test of time from the 2010’s?

“Joker” Script Analysis: Put On A Happy Face

Todd Phillips’ Joker is by far the most polarizing film of awards season, with some (the public) calling it a masterpiece and others (the Film Twitter bubble) calling it vapid trash. The majority of criticism has been leveled against the film’s screenplay, with many pointing to the on-the-nose dialogue and vague social messaging as signs of weakness. This, unfortunately, is the result of non-screenwriters not realizing what makes a strong script. It isn’t all about dialogue and thematic content: it’s about structure, character development, and staying a step ahead of the audience, all of which Phillips does exceptionally well. Today I’m going to dive deeper into the film’s screenplay and defend the film’s awards season success.

“Knives Out” Film Review: Not Whodunit, but Why-dunit?

Knives Out (2019) is a murder-mystery film from writer-director Rian Johnson. It stars an ensemble cast of A-listers including Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, and many more in the tale of investigators looking into the suspicious death of Harlan Thrombey, a mystery writer and patriarch of a large and eclectic family. It drew raves out of TIFF this year and is now available for the public to enjoy. Will this succeed with general audiences just as well as cinephiles?

**Major spoilers ahead.**

“Jojo Rabbit” Film Review: The King (Fuhrer) of Comedy

Jojo Rabbit (2019) is the latest from writer-director Taika Waititi, a passion project he has been trying to make for the better part of a decade. It stars Roman Griffin Davis, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, and Waititi himself in the satirical WWII tale of a ten-year-old Hitler Youth with an imaginary friend Hitler who discovers that his mother is sheltering a Jewish girl in their house. It has catapulted into Oscar frontrunner status after winning the TIFF People’s Choice Award despite mixed reception, and continues to draw both wild praise and concerned criticism. Will this be the next problematic people-pleaser to win Best Picture?

My (Post-Festival) 2020 Oscar Predictions

It’s still early in awards season (if you can even call it that at this point), but by now most or all of the major awards players have premiered on the festival circuit. I’ve already given my thoughts on the results of the major film festivals (Sundance, Cannes, Venice, and TIFF), but before I see most of the films for myself, I want to give my updated early predictions. Here are my best guesses for how the major categories will look at the 92nd Academy Awards next February!

2020 Oscar Contender Profiles (Part 1)

As of today, we are exactly six months away from the 92nd Oscars and many of the top contenders have yet to be released. However, with most of the major festival lineups being announced and the awards race narratives taking shape, we are starting to get a vague picture of what awards season will look like. In this two-part series, I will be looking at most (if not all) of the top contenders in major categories, in no particular order, and gauging their chances at the upcoming Academy Awards. Let’s dive in!

“The Lion King” and Disney’s Cultural Wasteland

This weekend brings us the much-anticipated release of Disney’s The Lion King remake, currently clocking in at an uninspiring 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. And yet, it’s projected to make over a billion dollars and become one of the highest grossing films of the year – yet another addition to Disney’s growing stranglehold on the box office. How did we get to this point? Are audiences getting stupider? Has Disney grown too large? What does this mean for the future of cinema heading into a new decade?

Cannes Film Festival 2019 Review Round-Up

Cannes Film Festival is perhaps the most prestigious awards circuit stop on the planet, and it just closed its doors on the 2019 season. Some high-profile films made their much-anticipated debuts there this year, while some under-the-radar picks surprised many, including the ultimate winner. What did critics have to say about the big contenders, and what does it mean for the Oscar race?

“The Favourite” Script Analysis: The Balance of Power

The Favourite (2018) was one of my favorite films of last year, with brilliant performances by Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz, as well as gorgeous visuals under the sure hand of director Yorgos Lanthimos. But the best part of the film by far is the searing script by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, with some of my favorite characters, dialogue, and scenarios of the year. What exactly makes the script such a delight? Let’s dive in and find out for ourselves!