Review| Little Women (2019)
There are a shocking number of retellings of the classic story Little Women, so if someone was going to create another adaptation, a fresh perspective was necessary. It needed a reason to exist. It needed its own identity. I’m thrilled…
Self-Reflection and The Irishman
When I settled into my theater seat to watch The Irishman, I wasn’t prepared to enter Scorsese’s excellently crafted world of mobsters (and I definitely wasn’t ready for the 210-minute runtime). It was thrilling to experience the expert handling of…
An Indigenous woman was nominated for an Oscar and that’s a big deal. Here’s why.
One of 2018’s critical and audience darlings, Roma has been nominated for ten Academy Awards, including for Best Picture and Best Director. It’s a historical event for several reasons, but the biggest reason is probably the nomination of lead Yalitza…
Review| Roma
Have you ever watched something that made you feel a slight twinge of sadness because you knew it would eventually end? That’s how I felt watching Alfonso Cuáron’s latest masterpiece: Roma. I was very conscious of my built-in bias when…
Review| Bird Box
In a post-apocalyptic thriller, the same tropes and story beats can make a movie feel wrote. It generally takes something out of the box for it to stand out. Netflix’s latest offering, Bird Box, starring Sandra Bullock and an ensemble…
Review| The Favourite
If you’ve ever watched a Yorgos Lanthimos film you know he likes to defy the conventions of traditional storytelling. Everything from nonlinear story structure to provocative content, his films aren’t exactly a relaxing experience at the theater. His latest film,…
Review| Shoplifters
Shoplifters snuck up on me. It seems as if the film has been surprising audiences since its debut at the Cannes Film Festival when it took the highest honor, the Palm d’ Or, at the prestigious gathering – beating out…
Review| A Star Is Born
I have a confession to make. I haven’t seen any of the previous A Star Is Born iterations. I watched the 2018 version in a vacuum and without the context of the previous versions (five to be exact). Whether that…
Review| Skate Kitchen
Great films are able to transcend their genre and the context that the protagonist’s story is unfolding in. Great storytelling gives viewers a sense of connection and resonance, even if they aren’t a part of that subculture or have anything…
How the Academy is Missing the Mark
It’s been a couple of weeks since The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced it would be adding an additional category to its award ceremony and people are still debating and rolling their eyes about the decision. So…