Tag Archives: Oscars

Review in Brief: A Star is Born (2018)

Posted on March 12, 2019 by

For his control over A STAR IS BORN’s live performance scenes alone, Bradley Cooper should have been nominated for Best Director at the Oscars. I guess he’ll have to be content with his directorial debut just getting nominations for Best … Continue reading →

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Review: Roma (2018)

Posted on February 22, 2019 by

You’re probably going to decide whether ROMA is for you or not by its opening shot, a very long shot of soapy water washing up and down some flagstones. It certainly sets the mood and the pace of the piece, … Continue reading →

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Review: Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

Posted on February 15, 2019 by

I’ve gone back to taking notes for this one with pen and paper – it seemed more…writerly. I have never used a typewriter. Marielle Heller’s CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? deftly tells a story that’s so bizarre it could only … Continue reading →

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Review: BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Posted on September 14, 2018 by

I’m still reeling from the final moments of BLACKKKLANSMAN – no other film of 2018 will pack quite as forceful a denouement. Nowhere else is Spike Lee’s mastery of blending of subjective emotion-driven storytelling with documentary filmmaking techniques more apparent, … Continue reading →

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Review: Lady Bird (2017)

Posted on March 12, 2018 by

While we’re up to our eyeballs in father-son stories on film, even pretty frequently seeing father-daughter and mother-son stories (both examples involving sons tend to be dysfunctional, because aren’t we just the worst?), there are relatively few really good mother-daughter … Continue reading →

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Review: Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Posted on March 4, 2018 by

I was just starting to think the 90th Academy Award nominations weren’t all that impressive. Then I watched CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, and thank goodness I did. This is one of the most powerful, thoughtful and heartfelt dramas of … Continue reading →

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Review: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Posted on March 1, 2018 by

The more I mull over THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, the more its place at the head of the Oscar race baffles me. Martin McDonagh’s first film since SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS boasts admirable performances and fiery dialogue but fundamentally frustrates you … Continue reading →

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Review: The Shape of Water (2017)

Posted on February 28, 2018 by

THE SHAPE OF WATER promises a lot, and as such you might want to manage your expectations. Don’t worry, it’s good, but with such acclaim lavished on it from the Venice Film Festival onwards you might be expecting another PAN’S … Continue reading →

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Review: Darkest Hour (2017)

Posted on February 10, 2018 by

DARKEST HOUR left me cold. Yes, Gary Oldman will probably win the Oscar for portraying Winston Churchill. Yes, he probably should. And yet, something about the presentation of the film around him left me feeling pretty empty and disconnected. May … Continue reading →

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Review in Brief: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Posted on October 3, 2017 by

HACKSAW RIDGE is firmly in Mel Gibson’s wheelhouse. It’s a brutal depiction of an inspiring true story with copious religious symbolism with a lot of Australians in it. From a very earnest beginning, the film becomes pretty horrific in its … Continue reading →

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