Tag Archives: Oscars

Review: BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Sam S-P

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 Sam S-P

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 Sam S-P

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 Sam S-P

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 Sam S-P

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 Sam S-P

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 Sam S-P

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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Review in Brief: Lion (2016)

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Sam S-P

LION, the meaning of which is not revealed until the film’s closing moments is sometimes remarkable. There’s no denying this true story is remarkable. The script is punchy and well-judged, with very strong work from Dev Patel, and especially newcomer … Continue reading →

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Review: Moonlight (2016)

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Sam S-P

It took winning the big Oscar for it to come to my local cinema, but MOONLIGHT was well worth the wait. The life and times of Chiron (Alex R Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes) as he tries to find … Continue reading →

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Review: Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Sam S-P

The Oscars are almost upon us and once again I’ve only managed to see about half of the movies in the running. LA LA LAND might be the bookies’ favourite, but MANCHESTER BY THE SEA is my pick to take … Continue reading →

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