There are many things I can say about the state of cinema this year and not one of them involves the hyperbolic statement, Cinema is dying or is dead. It's just evolving, which is what film has been doing since it's creation.
Tag: film
One of the Best Films of the Decade: La La Land Review
Damien Chazelle’s hit sophomore film, Whiplash, was a film that made me fear Jazz music whenever I heard it. With his newest film, La La Land, Chazelle has made me fall in love with not only jazz and cinema, but life in general. One of the few films where people were clapping in the middle … Continue reading One of the Best Films of the Decade: La La Land Review
The Moving Poetry of the Mundane: Paterson Review
Jim Jarmusch is one of the few directors that I'd refer to as melancholic. His films usually don't have any conflict and are driven through minor conflicts that the characters find themselves in. While not much happens you find a sense of realism to it, whether you like it or not. Out of the few … Continue reading The Moving Poetry of the Mundane: Paterson Review
Essential Viewings for November – December
The fall/winter film season is finally here! After a disappointing summer season, we're finally in the "prestige" film months, and get to see the films that studios have been hiding all year. We're especially excited because there's not only Oscar contenders coming up, but some of the most popular festival films ever to grace the silver screen. From Manchester … Continue reading Essential Viewings for November – December
The Manchurian Candidate(s): How 60’s Cinema Foresaw The Future
Watching events unfold in America from over in Canada is a bit fun, at least in a morbid sense. It's fun because we, at least under a thought that we are in safe hands, are watching America continue to crumble more and more. But at the same time, it’s saddening. I have many American friends … Continue reading The Manchurian Candidate(s): How 60’s Cinema Foresaw The Future
Surprising & Redemptive: Doctor Strange Review
Strange is a rather accurate word to describe the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you think about it, it's probably the most unique and successful marketing idea of the 21st century. The MCU is officially the highest grossing franchise of all time, almost doubling the domestic gross of the number two spot, Harry Potter, despite the … Continue reading Surprising & Redemptive: Doctor Strange Review
A Searing Portrait of Repressed Identity: Moonlight Review
Who is you? That is the titular question at hand during the entirety of Barry Jenkins' visceral character study, Moonlight. After a string of underwhelming films this year, such as Jason Bourne and Cafe Society, I was floored when Moonlight not only delivered, but inspired me as well. As a filmmaker, it is common to hear, … Continue reading A Searing Portrait of Repressed Identity: Moonlight Review
The Split Man: An Analysis on The Master
When you’re a director such as Paul Thomas Anderson, you have a track record that is so good that any of your films can be considered the greatest. While Punch-Drunk Love is my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film for the connection it has to my real life, the film I think is his best is 2012's … Continue reading The Split Man: An Analysis on The Master
Why You Need to See Kubo and the Two Strings
A beautiful woman navigates the seas one stormy night, her eyes heavy with sorrow and exhaustion. Powerful currents pull her back towards danger, but fear pushes her forward. A wave rises forty, fifty feet above her, and as it is about to crash down on her, she holds up a pick and strikes her three-stringed shamisen (Japanese lute). The … Continue reading Why You Need to See Kubo and the Two Strings
The Fickleness of Memory: Lung II Review
Phil Stevens is a mad man. No two ways about it anymore. He's one part Charlie Chaplin, presenting a silent demeanor that is accessible to people of any language (given they want to sit through the horror show) and one part Eric Stanze (in his keen attempt to bring true artistic merit to extreme cinema). … Continue reading The Fickleness of Memory: Lung II Review