All posts by Alex Brannan

Hidden Figures (2016) Movie Review

There is something cautionary about a film that opens with a scene that outlines a superficial context by having every line of dialogue out of the characters’ mouths point to the obvious mores of the day, to the point where a character has to exclaim what year it is to highlight the already obvious irony of their immediate situation.

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It is this retrograde rose-tinting of history that plagues Hidden Figures. Morality films such as these often fall into this pitfall, where characters are hyper aware of their situation as if they themselves are looking back as we are. The film is designed around Continue reading Hidden Figures (2016) Movie Review

Never Say Never Again (1983) Movie Review

A little over a year ago, I went on a journey through the entirety of the James Bond franchise, reviewing each film in my James Bond Retrospective.

The one film I neglected to review was the unofficial, non-Eon Productions James Bond film from 1983: Never Say Never Again.

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There are a few reasons why I never reviewed this film. First off, I was recruited through my reviews to edit and contribute to a James Bond website via Fansided. With this and reviewing over 20 Bond films in the course of two months, I succumbed to Continue reading Never Say Never Again (1983) Movie Review

Does La La Land Deserve All The Praise?

At the 2017 Golden Globes ceremony, smash hit La La Land earned a record-breaking seven wins. The film won in every category it was nominated for, and it really was no surprise to anyone.

But does La La Land deserve the gold statue attention that it is getting?

Frankly, no.

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Here’s the truth about La La Land. It is not Continue reading Does La La Land Deserve All The Praise?

What the 2017 Golden Globe Results Mean For The Oscars

With the 2017 Golden Globes in our immediate rearview, it is time to pick up the pieces. Let’s analyze the surprising aftermath of the Golden Globes to see how it will affect the Academy Awards in February.

 

Best Supporting Actor

Continue reading What the 2017 Golden Globe Results Mean For The Oscars

Golden Globes 2017 – Aaron Taylor Johnson Upsets in Best Supporting Actor Category

The first category of the night at the 2017 Golden Globes was an unceremonious surprise as Aaron Taylor Johnson won Best Supporting Actor over the likes of Jeff Bridges and heavy favorite Mahershala Ali.

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While Johnson’s role in the disturbing thriller Nocturnal Animals was Continue reading Golden Globes 2017 – Aaron Taylor Johnson Upsets in Best Supporting Actor Category

Who Will Win at the 2017 Golden Globes?

The 74th annual Golden Globes will air this Sunday, January 8 at 8:00 pm EST. CineFiles has already made a full list of predictions of who and what will win in the film categories. But here are some highlights from those articles in true tl;dr fashion.

 

Sure Things:

Continue reading Who Will Win at the 2017 Golden Globes?

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) Movie Review

In New York, 1944, a wealthy socialite named Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep) takes a fancy to opera singing. With her husband’s (Hugh Grant) aid, she reunites with an old vocal coach (David Haig) and hires a young pianist (Simon Helberg). To the pianist’s dismay, his first rehearsal with Florence  yields the revelation of her sheer inability to carry a tune.

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This initial rehearsal scene is a Continue reading Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) Movie Review

A Man Called Ove (2016) Movie Review

Ove (Rolf Lassgard) is rigid, resolute, decisive, cynical, cantankerous, embittered, emboldened, unfriendly. But mostly he is a man of simple means who wants things just to his liking. He doesn’t like people driving through his neighborhood, as it is strictly forbidden. He argues over the coupon price of a bouquet of flowers that he leaves for his deceased wife. And, when he loses his job of 43 years to a pair of 20-somethings, he decides to hang himself from his living room ceiling.

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Except, each time he tries, he is interrupted by his new neighbors: a family who means well in spite of pushing all of Ove’s buttons.

The narrative of an elderly man hardened over the grief for Continue reading A Man Called Ove (2016) Movie Review

2017 Academy Awards Nomination Predictions – Best Live Action Short

The short film categories were something I was not going to tackle pre-nomination, as it is impossible for me to see the films this early. However, in the case of the Live Action Short category, I have had the privilege of seeing four of the 10 films that have been shortlisted for nomination.

This by no means makes my predictions definitive. But I will do what I can to shed some light on the elusive subject.

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Best Live Action Short

Continue reading 2017 Academy Awards Nomination Predictions – Best Live Action Short

The Rifle, The Jackal, The Wolf and The Boy (2016) Short Film Review

In a rural forest, the snap of a rifle shot breaks the quaint silence. Two brothers (Fidel Badran and Jad Badran) stand over their unseen prey, taking a beat before they go about covering their tracks so their father does not realize what they have done with his hunting rifle.

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The Rifle, The Jackal, The Wolf and The Boy is the familiar feeling of childhood guilt ratcheted up to grim stakes. The narrative itself is almost absurdly simplistic, and the film chooses to rely instead on Continue reading The Rifle, The Jackal, The Wolf and The Boy (2016) Short Film Review