The 2019 Oscar nominations will be announced on January 23, 2019. But the Academy has already narrowed down its candidates in many categories. For Best Animated Short Film, that list is down to 10. Of those 10 shortlisted short films, I have reviews for nine.
Shall we?
In 1900, a lonely sailor (Ian McShane) sets himself adrift on his lowly sailboat, sharing the seas with huge ships. Having lost Continue reading 2019 Academy Awards Best Animated Short Film Shortlist Reviews
It is never fun to sling mud. Sure, it can be viscerally satisfying, especially when a film is particularly insulting to the intelligence. But no critic goes into a movie wanting to hate it (at least, no critic ought to do that). I don’t enjoy having to write a worst of the year list.
“Why do it, then?” you may ask. Well, it is one thing to try and be positive about movies. It is another thing to pay good money for a movie that makes you regret it. For some of these movies, my money went into their box office grosses, and it is important to remedy that fact by keeping studios accountable and steering people away from these unsatisfactory films.
Dishonorable mentions: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; Gringo; Game Over, Man; Action Point; Mute; Fifty Shades Freed Continue reading The 16 Worst Movies of 2018
The arduous task of movie list-making has never been my forte. I am too prone to adjusting my opinions and tweaking grades up or down a half-letter grade. Most years, I shuffle my list around until a breaking point is reached and I publish impulsively.
This year is no different. With almost 200 films from 2018 in my head, it is difficult to narrow it down to 25. It is harder to take those 25 and rank them in any meaningful way. Each film in my top five could be number one. There are films in my top 50 that could have moved into the top 25 (for now, Avengers: Infinity War is at the 50-spot, and that was an enjoyable film which I saw twice in the theater). It pains me a little to not be able to give a blurb to Sorry to Bother You, which narrowly missed the top 25.
Long story short, 2018 was a very good year in film. I may not have seen a standout, A+ film. But I witnessed many, many A-/B+ films.
The following 25 films are, as of this writing, my favorite of the year. But there are many other noteworthy films out there. You can see my full ranking of 2018 films (subject to continual change) at Letterboxd.
Honorable Mentions: Sorry to Bother You, Shirkers, Roma, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Won’t You Be My Neighbor Continue reading Top 25 Best Movies of 2018
There are 30 short films which are shortlisted for Academy Awards across the three shorts categories—Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Short, and Best Documentary Short Subject. This will be cut in half come January 22nd. Before that happens, let’s take a look at a few of the shorts vying for nomination.
This documentary short, commissioned by The Guardian, tells the story of a man who, as a youth, Continue reading 2019 Oscar Shortlisted Short Film Reviews – Black Sheep, Marguerite, My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes
Skin, directed by Guy Nattiv from a story by Sharon Maymon, is a story of white supremacy with a twist. Film Threat equated the twist with those of The Twilight Zone, and perhaps that is accurate. But the final moments of Skin do not Continue reading Skin (2018) Movie Review – 2019 Oscar Shortlisted Short Film
Adam McKay likes to show. And show. And show.
As he moves further from straight comedy and more toward a dark comedy examination of political America, McKay’s showy style becomes more apparent. In a way, it is more permissible to have a broad comedy film be brash and in-your-face. While such a style is not destined to fail in a more dramatic setting, it is harder to grapple with tone in that setting.
McKay’s The Big Short shows some signs of this tonal problem. Largely a depressing subject, the comedy flourishes in that retelling of the housing crisis don’t translate well. The non sequitur cutaways to celebrities are jarring and ineffective. What shines in that film are the performances, showing that the director understands the import of Continue reading Vice (2018) Movie Review
Once again, I am too back-logged with movies to watch to write proper reviews for every one. So here are a handful of capsule reviews of some of the latest films.
The Mule is a silly movie. There is no other way to describe it. Clint Eastwood plays a runner for the drug cartel, and it is Continue reading Screener Season 2018 Reviews – Roma, Beale Street, The Mule, Green Book, Can You Ever Forgive Me
Lady Sarah: Love has limits
Queen Anne: It should not
Those unfamiliar with the work of Yorgos Lanthimos may be surprised to hear that The Favourite is the man’s most accessible film to date. A court drama about the shifting power dynamics between three women—Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), her long-time confidant Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), and new arrival Abigail (Emma Stone)—this feverish portrayal of high society at its lowest states of depravity is Continue reading The Favourite (2018) Movie Review
Rather inexplicably, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man film made to date. It is hard to imagine that an animated film about multiverse theory and multiple incarnations of a single comic book character coming together to fight a rogue’s gallery that is only recognizable to fans would not only be an inspired origin story for Spider-Man, but also be an entirely accessible experience.
Yes, it is a lot of information to take in, the plotting story churning forward endlessly without a breath. Those completely unfamiliar with Continue reading Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) Movie Review
It is the busiest time of year for the film world. With awards season on the horizon, studios are juicing voter ballots with For Your Consideration screeners. As I was recently granted membership into the Online Film Critics Society, this the first year where I myself have been given the honor of receiving these promotional screeners.
Unfortunately, this is also Continue reading Screener Season 2018 Reviews – Burning, The Tale, Destroyer, The Sisters Brothers
CineFiles Movie Reviews 