Tag Archives: Moonlight

A Decade of Film in Review (Best Movies of the 2010s?)

December 31, 2019 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

Earlier this year, I toyed with the idea of writing the semi-obligatory “Best of the Decade” list. What films were the best in this arbitrary chunk of time we call the 2010s? The USA Today did it. The A.V. Club did it. The New Yorker did it. Wired did it. IndieWire did it early. CineFiles should at least attempt to do it, too.

I made a list on Letterboxd. It started at around 400 films. I winnowed it down to roughly 200. I could copy those films into a traditional list. Write a pithy blurb here and there. Attach some pictures. But I hesitated. And hesitated. Tweaked a ranking here or there. Again, hesitation. Ultimately, it just didn’t happen.

The question that kept catching me, preventing me from doing any real work toward a Best of the Decade list, was: “Why bother?” This list represents Continue reading A Decade of Film in Review (Best Movies of the 2010s?) →

2017 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

Can Lion Win the Oscar for Best Cinematography?

February 6, 2017 Alex Brannan 1 Comment

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) had their annual awards ceremony was held this past Sunday, and Garth Davis’ Lion surprised by winning the feature film award. The film beat out awards season heavy-hitter La La Land, as well as the other fantastically shot films Arrival, Silence, and Moonlight.

In an awards season made boring by La La Land sweeping up wins wherever and whenever possible, this might be the first Continue reading Can Lion Win the Oscar for Best Cinematography? →

Award Ceremonies, Movie News

What to Expect From the Directors Guild Awards 2017

February 1, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

The Directors Guild Awards (DGAs) are this Saturday, February 4. Ignoring television, as I do not watch it, there are three film categories that could act as precursors to the Academy Awards.

Surprisingly, Ava DuVernay did not receive a nomination in the documentary category for 13th. Without this competition, there is no feasible scenario where Continue reading What to Expect From the Directors Guild Awards 2017 →

Award Ceremonies, Movie News

The Screen Actors Guild Awards: What to Expect

January 28, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

Sunday 29, 2017 will mark the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards. The ceremony is one of the many guild precursors to the Academy Awards. Many film pundits look at the SAGs to determine which actors and actresses will likely win the Oscars in the acting categories. The award show also features the closest thing to an Oscar for Best Acting Ensemble.

Speaking of this, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture is the biggest award of the night at the SAGs, the closest thing the guild has to Continue reading The Screen Actors Guild Awards: What to Expect →

2017 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

Ranking the Academy Awards Best Picture Nominees

January 27, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

Nine films received honors at the 2017 Academy Awards for Best Picture. That means the Academy deems these films to be the best of the year. Hands down. Are they right about this distinction? An argument can be made to the opposite. But that is a conversation for a different day.

For now, let’s look at what they did pick as the best of 2016. More importantly, let’s rank the nine from worst to best. Continue reading Ranking the Academy Awards Best Picture Nominees →

2017 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

2017 Academy Awards Predictions – All 24 Categories

January 24, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

It is perhaps serendipitous that the second anniversary of the CineFiles website coincides with the Christmas of film nerds: the announcement day for the Academy Awards nominations. This is also, quite coincidentally, the site’s 500th post.

It is only fair then that I do my best to roll out predictions for who or what will win in every category.

Below are links to articles on who will win in each category.

Best Picture

Continue reading 2017 Academy Awards Predictions – All 24 Categories →

2017 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

Academy Awards Predictions 2017 – Best Original Score

January 24, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

Certain Academy Award categories are hard to predict simply because each use of the given film technique can be so different. Best Original Score is one of these categories in my mind. A sonic complement to a film can be so unique to the experience of a given film that it is hard to compare that score to scores of other films. It is a qualitative comparison that can be quite difficult in Oscar predicting.

Luckily, this year’s Academy Awards has a strong musical.

Best Original Score:

Continue reading Academy Awards Predictions 2017 – Best Original Score →

2017 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

Academy Awards Predictions 2017 – Best Film Editing

January 24, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

Cinematography may be the most fundamental aspect of filmmaking, but editing is its complementary rudimentary component. The shot and the edit work together to create the feeling of dynamism and movement in film (aside, of course, from the physical projection that creates the actual “movement” in a film image).

Editing is great. It is important to create a seamless experience, and it can be an excruciating task depending on the footage given. An edit can be subtle and incredibly meaningful, or a scene can be expertly sliced to create a fast paced action scene. In the case of the 2017 Oscars, we have examples of both.

Best Editing:

Continue reading Academy Awards Predictions 2017 – Best Film Editing →

2017 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

Academy Awards Predictions 2017 – Best Cinematography

January 24, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

The fundamental element of a film. Cinematography. What is captured and how it is captured. It’s basic, but some films make you forget that it’s basic. Some films project imagery that seems impossible to capture on camera.

Camera work is a beautiful thing, and the five films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 2017 are all visually stunning. Obviously, only one can take home the award. But how obvious are the odds?

Best Cinematography

Continue reading Academy Awards Predictions 2017 – Best Cinematography →

2017 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

Academy Awards Predictions 2017 – Best Adapted Screenplay

January 24, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

There is a lot of strong writing output from the Best Adapted Screenplay class of 2017. I don’t know how clear cut this category appears to everyone else, but I think there is only two directions it can go. One of these directions is a clearly lit path. The other one: harder to see come about.