Tag Archives: Tom Hanks

2020 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

2020 Oscar Predictions — Best Supporting Actor

January 19, 2020 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

As we head into the Screen Actors Guild awards, which will help clarify the frontrunners in the four Oscar acting races, perhaps it is a good time to look at the Academy’s nominees and their current place in the Best Supporting Actor race.

Of all the acting categories, Supporting Actor is, I think, the one without a clear frontrunner. In the other three categories, it is a matter of one nominee poised to win, where any other winner would be viewed as an upset. In this category, there are three actors in this category who could win this award.

The Nominees:

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All Movie Reviews, Drama, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) Movie Review

November 22, 2019 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

When me meet Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) at the start of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, the new Fred Rogers biopic directed by Marielle Heller, he is giving a speech at the National Magazine Awards. Having won the year before for his tough-headed journalism that doesn’t make him many friends, Lloyd is presenting the award to this year’s recipient. Without any vigor or pomp, he delivers his canned address by making appeals to the power of journalism. With magazines, Lloyd and his peers can “change a broken world with [their] words.”

But Lloyd clearly doesn’t believe that. At least, he doesn’t have the Continue reading A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Animation, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Toy Story 4 (2019) Movie Review

June 26, 2019 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

Note: I don’t spoil any major plot points in this review, but I hint at aspects of Toy Story 4 that could be construed as spoilers. So let’s just call this a spoiler review.

Walking into Pixar’s Toy Story 4, I thought the pertinent question would be: was a fourth installment necessary? Given how most Pixar sequels have not lived up to their predecessors (Toy Story 2 being the most notable exception) and how Toy Story 3 presents an adequate ending to the then trilogy, it made little sense for a fourth film to exist beyond the want for money.

Sitting through the first act of Josh Cooley’s film, however, this questioning starts to disappear. Toy Story 4 may not wind up being Continue reading Toy Story 4 (2019) Movie Review →

All Movie Reviews, Drama, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

The Post (2017) Movie Review

January 14, 2018 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

One could look at The Post, the latest from veteran director Steven Spielberg, and see a current and scathing indictment of executive authority to undermine freedom of speech vis a vis journalism, a critique of modern political decorum by way of an examination of the past.

Ignoring the politicization of this message, the grand-standing done in the final 30 minutes of this film, in which Continue reading The Post (2017) Movie Review →

2018 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

2018 Academy Awards Predictions – Best Actor Nominees

January 8, 2018 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

2018. Oscars. Best Actor. We’re all thinking the same thing: Will the Academy give James Franco the award just to see what happens when he brings Tommy Wiseau on stage?

The Nominees:

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2018 Golden Globes

2018 Golden Globes Predictions – Best Actor

December 12, 2017 Alex Brannan 1 Comment

The two Best Actor categories this year both have good narratives to them. They are arguably the most exciting, as it is difficult to see exactly who is on top.

The Nominees:

Best Actor – Drama

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2018 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

Irresponsibly Early Oscars 2018 Predictions: Best Actor

July 17, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

None of these movies have been released (except for Get Out). Most of these movies don’t even have trailers released. But we’re talking about them anyway.

Hurrah, hearsay!

Top Contenders:

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Action/Thriller, All Movie Reviews, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

The Circle (2017) Movie Review

April 28, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

Mae (Emma Watson) is stuck at a dreary temp job. Her car barely runs. She lives at home with her parents. Effectively, she’s stuck.

Then, through a connection in friend Annie (Karen Gillan), Mae lands an interview at The Circle, a hip-and-trendy tech outfit that is, on contact, Orwellian. Or, at least, Continue reading The Circle (2017) Movie Review →

2017 Academy Awards, Award Ceremonies

2017 Academy Awards Nomination Predictions – Best Actor

January 1, 2017 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

As is often the case, the Academy acting awards feel like they have already been handed out. The phrase “the Oscar is X-actor’s to lose” is standard, and I will likely use the same phrase down the line this year. In 2016, Best Actor was Leo DiCaprio’s to lose, and he won. In 2015, Best Actress was Julianne Moore’s to lose, and she won. Etcetera, etcetera.

In 2017, there is a clear favorite and a few other contenders.

Best Actor

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2017 Golden Globes, Award Ceremonies, Movie News

Surprising Snubs from the 2017 Golden Globe Nominations

December 12, 2016 Alex Brannan Leave a comment

The Golden Globes were released today, one day after the yet-to-be-nationally-released (read: I haven’t seen it) La La Land won big at the Critics’ Choice Awards, and, as usual, some had to get snubbed.

Here are a brief list of no-shows from this year’s list of film nominees (Sorry, no TV here). Note: I have not seen all of the film’s nominated (and not nominated), so some of these list items might not be so surprising in retrospect. Continue reading Surprising Snubs from the 2017 Golden Globe Nominations →