Month: November 2016
Rules Don’t Apply: Beatty leads Howard Hughes fiction
by Matt Ward
Nostalgia is a pretty powerful thing in modern moviemaking. More than ever, films try to remind us about the good old days of cinema, whether it’s CGI sharks terrorizing Blake Lively in the “Jaws” homage “The Shallows” or any one of a dozen Disney live-action remakes of classic cartoon movies or even “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” which turns into a carbon copy of … Read More Rules Don’t Apply: Beatty leads Howard Hughes fiction
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them: The magic is back
by Matt Ward
The wizarding world of Harry Potter takes an adventurous left turn in the prequel spinoff franchise “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” the first in a series of films based on the J.K Rowling novel of the same name. You won’t find Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson or any of the other stars of the eight “Harry Potter” movies within “Fantastic Beasts,” which is … Read More Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them: The magic is back
Arrival: Can you hear me now?
by Matt Ward
There’s something beautifully simple about the complexity of “Arrival,” Denis Villeneuve’s captivatingly science fiction drama. While the film’s premise feels cookie-cutter cliché, “Arrival” asks more rhetorical questions than it ultimately answers and should serve as a conversation starter about understanding instead of fearing our allies, enemies and the unknown in trying political and social times. Villeneuve’s third major feature film is the perfect counterbalance … Read More Arrival: Can you hear me now?
Hacksaw Ridge: What it means to serve
by Matt Ward
Unwavering heroism amidst the ravages of war is explored in Mel Gibson’s latest directorial effort “Hacksaw Ridge,” sure to be one of the year’s ten best feature films. Gibson expertly combines gruesome World War II era violence akin to Steven Spielberg’s classic “Saving Private Ryan” with dramatic underpinnings of faith, family and love for your fellow man that one might expect in a traditional … Read More Hacksaw Ridge: What it means to serve
Cinematic Considerations 