Month: May 2021
Cruella: Is there redemption for villainy?
by Matt Ward
Growing up on animated films, there are any number of terrifying villains that easily scare young children with their wicked and cruel nature. One such baddie with a demonic last name and a penchant for turning puppies into fashion statements felt especially repulsive and scary to adolescent cinephiles. After two Angelina Jolie-led features putting the antagonist of Sleeping Beauty at the center of the … Read More Cruella: Is there redemption for villainy?
The Get Together: Been a long time since party time
by Matt Ward
Will Bakke’s latest film wasn’t made with the pandemic in mind. Shot over 12 nights in a house on the edge of Austin, Bakke and co-writer Michael B. Allen sought to simply create the feel of a Friday night party that everyone has been to in their twenties. There’s the overly friendly guy, the girl who just wants to leave as soon as possible, … Read More The Get Together: Been a long time since party time
Those Who Wish Me Dead: Mild danger in the woods
by Matt Ward
Taylor Sheridan has a mind for creating thoughtful, tense cinema based in the harsh realities of open country. The screenwriter world building around West Texas bank robbers in Hell or High Water and Mexican drug cartels for a pair of Sicario films successfully transition to the director’s chair in 2017, adapting his own script with his debut feature Wind River, a cold, blistering murder … Read More Those Who Wish Me Dead: Mild danger in the woods
Wrath of Man: No saints, only sinners
by Matt Ward
As theaters begin the arduous process of trying to bring audiences back on a regular basis after more than a year away, it’s imperative that studios deliver signature films that represent the best of what cinema can do in every genre. Wrath of Man, the first film pairing action star Jason Statham with British auteur Guy Ritchie in over 15 years, is without question … Read More Wrath of Man: No saints, only sinners
Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse: Vengeance served ice cold
by Matt Ward
Somber can be a valuable emotion in espionage thrillers. Cold, calculated violence from an agent infiltrating behind enemy lines to extract a target, steal intelligence or disrupt the opposition at any cost is often engaging, entertaining drama ripe for cinema. Amazon’s attempt to get into the spy genre, however, is so emotionless that it becomes a stale, forgettable journey across the globe featuring faceless … Read More Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse: Vengeance served ice cold
Cinematic Considerations 