Month: October 2021
The French Dispatch: Short stories served dry
by Matt Ward
Wes Anderson movies are by in large an acquired taste. Exceptionally dry and increasingly niche in form, his filmography represents an auteur’s sensibilities with relative apathy for how easy it would be for casual audiences to become immersed into and enjoy the worlds Anderson painstakingly creates. Such is the case with The French Dispatch, an amalgamation of various French cinema styles combined with twee … Read More The French Dispatch: Short stories served dry
Dune: Building a spice world
by Matt Ward
World building in cinema can be a richly rewarding experience that will encircle and fully immerse the audience, pulling them out of their everyday lives and transporting them beyond their mind’s eye. Crafting something intricate that will stand up to scrutiny and encourage repeat viewings while not overwhelming casual audiences is an especially tricky feat to accomplish. It’s one that director Denis Villeneuve tackles … Read More Dune: Building a spice world
The Last Duel: A matter of perspective
by Matt Ward
Two men – former close friends – battle to the death for honor and the truth in God’s eyes. It’s a singular moment in time that frames director Ridley Scott’s latest film, an epic two-and-a-half hour medieval odyssey featuring the first script penned by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon since the duo won the Oscar for original screenplay for 1997’s Good Will Hunting. But … Read More The Last Duel: A matter of perspective
No Time To Die: The final adventure
by Matt Ward
What defines James Bond, the longest running character in cinema history? Is it the suits that make the man or the boundless charisma that gets him to have his way with women? Does it have to do with the gadgetry he receives from MI-6’s Q-Branch, the exotic locations he travels to or the megalomaniac villains he faces off against? Depending on where audiences fall … Read More No Time To Die: The final adventure
Spectre: Means to an end
by Matt Ward
Making a masterpiece is hard enough. Following it up with something as good or better feels almost impossible, not just because it’s so hard to recapture the magic that brought the film to life but that there’s so much expectation for what comes next. Sam Mendes created one of the most iconic entries in the James Bond canon with Skyfall and the weight of … Read More Spectre: Means to an end
Skyfall: You can never go home again
by Matt Ward
There are Bond films and then there is Bond cinema. Most entries into the canon of 007 are Bond films, the ones that find Roger Moore battling giant men with metal teeth or Pierce Brosnan facing off against an old friend over satellites that can destroy financial markets. Director Sam Mendes’ debut in the filmography of Ian Fleming’s British spy isn’t just a film. … Read More Skyfall: You can never go home again
Quantum of Solace: Bond thrown off course
by Matt Ward
Following the events of Casino Royale almost immediately, Quantum of Solace takes a strong first step towards being a worthy follow-up film in Daniel Craig’s second outing as the famed British spy James Bond. But midway through, it feels as if director Marc Forster forgets about the globally intricate network of villains established in the first three hours of Craig’s career as 007 and … Read More Quantum of Solace: Bond thrown off course
Casino Royale: A new old vintage for James Bond
by Matt Ward
James Bond has been revived several times over the past six-plus decades, but never has a debut film felt as electric as when Daniel Craig achieved his double-0 status with a brutal bathroom assault and classic espionage hit shrouded in black and white. Director Martin Campbell’s 2006 film “Casino Royale,” a vivid modern reimagining of Ian Fleming’s first novel, completely resets the debonair British … Read More Casino Royale: A new old vintage for James Bond
Venom Let There Be Carnage: Let there be mild amusement
by Matt Ward
With originality dwindling in the blockbuster cinema marketplace, it’s often that viewers might feel like they’re watching the exact same film all over again. Three years ago, Sony broke through the comic book ranks with a quirky cult hit spin-off for a classic Spider-Man villain that had a unique charm with an awkward buddy comedy dynamic mixed in with Marvel lore. Returning to the … Read More Venom Let There Be Carnage: Let there be mild amusement
Cinematic Considerations 