Month: January 2023
Shotgun Wedding: Romance moving online
by Matt Ward
If there’s one type of movie that hasn’t roared back theatrically after the pandemic, it’s the romantic comedy. For every The Lost City that surprises at the box office, there seem to be a half-dozen or more rom-coms that only find success on streaming platforms like Marry Me, Ticket to Paradise or I Want You Back. In a continuation of this trend, Lionsgate sold … Read More Shotgun Wedding: Romance moving online
Plane: Vintage action for the modern era
by Matt Ward
It’s somehow comforting to know that even as cable channels are fading to obscurity with the rise of streaming services, movie studios are still making films whose future lies on basic cable even before the first ticket is sold. The marginally violent, action-adventure film is a unique sub-genre that typically centers around Jason Statham, Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson or, on occasion, Sylvester Stallone and … Read More Plane: Vintage action for the modern era
The Whale: Fraser’s emotional odyssey
by Matt Ward
Film is often about redemption, the seeking of absolution or, at times, both. There’s tales about comeback kids, underdogs, the forgotten, the unforgiven, the unforgivable, the isolated. In a way, director Darren Aronofsky’s latest feature is a bit of all of this, most notably being a return to stardom for Brendan Fraser with the year’s most committed, devastating performance. Structurally, The Whale tells the … Read More The Whale: Fraser’s emotional odyssey
Babylon: All the glitz and glamour
by Matt Ward
When auteur directors get to the point in their careers where they have established the pedigree to have carte blanche with a studio’s checkbook, it opens all sorts of possibilities. Damien Chazelle – who burst on the scene with Whiplash and is best known for his Oscar winning musical La La Land – dips his toe back in the waters of making movies about … Read More Babylon: All the glitz and glamour
White Noise: Cinematic static
by Matt Ward
It seems as though every year Netflix puts out a film that makes one wonder how it was greenlit into production. Whether it’s an exorbitant budget for a languishing Martin Scorsese epic like The Irishman or an overly sarcastic, nihilistic dramedy like Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up, the streaming service can’t quite find its footing for an award season contender to draw large audiences … Read More White Noise: Cinematic static
Cinematic Considerations 