Category: New Releases
Empire of Light: Cinema in all capital letters
by Matt Ward
One of an auteur’s favorite things to center their films around is the art of cinema itself. Filmmakers started off their careers as moviegoers and these experiences color and impact everything about how they write, direct and produce their own work. Sam Mendes’ extensive theater and filmmaking background come to fruition with his latest film, Empire of Light, a languishing, self-indulgent look at the … Read More Empire of Light: Cinema in all capital letters
Devotion: Old school war drama
by Matt Ward
It’s often said that “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to anymore.” This is especially true when it comes to the world of filmmaking, where studios are consolidating the types of movies they produce in order to maximize profit margins. Whether it’s due to analytics or the whim of a finicky studio head, certain types of films just aren’t being greenlit or … Read More Devotion: Old school war drama
The Fabelmans: Making movies about making movies
by Matt Ward
Steven Spielberg has always been a director who cares deeply about the artistry behind his films. Influenced by some of the great filmmakers of the past – most notably John Ford – Spielberg is an exceptional, introspective master of cinema with a clear voice and vision who truly wants to bring magic to the screen at every opportunity. His latest film, The Fabelmans, is … Read More The Fabelmans: Making movies about making movies
Armageddon Time: Uneven American angst
by Matt Ward
For whatever reason, 2022 seems to be the year in which celebrated auteurs have decided to collectively look back at their childhoods to mine their youth for dramatic themes and commentary on modern society. Whether it be the isolation of the COVID pandemic or these veteran filmmakers actualizing their own autobiographical works, it seems moviegoers will have no shortage of self-indulgent drama this holiday … Read More Armageddon Time: Uneven American angst
Black Panther Wakanda Forever: Masterfully uneven
by Matt Ward
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continues to expand now 30 films deep into its plethora of movie and television franchises, it’s become exceptionally hard for the comic book studio to produce quality entertainment that doesn’t feel repetitive and increasingly mundane. Studio head Kevin Feige has done a more than adequate job attempting to fill this gap by finding directors with unique visions to … Read More Black Panther Wakanda Forever: Masterfully uneven
Causeway: Return to form
by Matt Ward
It’s unclear if Apple, a major player in the technology world but relatively new in film production, has any idea what to do with the movies it releases. After making a big splash last year with their surprise Best Picture Oscar winner CODA, the up-and-coming movie studio had several anticipated titles on their slate over the next 18 months but has struggled to choose … Read More Causeway: Return to form
The Banshees of Inisherin: The charm of simple storytelling
by Matt Ward
So often movies must have big, grandiose stakes in order to appease a wide audience. They have global, if not universal consequences to the world filmmakers create, require massive budgets, large casts, intricate sets and visual effects to become cinematic blockbusters worthy of the big screen. The scale to which the average movie has expanded has drastically altered the landscape of modern filmmaking and … Read More The Banshees of Inisherin: The charm of simple storytelling
Tár: Measures of time
by Matt Ward
Time is a very precious and valuable thing. What we do with our time, how quickly or slowly life seems to go all feels set at a tempo that we conduct ourselves. It’s also at the core of acclaimed writer/director Todd Field’s first film in 16 years, a cerebral, cold, elongated portrait of a woman convinced that she has mastered time itself. Featuring one … Read More Tár: Measures of time
The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A brew for the boys
by Matt Ward
What a filmmaker does after they win a Best Picture Academy Award is an incredibly important thing. It helps to define their future as a director, but also put into greater context their award-winning film as either fluke or part of a larger catalog of elite work. It usually takes several years, if not longer, to see a follow-up film from this caliber of … Read More The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A brew for the boys
Amsterdam: Nothing beneath the surface
by Matt Ward
What an absolute beautiful mess of a film. It’s probably the only real way to describe exactly what convoluted, unengaging yet exceptionally picturesque movie writer/director David O. Russell has made with a tremendously high budget, endlessly talented if often miscast group of actors and one of Hollywood’s best cinematographers at his disposal. The former Oscar nominee known for his sharp screenwriting and ability to … Read More Amsterdam: Nothing beneath the surface
Blonde: Cracks below the surface
by Matt Ward
The human mind is a fragile thing. For as much as we want to believe that we are capable of handling anything that life throws our way, it’s the trauma and mental anguish that goes untreated that often leads to our demise. This is very much at the core of writer/director Andrew Dominik’s latest film, an avant-garde fever dream odyssey that follows no rigid … Read More Blonde: Cracks below the surface
Don’t Worry Darling: Down the rabbit hole
by Matt Ward
There’s a fantastic film hiding somewhere deep within Don’t Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde’s follow-up to her surprise hit directorial debut in 2019 with “Booksmart.” In an idyllic world, Darling takes an incredible Florence Pugh performance and elevates it with exceptional cinematography and production design as well as an ensemble cast that can help create a larger world and bring an intriguing concept to life. … Read More Don’t Worry Darling: Down the rabbit hole
Cinematic Considerations 