Category: Oscar Contenders
Nocturnal Animals: Creatures of the night
by Matt Ward
Chances are there will never be another movie quite like “Nocturnal Animals.” Fashion designer turned director Tom Ford’s second film makes bold statement after bold statement cinematically on its way to being one of the year’s best movies – and certainly its most controversial. Before any of the feature’s four main stars – Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon or Aaron Taylor-Johnson – even … Read More Nocturnal Animals: Creatures of the night
Allied: The spy who loved he
by Matt Ward
Love isn’t easy for the average Joe. It mus be massively complicated for spies living on the edge during the heyday of World War II Europe, or at least Robert Zemeckis is banking on audiences believing it. His latest film, “Allied,” stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard as veteran assassins who fall in love during their first mission together killing a German ambassador. After … Read More Allied: The spy who loved he
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
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
Florence Foster Jenkins: Loving the un-pretty voices
by Matt Ward
Award season doesn’t hit for another several months, with major contenders typically not hitting theaters until mid-December. There’s usually one exception to this rule annually and in 2016, it comes in the form of Meryl Streep, an actress so synonymous with Academy Award nominations that her mere involvement in a feature vaults it to the top of prognosticators’ lists. Her latest film, the comedic … Read More Florence Foster Jenkins: Loving the un-pretty voices
The Birth Of A Nation: Personal conflict
by Matt Ward
It’s been nearly a week since I drove an hour away to see The Birth Of A Nation.
It was incredibly difficult for me to put my thoughts into words then while hammering away a few notes on my cell phone.
It’s incredibly difficult for me to write about this film now. And it shouldn’t have had to be.
Snowden: NSA surveillance for dummies
by Matt Ward
There’s an inevitable desire to start constantly looking over your shoulder and watching what you post on social media after screening the political drama “Snowden,” now in theaters. Oscar winner Oliver Stone’s paranoia-inducing image rehabilitation feature narrative on famed former NSA analyst and fugitive Edward Snowden hits heavy for those relatively uninformed about the titular character’s life and actions. However, for news-minded individuals, “Snowden” … Read More Snowden: NSA surveillance for dummies
Sully: Hanks soars once again
by Matt Ward
What happens to unlikely heroes after their miraculous deeds? Academy Award winning director Clint Eastwood seeks to answer this complex question with yet another introspective look at a recent American hero following 2014’s spectacular “American Sniper.” In “Sully,” Eastwood examines the “hero on the Hudson,” veteran U.S. Airways pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger as he constantly relives his 208-second flight from LaGuardia Airport which ended … Read More Sully: Hanks soars once again
The Light Between Oceans: Vikander, Fassbender put on acting clinic
by Matt Ward
Every year there’s a film that sneaks its way through theaters without much commercial fanfare and then makes a strong showing in Oscar nominations. In 2016 that film is assuredly “The Light Between Oceans,” a picturesque, romantic period drama featuring reigning Best Supporting Actress winner Alicia Vikander and Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender along with a terrific supporting performance from Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz. … Read More The Light Between Oceans: Vikander, Fassbender put on acting clinic
Hell or High Water: The best movie of the year
by Matt Ward
“Hell or High Water” is the best film you’ll see this year. This isn’t hyperbole or a statement made lightly, especially given the fact that there’s still four months and an entire season of Academy Award candidates yet to be released. Beautifully crafted and acted, the first major release film from director David Mackenzie stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as brothers who resort … Read More Hell or High Water: The best movie of the year
Finding Dory: Get lost once again
by Matt Ward
Rarely does a film sequel exceed high expectations, let alone surpass the original movie it is based on. “Finding Dory” is one of those sequels. More than a decade after the release of Pixar’s Oscar-winning “Finding Nemo,” the Disney-owned company returns with a nearly flawless follow-up and prove that oftentimes the best sequels are the ones that studios take the extra time to get … Read More Finding Dory: Get lost once again
Cinematic Considerations 