Category: Oscar Contenders
10 Cloverfield Lane: Claustrophobia inducer a surprise hit
by Matt Ward
Eight years ago, a surprise hit film came out of nowhere to wow viewers with its unique found-footage style adaptation of the classic monster movie genre. The film, “Cloverfield,” had a grandiose, epic feeling that pervaded the movie from start to finish, while new release “10 Cloverfield Lane” – dubbed a “blood relative” to the 2008 monster movie by producer J.J. Abrams – couldn’t … Read More 10 Cloverfield Lane: Claustrophobia inducer a surprise hit
Zootopia: Animals live out loud in instant Disney classic
by Matt Ward
There’s something for everyone with Disney’s latest animated classic, “Zootopia,” which arrived in theaters Friday. The appeal for children should be obvious as kids will be drawn to the vibrant world of the film, where animals of all shapes and sizes co-exist in harmony, while behaving and working like human beings. Parents will get to revel in all of the subtle (and not so … Read More Zootopia: Animals live out loud in instant Disney classic
Room: A whole world in a small space
by Matt Ward
Odds are good that audiences don’t know much about Brie Larson before stepping into a theater to watch the critically acclaimed drama Room. Larson, who’s been a scene stealer in comedies like Trainwreck and an indie darling with Short Term 12, takes a major step toward stardom in director Lenny Abrahamson’s drama as Ma, a 24-year-old woman kidnapped and held in a shed for … Read More Room: A whole world in a small space
Academy Awards Preview: Picks to win and a shoutout to the boys at Filmventure
by Matt Ward
Most years, picking Academy Award winners can be pretty straightforward. There’s a movie that’s heads and tails above the rest and you can hit a pretty high percentage of correct predictions by picking that movie as the winner in every category it’s eligible in. You’re not going to hit them all, but that’s okay. 2015 isn’t one of those years because instead of one … Read More Academy Awards Preview: Picks to win and a shoutout to the boys at Filmventure
Brooklyn: Beauty in duality
by Matt Ward
Describing “Brooklyn” to someone who has never heard of the Oscar-nominated film based on the novel of the same name by Colm Toibin isn’t as easy of a task as one might think. It would be a gross over-simplification to call the film a romance period piece where a young Irish immigrant named Eilis – played by Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan – falls … Read More Brooklyn: Beauty in duality
The Revenant: DiCaprio’s lead performance Oscar-worthy
by Matt Ward
As you’re sitting in the theater watching Leonardo DiCaprio eating raw bison liver, it’s hard not to wonder to what lengths perhaps the greatest actor never to win an Academy Award will go in pursuit of his art. Once you’ve seen “The Revenant” – the closest thing to an absolute lock for a Best Picture Oscar Hollywood produced in 2015 – go online and … Read More The Revenant: DiCaprio’s lead performance Oscar-worthy
The Hateful Eight: Frontier western offers best, worst of cinema
by Matt Ward
Quentin Tarantino just isn’t for everyone. His most ardent fans – ones who’ve seen “Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction” countless times and can quote “True Romance” by heart even though Tarantino just wrote the script – would argue that the director is a cinematic icon and leading provocateur for this generation of filmmakers. Others would argue that Tarantino’s movies overtly glamorize violence to the … Read More The Hateful Eight: Frontier western offers best, worst of cinema
Joy: Jennifer Lawrence makes Oscar contender work
by Matt Ward
You’re sitting at home on a Tuesday evening relaxing in front of the television and the trailer for “Joy” – one of seven new releases to come out over the Christmas holidays – came on. You probably had little to no idea what the hell you just saw. It’s a film with Jennifer Lawrence and she’s shooting a shotgun and for some reason there’s … Read More Joy: Jennifer Lawrence makes Oscar contender work
Spotlight: Journalism docudrama an instant classic
by Matt Ward
Every once in a while, a movie comes along that shows its viewers the power of no-frills, no-nonsense drama in a way that just smacks you in the face, shakes you awake and says “This is what good cinema is truly about.” “Spotlight” is one of those films. Tom McCarthy’s film, based on a script he co-wrote with Josh Singer, follows the four person … Read More Spotlight: Journalism docudrama an instant classic
Beasts of No Nation: Netflix bursts into Oscar race with thrilling drama
by Matt Ward
Netflix is changing the entertainment business. Again. After revolutionizing how we consume home video with their DVD mailing and online streaming services, the Internet mega-power broke barriers with their original television content, winning Emmys for “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black.” This massive change allowed viewers to binge watch an entire season within days of watching the season premiere while never … Read More Beasts of No Nation: Netflix bursts into Oscar race with thrilling drama
Steve Jobs: Perception isn’t reality with Apple founder biopic
by Matt Ward
Steve Jobs was an innovator. The man behind the iPod, iMac and one of the enduring beacons of the tech industry hasn’t been gone five years and Hollywood’s already on their second biopic about the enigmatic and fractured genius. Two years ago, an independent feature with actor/model/Jobs-lookalike Ashton Kutcher as the Apple co-founder was released to little fanfare and critical derision despite a solid … Read More Steve Jobs: Perception isn’t reality with Apple founder biopic
Black Mass: Depp, Edgerton shine in ensemble gangster flick
by Matt Ward
Johnny Depp is different things to different people. He’s borderline flamboyant, swashbuckling pirate Johnny Depp to many filmgoers; undercover teen cop Johnny Depp to an older generation and an enigmatic Mad Hatter Johnny Depp to a much younger subsect of audiences. There’s no mistaking that the charming when he wants to be, brooding when he needs to be and enigmatic always Johnny Depp feels … Read More Black Mass: Depp, Edgerton shine in ensemble gangster flick
Cinematic Considerations 