Category: Oscar Contenders
Spider-Man No Way Home: Superhero movies are back
by Matt Ward
Marvel Studios has had a problem for the better part of two years now. Ever since the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019, the Disney-owned franchise has been wallowing in a dilemma partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic and partially due to their own making. With most of their Avengers core retiring from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, producer Kevin Feige has had to start … Read More Spider-Man No Way Home: Superhero movies are back
West Side Story: Reimagining a classic
by Matt Ward
There really isn’t such a thing as a bad Steven Spielberg movie. Regardless of the film, one of America’s quintessential directors has crafted a career so illustrious and celebrated that it’s impossible to consider anything he makes bad. So when it was announced that Spielberg would attempt to reinvigorate the 1957 Broadway musical and 1961 Academy Award Best Picture winner West Side Story, there’s … Read More West Side Story: Reimagining a classic
The Power of the Dog: Melancholy in the old west
by Matt Ward
There’s no gunfights in Netflix’s largest awards contending release, a western starring Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch as a Montana rancher in the 1920s. Director Jane Campion’s first film in more than a decade, The Power of the Dog is a subtle, slow-burn character driven drama examining life in the rural hills, what it means to be a man and the things we all too … Read More The Power of the Dog: Melancholy in the old west
House of Gucci: Killer fashion
by Matt Ward
Octogenarian filmmaker Ridley Scott is among the hardest working directors in Hollywood. With over 50 movies to his credit – including a pair of new releases this year and another two currently in production – Scott doesn’t stop for much of anything, let alone the coronavirus pandemic. After completing his medieval epic The Last Duel during the latter part of 2020, Scott immediately sought … Read More House of Gucci: Killer fashion
Belfast: Simple story, complex conflict
by Matt Ward
When we are young, the fuller picture of the world around us isn’t clear. Things that affect us directly – things that happen on the street where we live, the other children in class, our families – become seared in our memories. Understanding things that happen in the periphery simply have less significance because the impact is lesser. Such is the case with Belfast, … Read More Belfast: Simple story, complex conflict
Spencer: The haunting of a princess
by Matt Ward
Pablo Larraín doesn’t approach his biographical subject manner in any traditional sense. His 2016 film Jackie, which was nominated for three Oscars, followed Natalie Portman as the recently widowed wife of United States President John F. Kennedy in the immediate days after his assassination and took a more artistic stance on relatively recent historical record. The second in what is expected to be a … Read More Spencer: The haunting of a princess
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
Stillwater: Floating under the radar
by Matt Ward
One of the year’s best films can’t seem to find its audience. With an Oscar winner at the helm and box office draw Matt Damon delivering one of the finest performances of his career, Stillwater should have been a no-doubt buzzworthy feature that drove viewers to the theater for what was marketed as a high-stakes thriller. And yet, director/co-writer Tom McCarthy’s latest film and … Read More Stillwater: Floating under the radar
In The Heights: Capturing the spirit of community
by Matt Ward
Much of great filmmaking comes down to proper world building, creating a community within the narrative to help bring the audience into an unfamiliar, unique place. Filmmakers often showcase the worlds in which they come from, which makes authentic portrayals of diverse communities rarer than they should be. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway smash hit took audiences into his community, a melting pot of Latino … Read More In The Heights: Capturing the spirit of community
Cruella: Is there redemption for villainy?
by Matt Ward
Growing up on animated films, there are any number of terrifying villains that easily scare young children with their wicked and cruel nature. One such baddie with a demonic last name and a penchant for turning puppies into fashion statements felt especially repulsive and scary to adolescent cinephiles. After two Angelina Jolie-led features putting the antagonist of Sleeping Beauty at the center of the … Read More Cruella: Is there redemption for villainy?
Cinematic Considerations 