Tag: 2020

REVIEW: I’m Your Woman (2020)

Still Photo Wilson Webb Amazon
‘I’m Your Woman,’ Still Image — Photo: Wilson Webb / Amazon Studios.

Directed by Julia Hart — Screenplay by Julia Hart & Jordan Horowitz.

In the first scenes of Julia Hart’s latest film, I’m Your Woman, we are introduced to Jean (played by Rachel Brosnahan) who has become passive and inactive as she has resigned herself to never become a mother, which she had always hoped to become. For Jean, days go by at home, while her husband, Eddie (played by Bill Heck), goes out to do God-knows-what. But then one day her dream comes true in the oddest way possible. One day, Eddie stands in the doorway with a nameless child who he insists is theirs. Continue reading “REVIEW: I’m Your Woman (2020)” →

REVIEW: Host (2020)

Release Poster – Shudder

Directed by Rob Savage — Screenplay by Gemma Hurley, Rob Savage, and Jed Shepherd.

Whether we would like it to happen or not, I am sure that over the next many years we will be treated to several films about, or simply set during, the Coronavirus Pandemic. It will be interesting to see what films treat that period of time appropriately and if any films about said period can stand the test of time. However, today I want to talk about the first fictional film that I have ever seen that directly mentions the Coronavirus pandemic, which is the Rob Savage-helmed techno-horror film Host. Continue reading “REVIEW: Host (2020)” →

REVIEW: Hillbilly Elegy (2020)

Hillbilly Elegy - Still Image - Lacey Terrell - Netflix
‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ Still Image — Photo by Lacey Terrell / Netflix.

Directed by Ron Howard — Screenplay by Vanessa Taylor.

Though it was once touted as a huge player at the upcoming Academy Awards, the overall critical reception of Ron Howard’s adaptation of J.D. Vance’s memoir Hillbilly Elegy has been surprisingly negative. What was once looked upon as the film that might finally be the vehicle that would give Amy Adams and Glenn Close the Oscars that their careers most definitely deserve, now looks like a surprisingly unengaging piece of Oscar-bait, which is a term that refers to films that give off the impression that they were made only to be nominated for Oscars. However, while I do think one performance is good enough to earn praise at awards ceremonies, the film as a whole is not memorable or good enough to leave a lasting impression. Continue reading “REVIEW: Hillbilly Elegy (2020)” →

Overview: November 2020

Overview provides my readers with a brief overview of the articles or reviews that I have written, as well as additional bite-sized thoughts on films or shows about which I do not intend to write thorough reviews. In November 2020, among other things, I wrote about Danish television and the highly anticipated Danish black-comedy Retfærdighedens Ryttere.

Continue reading “Overview: November 2020” →

REVIEW: The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special (2020)

Film Poster - Lego Star Wars
Release Poster – Disney+

Directed by Ken Cunningham — Available on Disney+.

It can be difficult to enjoy Star Wars fully when the fanbase is as fractured as it has been these last few years. A significant part of the fandom has a deep hatred for a film that I like quite a bit, and it has made it so draining to debate Star Wars opinions these days. These last few weeks, I have been watching the second season of The Mandalorian, which I will hopefully be reviewing soon, and it, along with this LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special released on Disney+, truly reminded me why I have always loved Star Wars so much that even online disputes can’t ruin it for me. The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is genuinely wonderful and a good time for the whole family. Continue reading “REVIEW: The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special (2020)” →

REVIEW: Retfærdighedens Ryttere (2020)

Promotional Still Image
‘Retfærdighedens Ryttere / Riders of Justice,’ Promotional Still Image — Photo by Rolf Konow — Nordisk Film.

Directed by Anders Thomas Jensen — Screenplay by Anders Thomas Jensen.

It is quite extraordinary that in a year like 2020, which has seen a global pandemic severely damage the film industry and movie theaters all around the world, somehow the Danish film industry has thrived. This year has produced several event films, so to speak, in my home country. It all began with Mikkel Nørgaard’s Klovn: The Final, which is a continuation of arguably Denmark’s most popular comedy series of the last two decades. Then, not too long ago, Thomas Vinterberg’s near-masterpiece Druk was released to rave reviews, and it has almost single-handedly revived Danish movie theaters. Now, this week, Anders Thomas Jensen’s black comedy Retfærdighedens Ryttere has been released in Denmark. It is strange to say this, but, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, this has been a remarkably strong year for the Danish film industry. Continue reading “REVIEW: Retfærdighedens Ryttere (2020)” →

REVIEW: Breeder (2020)

Film Poster
Theatrical Release Poster – Beo Starling

Directed by Jens Dahl — Screenplay by Sissel Dalsgaard Thomsen.

I think the Danish film industry has produced several gems and even some masterpieces. I really like to write about Danish films on my blog since it gives me a chance to highlight and talk about films that people outside of Denmark may not have heard of. But while there are very many excellent Danish dramas and great Danish comedies, I think it’s very odd that the Danish film industry has been struggling to keep up with the rest of the world when it comes to the very popular horror genre. Continue reading “REVIEW: Breeder (2020)” →

REVIEW: Artemis Fowl (2020)

Film Poster
Character Poster – Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Directed by Kenneth Branagh (Thor) — Written by Conor McPherson & Hamish McColl.

Following several years of development hell, a film adaptation of Eoin Colfer’s young adult fantasy novel Artemis Fowl was finally completed and released by a major film studio this year. Disney seemed like a good home for the film, and Kenneth Branagh seemed like a good fit as the director of the film since he had previously done a good job with fantasy films such as Thor and Cinderella. It was originally intended for a theatrical release in, first, 2019, and, later, 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced Disney to release the film on their new streaming service, Disney+. However, it almost feels like a straight-to-streaming release was the best thing that could’ve happened for the film since it has now been essentially swept under the rug without much fanfare. Continue reading “REVIEW: Artemis Fowl (2020)” →

Recommending Danish TV: ‘The Mole,’ ‘The Investigation,’ and ‘Cry Wolf’

Still Image Efterforskningen
‘Efterforskningen / The Investigation,’ Still Image — Photo by Henrik Ohsten — TV2.

Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of Danish television. I did this, in part, to prepare for my article on Mads Mikkelsen, but I’ve also been binge-watching a lot of Danish TV in anticipation of the upcoming fourth season of Borgen, which will be a co-production between Netflix and the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). But I’ve also recently watched three Danish shows that were released over the course of the last few months. Today, I want to tell you about Cry Wolf, The Mole, and The Investigation. Continue reading “Recommending Danish TV: ‘The Mole,’ ‘The Investigation,’ and ‘Cry Wolf’” →

REVIEW: On the Rocks (2020)

Film Poster
Release Poster – Apple TV+ / A24.

Written and Directed by Sofia Coppola (Lost In Translation) — Available on Apple TV+.

As most people know, Sofia Coppola is Hollywood royalty. She made appearances in many of her father’s films, before a less-than-stellar supporting performance in The Godfather Part III led to scathing reviews and, not long thereafter, her acting career was over. But Sofia Coppola is not just Hollywood royalty, she is also a terrific filmmaker. Over the years, she has managed to reinvent herself as a great director and for her second film as a director, 2003’s Lost in Translation, Coppola was allegedly inspired by her own relationship with her ex-husband and filmmaker Spike Jonze (Her). Since Lost in Translation, which I think is a beautiful film (as well as her best), it has been difficult not to look at her films as being directly inspired by her own experiences. When I watched On the Rocks, which, like Lost In Translation, features Bill Murray, I started to think about her relationship with both her father and middle-age. Continue reading “REVIEW: On the Rocks (2020)” →