Tag: Edward Berger

‘Ballad of a Small Player,’ ‘The Home,’ ‘Det Andet Offer,’ and More | Bite-Sized Reviews

Top Row (L-R): ‘Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix);’ ‘The Home (Lionsgate /Roadside Attractions);’ ‘Det Andet Offer (SF Studios).’
Bottom Row (L-R): ‘Under Stjernerne På Himlen (SF Studios;’ ‘Opus (A24),’ ‘The Amateur (20th Century Studios).’

Every once in a while, I don’t quite have enough to say or the time to put it into enough words for me to write full, dedicated reviews for everything new that I see. So, from time to time, I will just post a short review on Letterboxd, and, as you may have noticed, sometimes these reviews find their way to this site in the form of bite-sized reviews in a compilation article. That is exactly what’s happening today.

In this article, I’ll give you my thoughts on two Danish films starring the same stand-up comedian turned actor, an action thriller that came and went without much fanfare, a mystery thriller that also came and went without making an imprint, a recent Netflix casino flick, and a retirement home-set horror film that may just be one of the worst films I’ve seen this year. Let’s get to it.

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Who Will Be Nominated? – Final Predictions | 97th Oscars

It’s finally that time again. Tomorrow, AMPAS is announcing its list of nominees for the upcoming 97th Academy Awards. So, of course, now is the time to fill in your final Oscars nominations predictions. This is exactly what I’ve done here. Below you’ll see what I’m predicting along with a few comments here and there. The choices are ranked from either one to five or one to ten based on how confident I am that something is getting nominated with 1 being the most confident. Let’s get to it.

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Conclave (2024) | REVIEW

Ralph Fiennes in Edward Berger’s CONCLAVE — PHOTO: Focus Features (Still image from trailers).

Directed by Edward Berger — Screenplay by Peter Straughan.

How do you follow up successfully directing a German-language version of All Quiet On the Western Front to critical acclaim and multiple little golden men statues from the Oscars? It’s a good question, and it is exactly the kind of challenge German filmmaker Edward Berger had in front of him. Now, two years later, we have our answer with Conclave, as Berger has crafted yet another adaptation of a major novel. This time around his film is a big screen adaptation of Robert Harris’ 2016 thriller novel of the same, and his adaptation was written by Peter Straughan, a BAFTA-winning co-writer of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Straughan’s writing and Berger’s direction are paired with a stellar cast spearheaded by Ralph Fiennes, together that trio has brought us a political thriller for grown-ups that is deeply engaging. 

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Top Ten Films of 2022

This is a list of the best films of 2022. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is very late, but pay it no mind. The film industry in 2022 felt like a massive and powerful response to the limitations of the COVID-lockdown era. One action film saved the box office industry in America, one Asian film transcended borders to infect us all with joy, great filmmakers put out exceptional entries in their ouevre, and multiple different versions of Pinocchio were released — but only one of the made a positive impact. Let’s have a look at the best films of 2022.

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REVIEW: All Quiet On The Western Front (2022)

Felix Kammerer as ‘Paul Bäumer’ in IM WESTEN NICHTS NEUES — PHOTO: Netflix.

Directed by Edward Berger — Screenplay by Ian Stokell, Lesley Paterson, and Edward Berger.

Can a war film ever truly be anti-war? A lot has been said on the topic over the years, with François Truffaut often being attributed to the quote that “there is no such thing as an anti-war film,” and Steven Spielberg reportedly disagreeing completely in an interview with Newsweek in which he stated that “every war movie, good or bad, is an anti-war movie.” With respect, I think both of their black-and-white absolute statements miss the mark. Certainly, there are war films that aren’t explicitly anti-war in case they showcase heroism or glorify the act of fighting for one’s country. Some would definitely argue that Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan fell prey to some of these war movie pitfalls. On the other hand, I also think the Truffaut quote is a strange generalization. Actually, with All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), I think Edward Berger has done an excellent job of recreating the hell of World War One in a way that knocks you out, shakes you up, and sends waves through you.

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