Tag: Laura Dern

REVIEW: Little Women (2019)

US Theatrical Release Poster – Sony Pictures Releasing

The following is a review of Little Women (2019) — Directed by Greta Gerwig.

This is a movie that I have wanted to review for a very long time. As I often bemoan, in Denmark, distributors tend to theatrically release major Oscar-nominated films months after they have been released in the United States. This often means that I miss out on the conversations that these films bring up. It also means that, in this case, I couldn’t discuss the only film nominated for Best Picture that was directed by a woman during awards season for the 92nd Academy Awards. Now that I finally have my hands on a Blu-Ray of the film, which I bought on Amazon UK, I have had the chance to watch and review a film that my peers already have plenty of thoughts about. Coincidentally, the film is now finally being released in Danish theaters just as the UK Blu-Ray arrived. Continue reading “REVIEW: Little Women (2019)” →

Parasite Won Best Picture and Made History – Special Features #62

What happened at the 92nd Academy Awards was incredible. Just ask most Oscar experts and they will agree. This was, based on statistics and precursor awards results, supposed to be Sam Mendes’ and 1917‘s night. Though I desperately wanted Parasite to win all of the night’s biggest awards, my head was telling me no. Therefore, in my final predictions, I went with the safe bet and said 1917 would win Best Director and Best Picture. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong about an Oscar-prediction. In the end, the latest South Korean masterpiece — Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite — won the night’s two biggest awards (as well as two other prestigious golden statuettes). The Academy made the right choice. This time, in my opinion, the Best Picture winner is actually the best film of the year. The Academy finally got it right, as they say. Continue reading “Parasite Won Best Picture and Made History – Special Features #62” →

Final 92nd Academy Awards Predictions: Winners – Special Features #61

It’s time. This awards season has been rather short. This has been both been a good and a bad thing, though Film Twitter seems convinced that it’s only been a bad thing. Sure, AMPAS’ predictions were somewhat disappointing, and, frustratingly, many of the upcoming winners seem obvious at this point. It almost feels like only a little bit more than a handful of categories are competitive going into the big night. Today, I’m giving my final predictions for the big Oscar night — the Super Bowl for the film community.
Continue reading “Final 92nd Academy Awards Predictions: Winners – Special Features #61” →

Nomination Predictions for the 92nd Academy Awards – Special Features #58

Edited image originally from ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019),’ Sony Pictures

It is finally that time of the year again, folks! The nominations for the Academy Awards will be released on Monday (January 13th, 2020). Just in time, I am ready with my final predictions for this awards season’s Oscars nominations. Below I have tried to predict every category except for the short film categories, as I simply haven’t seen enough short films from 2019. So, without further ado, let’s get to it! Continue reading “Nomination Predictions for the 92nd Academy Awards – Special Features #58” →

REVIEW: Marriage Story (2019)

Character Posters – Netflix

The following is a review of Marriage Story — Directed by Noah Baumbach.

Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story is one of the most difficult and rawest films that I have seen this year, and I absolutely do mean that as a huge compliment. Like few other films have been able to do this year, Baumbach’s film genuinely moved me to tears multiple times over the course of the exhausting and heartbreaking but absolutely necessary 136-minute runtime. Baumbach has with The Meyerowitz Stories and Marriage Story now made two of the best films that Netflix has ever been associated with, and I actually think his latest film is not just the best of the two, but also one of the few true Netflix masterpieces that have been released this decade. Continue reading “REVIEW: Marriage Story (2019)” →

REVIEW: Big Little Lies – Season Two (2019)

Release Poster – HBO

The following is a review of the second season of HBO’s Big Little Lies.

The second season of Big Little Lies — now directed by Andrea Arnold, but more on that later — follows the so-called Monterey Five — Madeline (played by Reese Witherspoon), Celeste (played by Nicole Kidman), Jane (played by Shailene Woodley), Renata (played by Laura Dern), and Bonnie (played by Zoe Kravitz) — during the aftermath of Perry Wright’s death. Bonnie is struggling as she feels incredibly guilty about what she did. So guilty, in fact, that she considers turning herself in to the local police. Just as Celeste is struggling as a single mother, Perry’s mother, Mary Louise (played by Meryl Streep), starts to question not just her son’s death but her daughter-in-law’s claim that she is a victim. Meanwhile, Madeline’s marriage is coming apart and Renata’s financial security is at risk of collapsing. Continue reading “REVIEW: Big Little Lies – Season Two (2019)” →

REVIEW: Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – Disney / Lucasfilm

The following is my review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi — Directed by Rian Johnson.

There is nothing like Star Wars. The Star Wars saga includes the biggest films of all-time, the most influential films of all-time, and one of the most rabid and passionate fandoms in popular culture. There is an innumerable amount of lore about the galaxy far, far away, and the philosophy of Jediism was once recorded as a religion. Star Wars, as author Chris Taylor wrote, conquered the universe, and its influences can be felt throughout popular culture.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)” →

REVIEW: 99 Homes (2015)

Theatrical Release Poster – Broad Green Pictures

The following is a quick review of 99 Homes, a Ramin Bahrani film.

Ramin Bahrani’s 99 Homes follows Dennis Nash (played by Andrew Garfield), a construction worker, who is supporting his mother (played by Laura Dern) and his own son. But soon after Dennis loses his job, he and his family are evicted from their home.

Rick Carver (played by Michael Shannon), a real estate operator, oversees the eviction, and one of his men end up taking a tool from Dennis’ house. When Dennis returns to retrieve it, Rick offers him a job, and soon Dennis, himself, starts to carry out evictions.
Continue reading “REVIEW: 99 Homes (2015)” →

The Collection #2 – Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park - Collection

  • Jurassic Park (1993) – Directed by Steven Spielberg.

The Collection is a monthly opinion piece, which features a single film, trilogy, or the like that I consider to be one of the best of all-time – a must watch film or franchise. A new entry in The Collection will be highlighted and revealed on the third Monday of every month. This month I’m adding to The Collection with Jurassic Park, arguably the most visually impressive film of the 1990s. Continue reading “The Collection #2 – Jurassic Park” →

Ranking Jurassic-Characters

Jurassic Ranking

The following is a ranking of the top 10 characters in the Jurassic Park-Franchise

Seeing as Jurassic World is breaking all of the box office records none of us thought could be broken by a fourth entry in a franchise that has been silent since 2001, I decided to make my own list of the very best characters in the Jurassic-Franchise.

Do note that no dinosaurs will be mentioned, as they – quite frankly – would dominate any list that included them. Don’t worry, no significant spoilers for Jurassic World will be revealed in this post – just in case someone out there didn’t see the blockbuster. Continue reading “Ranking Jurassic-Characters” →