Initially unimpressed with Sean Baker’s “Florida Project,” I find myself appreciating, even liking “Anora.” While the explicit content and language may deter some viewers, the film’s skillful tonal shifts and open-ended conclusion make it worth considering. Set in a marginal world, it deals with universal themes.
Emilia Perez, a controversial film, received Oscar nominations for its unique story, music, and performances. However, its portrayal of Mexican culture, including the use of non-Mexican Spanish and insensitive themes, sparked outrage and led to its downfall. The film’s director, Jacques Audiard, is criticized for his lack of cultural understanding and respect.
Dune: Part Two, a science fiction film, explores the enduring human traits of power-seeking and religious fervor, highlighting their timelessness despite technological advancements. The movie’s themes of power, ideology, and environmental concerns resonate with contemporary issues, prompting reflection on the persistence of human nature.
An overview of the drama films nominated for Oscars in 2024 with a glancing look at the not-dramas! This is the last review of the 2024 year!
Flamin Hot is tear-jerking, feel good movie that loses its luster when you learn it contains a lot of falsehoods.
Golda is a movie with some strong points, but struggles to find a real story to tell. (2*)
Napoleon is visually stunning but fails to tell an emotionally engaging and understandable story. (1.5*)
The Creator is a disappointing science fiction movie that could have had a great story but instead gets lost in the special effects. (2.5*)
Godzilla Minus One is a monster movie but it is also a surprisingly good personal drama that tells us much about Japanese national character. (4*)
The Boy and the Heron is beautifully crafted, but the musings of a man contemplating the end of his life and what it means to him. Not for everybody. (3.5*)
Robot Dreams is an animated film with no humans and no dialog that conveys feelings of emotional connection but is mostly concerned with cute and fun imagery. (3.5*)
May December will leave you very uncomfortable, but that is precisely why you should see it. (4*)
Bayard Rustin almost single-handedly organized the 1963 March on Washington is, however, a very ordinary biopic. Watch it for Domingo’s performance, or don’t watch it at all (3*)
The Color Purple might work as a TV mini series, but the shifts in tone means that it works OK as a musical but not as a drama. (3*)
The Teachers’ Lounge is an uneven film about a German middle school teacher caught in a web of increasing misunderstandings and uncertainty. (3*)
Io Capitano is a harrowing tale of two teenage boys, attempting to immigrate to Italy from Senegal. While the story had promise, the movie lacks purpose and fails to define a consistent tone. (2*)
Perfect Days will appeal to older generations who look for simpler, easier times and marvel in the way light filters through tree tops (komorebi) (4*)
Society of the Snow is a very difficult film to watch, but it is probably an essential one. It effectively makes you ask what you would do when faced with these choices. (4.5*)
Nimona may not be the best in animation, but it tells an important message about gender identity. (3.5*)
Oppenheimer is an epic film that rewards the hard work required of the viewer. A full exploration of a man, physics, politics, and movie making. (5*)
Poor Things, the story of a baby’s mind in an adult woman’s body, is probably the most bizarre movie I’ve ever seen. It is also one of the best. (5*)
The Zone of Interest is more than just a story of evil. But the film’s best characteristics are damaged by extraneous scenes. (3.5*)
In The Holdovers, three people, rife with their own problems, spend Christmas break, 1970, with each other. It is funny and emotional. And it’s a Christmas Movie. (3.5*)
Past LIves tells the story of three characters in a whirlwind of fond memories, painful regrets, and doubts of self-worth. A simple and tightly emotional story, but not one you will long remember (3.5*)
American Fiction is about racial stereotyping cast as a delicious comedy and moving drama. It is also, I think, a story about its own creation. (4*)
An accident? A suicide? Or was it murder? Anatomy of a Fall will keep you oscillating between the possibilities even past the end. (4*)
Despite great acting by Bening and Foster, Nyad fails to develop sympathetic characters and an interesting story. (3*)
Maestro is a well told story of a romance between two individuals over decades and how it developed in the shadow of fame. (4.5*)
Killers of the Flower Moon is an exceptional and powerful movie about the Osage Native American murders of the 1920s, but it’s just too long! (4*)
An overview of all of 2023’s Oscar-nominated movies, focusing on drama films. This is the last review essay of the 2023 Oscar year
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is, ultimately, a Hallmark Christmas movie with the bonus of wonderful costumes and terrific acting from Lesley Manville. (3*)
Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths is long, complex, statement of a man in multiple transitions. The film will reward viewers who have the time and patience to watch it more than once. (3.5*)
Empire of Light is a visual and sonic delight but leaves you empty. It portrays a May – November romance, set in a 1980s coastal movie theater. Needs much more chemistry between the characters and with the audience.
Questa del Rio News: Questa, New Mexico.
Gringo Gazette: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Sierra County Sun: Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.