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EDITORIAL: Make yourself a better Oscar predictor

(Image: theblackandblue.com)

(Image: theblackandblue.com)

Here on Every Movie Has a Lesson, I have fashioned myself as an informed individual when it comes to predicting the winners of the Academy Awards.  My role as a critic has me in tune with the films of the season and my eyes on the industry has me seeing the trends. My annual claim has been “stick with me and I will help you win your Oscar pool.”  Many friends has backed my picks and come out winners. I wanted to peel back the curtain and show you how I do it. There are four areas to scout.

1. Observe the regional critics awards

The annual “awards season” kicks off in November when the many critics groups (including the three I am in myself) across the country start chiming in with their winners and lists of bests. The National Board of Review tends to start followed by critics circles and associations in Los Angeles, New York, and Boston.  I track their winners on my annual Awards Tracker page.

The caveat is critics are not Oscar voters.  Their picks have been snubbed by Oscars time and again.  What they critics do count as, though, are the proverbial town cryers and buzz influencers.  They get the word out and drum up the audience. I consider them the board setters for the chess game that follows.  This year, critical darlings like Roma and First Reformed have gotten bumps they wouldn’t have got from the general public.

2. Follow the money #1

Many times the films that make it to critics’ eyes and noses enough to make their awards lists are coming from studios with deep pockets. The volume of screener copies, extra screenings, and other promotional items is mountainous. I know I’ve personally received no less than 75 physical discs in the mail this season since November.  The marketing budgets to ship that kind of “look at me” volume have to be insane. The online versions are all of the “For Your Consideration” web ads that plaster Hollywood entertainment sites. Click on industry trades like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter or even IMDb and you’ll see the stars and quotes galore.

3. Value the big guilds

As stated earlier, critics don’t vote for Oscars.  The people that do, however, work in the biz and they have their own annual awards too.  After all the critics have had their say, the final two months of awards season probably seem quiet. Not so. They can be decisive. From producers and writers to actors and cinematographers, each discipline has their own professional guild that are the specialized voters of the artistic and technical awards.  For example, more often than not, the winner of the Costume Designers Guild Award goes on to win the Oscar because the bulk of that category’s voters are the same people. Following this data will have you clean up on all of the under-the-line categories with knowledge and confidence that most non-experts guess on.  That is precisely how you win Oscar pools.

4. Follow the money #2

Instead of guesstimating or betting with your heart instead of your head in an Oscar pool, look to the oddsmakers.  Vegas does their homework, period. They have their insider ways of tracking trends we don’t even see because there’s money to be made.  The betting favorites have fluctuated all season, but the surges that develop from the Oscar nominations to the final show solidify eventual winners.  

Again, it’s the money you don’t see.  This year, even though A Star is Born has been holding court at the box office since its release at the beginning of October, many believe Roma will win Best Picture.  This will be certainly a tight competition, so make sure to frequently visit the following odds tracker for the 2019 Oscars to see who the odds is favoring while we get closed to the event.  If your Oscar poll has prize money at stake, then you need to follow the cash flow.  Tap into these four areas and you can be the star of the office conference room and water cooler on the Monday after the Academy Awards.

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Zendaya Eyeing Love-Interest Role In Villeneuve’s Dune

The Greatest Showman actress Zendaya is reportedly circling a supporting role in Legendary Pictures’ forthcoming adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic Dune. She’s supposedly in final talks to star opposite Timothy Chalamet’s protagonist, and would join an impressive cast that presently includes Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Fallout), […]

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Mattel Teaming With Warner Bros. For Live-Action Hot Wheels Movie

Mattel Films, the newly-minted production house created to bring some of the biggest toy franchises in the world to life on the big-screen, has already set its second partnership with Warner Bros. – a live-action feature film based on their Hot Wheels toy cars. The news follows recent reports that Suicide Squad actress Margot Robbie has […]

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OVERDUE REVIEW: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

(Image: rollingstone.com)

(Image: rollingstone.com)

For an occasional new segment, Every Movie Has a Lesson will cover upcoming home media releases combining an “overdue” film review, complete with life lessons, and an unboxed look at special features.


THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS

MY LATE HOMEWORK EXCUSE:

This was simply a case of a busy screening schedule at the beginning of November. As a working school teacher dad, I can’t see everything. For what it was, Bohemian Rhapsody won that weekend.

ANTICIPATORY SET AND PRIOR KNOWLEDGE:

The next car in Disney’s lengthy train of developing classic fairy tales, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms sought to build a fantasy adventure for the family set around the Tchaikovsky ballet we all know and love. Rookie screenwriter Ashleigh Powell circled back to E.T.A. Hoffman’s original short story source of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Veteran adaptation expert Lasse Hallstrom (The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, A Dog’s Purpose, and a pair of Nicholas Sparks films) took the helm and set up shop at the famed Pinewood Studios.

Interstellar and the Twilight saga’s Mackenzie Foy capably leads as Clara Stahlbaum, the middle child of a widower (Matthew Macfayden) in a family of privilege residing in Victorian London. They have come upon their first Christmas without their matriarch and the beleaguerment shows. Each of the Stahlbaum children are bestowed a gift reserved for them by her late mother. Clara receives a mysterious locked egg, something right up her inquisitive and STEM-smart alley.

Seeking answers, Clara visits her godfather Drosselmeyer (Morgan Freeman), a renowned engineer hosting a high society Christmas ball. The clues she follows from Drosselmeyer nudge her to discover her mother’s former path to the titular quarter-zoned mythical land. Sure enough, Clara befriends an enlivened Nutcracker soldier (newcomer Jayden Fowora Knight) and learns of the four distinct lands of sweets, amusements, flowers, and snow, as well as their vastly different rulers and stewards, played by the array of Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, newly minted Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant, and Mexican sensation Eugenio Derbez.

LESSON #1: CHOOSING SIDES — Clara’s learns her mother created this world, a place of wild creations and derring-do. The realms have been rudderless since her departure. Clara’s destined arrival as a potential heir sets off a power struggle where loyalty must be discovered and proven. All of the sabre-rattling and mystifying makes time for a central stage performance from the Ballerina Princess played by the world-renowned dancer Misty Copeland.

LESSON #2: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF — The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is far from the first and surely not the last story to have a protagonist visitor changed for the better after seeing their worldview shaped by a fantastical journey that affirmed new perspective of what was likely already inside of them. More about this shallow depth later.

MY TAKE:

Somewhere along the way, this lavish project needed some course correction before finishing. Captain America: The First Avenger director Joe Johnston was brought in for a month-and-change of reshoots scripted with new uncredited polish by Oscar-winning Spotlight writer Tom McCarthy. Johnston was granted co-director status next to Hallstrom. Seeing the full film, it becomes easy to pick out the Johnston elements from the Hallstrom ones. Hallstrom covered the decadence and whimsy. Johnston took care of the action and brass.

No matter whose scene it is, the entire production looks righteously elegant which is a product of the extreme level of collected artistic talent. The light and lenses of La La Land and First Man cinematographer Linus Sandgren highlight every sheen of towering production design from Guy Hendrix Dyas (Inception and Passengers), every stitch of the intricate costume work from Jenny Beaven (Mad Max: Fury Road), and every spot of makeup from Jenny Shircore (Mary Queen of Scots). Combine those three individuals with Hallstrom and ever-present fanciful music from composer James Newton Howard and you have 25 combined Oscar nominations and four wins below-the-title. This movie was never not going to look like a trillion bucks.

As supremely talented as everyone involved is (don’t forget about that lauded cast of fellow awards winners), the depth beyond the visuals is lacking with The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. The narrative is willowy and meandering, which matches the young lead of Foy, certainly, but her placid self makes the zip over everyone else, especially an over-the-top Knightley feel like caricatures. It is missing power and prominence the stage setting always nailed. Call it less is more. Call it over-exposition taking the place of wondrous interpretive performance. When something this eccentric matters this little and moves this slow, something is off worse than a need for reshoots and a second director.

2 STARS

EXTRA CREDIT:

(Image courtesy of Disney via EPK.tv)

(Image courtesy of Disney via EPK.tv)

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms arrived to DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital platforms on January 29. The disc set’s special features offer insightful but all-too-brief peeks into all that creative effort listed above. Past the prerequisite and pre-menu Dumbo teaser trailer, there are five tiny deleted scenes that are predominantly small shavings of existing scenes. The best one is a scene and conversation between Foy and Knightley talking about old memories of Clara’s mother. The ladies connected each other’s emotions subtly and well.

Performance fans will enjoy the conversation with lead dancer Misty Copeland. This four-and-a-half little piece on her creative process and the raves she received entering the film world for the first time will embolden those who wanted more dance sequences in the final cut. After Copeland, the disc includes two music videos. One is the enchanting “Nutcracker Suite” by featured pianist Lang Lang and the other is the powerhouse duet “Fall One Me” from the famed Andrea Bocelli and his fast-rising son Matteo Bocelli. Though beautiful work, both videos bounce pretty prescriptively between montage imagery from the film and the edited performers.

The cinephiles impressed by the production value should seek “Unwrapping The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.” The longest extra on the release, the seven-minute featurette focuses on the set and production work of Guy Hendrix Dyas and set decorator Lisa Chugg. It was amazing to see how many practical sets and props went into this film, complete with their intentional palette of thematic colors. The stellar work could have earned more time.

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Chloe Grace Moretz To Lead WWII Action-Horror Shadow in the Cloud

Kick Ass actress Chloe Grace Moretz has joined the cast of director Roseanne Liang’s forthcoming World War II action-horror movie Shadow in the Cloud. The flick will follow a pilot (Moretz) who boards a B-17 Flying Fortress carrying a black radio bag with top secret contents and orders. As she deals with jeers from the all-male […]

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Ben Affleck Officially Out As Batman, Matt Reeves Looking To Cast New Actor

Argo’s Ben Affleck has officially donned the cape and cowl for the last time – confirming that Justice League was his final performance in the role of Batman, and that Matt Reeves will be seeking a new dark knight for his forthcoming solo flick. According to a report by Deadline, which Affleck later confirmed in […]

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Ryan Reynolds To Star In, Produce Action-Romcom Shotgun Wedding

Deadpool’s Ryan Reynolds is set to produce and lead Pitch Perfect director Jason Moore’s action-comedy Shotgun Wedding. The offbeat actor will produce through his Maximum Effort banner, and the feature has a script from Mark Hammer and Liz Meriwether. Studio Lionsgate will oversee production. “I haven’t done a romantic comedy since The Proposal, but I […]

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Oscar Isaac On For Denis Villeneuve’s Dune

Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ Oscar Isaac has reportedly joined the cast of Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science-fiction classic, Dune. Isaac will portray Leto I Atreides, the near-ageless father of Timothee Chalamet’s protagonist, and husband to Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica. Guardians of the Galaxy’s Dave Bautista and Mamma Mia’s Stellan Skarsgård […]

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Upgrade Director Leigh Whannell To Helm Invisible Man, As Universal Plots New Course For Their ‘Dark Universe’

Director of 2018’s sleeper cult-hit science-fiction thriller Upgrade, Leigh Whannell, has signed on to write and direct the forthcoming Invisible Man reboot for Universal Pictures. The film, which had been slated to be part of the first phase of the studio’s proposed ‘Dark Universe’ shared continuity of films prior to the critical and commercial failure […]

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Birds of Prey – See You Soon Teaser

Today saw a short teaser released for the upcoming Birds of Prey movie starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and, while the teaser doesn’t give much away it does give fans a few more glimpses of Harley and the other characters set to feature in DC’s spin-off from Suicide Squad

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Glass Holds Steady At The Top Of The Box Office, Deadpool 2 Opens Strong In China

M. Night Shyamalan’s superheroic sequel Glass managed to cling on for a second week at the top of the international box office, fending off domestic newcomers The Kid Who Would Be King and Serenity, both of which flopped dramatically. Glass reigned in $19 million domestically, for a total stateside cume of $73.5 million. Elsewhere, the feature […]

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SPECIAL: Third annual CIFCC Award nominations

On Saturday, January 26th, the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle announced the nominees for the their third annual CIFCC Awards. 37 different films were nominated between 21 categories. As one of the founders and directors of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle, I’m honored to be among such fine peers. These are solid picks our group can be proud to support. Here’s a special slideshow presenting each category.

Impact.jpg
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Indie Film.jpg
Studio Film.jpg
Foreign Film.jpg
Documentary.jpg
Animated Film.jpg
Director.jpg
Actor.jpg
Actress.jpg
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Supporting Actress.jpg
Ensemble.jpg
Original Screenplay.jpg
Adapted Screenplay.jpg
Cinematography.jpg
Costumes and Makeup.jpg
Editing.jpg
Musical Score.jpg
Production Design.jpg
Visual Effects.jpg
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Mackenzie Davis To Lead Rom-Com Happiest Season Opposite Kirsten Stewart

Blade Runner 2049’s Mackenzie Davis has signed on to lead TriStar’s romantic comedy Happiest Season. The film will follow as a young woman (Davis) decides to propose to her girlfriend (Kirsten Stewart) while they visit her family’s annual holiday party. Her plans are scuppered, though, when she discovers her partner has not yet come out […]

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Bohemian Rhapsody Denied GLAAD Nomination Over Bryan Singer Allegations

Freddie Mercury/Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has been formally removed from the running in the GLAAD Media Awards, over its disgraced director Bryan Singer’s fresh crop of sexual misconduct allegations. “In light of the latest allegations against director Bryan Singer, GLAAD has made the difficult decision to remove Bohemian Rhapsody from contention for a GLAAD Media […]

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MEDIA APPEARANCE: David Ehrlich's IndieWire Critics Survey on January 21, 2019

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Notable and notorious IndieWire film critic David Ehrlich recently put out a social media call for film critic peers to join a weekly survey to discuss movie topics, answer questions, and highlight their work.  Representing Every Movie Has a Lesson, I, along with over 60 other emerging and established film critics including some of my fellow Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle members and Aaron White of Feelin’ Film, accepted the invitation to participate.  I'm honored by the opportunity, and I hope my responses are chosen each week.  


THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is Samuel L. Jackson’s best performance?

This second survey of the year rode the Glass wave from last weekend with the turn of Samuel L. Jackson’s “Mr. Glass” character from Unbreakable. The question was asked to name his best performance. Picking Pulp Fiction was a no-doubter for me. He’s electric and he was robbed of the Oscar. If I had a second place vote, it would go to Jackie Brown. Quentin Tarantino puts the best words in that icon’s mouth.

Screen Shot 2019-01-24 at 10.15.37 PM.png (Image: indiewire.com)

(Image: indiewire.com)

Screen Shot 2019-01-24 at 10.16.13 PM.png Screen Shot 2019-01-11 at 11.38.06 AM.png THE FULL INDIEWIRE ARTICLE THIS WEEK LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED

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Michael B. Jordan Inks First-Look Deal With Warner Bros.

Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan has signed a first-look deal with Warner Bros. for his production company Outlier Society. Toby Emmerich, chairman of the Warner Bros., said of the deal: “Michael has become a leading voice in a new generation of talent and is creating real change in the industry. His talent is undeniable, and […]

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The Wizard of Oz Returning To Cinemas To Celebrate Film’s 80th Anniversary

Victor Fleming’s seminal 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, is set to return to theatres this weekend, to celebrate the film’s 80th anniversary. Across the States the film will be playing this Sunday, as well as limited screenings next Tuesday and Wednesday, with UK screenings expected later in the year. The beloved family film, which […]

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Disgraced Bohemian Rhapsody Director Bryan Singer Accused Of Sex With Four More Underage Boys, In Fresh Exposé

A brand new exposé by The Atlantic has drawn fresh allegations of sexual misconduct, abuse, and rape of minors against Bryan Singer, the now-disgraced director of four X-Men films, Superman Returns, The Usual Suspects, and more. The new report follows Cesar Sanchez-Guzman’s accusations against Singer back in December, who claims Singer forced him to engage […]

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After Fan Bingbing’s Scandal, Chinese Celebrities Have Paid $1.7bn In Back-Taxes

According to the country’s State Tax Administration, Chinese film and television stars paid a staggering $1.7 billion in back-taxes this December, following the high-profile exampling of Fan Bingbing last July. For those who don’t remember, Fan Bingbing – arguably the biggest star in the Middle Kingdom – seemingly vanished from the public eye for a […]

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Marvel Head Kevin Feige: Black Panther Nominations “Humbling and Gratifying”

Marvel Studios’ head honcho, and the man who hasn’t stopped smiling since 2008, Kevin Feige has spoken publicly for the first time following Black Panther’s historic seven Academy Award nominations (including becoming the first superhero feature nominated for Best Picture). “We’re very, very proud of what this film has done,” The producer told Deadline, “The […]

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Swedish Filmgoers Set To Be Sealed Into Coffins. Really.

Alright, granted, this is a weird one. In their constant attempts to find new ways to entice audiences to film festivals, in recent years we’ve seen all sorts of gimmicks. But a Swedish event, the forthcoming Goteborg Film Festival, has got a particularly novel approach; it’s going to entomb moviegoers. The ‘sarcophagus screenings’ (‘sarcophagi screenings?’), in […]

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Following Roma’s 10 Oscar Noms, Alfonso Cuarón Would Work With Netflix Again “In A Second”

Director Alfonso Cuarón is having a good year, already. Not only has he broken down barriers with his non-studio feature Roma, which also happened to open to rave critical reception, but that same film has now netted an astonishing ten Oscar nominations – joint-first with this year’s other Academy-darling, The Favourite. But of the swathe […]

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EDITORIAL: Five surprises and snubs from the 91st Academy Award nominations

(Image: oscars.com)

(Image: oscars.com)

Leave it to the annual early morning Oscar nominations to always find a way to rock our worlds. Earlier this morning, Kumail Nanjiani and Traci Ellis Ross read off the names and films looking to win some hardware on the host-less 91st Academy Awards airing on February 24th. Let’s take a look at the trends, swerves, and surprises.

#1: Ethan Hawke and Toni Collette were robbed.

If you head over to my Awards Tracker, you will see the absolute consensus and dominance of Ethan Hawke giving what many people consider to be a career-best performance in First Reformed. The same goes for the very competitive standing the non-nominated Toni Collette has maintained in the Best Actress race for Hereditary. The Golden Globes snubbed Hawke and, now, so have the Oscars. The film and Hawke deserved better than the participation ribbon that is Best Original Screenplay, though it has a decent chance to possibly win against The Favourite, especially with some post-snub backlash support. The omissions of Hawke and Collette speak to a bigger problem.

#2: The Academy still too often overlooks independent film and diversity.

The voters have shown annually to run really hot and cold when it comes to U.S.-made independent films, many often by minority talent. For every year where Get Out, Moonlight, or Whiplash become Oscar darlings, you get a year like this where First Reformed, Eighth Grade (Elsie Fisher!), Leave No Trace, Blindspotting, The Hate U Give, You Were Never Really There, and others films with their artists can’t get a seat at the table. Small victories are here and there, like the five nominations for Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, but many will ask where are the rest and where are the women. Once again, you’ve got a Best Director field with zero women and just two women (The Favourite and Can You Ever Forgive Me) among the two screenplay fields. In the saddest slight of all, the celebrated and endearing Fred Rogers documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? was egregiously omitted. The Independent Spirit Awards, which take place the night before the Oscars, are looking more and more like a real night of awarding the true best of film that is out there. I’d rather walk that red carpet than the Oscar one right now.

#3: The Academy loves themselves some foreign fare.

As expected, Alfonso Cuaron’s brilliant and personal Roma led the charge with 10 nominations, a number matched by respected Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite. When you combine Cuaron and Lanthimos with the three nominations for Pawel Pawlikowski’s Cold War and Mirai’s nod in Best Animated Feature and you have 22 nominations in main categories outside of Best Foreign Language film going to non-domestic films. That’s some strong international flavor.

#4: The perceived Netflix bias doesn’t exist.

If you thought the strong showing for Roma was a step towards stamping out that perceived Netflix bias, you were right, but there’s more. The Academy will never fall out of love with the Coen Brothers, two of the most decorated filmmakers in Oscar history, as evident by the inclusion of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs in three categories, including screenplay. That was a film way down the Oscar radar, but the name recognition gave it play. The streaming giant’s CEO Reed Hastings needs to thank Joel and Ethan Coen as much as Alfonso Cuaron for breaking glass ceilings.

#5: Disney is becoming the New England Patriots of the Oscars.

We all know politicking happens (just look at all the Weinstein love for the better part of two decades). The “For Your Consideration” pushes are becoming bigger and blunter every year. As long as the Oscars are broadcast on ABC television which is owned by Disney, people are going to created hunches and whisper about fixes and conspiracies in the same way NFL fans do about Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Black Panther deserves to be a Best Picture candidate and earned its six other technical/artistic nominations, but how much guilt-tripping was attached to the glad-handing? Look past Black Panther and the usual animation entries (Incredibles 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet) for the convenient extra volume, namely the three family nominations for Mary Poppins Returns and a surprise inclusion of Christopher Robin in visual effects over more qualified snubs like Aquaman. I’m not mixing the Kool-Aid and lighting up the pitchforks to march on Orlando, Anaheim, or Emeryville, but things look very cushy for the studio with the biggest wallet.

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Edgar Wright’s Next Feature To Be London-Set Psychological Horror

Nineteen months on from the breakout success of his stylish action caper Baby Driver, Edgar Wright has finally announced his next project. The presently untitled flick will be a psychological horror-thriller based in London, and will reportedly take inspiration from Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now and Roman Polanski’s Repulsion. “I realised I had never made a film about […]

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Ryan Reynolds Cancels Surgery To Surprise-Promote Deadpool 2 In China

Ryan Reynolds has made no secret of his love of his breakout character, the regeneratin’ degenerate Deadpool. But cancelling surgery to go and promote Deadpool 2 in a foreign country is still some pretty hardcore adoration, even by Reynold’s standards. Yes, the actor – who hurt his arm filming Deadpool 2, and was due to […]

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Orange Studio Secures Distribution For Adaptation Of City Hunter Manga

Parisian film company Orange Studio has managed to secure international film distribution for its forthcoming adaptation of the cult-hit 1980s Japanese manga City Hunter. The feature has been picked up for distribution in Japan (New Select), South Korea (The Coup), Russia (Volga), Thailand (Sahamongkolfilm), Taiwan (Catchplay), Poland (Puls), and Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia […]

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COLUMN: The 10 Best Films of 2018

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I’ll have you know this is the latest into the next calendar year that I’ve ever pinned down my “10 Best” list here at Every Movie has a Lesson and Medium. It’s not that I was entirely lazy. Call it more shrewd and picky with how I spent my time as my own writing boss, a busy husband of two kids now in school, and educator who went back to the classroom after seven years trying a new grade and subject for the first time. A man has to prioritize needs and wants. On the movie front, this was actually a huge year of achievement for me.

I started a new medium co-hosting a monthly podcast, the “Connecting With Classics” show review the AFI’s Top 100 film with Aaron White from the Feelin’ Film podcast where I contribute my weekly movie trends column “What We Learned This Week.” After several years applying and improving my craft and standing along the way, I was admitted in the Online Film Critics Society, the largest and most established international group of online critics. Even bigger than that, I was accepted into Rotten Tomatoes as an approved critic, a bucket list dream I never thought was possible.

I published 110 film reviews of 2018 films (down from my career high of 126 last year), yet I easily saw 30 more features, shorts, and overdue reviews that still need keyboard keys put to blog posts. More than anything with this 2018 list, I wanted to be thorough and keep seeing more, even if I can’t see everything (I’m still coming for you, The Hate U Give and Shoplifters). My awards-voting deadline for the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle as a recognized awards-voting body isn’t until the end of January, so I’ve been cramming after December for that “exam” with films I’ve missed (and have more to go).

THE 10 BEST FILMS OF 2018 AND THEIR LESSONS

If this teacher/critic learned anything himself this year it’s to more consistently define the difference between “favorite” and “best.” Often they are different measures, yet it is a special distinction when some films can be both. That’s a whole bunch of those of this definitive 2018 list. All ten and a few extra were no-doubt five-star films for me. True to this website’s specialty, each film will be paired with its best life lesson. Enjoy!


(Image: imdb.com)

(Image: imdb.com)

1. IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

This was the best of the best in a very good year of movies. Barry Jenkins followed his Oscar-winning Moonlight with an even better film with richer artistry across colors, cinematography, and music. Evoking dramatic social parallels the still exist today since James Baldwin’s 1970s Harlem to today, If Beale Street Could Talk carries enormous emotional heft and a passionate romance. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: THE MANY FORMS OF LOVE — This review started celebrating the director’s love of his subjects off-screen and peaked with unconditional love on-screen. If Beale Street Could Talk swells to include multiple layers of love that even become titles for tracks on Britell’s soundtrack. Spreading against many contexts, the religious agape, sensual eros, and brotherly philia all merge with Baldwin’s optimistic sensibilities for themes that go deeper and wider than simplistic other sagas. Let more of his words on love become motivation: “Remember, love is what brought you here. And if you’ve trusted love this far, don’t panic now. Trust it all the way.” Do the same and embrace this lovely film.


(Image: imdb.com)

(Image: imdb.com)

2. SEARCHING

I go from the best film I saw last year to easily my favorite and the movie that occupied the number one spot from May until December. The rookie feature filmmaking team of Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian took what most would dismiss as a silly gimmick of telling a film entirely through screens and flooded it with creativity, sharp craft, and completely unexpected feels. I keep going back to the level of intent and difficulty of Searching and get amazed more each time. This one is a heart attack and a trailblazer. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: MAKE THE EFFORT TO KNOW YOUR KID — Out of all of the gadgets buzzing and data streaming through Searching, zero technology comprises its true human core. No matter the fault or the cause, “everything is fine” is rarely a true statement when you ask whether or not you really know a child, their friends, and interests. No device is required for straight-up parental love, participation, and involvement. You have to put the screen down, talk, and engage in conversations and quality time to build familial bonds. Such intact trust is the way to have freedom and personal space worth hand-in-hand with the guidance and countermeasures before blame and regret ever become mistakes.


(Image: imdb.com)

(Image: imdb.com)

3. FIRST MAN

Damien Chazelle has earned the top spot on my “10 Best” list twice with Whiplash and La La Land. To see First Man at #3 is less about its quality, which is tremendous, and more about how good #1 and #2 are. The precision and underlying poetic pragmatism of his Neil Armstrong biopic are completely commanding. Just like Jenkins, its scary to think how good these young filmmakers are going to be as the years continue. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: THE TRAIT OF RELENTLESS DETERMINATION — Neil Armstrong and NASA pushed forward with unwavering will towards their goals. When you couple Armstrong’s aforementioned wounds of familial grief with the brotherly losses of peers, the sorrowful damage reveals the heartwarming strength found within his vital core. This man and his fellow astronauts had no quit in them whatsoever. No one balked at the price of excellence. Their determination compelled them to no end, and it is impossible not to respect seeing that on display.


(Image: amazon.com)

(Image: amazon.com)

4. ROMA

From a creative standpoint, there may not have been a more personal 2018 narrative film than this one. Written, shot, directed, and edited by Alfonso Cuaron in tribute to his own nanny that raised him, Roma may not be an endearing favorite or a jolly hoot like the film behind it on this list, but its power and artistry is tremendous boasting the unquestioned best cinematography of 2018. The sweeping Oscar favorite is winning that acclaim and more for good reason. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: THE INFLUENCE OF MOTHER-FIGURES — The personal scope of Roma has been building to this platform. You see, the character of Cleo is modeled after Cuaron’s own childhood caretaker, an indigenous woman named Libo that he cherished and loved as the true woman who raised him. Like the more readily used fatherly term, mother-figures can be as important, if not more, than the real thing in every child’s journey touched by their servitude and devotion. Chronicling Libo’s plight through Cleo was restorative for the Mexican filmmaker and generates profound empathy within the viewer.


(Image: amazon.com)

(Image: amazon.com)

5. PADDINGTON 2

Paddingon 2 is proof that simple sweetness has a true value of quality beyond being merely happy or pleasant. Family films can be made with merit. Led by a huge ensemble cast having a blast personifying all ranges of fun characters (particularly Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson from that crew), not a second of this delightful dalliance of a sequel is a waste of effort or time. That’s something we cannot say about most mindless family fare that hits theaters nowadays. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: BE KIND AND POLITE — Take Paddington’s mantra and make it a life lesson. It’s that simple. Kindness opens more doors and opportunities than its antonym. You get more bees, and more bears for that matter, with honey. When you do your sunny optimism right, step back and observe the joy politeness brings. The smiles, hugs, and belonging are all worth it.


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6. HEARTS BEAT LOUD

Within my social circles, I’m still the buddy that is always asked for recommendations of underseen films outside of the norm. “Give me something good I’ve never heard of” is the common request. Of all of last year’s movies, Hearts Beat Loud was the film I shared the most , guaranteeing a good time. I’m finding it a crime that more people haven’t found it to join me in shouting its praises from the mountaintops or, more egregiously, that its music and acting aren’t making the impact equal Oscar impact to that big studio hit at #7. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: GOOD MUSIC HAS FEELING BECAUSE IT COMES FROM FEELINGS — Personal beats impersonal every time. Hearts Beat Loud does not register without that poignant commitment from Offerman, Clemons, DeWitt, and the music they make together. Their songs outwardly express their current states and sensitivities, evoking strength together. For them, it’s for their own soothing release. Others get to hear it, but the effect wouldn’t change if it was an audience of thousands, a mere handful, or even zero. This film and soundtrack (embedded below) deserve far more than zero attention.


(Image: imdb.com)

(Image: imdb.com)

7. A STAR IS BORN

One of the many things that impressed me about Bradley Cooper’s debut was its intimate perspective. In 90% of movies about pop culture stardom, the narrative orbits the subject like the worshipping fans and crowds. A Star is Born stays grippingly tight on Cooper’s Jackson and Lady Gaga’s Ally, even in raucous concert performances, making their glossy drama inescapable. This could inflated to become a vanity project that landed as a disservice to the original story, yet it forged its own strengths. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: MESSAGE BEATS TALENT — In the same way that Bradley Cooper came into this with no singing and instrumental experience, A Star is Born goes out of its way to preach this inequality. What one is expressing for others to absorb will always be greater than the talent giving it. Jackson mentors Ally to say that “talent comes from everywhere” and extols and encourages that “having something to say that people want to hear” is the supreme difference. Telling people what you have to say has to be genuine and requires digging deep into one’s soul and sharing truths. Anything less crumbles the message and this storyline.


(Image: imdb.com)

(Image: imdb.com)

8. EIGHTH GRADE

Roma might carry the title of “most personal,” but Bo Burnham’s ballsy and unflinching piece on adolescence starring Elsie Fisher earns my distinctive of the “most important” 2018 film. That’s the middle school teacher day job in me combining with my lens as a film critic seeing skill and storytelling. If I had my way, Eighth Grade would be shown to every middle school student AND middle school parent in America as a summit for the difficult conversations that are too often not being attempted, let along accomplished. Boy, was this film necessary. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: IT ALL GOES BACK TO ENGAGEMENT AND EMPATHY — All of the connections built by teens during these formative years, the peer ones that last and the adult ones that stay strong, come from a place of those two “e” words that stoke shared interest and mutual understanding. A wise and willing audience for Eighth Grade knows and accepts two truths. First, that social challenges in real life could be, and often are, worse than a movie shows, and, second, those same apprehensions absolutely have the ability to get better for all involved with maturity and, again, efforts towards engagement and empathy. That’s where the conversations about this movie need to go.


(Image: whswave.com)

(Image: whswave.com)

9. BEAUTIFUL BOY

This film made me a believer of three things: Steve Carell, Timothee Chalamet, and somebody in Hollywood doing drug addiction films differently. Carell has been crossing over into drama for a while, has always had hints of caricature in his efforts, but not in this one. Chalamet proved he was not a one trick pony after Call Me By Your Name. Lastly, I highly appreciated the effort from director/writer Felix Van Groeningen and writer Luke Davies to combine effort the family’s story beside the addict’s. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: RELAPSE IS PART OF RECOVERY — There are no automatic fixes or silver bullets. The vicious cycle of progress and defeat tumbles the Sheff family through nearly two decades in this film chronicle. Each peak brightens so much hope while each valley gets deeper and darker with . The tumultuous pattern of relapse and recovery (we see three such segments from the eight the real-life Nic had endured) tumbles the Sheff family for years until a powerless decision point comes when the help can’t help anymore.


(Image: imdb.com)

(Image: imdb.com)

10. I KILL GIANTS

Of the movies making this “10 Best” list, I Kill Giants was the most unassuming and unexpected for me. I went into Anders Walters’ teen-centered graphic novel adaptation written by its original comic creator Joe Kelly blind, seeing only its cover imagery of a girl with a big hammer taking on an unseen monster. I came out of its coping story of teen difficulties and peak fantasy hit by a ton of bricks. Put its young star Madison Wolfe right there with Eighth Grade’s Elsie Fisher for bright futures and watch me call this the best comic book film of the year ahead of the big boys. Fun point of fact, this is the most read 2018 review on my website, so somebody is liking what I’m putting down. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: FACING REALITY — The actions and effects of Lesson #3 are temporary. Outlets are only the release. Healing must follow and reality must be accepted. As Kelly’s story laments all things die and people need to find joy in the living, come to not fear the end, and embrace life without denial. Those are huge steps for all of us young and old. For a film like I Kill Giants to put these emotional takeaways together with fantasy is nothing short of extraordinary.


SPECIAL MENTION #1

(Image: imdb.com)

(Image: imdb.com)

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

The truisms of documentaries can hit like bricks of good fantasy. Unabashed proof of that was the rightfully celebrated chronicle of the late Fred Rogers, a man who used sense of fantasy to his own wondrous effect for living in reality. I know I’ve combined documentaries with narrative films in the past for these “10 Best” lists (see Life, Animated two years ago), but I couldn’t place this one prudently this year with all its emotional tugging. Won’t You Be My Neighbor is as special as the subject’s use of that word. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: SHOW CARING — This imperative command is the real springboard granted by this film experience. Be the Fred Rogers for someone in your life. Live up to all five definitions of “special” as he did. Bring out the kindness. Give someone the attention they need. Connect and create a relationship of love. Be the person they remember as part of their character formation to be a better individual.


SPECIAL MENTION #2

(Image: imdb.com)

(Image: imdb.com)

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Over these last few years, I’ve been absorbing more and more short films. This twisty little thriller was the best of the bunch, manipulating narration and point of view brilliantly. The filmmaking was taut and the suspense was even tauter with a dynamite rug pull ending. Though I can’t keep up with this untapped short film scene, I can’t get enough of them. (FULL REVIEW)

ITS BEST LESSON: ART IS INTOXICATING — Not only is the fascination to observe indomitable for the man, so is the art to document it. Each print is a captured moment of the street lenser’s curiosity. The film bounces back and forth from the time the picture was taken to the reflective monologue of the photographer taking stock of his work at home. The photographic creations should be an outlet for our title character, but rather the outlet becomes its own metaphorically muscular creature to feed.


THE NEXT TEN

11. BLACK PANTHER

12. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

13. BLACKKKLANSMAN

14. A PRIVATE WAR

15. A QUIET PLACE

16. THE OLD MAN & THE GUN (overdue review pending)

17. WILDLIFE (overdue review pending)

18. TULLY

19. BEAUTY MARK

20. BLAZE

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Bumblebee Remains No. 1 In China, Soars To $400M Worldwide

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Glass ★★

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The Raft ★★★

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An Officer & His Holiness – Live Cinema Event Set For One Night Only Release in Autumn

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BBFC Raises Age Limit to 15 for Films Depicting Sexual Violence

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Paul King Leaves Directing Duties on Disney’s Pinocchio

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Nicholas Hoult Led ‘Tolkien’ Biopic Set For Summer Release

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John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum Trailer

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MOVIE REVIEW: Glass

(Image: wallpapersden.com)

(Image: wallpapersden.com)

GLASS— 2 STARS

There was a time when M. Night Shyamalan was the second coming of Alfred Hitchcock in plenty of people’s eyes. His snaky suspense and stark mise-en-scène was the best thing going for a while. Even in his best works, Shyamalan’s deft craft and core-grabbing familial scenes masked his shortcomings of ego, hubris, and dialogue writing. Those deficiencies caught up to him at the same time as a daring new generation of filmmakers have surpassed him for creating superior thrillers. Despite a minor glimmer of resurgence lit by The Visit and Split, this sharp decline has reached a point where all M. Night Shyamalan has left to hang his hat on are his signature twists.

Unfortunately, audiences have seen him overuse those crutches and they can’t cover for him anymore, especially if there’s not improved substance in front of the swerves. If M. Night Shyamalan misses on his coup de grace rug-pull by taking a narrative angle or two for s — ts and giggles that do not work or become logically asinine, any good knack or proficiency becomes wasted on inanity. That is precisely what crashes with Glass. Injections of high interest and good graces were attempted by attaching the hope of the present to an old hit of the past. The big Unbreakable reveal that elevated the otherwise uneven Split is wasted in miscalculations to the point where Glass can be weaken a portion of that first film’s favor.

Nineteen years have passed since the Eastrail 177 crash outside of Philadelphia caused headlines and begin a journey of self-discovery for security guy David Dunn (Bruce Willis). Graying and lonely now but resolute, the recent widower has taken his rain poncho shroud, rugged invulnerability, and empathic touch on prowling strolls through the city streets as a crime-fighting vigilante the local press have dubbed “The Overseer.” David is supported by his tech-savvy Oracle-like son Joseph (a returning and grown-up Spencer Treat Clark) who still carries deep reverence for his dad’s valor.

One such criminal on the loose in The City of Brotherly Love is “The Beast” Kevin Wendell Crumb (the top-billed James McAvoy). The sadistic DID case with 24 personalities escaped the events of Split with the same voracious fondness for abducting “unpure” girls, wall-climbing, and the occasional side dish of human flesh. When the hero clashes with the monster, the Dunn and Crumb are pinched and institutionalized together at a mental facility that just so happens to guard another ominous figure. Now feigning a catatonic state, Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), better known as “Mr. Glass” (Samuel L. Jackson), was the domestic terrorist responsible for Eastrail 177 and dozens more sabotaged disasters executed by the maniacal will to uncover more superheroes in the world.

The manipulative egghead with the first crack at treating these certifiably unique patients is Dr. Ellie Staple (Emmy winner Sarah Paulson). The goal of her study on superhero disillusionment is to convince Dunn, Crumb, and Price that they are not the specially-powered beings they believe themselves to be. Dr. Staple’s therapy also engages Joseph Dunn’s fatherly adoration, Elijah’s mother (Charlayne Woodard) and her ever-present pride, and, lastly, the Stockholm-smitten connection of Casey Cooke (Anya Taylor-Joy), the one Crumb victim who got away. Once the thematically-hued trio of would-be titans are thrust together, commonalities and dichotomies are tested as everything points to an inevitable and long-foreseen showdown.

LESSON #1: IN A ROUGH ESTIMATE, 80% OF MENTAL HOSPITALS DEPICTED IN MOVIES ARE NOT ON THE UP-AND-UP — It’s time to call out this tired trope. Between One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Shutter Island, Sucker Punch, Girl, Interrupted, 12 Monkeys, Gothika, T2: Judgment Day, and many more, audiences have been trained to spot deficiencies and expect the worst. Glass doesn’t improve that with its telegraphed heel turns and nonsensical developments of characters and settings. All Glass has going for it are some overly elaborate personalized safety countermeasures in each cell. Whisper your “that’s cool” reaction and go back to tallying the protocol mistakes.

Just as with Split, James McAvoy saves the day from the villain’s perch and Anya Taylor-Joy radiates the most possible affinity. McAvoy’s encore performance to churn out character shuffles as fast as a pull-string toy chirping out new catchphrases is an impressive treat to relish, even in a smaller, ensemble-sharing dose here. With every bated breath and trembling shrug of composure, Taylor-Joy exudes more gravitating emotionality than both returning Unbreakable stars combined. Backed by composer West Dylan Thordson’s gnarly snarl of a score and some solid depth of camerawork from Mike Gioulakis (both fellow Split alums), they are the two actors going above and behind.

The compelling aim of Glass ends there. The languishing pace of Glass keeps the Samuel L. Jackson burn down to mere smolders and the Bruce Willis fortitude stuck in placid ponds for too long until business picks up. The timbre of that tedium is not helped by Sarah Paulson. Scene after scene, her constant, waxing exposition adds to the meandering instead of the menace. This drag counts as the aforementioned reduction of worthy substance failing to offer anything compelling before the narrative backflips we know are coming.

LESSON #2: POSSIBLE VERSUS PRACTICAL — Is it mystical ability or a professional guesser? Are a diet of comic books, with their invalid history built on fiction, an obsession signifying a loss of perception for the real world? Perhaps it is morbid fate that this pushy moral challenge phrased by this lesson being shoveled by Paulson’s doctor could very well mirror the entire movie and its wayward filmmaker. Her character’s clinical insistence attempts to denounce facts of belief ingrained in her three super-powered subjects. In the same way Dr. Staple gets those men to question their essence, this film and Shyamalan’s many other misses nearly force an evaluation on their (and his) practical value versus possible brilliance.

At the concept level, Glass was undoubtedly intriguing. The variations of “what if” circumstances within this grounded comic book landscape were ominous with potential. There was a portending promise for something greater. The optimism garnered by that intrigue keeps people coming back to M. Night Shyamalan. The monotony replacing ambition pushes viewers to be ready for washed-out despondency.

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