Films That Matter
The Thick of Things
Based upon the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray, as well as clearly taking some inspiration from Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things (2023) is not the horror path one might expect from the monster book/movie referenced above, instead, it feeling like a coming of age sci-fi fantastical fairy tale that also dabbles in the realm of psychology, romance, drama, and even comedy. Set in an eccentric world trapped somewhere between Victorian England and some sort of steampunk futuristic alternative, Bella Baxter (Emma Stone – Bugonia; La La Land) is the latest dynamic if out there scientific experiment by the deformed Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe – Nosferatu; The Lighthouse). A grown woman in body, but with the mind of something closer to a baby, it does seem like she is developing at a quicker pace compared to a normal human child.
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Ebert Didn’t Pan This Labyrinth
Pan's LabyrinthApril 23, 2013Roger Ebert’s top film of 2006 was the Spanish motion picture Pan’s Labyrinth, which he considered to be one of the greatest fantasy movies of all-time. A fairy tale meant for adults, the storyline follows a young girl, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), as she moves to a secluded old mill with her mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) and new stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez).
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A Tribute to the Late Roger Ebert
Dark CityApril 8, 2013As most of you probably already know, Roger Ebert passed away last Thursday after a bout with cancer at the age of 70. If there is such a thing as a superstar movie reviewer, Ebert would be it. Since the 1960s he reviewed films for the Chicago Sun Times and spent years bringing motion pictures to his audience through his television programs which featured his iconic two thumbs up rating system. Though I did not always agree with his opinions, he had the amazing knack of reaching both knowledgeable film experts and the ordinary moviegoer. As a tribute to this gargantuan movie expert, I will highlight three films that he loved during my next three articles.
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Man, I Feel Like A Woman
Some Like It HotMarch 18, 2013No, I will not be talking about country music or Shania Twain, but this line aptly describes what either of the two main characters could have said during the 1959 classic comedy Some Like It Hot.
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Silence is Golden
The ArtistMarch 4, 2013Last years big Oscar winner The Artist, which won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Score, and Costume Design, is a film that harkens back to the golden age of cinema. I have heard that a lot of people feel indifferent about watching this film, as a silent black and white motion picture seems boring and dated, yet The Artist is a beautifully written story that is quite the opposite.