The Rise of the Female Action Hero: A History A door is kicked in, splinters fly, and a lone figure steps through the smoke. Once, that figure was almost always a man delivering a blunt one-liner before walking away. For decades, action cinema celebrated explosions, brawn and machismo, and women were rarely imagined as the … Read more

I’ve been explicit about my views on Green Book. It is a well-crafted film that fits the mold of what the Academy has tended to reward in recent years: polished performances, crowd-pleasing sentiment, and a narrative that seeks reconciliation rather than provocation. There is nothing technically wrong with those qualities. Yet the film’s thematic choices … Read more

The 91st Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on 24 February 2019. The show sought to move past pre-ceremony controversies and tensions and instead focused on a televised evening full of music, humor and the presentation of all 24 competitive awards during the broadcast. The ceremony included standout performances, memorable … Read more

There are only eight nominees for the Best Picture Academy Award at the 2019 Oscars (down from nine the previous year). The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences—the body responsible for nominating these films—faced heavy criticism over this year’s selections. From controversies surrounding the production of Bohemian Rhapsody to debates over the politics and … Read more

Every year the Oscars honor outstanding achievements in animated filmmaking, and the winner in this category often becomes a widely recognized classic. In 2019 five exceptional animated features competed for Best Animated Feature, representing a range of styles and storytelling approaches: the powerhouse studios Disney and Pixar, the singular vision of Wes Anderson, the elegant … Read more

It often feels like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gets the Oscar nominations wrong. Ask anyone on social media, read the press or stop a passerby on the street and you’ll likely hear disagreement with at least one choice. The spotlight this year has focused as much on behind-the-scenes decisions — a … Read more

This review originally appeared on SSP Thinks Film and is by Sam Sewell-Peterson. Shoplifters (2018) Director: Hirokazu Koreeda Screenwriter: Hirokazu Koreeda Starring: Lily Franky, Sakura Andô, Kirin Kiki, Mayu Matsuoka, Jyo Kairi, Miyu Sasaki Hirokazu Koreeda’s Shoplifters is a quietly powerful portrait of an unconventional family surviving on the margins of contemporary Japan. At its … Read more

This article was originally published on SSP Thinks Film by Sam Sewell-Peterson. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018/19) Director: Marielle Heller Screenwriters: Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells, Ben Falcone Marielle Heller’s Can You Ever Forgive Me? skilfully tells a story so strange it feels like it must be … Read more

This article was originally published on SSP Thinks Film by Sam Sewell-Peterson. BlackKklansman (2018) Director: Spike Lee Screenwriters: Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Charlie Wachtel Starring: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Topher Grace, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Robert John Burke, Brian Tarantina, Michael Buscemi, Laura Harrier, Alec Baldwin Spike Lee’s BlackKklansman closes with one of … Read more

This article was originally published on SSP Thinks Film by Sam Sewell-Peterson. Black Panther (2018) Director: Ryan Coogler Screenwriters: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis Watching Black Panther is … Read more