When I binge-watch Best Picture nominees, I’m trying to understand what elevates a film from good to great. Not every nominee must reinvent cinema, but each should offer something distinct or emotionally true. Green Book contains excellent performances from Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen, yet those strengths are often undermined by larger problems in the … Read more
Animal Behaviour (2018) Directors: David Fine, Alison Snowden Screenwriters: David Fine, Alison Snowden Starring: Ryan Biel, Taz Van Rassel, Leah Juel, Andrea Libman, Toby Berner, James Kirk, Alison Snowden David Fine and Alison Snowden’s Oscar-nominated animated short Animal Behaviour is a smart, warm, and consistently funny exploration of identity and social expectation, framed as a … Read more
Weekends (2017) Director: Trevor Jimenez Screenwriter: Trevor Jimenez Trevor Jimenez’s Oscar-nominated animated short Weekends, produced by Past Lives Productions, is a tender, visually inventive exploration of childhood memory and family change. Told through the small, intense perspective of a young boy who splits his time between his mother’s home on weekdays and his father’s on … Read more
One Small Step (2018) Directors: Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas Screenwriters: Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas Taiko Studios’ Oscar-nominated animated short One Small Step, created by Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas, is a compact and deeply affecting piece of storytelling that proves the emotional power of visual narration. At its heart is the coming-of-age journey of Luna, … Read more
Late Afternoon (2017) Director: Louise Bagnall Screenwriter: Louise Bagnall Starring: Fionnula Flanagan, Louise Bagnall, Aislin Konings Ferrari, Michael McGrath, Niamh Moyles, Caoimhe Ní Bhrádaigh, Lucy O’Connell Production: Cartoon Saloon | Notable: Academy Award nominated short animation Louise Bagnall’s Late Afternoon is a tender, thoughtfully crafted short that explores the fragile terrain of memory and identity … Read more
Bao (2018) Director: Domee Shi Screenwriter: Domee Shi Starring: Tim Zhang Bao is a 2018 animated short from Pixar Animation Studios directed and written by Domee Shi. Originally released as a short that preceded screenings of Incredibles 2, the film condenses a powerful emotional story into a compact runtime of roughly seven and a half … Read more
In the final installment of this series, we settle the biggest category: Best Picture. Across this Oscars special, I’ve outlined the standout films of the last 12 months without the influence of big-budget awards campaigns. My selections roughly mirror many actual Academy choices, though I’ve expanded and rebalanced where I felt films were overlooked. So … Read more
Why I Adore Film, A Valentine’s Day Love Letter My dearest film, I’ve tried to remember the first time you wrapped me in your flickering embrace. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment, only that you are now an emphatic part of who I am. Though you live in fiction, you have shaped my perception of … Read more
Some of the writers here at The Film Magazine are publishing thoughtful pieces about romance in cinema this Valentine’s Day — deep dives and serious analysis. Usually I’d follow that route, but this time I’m taking a different tack. Sorry. For many people, movies are a lifelong passion. Most people enjoy films, but few truly … Read more
Escape Room (2019) Director: Adam Robitel Screenplay: Bragi F. Schut and Maria Melnik Starring: Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Tyler Labine, Jay Ellis, Nik Dodani SPOILERS AHEAD! I like Saw II. The original film’s brutality and tense character work still hold up for me; later sequels feel increasingly formulaic. Escape Room (2019) seems … Read more