If “Dune” from 2021 was a preface, an introduction, breaking us gently into the dense universe of author Frank Herbert, then “Dune Part Two” is an acceleration. With each of his films, director, now auteur Denis Villeneuve, hones his craft, creating films with a brilliance that has lately only been seen in Christopher Nolan’s films. […]
It would never take much rebooting of Frank Herbert’s beloved “Dune” to be better than its 1984 disappointment helmed by David Lynch. Like “The Lord of the Rings” or Comic Book adaptions, the technology needed to be invented to match the imagination and world-building in the science fiction epic, long hailed the greatest of all
The Czech Republic’s submission to the Academy Awards that was short-listed from over 90 films to one of the ten, was also one of the films that prompted walkouts during Venice and Toronto film festivals. Director Václav Marhoul’s controversial black and white film The Painted Bird is adapted from the equally controversial author Jerzy Kosinski.
Director Hans Petter Moland has adapted Per Petterson’s dense novel of the same name into a film that’s cinematically ornamental. Internationally, the film is being sold as a Stellan Skarsgård vehicle, despite the fact he’s a minor character in the story. Narratively framed similar to The Reader, Out Stealing Horses exists almost entirely in flashback.
Why is the sequel getting better reviews than the 2008 original? It’s certainly not because of Meryl Streep, who only shows up in the last ten minutes. The original was a cinematic summer vacation of sorts. Fun music, three-time Oscar winner Streep jumping around on mattress in the stunning location of Skopelos, Greece. The sequel
The new thriller from director Susanna White, not the first choice for the project, has actually turned out pretty good for those with patience. Lost are the art of spy thrillers that focus more on discussion, secrets, back dealing and survival. Our Kind of Traitor has a few simple action scenes in the final act,
Two time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett has elevated the films bearing her prestigious name since 1998’s Elizabeth. Disney’s latest live action fairy tale adaptation Cinderella, marks the first time I can say that Blanchett’s inclusion in a film hasn’t elevated it. In the last 50 years there have been well over 30 Cinderella movies;