MY LEAST FAVORITE FILMS OF 2017

I believe that every movie begins with a simple goal; to create a work of cinema that audiences will find entertaining and engaging. Unfortunately, that goal does not always come to pass for a variety of different reasons. Here are a few films that stand out for me from last year that were not successful at achieving their goal:

 "It"

"It", the film based on the classic Stephen King novel, became a massive international success last fall. It scared up over $700 million worldwide and has gone on to become the highest-grossing horror movie of all time. And I just don’t get it. While the film is proficiently directed by Andy Muschietti and looks great thanks to the work of cinematographer, Chung-hoon Chung, "It" feels shockingly routine and lacks any genuine scares. After his younger brother vanished a year ago without a trace, Bill (Jaeden Lieberher), a stuttering teenager, continues to be grief-stricken while his parents are still so distraught that they are neglecting him. Other unexplained tragedies involving missing children in the town have been going on for centuries and Bill and his band of misfit friends discover the culprit; Pennywise, a blood-thirsty, dancing clown played with zest by Bill Skarsgård. "It" has moments that entertain and may sends chills down a few spines yet not nearly enough effort has been made to make the film a truly scary nightmare.



"Rough Night"

The comparison to "Girl Trip", last summer's hilarious hit female-buddy comedy, is inevitable but "Rough Night" ain't even on the same block. This misguided attempt of a dark comedy hit theaters first where it was met with a collective groan and a quick dismissal. Four college friends (Scarlett Johansson, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer and Zoë Kravitz) reunite after ten years and decide to have a girl's weekend trip in Miami to celebrate one of them getting married. As cinema history tells us, nothing good will come from this and it doesn't as a male stripper is accidentally killed by one of the ladies. The rest of the film deals with them ridiculously trying to hide and then get rid of the body. Kate McKinnon shows up with a bad Aussie accent as another friend from their college days and "Modern Family's Ty Burrell and Demi Moore appear as a creepy, deviant couple who live next door to their rental house. While the similarly plotted "Girl Trip" successfully combined warmth and uproarious raunchy humor, "Rough Night" is just uncomfortably and incredibly bad.

"T2 Trainspotting"

Much like the follow-ups to movies like "Wall Street", "Basic Instinct" or "300" (to name only a few), "T2 Trainspotting" was another sequel that nobody really asked for. Danny Boyle, now an Oscar-winning director, returns to direct the follow-up to the 1996 film and much of the original cast are back. Irvine Welsh, the author of "Trainspotting", did write a sequel to his book called "Porno" but "T2" uses an original script by John Hodge that is loosely based on both books and follows those junkie Edinburgh lads twenty years later. Mark "Rent boy" Renton (Ewan McGregor) has been off heroin for years and living a normal family life in Amsterdam but divorce and a heart attack brings an end to his peaceful existence. After his marriage fails and loses visitation of his son, Daniel "Spud" Murphy (Ewen Bremner) becomes an addict again. Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson (Jonny Lee Miller) owns a run-down pub and has a coke problem but makes a living blackmailing dirty, old men with his young Bulgarian girlfriend (Anjela Nedyalkova). And Francis "Franco" Begbie (Robert Carlyle) is doing serious time in prison for drugs and robbery. The first film was driven by a reckless youthful energy while "T2" simply wheezes lethargically with sad and depressing middle-age spread.



"Snatched"

"Snatched" was one of the films I was really looking forward to seeing but ultimately it turned out to be one of my biggest disappointments on the year. This lame comedy stars one of the funniest comedians working today, Amy Schumer and features the return of comedy legend, Goldie Hawn who makes her first screen appearance in fifteen years. We also have the reliable talents of Joan Cusack, Ike Barinholtz, Wanda Sykes and Christopher Meloni all on board in supporting roles. With so much talent involved, the question remains why is this film so incredibly inept? One of the biggest problems is the underdeveloped script by Katie Dippold ("The Heat") and the very few laughs generated from it. The film tells the story of Emily (Schumer), after being fired from her job and dumped by her boyfriend, who is still determined to go on a nonrefundable vacation to Ecuador. She talks her unadventurous mother (Hawn) to go on the trip with her and the two end up getting kidnapped and held for ransom by a murderous gang. We spend the rest of this tragic comedy watching this mother and daughter trying to escape from their captors and the unamusing situations that occur during their getaway. Fans of Schumer, Hawn and comedies definitely deserved better than "Snatched".

"Ghost in the Shell"

Even without the whitewashing controversy involving the casting of Scarlett Johansson as a clearly Asian character, "Ghost In The Shell" had other serious problems. Based on the popular Japanese manga, this Hollywood version spent most of their time and money on developing visual effects and action sequences and far less on plot and characters. Set in the near future, Hanka Robotics have secretly developed the ability to merge a human brain with an artificial body or "shell". Against the wishes of the inventor, Dr. Ouelet (Juliette Binoche), the experiment of the former Mira Killian, whose body was badly damaged and has become the cyborg, Major (Johansson) will be used as a deadly counter-terrorism operative. The rest of the muddled story involves sabotage within Hanka and the mystery of Killian's past. But the most infuriating thing about "Ghost" is that this is another American film that completely mistreats the glorious gifts of France's "La Binoche".

"Justice League"

"Justice League" brings together some of the world's greatest super-heroes; Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. What should have been a thrilling and exciting adventure turned out to be a whole lot less. Dull, uninspired and pointless, "Justice League" lets down comic-book fans with a film that simply goes through the motions and makes zero effort to elevate the material to higher than average. A perfect example of lazy film making at it's finest.

Click here to read review: "Justice League"

2018 OSCAR NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

"The Shape of Water",  Guillermo del Toro’s love story between a mute woman and a sea creature, leads the field of the 90th Academy Awards nominations with the film receiving thirteen. The dark comedy, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" follows with nine nominations and "Dunkirk", Christopher Nolan's epic WWII drama, received seven.

This year, the Oscars sort of went back to the traditional way of announcing the nominations with Andy Serkis and Tiffany Haddish (who had to settle for this moment as they were passed over for Oscar nods for their highly praised work in "War For the Planet of The Apes" and "Girl Trip") were on board live with an unseen audience wildly applauding after each nomination was read. While Ms Haddish certainly brought some bright humor to the early morning presentation, we also had to endure her mangling many people's names throughout the brief telecast. Just a little rehearsal would have made the things run much more smoothly.

The nomination I'm most shocked and thrilled about is for Lesley Manville for her outstanding supporting performance in "Phantom Thread". I'm so glad she was not overlooked and she really deserves this honor. I'm also happy about the showing of "Get Out" with the socially-conscience horror film receiving a Best Picture nod and Jordan Peele getting two nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director with him being only the fifth African-American to receive an Oscar nod in this category.

Other notable nominations include Rachel Morrison who became the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar for her work in "Mudbound". Greta Gerwig, whose coming-of-age dramedy, "Lady Bird" received five nominations, has become only the fifth woman nominated as Best Director.  Christopher Plummer, who quickly replaced the disgraced Kevin Spacey in the role of J. Paul Getty in the drama, "All The Money in The World", has become the oldest acting nominee in Oscar history at the age of eighty-eight for his supporting role in the film. And Meryl Streep has once again broken her own record by receiving her twenty-first acting nomination with her amazing performance in "The Post" while Roger Deakins received his fourteenth Best Cinematography nomination for his undeniably impressive work in "Blade Runner 2049" yet still has never won. I'm seriously rooting for you, Roger. You are long overdue.

The 90th Annual Academy Awards will be held on March 4, 2018 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood with Jimmy Kimmel returning as host.

Here is the complete list of the 2018 Oscar Nominations:

Best Picture:

“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Director:

Christopher Nolan, "Dunkirk"
Jordan Peele, "Get Out"
Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
Paul Thomas Anderson, "Phantom Thread"
Guillermo del Toro, "The Shape of Water"

Best Actor:

Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Best Actress:

Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

Best Supporting Actor:

Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Supporting Actress:

Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

Best Adapted Screenplay:

James Ivory, "Call Me By Your Name"
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, "The Disaster Artist"
Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green, "Logan"
Aaron Sorkin, "Molly's Game"
Virgil Williams and Dee Rees, "Mudbound"

Best Original Screenplay:

Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani, "The Big Sick"
Jordan Peele, "Get Out"
Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor, "The Shape of Water"
Martin McDonagh, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Foreign Language Film:

“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul (Hungary)
“The Square” (Sweden)

Best Animated Feature:

“The Boss Baby”
“The Breadwinner”
“Coco"
“Ferdinand"
“Loving Vincent"

Best Documentary Feature:

“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail"
“Faces Places"
“Icarus"
“Last Men in Aleppo"
“Strong Island"

Best Cinematography:

Roger Deakins, "Blade Runner 2049"
Bruno Delbonnel, "Darkest Hour"
Hoyte van Hoytema, "Dunkirk"
Rachel Morrison, "Mudbound"
Dan Laustsen, "The Shape of Water"

Best Film Editing:

Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss, "Baby Driver"
Lee Smith, "Dunkirk"
Tatiana S. Riegel, "I, Tonya"
Sidney Wolinsky, "The Shape of Water"
Jon Gregory, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Animated Short:

"Dear Basketball”
"Garden Party"
"Lou"
"Negative Space"
"Revolting Rhymes"

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“Edith + Eddie"
"Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405"
"Heroin(e)"
"Knife Skills"
"Traffic Stop"

Best Live Action Short Film:

"DeKalb Elementary"
"The Eleven O’Clock"
"My Nephew Emmett"
"The Silent Child"
"Watu Wote/All of Us"

Best Production Design:

Sarah Greenwood (Production Designer); Katie Spencer (Set Decorator), "Beauty and the Beast"
Dennis Gassner (Production Designer); Alessandra Querzola (Set Decorator), "Blade Runner 2049"
Sarah Greenwood (Production Designer); Katie Spencer (Set Decorator), "Darkest Hour"
Nathan Crowley (Production Designer); Gary Fettis (Set Decorator), "Dunkirk"
Paul D. Austerberry (Production Designer); Jeffrey A. Melvin & Shane Vieau (Set Decorator), "The Shape of Water"

Best Makeup and Hair:

Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick, "Darkest Hour"
Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard, "Victoria and Abdul"
Arjen Tuiten, "Wonder"

Best Costume Design:

Jacqueline Durran, "Beauty and the Beast"
Jacqueline Durran, "Darkest Hour"
Mark Bridges, "Phantom Thread"
Luis Sequeira, "The Shape of Water"
Consolata Boyle, "Victoria and Abdul"

Best Original Score:

Hans Zimmer, "Dunkirk"
Jonny Greenwood, "Phantom Thread"
Alexandre Desplat, "The Shape of Water"
John Williams, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Carter Burwell, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Original Song:

“Mighty River” from "Mudbound",  Written by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq & Taura Stinson
“Mystery of Love” from "Call Me by Your Name”, Written by Sufjan Stevens
“Remember Me” from "Coco", Written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall”, Written by Diane Warren & Common
“This Is Me” from "The Greatest Showman", Written by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

Best Sound Editing:

Julian Slater, "Baby Driver"
Mark Mangini & Theo Green, "Blade Runner 2049"
Alex Gibson & Richard King, "Dunkirk"
Nathan Robitaille & Nelson Ferreira, "The Shape of Water"
Ren Klyce & Matthew Wood, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"

Best Sound Mixing:

Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater & Tim Cavagin, "Baby Driver"
Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett & Doug Hephill, "Blade Runner 2049"
Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker & Gary A. Rizzo, "Dunkirk"
Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke & Brad Zoern, "the Shape of Water"
Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker & Michael Semanick, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"

Best Visual Effects:

John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover and Gerd Nefzer, "Blade Runner 2049"
Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner and Dan Sudick, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza and Mike Meinardus, "Kong: Skull Island"
Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould and Neal Scanlon, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Joel Whist, "War For The Planet of The Apes"

2018 RAZZIE AWARDS NOMINATIONS

I have just recently placed Darren Aronofsky's "mother!" as one of my favorite films of 2017. But as I had also stated, there were many people that were not fans of this film. That was proven as "mother!" just received three nominations including Worst Director for Mr. Aronofsky during the announcement of the 38th annual Golden Raspberry Award nominations or as they are now better known as "the Razzie" which honors the worst in cinema of the previous year. "Transformers: The Last Knight", the latest of Michael Bay's endless sequels of the giant robot warriors based on toy products, leads the field with nine nominations including Worst Picture. "Fifty Shades Darker", the limp erotic drama sequel, follows with eight nominations with "Baywatch", "The Emoji Movie" and "The Mummy" all also in the running for Worst Picture. The Razzie Awards will be handed out on March 3rd, the day before the Oscars. Let's see how many will actually show up to pick-up their prize.

Here is the complete list of nominations for the 2018 Razzie Awards:

WORST PICTURE:

"Baywatch"
"The Emoji Movie"
"Fifty Shades Darker"
"The Mummy"
"Transformers: The Last Knight"

WORST DIRECTOR:

Darren Aronofsky, "mother!"
Michael Bay, "Transformers: The Last Knight"
James Foley, "Fifty Shades Darker"
Alex Kurtzman, "The Mummy"
Anthony (Tony) Leonidis, "The Emoji Movie"

WORST SCREENPLAY:

"Baywatch"
"The Emoji Movie"
"Fifty Shades Darker"
"The Mummy"
"Transformers: The Last Knight"

WORST ACTRESS:

Katherine Heigl, "Unforgettable"
Dakota Johnson, "Fifty Shades Darker"
Jennifer Lawrence, "mother!"
Tyler Perry, "Boo 2!: A Madea Halloween"
Emma Watson, "The Circle"

WORST ACTOR:

Tom Cruise, "The Mummy"
Johnny Depp, "Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"
Jamie Dornan, "Fifty Shades Darker"
Zac Efron, "Baywatch"
Mark Wahlberg, "Daddy’s Home 2" & "Transformers: The Last Knight"

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Javier Bardem, "mother!" & "Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"
Russell Crowe, "The Mummy"
Josh Duhamel, "Transformers: The Last Knight"
Mel Gibson, "Daddy’s Home 2"
Anthony Hopkins, "Collide" & "Transformers: The Last Knight"

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Kim Basinger, "Fifty Shades Darker"
Sofia Boutella, "The Mummy"
Laura Haddock, "Transformers: The Last Knight"
Goldie Hawn, "Snatched"
Susan Sarandon, "A Bad Moms Christmas"

WORST SCREEN COMBO:

Any Combination of Two Characters, Two Sex Toys or Two Sexual Positions, "Fifty Shades Darker"
Any Combination of Two Humans, Two Robots or Two Explosions, "Transformers: The Last Knight"
Any Two Obnoxious Emojis, "The Emoji Movie"
Johnny Depp & His Worn Out Drunk Routine,"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"
Tyler Perry & Either The Ratty Old Dress or Worn Out Wig, "Boo 2!: A Madea Halloween"

WORST REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL:

"Baywatch"
"Boo 2!: A Madea Halloween"
"Fifty Shades Darker"
"The Mummy"
"Transformers: The Last Knight"

MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2017

It appeared that the entire entertainment business was going to completely implode last year due to the seemingly endless revelations that one of our beloved and respected actor, director, executive or fill-in-the-blank was being accused of the heinous act of sexual harassment or assault. While many were shocked (or at least acted shocked), the truth is that Hollywood was built on the exploitation of beautiful women and some of the men in the business used their power to abuse and profit from many of the desperate people who simply wanted an opportunity to work. The one bright spot out of all of this is that victims will no longer have to be concerned about coming forward or being believed. And straight white males won't be the only ones making decisions or calling all the shots in Hollywood. Eventually.

As for the movies, there already appears to be a shift with a greater occurrence for women and people of color to get a chance to create in front of and behind the camera. Some of my favorite films of the past year involved many of these such opportunities. Let's hope (and make sure) that this will not be a short-lived trend by continuing to support and encourage these endeavors. Here are my selections of the best films of 2017 in no particular order:

"GET OUT"

"Get Out", the exceptional feature debut by Jordan Peele, is a clever social satire on race that uses the unlikely horror genre to make a statement. Daniel Kaluuya stars as a young African-American man who goes to an upstate New York town to visit the parents of his new white girlfriend (Allison Williams). While her folks (played by Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener) appear to be an uber-liberal couple, there still seems to be something sinister lurking, not only with them but the entire town. "Get Out" is a well-made funny and scary film that has unexpectedly become a timely cultural phenomenon.

Click here to read review: "Get Out"

"DUNKIRK"

Christopher Nolan continues to astonish with his gifts as a master storyteller with his latest, "Dunkirk", a fact-based drama on the harrowing attempt to evacuate hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers trapped on the beaches of Northern France during WW II. With the story told from three perspectives: land, sea, and air, we witness through the eyes of Tommy (Fionn Whitehead), a young British private frantically trying to stay alive on Dunkirk. The Royal Navy requests that civilian vessels sail out to try and rescue some of the trapped men and we have British fighter-aircraft trying to take down the German bombers. Nolan has placed a greater emphasis on visuals and music (with remarkable work by cinematographer, Hoyte van Hoytema and composer, Hans Zimmer) to heighten suspense and emotion but you don't need a lot of backstory or dialogue (which there is minimal) to understand the terror, fear and desperation of these soldiers as they are essentially sitting ducks on the beach as they wait, hoping that they'll eventually be rescued.

"THE POST"

What I found amazing about "The Post", Steven Spielberg’s riveting historical drama on the decision by the Washington Post to publish the Pentagon Papers, was how this drama managed to still be thrilling and intense despite knowing the eventual outcome of this event. The New York Times first began publishing the papers involving the Vietnam War but a court injunction forced them to stop. Tom Hanks plays the editor of the Post, Ben Bradlee who gets his hands on a copy of the classified documents and wants to release them in his paper. Meryl Steep delivers another memorable performance as Katharine Graham, now the publisher of the Washington Post after her husband‘s death and very concerned about the challenges of this position due to her inexperience and gender. With the decision to publish resting solely on her shoulders, Graham patiently listens to both sides with concerns from the Board over the newspaper's pending IPO and potential legal action while Bradlee is pushing this as an important First Amendment cause. In this era of trying to dismiss the media as nothing more than "fake news", "The Post" serves as a well-timed reminder of the importance of investigative journalism and the reporter's unwavering determination to make sure the truth continues to get out.

"LADY BIRD"

I must admit I have never been particularly enchanted by Greta Gerwig as an actor but with "Lady Bird", her solo feature debut as a writer and director, I now can say I have become a hardcore fan. Anchored by two incredible performances by Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, this insightful and funny film tells the coming-of-age story of an average Sacramento high school senior trying to stand-out as a spectacular individual and her stormy relationship with her weary mother. With outstanding supporting work by Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Lois Smith, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Beanie Feldstein and rising star, Timothée Chalamet, "Lady Bird" is a perfectly crafted and wonderfully charming tale of the difficult time of adolescence and the uncertainty while facing impending adulthood.

"MOTHER!"

"mother!", a surreal, psychological horror drama from Darren Aronofsky, was one of the most fascinating movies of the year largely due to the extremely harsh critical reaction to it. Jennifer Lawrence stars as the title character, a young woman whose quiet life with her writer husband (Javier Bardem) at their isolated home is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious couple (Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer). I really can't go much further in to describing this story but let's just say that "mother!" becomes far more disturbing, cryptic and deranged as it progresses. I know I loved being challenged and confused by the film and think "mother!" is an extraordinary achievement. But I'm aware that there were many who were very vocal about really not enjoying nor understanding this movie.

Click here to read review: "mother!"

"PHANTOM THREAD"

Watching "Phantom Thread", another excellent drama from one of the most interesting filmmakers working today, Paul Thomas Anderson, was a bittersweet experience for me due to the knowledge that this may be the final screen appearance by Daniel Day-Lewis. But what an incredible way to make an exit. Set in the world of London's haute couture in the 1950's, Day-Lewis plays Reynolds Woodcock, a master dressmaker who finds inspiration and companionship from a long line of beautiful young women. After meeting Alma (Vicky Krieps), an awkward waitress in the countryside, she quickly becomes his latest muse and lover. But she's unlike any of the previous women he has ever encountered. Strong-willed and opinionated, Alma creates a serious disruption to Woodcock's regimented and structured life. Day-Lewis and Krieps (an actress from Luxembourg who is relatively new to English-speaking audiences) are absolutely riveting but it is Lesley Manville, a veteran British actress best known for her work in several Mike Leigh films, who is the real knock-out here as Cyril, Woodcock's chilly and controlling sister who organizes his business and life.



"THE FLORIDA PROJECT"

Sean Baker is one of the most exciting and inventive indie filmmakers at this moment. Following "Starlet" and the iPhone-shot, "Tangerine", the writer/director's latest, "The Florida Project" continues his trend of telling fascinating and unconventional stories in a way that's thoughtful and entertaining. Set in Orlando at a motel near Disney World, we follow a six-year old wild child named Moonee (the delightful and charming Brooklynn Prince) who lives there with her even wilder and rowdy young mother, Halley (Bria Vinaite). They are dirt poor and Halley does whatever she can to make a buck. The motel is managed by Bobby (played by Willem Dafoe) who does what he can to help the mostly down-on-their-luck tenants, but he also has a business to run. What makes this film unforgettable is how Baker is shrewdly able to take us in to this world of the marginalized and disregarded to make us really see them and their plight.

"CALL ME BY YOUR NAME"

With impressive direction by Luca Guadagnino and an eloquent script by James Ivory, "Call Me By Your Name" is one of the most beautifully rendered romances I have ever seen. Timothée Chalamet (in a breakout performance) stars as Elio, a precocious seventeen year old spending the summer in the Italian countryside with his parents when he becomes infatuated with his father's (Michael Stuhlbarg) young, American assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer in the film's other magnificent performance). This sensual and erotically-charged film is leisurely paced, taking it's time as the developing relationship unfolds, with both men hesitant to reveal their true desires, to eventual intimacy. And special mention must be given to Mr. Stuhlbarg who gives a tender and moving speech to his heartbroken son near the end of the film that just slayed me.

"THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MO"

Martin McDonagh has found considerable success with his plays and films by finding dark humor in tragic and disturbing situations. His most recent film, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MO" features a mother (Frances McDormand) filled with rage and frustration after the horrific murder of her teenage daughter. She lashes out against the local police department for not solving the crime by purchasing three billboards with a message on them demanding to know why. This is some pretty heavy stuff but it's also funny as hell. There are many outstanding performances here, including Woody Harrelson, Lucas Hedges, John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage yet most of the attention has been going to Sam Rockwell as a dim, racist cop (an exceptional actor who after many years of memorable yet little seen performances is finally getting his due) and Ms McDormand. I can't see any other actress who would have been able to bring this angry, quirky and unpleasant character to life and make her palatable and even sympathetic.

"GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL.2", "SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING", "THOR: RAGNAROK", "WONDER WOMAN"

This was the year that the super-hero movie matured and tried to offer more than the routine. What these four films have in common is that each one offers a fresh spin on the genre and elevates it with an alternative perspective. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" was another reboot of the series but the focus this time was more on the human side of the man behind the mask, Peter Parker, who is now clearly a teenage boy, played with youthful enthusiasm by Tom Holland. Witty, thrilling and a lot of fun, I think this is the best of the Spider-Man movies. The same can be said about two sequels; "Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2" continues as a wacky and rambunctious intergalactic thrill ride by adding more stars (Kurt Russell, Sylvester Stallone) and making Groot even cuter. With a new director on board, "Thor: Ragnarok" seems to have pretended the previous Thor films didn't exist and Taika Waititi ("Hunt for the Wilderpeople") brings a much needed boost of irreverence and amusement to the very serious Norse God series. And finally we have the long-awaited (and long-overdue) big screen adaption of "Wonder Woman". Under Patty Jenkins' invigorating direction and a star-making turn from Gal Gadot, it didn't surprise me at all that this movie became one of the biggest box-office hits of the year.

Click here to read review: "Spider-Man: Homecoming"

Honorable Mention: "Atomic Blonde", "Battle of the Sexes", "Beatriz at Dinner", "The Big Sick", "Coco", "Columbus", "Girl Trip", "Good Time", "Ingrid Goes West", "Lady Macbeth", "A Quiet Passion", "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", "The Shape of Water", "The Square", "War For The Planet of the Apes"

THE 20 MOST ANTICIPATED FILMS AT THE 2018 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

The Sundance Film Festival, the annual winter showcase for new indie feature films, shorts and documentaries has begun on January 18th and marks the thirty-fifth year of this Park City, Utah event. There will be 122 feature-length films and 69 short films screened that are part of this year's lineup. With so many films and so little time, it seems impossible to decide exactly what to see. Emily Yoshida and Kyle Buchanan of New York magazine has done everyone a favor by narrowing down to twenty films you should check out whether you are actually going to the fest or when these films make it to your local theaters, possibly later in the year.

Some of the interesting titles include "Wildlife", the directorial debut by actor, Paul Dano and he co-wrote this with his girlfriend, actress, Zoe Kazan ("The Big Sick"); Another feature debut directed by an actor, Idris Elba with "Yardie", a thriller about a young Jamaican man who pursues revenge against the man who killed his brother; "Ophelia", a re-telling of the Shakespeare play, 'Hamlet" but now from this character's point-of-view and stars Daisy Ridley and Naomi Watts; "Private Life", the first film directed by Tamara Jenkins ("Slums of Beverly Hills", "The Savages") in eleven years; "The Kindergarten Teacher" an American remake of the acclaimed 2014 Israeli film and stars Maggie Gyllenhaal; and "Lizzie", another take on the sensational story of Lizzie Borden (I remember the TV-movie from the '70's that starred Elizabeth Montgomery and would love to see that again) and features Chloë Sevigny as the alleged ax murderess and Kristen Stewart as her possible lover.

Click here to read:

The 20 Most Anticipated Films at 2018 Sundance

FILM STARS DON'T DIE IN LIVERPOOL (2017)

Written by Matt Greenhalgh


Directed by Paul McGuigan


Where & When: AFI Film Festival, TCL Chinese Theatres, Hollywood, CA. November 12, 2017 1:30 PM


I like to think of myself as a fairly knowledgeable film buff but I must admit I didn't know much about actress, Gloria Grahame nor have I ever seen one of her film performances. I have become aware that she is best known for her supporting roles as sexy, tough dames in the 1940's and '50's with films like "Crossfire", "In a Lonely Place", "The Big Heat" and impressively won an Oscar for her nine minute appearance in "The Bad and the Beautiful" in 1952.

With "Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool", Paul McGuigan's lukewarm romantic drama, we learn about Grahame in her later years when her career was in decline and her relationship with Peter Turner, a decades younger aspiring actor from this city in North West England. The story of this ill-fated love affair, based on a memoir by Turner, has moments when it can be touching and heartbreaking but the film is most effective as a showcase for the extraordinary performances of Annette Bening as Grahame and Jamie Bell playing Turner. Each of these actors reliably delivers some of their finest work when on screen separately yet when they appear together, the lively, sparkling chemistry between them is downright breathtaking.

The film begins in 1981, with Grahame preparing to take the stage in a small theater outside of London. Peter, who lives in Liverpool with his parents (Kenneth Cranham and Julie Waters), receives a call informing him that Gloria is gravely ill. Although they haven't spoken in some time, Peter still has warm feelings for his former love and invites her to his home with the hope of her recovering with the support of his family.

This leads to a series of inventive flashbacks to the time when Peter first met Gloria a few years earlier. While both were living in a London boarding house, they catch each other's eye and after an afternoon of drinks, conversation and disco dancing (all in Gloria's apartment), the couple drift in to a intimate relationship. With her breathy, girlish voice and assured sensuality at odds with her fiery temper and chronic insecurities, Grahame is more than a handful to deal with but Peter is patient and understanding of the life and career challenges facing the troubled actress.

And Grahame lived a wild and provocative life filled with impulsive behavior and poor judgment. She was married four times with one of her husbands being filmmaker Nicholas Ray who directed "Rebel Without a Cause", "Johnny Guitar" and one of Grahame's best known films, "In a Lonely Place" which helped expedite the end to their turbulent marriage during filming. Grahame later married Ray's step-son, Anthony with a rumor that they had first began an affair when he was thirteen and she was still married to the director.

Some of this, as well as her time as a gilded Hollywood star, are touched upon briefly in the film but the emphasis is almost entirely on the turbulent relationship between Grahame and Turner and her final days in his loving care. Mr. McGuigan, the Scottish filmmaker who was last on the big screen with the James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe 2015 horror dud, "Victor Frankenstein", would have benefited with showing us more of what made Grahame such an intriguing screen presence and a clearer understanding of the deep emotional connection between this young man and the mature actress.

While Ms Bening doesn't share any physical similarities to Grahame, she expertly captures the complicated spirit of the actress, continuously battling her inner demons of the narcissist nature of a performer with an enduring desire to simply love and be loved. Mr. Bell first came to our attention at the age of fourteen in the title role of the 2000 film, "Billy Elliot" which went on to become an international box-office smash and an equally successful Broadway musical. While he has continued to work, this is Bell's most significant film role since his debut and the actor holds his own next to the formidable Bening, bringing a sensitivity and stability to his role of Grahame's lover and caregiver. Vanessa Redgrave makes a welcome appearance as Grahame's mother but it's far too brief to be effective or memorable.

The legacy of Gloria Grahame has not remained as vibrant as some of her contemporaries and "Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool" isn't the best introduction of the actress to a new generation. But it does succeed in bringing some well-deserved attention to the fascinating Grahame and hopefully will lead people to search out her films to discover the magic she had that captivated audiences.

AWARD NEWS: THE SEMI-FINALS

With the recent announcement of the nominees for the DGA Awards in cinema, we are that much closer to the all-important Academy Award nominations on January 23rd. All of the individual guilds of producers, writers, editors, cinematographers and costume designers have revealed their selections for the best in 2017. With the exception of Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele receiving well-deserved nods by the Director's guild for their work, there are no real surprises in any of these group's picks with the usual suspects of award season receiving recognition.

So here is the run-down of the separate guilds and their respective nominations:

Here is the list of the nominations for the 29th Annual Producers Guild of America Awards (film):

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:

Judd Apatow and Barry Mendel, "The Big Sick"
Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges and Marco Morabito, "Call Me By Your Name"
Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, "Dunkirk"
Sean McKittrick & Edward H. Hamm, Jr., Jason Blum and Jordan Peele, "Get Out"
Bryan Unkeless, Steven Rogers, Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley, "I, Tonya"
Scott Rudin, Eli Bush and Evelyn O’Neill, "Lady Bird"
Mark Gordon, Amy Pascal and Matt Jackson, "Molly's Game"
Amy Pascal, Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger, "The Post"
Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale, "The Shape of Water"
Graham Broadbent & Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"
Charles Roven & Richard Suckle, Zack Snyder & Deborah Snyder, "Wonder Woman"

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:

Ramsey Naito, "The Boss Baby"
Darla K. Anderson, "Coco"
Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, "Despicable Me 3"
Lori Forte and Bruce Anderson, "Ferdinand"
Dan Lin, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, "The Lego Batman Movie"

Here are the nominations for the 70th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards (film):

Outstanding Directorial Achievement In Feature Film:

Guillermo del Toro, "The Shape of Water"
Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
Martin McDonagh, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"
Christopher Nolan, "Dunkirk"
Jordan Peele, "Get Out"

Outstanding Directorial Achievement Of A First-Time Feature Film Director:

Geremy Jasper, "Patti Cake$"
William Oldroyd, "Lady Macbeth"
Jordan Peele, "Get Out"
Taylor Sheridan, "Wind River"
Aaron Sorkin, "Molly’s Game"

Here are the nominations for the 70th Annual Writers Guild of America Awards (film):

Best Original Screenplay:

"The Big Sick", Written by Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
"Get Out", Written by Jordan Peele
"I, Tonya", Written by Steven Rogers
"Lady Bird", Written by Greta Gerwig
"The Shape of Water", Screenplay by Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor; Story by Guillermo del Toro

Best Adapted Screenplay:

"Call Me by Your Name", Screenplay by James Ivory; Based on the Novel by André Aciman
"The Disaster Artist", Screenplay by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber; Based on the Book by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell
"Logan", Screenplay by Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green; Story by James Mangold; Based on Characters from the X-Men Comic Books and Theatrical Motion Pictures
"Molly’s Game", Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin; Based on the Book by Molly Bloom
"Mudbound", Screenplay by Virgil Williams and Dee Rees; Based on the Novel by Hillary Jordan

Best Documentary Screenplay:

"Betting on Zero", Written by Theodore Braun
"Jane", Written by Brett Morgen
"No Stone Unturned", Written by Alex Gibney
"Oklahoma City", Written by Barak Goodman

Here is the list of the nominations for the 68th Annual American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards (film):

Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic)

Joe Walker, "Blade Runner 2049"
Lee Smith, "Dunkirk"
Alan Baumgarten, Josh Schaeffer & Elliot Graham, "Molly's Game"
Michael Kahn & Sarah Broshar, "The Post"
Sidney Wolinsky, "The Shape of Water"

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy):

Jonathan Amos & Paul Machliss, "Baby Driver"
Gregory Plotkin, "Get Out"
Tatiana S. Riegel, "I, Tonya"
Nick Houy, "Lady Bird"
Jon Gregory, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Edited Animated Feature Film:

Steve Bloom, "Coco"
Clair Dodgson, "Despicable Me 3"
David Burrows, Matt Villa & John Venzon, "The Lego Batman Movie"

Best Edited Documentary Feature:

Aaron I. Butler, "Cries From Syria"
Joe Beshenkovsky, Will Znidaric and Brett Morgen, "Jane"
Ann Collins, "Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold"
TJ Martin, Scott Stevenson and Dan Lindsay, "LA 92"

Here is the list of the nominations for the 32nd Annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards (film):

Roger Deakins, "Blade Runner 2049"
Bruno Delbonnel, "Darkest Hour"
Hoyte van Hoytema, "Dunkirk"
Dan Laustsen, "The Shape of Water"
Rachel Morrison, "Mudbound"

Here is the list of the nominations for the 20th Annual Costume Design Guild Awards (film):

Excellence in Contemporary Film Costumes:

Nadine Haders, "Get Out"
Jennifer Johnson, "I, Tonya"
Arianne Phillips, "Kingsman: The Golden Circle"
April Napier, "Lady Bird"
Melissa Toth, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Excellence in Period Film Costumes:

Jeffrey Kurland, "Dunkirk"
Alexandra Byrne, "Murder on the Orient Express"
Mark Bridges, "Phantom Thread"
Ellen Mirojnick, "The Greatest Showman"
Luis Sequeira, "The Shape of Water"

Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film Costumes:

Jacqueline Durran, "Beauty and the Beast"
Renée April, "Blade Runner 2049"
Michael Kaplan, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Mayes C. Rubeo, "Thor: Ragnarok"
Lindy Hemming, "Wonder Woman"

46 EXCITING NEW FILMS OF 2018

With 2017 behind us, it's time to look forward to the line-up of upcoming movies for 2018. Vulture has put together a list of forty-six interesting movies that will be coming to cinemas throughout the year. A few of the films I'm looking forward to include the rom-com, "Crazy Rich Asians"; the all-star African-American cast in the super-hero flick, "Black Panther"; the Bradley Cooper directed and co-starring with Lady Gaga in the fourth version of "A Star is Born"; the sequel to animated hit, "The Incredibles"; Barry Jenkins' follow-up to his Oscar-winning, "Moonlight", "If Beale Street Could Talk", an adaptation of the James Baldwin novel; Steve McQueen's long-awaited return after his 2013 Oscar-winner, "12 Years a Slave" with the Viola Davis crime-thriller, "Widows"; "Ant-Man and The Wasp" which features another opportunity to witness Michelle Pfeiffer on the big screen and a remake of the horror classic, "Suspiria" which is made more interesting with direction by Luca Guadagnino ("Call Me By Your Name") and starring Tilda Swinton.

Click below to read:

Upcoming New Films of 2018

UNDER THE RADAR IN 2017

While we are a few days in to a new year, it's still not too late to look back on the year in cinema for 2017. While everyone has been presenting their best film lists of last year (with my own to be forthcoming), the Los Angeles Times has presented a couple of articles that highlights great movies and performances that many people may have missed. Tre'vell Anderson has put together seventeen film performances that were outstanding but will most likely be overlooked during award season. Some of these, which I agree wholeheartedly, include the amazing work of Salma Hayek ("Beatriz at Dinner"), Rebecca Hall ("Professor Marston and the Wonder Women"), Betty Gabriel (the maid in "Get Out"), John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson ("Columbus").

Click below to read:

17 Film Performances of 2017 That Deserve a Second Look

Meanwhile, the L.A. Times critics have done their annual compilation with each selecting five feature films or documentaries to put a well-deserved spotlight on what may not have been given their proper due last year. Some of the films picked that I had wanted to see but sadly missed (but plan to catch) include "Menashe", "My Friend Dahmer", "Ethel & Ernest" and the docs, "California Typewriter" "Obit" and "Ex Libris: The New York Public Library".

Click below to read:

Under The Radar: Overlooked Films of 2017