Tag: Cinematography

Monkey Man: More Story Driven Than Action Packed But Largely Works

The journey of Dev Patel’s directorial debut Monkey Man has been an interesting one. Originally slated for a streaming only release, the film ended up at Universal following famed director Jordan Peele seeing it and believing in its…

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The Spice Flows – Dune: Part Two is a Striking Cinematic Achievement

After a delay caused by the twin Hollywood strikes for a chunk of last year, the long anticipated sequel to Dune is upon us as director Denis Villeneuve’s next installment hits multiplexes nationwide. He looks to build upon…

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The Color Purple is a Visual and Musical Marvel

Following up an iconic story with a new retelling is always a daunting task and adapting a story as beloved as this one can be even more challenging. The Color Purple follows the same story many are familiar…

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Maestro is a Technical Marvel Paired with an Emotional Story of Marriage’s Complexity (Middleburg Film Festival)

Bradley Cooper returns to directing with a biopic about a famous musician, this time focusing on a famous, real life figure. Maestro chronicles the rise of famous composer Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) as he builds his musical legend alongside…

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The Zone of Interest Powerfully Displays the Banality of Evil (Middleburg Film Festival)

The concept of evil triumphing within society not because of some over-the-top conquest, but because of everyday people becoming numb to the slow march of what they know to be wrong is an oft explored concept within the…

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Poor Things is Hilarious but Challenging in A Way That Provokes Thought

Director Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone have teamed together on the big screen once more. Set in Victorian London, Poor Things tells the story of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman who curiously behaves like a toddler….

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Napoleon’s Two Quality Halves Don’t Make a Whole

2023 has seen multiple historical epics grace the big screen as if the 1960s have returned. Audiences seem to be warming up to witnessing history unfold in theaters with the hype surrounding multiple pictures and director Ridley Scott’s…

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Saltburn Tackles Class Stratification Using A Familiar Gothic Story (Middleburg Film Festival)

Emerald Fennell burst onto the scene of talented writer/directors with 2020’s Promising Young Woman and three years later, she makes her anticipated return to multiplexes. Saltburn begins on the campus of Oxford University with freshman student Oliver Quick…

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Oppenheimer Explores Guilt, Crisis of Conscience in Fusion of Biopic and Tense Procedural Drama

A three-hour biographical drama shot partially in black-and-white does not usually sound like a recipe for a mid-summer theatrical release, but the formula for blockbuster success changes when director Christopher Nolan is involved. His latest film seeks to…

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Earth Mama Has an Important Story but Can Be a Tedious Watch (Sundance Film Festival)

Earth Mama tells the tale of Gia (Tia Nomore), a single mother who has lost her two children Trey (Ca’Ron Coleman) and Shaynah (Alexis Rivas) to foster care amidst her drug addiction and struggle with poverty. Gia seeks…

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