Tag: Oscars

Wicked Mostly Hits Its Marks

Following decades of popularity after its Broadway debut, the stage play Wicked, based on a 1995 novel, is finally making its way to the big screen courtesy of Crazy Rich Asians director John M. Chu. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo)…

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Nightbitch is an Entertaining, Revelatory Exploration of the Pressures of Motherhood (Middleburg Film Festival)

Following lots of hype surrounding Rachel Yoder’s 2021 novel coming to the big screen and the potential of a performance from Amy Adams finally garnering her an Oscar, the trailer for Marielle Heller’s new film Nightbitch deflated a…

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A Real Pain Combines Heart and Humor to Explore Grief and Connection (Middleburg Film Festival)

Grief can be a complicated thing. The latest film from actor Jesse Eisenberg explores a family trying to overcome loss that is both permanent and figurative regarding their own relationship. A Real Pain begins in JFK airport in…

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Gladiator II Shines As An Action Packed Historical Epic with Political Intrigue

Following classic movies years later with a sequel rarely works out. In this age of cinema that runs mostly on nostalgia, it has been tried many times without reaching the same heights as what passed. Director Ridley Scott…

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Emilia Pérez is a Pleasant Surprise That Effectively Melds Social Commentary, Drama, and Music Together (Middleburg Film Festival)

Multiplexes have been riddled with the remnants of musicals past in recent years with some having succeeded, like 2023’s Wonka, and others crashing and burning like Joker Folie á Deux earlier this year. Audiences have had mixed reactions…

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Conclave Is an Engrossing Political Thriller That Also Deftly Explores Religion (Middleburg Film Festival)

Coming off of the success of 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front, director Edward Berger returns to cinema with the adaptation of a 2016 novel. Conclave finds us alongside Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) following the sudden…

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Anora Mixes Comedy and Drama to Explore The Psyche of Dancers (Middleburg Film Festival)

Winter/director Sean Baker is back with a new film that stays close to his trademark penchant for realistic portrayals of working class segments of society not often explored that has been buzzing on the film festival circuit. Anora is…

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Sing Sing Takes A Probing Look at the Capacity for Change

Sing Sing is a film that takes place in the New York State Penitentiary of the same name. Divine G (Colman Domingo) is incarcerated and finds purpose for himself by helping to organize and write for a prison…

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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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Top Performances of 2023

In anticipation of tomorrow’s Oscar nominations announcement, we here at CinemaBabel have compiled our top picks for 2023’s best in film performances both in front of and behind the camera. See how our picks stack up against the…

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