Wes Anderson’s films are rarely about the story itself — they’re about how the story can be used as a vessel into the vibrant, fantastical world he creates around it. "The French Dispatch" (2021), Anderson’s latest release, embodies his usual film techniques to the fullest.
Kay Cannon’s "Cinderella" (2021) teeters on the line between a classic fairy tale and a pop star’s music video. Starring Camila Cabello, a singer and songwriter who once belonged to the music group Fifth Harmony and has since led a successful solo music career, "Cinderella" loses the class of the original fairy tale and instead lands itself as a sad attempt at a pop culture-filled musical.
Any great film needs a good ending, and this was the 93rd Oscars’ greatest downfall. In a typical year, the ceremony ends with the climactic award for best picture. This year, however, the order was switched, with best picture being presented third to last, followed by best actress and then best actor. The clear suspense that was built up for the best actor category led to much speculation that the night would end in the powerful and emotional announcement that the late Chadwick Boseman had won for his exceptional performance in "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom" (2020). So it was no surprise that the real winner, Anthony Hopkins, was quite a letdown.
"Nomadland" is the current top contender for best picture, as projected by many media outlets, but I still think "Minari" has a chance. Although "Nomadland" is well-acted, has a distinctive cast and tells a beautiful story, the easily comprehensible and well-acted "Minari" has greater complexities that drive its narrative.
Why do filmmakers feel the need to take successful entertainment and spin it into something ludicrous? While the answer to this is often simply that production companies are willing to exploit the original story for profit, it proves upsetting nevertheless. Unfortunately for the classic cartoon, Tim Story’s "Tom and Jerry" falls victim to just that.
Spending so much time unable to practice and compete caused Cudney to reevaluate why she swims, and wonder what her life would look like if she stopped. Without practice or any competitions on the horizon, Cudney took a step back to examine her priorities and consider whether swimming was one of them.
The beauty of "Nomadland" does not just lie in the story it tells; it actually comes to life through its unique casting. Although the film is not based on a true story, it is strongly rooted in real events and experiences of those considered to be nomads.
Pandemic references landed in a variety of ways throughout this year’s Super Bowl commercials, sometimes offering a sense of humor and other times appealing to pathos.
