2010 "Black Swan"
2011 "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
In some form or another, I have written about the impact of 9/11 on me and more importantly, the nation. I could have written a post under my series called, Better Than My Words, and copied the script from this movie word for word. This movie said what I could not. It expressed what I could not. It told a story in which I could not relate. It moved me. It made me feel sympathy and on a deeper level because empathy, in this case, is impossible. Much like World War II, 9/11 will be written about for generations to come. Its story will be told from a multitude of angles and perspectives. Some will be flattering, others will offend, but if this is Hollywood’s first take at such a tragedy, I welcome those experiences.
2012 "Moonrise Kingdom"
2013 "12 Years a Slave"
Without a doubt, it is one of the most powerful movies I've ever seen. Not, because of its violence and unimaginable human suffering, but rather what it reveals about the human spirit. Within all of us, is the power to love/hate, lift up/tear down, create/destroy... Some of us walk a fine line between the two, yet very few of us are ever called to summon the energy to survive against those occupying the evil counterbalances. Solomon Northup survived and in doing so opened the eyes of a nation to slavery and its atrocities. His character in the face of such adversity will stay with me for a long time to come. As will an ever-present idea of ensuring I am occupying the power to love, lift up and create.
To read the original review, click HERE.
2014 "Boyhood"
“Boyhood” is a movie of extremes. At one end, is the simple telling of a boy and his family in the modern world. They move, mom remarries, abusive stepfather comes into the picture, adolescence rears its confusing head, reconnecting with your biological father, teenage years are hellish, becoming your own man and then off to college. There is nothing groundbreaking here until you encounter the other extreme. A movie shot with the same actors over the course of more than a decade of work. The commitment to the craft and the dedication to the story are evident in every scene. As a 31-year-old man, I saw my childhood before me and connected on almost every level. We may never see another movie like this and that’s alright by me.
2015 "Spotlight"
"Spotlight" is a love letter to journalism, required viewing for any student thinking about mass media as a career, and a middle finger to establishment organizations like the Catholic Church for covering for pedophiles. It may also be the most important film of the year. We are at an interesting moment in human history. Huge corporations are gobbling up media outlets and merging them together. As they do, the editorial power of these newspapers, television stations, magazines, and websites is called into question. Do they still possess the ability to speak about those in charge, if they are constantly concerned about offending someone? This film displays better than any other on the subject why the division between the editorial and advertising departments is so crucial. We, as citizens and voters, need the media to ask tough questions and investigate tirelessly, all in an effort to better inform us.
2016 "La La Land"
I'm usually not a big fan of musicals on the bring screen. I live under the impression that musicals should stay on the stage and never jump ship. With few exceptions, I have never deviated from this idea. "La La Land" is one of those exceptions. From the opening scene of song and dance on a crowded LA freeway to the final montage, I was enthralled and enraptured with what was playing out before me. The story itself isn't a new one. It is still a classic love story with starving artists playing boy and girl this go-round. The big difference here is how the film is shot, produced, lit, and edited. I have never seen a film quite like it and for its unique approach, it should be rewarded.
2017 "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Before interstates, we traveled an interconnected network of two-lane roads both paved and unpaved. In some places, old billboards stand as the last visual remnant of man’s simpler form of travel. Drive along old Route 66 and this becomes evident. In this film, three billboards standing alongside a forgotten road serve as an idea to get attention. They also serve as the basis for what I believe to be the best-written film of 2017, “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri.”
To read the original review, click HERE.
2018 "A Star Is Born"
I try my hardest to not give films five-star reviews. No matter the art form, very little approaches the reality of perfection. “A Star Is Born” isn’t a perfect movie, yet it moved me in unexpected ways. It left me emotionally involved in its characters long after I had departed the theater. Its story shook me in ways I was unprepared to face. Its aftermath for me and everyone else who has seen it is Oscar-worthy. This is why I am giving it 5-stars. This feeling of near perfection is all thanks to two people crossing paths.
To read the original review, click HERE.
2019 "The Last Black Man in San Francisco"
Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco… No major city in the United States can escape the clutches of gentrification. Years before, white people fled to the suburbs. Flying from the inner-city, they took wealth, businesses, and community with them. In their absence, vibrant and multi-cultural communities took hold, put their roots deep in the ground, and began to grow. Soon, white people decided to fly back toward the city center. Costs began to rise, and housing became unaffordable for the people already living there. They found themselves forced further and further away from places they had made their home. “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” attempts to wrestle with this challenge by asking, “Who does a city belong to, if not everyone?”
To read the original review, click HERE.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
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