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Why the Oscars have no clue what they’re doing.

It’s that time of the year again. Hollywood millionaires cluster up in their masses to sit for 4 hours and fake smile when they lose after getting their hopes up. Just like most awards, most award shows are pointless, and at the centre, lies the Oscars. And for years now, the Academy have no clue how to run it.

Take 2016’s ceremony for example. Everyone remembers that as the #Oscarssowhite one. That’s the only way people remember it. 2017’s too. That was the ‘La La Land/ Moonlight’ one. What made those iconic was an unplanned event. Truly says something, when the most memorable aspect of your ceremony was an accident. And why? Because the Oscars bathe in publicity.

This years Oscars had the Academy announcing several changes. First was it’s infamous ‘Popular Film’ category that was announced then revoked. Most recently, the Academy announced that 3 of the most important awards – Cinematography, Editing and Sound – were to be given out during the ad breaks. Yet, no doubt we’ll have to sit through more fannying about on a trip to the cinema again like last year.

The Academy’s main issue is they’re too scared of their audience. Probably explains why a film like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ – a film hated by film experts but loved by the majority of audiences – got nominated. But if that film came out a year earlier (being directed by Bryan Singer, who has multiple allegations of paedophilia and sexual assault) in the heat of the #MeToo movement, the Academy would avoid it like the plague. Same with Black Panther, as great a film it is, you can’t help but feel its simply a publicity move to get comic book fans on board with them. But the truth is, The Academy are outdated. In a time right now, when film tastes are diverse, so should The Academy. Instead of trying to please the majority, make an awards show for the individuals.

33013619801_ae3c253755_b — The Oscars are back on Sunday 24th February.

Top 5 Films – No.1. Moonlight (2016)

Now I’ve seen many, many films in my short 18 years on earth. As a media student at university, films are so important to me. Films are something of a medium that can transcend and take you to any level of emotion once you connect with it. Film are a way of life for me. Many films come and go and often some will stick with me long after I’ve left the cinema. And that is just what my No. 1 film does. I will confess, I regret not seeing this in the cinema first time, and it was only on my second watch that I truly knew that was sheer perfection. And that is why, 2017’s Best Picture winning Moonlight, is my all-time favourite film. It is the closest thing to perfection there is.
I am neither black or gay, nor do I live in poverty in Miami, but I was able to connect to this film like no other, not for those specific themes, but for the one overarching theme: identity. During our lives we all have moments where we contemplate our own identity. Moonlight doesn’t provide us with that answer. Except urges us to explore it ourselves. It says that we are not defined by anything in our lives.
For those who are unfamiliar with Moonlight, or only know of its existence because of the La La Land mix up, the film follows Chiron through 3 stages in his life: Childhood, Adolescence and Adulthood. Shot with beautiful cinematography and haunting story beats, Moonlight lets us see into the world of Chiron, based on a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Whether it be his abuse mother or his struggles with his sexuality during his teenage years, by the end of the film, we feel we know Chiron. We can feel what he’s feeling, and we can connect with his pain. Moonlight is a remarkable film, it is filmmaking at its best and lets us have a glimpse, and even sympathise, with a life we do not know.

moonlight_movie — Character posters for Moonlight (2016)

Top 5 Films – No.2. 12 Angry Men (1957)

The oldest and 2nd on the list is Sidney Lumet’s 1957 masterpiece 12 Angry Men. Taking place entirely within a jury room, 12 Angry Men is a masterclass of acting, direction and fantastic writing. It places here due to the fact that it is proof that sometimes the old films are the best.
Speaking from my own experience, it does become very hard to enjoy old movies, due to the ever-changing trends in cinema. A lot of the films regarded as ‘classics’ do often now lose its magic touch. After seeing current films re-use tropes and sitting through countless remakes, reboots and sequels, it becomes hard to think of the originals as good as they’ve been claimed to be.
However, after watching 12 Angry Men for the first time, and many since then, it is undeniably a classic. For any film fanatic that’s interested in screenwriting or directing, watching 12 Angry Men is a great way of getting to witness these elements at full force.
The story follows a group of 12 men (hence the title), each who are unfamiliar with each other, be that name or identity, spending 90 minutes in a room discussing the details of the trail they’re a part of, and trying to find the truth. If this sounds boring or uninteresting due to the fact it’s basically one long scene, I, personally, can promise you it isn’t. It is a unique and masterfully crafted film, and a great example of early cinema that is untouchable.

Top 5 Films – No.3. Aliens (1986)

At my 3rd favourite film of all time, I chose, what I believe to be, the greatest action film of all time. James Cameron’s 1986 sci-fi blockbuster Aliens, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s Alien, proves that even old school action movies are better than about 90% of current ones.
Whilst the first film was a horror in space, the second decides to be an action. Debatably better than the first (it is), Aliens proves early on, in a time before installations, cinematic universes, reboots, remakes and cash grabs, that sequels do have the potential to be truly spellbinding.
Instead of rehashing the same plot – a trait most sequels to – James Cameron multiplies the aliens and the results show. Spliced with set pieces taking place with practical effects and great CGI for the time, Aliens is a timeless classic. It still manages to be gripping and monumental, even 30 years after its release.
Even the characters, who are only there to blow up xenomorphs, are memorable, thanks to whippy dialogue and great performances. Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, proves to be one of the fiercest in the film and, is arguably, the best heroine in cinematic history. She certainly shoves it to the ‘damsel in distress’ trope that was common for the time, which, along with perfect action and direction, makes it unforgettable.

14061999172_553d723177_b — Ripley (centre) surrounded by the marines, ready to kill all the Xenomorphs.

Top 5 Films – No.4. Sicario (2015)

Denis Villeneuve’s 2015 Mexican cartel drama Sicario takes the place of No.4 film on my lost simply due to its sheer tension and sleekness. It tells the story of the drug war between the U.S. and Mexican Cartels, and the mission undertaken to rid Mexico of one of its largest cartels. For me, Sicario excels due to 4 main elements: Cast, Cinematography, Score and Direction.

Comprised of 3 main players – Emily Blunt as the tough FBI agent set with the task of the mission, Benicio Del Toro’s silent but deadly insider and Josh Brolin as the radical special ops leader – the cast give their all in breathing life into characters in this chilling world.
Visually, Sicario is stunning. And that is all thanks to – recently Oscar winning – cinematographer Roger Deakins’ master eye. Ranging from wide pans of the Mexican Desert to haunting close up shots of our characters, Deakin’s manages to capture the fear and dread in wonderfully breath-taking shots.
The late great Jóhann Jóhannsson truly had a real talent for film scoring, and his finest was on display here. From the very first scene, Jóhannsson’s score hums with tension. Progressively through the film, the score bellows with thunder during some of the film’s finer action scenes. His symphonies are as integral to the films style as much as any of the other technical aspects.
Finally, Denis Villeneuve proves how incredible his directorial skills are. Spilling with assurance and style, Villeneuve proved that he is one of the finest directors working to date, by crafting a film so impossibly beautiful but haunting with tension.

21825092955_39333b0089_b — Emily Blunt & Daniel Kaluuya in the film’s chilling opening scene.

Top 5 Films – No. 5. Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

So far on the blog, you haven’t really heard from me. Most of my posts have been in third person and that’s because I wanted to talk about these films and tv shows without smothering it in my own opinion. However, I want to talk about the films that shaped me as a person, the films I truly have connected with and that, I see, are as close to flawless that films get. So, through real pain, I’ve narrowed it down to my own top 5 films of all time.

At No. 5 is Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!!. Released in 2016, yet feeling like its ripped straight from the 80s, Linklater’s ‘Spiritual Sequel’ to his 1993 classic Dazed and Confused is a perfect mix of humour, nostalgia, warmth and of the joys of being young.

The film follows a group of college baseball players on the weekend before classes start in 1980. Although filled with enough keg drinking, baseball boasts, disco music and competitiveness that its bursting at the seams, this film about toxic masculinity never feels misogynistic or smug. Instead, all the characters are lovable and unique, and when they come together, it really feels almost intimate and truly fraternal.
Linklater, using his trademark storytelling, manages to truly capture the essence of youth, camaraderie and finding your own identity unravelling just over 3 days. It’s a film which to me, never loses it’s magic and is enjoyable after many viewings.

26215226450_a38675281c_b — Our boys in the club.

The Leftovers: The Art Of Mystery & The Futility Of Answers

If you have a passing knowledge of TV in the 21st Century, you’ll have heard of Damon Lindelof’s ‘Lost’, a show shrouded in mystery and questions. But chances are you won’t have heard of his 2014 show ‘The Leftovers’. Set 3 years after a global disappearance of 2% of the worlds population, the show follows small-town police chief Kevin Garvey as he struggles with his torn apart family, his own mental health and a threatening cult growing in the town. Over the course of it’s 28 episode run, it manages to be something no other TV show has been before: truly inspiring.

Netflix’s most recent Black Mirror episode ‘Bandersnatch’ heralded itself as “the first interactive experience in film & tv”. And to a point this statement is true, but it’s not the first. As a viewer of ‘The Leftovers’, you are able to feel a part of the world Lindelof created. Very rarely do you know more than the characters, and if you do its not for long. The viewer constantly remains at a level of knowledge the characters are at. And the shows ability to make the viewer ask questions is really where Lindelof’s magic comes into play.

If you followed Lost, you would know the controversy surrounding the final episode. And that controversy boils down to the fact that closure and definite answers aren’t always what satisfies viewers. Another staple in modern television, ‘Game Of Thrones’ is vastly popular and (often over) analysed because of the stimulation of that ‘need-to-know’ mindset. Most Reddit fan pages for GOT are filled with absurd and, at times, hilarious fan theories which is what makes a show that raises so many questions fun to watch – because of the imagination the viewer can hold.

And so with ‘The Leftovers’, while watching all 28 episodes, wondering and guessing for answers, whatever the true answers may be remain a mystery. Not everything is handed to the viewer, you must work for it. And if you think hard enough, you may just be rewarded. Even at that, most things remain a mystery. A main theme that runs throughout is the characters search for answers. Town priest Matt Jamison believes that, despite people thinking it, the ‘Sudden Departure’ was not The Rapture caused by God. Because if so, why would a man such as Matt – who has dedicated his whole life to god – not be taken into Heaven. So to combat this, he sets about proving to other people – who believe it was indeed The Rapture – by showing details into the life of those departed, and how they made morally wrong decisions. All because he cannot accept it is Gods doing.

The Season One tagline ‘We’re still here’, that was prominently featured on many posters, can too be read in many ways. ‘We’re still here’ – a statement of hope to a world broken by the ‘Sudden Departure’ to stay strong. ‘We’re still here’ – a sombre frustration of the fact that some were left behind. ‘We’re still here?’ – a questioning of meaning, if some were randomly taken, what is the point of being alive and having purpose. Lindelof makes the characters ask themselves this, because in a world where anyone could vanish in the blink of an eye and never return, what is the point of living? Its questions like this that have no answer, are what ‘The Leftovers’ is founded on. Over the course of the show the characters find peace in accepting that they will never get the answers they need, just like the viewer should do too. Because the show was never about getting the answers, but about the struggle instead.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse (2018) Film Review

2018 has been a milestone year for Marvel’s friendly, neighborhood, resident boy-hero-spider. After being the one to break hearts in Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel (with the help of game developer Insomniac) later released Spider-Man‘s first video game for the PS4 – received with roaring praise. And now it was Sony’s turn to try.

Sony hasn’t had the favor of making a truly good Spider-Man movie for quite some time. Despite how well crafted last year’s Spider-man: Homecoming was, Kevin Feige had his hand in producing and all of the creative side was handled by Marvel. Sony’s most recent Spider-man outings were the disastrous The Amazing Spider-Man 1&2 and emo Peter Parker dancing in the street.

However, Spider-Man fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief, as Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse is a triumph. As a comic book movie, its almost flawless. Spinning its own unique webs on the template of ‘Origin Stories’ – something the Spider-Man films haven’t been great at recently – with the creative team clearly understanding what Spider-Fans actually want to see in it.

But the film’s true uniqueness comes from its animation. An astonishing achievement is made for all involved when it comes to how it looks visually. In a world of Illumination or Pixar animation looking somewhat basic, Into the Spiderverse is a refreshing palette cleanser and reminder that animation is a medium where anything is possible. The attention to detail is unmatched, from the iconic Ben-Day dots to the design of the city.

With colours flying all over the place and with enough heart to match up to Pixar, Into the Spiderverse manages to be the best in 2 categories: one of the best animation styles in the past 10 years and arguably the most comic-book accurate film ever.

Spider-Man_Miles_Morales_Minimalist_Poster_descktop.png — Miles Morales is Spider-Man.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald (2018) Film Review

J.K Rowling and director David Yates latest entry into the global phenomenon that is the Harry Potter Universe is a complete disaster. With story-lines that don’t add up and character motivations revealed so ham-fistedly, this newest installment feels more like a chapter from the book series, rather than a coherent film.

In this, we return to the Wizarding World once again, but this time to find that Grindelwald (a horribly miscast Johnny Depp in a role which would have fit Colin Farrell like a glove) has escaped captivity and has fled to Paris. It then becomes up to animal lover Newt Scammander (a likable Eddie Redmayne) and other returning characters to track him down.

The main issue in a film with an astonishing run time of 2 hours and 13 minutes, is that nothing actually happens. J.K Rowling attempts to add in several new characters to the series but whilst still trying to juggle story-lines from the previous film. The result is a seemingly fast-paced mess where characters get hints of an arc but it never really comes to fruition.

What is the cause of this? A very unskilled screenwriter in the form of J.K Rowling. Credit where Credits due, the story is there. If this were a book series, it would be a worthy addition to the Harry Potter Literacy Canon. However, Rowling’s ideas don’t translate well onto the big screen. The climax of a film of this nature can’t be the main characters standing in a room spouting exposition. The film needs to have small, subtle moments of character development where the audience can relate. Instead, we get the characters chasing each other around for 2 hours.

Brief moments, such as (a very underused but memorable) Dumbledore and his romantic entanglement to Grindelwald are only glimpsed at, yet those story-lines are more memorable than whatever else was going on. But this second installment still feels like they’re trying to hard to set up the future, rather than just having fun in the present. There may be hope for the next 3, but being 2 films deep into this series it feels like we’re still treading water, waiting for the real magic to begin.

images — After 7 years, we return to Hogwarts.