The Ides of March

Top 10 Philip Seymour Hoffman Performances

Top 10 Philip Seymour Hoffman Performances

It’s with a heavy, heavy heart I get around to finishing this post I’ve started and restarted so many times. The problem with trying to name one’s favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman performances is that a rewatch of one of the dozens of films the man was great in can shake up the entire thing. He […]

2014 Oscar Predictions: Screenplays Original and Adapted

2014 Oscar Predictions: Screenplays Original and Adapted

Click on over to my 2014 Oscar Predictions page to see everything I’m forecasting in the major categories. I’ve focused my 2014 Oscar predictions, until now, on Best Picture, Best Director, and the four acting categories. Today, I begin to unravel some of the secondary categories, starting with 2014 Best Adapted Screenplay and 2014 Best […]

Game Change Review

Game Change Review

RATING: (3.5 STARS) Those on the political Right will go to their graves arguing that Game Change is just a crock of liberal lies. Whatever. That’s irrelevant, as far as I’m concerned. True or false, this is an incredibly juicy and engaging piece of work, and it really does ring true, whatever the facts are. […]

Ranking the 2012 Oscar Nominees

Ranking the 2012 Oscar Nominees

Just a quick hit today. I took this idea from In Contention, and last year, I put forth a ranked list of that year’s nominees. Below are the films I haven’t seen, followed by my rankings of all those I have seen. Films I haven’t seen: My Week with Marilyn, A Cat in Paris, Chico […]

The Ides of March Review

The Ides of March Review

RATING: (3.5 STARS) The Ides of March is a slick thriller with a clear message: Idealism and hope have no place politics. Succumb to these feelings and you’re finished. Yes, it’s not a new thesis, but it’s one that director George Clooney presents unflinchingly. There are moments in this film that I felt real despair, […]

2011 Fall Movie Preview

2011 Fall Movie Preview

To be honest, I really wasn’t all that excited for this fall’s crop of movies—at least not as excited as I usually feel around this time. I’m not sure if it was this year’s spring and summer malaise carrying over, or if I just hadn’t been keeping up with things as closely as I usually […]

2012 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: One Year Out

2012 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: One Year Out

I realize it’s a bit silly for 2012 Oscar predictions this far out, but I can’t help it. With the multiplex fare so bad this time of year, I need something to be excited about, so why not dig into the prestige films later this year? The odds say much of what looks Oscar friendly […]