Hamnet

HAMNET
2025 | Dir. Chloé Zhao | 126 Minutes

"I shall be one of father's players."

 

Free-spirited Agnes Hathaway falls in love with aspiring playwright William Shakespeare, and while their union is met with opposition from their respective families, they happily start a family together. However, Shakespeare's frequent travels to London frustrate Agnes as she is left alone to care for their children. When terrible tragedy strikes, Agnes fails to understand how Shakespeare is able to carry on with his work -- until she attends the premiere of his latest play.

Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel of the same name by writer/director Chloé Zhao and O'Farrell herself, Hamnet is a beautifully filmed exceptionally moving drama. The narrative takes viewers on a tumultuous soul-stirring journey, chronicling the courtship of William Shakespeare and Agnes Hathaway, the births of their children, the devastating loss of their boy Hamnet, and the first performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet all from Agnes' point of view. Brilliantly directed by Zhao with a powerful performance from lead Jessie Buckley, the film is a remarkably emotionally accessible exploration of the challenges of being in a relationship with an artist and how grief may be channeled into lasting works of art.

Cinematographer Łukasz Żal skillfully captures lush green landscapes in natural lighting that immerse the audience in Agnes' paganistic world, while he delicately illuminates interior night scenes to emulate period-accurate lamplight, dark shadows particularly accentuating the most fraught and tragic moments of film. Production Designer Fiona Crombie delivers fine work, authentically recreating the look and feel of the setting in addition to creating a believably lived-in replica the Globe Theatre. Composer Max Richter's score is fine, but while the use of his famous work "On The Nature Of Daylight" strikes with surgical precision during the finale, it may jolt those who associate the piece with other cinematic works right out of the picture.

As Agnes delivering her finest work yet, Jessie Buckley gives a natural, bold, and versatile performance, seemingly effortless in the way she draws sympathy from the audience. While slightly leaning into tortured artist cliches, Paul Mescal is appropriately convincing as Shakespeare. Emily Watson makes the most out of what amounts to a stock character role as Shakespeare's initially disapproving eventually empathetic mother Mary. Jacobi Jupe nearly stealing the entire production as little Hamnet, utterly lovable playing the sweet and spirited little boy which proportionately makes the eventual passing of the child all the more tragic.

Conveying love, loss, and catharsis with incredible depth and clarity of emotion, Hamnet is a complete showcase of Chloé Zhao's mastery of cinematic craft. Sections of the feature are so affecting that the experience is akin to a full-on assault on the hearts of the audience. Jessie Buckley is undeniably excellent in the lead role and young Jacobi Jupe's heart-rending breakout performance is magnificent.


FRAGMENTS
- 2026 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee Sentimental Value also depicts the pursuit of personal catharsis specifically through theatrical artistic expression

- In a quirky bit of casting, Noah Jupe plays the actor who plays Hamlet, the role that was inspired by Hamnet played by his younger brother Jacobi Jupe

- Paul Mescal's tearful recitation of the beginning the Hamlet soliloquy over the Thames is a bit on-the-nose

- Memorably featured in Denis Villeneuve's Arrival among countless films and television shows, "On The Nature Of Daylight" was originally released on composer Max Richter's second album The Blue Notebooks, a protest album against the 2003 American invasion of Iraq

Anora

ANORA

2024 | Dir. Sean Baker | 139 Minutes

"You do not love him, and he doesn't love you. You understand? That's in your head."

Anora "Ani" Mikheeva, a stripper from Brooklyn, meets Ivan Zakharov, the son of a Russian oligarch. After taking Ivan on as a regular client, attracted to Ivan's carefree nature and freewheeling lifestyle, Ani spontaneously agrees to marry him. Their nuptials set in motion a series of unpredictable events with emotionally cataclysmic results for Ani.

A pointed subversion of improbable Hollywood love stories, writer/director Sean Baker's Anora is as amusing as it is heartbreaking. The film is a highly entertaining tale of raw passion and devastating loss with an incredibly funny layer of cynicism masking heartfelt sincerity. Consistently hilarious in its frank, almost mechanical depiction of sex work, the outrageous wealth and fickle whims of Russian oligarchs, and the limited competence of three grown men attempting to wrangle one desperately determined young woman, the picture also poignantly explores the hidden overwhelming vulnerability of its protagonist under layer upon layer of antagonistic snark and anger.

Liberal glimpses of nudity, sex, and illicit substances aside, the first act of Anora plays out like a dreamy fantasy as Ani gradually falls for Ivan, an attachment that gives her a taste of decadent luxury and ostensibly allows her to leave behind an unfulfilling job and bothersome roommate. The moment Ivan flees his handlers, all hell breaks loose and the film descends into incessant shouting and random acts of violence Ani inflicts upon those determined to track Ivan down in the employ of his enraged parents. To Baker's credit as writer and director, the narrative remains thoroughly engaging through the pandemonium as he makes it incredibly easy to empathize with Ani while she gradually realizes her relationship with Ivan evidently does not align with her expectations. By the time the audience reaches the final heart-rending scene in a kindly hired goon's grandmother's car, the cathartic release is fully earned.

Mikey Madison is absolutely fantastic in the titular role, naturally exhibiting sly wit, gritty toughness, and deep heartache all through a thick but convincing New York accent. As the privileged and totally irresponsible Ivan, Mark Eydelshteyn is believably charming but also believably spineless and punchable. The embodiment of pure undiluted frustration, Karren Karagulian gives off infectious anxiety as Ivan's put-upon Armenian godfather Toros charged with retrieving the boy. Yura Borisov shines as lovable tough guy Igor, consistently and effortlessly stealing his scenes. 

Anora is a wild, chaotic, and deeply earnest emotional ride driven by a truly exceptional leading performance. Despite the somewhat unconventional and ostensibly salacious aspects of its narrative, at its core the picture is an engaging universally-relatable story of misplaced love and heartbreak. The pacing and incessant shouting can be a tad relentless during the second act, but the film starts and ends masterfully.

FRAGMENTS

- Igor is honestly the best, no notes

- While the rapid decline of his physical well-being due to Ani's relentless attacks and straight-up bad luck is incredibly funny, I really hope Garnik is okay

Poor Things

POOR THINGS

2023 | Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos | 141 Minutes

"I have adventured it and found nothing but sugar and violence. It is most charming."

Brought to life by a mad doctor, Bella Baxter is a young woman who perceives the world with the innocent mind of a child. Strongly desiring life experience and knowledge, Bella ventures into the world on a journey of self-discovery while challenging societal norms at every turn, particularly ones pertaining to women.

A wildly entertaining adaptation of Alasdair Gray's 1992 novel, Yorgos Lanthimos's Poor Things is a hilarious, sharp, and engaging fantastical comedy loaded with critical observations on gender-based inequity and double standards. Philosophically perceptive and perfectly-paced, the thought-provoking narrative also features an overabundance of off-color comedy but also a whole lot of heart. Throughout Bella's odyssey, she is never robbed of her agency despite the bizarre circumstances surrounding her existence and the best efforts of some of people in her life, and much of the picture's humor derives from the novel manner in which Bella approaches and resolves the various challenges she encounters.

Visually inventive and unconventional, Poor Things is immensely appealing aesthetically. Utilizing stark monochrome and lush color photography, warped fish-eye lenses, and surreal outlandish special effects, the picture is an entertainingly disorienting feast for the eyes. To say that the style of the film's production design is heightened is putting it mildly, as it features fun over-the-top period costuming and a radical variety of beautiful sets.

Poor Things is dependent upon leading lady Emma Stone's performance, her second feature collaboration with Lanthimos, and she does not disappoint. Stone confidently plays the part of Bella to perfection, fully committing to all of the character's bizarre behavior at the start of the picture while quickly and convincingly becoming the outspoken voice of reason in an objectively absurd world. Delivering perhaps the funniest performance of his career to date, Mark Ruffalo is delightfully dastardly and eventually quite pathetic in the role of the lawyer Wedderburn. As something of a scientist, Willem Dafoe shows off his range as the complicated physically and psychologically scarred Dr. Godwin Baxter, believably well-meaning but detestable yet pitiable, all the while amusingly burping up utterly disgusting bubbles. Ramy Youssef makes for an effortlessly relatable McCandles, the audience surrogate who cares deeply for the protagonist but is only able to stand by and observe her journey. Though her screentime is limited, Kathryn Hunter gives a stand-out performance as Madame Swiney, fantastic at portraying the seemingly wise and empathetic woman but still the sleazy manager of a brothel.

An excellent off-beat comedy that examines the mistreatment of women through an absurdist lens, Poor Things is equal parts funny and profound. The film's peculiar premise serves as an unlikely springboard for timeless social commentary. Director Yorgos Lanthimos, specializing in his unique brand of satire mixed with sincerity, and star Emma Stone, reliably hilarious and exceptionally versatile, are the perfect pair to bring this story to the screen.

FRAGMENTS

- Supporting players Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott starred in the psychological thriller Sanctuary which was also released in 2023

- Considering the all-around excellence of Poor Things and 2018's The Favourite, here's hoping there will be more Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone comedies to come

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner in The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day)

- Willem Dafoe (Norman Osborn in Spider-Man: No Way Home)

Everything Everywhere All at Once

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

2022 | Dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert | 139 Minutes

"Maybe there is something out there, some new discovery that will make us feel like even smaller pieces of shit. Something that explains why you still went looking for me through all of this noise. And why, no matter what, I still want to be here with you. I will always, always, want to be here with you."

On her way to a stressful meeting with the IRS, Evelyn Quan is recruited by a soldier in a multiversal war believing her to be the key to victory against the chaotic universe destroyer known as Jobu Tupaki. Reluctantly thrown into the conflict, Evelyn soon learns of her unique connection to Jobu, forcing her to come to terms with everything in her life that seemingly went awry.

From eclectic writing/directing duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a unique sci-fi action comedy with an emotionally powerful story about love and regret centered on an immigrant Chinese family. The narrative is presented in three parts: a crash course on the logic of the story's world leading to an inevitable confrontation, the extended battle between the two opposing forces that quickly shifts from physical to philosophical, and a brief epilogue. Though absurd humor and phenomenal action sequences, The Daniels deliver thought-provoking ideas surrounding boundless human potential, the purpose of existence or lack thereof, and the endurance of family. Shifting genres and filmmaking styles with gradually increasing frequency as the picture plays out, the film is remarkably funny, exciting, moving, and wholly original.

The screenplay by the Daniels is exceptionally clever and, notably, much of the dialogue is spoken in Mandarin and Cantonese; Evelyn almost exclusively speaks to her husband in Mandarin, her father in Cantonese, and her daughter in English, thematically demonstrating a lack of cohesion in her life that informs her poor, emotionally dismissive approach to her most important relationships at the outset of the story. Brothers Andy and Brian Le choreograph mind-blowingly inventive fight scenes that clearly take inspiration from the seminal Jackie Chan films, most notably the fanny pack beat-down administered by Ke Huy Quan's Alpha Waymond that boldly gives the audience a preview of the quality kung fu action to come, the impressive battle in which Evelyn single-handedly defeats a small gang of foes using sign spinner skills with a riot shield, and the picture's most infamous fight scene prominently featuring the Andy and Brian themselves showing off impressive authentic traditional Chinese martial arts in sharp contrast to objects visibly protruding out of their rectums. Shifting radically into a wide variety of other filmmaking styles, the picture is also a vehicle for memorable sequences featuring two inanimate rocks on a cliff side debating the value of human endeavor, a live action Ratatouille parody with an animatronic raccoon voiced by regular Pixar composer Randy Newman, a world where humans evolved from apes with fingers that look like hot dogs with a full origin sequence inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, and most surprisingly a poignant Wong Kar Wai style romantic drama pastiche complete with the Hong Kong auteur's penchant for poignant melodramatic dialogue and signature visual flourishes.

Hilarious, touching, and simply badass, Michelle Yeoh is magnificent as the put upon reluctant protagonist Evelyn, demonstrating virtually all of her versatile talents that have made her a screen legend. Stephanie Hsu is brilliant in a wild emotionally charged performance as Eveyln's cosmically disaffected, ironically named daughter Joy, convincingly depressed to the point of becoming an ender of worlds. Playing a total sweetheart, Ke Huy Quan delivers a magnificently charming and heartbreaking performance as Evelyn's struggling husband Waymond. The film also features reliably funny seasoned character actor James Hong as Evelyn's abrasive father, Jamie Lee Curtis clearly having a lot of fun as a banally antagonistic tax collector, and Tallie Medel as Joy's supportive girlfriend.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a profoundly, wonderfully weird multiversal journey exploring failure, intergenerational trauma, and the very meaning of life through superb kung fu action, psychedelic visuals, hot dog fingers, and googly eyes. It authentically speaks to the specific experience of immigrant Chinese families in America, while also presenting a powerful counterpoint to the downward spiral of nihilism on a universally relatable level. Additionally, the film is a comprehensive showcase of everything that makes Michelle Yeoh a screen legend.

FRAGMENTS

- The Chinese title of the film that appears before the end credits is 天馬行空, loosely translated as "heavenly horse takes to the air," a phrase to describe unconstrained in style or, as I'd like to think of it, a flight of fancy

- Jackie Chan was originally intended to be the lead for this film

- Awkwafina was originally intended for the role of Joy, and while I am an Awkwafina fan I think the specific persona she is known for would have been too distracting for the role

- The pronunciation of the Cantonese is a still bit off, but it is admirable that so much of the script was written in Cantonese

- Ke Huy Quan was assistant director on Wong Kar Wai's 2046, which undoubtedly lent to the perceivable authenticity of the sequences in this film inspired by Wong Kar Wai's style

007 CONNECTIONS

- Michelle Yeoh (Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies)

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Michelle Yeoh (Aleta Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Jiang Nan in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

- Andy Le (Death Dealer in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

- Stephanie Hsu (Soo in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

Nomadland

NOMADLAND

2021 | Dir. Chloé Zhao | 108 Minutes

"My dad used to say: 'What's remembered lives.' I maybe spent too much of my life just remembering."

After the passing of her husband and the economic collapse of her town, Fern chooses to live out of a van, perpetually on the move working odd jobs to support herself. She joins an often neglected segment of the American population, left behind by the world but finding contentment in a life of constant wandering.

Inspired by journalist Jessica Bruder's non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, director Chloé Zhao's Nomadland straddles the line between narrative feature and documentary. The film's barebones plot serves as a springboard for episodic slices of life featuring real elderly transient laborers playing fictionalized versions of themselves recalling the often tragic circumstances that brought them to life on the road. The picture passes on these stories in an intimate and frank manner that's often profoundly beautiful, exploring the freedom that's found on the other side of grief.

As Fern moves from one seasonal job to the next working for a wide range of employers such as an Amazon fulfillment center, Badlands National Park, and a beet processing plant, the audience is invited to vicariously live through all of the simple joys and unflattering hardships of the nomadic way of life. Following her travels for one full year, it becomes easy to understand why a woman like Fern would choose this from of existence over one that follows standard societal conventions. There is no way to return to her old life and she wouldn't have the freedom she's grown to cherish living any other way.

Nomadland presents sights that range from absolutely breathtaking to strikingly tragic. Cinematographer Joshua James Richards does a phenomenal job of lovingly capturing the abundant beauty of the wilderness, the mundanity of blue-collar labor, the warmth of a communal campsite, as well as the empty desolation of the abandoned town featured in the final act of the picture. The varying landscapes and locations serve to effectively telegraph Fern's state of mind throughout the picture.

The character of Fern isn't too far removed from the headstrong no-nonsense roles in the Frances McDormand's filmography but the acclaimed actress reliably brings a sympathetic and heartbroken quality to her performance that's deeply moving. Real-life nomads Linda May, Swankie, and Bob Wells are completely natural in their interactions with McDormand's Fern, exuding genuine human dignity as they relate their respective stories. David Strathairn delivers a delightful supporting performance as a soft-spoken nomad who sheepishly shows his affection for Fern.

Nomadland is a sobering, meditative, candidly unglamorous examination of transient life in the post-recession American West. The film sincerely and artfully conveys the connection between devastating loss and the specific brand of freedom afforded to those unwilling or, more commonly, tragically unable to return to a settled lifestyle.

FRAGMENTS

- Linda May is the protagonist of  the book by Jessica Bruder that inspired this film

- Nomadland was filmed over four months in seven different states, with cast and crew living out of vans during the entire production

- Writer/director Chloé Zhao split time between the set of Nomadland and working pre-production for Eternals

- Blending remarkably well into the nomadic lifestyle, most of Frances McDormand's co-stars in this film did not know she was an actress

The Favourite

THE FAVOURITE
2018 | Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos | 120 Minutes

"You wish me to lie to you? 'Oh you look like an angel fallen from heaven, your majesty.' No! Sometimes, you look like a badger, and you can rely on me to tell you. Because I will not lie! That is love!"

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough and adored adviser of Queen Anne, reluctantly assists her estranged cousin Abigail Hill when she arrives at the royal palace seeking employment. As Sarah enforces her political party's agenda through her relationship with the queen, drawing ire from the opposition, the increasingly despondent queen begins to direct her attention and affection towards Abigail who utilizes every tool at her disposal to rise above her station. Tensions escalate as Abigail positions herself in direct opposition to her cousin.

With a deliciously sharp screenplay by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara that reveals itself as the story of a love triangle by its second act, The Favourite takes full advantage of Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos' relentless sense of comedic timing and talent for building discomfort. Frequent chapter breaks call attention to the brisk pacing of the film with each chapter named for an amusing line of spoken dialogue. The dialogue itself is often grandiose and hilariously blunt in the same breath, giving way to blatant and purposeful anachronisms that turn up throughout the picture, accentuating the dark humor befitting Sarah and Abigail's rivalry and the tragedy that permeates Anne's life. Perhaps due to Lanthimos having no part in writing The Favourite, the stilted line delivery prevalent in his other films is practically absent in this one.

Olivia Colman is heartbreaking and truly excellent as the doltish morbidly-depressed queen. Equal parts ridiculous and sympathetic, Colman delivers an impressively controlled performance that humanizes an under-educated but well-meaning monarch stricken by pathological illness and grief. At the very top of their game, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone are delightfully cruel as Sarah and Abigail. As the film progresses, in a captivating showcase of their respective talents, the cold exterior of Weisz's Sarah is chipped away to reveal a vulnerable tenderness while conversely Stone's Abigail gradually loses all pretenses of propriety. The film also features Nicholas Hoult in a supporting role as a foppish short-tempered Tory that he plays rather convincingly.

Exploring themes of love, loss, deception, and desperation, The Favourite is as crass, challenging, and darkly funny as one would expect from a film by Yorgos Lanthimos. The picture is worth seeing just to witness the merciless and extremely amusing competition between Rachel Weisz's Sarah and Emma Stone's Abigail. However, the true highlight of the feature is Olivia Colman's simultaneously hysterical and deeply tragic performance as Queen Anne.


FRAGMENTS
- Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz previously appeared in director Yorgos Lanthimos' 2015 film The Lobster

- Olivia Colman gained 35 pounds to play Queen Anne

- Kate Winslet was initially cast to play Sarah Churchill

- The picture was shot mostly with natural or practical lighting

- The only moment of the film in which male characters have a conversation not about women without women present is a brief exchange between two male characters regarding a duck


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Rachel Weisz (Melina Vostokoff in Black Widow)

- Mark Gatiss (Ted Gilbert in The Fantastic Four: First Steps)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
2017 | Dir. Martin McDonagh | 115 Minutes

"She got killed, still no arrest. How come, I wonder. Because there ain't no God, and the whole world's empty, and it doesn't matter what we do to each other? I hope not."

Furious mother Mildred Hayes buys ad space in a remote location in the small town of Ebbing, Missouri, to chastise the local sheriff for his inability to solve the case of her teenage daughter's brutal rape and murder. Public opinion quickly turns against Mildred due to the open secret of the sheriff's failing health. As the situation escalates, Mildred acts on her worst impulses, and the most unlikely person in town discovers a potential lead on the case.

Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a powerful drama about one mother's absolute refusal to let go as she lives in the unbearable aftermath of an unspeakable crime. While there are comedic moments in the film, the majority of any humor to be had is morbid, and the violence perpetrated in the narrative is sudden and shocking. While Mildred's anger is undoubtedly righteous, the story is one of displaced and misplaced rage, of the products of domestic abuse, and of people uniting under a dubious cause for dubious reasons. The film plays out like a true crime story in which events unfold in an unpredictable manner and easy solutions are nowhere to be found.

The picture's fantastic cast is led by the ever-brilliant Frances McDormand as Mildred, absolutely personifying a thirst for vengeance that severely compromises all logical judgement. Playing a racist, violent, and incompetent white trash deputy who may not be beyond redemption (the unequivocal heart of controversy for the film), Sam Rockwell gives the performance of his career. The cast also features excellent performances from a selection of some of the best character actors available including Woody Harrelson as the dying Sheriff Willoughby, Lucas Hedges as Mildred's wary son, Caleb Landry Jones as the dopey owner of the billboards, Peter Dinklage as a local with an unrequited crush on Mildred, John Hawkes as Mildred's abusive ex-husband, and Clarke Peters as the new sheriff and sole voice of reason.

Grim, funny, often upsetting, but always captivating, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a story of misguided anger and the search for justice and meaning, a search that may never end. The film is challenging, thematically rich, hopeless to a certain degree but hopeful in other ways, and hands down one of the best films of 2017.


FRAGMENTS
- Caleb Landry Jones appears in two Best Picture Oscar Nominees that were released in 2017: this film and Get Out

- Lucas Hedges appears in two Best Picture Oscar Nominees that were released in 2017: this film and Lady Bird

- Kathryn Newton appears in two Best Picture Oscar Nominees that were released in 2017: this film and Lady Bird

- I was particularly thrilled with Clarke Peters' reassuring presence as a straight-shooting lawman, not too far removed from his iconic role as Lester Freamon on The Wire


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2)

- Kerry Condon (FRIDAY in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame)

- Peter Dinklage (Eitri in Avengers: Infinity War)

- Christopher Berry (Randy in Spider-Man: Homecoming)

- Kathryn Newton (Cassie Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania)

La La Land

LA LA LAND
2016 | Dir. Damien Chazelle | 128 Minutes

"Here's to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem. Here's to the hearts that ache. Here's to the mess we make."

After several chance encounters, aspiring actress Mia and struggling Jazz pianist Sebastian fall in love.  While Mia and Sebastian mutually encourage each other to pursue their respective dreams, their relationship deteriorates when Sebastian sets aside his plan to open a jazz club after he finds steady lucrative work playing with a popular band, while success continues to elude Mia.

From its ambitious one-take opening number on a stretch of Los Angeles highway to the intimate tribute to dreamers performed by Mia before the film's incredible finale, Damien Chazelle's La La Land is a masterpiece consisting of brilliant choreography, boisterous music by Chazelle’s regular collaborator Justin Hurwitz, and profound emotional depth. Uplifting musical numbers aside, the film's central love story plays out in a believable fashion from start to end, perfectly capturing the excitement, which can feel as surreal as a waltz among the stars, and the quiet tragedy of a fleeting romance. The film's epilogue cleverly offers the audience a glimpse at an alternate, more typically Hollywood ending, before pulling back to reality. The picture suggests that big dreams are unattainable without a reasonable amount of compromise.

Emma Stone is sweet, fun, and heartbreaking as Mia, perfect for the part in both the physically demanding song and dance numbers, and the quieter somber moments of the narrative. Building upon his cool guy persona, Ryan Gosling is extraordinarily charming as Sebastian, convincingly passionate whenever Sebastian speaks about jazz and its importance. Together, Stone and Gosling are absolutely magnetic, equal parts adorable, hilarious, and tragically sweet. The film also features acclaimed recording artist John Legend as Sebastian's friend Keith, Rosemarie DeWitt as Sebastian's concerned sister, and character actor J.K. Simmons in a small but amusing turn as a disgruntled restaurant owner.

Technically impressive and an absolute delight, La La Land is a classic-style Hollywood musical behind a starkly modern lens. The film has some poignant things to say about the value of holding onto one's dreams and the reality of accepting compromise. It's one of the rare films that should be a surefire crowd-pleaser for dreamers and cynics alike.


FRAGMENTS
- Written by director Damien Chazelle 2010, film studios were not interested producing La La Land until Chazelle's Whiplash proved to be a success

- Emma Watson and Miles Teller were originally set to play the Mia and Sebastian but scheduling conflicts (Watson) and unsuccessful contract negotiations (Teller) lead Chazelle to recast the roles

MCU CONNECTIONS

- J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home)

Room

ROOM 
2015 | Dir. Lenny Abrahamson | 117 Minutes

"Can my strong be her strong too?"

 
A boy named Jack turns five and his entire universe is in a space he and his mother call "Room." Jack's mother decides that Jack is old enough to know that truth of their situation, that she was abducted by the man they refer to as "Old Nick" and locked in Room before Jack was born. She plots their escape so that Jack may set foot in the world outside Room.

Lenny Abrahamson's Room is a gem of a film that is both harrowing and incredibly touching. Adapted for the screen by Emma Donoghue from her novel, the narrative unfolds from Jack's innocent perspective and up to a certain point, only Jack's mother and the audience are clued in on the true horror of the profoundly awful situation. The film shifts gears and, albeit in a different mode, continues to be compelling at the halfway point after a tense and exciting escape sequence, focusing on Jack's mother struggle to re-enter the outside world while Jack learns to interact with other people for the first time. Abrahamson's direction is commendable, as Room is expertly paced and, at times, visually uplifting.

The film is driven by excellent performances from Brie Larson as Jack's mother, Joy, and child actor Jacob Tremblay as Jack. Larson provides phenomenal range, displaying a captivating combination of deep strength and vulnerability. Tremblay is a brilliant and adorable young performer, capably carrying the narrative. Sean Bridgers is appropriately despicable as Old Nick. Bringing warmth to the second half of the film, Joan Allen and Tom McCamus appear in the second half of the film as Jack's grandmother and her husband Leo. Acclaimed actor William H. Macy has a small part as Jack's distant, unaccepting grandfather.

Room is an exploration of the perseverance of real love and the boundless potential of a young mind that must never be confined. While the film may be centered on a heinous crime, it effectively demonstrates how the human spirit may endure.


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Brie Larson (Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and The Marvels)

Still Alice

STILL ALICE
2014 | Dir. Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland | 109 Minutes

"The Art of Losing isn't hard to master: so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster."

Brilliant Columbia University linguistics professor and mother of three, at age 50 Alice Howland begins to lose her intellect to a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer's Disease. As Alice's memory and other cognitive functions begin to rapidly erode, she and her family struggle to come to terms with their new reality.

Based on the novel by Lisa Genova, Still Alice is carried by a tour-de-force performance from Julianne Moore playing the title character. Moore is heartbreaking as Alice, convincingly articulate communicating complex academic concepts and jargon in a lecture scene at the start of the film, and just as convincing playing a barely functioning Alice before the credits roll. The most moving sequence comes towards the end of the picture, with Moore doing an amazing job playing against a recording of herself, wherein Alice attempts to carry out a secret contingency plan to end her own life established earlier in the film.

The supporting cast prominently features Alec Baldwin as Alice's husband John, and Kristen Stewart as her younger daughter Lydia. Baldwin turns in a serviceable, though somewhat run-of-the-mill performance. Stewart's role is a bit more challenging, at odds with her mother's wishes from the start but willing to accept and become her caretaker in the end, she manages to handle the role well but doesn't offer much in terms of emotional versatility.

The film offers a blow-by-blow depiction of the devastating effects of Alzheimer's Disease, represented in several sequences with by creative cinematography. As Alice's perception becomes hazier, the camera shots become blurred and her surroundings are obscured. The film presents the disease as a sort of soft death sentence, without becoming too heavy-handed in its message about how we treat those suffering from it. It is at times difficult to watch but Still Alice features one of the finest performances from Moore to date.


FRAGMENTS
- The film pairs Julianne Moore with Alec Baldwin - the two had hilarious chemistry when Moore was a guest star playing one of Jack Donaghy's old flames on 30 Rock

- I can't help but wonder if the film would have been slightly better if a more capable actress had played Alice's daughter Lydia - To date it seems Kristen Stewart's face can show one expression and one expression only