Ben Foster is often regarded one of the best actors of his generation. In films like Alpha Dog, The Messenger and Hell or High Water (for which he won the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Award for Supporting Male), intense, thoughtful and deeply rooted characters are his bread and butter. In the universally acclaimed Leave No Trace, from Academy Award-nominated director Debra …
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Bleecker Street has revealed the trailer for its family drama heart-tugger, What They Had, and it could be an awards-season favorite. Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby) stars as Bridget Ertz, a woman who returns home to Chicago at her brother’s (two-time Oscar nominee Michael Shannon) urging after their Alzheimer’s-stricken mother Ruth (two-time Emmy winner Blythe …
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“The hands that holds the pen writes history.” The second ‘woman ghost-writing for her husband’ story to enter the Oscar fray (after August’s The Wife with Glenn Close), Colette brings us the true story of a young woman (Oscar nominee Keira Knightley, in the titular role), who pens a best-seller attributed to her famous husband (Dominic West) in turn of …
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Survival films can go either way: they can be engaging viewing experiences that expand their scope beyond their basic premise or can be slogs that never rise above the level of average survival stories. ARCTIC falls somewhere in between: it doesn’t fully engage compared to better survival films but doesn’t fall completely flat either. But watching the film, we couldn’t …
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Adapted by Ian McEwan from his bestselling novel, On Chesil Beach centers on a young couple of drastically different backgrounds in the summer of 1962 (three-time Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan, Dunkirk‘s Billy Howle). Following the pair through their idyllic courtship, the film explores sex and the societal pressure that can accompany physical intimacy, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding …
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Synopsis: After being a victim of stalking, a woman gets admitted by force into a mental health facility. Little does she know that a major surprise is waiting for her there. UNSANE is a breath of fresh air at the Berlinale this year. In the middle of grim, serious and important films from all over the world, Steven Soderbergh’s latest …
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In his directorial debut, Andy Serkis brings to life the inspiring true love story between Robin Cavendish (Academy Award® nominee, Andrew Garfield) and his wife Diana (Golden Globe Winner, Claire Foy), an adventurous couple who refuse to give up in the face of a devastating disease. When Robin is struck down by polio at the age of 28, he is …
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A new player in this Oscar race has emerged; from Participant Media, BBC Films and Bleecker Street comes the the trailer for the Mick Jackson film Denial. It stars Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener), Academy Award nominee Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom, Michael Clayton) and Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner). The film, which is based on a true …
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Sometimes it seems that for all of the prestige and pageantry of the Cannes Film Festival most American audiences will never see a majority of the films in competition and their interest in a festival that feels so exclusive and elusive can often make them look for the next superhero movie at their multiplex rather than the upcoming Assayas. Well, this …
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In podcast #32 I am joined by Gold Rush Gang members Chris Pepper and Jason Osiason to discuss the craziness of this week’s Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe nominations. At SAG, Joy and The Martian are snubbed while Trumbo, Beasts of No Nation and Straight Outta Compton show up. What gives? Could it be the power of Helen Mirren …
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