Nell Minow's Blog, page 35
December 22, 2016
Fences
August Wilson's towering play, the winner of the Tony and Pulitzer prizes, has been magnificently put on screen by director/star Denzel Washington, who won a Tony for the play's 2012 Broadway revival, and who works with much of that show's cast in this version.
Wilson's own screenplay wisely avoids the usual impulse to "open up" a play by adding locations and reducing the dialogue. The best known...
Wilson's own screenplay wisely avoids the usual impulse to "open up" a play by adding locations and reducing the dialogue. The best known...
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Interview: Anna Fricks of “Wish for Christmas”
Anna Fricks stars in Wish for Christmas, a sweet Christian faith story about a high school girl who impulsively wishes that her parents were not so religious, mostly so she can go to a school dance on Christmas Eve. When her wish comes true, she is happy at first but then misses the compassion and warmth of her parents' faith. Her mom and dad are played by the gifted comic actors Leigh-Allyn Baker (best known from "Will and Grace") and Joey Lawrence...
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December 21, 2016
Passengers
"Passengers" is beautiful to look at, a pretty story about pretty people in a pretty (outer space) setting, but it cannot overcome the ick factor of its premise.
Everyone's favorite boy we wish lived next door, Chris Pratt, plays likeable ordinary guy who works with his hands Jim Preston, one of 5000 passengers and 250 crew in a spaceship on a hundred-year journey to a hospitable colonized planet. Like the spaceship in "Wall-E," it is set up with every luxury, from sushi restaurant to a...
Everyone's favorite boy we wish lived next door, Chris Pratt, plays likeable ordinary guy who works with his hands Jim Preston, one of 5000 passengers and 250 crew in a spaceship on a hundred-year journey to a hospitable colonized planet. Like the spaceship in "Wall-E," it is set up with every luxury, from sushi restaurant to a...
The post Passengers appeared first on Movie Mom.
Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards 2016
I am proud to be a member of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists and proud of our awards for 2016. We give out traditional awards for the best of what we saw this year and also the EDA awards for the best and worst treatment of female filmmakers and characters.
Best Film: Moonlight
Best Director: Barry Jenkins – Moonlight
Best Screenplay, Original: Manchester by the Sea – Kenneth Lonergan
Best Screenplay, Adapted: Moonlight – Barry...
Best Film: Moonlight
Best Director: Barry Jenkins – Moonlight
Best Screenplay, Original: Manchester by the Sea – Kenneth Lonergan
Best Screenplay, Adapted: Moonlight – Barry...
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Interview: Pharrell Williams on the Music of “Hidden Figures”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saVH8...
"Hidden Figures," the true story of African-American women mathematicians at NASA during the 1960's is one of the most uplifting films of the year. Its score is composed by by Hollywood legend Hans Zimmer with Benjamin Wallfisch and the best pop producer in the business and one of the most popular performers as well, Pharrell Williams, who told me "I’m lucky to be a part of this film." Even...
"Hidden Figures," the true story of African-American women mathematicians at NASA during the 1960's is one of the most uplifting films of the year. Its score is composed by by Hollywood legend Hans Zimmer with Benjamin Wallfisch and the best pop producer in the business and one of the most popular performers as well, Pharrell Williams, who told me "I’m lucky to be a part of this film." Even...
The post Interview: Pharrell Williams on the Music of “Hidden Figures” appeared first on Movie Mom.
Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe, by Robert Matzen
Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe by Robert Matzen, tells the story of the extraordinary war service of the man we all know as the genial actor who always seemed to exemplify American values. He seldom spoke about his combat missions, so the stories of his war service in this book are new and the impact that experience had are critical in understanding his body of work. the first in-depth look at Stewart’s life as a Squadron Commander in the...
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Wonderful Christmastime — With Paul McCartney and The Roots
Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, the cast of "Sing," and Sir Paul got together for McCartney's sparkling holiday classic, "Wonderful Christmastime."
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December 20, 2016
Why Him?
If you go to see "Why Him?" you will ask yourself, "Why Me?"
Some of the people behind "Meet the Parents" had the idea of basically making the same movie all over again. Of course they made it all over again twice with the sequels, but hey, this time let's try a twist! How about if the dad is the normal one and it is the prospective son-in-law who is outrageous! And maybe if we have extended scenes of Bryan Cranston and Megan Mullally sitting on toilets, and enjoying it, and the cast...
Some of the people behind "Meet the Parents" had the idea of basically making the same movie all over again. Of course they made it all over again twice with the sequels, but hey, this time let's try a twist! How about if the dad is the normal one and it is the prospective son-in-law who is outrageous! And maybe if we have extended scenes of Bryan Cranston and Megan Mullally sitting on toilets, and enjoying it, and the cast...
The post Why Him? appeared first on Movie Mom.
Sing
"Sing" is an often-adorable, often-puzzlingly off-kilter animated film about animal singers putting on a show despite many obstacles, for the love of music and performing. What's best about the film is simple -- seeing a wild assortment of animal characters sing an even wilder assortment of songs, everything from Lady Gaga to Frank Sinatra to Taylor Swift to Christopher Cross. It works every time. The story around it, though, keeps getting derailed.
The concept harks back to the musicals...
The concept harks back to the musicals...
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