Author: reelsamarz

Film Review: ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ raises moral questions in the face of grief and forgiveness

February 11, 2018

Grief manifests itself in any number of ways — anger, denial, sadness, even apathy. In the case of Mildred Hayes in writer/director Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” her grief takes the form of an advertisement on three billboards situated outside — you guessed it — Ebbing, Missouri. Following the brutal death of her … More Film Review: ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ raises moral questions in the face of grief and forgiveness

Film Review: ‘Call Me by Your Name’ is an honest, moving portrayal of love and youth

January 28, 2018

It’s rare to be presented with a film so unapologetically honest in its delivery, and able to move me based solely on emotion and character, but “Call Me By Your Name,” directed by Luca Guadagnino, does this and much more with its exploration of love, youth and fleeting time, reminding us that we can and … More Film Review: ‘Call Me by Your Name’ is an honest, moving portrayal of love and youth

2018 Oscar Predictions

January 22, 2018

The best time of the year has arrived: Oscar season. With the nominations for the 2018 Academy Awards being announced tomorrow, I decided to share my own predictions for the six major categories — Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress/Actor and Best Supporting Actress/Actor — and break down my thoughts about this year’s race. Best … More 2018 Oscar Predictions

Film Review: ‘I, Tonya’ is a character study that presents a different side of Tonya Harding’s infamous story

January 22, 2018

There are always three sides to any story: Person A’s side, Person B’s and what actually happened. We rarely get the last one, so we have to settle for the other two and decide for ourselves what we believe is the truth. To that end, the film “I, Tonya,” which recounts the story of the … More Film Review: ‘I, Tonya’ is a character study that presents a different side of Tonya Harding’s infamous story

TV Review: ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ combines smart writing with great performances for hilarious, heartfelt results

January 11, 2018

With the 75th Golden Globes having taken place last Sunday, it put the spotlight on a number of last year’s best entertainment. One of those was “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” a show streaming on Amazon. I had barely heard of the show or its lead actress before it took home the globe for “Best Television … More TV Review: ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ combines smart writing with great performances for hilarious, heartfelt results

Film Review: Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Molly’s Game’ presents a high-stakes, character-driven story with plenty of pay-offs.

January 8, 2018

I don’t know much about poker — I have to be retaught it every time I try to play — but what I do know is that there are a lot of chips, dollars and high stakes involved. That last factor takes on a greater meaning in Aaron Sorkin’s “Molly’s Game,” based on the true … More Film Review: Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Molly’s Game’ presents a high-stakes, character-driven story with plenty of pay-offs.

The Year in Review: Top 10 Films of 2017

December 29, 2017

2017 has been an excellent year in film, offering a combination of new franchise installments that enriched what came before and original films that challenge genre norms through innovative storytelling. There were inevitably films that I missed, but many of the ones I saw this year inspired me both as a writer and film fan. While it was difficult to narrow down and rank my favorites of this year, I put together a list of what I believe to be the best films of 2017. … More The Year in Review: Top 10 Films of 2017