Last year had quite a few rough in the gems. There’s an apocalyptic energy in the popcorn-scented air; every movie feels as if it must be the final note on its themes. This feeling from behind the scenes has made these movies grander, bigger, For my dishonorable mentions I’ve decided to point to the twoContinueContinue reading “The 5 Worst Films of 2022”
Author Archives: Anthony Oleszkiewicz
Avatar: The Way of Water Review: Old Fashioned Storytelling With New Fashioned Spectacle
You can stop holding your breath for suspense reasons and start holding for your dive deep into the waters of Pandora; Avatar: The Way of Water is a stunning return to old-school blockbuster filmmaking from the master of it, James Cameron. This remarkable film is more than the sum of the parts many point outContinueContinue reading “Avatar: The Way of Water Review: Old Fashioned Storytelling With New Fashioned Spectacle”
The Fabelmans Review: Art is a Drug and Film is a Dream
Once upon a time, Sammy Fabelman shuffled up to the theater, afraid to watch his first movie. In a long-ago era where the concept is so novel, his parents have to explain it to him to soothe his fear of the experience. “Movies are dreams you never forget,” his mother Mitzi (Michelle Williams) presents toContinueContinue reading “The Fabelmans Review: Art is a Drug and Film is a Dream”
The Power of Rock ’n’ Roll Directing: ‘School of Rock’
This will come as huge news to some people, so I’ll put it in bold. I have a new favorite director of all time. I’ll bet you’re shocked. The title was previously held by hyperactive auteur Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Baby Driver, The World’s End) until a recent rediscovery of the filmographyContinueContinue reading “The Power of Rock ’n’ Roll Directing: ‘School of Rock’”
Glass Onion Review: Agatha Christie on Twitter
Bringing back the perceptive humor and Poirot charm of the first Knives Out, Glass Onion tackles questions involving class while explicitly, and rightfully, stating a phrase that haunts every critic’s existence; “it’s not that deep.” Yet by spelling out its title’s metaphor, Glass Onion accomplishes both a strong statement about the unscrupulous wealthy in theContinueContinue reading “Glass Onion Review: Agatha Christie on Twitter”
Smile Review: A Trauma-Horror That Bares Its Teeth
In the sea of A24 movies that are “secretly about trauma,” the emergence of something more overt, effective, and, let’s be honest, horrific should be celebrated. This seat-gripping dive into the horrors of mental illness doesn’t offer easy answers, nor bask in the romanticism of the misunderstood. There’s a quality of solid storytelling at workContinueContinue reading “Smile Review: A Trauma-Horror That Bares Its Teeth”
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Movie Theaters and the Internal Sunshine of the Conscious Mind
Many articles have been written defending getting off your lazy bum and checking out a movie on the big screen, surrounded by sticky floors and the never distant waft of stale popcorn. Usually, these pieces wage war on streaming services by professing their love for a great blockbuster or film festival darling seen with aContinueContinue reading “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Movie Theaters and the Internal Sunshine of the Conscious Mind”
What About Bob? Is Smarter Than You Remember
It’s 1991, and if you’re a lucky, healthy ignorant you haven’t had to think about mental illness for much of your life outside of an easy reader self-help book swimming in your nightstand dust. You catch the latest Bill Murray comedy, perhaps even noting that Miss Piggy directed it if you’re a child at heart,ContinueContinue reading “What About Bob? Is Smarter Than You Remember”
Encanto‘s Intergenerational Trauma Explored Through Disney Hallmarks
Like its protagonist, Encanto is gifted in less obvious ways than its Disney peers. Under the surface, the film’s story is tapping into the heartbeat of a generation at odds with its ancestors’ way of doing things. Its standardized aesthetics and house of mouse be-true-to-yourself narrative hypnotize youth to bring a strong message of intergenerationalContinueContinue reading “Encanto‘s Intergenerational Trauma Explored Through Disney Hallmarks”
Being the Ricardos Review: “Mr. Sorkin, You’re Not Needed on Set”
In his third directing work Being the Ricardos, Aaron Sorkin proves once and for all that he’s better off handing his witty prose to someone who knows where to place a camera, or else he runs the risk of being misjudged as another outdated and insensitive white male. The creator of The West Wing andContinueContinue reading “Being the Ricardos Review: “Mr. Sorkin, You’re Not Needed on Set””
Anthony Reviews 