Year: 2022

Reviews of “After Yang” and “Hive,” as well as Oscar blog and podcast previews, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here ...

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, Tuesday, March 22, at 2 pm ET, available by clicking here. And, if you don’t hear the show live, catch it later on demand on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, Podchaser and Jiosaavn ...

It’s that time of year again – time for my predictions of the winners at the upcoming annual Academy Awards. For me, this is usually a labor of love, but, considering the dearth of truly good films in 2021 and a class of nominees that leaves a lot to be desired in many categories, this hasn’t been an especially fun process this year (sorry for the downer mood, folks). Nevertheless, while several of the likely winners have come into view, a few are still up for grabs. So, with that said and for what it’s worth, here are my picks for who will take home statues in the top six categories on Oscar night. Best ActorThe Field: Javier Bardem, “Being the Ricardos”; Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog”; Andrew Garfield, “Tick, Tick … Boom!”; Will Smith, “King Richard”; Denzel Washington, “The Tragedy of Macbeth” Who Will Likely Win: Will Smith. He has captured virtually every statue of significance throughout awards season, and I don’t see any reason why that should change on Oscar night. Having been passed over twice before for “Ali” (2001) and “The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006) (and snubbed for a nomination for his role in “Concussion” ...

“After Yang” (2021 production, 2022 release). Cast: Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, Justin H. Min, Haley Lu Richardson, Clifton Collins Jr., Ritchie Coster, Sarita Choudhury, Orlagh Cassidy, Ava DeMary, Adeline Kerns, Ansley Kerns. Director: Kogonada. Screenplay: Kogonada. Story: Alexander Weinstein, “Saying Goodbye to Yang” in Children of the New World. Web site. Trailer. We all know what it takes to be human, right? In fact, as far as most of us are concerned, it’s a done deal, case closed, no further discussion. However, in an age of rapidly evolving technology, we’ve begun to realize that those hard and fast definitions have come up for reevaluation. A friend, for instance, has always been thought of as someone we interact with in person, not someone we communicate with halfway around the globe on the internet and have never met physically. But do these circumstances with such an electronic pen pal make this individual any less of a friend? Distinctions like this can carry profound implications, even more so than by this example, as seen in the thoughtful new cinematic meditation, “After Yang.” What constitutes a family? That’s a question whose answer has been steadily evolving in recent decades. The traditional ...

“Hive” (“Zgjoi”) (2021). Cast: Yllka Gashi, Çun Lajçi, Kaona Sylejmani, Mal Niah Sadqiu, Shkelqim Islami, Astrit Kabashi, Kumrije Huxha, Adriana Matochi, Molikë Maxhuni, Blerta Ismaili, Armend Smajli. Director: Blerta Basholli. Screenplay: Blerta Basholli. Web site. Trailer. When life beats us down, it can be nearly impossible to pick ourselves up off the ground. With so much holding us back, we may be unable to know how to go about it or even where to start. Yet, if we’re to carry on, we somehow have to figure out how to summon up the courage, hope and determination to move forward. Such is the experience of a group of wartime survivors as seen in the troubling yet inspiring new fact-based drama, “Hive” (“Zgjoi”). When the madness of war mercilessly tears families apart, the survivors are left to pick up the pieces, a process that can sometimes be far more complicated than one might expect. So it was for the women of Kosovo in the wake of the tiny Balkan republic’s bombardment by neighboring Serbia in 1999, a conflict that resulted in the “disappearance” of many of the nation’s husbands and fathers, leaving their wives and mothers to carry on. But their efforts ...

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, Tuesday, March 8, at 2 pm ET, by clicking here. And, if you don’t hear the show live, catch it later on demand on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, Podchaser and Jiosaavn ...