What can symbolism in movies tell us about contemporary society? A lot. Find out more by listening to the latest edition of The CoffeeCast with host Tom Cheevers in which we discuss how movies like "Us," "Captain Marvel" and "The Shape of Water" symbolically reflect the issues of the day, available by clicking here.
With this year’s Academy Awards ceremony behind us, it’s time to take a look at how I did on my predictions for the winners in this annual competition, as first outlined in my previous blog, “Who Will Win This Year’s Oscars?”, posted on February 23. And the result? Five out of six correct calls, with one miss. Here are the details: Best Picture Projected Winner: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Actual Winner: “The Shape of Water” Result: Missed call (sort of) This has become the most difficult category to call in recent years, largely because it’s been hard to discern the mind of the Academy voters. In years when it seems they’re going to play it safe, they go with something [...]
It’s that time of year again – time for my predictions of the winners at the annual Academy Awards. Most of the major honors appear fairly clear-cut at this point, with little in doubt. Nevertheless, with that said, here are my picks for who will likely take home statues this year: Best Actor The Field: Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me By Your Name”; Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”; Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”; Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”; Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” Who Will Likely Win: Gary Oldman. This is a virtual lock. Having won almost everything leading up to the Oscars, this is Oldman’s award to lose. Who Should Win (Based on the Nominees): Gary Oldman. Despite capable performances by Daniel Day-Lewis and [...]
Another year in filmdom has come and gone, and countless movie reviewers have issued their best and worst lists for 2017. And so, with that said, it’s time to add my voice to the chorus, with my choices for the cream of the crop and the curdled cream best discarded. In the interest of full disclosure, I must confess that I did not screen every film that was released in 2017, most notably those that were distributed through limited or select channels, such as the Netflix exclusive “Mudbound.” However, I did spend considerable time staring at those flickering lights on the big screen last year, enough to make me feel comfortable in offering up my selections for the pictures that [...]
“The Shape of Water” (2017). Cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, Doug Jones, Nick Searcy, Stewart Arnott, Nigel Bennett, Lauren Lee Smith, Martin Roach, Allegra Fulton, John Kapelos, Morgan Kelly, Marvin Kaye, Wendy Lyon. Director: Guillermo del Toro. Screenplay: Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor. Story: Guillermo del Toro. Web site. Trailer. We all think we know what it means to fall in love, but do we really? Sometimes the reality differs markedly from what we expect, perhaps taking us in some highly unconventional directions. But, when we find that true love, no matter what form it takes, we’re generally willing to do whatever it takes to nurture and protect it, regardless of what we’re up against. Such [...]
Reviews of "The Shape of Water" and "Moving from Emptiness," as well as a holiday book excerpt, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Radio Network, available by clicking here.
