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Things We, and Everyone Else on the Planet Earth, Are Talking About From Last Night’s 92nd Oscars
The Oscars are the highlight of many people’s year: movie watchers, fashion lovers, gossip bloggers. From Eminem’s surprise (and surprising!) performance and Billy Porter’s red-carpet lewk, to Natalie Portman’s statement cape, there was something for everyone at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards. Here’s our take on last night’s iconic awards ceremony! Musical Performances Janelle Monae This being the second year without a host, we were on the edge of our seats to see how the show would begin and Janelle Monae did not disappoint! With a show-stopping or rather, starting, original musical number that featured dancing Nazis, we wouldn’t have complained if the Oscars turned into a three-and-a-half hour Janelle…
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American Sniper: In-depth analysis from an insider!
BY AMINE BENEMBAREK American Sniper: Media and politics aside, let’s talk about the film! American Sniper is a drama film adaptation based on American Navy Seal Sniper Chris Kyle’s autobiographical book, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S Military History. It tells of his experience as a Navy Seal after ten years of service and multiple combat tours. The film adaptation is directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle and Sienna Miller as Chris Kyle’s wife, Taya. We watch Kyle’s pinpoint accuracy as a sniper in battle, allowing him to save countless lives and earning him the title of a legend and American…
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Best Picture Reviews: The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game
And here come the Brits… The Theory of Everything BY NIKKI TURNER The Theory of Everything follows the story of renowned scientist, Stephen Hawking. The film starts with Hawking’s early days at Cambridge, and goes on till his meeting with the queen for the first time. Eddie Redmayne portrays Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones his first wife, Jane. Redmayne and Jones hold together a somewhat confusing timeline with their stunningly emotional—and in Redmayne’s case—physical performances. Against the backdrop of Hawking’s scientific accomplishments, the film hones in on the relationship between Stephen and Jane. The film is emotional and truly shows the difficulty the pair faced in living with Hawking’s early…
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Best Picture Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel
BY LISA BASNETT Fans of quirky, deft director Wes Anderson will delight in his ever-distinctive style of direction and writing in The Grand Budapest Hotel. Anderson’s film begins in a grand hotel in 1932 and traipses through mountainous personal and geological territory. Featuring an effete Casanova/concierge played by Ralph Fiennes, newcomer Tony Revolori disarmingly as a hotel lobby boy and Saoirse Ronan as his beguiling love thing, the film is acted as gloriously as it’s staged. A wonderful turn by Adrien Brody (at his greasiest) and Willem Defoe (at his most frightening) provide the film’s truly creepy antagonists. The lushly detailed visuals are equaled by the simultaneous whimsy and depth…
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Best Picture Review: Whiplash
Ever since the Nominees for the 87th Academy Awards were announced last week, the industry has been abuzz with speculation on who was snubbed, who deserves a win, whose campaign was the most effective– you get the idea. Here at On the Danforth Online, we decided we would watch all the nominees for Best Picture and review them for your benefit. All in the interest of good journalism, of course– nothing to do with avoiding that slush pile of paper called “work.” Leading up to the awards on February 22nd, look out for a review or two a week (tagged: And the Oscar Goes To…) to get you all caught…
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Gone Girl: Adapting to Success
BY REBECCA BROWN The film adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl by director David Fincher is a thrilling and eery representation of an incredible novel. Raking in over $136 million at the box office, this blockbuster has earned its spot as one of the top thrillers of 2014. The film succeeds in staying remarkably close to the book’s original plot, a pleasant change compared to many other book-to-screen adaptations, as author Gillian Flynn was given the rare opportunity to write the screenplay herself. Ben Affleck stars as Nick Dunne, delivering a believable representation of a brooding character you either love or hate. Alongside Affleck, Rosamund Pike stars as wife Amy…
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And the nominees are….
The 85th Academy Awards By Natasha Tsakiris It’s Hollywood’s biggest night in cinema, a night where a little gold statue named Oscar is all it takes to catapult your career in film forever: the Academy Awards. It is the Mecca for all film connoisseurs and lovers and the showdown for which actors and films were truly the best of the year. The 85th Academy Awards may still be less than two months away but funny man and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, who will be hosting this year, announced the list of nominees alongside Gangster Squad’s Emma Stone. With less than two months away until the big day, we present to…
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Ladies of the Oscars Red Carpet
Hits, misses, and spring trends at the 84th Academy Awards.
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The Help is Kind, Smart, Important
People are people in this Best Picture nomination.
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Brad Pitt goes to the Oscars
Moneyball and The Tree of Life go head-to-head for Best Picture.
