One of the cool things about the Mission: Impossible franchise is that while it grew bigger with each movie, the basic framework remains the same. IMF agent Ethan Hunt is usually framed or something, the leader of the So it’s interesting to see Christopher McQuarrie reaching all the way back to the first Brian De Palma-directed movie to bring back a character we haven’t seen since.
According to a tweet from McQuarrie, the next two movies will see the return of Henry Czerny as former IMF director Eugene Kittridge, who appeared to be a douchebag out to get Hunt but turned out to be a decent joe.
I can’t wait to see how Kittridge fits into the ongoing storylines, but something about the way McQuarrie is circling back has me feeling they are trying to bring Mission: Impossible to a close. Could be wrong, but that’s the way it looks to me.
Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 arrive on July 23rd 2021 and August 5th , 2022 respectively.
This year’s Sundance Film Festival lineup was a mixed bag, but there were still some gems to be found and honored with Park City’s prestigious awards. Taking home the top Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Drama was Lee Isaac Chung’s critically acclaimed Minari, an ’80s-set film starring The Walking Dead‘s Steven Yeun.
Boys State, a documentary about 1000 Texas boys chosen to create a mock government from scratch, won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary feature.
Radha Blank’s debut feature, the hip-hop comedy The 40-Year-Old Version, earned her the Directing Award for Drama, while the Barack Obama-produced Crip Camp won the Audience Award for Documentary. Looking at other films we covered, the ensemble cast of Charm City Kings won a Special Jury Prize, while Josephine Decker took a Special Jury Prize for Shirley, which stars Elisabeth Moss as author Shirley Jackson.
The full list of winners is below. Follow all of our 2020 Sundance Film Festival coverage here.
2020 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL FEATURE FILM AWARDS
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to: Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine, for Boys State / U.S.A. (Directors: Jesse Moss, Amanda McBaine, Producers: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss) — In an unusual experiment, a thousand 17-year-old boys from Texas join together to build a representative government from the ground up.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to: Lee Isaac Chung, for Minari / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lee Isaac Chung, Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh) — David, a 7-year-old Korean-American boy, gets his life turned upside down when his father decides to move their family to rural Arkansas and start a farm in the mid-1980s, in this charming and unexpected take on the American Dream. Cast: Steven Yeun, Han Yeri, Youn Yuh Jung, Will Patton, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to: Hubert Sauper, for Epicentro / Austria, France, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Hubert Sauper, Producers: Martin Marquet, Daniel Marquet, Gabriele Kranzelbinder, Paolo Calamita) — Cuba is well known as a so-called time capsule. The place where the New World was discovered has become both a romantic vision and a warning. With ongoing global cultural and financial upheavals, large parts of the world could face a similar kind of existence.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to: Massoud Bakhshi, for Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness / Iran, France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg (Director and screenwriter: Massoud Bakhshi, Producers: Jacques Bidou, Marianne Dumoulin) — Maryam accidentally killed her husband Nasser and is sentenced to death. The only person who can save her is Mona, Nasser’s daughter. All Mona has to do is appear on a TV show and forgive Maryam. But forgiveness proves difficult when they are forced to relive the past. Cast: Sadaf Asgari, Behnaz Jafari, Babak Karimi, Fereshteh Sadr Orafaee, Forough Ghajebeglou, Fereshteh Hosseini.
The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura was presented to: Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht, for Crip Camp / U.S.A. (Directors: Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht, Producers: Sara Bolder, Jim LeBrecht, Nicole Newnham) — Down the road from Woodstock in the early 1970s, a revolution blossomed in a ramshackle summer camp for disabled teenagers, transforming their young lives and igniting a landmark movement.
The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura was presented to: Lee Isaac Chung, for Minari / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lee Isaac Chung, Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh) — David, a 7-year-old Korean-American boy, gets his life turned upside down when his father decides to move their family to rural Arkansas and start a farm in the mid-1980s, in this charming and unexpected take on the American Dream. Cast: Steven Yeun, Han Yeri, Youn Yuh Jung, Will Patton, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to: Jerry Rothwell, for The Reason I Jump / United Kingdom (Director: Jerry Rothwell, Producers: Jeremy Dear, Stevie Lee, Al Morrow) — Based on the book by Naoki Higashida this immersive film explores the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people around the world.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to: Fernanda Valadez, for Identifying Features (Sin Señas Particulares) / Mexico, Spain (Director: Fernanda Valadez, Screenwriters: Fernanda Valadez, Astrid Rondero, Producers: Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez, Jack Zagha, Yossy Zagha) ― Magdalena makes a journey to find her son, gone missing on his way to the Mexican border with the US. Her odyssey takes her to meet Miguel, a man recently deported from the U.S. They travel together, Magdalena looking for her son, and Miguel hoping to see his mother again. Cast: Mercedes Hernández, David Illescas, Juan Jesús Varela, Ana Laura Rodríguez, Laura Elena Ibarra, Xicoténcatl Ulloa.
The Audience Award: NEXT, Presented by Adobe was presented to: Heidi Ewing, for I Carry You With Me / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Heidi Ewing, Screenwriters: Heidi Ewing, Alan Page Arriaga, Producers: Mynette Louie, Heidi Ewing) — An epic love story spanning decades is sparked by a chance encounter between two men in provincial Mexico. Based on a true story, ambition and societal pressure propel an aspiring chef to leave his soulmate and make the treacherous journey to New York, where life will never be the same. Cast: Armando Espitia, Christian Vázquez, Michelle Rodríguez, Ángeles Cruz, Arcelia Ramírez, Michelle González.
The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to: Garrett Bradley, for Time / U.S.A. (Director: Garrett Bradley, Producers: Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn, Garrett Bradley) Fox Rich, indomitable matriarch and modern-day abolitionist, strives to keep her family together while fighting for the release of her incarcerated husband. An intimate, epic, and unconventional love story, filmed over two decades.
The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to: Radha Blank, for The 40-Year-Old Version / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Radha Blank, Producers: Lena Waithe, Jordan Fudge, Radha Blank, Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jennifer Semler, Rishi Rajani) — A down-on-her-luck New York playwright decides to reinvent herself and salvage her artistic voice the only way she knows how: by becoming a rapper at age 40. Cast: Radha Blank, Peter Y. Kim, Oswin Benjamin, Reed Birney, Imani Lewis, TJ Atoms.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to: Iryna Tsilyk, for The Earth Is Blue as an Orange / Ukraine, Lithuania (Director: Iryna Tsilyk, Producers: Anna Kapustina, Giedrė Žickytė) — To cope with the daily trauma of living in a war zone, Anna and her children make a film together about their life among surreal surroundings.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to: Maïmouna Doucouré, for Cuties / France (Director and screenwriter: Maïmouna Doucouré, Producer: Zangro) — Amy, 11 years old, meets a group of dancers called “Cuties.” Fascinated, she initiates herself to a sensual dance, hoping to join their band and escape family dysfunction…Cast: Fathia Youssouf, Médina El Aidi-Azouni, Esther Gohourou, Ilanah Cami-Goursolas, Myriam Hamma, Maïmouna Gueye.
The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to: Edson Oda, for Nine Days / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Edson Oda, Producers: Jason Michael Berman, Mette Marie Kongsved, Matthew Lindner, Laura Tunstall, Datari Turner) — In a house distant from the reality we know, a reclusive man interviews prospective candidates—personifications of human souls—for the privilege that he once had: to be born. Cast: Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, Benedict Wong, Bill Skarsgård, Tony Hale, David Rysdahl. Dolby Institute Fellowship
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast was presented to: the cast of Charm City Kings, for Charm City Kings / U.S.A. (Director: Angel Manuel Soto, Screenwriters: Sherman Payne, Chris Boyd & Kirk Sullivan, Barry Jenkins, Producers: Caleeb Pinkett, Clarence Hammond, Marc Bienstock) — Mouse desperately wants to join The Midnight Clique, the infamous Baltimore dirt bike riders who rule the summertime streets. When Midnight’s leader, Blax, takes 14-year-old Mouse under his wing, Mouse soon finds himself torn between the straight-and-narrow and a road filled with fast money and violence. Cast: Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Meek Mill, Will Catlett, Teyonah Parris, Donielle Tremaine Hansley, Kezii Curtis.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Auteur Filmmaking was presented to: Josephine Decker, for Shirley / U.S.A. (Director: Josephine Decker, Screenwriter: Sarah Gubbins, Producers: Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, Sue Naegle, Sarah Gubbins, Jeffrey Soros, Simon Horsman) — A young couple moves in with the famed author, Shirley Jackson, and her Bennington College professor husband, Stanley Hyman, in the hope of starting a new life but instead find themselves fodder for a psycho-drama that inspires Shirley’s next novel. Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Michael Stuhlbarg, Odessa Young, Logan Lerman.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Neo-Realism was presented to: Eliza Hittman, for Never Rarely Sometimes Always / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Eliza Hittman, Producers: Adele Romanski, Sara Murphy) — An intimate portrayal of two teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania. Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn and her cousin Skylar embark on a brave, fraught journey across state lines to New York City. Cast: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin, Ryan Eggold, Sharon Van Etten.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing was presented to: Tyler H. Walk, for Welcome to Chechnya / U.S.A. (Director: David France, Producers: Alice Henty, David France, Askold Kurov, Joy A. Tomchin) — This searing investigative work shadows a group of activists risking unimaginable peril to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ pogrom raging in the repressive and closed Russian republic. Unfettered access and a remarkable approach to protecting anonymity exposes this under-reported atrocity–and an extraordinary group of people confronting evil.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Innovation in Non-fiction Storytelling was presented to: Kirsten Johnson, for Dick Johnson Is Dead / U.S.A. (Director: Kirsten Johnson, Screenwriters: Nels Bangerter, Kirsten Johnson, Producers: Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness) — With this inventive portrait, a cameraperson seeks a way to keep her 86-year-old father alive forever. Utilizing moviemaking magic and her family’s dark humor, she celebrates Dr. Dick Johnson’s last years by staging fantasies of death and beyond. Together, dad and daughter confront the great inevitability awaiting us all.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker was presented to: Arthur Jones, for Feels Good Man / U.S.A. (Director: Arthur Jones, Producers: Giorgio Angelini, Caryn Capotosto, Aaron Wickenden) — When indie comic character Pepe the Frog becomes an unwitting icon of hate, his creator, artist Matt Furie, fights to bring Pepe back from the darkness and navigate America’s cultural divide.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking was presented to: Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, and Eli Despres, for The Fight / U.S.A. (Directors: Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, Eli Despres, Producers: Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, Eli Despres, Maya Seidler, Peggy Drexler, Kerry Washington) — Inside the ACLU, a team of scrappy lawyers battle Trump’s historic assault on civil liberties. As the president separates families, blocks abortion access, expels transgender soldiers, and rolls back voting rights, these gutsy attorneys struggle to stop an unpredictable adversary with unlimited resources.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting was presented to: Ben Whishaw, for Surge / United Kingdom (Director: Aneil Karia, Screenwriters: Rupert Jones, Rita Kalnejais, Producers: Julia Godzinskaya, Sophie Vickers) ― A man goes on a bold and reckless journey of self-liberation through London. After he robs a bank he releases a wilder version of himself, ultimately experiencing what it feels like to be alive. Cast: Ben Whishaw, Ellie Haddington, Ian Gelder, Jasmine Jobson.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Visionary Filmmaking was presented to: Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, for This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection / Lesotho, South Africa, Italy (Director and screenwriter: Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, Producers: Cait Pansegrouw, Elias Ribeiro) — When her village is threatened with forced resettlement due to reservoir construction, an 80-year-old widow finds a new will to live and ignites the spirit of resilience within her community. In the final dramatic moments of her life, Mantoa’s legend is forged and made eternal. Cast: Mary Twala Mhlongo, Jerry Mofokeng Wa Makheta, Makhoala Ndebele, Tseko Monaheng, Siphiwe Nzima.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Screenplay was presented to: Fernanda Valadez amd Astrid Rondero, for Identifying Features (Sin Señas Particulares) / Mexico, Spain (Director: Fernanda Valadez, Screenwriters: Fernanda Valadez, Astrid Rondero, Producers: Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez, Jack Zagha, Yossy Zagha) ― Magdalena makes a journey to find her son, gone missing on his way to the Mexican border with the US. Her odyssey takes her to meet Miguel, a man recently deported from the U.S. They travel together, Magdalena looking for her son, and Miguel hoping to see his mother again. Cast: Mercedes Hernández, David Illescas, Juan Jesús Varela, Ana Laura Rodríguez, Laura Elena Ibarra, Xicoténcatl Ulloa.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Storytelling was presented to: Benjamin Ree, for The Painter and the Thief / Norway (Director: Benjamin Ree, Producer: Ingvil Giske) — An artist befriends the drug addict and thief who stole her paintings. She becomes his closest ally when he is severely hurt in a car crash and needs full time care, even if her paintings are not found. But then the tables turn.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematography was presented to: Mircea Topoleanu and Radu Ciorniciuc, for Acasa, My Home / Romania, Germany, Finland (Director: Radu Ciorniciuc, Screenwriters: Lina Vdovii, Radu Ciorniciuc, Producer: Monica Lazurean-Gorgan) — In the wilderness of the Bucharest Delta, nine children and their parents lived in perfect harmony with nature for 20 years–until they are chased out and forced to adapt to life in the big city.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing was presented to: Mila Aung-Thwin, Sam Soko, and Ryan Mullins, for Softie / Kenya (Director and screenwriter: Sam Soko, Producers: Toni Kamau, Sam Soko) — Boniface Mwangi is daring and audacious, and recognized as Kenya’s most provocative photojournalist. But as a father of three young children, these qualities create tremendous turmoil between him and his wife Njeri. When he wants to run for political office, he is forced to choose: country or family?
The NEXT Innovator Prize was presented to: Heidi Ewing, for I Carry You With Me / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Heidi Ewing, Screenwriters: Heidi Ewing, Alan Page Arriaga, Producers: Mynette Louie, Heidi Ewing) — An epic love story spanning decades is sparked by a chance encounter between two men in provincial Mexico. Based on a true story, ambition and societal pressure propel an aspiring chef to leave his soulmate and make the treacherous journey to New York, where life will never be the same. Cast: Armando Espitia, Christian Vázquez, Michelle Rodríguez, Ángeles Cruz, Arcelia Ramírez, Michelle González.
The following awards were presented at separate ceremonies at the Festival:
SHORT FILM AWARDS Presented by Southwest Airlines®
Jury prizes in short filmmaking were awarded at an earlier ceremony in Park City on January 28. The Short Film Grand Jury Prize was awarded to So What If The Goats Die / France, Morocco (Director and screenwriter: Sofia Alaoui). The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction was awarded to -Ship: A Visual Poem / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Terrance Daye). The Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction was awarded to The Devil’s Harmony / United Kingdom (Director: Dylan Holmes Williams, Screenwriters: Dylan Holmes Williams, Jess O’Kane). The Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction was awarded to John Was Trying to Contact Aliens / U.S.A. (Director: Matthew Killip). The Short Film Jury Award: Animation was presented to Daughter / Czech Republic (Director and screenwriter: Daria Kashcheeva). A Short Film Special Jury Award for Acting was presented to Exam / Iran (Director: Sonia K. Hadad, Screenwriters: Sonia K. Hadad, Farnoosh Samadi). A Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing was presented to Valerio’s Day Out / Colombia, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Arcos).
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE | ALFRED P. SLOAN FEATURE FILM PRIZE
The 2020 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, presented to an outstanding feature film about science or technology, was presented to Tesla. The filmmakers received a $20,000 cash award from Sundance Institute with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
The Sundance Institute | Amazon Studios Producers Award for Documentary Features went to Diane Becker and Melanie Miller of Fishbowl Films, for Whirlybird.
The Sundance Institute | Amazon Studios Producers Award for Narrative Features went to Huriyyah Muhammad for Farewell Amor.
The Sundance Institute | Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Documentary went to Carla Gutierez and the Sundance Inst itute | Adobe Mentorship Award for Editing Narrative went to Affonso Gonçalves.
The Sundance Institute | NHK Award went to Kirsten Tan, from Singapore, for her film Higher.
After the success of his racially-charged debut feature Dear White People, Justin Simien could’ve easily given us more of the same. But what’s the fun in that? Simien returned to Sundance this year with Bad Hair, a horror satire set in the 1980s New Jack Swing era, a time of stylish fashion, big hair, and a culture that equated both with impossible beauty standards.
The story follows Anna (Elle Lorraine), an aspiring VJ who is told her path to success is through her hair, but after a devastating scalp burn as a child, she has always gone natural. When Anna gives in and goes to a mysterious hairdresser to get a weave, she comes to find that her brand new hair has a thirst for blood.
It’s campy stuff, for sure, but race does remain integral to the story Simien is telling. Not only does Simien touch on the black culture wars that pit black women against one another, but a system that encourages such in-fighting to hold them back. I had a ton of fun with it, and apparently so did plenty of others. Confirmed is a lucrative $8M deal with Hulu that promises Bad Hair will get a theatrical run. You can check out my review of the film here.
I was fortunate to sit down and speak with Justin Simien while attending Sundance. It was my second time talking with him, and we discussed how things have changed for him since Dear White People. We also talked about his inspirations and influences on Bad Hair, including the 2005 Korean horror film The Wig, which happens to be the only one of the hair horror genre I’ve seen. We talked about black beauty standards and the impact they’ve had on women for ages, and how our obsession with hair makes for a perfect starting point for a genre film such as this.
Our conversation started with the two of us geeking out over our mutual love for the X-Men comics, and Simien’s desire to someday direct a movie featuring Marvel’s favorite mutants. If he can get Bishop to be the star of it, even better.
Listen to my Bad Hair interview with Justin Simien below!
Having friends as an adult is not as easy as it is when you are a kid. Your life is more complicated, social norms are more abstract, and people straight up have to deal with trauma and toxic behavior. These ideas are hilariously explored in the film The Climb, a new film that first premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and now at Sundance, one of the first films from the festival to be live-streamed out to local theaters around the country. Directed, co-written and starring Michael Angelo Covino with his best friend, co-writer and co-star Kyle Marvin, the title refers to its opening scene where two friends both named Kyle and Mike bike up a hill together, Mike revealing his affair with Mike’s fiancé in the process. What follows is a hilariously uncomfortable romp throughout the rest of their lives.
The Climb, simply summarized as a story of a toxic friendship told over specific moments in time, should not be as funny as it is. If you read the plot points one by one, it reads more like a melodrama than a hilariously real and raw take on toxic male relationships. However the levity Covino and Marvin bring to the script, the tangle of emotion and absurdity permeating in every scene, dissolve any sense that the film would take its self too seriously. There’s a European sensibility to the film, its tone and a dark humor reminiscent of 2014’s Force Majeure (coincidentally its English language remake, Downhill, is also at this year’s Sundance). Broken up into numerical parts with these independent interludes in-between to cleanse the palate, the film still feels light despite the oftentimes heavy subject matter. These interludes range from an old couple performing ice ballet to a delightful acapella spiritual sung by grave diggers, these sequences add bright pops of metaphorical color to diffuse tension one may feel after a scene. All of these segments are filmed as one-shots, allowing the passage of time to be conveyed effortlessly.
Rounding out the cast is GLOW’s Gayle Rankin as Kyle’s girlfriend turned fiancé and veteran character Talia Balsam and Cheers alum George Wendt as Kyle’s parents. Balsam provides a no-nonsense yet realistic and stable comedic presence as Kyle’s mom, obviously caring about her son’s best friend even though he has royally screwed up. Rankin provides a layered performance as the girlfriend no one likes, displaying her good qualities along with the bad realistically. It would be so easy to have written and portrayed her as a complete bitch with no redeeming qualities but not as realistic or effective.
In the live-streamed Q and A after the film, Marvin and Covino talked about their process, channeling the slower pacing of 70’s comedies and their very fast 2 month writing time. Though the leads share the same names as the filmmakers, the film is not autobiographical, or at least about them. “I don’t think Mike is Mike and I’m Kyle,” Marvin joked. While film’s events are not autobiographical about the directing duo, they are inspired by a friend sleeping with one of Mike’s exes. When asked about why they choose to film scenes in one shot, Covino responded appropriately with “Birdman did it and it worked for them.” This kind of attitude and comradery make the film work. Not taking themselves too seriously makes cringingly bad friendship faux pas into an engaging and surprising film.
Pop singer Taylor Swift reveals intimate details of her life while showcasing backstage and onstage concert footage.
Reviewing a movie like Miss Americana is something that seems extremely difficult for me to do. Why is that? Because it is a documentary all about pop star Taylor Alison Swift. You might be thinking “So what?”. Well, in short, it is because that Swift herself has interacted with me on the internet a few times in the past, and has served as one of my all-time biggest inspirations. She is my idol.
For those who are unaware, in January 2015, I wrote a post on social media service Tumblr, opening up about my experiences with being bullied while attending school and in my life in general. In my post, I explained how Taylor Swift and her music genuinely helped me to overcome my bullies and to keep my head up high. I thanked Taylor for her music, her personality, and for just being her.
Never in a million years did I expect to get a response from her. “She is Taylor Swift”, I thought. She is a megastar. One of the most popular and influential celebrities in the world. But, much to my surprise and immense delight, she did exactly that. On January 23, 2015, just two days after my post went up, she posted a long reply just to me. I could not believe it. In the post, she supported me and comforted me and told me so much helpful advice. To this day, I still think about that post and how much it means to me. In that moment, I felt like Taylor was actually my friend, and that was the best feeling in the world.
But as I am a film critic, I have to be careful not to go into any movie with bias. No matter who is in it or what it is about. I may like Taylor Swift but I didn’t like Cats. So I went into Miss Americanacareful not to just say it was great because it’s a movie all about Taylor and I love Taylor so it must be great. I had to watch the film under a critical viewpoint and so that is what I did. Now that I have seen it, I can happily report that it is the first truly amazing movie of the new year and the new decade. Finally, a great movie. It felt like one would never come. But alas, here we are.
Taylor Swift has never been more open and honest as she is in Miss Americana. As a lifelong fan of hers, watching this film was extremely eyeopening as I got to learn more about her personal life more than ever before. Even if you are not a fan of her or her music, I think this movie has something for everybody. It is a fascinating film, that, at its core, is a movie about a woman who, for her whole life, has been told she has to be restrained. She has to be the “nice girl” and she has to do and say whatever people want her to say. With Miss Americana, Taylor is finally saying enough of that. She is no longer going to be controlled by people. She is going to be who she is, and she is going to share her opinions and thoughts. Taylor Swift felt restrained for years. For her whole life, really. But now, she feels more alive than ever before. She feels like she finally has a voice, and she definitely does, and she wants to use it, which is so great.
Watching this story is so inspiring. Like I said, I truthfully feel like you don’t have to be a Taylor Swift fan to really enjoy this movie and get an amazing experience out of it. Not only is it an incredibly uplifting and feel-good movie, but it is one that is going to speak to a lot of people, especially her fan base. This movie is going to mean a lot to so many people and that is such an exciting thing.
Something that I never expected however, was the emotions I would be feeling. Miss Americana has some scenes that hit me so hard in my emotions and I never saw it coming in a million years. I don’t know why I didn’t see it coming either, to be honest. The film was being marketed as an open and honest film about Taylor and we would get to see her like we have never seen her before. Surely I should have expected something emotional to happen, but I just didn’t.
There is one scene in particular in the film that honestly left me with tears rolling down my face. It’s a genuinely sad and emotional scene that left me in complete and utter awe. Those who have already seen the movie probably know exactly what scene I am talking about.
Plus, it is terrifically directed by Lana Wilson, who has previously directed the two features After Tiller and The Departure. Her direction here is incredible and I truly hope she continues to make films because it is incredibly evident that she is a raw talent.
Something that I wished was different about Miss Americana was its running time. Clocking in at just eighty five minutes in length, it does feel like it’s over before you know it, and it would have been nice to have had the running time extended just a little bit, that way the film could have felt more grand as a whole.
It’s also a film that has some genuinely amazing editing. There are some moments where we will see behind the scenes footage of Taylor and her producers thinking of lyrics for new songs on her new album, and we will cut to her actually singing the final version of the song on stage. Edits like that feel powerful and bold and I loved it.
Also, yes, the music here is phenomenal, because almost all of the music used throughout the film is Taylor Swift’s music from various different albums. From the likes of Lover, Reputation, and even her self-titled debut studio album.
But, like I said earlier, this movie is not great solely because it has some of Taylor Swift’s best hit songs playing throughout. It is not great solely because it is a film all about Taylor Swift. It is great because it is an open, honest, raw, and emotionally powerful look at one of the world’s biggest celebrities. It’s an inspiring story of finding your voice and finally using it when you wanted to for your whole life. It brought me to tears and it will stick with me for an incredibly long time. It’s not just for Swifties, it’s for everybody.
Miss Americana is an emotionally powerful and raw look at Taylor Swift, and is an incredibly inspiring story of finding and using your voice.
I am NOT okay with this new trailer for F9! *deep breath*
The ninth chapter in the epic Fast & Furious franchise, which has recently expanded with a Hobbs & Shaw spinoff and an animated series, has taken longer than others to get off the ground. After the middling response to Fate of the Furious, a little extra time was given not only to make room for the spinoff but to develop an even bigger story. And it looks like they’ve done that, while in the process rewriting one of the most tragic moments in the series’ long history. Again.
Vin Diesel returns as Dom Toretto, which you already knew, but the twist here is that new addition to the cast, John Cena, isn’t playing just some ordinary villain. He’s Dom’s younger brother, one who appears to be just as strong, just as crazy, just as fast, and just as dangerous. We even see him being encouraged to kill Dom by the prior movie’s villain, Cypher, played by a returning Charlize Theron.
The usual insanity ensues, with the team racing up crumbling bridges and even taking on a stealth magnet plane (!?!?) which I can only guess is a stepping stone on the path to outer space.
But the biggest surprise comes at the very end, when the long thought-deceased Han (Sung Kang) comes striding into their HQ (why do they have an HQ???), ever-present bag of chips in hand, and acts as if we haven’t seen him die twice already: once in Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift, and then in a retooled version of that moment in Fast & Furious 6.
Han has always been my favorite character, and I’ve hated how easily Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw has been forgiven for killing him. The cries of “Justice for Han” appear to have been answered, but there’s no way this happens without it being some clunky bullshit.
Directed by a returning Justin Lin, F9: The Fast Saga opens on May 22nd!
Prior to the release of the first trailer for F9: The Fast Saga, check out the red-hot live concert show from Miami! Expect live performances from Cardi B, Ludacris, Wiz Khalifa, and more, with stars of the Fast & Furious movies making appearances to hype the upcoming film!
Marvel has never had a problem bringing back names to the MCU, and that apparently will continue with their upcoming Disney+ shows. Confirmed by Variety is the news that Owen Wilson has joined the cast of Loki, the series that brings Tom Hiddleston back as the mischievous half-brother of Thor.
It’s unclear what role Wilson take, but it could be just about anything. While no official details on the series are available, rumors are it will follow Loki, who was revived due to the time travel shenanigans in Avengers: Endgame, traveling through the timestream affecting key events in human history.
When Sophie Di Martino joined the cast a couple of months ago, I suggested she could be playing a guide similar to the Timebroker. That sort of role would just as easily work for Wilson who could bring some irreverent humor to it.
Wilson and Disney have worked together plenty of times in the past, with the actor voicing Lightning McQueen in a trilogy of successful Cars movies. The MCU is an entirely different beast, however, and I’m curious to see how long his stay is going to be. Loki is expected to hit Disney+ sometime in 2021.
If you were hoping The Crown would stick around long enough to cover the recent royal scandals involving Prince Andrew/Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Harry/Meghan Markle, well, it’s going to be a sad day. Netflix’s Emmy-winning drama series is due to end after its fifth season, which recently cast Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth.
The news was confirmed by creator/showrunner Peter Morgan to THR, who felt that now was the time to bring the show to a close despite the Royal Family being in the news more than ever…
“At the outset, I had imagined ‘The Crown’ running for six seasons but now that we have begun work on the stories for season five it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop,” said Morgan. “I’m grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision.”
This means that unlike Claire Foy and Olivia Colman, Staunton will only get one season’s worth of episodes to occupy the throne…
“I have loved watching The Crown from the very start,” said Staunton. “As an actor, it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts. I am genuinely honored to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking ‘The Crown’ to its conclusion.”
There’s still plenty of The Crown left to go. The third season just kicked off on November 17th.
We all had a pretty good laugh in 2014 when Adam Sandler signed an exclusive movie deal with Netflix. The streamer was still in its fledgling stages, Sandler was no longer the box office draw he used to be, and it just seemed like a desperate partnership. But the joke was definitely on us, because Sandler’s movies have consistently been among Netflix’s most-watched, with Murder Mystery as their most popular of 2019. And so it’s no surprise Netflix is looking to keep that deal intact a while longer.
Netflix and Sandler’s company Happy Madison have extended their deal to include four more exclusive movies. Not that we have any way to verify Netflix’s info, but they say Sandler’s movies have accounted for over 2 billion hours (!!!!) of viewed content since 2015. Geezus, Bobby Boucher!! They add that Murder Mystery alone was watched in over 83 million households (!!!!!) during the first four weeks of release. Let’s see you match that, DiCaprio!!
So this is turning out to be a killer few months for Sandler. Not only is his performance in Uncut Gems considered one of the best of his career, but he’s clearly found a home in Netflix where he can be appreciated for making goofy comedies.
