https://youtu.be/LGWyqty2m-A 6/10 Ireland’s entry to the recent Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film (rightfully losing to the best film of the year in “All Quiet on the Western Front”), “The Quiet Girl” tells a sweet but all too familiar story. Taking place in 1981 in rural Ireland, “The Quiet Girl” focuses on a neglected, shy, … Continue reading #25 Film in 2023: The Quiet Girl
#24 Film in 2023: Missing
https://youtu.be/seBixtcx19E 6/10 A loose sequel to the 2018 film “Searching”, this Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick directed follow up (they edited “Searching”) repeats some of the same plot points from the first film and connects to it when it really doesn’t need to but has a solid third act to thrill and excite viewers. … Continue reading #24 Film in 2023: Missing
#23 Film in 2023: Cocaine Bear
https://youtu.be/DuWEEKeJLMI 3.5/10 Director Elizabeth Banks had a promising start with her feature length directorial debut with 2015’s “Pitch Perfect 2”. Unfortunately for everyone, she followed it up with the horrendous “Charlie’s Angels” (3/10) reboot in 2019 before taking a few years away from directing to continue acting. Banks returns with “Cocaine Bear” which may have … Continue reading #23 Film in 2023: Cocaine Bear
#22 Film in 2023: Jesus Revolution
https://youtu.be/8vmHFvnjPDw 7/10 The true story of pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), youth minister Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney), Christian hippie Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie) and the Jesus movement in the late 1960s that started in California but spread throughout America. “Jesus Revolution” is largely successful, despite trying to cover a little bit too much ground. While … Continue reading #22 Film in 2023: Jesus Revolution
#21 Film in 2023: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
https://youtu.be/Y5zqweZAEKI 7.5/10 One of the biggest surprises of 2022, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” comes 11 years after the original “Puss in Boots”, itself a spin-off to the Shrek franchise. While fans have been clamoring for a fifth Shrek film for over a decade as opposed to this film, audiences have been pleasantly surprised … Continue reading #21 Film in 2023: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Bonus: 2023 Oscar Nominated Short Films – Animation
https://youtu.be/E_sWJNh4Zqk An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It 2/10 The story of a telemarketer who is informed by a talking ostrich that he lives in an orchestrated, stop motion universe, this weak short film looks good but completely rips off the plot from “The Matrix”. The framing also … Continue reading Bonus: 2023 Oscar Nominated Short Films – Animation
Bonus: 2023 Oscar Nominated Short Films – Live Action
https://youtu.be/E_sWJNh4Zqk Ivalu 3/10 The story of a missing girl in Greenland with a father who doesn’t seem to care but a sister desperately searching for her, “Ivalu” mainly fails due to its 16 minute running time. With such a limited amount of screen time, there is no development for the missing girl or even both … Continue reading Bonus: 2023 Oscar Nominated Short Films – Live Action
#20 Film in 2023: A Man Called Otto
https://youtu.be/eFYUX9l-m5I 2/10 In 2014, the Swedish novel “En man som heter Ove”, which translates to “A Man Called Ove” was released, followed up by a film adaptation on Christmas of the following year. I watched “A Man Called Ove” back when it was released due to the two Academy Award nominations it received. The most … Continue reading #20 Film in 2023: A Man Called Otto
#19 Film in 2023: Plane
https://youtu.be/M25zXBIUVr0 6.5/10 With maybe the most boring, uninspired movie title ever, a star with once great potential who has unfortunately signed on for one too many C rate action shlock movies and a premise that has been done before, “Plane” seemed to be doomed from the start. Imagine my shock when this movie turned out … Continue reading #19 Film in 2023: Plane
Bonus: 2023 Oscar Nominated Short Films – Documentary
https://youtu.be/E_sWJNh4Zqk How Do You Measure a Year? 5/10 Growing up my mother used to tape record (audio only) my siblings and I on our birthdays and ask us questions so we could then listen to them as adults. The premise of this short film was the same except video recordings, not just audio and only … Continue reading Bonus: 2023 Oscar Nominated Short Films – Documentary