2017 Oscar Predictions

Posted on by Aaron White.

Ready for the Oscars this Sunday? The Feelin’ Film team — Aaron White, Patrick Hicks, Steve Clifton, and Don Shanahan— are here to tell you just who will be taking home those glorious golden statues. Below you will find four definitive lists of who will win at the 2017 Oscars followed by a brief explanation by one team member on who they think should win each award. We believe that these are all objectively correct predictions. Do with that as you will, and if you’re in an Oscar pool this year – GOOD LUCK!

Aaron White Patrick Hicks Steve Clifton Don Shanahan
Best Picture La La Land La La Land  La La Land  La La Land
Best Actor Casey Affleck Denzel Washington  Denzel Washington  Denzel Washington
Best Actress Emma Stone Meryl Streep  Emma Stone Emma Stone
Best Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali Michael Shannon  Mahershala Ali  Mahershala Ali
Best Supporting Actress Viola Davis Viola Davis  Viola Davis  Viola Davis
Best Director Damien Chazelle (La La Land) Damien Chazelle (La La Land)  Damien Chazelle (La La Land)  Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
Best Adapted Screenplay Moonlight Moonlight  Moonlight  Moonlight
Best Original Screenplay Manchester by the Sea Manchester by the Sea Manchester by the Sea Manchester by the Sea
Best Cinematography La La Land La La Land  La La Land  La La Land
Best Costume Design La La Land Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them  Jackie La La Land
Best Film Editing La La Land La La Land  La La Land  La La Land
Best Makeup and Hairstyling Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Beyond  Star Trek Beyond  Star Trek Beyond
Best Original Score La La Land La La Land  La  La Land La La Land
Best Original Song “City of Stars”

(La La Land)

 “City of Stars”

(La La Land)

  “City of Stars”

(La La Land)

 “City of Stars”

(La La Land)
Best Production Design La La Land La La Land  La La Land  La La Land
Best Sound Editing Hacksaw Ridge Hacksaw Ridge  Hacksaw Ridge  Hacksaw Ridge
Best Sound Mixing La La Land Arrival  La La Land  La La Land
Best Visual Effects The Jungle Book The Jungle Book  The Jungle Book  The Jungle Book
Best Animated Film Kubo & the Two Strings Zootopia  Zootopia  Zootopia
Best Foreign Language Film Toni Erdmann The Salesman  The Salesman  Toni Erdmann
Best Documentary Feature O.J.: Made in America O.J.: Made in America  O.J.: Made in America O.J.: Made in America
Best Documentary Short The White Helmets 4.1 Miles  The White Helmets The White Helmets
Best Animated Short Film Piper Pearl  Piper  Piper
Best Live-Action Short Film Timecode Silent Nights  Timecode  Ennemis Intérieurs

BEST PICTURE: An instant classic, this magical new Hollywood musical managed to capture our hearts and make us sing. With Astaire/Rogers like chemistry, Gosling & Stone transform the vision of Damien Chazelle & Justin Hurwitz into a heart-wrenching, romantic, sad, and poignant new masterpiece. This isn’t just a Hollywood love letter to itself, it’s a portrait of two people wrestling with how to pursue their dreams and love simultaneously – something far more than just aspiring actors can relate to. Not just the best film of 2016, but the best film in years. Or, if you’re asking me, the best film ever. – Aaron
Should Win:   La La Land

BEST ACTOR: Up till the last hours before I had to write this, I had seen three of the five actors in contention. The two that were left happened to be the ones that are the heavy favorites. Though I have now seen Casey Affleck make me sad in “Manchester by the Sea,” and though he has one about a thousand more of the “other” awards for best actor this season, The SAG, which hasn’t missed predicting this category in the last decade, has Denzel Washington taking home the golden trophy. So I am leaning in the Denzel camp for this one. – Patrick
Should Win:   Casey Affleck

BEST ACTRESS: Without question, this is has been the most competitive major category during the entire Oscar race.  When the National Board of Review opened the awards season honoring Amy Adams for “Arrival,” we thought we knew where this category was going.  For the Oscars, she didn’t even get nominated.  The winds have danced that much.  “Elle” star Isabelle Huppert represents this year’s Charlotte Rampling as the revered foreign actress with clout.  She and Natalie Portman for “Jackie” have been trading the majority of minor wins since November.  It’s Emma Stone who has been surging late and looking unstoppable.  She has nowhere near the total number of precursor wins as either Huppert or Portman, but she won the ones that carried favor, the Golden Globe, the SAG, and the BAFTA, in the homestretch.  Expect her star to be fully born this Sunday as the eventual winner.  That said, her performance pales in comparison to the powerful and transcendent work of Portman as the former First Lady and societal icon.  She is likely knocked a little as a contender because she won so recently for “Black Swan.”  I don’t care if you’ve won already.  If you were the best, you get to win again and everyone else has to raise their game. – Don
Should Win:   Natalie Portman

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: “And the Oscar goes to….Mark Rylance!”  That was a year ago, and my ballot had it’s first ding early into the show.  I hate that.  So this year I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out if we were going to have that Rylance moment play out again.  It’s not unheard of in the supporting categories.  While not as shocking as the Rylance incident, Christoph Waltz surprisingly won in 2013 for “Django Unchained” over the frontrunner, Tommy Lee Jones.  I’ve been looking for every reason to pick Dev Patel here, just to be edgy and so I could gloat if another upset comes to fruition.  But at the end of the day, I have to go with Mahershala Ali, for his surreal performance in “Moonlight.”  Expect this ceremony to be more political than ever, and nothing gives a middle finger to the current administration more than an African American Muslim portraying a gay man in a movie, giving a speech to the world on prime time television.  And if that’s not enough, Ali’s turn was realistically the best of the bunch. – Steve
Should Win: Mahershala Ali

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Honestly, this category is a little unfair.  As a “supporting” actress, Viola has tremendously more screen time in “Fences” than her fellow nominees in their films.  Everyone else, from Michelle Williams to Naomie Harris, have “that-one-really-good-scene” and not much more.  Viola Davis is a force the entire 139 minutes of Denzel Washington’s film.  She should be competing in the lead actress category.  She wins here with ease and, the best part is, she deserves to.  This was a cornerstone performance in a career that should have been crowned five years ago with “The Help” when she was robbed by Meryl Streep. – Don
Should Win:   Viola Davis

BEST DIRECTOR: It would be a surprise if anyone other than Damien Chazelle were to win this award.  He has the Globe and the DGA; the clearest indicators of Oscar success in this category.  There is a lot of love for Barry Jenkins, and “Moonlight” is poised as the spoiler in the event the “La La Land” juggernaut falters, but if the Academy chooses to split Director from Best Picture again as they’ve been wont to do recently, I see “Moonlight” taking picture and Chazelle holding on here.  Based on much of the logistical nuances of filming “La La Land,” it feels to me like Chazelle earned every accolade he’s received. – Steve
Should Win:    Damien Chazelle

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: This category of the Big Eight experienced an eligibility shift when Tarell McCraney and Barry Jenkins’s screenplay for “Moonlight” was deemed an adapted screenplay from its earlier incarnation as a proposed play and not an original work, where it just won the year-end award from the Writers Guild of America.  Its presence squelches the chances of the other four nominees.  If “Moonlight” wasn’t here, this would be a category for “Arrival” to win, likely becoming its only win of the night.  Now, Denis Villeneuve’s film will go home empty-handed.  “Moonlight” will win and, with the likely “La La Land” tidal wave going all the way to Best Picture, this is the exact right place to honor 2016’s most important narrative feature.  The “will win” and the “should win” rightly match in this category. – Don
Should Win:   Moonlight

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The writing categories are always two of my favorites. The best writing can elevate an otherwise mediocre film and it’s something that excites me when done at a high level. “La La Land’s” writing is better than some give it credit for, but not Oscar worthy. “Hell or High Water” and “Manchester by the Sea” were both superbly, tight, realistically written stories that I adored. In fact (with “La La Land”) those three make up top 3 films of the year. It’s incredibly hard to choose here, and my head wants to say that Sheridan’s work for “Hell or High Water” deserves this, but my heart knows what Lonergan’s script for “Manchester by the Sea” did to me.  – Aaron
Should win:   Manchester by the Sea

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: I was really torn on this one. One of the things that stood out to me about “Arrival” was the way in which the visual storytelling was equally as powerful as the verbal (ironically, the theme of language was visualized rather than textualized in this one). However, I’m always equally as impressed with the creative use of camera work (particularly single tracked shots for long periods of time) and when you have an opening scene like the one from “La La Land” to set the stage for a beautiful looking film, I have to give the Oscar to “La La Land.” – Patrick
Should Win:   La La Land

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: The vibrancy of this category is far-reaching, but only two films of the five are real contenders.  “La La Land” costume designer Mary Zophres is the odds-on frontrunner for her primary colors and the film’s juggernaut popularity.  In terms of resume, Zophres also did the Hollywood backlot fashion for “Hail, Caesar!”  Chasing behind her is my preferred pick, Madeline Fontaine’s work on “Jackie.”  Her sharp period recreations were inspired and flawless.  Not a thread was dull or out of place.  Expect “La La Land,” but love on “Jackie.” – Don
Should Win:   Jackie

BEST FILM EDITING: Pacing would be the operative word to describe the quality of a well-edited film. Did it flow? Did each scene lead well into the next? Were there abrupt changes to the tone of the film as a result of the way it was pieced together? These are questions I asked myself, reflecting on the five nominees, of which “Moonlight” is the lone film I haven’t seen. From the four that are left, it feels like a tough call. Each story felt complete. Nothing stood out as jarring or visually disconnected. I’d personally like to give the Oscar to “Hacksaw Ridge” (a personal favorite from 2016) but my head says, all things being equal, give it to the movie that is dominating the nominations. – Patrick
Should Win:   Hacksaw Ridge

BEST MAKEUP/HAIRSTYLING: “Suicide Squad” was a mess, and no one in Hollywood is likely to garner any praise on it here.  “A Man Called Ove” is a foreign film that no one had ever heard of before all of the fallout from the Trump Muslim ban threw that category into turmoil.  So by default, “Star Trek: Beyond” seems the de facto winner in the Makeup & Hairstyling arena for this year.  And let’s face it, you’re going to be up taking a bathroom break or making another tray of canapés for your guests as soon as this category gets mentioned. – Steve
Should Win:    Star Trek: Beyond

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: GRRR. This one frustrates me for a number of reasons. Of the five nominations, I have only seen two of the films (“La La Land” and “Passengers”), so clearly I am going to be biased towards those. But of those two, the clear favorite, “La La Land”, doesn’t scream Best Original Score to me. Soundtrack? Heck yeah. But if I’m thinking about instrumental music that helps elevate a film, “Passengers” did that, from the opening scene to the closing credits. Oh well, here’s to those who dream. – Patrick
Should Win:   Passengers

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: I would love nothing more than to see Audition (The Fools Who Dream) take this award.  Watching Emma Stone belt that out in “La La Land” was simply surreal, and you can expect that performance to be copied in many a high school musical audition for the foreseeable future.  However, City of Stars is going to win this one.  It’s a justifiable win, as the song is not only well done, it serves as the backdrop for the entire experience that is “La La Land.”  More than just a song, City of Stars is the harmonious glue that binds the film. – Steve
Should Win:    Audition (The Fools Who Dream) (La La Land)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: I could draw this out, but I won’t. Formerly known as Best Art Direction this award belongs to “La La Land.” It’s incredible sets and mesmerizing dream-like sequences are all wonderfully designed and frankly nothing else comes close.  – Aaron
Should win:   La La Land

BEST SOUND EDITING: AKA. One of two categories I never can differentiate between. I did research to help clarify what makes this different from Sound Mixing, and based on the ever reliable internet’s definition. Editing refers to the sounds that make up the movie, while mixing refers to the culmination of those elements that make the film great. And while I think “La La Land” could conceivably take home the mixing category, my vote goes to “Hacksaw Ridge.” The battle alone in the movie makes it worthy of the Oscar. – Patrick
Should Win:   Hacksaw Ridge

BEST SOUND MIXING: Let’s keep it real.  Sound Mixing is another of those bathroom break categories, but also one of those categories where you can either sink or soar in your Oscar pool.  Conventional wisdom says when in doubt, pick “La La Land” this year.  But the Academy does love it’s war films, and likes to reward good war films (defined here as films also nominated for Best Picture) with wins in the technical categories.  So there are justifiable reasons to be looking hard at “Hacksaw Ridge” to steal this one.  But I’m predicting a split in the sound categories this year, with “Hacksaw Ridge” grabbing one in the Sound Editing category; so feel confident in riding the “La La Land” train to victory here.  Need some historical facts to back it up?  Musicals lend themselves more to the mixing category.  Look back to 2003, when “Chicago”, which went on to win Best Picture, grabbed the Sound Mixing Oscar, but relented the Sound Editing award to “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.” – Steve
Should Win:    La La Land

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: The blockbusters reign here in Best Visual Effects.  The fanboy vote would go to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” but there is more dazzle in galaxies closer than those far, far away.  Vegas will tell you that “The Jungle Book” will win and I can see why with the Disney clout and the volume of its entirely green-screen work.  My personal pick would be “Doctor Strange.”  They were the only effects this year that made my eyes pop and my jaw drop.  The film was the best use of 3D I’ve seen in years.  To me, this one’s not even close.  Sorry, Bill “Baloo” Murray. – Don
Should Win:   Doctor Strange

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Here we most likely have  showdown between the Disney film packed full of references and championing a very timely message all about inclusion and the stop-motion gem from Laika. While “Zootopia” may likely win an Oscar because it’s (buzzword) “relevant”, “Kubo & the Two Strings” is the film that features truly cutting edge animation and offers a complex, moving story. It’s the only animated film in my Top 10 of 2016 and the only one I want to own and watch over and over again. If you must blink, do it now. Hopefully when you open your eyes Laika will be celebrating a much deserved Oscar win. – Aaron
Should win:   Kubo & the Two Strings

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Leading well into the month of January, this category was “Toni Erdmann’s” (Germany) to lose.  But then President Trump enacted a Muslim ban, effectively alienating, well, just about everyone.  Enter the plight of director Asghar Farhadi, who all of a sudden might not be allowed into the country to enjoy the spoils of becoming an Oscar nominee for his film “The Salesman” (Iran).  Since “Toni Erdmann” is an almost three hour slog that most voters aren’t likely to want to invest in to see if it’s even worthy, expect the political middle finger to once again extend in the direction of Washington, with “The Salesman” the beneficiary of Hollywood’s version of humanitarian justice being served. – Steve
Should Win:    Who cares

BEST DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE): This is a category stacked with incredible films (and many others worthy that weren’t nominated). Several of them deal with race, but the one that stands out most is “O.J.: Made in America.” It is an extraordinary portrait of one icon’s rise and fall, told through a much broader and more important lens of race relations in America going back 50 years. I was mesmerized for all 7+ hours of this documentary’s running time. My mind was constantly blown as this film dug deeper and deeper. This should be required viewing for all Americans.  – Aaron
Should Win:   O.J.: Made in America

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT: Let’s be honest, this is one of, what I like to call, “dartboard categories,” where you guess is about as good as anyone else’s.  As a credentialed film critic in Chicago, I have all five of these nominees available to me to view as screener links, but I haven’t made the time to catch them yet.  My dartboard is busy holding up pictures of people I despise.  So, I’m going to lean on some precursor data.  “The White Helmets” won this very category from the International Documentary Association. That’s good enough for me. It gets my dartboard dart as a personal pick.  – Don
Should Win:   The White Helmets

BEST ANIMATED SHORT: The ability to tell a complete story is a huge undertaking, but to do it in 5-7 minutes is even more daunting. Couple that with animating the thing and you’ve got, well, a worthy Oscar category. Admittedly I’d only seen one of these films until recently (“Piper”). I have now seen four of the five and I have to tell you, only one stands above all others. In a time when optimism feels necessary in film, one of these shorts stood out as encompassing that in the most sincere way. – Patrick
Should Win:   Pearl

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT: So, yeah. Um… “Timecode” definitely has the coolest name. – Aaron
Should Win:   Timecode

Agree with our picks? Disagree? Want to share your own? Leave us some feedback. We’d love to discuss them with you. Thanks for reading!

2017 Feeler’s Choice Awards Ballot

Posted on by Aaron White.

Voting is now open for the 2017 Feeler’s Choice Awards! 

A huge thank you goes out to all who submitted nominations. We have some award nominations very much in common with major award circuits and others that have some shocking differences.

All are invited to vote. Voting will close at midnight on February 21, 2017. Each award will be announced  at the same time as its corresponding Oscar category on Sunday night, February 26, via Feelin’ Film social media feeds (Twitter), (Facebook), and (Instagram), as well as in our Facebook Discussion Group which is open for all to join. We’ll recap the Feeler’s Choice Awards in our Oscar reaction podcast and also via blog post after the awards have all been announced.

Here’s that link to vote one more time: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SZH3B2K

We can’t wait to see what films and performers this community selects!

Inaugural Feelin’ Film Awards – Nominations

Posted on by Aaron White.

We love the community our listeners have formed. We love competing. And we love movies. So what better way to celebrate this than hosting our own awards show – for the people, by the people!

In lieu of a traditional Oscar pool, we have elected to create the Feelin’ Film Awards. To determine our 2016 award nominees, we are asking you to vote at the survey  link below. Points will be assigned based on where you rank your nomination so please pay attention to the order. VOTING CLOSES ON FEBRUARY 5 at 11:45 PM. We will then create a list of the most nominated selections to be voted on by the community of listeners with results announced alongside each category’s respective Oscar on Sunday night, February 26.

(Minimum of one answer per category is required.)
* Reference material for some of the “best” films of the year:  http://www.indiewire.com/2016/11/2017-oscar-predictions-288861/

We look forward to seeing your responses and finding out what you think were the best films, performances, and technical achievements of 2016!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ffnominations

Don’s Top 10 Films of 2016

Posted on by everymoviehasalesson.

I’ll have you know that this is the latest this website has ever posted a “10 Best” list in its six-plus year history.  I want to say that 2016 exhausted me, but it didn’t.  “Every Movie Has a Lesson” published a personal-best 114 film reviews in 2016.  Even after a record year, there is part of me that sits here and knows there was room for more.  The to-do list of recommended films and overdue titles is never empty.

I can only see so much and 2016 got my best.  I juggled my own writing with co-founding, co-directing, growing, and maintaining the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle.  Starting from scratch, its inaugural year was a soaring success, complete with many new and invaluable  friends and peers.

No matter what, I am exceedingly grateful for the access and privilege I have had (thank you press credentials and awards screeners).  Let me put a bow on 2016 with my selections of the best of the year.  Matching tradition on this website, each film will be paired with a link to the full review and its best life lesson.  Enjoy!

1. “LA LA LAND”

Don’t buy the so-called “over-love.”  Damien Chazelle’s film is pure magic on every aesthetic level and the most wondrous big-screen experience I had at a film all year.  This spectacle is why we fall in love with this artistic medium of cultural expression.  (FULL REVIEW)

BEST LESSON: FANTASIES RARELY BECOME REALITY— To loop the lessons together, people envision fantasies in both their personal and professional lives throughout their lives.  When someone starts a new job, they picture themselves being the best and most unencumbered at what they do in the same way a new spouse promises to be the best possible man or woman in the world.  “La La Land” plays those flights of fancy and big dreams out on screen with all of the woulda-coulda-shouldas in between.  Both in the film and in our own lives, reality swoops in to remind us of the world’s limits and our own flaws and shortcomings.

2. “JACKIE”

Pablo Larrain’s film is a flawless anti-biopic that still encapsulates all you need to know about an icon in less than two hours.  An American director with this same subject matter which bloat this film to cinematic gluttony.  Instead, you have a taut piece of pure finery at every second and centimeter.  (FULL REVIEW)

BEST LESSON: THE POISE TO BE FOUND IN GRIEF— Imagine your worst personal tragedy put on display for all of the world to see.  The public celebrated the dignity of Jackie Kennedy in face of her horrible loss, which had to be no easy feat.  The closed door events of the film show the roots of that historic poise being challenged first and then ultimately strengthened by the doubts and burdens of real grief born out of unimaginable tragedy.

3. “LIFE, ANIMATED”

This is the first time that a documentary has cracked one of my “10 Best” lists and “Life, Animated” was the outright number one in the clubhouse from May until October.  In all my years of watching movies, I have never seen a more perfect example and embodiment of this website’s titular statement.  Stories like this confirm that my head will never be in the clouds while sitting in a theater.  (FULL REVIEW)

BEST LESSON: EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON— I said it the opening paragraph, I say it in every review, and I mean it.  Call them fiction and disposable entertainment all you want, but movies can inspire and create emotions and memories.  Movies can teach and help people relate to anything.  Look no further than Owen Suskind for proof over fanciful theory.  When it works, it works.  When it’s right, it’s so very right.

4. “MOONLIGHT”

“Moonlight” creates powerful empathy from one of the most difficult scenarios, and does so with impressive emotion and unmistakable heart.  Complicated and tortured one moment and liberating the next, the film deserves all of its awards and attention.  It’s the boldest and best statement film of the year.  (FULL REVIEW)

BEST LESSON: CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS NEED AN ACTIVE LISTENER IN THEIR LIVES— If you want a direct, actionable change to take away from “Moonlight” the second you walk out the door, it’s to engage conversations and relationships with the kids your life.  Be a father figure, mentor presence, or the actual responsible parent.  Someone needs to talk to the reserved, confused, and quiet Chirons of the world that do not share their feelings or have their questions answered.  Children endure and digest more than we given them credit for, yet still comprehend less than we fully realize, especially when they mask their pain.  They need a sounding board and confidant to break stigmas and define truths.

5. “MANCHESTER BY THE SEA”

Kenneth Lonergan delivered a character-driven near-masterpiece of frankness, natural behaviors, honesty, and crushing emotions.  I highly appreciate the arm’s length distance and breathing room this film utilized to present its narrative.  Something in-your-face would have felt preachy.  That final Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams scene together is really something.  (FULL REVIEW)

BEST LESSON: THE BROKEN HEARTS THAT CANNOT BE HEALED— All of the malaise and excruciating agony held by the characters in this film stems from damage that cannot be corrected.  In a culture of pride where people do not share or handle their feelings with others, it’s a big step when characters here admit defeat and recognize a broken heart, making some coping possible.

6. “A MONSTER CALLS”

I delayed writing this “10 Best” list until I saw Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” thinking it had the pedigree to make this list.  Little did I know that two days later J.A. Bayona’s family fantasy drama would hit me like a ton of bricks.  Wonderful messages bleed from fantasy and truth in this absolute winner.  (FULL REVIEW COMING SOON)

BEST LESSON: PAINFUL TRUTHS BALANCING COMFORTING LIES— This lesson speaks to a polarity of conscience.  Sometimes, we need to hear things or tell ourselves things that soothe our hearts and minds.  Those words may not always be truthful, and we might even know they’re not, but they help.  In other moments, only the truth will do, even if it hurts.

7. “SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU”

I couldn’t have been more impressed by the enamoring charm of this film to make us often forget that we are watching who will eventually become two of the most recognizable people in the world.  Its soft brush for romance and humanity made for one of the best date films of this ere.  (FULL REVIEW)

BEST LESSON: FIRST DATES ARE ALWAYS GREAT STORIES— If you ever want an interesting look into a married couple, ask them “Hey, how did you two meet?”  There’s a good chance their first date is part of a lovely and personal yarn.  Watch them reminisce on unforgettable memories.  Watch them flutter with rekindled feelings.  Call me a softy, but I believe just about every married couple has a love story fit for a big screen movie.  Real-life nuances and unfiltered emotions beat fancy scripts and fictional acting every time.

8. “COMING THROUGH THE RYE”

It wouldn’t be a “10 Best” list from me, or a good year of film for that matter, without one “coming-of-age” story making a tremendous impression.  This completely hidden gem chronicles a disillusioned boarding school student, played by Alex Wolff, inspired by J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher and the Rye” enough to seek out the reclusive author’s (Chris Cooper) permission to adapt his classic novel for the stage.  (FULL REVIEW)

BEST LESSON: FINDING THE BRAVERY TO DO SOMETHING OF YOUR OWN— Jamie feels that staging “The Catcher in the Rye” at school can validate his value and his coolness independent from the typical popularity.  He feels that if others can see him play Holden that they will understand him better through the play’s performance and artistic expression that relates to him.  The real truth is the courage to represent yourself, blaze your own trail, and create your own masterpiece with your own life, without standing on the shoulders of others.

9. “PETE’S DRAGON”

It perplexes me to no end how rare this type of family film is nowadays in a marketplace inundated by animated toilet humor and frenetic stupidity.  Disney gets this complete makeover of a remake soaringly right in the heart and whimsy department.  Futher, I have no idea while the Mouse House is pushing “Zootopia,” “Finding Dory,” and “Moana” greater than this film.  It deserves a bigger and better audience.  (FULL REVIEW)

BEST LESSON:  THE RECIPROCITY BETWEEN CAREGIVERS—A caregiver, be that a friend, parent, guardian, or other figure, gives unconditional support to those who need it.  In the most ideal symbiotic examples, the caregiver is rewarded in return with a boost of self-worth knowing they helped someone or something in the right direction.  Elliot and Pete look after and rub off on each other in that very way, cementing their ever-present bond.

10. “THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS”

Just like #8, it wouldn’t be a good year or a proper list without one classic melodrama (another sucker sub-genre for me).  Derek Cianfrance masterfully stepped from writing his own opuses to adapting someone else’s.  The end result had immense emotional resonance and sumptuous artistic beauty, from the visuals and music to the performances and heavy themes.

BEST LESSON: THE POWER OF ENDURING LOVE—To borrow again from Dirks, the “resolute endurance, sacrificial acts, and steadfast bravery” that arise in “The Light Between Oceans” are prerequisites of the genre and necessary to the overall arc of forgiveness versus resentment.  Those actions originate here through enduring love shown in many forms, including love shared between spouses and the inseparable bonds between parents and their children that continue until the camera fades.

HONORABLE MENTIONS AND THE NEXT BATCH:

11. “Nocturnal Animals”

12. “Deadpool”

13. “Fences”

14. “Loving”

15. “Everybody Wants Some!!”

16. “Blue Jay” (review soon!)

17. “Midnight Special”

18. “In a Valley of Violence”

19. “The American Side”

20. “Arrival”

21. “Lion”

22. “Swiss Army Man”

23. “The Invitation”

24. “Elvis & Nixon”

25. “Kubo and the Two Strings”
DON SHANAHAN is a Chicago-based, press-credentialed film critic writing on his website Every Movie Has a Lesson.  He is also one of the founders and directors of the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle.  As an elementary educator by day, Don writes his movie reviews with life lessons in mind, from the serious to the farcical.  As a contributor here on Feelin’ Film, he’s going to expand those lessons to current movie news and trends.  Find “Every Movie Has a Lesson” on Facebook, Twitter, Medium, and Creators Media.

Aaron’s Top 10 Films of 2016

Posted on by Aaron White.

Many have called 2016 one of the worst years in film. I am not one of those people. In fact, I would call 2016 one of the best years in recent memory. While there has been plenty of mediocrity (mostly from blockbuster film failures), the number of  great indie films was extremely high.

The quality of the films is not the only reason I’ve had such a fantastic year with cinema. This year saw the creation of the Feelin’ Film Podcast, a longtime bucket list item. Partnering with my best friend and co-host Patrick Hicks in this project has been an experience unlike anything in my life before. I now can say that I understand what it truly feels like to have a burning passion for something you do. Sometimes running a podcast can feel like work, but it’s the most fun and rewarding work I’ve ever done, and always worth it.

So, onward to my list!

(10) The Shallows – I’m a sucker for survival stories. I also love sharks. So when you give me Blake Lively alone in a tropical paradise fighting off a giant shark, I’m going to love it. What I wasn’t expecting was the depth of story and character development.

(9) Kubo and the Two Strings – An original hero’s quest with tons of humor and plenty of heartfelt moments between fantastic characters while focusing on the magic of storytelling and memories. Memorable characters with excellent voice acting performances elevated this one in a big way. Kicking myself for not seeing this gorgeous film in theaters.

(8) Manchester by the Sea – How crazy is it that I’m going to use the word “masterpiece” for a film that is my eighth favorite of the year? It’s true, though. This movie didn’t hit me until about 30 minutes after I left. Then I suddenly burst into tears and started reflecting on how raw, real, and connecting it was. Hard to watch but one of the most purely human movies I’ve ever seen.

(7) Arrival – Thinking science fiction from one of my favorite current directors. It was always only a matter of how much I would love this film, and I certainly did. The one and only film that I’ve ever recorded two podcasts episodes about. Fantastic alien design and offers genuinely awe-inspiring moments with an unexpected twist. This one left me with plenty to discuss and think about.

(6) Moonlight – A story in three parts about a slice of culture I will never be able to relate to. But now, I can empathize. Also provides wonderful portraits of just how incorrect stereotypes can be. Powerful and thought-provoking from beginning to end.

(5) 10 Cloverfield Lane – My top film for most of the year. Hitchockian storytelling at its best. Fantastic acting, twists, and a stellar surprising ending from a director I’ll now always have my eye on. The biggest thing coming out of this one was the realization that in storytelling two things can be true at the same time, and that makes for a compelling narrative.

(4) O.J.: Made in America – Extraordinary portrait of one icon’s rise and fall, told through a much broader and more important lens of race relations in America going back 50 years. I was mesmerized for all 7+ hours of this documentary’s running time. My mind was constantly blown as this film dug deeper and deeper. This should be required viewing for all Americans.

(3) A Monster Calls – Oh boy. Having read the story and listened to the audiobook multiple times, and being a big fan of director J.A. Bayona’s previous work, my expectations for this film were high. I never imagined that this film could deliver in the way it did, though. An almost perfect cinematic experience, blending animation into live action to create the perfect surreal dream-like quality this story required. An intensely emotional experience, this film got me “feelin’” in a big way. It’s lessons about grieving are necessary and important.

(2) Hell or High Water – Any other year this would be an unquestionable top choice. This is another film that has made its way into my all-time Top 50 list. I’m a sucker for great acting and this provides it in great quantity. I also love morally ambiguous stories about people living in the gray area of life – just like most of us are. Every element of this story works in concert to create what I consider the definitive modern day western.

(1) La La Land – My most anticipated film of the year pulled off the rare achievement of also being the best. My love for this film is special. After four viewings it has become my #1 favorite film. That’s the impact it has had on me. It only gets better with each viewing and every time I listen to the soundtrack. At the risk of spoiling something, I won’t say much other than it is a wonderfully emotional experience. True perfection.

And here is the rest of my top 20:

(11) Silence
(12) Midnight Special
(13) Sing Street
(14) Sully
(15) 13th
(16) Under the Shadow
(17) Tower
(18) The Edge of Seventeen
(19) Fences
(20) Hacksaw Ridge

Full rankings for the year here: http://letterboxd.com/aaronelwhite/list/top-20-films-of-2016/

Letterboxd Year in Review: http://letterboxd.com/aaronelwhite/year/2016/

Patch’s Top 10 Movie Experiences of 2016

Posted on by thisispatch.

What’s up everyone. Patch here. As you all know, my counterpart at Feelin’ Film is big on lists. I, on the other hand, not so much. It’s not that I don’t like lists. I really do. Most of them just consist of groceries and other “to dos” in my life. Anyway.

Feelin’ Film has given me a lot of opportunities to watch a LOT of stuff this year, particularly movies (duh!). So I wanted to share with you guys my favorite movie experiences from this past year. These aren’t necessarily my favorite movies (though most are) or are necessarily from 2016 (one isn’t). They are just movies that, when I watched them for the first time this year, made an impact in some way, shape or form. So here we go:

10: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
Yep. This made my top 10. Deal with it. It didn’t get a lot of love at the box office, or really by most fans. But I fully embraced all of the throwbacks, nostalgia and fun story that made up this sequel to my beloved franchise. It solidified that while these weren’t my turtles growing up, they became new favorites for me. Cowabunga!

09: Tomorrowland
One of our “second chance” picks earlier in the year, this one caught me off guard, in a good way. Brad Bird plays with some really great ideas about limitless creativity and a safe place to make those dreams a reality. I had a blast discussing this one and it was a great first time experience, especially since I shied away from it when it first released.

08: 10 Cloverfield Lane
Man oh MAN. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr.. Three actors, three incredible performances. This psychological thriller turned crazy sci-fi had me gripping my chair (and then shaking my head). A movie experience that deserves the word Cloverfield in the title.

07: Magnificent Seven
Ahh, the first movie that Aaron and I disagreed on, but one of the best discussions I remember having about film. I don’t regret for one minute abstaining from watching the “original” Steve McQueen led western. This movie represents a great example of being able to tell a complete enjoyable story with characters that can be cared about, cheered for, hated and scared of all at the same time. Ensemble casts can be made or broken by chemistry and this one certainly was made by that.

06: Arrival
My brain hurt after seeing this one. Sci Fi has the ability to make us think about so much within the confines of “what if” scenarios. It was a beautiful movie to watch, to listen to. to experience. Amy Adams was outstanding and I loved hearing the conversations that came about after watching it. When a movie can get people talking and reflecting, it’s successful to me.

05: Hacksaw Ridge
Brutal. Brutal. Brutal. I was pretty torn up after this one. I didn’t know much about Desmond Doss, but after seeing this movie, I wanted to know more. To find out that 90 percent of the depictions in the movie were accurate just further increased my wow-ness of this guy. Andrew Garfield, who I only knew from The Amazing Spider-Man and The Social Network, just impressed me to no end with his performance. Mel Gibson as a director holds nothing back in his depiction of violence, but what I respect is that he does it with purpose, not with gratuitousness in mind. Hard to watch, but purposeful.

04: The Shallows
One good performance deserves another. Just like with Garfield, I had no idea the level of acting chops that existed in Blake Lively until I saw this one. She is elegant and talented, and her performance in this movie solidified her as one I would see in pretty much anything. I have to believe it’s not easy to carry a movie on your own with no one to act against except a CGI shark. I was so glad I saw this in the theater. That made it that much better for me.

03: Passengers
When a movie is on your mind days after you see it, something must be going on. After talking about it after the fact with my bride and then following up with Aaron, there was so much that I enjoyed beyond just the chemistry of Pratt and Lawrence. Subtle messages about purpose and how life is valued, thinking about moral decisions and what ifs, all the stuff that should come with good sci fi. I wanted to go back the next day and watch it again, not just to try to get more answers, but to experience the visuals, the music, the awe that comes with a possible future.

02:Midnight Special
More sci fi please. From local favorite Jeff Nichols comes his latest (before Loving) story with his favorite actor Michael Shannon. What I dug about this was this sense of classic Spielberg storytelling in the same veins as movies like E.T. but underneath seeing a story about a father and his relationship with his son, learning to let go and trust that the life that his son is meant to live is greater than himself. As a dad, I know that day will come, when I have to trust that my son will go his own way and no matter what, I will love  him through it all. All the feels on this one.

01: Sing Street
It’s not often that a film comes along that does so much to me in such a short amount of time. John Carney let me into his world with Begin Again which I thought couldn’t be topped. Then this little jewel came around. OH. MY. GOSH. Everything about this movie hit it’s mark, from the cast, to the script to the story to the music. Man oh man the music. After watching it, talking about it on the show, I watched it again the next day. I have practically force fed it into the lives of anyone I can, hoping that they connect with it the same way I do. But even if they don’t it doesn’t matter. It will probably go down as one of my favorite films of all time. At least until Carney comes up with his next masterpiece :).

2017 Golden Globes Predictions

Posted on by Aaron White.

The Golden Globes usher in the major awards season on Sunday, February 8. Voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the awards cover both television and movies, and have unique category breakouts that distinguish them from the Oscars. The Globes usually are a little more loose and fun. It’s tough to always predict which way they’ll go. But we wouldn’t be critics if we didn’t want to try, right? So without further ado, here are our predictions for what will win this weekend.

Best Motion Picture, Drama
Moonlight
Manchester by the Sea
Lion
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water

The only one of these nominees that I haven’t seen is Lion. Thought it’s gotten plenty of solid reviews, I have to believe that this is a two-film race between the heavily emotionally affecting films Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea. Honestly, either one is worthy and I won’t feel the voters got it wrong no matter which one they choose. My vote, though, would go to another film on this list that I am very happy to see nominated and think was one of the best films of the year.

Will Win: Moonlight
My Vote: Hell or High Water

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Denzel Washington, Fences
Joel Edgerton, Loving
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic

I simply cannot imagine a world in which this award doesn’t go to Affleck or Washington. The other actors gave fine performances and should be honored to be nominated, but Affleck and Washington were simply a cut above the rest. Ultimately, I think that it’s seeing ourselves in Affleck’s character that will garner him enough votes for the win, and I couldn’t agree more if that is the choice.

Will Win: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
My Vote: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Ruth Negga, Loving
Amy Adams, Arrival
Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane

This race is STACKED. There were so many amazing lead performances by women this year and choosing one is going to be a rough task for voters. Having unfortunately not seen Elle, I am unsure how to gauge which way the HFPA may feel toward it. So because of that I’ll pick the performance I think feels most awards-worthy, even if it’s not my personal choice.

Will Win: Natalie Portman, Jackie
My Vote: Amy Adams, Arrival

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
La La Land
20th Century Women
Sing Street
Florence Foster Jenkins
Deadpool

As much of a slam dunk as there can be. I might literally riot if this doesn’t go to La La Land. I have no idea how Florence Foster Jenkins got nominated for an award as it was one of the worst films I saw all year. Aside: it’s nice to see a nod here for Sing Street!

Will Win: La La Land
My Vote: La La Land

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Emma Stone, La La Land
Annette Bening, 20th Century Women
Lily Collins, Rules Don’t Apply
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins
Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen

I have not seen 20th Century Women, but it’s trailer doesn’t appeal to me at all. I have to believe that La La Land is going to pick up multiple awards and this is one of them. Emma Stone’s performance is darn near perfect as she goes through a range of emotions. Her incredible acting chops are on display and coupled with her charm make her the only choice for this one. If there was going to be an upset winner here that wouldn’t bother me too much, it would be Hailee Steinfeld, who turned in one of the most underrated but great performances of the year. Her star is definitely shining brightly.

Will Win: Emma Stone, La La Land
My Vote: Emma Stone, La La Land

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool
Colin Farrell, The Lobster
Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
Jonah Hill, War Dogs

Gosling has to be the best of this group, but I suspect that the HFPA is going to try and be hip and recognize Ryan Reynolds for his turn as Deadpool. While I did enjoy the film and agree that Ryan embodies the character perfectly, I don’t necessarily feel that it’s award worthy. Great comedy, for sure, and for that reason I think he’ll end up taking home some gold.

Will Win: Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool
My Vote: Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Dev Patel, Lion
Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals

Mahershala Ali has been winning every critic award possible. I would have loved for Chris Pine to see a nomination for Hell or High Water, but as much as I loved his performance, Ali’s was simply the best of the year in this category. The one real problem I have here is yet another nomination for someone from the insufferable Florence Foster Jenkins and yet no nod for John Goodman in 10 Cloverfield Lane. Goodman gave a performance worthy of recognition and it’s sad that the HFPA didn’t see that.

Will Win: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
My Vote: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures

She’ll win the Globe. She’ll win the Oscar. And she should. It would be unfair not to at least mention the chances of Michelle Williams, though, who if she had a little more screen time might be considered more of a threat. Her one “award moment” scene is every bit the equal of Davis’, but Davis’ work as a whole in Fences just simply blows the rest of this group away.

Will Win: Viola Davis, Fences
My Vote: Viola Davis, Fences

Best Director, Motion Picture
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals

This is a crazy close race between Lonergan, Jenkins, and Chazelle. I’ve made no secret of my love for La La Land and I believe Chazelle is worthy of this prize. However, Moonlight has been riding high winning multiple critic awards for Jenkins so it feels like a complete toss up to me. I’m going to guess the HFPA goes with Chazelle here and that next month the Academy will probably go Jenkins. We shall see.

Will Win: Damien Chazelle, La La Land
My Vote: Damien Chazelle, La La Land 

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
Manchester by the Sea
La La Land
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Nocturnal Animals

As with the director award, this is really a three-horse race that could go any direction. I’m going to guess that the HFPA doesn’t just shower La La Land with all of the awards and gives this one to Lonergan’s masterpiece of Manchester by the Sea.

Will Win: Manchester by the Sea
My Vote: La La Land

Best Motion Picture, Animated
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life As a Zucchini
Sing
Zootopia

Moana has been gaining so much steam lately that I think it has the requisite momentum to unseat Disney’s earlier frontrunner of Zootopia. But regardless of which Disney film the HFPA likely picks, they’ll be wrong. Laika’s Kubo and the Two Strings was by far the best and most creative animated story told in 2016 and I’m crossing my fingers, toes, arms, and legs that it gets recognized despite my expectation that it won’t.

Will Win: Zootopia
My Vote: Kubo and the Two Strings

Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language
Divines, France
Elle, France
Neruda, Chile
The Salesman, Iran/France
Toni Erdmann, Germany

I’m abstaining from this pick since I haven’t seen any of the films yet.

Best Original Score, Motion Picture
Arrival
Lion
La La Land
Moonlight
Hidden Figures

Well… one of these is a musical, and the others are not. So…

Will Win: La La Land
My Vote: La La Land

Best Original Song, Motion Picture
“Can’t Stop the Feeling,” Trolls
“City of Stars,” La La Land
“Faith,” Sing
“Gold,” Gold
“How Far I’ll Go,” Moana

My guess here is that Moana takes both Best Animated Picture AND Best Original Song. The Lin Manuel Miranda love is strong in Hollywood and the song is definitely a good one. La La Land has my heart, though, and for me the best of the year has to be its defining track.

Will Win: “How Far I’ll Go”, Moana
My Vote: “City of Stars,” La La Land

Without having watched a ton of television this year I don’t feel comfortable picking those awards. I do have my favorites though and am hoping for strong recognition of Westworld, The Crown, and This is Us. Check back on Sunday night to see how well my picks turned out and feel free to discuss and share your own guesses in the comments. It’s a fun time of year for film lovers and it’s just getting started!

 

 

 

Miss Peregrine and the Peculiarities of Book to Movie Adaptations (SPOILERS ABOUND)

Posted on by thisispatch.

I would imagine it is a challenge as a creator to be tasked with taking a book and translating it into a feature film. As a book lover, I will be the first to tell you that my knee jerk reaction, at least in the past, to watching a movie based on a book that I enjoyed is making obvious comparisons from one to the other. It’s natural. The success of a book usually lends itself to the production of its film counterpart so the comparisons aren’t surprising. What I’ve learned, though, is that with adaptations there should be a fair amount of grace by the viewer towards the film. After all, books and movies are different storytelling devices. Books are written with an audience’s imagination in mind. Movies can be the realization of that person’s imagination and because of that, there can be a little or a lot of creative liberty that is taken, depending on who is retelling that story.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is one of these films that manages to satisfy the reader and viewer in me, and does so by adding to the story, changing significant traits of characters, and altering the end of what should be a continuation of a fantastic book trilogy.

First, let me just say that this is a very niche book series as far as audience popularity. It doesn’t have nearly the widespread love of say The Hunger Games, the Harry Potter saga, or even less popular series like Divergent and The Maze Runner (all of which sit proudly on my bookshelf as well). Knowing this, it didn’t surprise me to hear mixed reactions from others after leaving the theater saying things like, “well that was weird,” or “I thought it was going to be more like….” The subject matter is pretty off the wall. If you are familiar with the book, you know that it is not your typical teen fiction tale, at least not one that we’ve become accustomed to. So already, Miss P is at a theatrical disadvantage.

Second, as mentioned before, this book is the first in a book trilogy (the subsequent books being Hollow City and The Library of Souls). All three are fantastic in my opinion, and each one, while pushing the overall narrative forward, do so with individualized adventures within each. What I got from the first, I got something unexpected from the second, and subsequently the third, which made my whole reading experience of the series a lot different (read: enjoyable) from those in the past. So when I watched as the ending of this film deviated quite a bit from the ending of the first book, I was disappointed. But then I realized that, because this is the first of a niche series, one that doesn’t have the insane popularity of the worlds of Harry and Katniss, there’s a risk as a creative to follow that continuation knowing that there may or may not be a second movie. I think that Burton and company did a great job at being able to tie up the story they were telling and at the same time leave room for the possibility of future adventures that exist in the subsequent books.

Third, creative liberty can be great, or it can be disastrous. In the case of the Percy Jackson series, for example, I felt cheated. I didn’t mind so much that there were additional characters created for the movie. I didn’t mind that events were somewhat out of order. What I minded was the fact that what made the books great, a modern take physically and personality wise on greek gods, was completely replaced with a more traditional one. This changed the whole tone of the film for me and left me severely frustrated.

My fear, seeing the trailers depict Emma and Olive’s peculiarities reversed AND giving Emma yet another peculiarity that didn’t exist in the book at all, was that Burton and company were going to go off the deep end with this creative liberty. What I found was something both unexpected and pretty fantastic. The addition of Emma’s new peculiarity (the ability to control air) set up a wonderful scene with her and Jacob under water on the old sunken cruise ship that, while it not depicted just like in the book, still maintained the tone of both the characters and the scene. But what validated this for me was the fact that Burton uses this newly created ability to push the story. It wasn’t created arbitrarily. It had purpose, and that purpose helped get to the climax of the film.

That climax, a battle between the old dead skeletons of the cruise ship and the Hollowgasts (a scene not in the book) could have landed flat, but instead felt like the next logical step in this story being told.

Speaking of Hollowgasts, I’m going to go ahead and say that I was incredibly impressed with how these guys were depicted. At times they were downright scary, and the way Burton used them was great! The combination of these “Slender Man” looking creatures and the white eyed performance of Sam Jackson made the creep factor go sky high.

Of course, there were some things that I didn’t care for. The biggest was Jacob’s grandfather, played by Terrance Stamp, being able to live again through crazy time travel logic. For me, this didn’t need to happen. The loss of Jacob’s grandfather in the books had a significant impact on the overall story and Jacob’s growth. He wrestled with his death and the grieving process throughout and it made his character more rounded. Had this element not been in the movie, Jacob could have chosen to go with Emma and the other kids (as he does in the book) because his life in his time was meaningless (at least at this point). I would have bought into that. I didn’t need grandpa to be alive.

Asa Butterfield’s performance was great at times and not so great at others. This may be just how he is as an actor. I really liked his performance in Ender’s Game, but as was pointed out to me, it was pretty much the same kind of performance, so it could be that it worked in EG but not in this one.

Connecting Point: As we do on the show, I’ll finish up my review with what I consider my connecting point. For me, it was the scene involving Enoch, Jacob and Victor. Up ‘til then I felt like the movie was trying to find its footing. I was a bit distracted by Butterfield’s performance and the scenes felt a little mashed together. But the moment that Enoch puts a heart into Victor’s chest, followed by a long pause, and then Victor (still dead) sitting up suddenly with his empty eyes staring straight ahead, put me in a place where, for whatever reason, I felt like the adventure took off. The pacing picked up. There was more darkness to the movie (similar to the book) and the overall movie experience became more enjoyable. At that point, I was in.

The challenge with being a fan of a book and seeing it realized on screen is the automatic expectations that come from a viewer. We have an idea of what something should look like, what someone should sound like or how they should behave because that’s what our imaginations have defined for us based on paragraphs of text, and that’s what I LOVE about reading books. The limitation is connected to the individual’s imagination and nothing else. It becomes a subjective expression inside the mind of the reader. Movies are more defined. There isn’t a lot of wiggle room when it comes to the audience because the story being told has already been imagined (or reimagined) by the creative team and we are seeing the result of that. Overall, I think Burton and company did a great job at capturing the tone and spirit of the book, and did so with a few challenges to overcome even before filming.

I can also get behind any movie whose author is completely onboard with the vision of the director. Check out this quote from Ransom Riggs.

“… I totally trust Tim’s vision. There’s no filmmaker in the world better suited to adapt this book. All will be well!”

Fantasy Movie League

Posted on by thisispatch.

Ever played fantasy sports? Love movies? Like winning?

If one or all of these pertain to you, then you are gonna love Fantasy Movie League. FML is a game where each week you spend your budget to select up to 8 films that will feature at your personal cinema. Earnings are then calculated based on actual box office numbers and a leaderboard shows you where you stand in the group.

We love competition and so this game is something we’ve been enjoying for a while now. We’d like to invite you to join and play along with us! The first summer movie season starts next week so this is the perfect time to sign up and get onboard.

Don’t worry if you have trouble remembering because FML will email you results once a week and you can quickly login, make your next picks, and be done.

Come show us what you’ve got!

League Name: Feelin’ Film & Friends
League Password: positive
League Link: http://fantasymovieleague.com/group/4710