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Archives for : Laura Dern

Movie Review: “Jurassic World: Dominion” is an Overambitious Mess

We’ve come a long way since the first “Jurassic Park” (1993). And by that, I mean we’ve gone down, WAY down. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two Jurassic Park movies. I didn’t mind the forgettable third film, but it wasn’t good.

Then, director Colin Trevorrow decided to reboot the franchise with a film about what would have happened if the park actually opened, and it was a promising start. “Jurassic World” had a simple plot, it was relevant, and a whole lot of fun. However, that slight spike plummeted after the tragedy that was “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”, and now has officially crashed after the unfortunate end to this trilogy.

“Jurassic World Dominion” had all the potential with the return of original cast and the idea of what happens now that the dinosaurs from the park are out in the real world living among us. But somehow, they managed to take that potential and squander it with a convoluted plot, redundant dinosaur scares, and forced, corny dialogue.

In “Jurassic World Dominion”, we are seeing the effect of dinosaurs being part of our world.  There are basically two stories going on; one follows Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen (Chris Pratt) as they try to protect their sort of daughter, Maisie (Isabella Sermon), from those who want to study her genetic make-up. All the while, Ellie (Laura Dern), Alan (Sam Neill), and Ian (Jeff Goldblum) unite to investigate the shady dealings at BioSyn which is now run by another Jurassic Park character, Lewis Dodgson (Campbell Scott). Genetic experimentation done by BioSyn has created an “ecological disaster” that might destroy the world’s food chain.

I’m not sure how much the plot matters here. Trevorrow clearly just wanted a reason to show off the dinosaurs and provide enough nostalgia for fan service.

It seems Trevorrow bit off more than he can chew. He had all the key ingredients to serve up a satisfying conclusion, but somehow, he didn’t create the right recipe. Though I’m sure he put a lot of effort into this script, he missed a huge opportunity to better connect the original characters with the new ones; and failed to deliver a screenplay that had us invested in them. Any sort of “development” is rushed, and the emotions that are supposed to feel impactful are never earned. The cast and this franchise deserved so much more from this “grand” finale.

Though “Jurassic World Dominion” isn’t a roaring success, it does rumble out some joy. Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcom is hilarious. The man is effortlessly entertaining. And of course, the dinosaurs! The kid in me still enjoys seeing the different dinos running around and terrorizing on screen. But I don’t think this morsel of fun justifies the two and half hours of chaos and confusion.

The only takeaway from “Jurassic World Dominion” is that the franchise is ready for extinction.

Rating: D+

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You can also watch my ICTN review of the film along my thoughts of “Ozark” Season 4 in the video below!

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Predicting the Winners: 92nd Academy Awards

Best Supporting Actor

Tom Hanks, Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes

Al Pacino, The Irishman

Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Will Win: Brad Pitt

Could Win: No Contest

Want to Win: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell

Laura Dern, Marriage Story

Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit

Florence Pugh, Little Women

Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Will Win: Laura Dern, Marriage Story

Could Win: Florence Pugh, Little Women

Want to Win: Florence Pugh, Little Women

Achievement in Costume Design

The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit

Joker

Little Women

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Will Win: Little Women

Could Win: Jojo Rabbit

Want to Win: Little Women

Achievement in Sound Mixing

Ad Astra

Ford v Ferrari

Joker

1917

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Will Win: 1917

Could Win: Ford v Ferrari

Want to Win: 1917

Achievement in Sound Editing

Ford v Ferrari

Joker

1917

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Will Win: 1917

Could Win: Ford v Ferrari

Want to Win: 1917

Best Original Score

Joker

Little Women

Marriage Story

1917

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Will Win: Joker

Could Win: Little Women

Want to Win: Joker

Best Animated Short Film

Dcera (Daughter)

Hair Love

Kitbull

Memorable

Sister

Will Win: Hair Love

Could Win: Kitbull

Want to Win: Hair Love

Best Live Action Short

Brotherhood

Nefta Football Club

The Neighbors’ Window

Saria

A Sister

Will Win: The Neighbor’s Window

Could Win: Saria

Want to Win: The Neighbor’s Window

Best Documentary Feature

American Factory

The Cave

The Edge of Democracy

For Sama

Honeyland

Will Win: American Factory

Could Win: Honeyland

Want to Win: American Factory

Best Documentary Short Subject

In the Absence

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone

Life Overtakes Me

St. Louis Superman

Walk Run Cha-Cha

Will Win: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone

Could Win: St. Louis Superman

Want to Win: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone

Best International Feature Film

Corpus Christi

Honeyland

Les Miserables

Pain and Glory

Parasite

Will Win: Parasite

Could Win: No Contest

Want to Win: Parasite

Achievement in Production Design

The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit

1917

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Parasite

Will Win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Could Win: 1917

Want to Win: Jojo Rabbit

Achievement in Film Editing

Ford v Ferrari

The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit

Joker

Parasite

Will Win: Parasite

Could Win: Ford v Ferrari

Want to Win: Jojo Rabbit

Achievement in Cinematography

The Irishman

Joker

The Lighthouse

1917

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Will Win: 1917

Could Win: The Lighthouse

Want to Win: 1917

Achievement in Visual Effects

1917

Avengers: Endgame

The Irishman

The Lion King

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Will Win: Avengers: Endgame

Could Win: 1917

Want to Win: Avengers: Endgame

Achievement in Makeup & Hairstyling

Bombshell

Joker

Judy

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

1917

Will Win: Bombshell

Could Win: Joker

Want to Win: Bombshell

Best Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

I Lost My Body

Klaus

Missing Link

Toy Story 4

Will Win: Toy Story 4

Could Win: Missing Link

Want to Win: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Best Original Song

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” Toy Story

“I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” Rocketman

“I’m Standing With You,” Breakthrough

“Into the Unknown,” Frozen II

“Stand Up,” Harriet

Will Win: “I’m Gonna Love Me Again”, Rocketman

Could Win: No Contest

Want to Win: “Into the Unknown”, Frozen II

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit

Joker

Little Women

The Two Popes

Will Win: Jojo Rabbit

Could Win: Little Women

Want to Win: Jojo Rabbit or Little Women

Best Actor

Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory

Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Adam Driver, Marriage Story

Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Will Win: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Could Win: No Contest

Want to Win: Joaquin Phoenix or Adam Driver

Best Original Screenplay

Knives Out

Marriage Story

1917

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Parasite

Will Win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Could Win: Parasite

Want to Win: Marriage Story

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo, Harriet

Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story

Saoirse Ronan, Little Women

Charlize Theron, Bombshell

Renee Zellweger, Judy

Will Win: Renee Zellweger, Judy

Could Win: No Contest

Want to Win: Saoirse Ronan, Little Women

Best Director

Bong Joon Ho, Parasite

Sam Mendes, 1917

Todd Phillips, Joker

Martin Scorsese, The Irishman

Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Will Win: Sam Mendes, 1917

Could Win: Bong Joon Ho, Parasite

Want to Win: Sam Mendes or Bong Joon Ho

Best Picture

Ford v Ferrari

The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit

Joker

Little Women

Marriage Story

1917

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Parasite

Will Win: Parasite

Could Win: 1917

Want to Win: Jojo Rabbit

The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will honor the best films of 2019 and will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on February 9, 2020.

92nd Academy Awards Nomination Announcements!

Best Supporting Actor

Tom Hanks, Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes

Al Pacino, The Irishman

Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell

Laura Dern, Marriage Story

Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit

Florence Pugh, Little Women

Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Achievement in Costume Design

The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit

Joker

Little Women

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Achievement in Sound Mixing

Ad Astra

Ford vs. Ferrari

Joker

1917

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Achievement in Sound Editing

Ford vs. Ferrari

Joker

1917

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Original Score

Joker

Little Women

Marriage Story

1917

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Animated Short Film

Dcera (Daughter)

Hair Love

Kitbull

Memorable

Sister

Best Live Action Short

Brotherhood

Nefta Football Club

The Neighbors’ Window

Saria

A Sister

Best Documentary Feature

American Factory

The Cave

The Edge of Democracy

For Sama

Honeyland

Best Documentary Short Subject

In the Absence

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone

Life Overtakes Me

St Louis Superman

Walk Run Cha-Cha

Best International Feature Film

Corpus Christi

Honeyland

Les Miserables

Pain and Glory

Parasite

Achievement in Production Design

The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit

1917

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Parasite

Achievement in Film Editing

Ford v Ferrari

The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit

Joker

Parasite

Achievement in Cinematography

The Irishman

Joker

The Lighthouse

1917

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Achievement in Visual Effects

1917

Avengers: Endgame

The Irishman

The Lion King

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Achievement in Makeup & Hairstyling

Bombshell

Joker

Judy

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

1917

Best Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

I Lost My Body

Klaus

Missing Link

Toy Story 4

Best Original Song

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” Toy Story

“I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” Rocketman

“I’m Standing With You,” Breakthrough

“Into the Unknown,” Frozen II

“Stand Up,” Harriet

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit

Joker

Little Women

The Two Popes

Best Actor

Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory

Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Adam Driver, Marriage Story

Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Best Original Screenplay

Knives Out

Marriage Story

1917

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Parasite

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo, Harriet

Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story

Saoirse Ronan, Little Women

Charlize Theron, Bombshell

Renee Zellweger, Judy

Best Director

Bong Joon Ho, Parasite

Sam Mendes, 1917

Todd Phillips, Joker

Martin Scorsese, The Irishman

Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Picture

Ford v Ferrari

The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit

Joker

Little Women

Marriage Story

1917

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

Parasite

DFW Film Critics Association’s Best Of 2019!

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association voted the war epic 1917 as the best film of 2019, according to the results of its 26th annual critics’ poll. Following is a complete list of award winners, with choices listed in order of votes received.

BEST PICTURE

Winner: 1917

Runners-up: MARRIAGE STORY (2); PARASITE (3); THE IRISHMAN (4); ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (5); JOJO RABBIT (6); LITTLE WOMEN (7); THE FAREWELL (8); THE TWO POPES (9); KNIVES OUT (10)

BEST ACTOR

Winner: Adam Driver, MARRIAGE STORY

Runners-up: Joaquin Phoenix, JOKER (2); Antonio Banderas, PAIN AND GLORY (3); Leonardo DiCaprio, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (4); Robert De Niro, THE IRISHMAN (5)

BEST ACTRESS

Winner: Scarlett Johansson, MARRIAGE STORY

Runners-up: Renee Zellweger, JUDY (2); Charlize Theron, BOMBSHELL (3); Saoirse Ronan, LITTLE WOMEN (4); Awkwafina, THE FAREWELL (5, tie); Lupita Nyong’o, US (5, tie)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Winner: Brad Pitt, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

Runners-up: Willem Dafoe, THE LIGHTHOUSE (2); Joe Pesci, THE IRISHMAN (3); Al Pacino, THE IRISHMAN (4); Shia LaBeouf, HONEY BOY (5)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Winner: Laura Dern, MARRIAGE STORY

Runners-up: Margot Robbie, BOMBSHELL (2); Florence Pugh, LITTLE WOMEN (3); Jennifer Lopez, HUSTLERS (4); Annette Bening, THE REPORT (5)

BEST DIRECTOR

Winner: Sam Mendes, 1917

Runners-up: Bong Joon-ho, PARASITE (2); Martin Scorsese, THE IRISHMAN (3); Quentin Tarantino, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (4); Noah Baumbach, MARRIAGE STORY (5)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Winner: PARASITE

Runners-up: PAIN AND GLORY (2); THE FAREWELL (3); LES MISERABLES (4); PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (5)

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Winner: APOLLO 11

Runners-up: ONE CHILD NATION (2); AMERICAN FACTORY (3); HONEYLAND (4); FOR SAMA (5)

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Winner: TOY STORY 4

Runner-up: I LOST MY BODY

BEST SCREENPLAY

Winner: Noah Baumbach, MARRIAGE STORY

Runner-up: Steven Zaillian, THE IRISHMAN

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Winner: Roger Deakins, 1917

Runner-up: Hong Kyung-pyo, PARASITE

BEST MUSICAL SCORE

Winner: Thomas Newman, 1917

Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, LITTLE WOMEN

RUSSELL SMITH AWARD (best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film)

Winner: THE LIGHTHOUSE

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association consists of 32 broadcast, print and online journalists from throughout North Texas. For more information, visit dfwcritics.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @dfwfilmcritics.

Movie Review: “Little Women”

“Little Women” returns to the screen, this time compliments of Greta Gerwig. The cast is top notch and the production elements, writing and cinematography are stellar, so you won’t go wrong if you choose this one for your holiday break.

Check out the video below to see my full review of the film!

“Little Women” opens in theaters December 25.

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi Blu-ray & DVD Release

You can now purchase “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and Digital HD!

Picking up where “The Force Awakens” left off,  Rey (Daisy Ridley) has located Skywalker and hopes to learn Jedi skills from him. Skywalker is extremely reluctant to train Rey in the ways of The Force because of his past experience with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

While this drama and back story are unfolding, we have another story in another galaxy far, far away, where the rebels are under attack by forces led by the evil Snoke, Kylo Ren and General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson). Ace fighter pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) leads a daring attack on a First Order dreadnought, against the orders of Leia (Carrie Fisher). Weakened, the rebels must retreat under close pursuit by the First Order fleet.

Finn (John Boyega) wakes up and immediately gets into trouble after several desperate plans cooked up by him, Rose Tico  (Kelly Marie Tran) are attempted. Another interesting new character is DJ (Benicio Del Toro) a devious hacker and thief. Laura Dern puts in a memorable performance as heroic fleet admiral Holdo.

With all that’s going on, the movie sounds like it’s all over the place, but the story is compelling and there are some solid characters to follow on this journey through many twists and turns. The acting is solid, and of course, great visual effects.

Relive the adventure in the comfort of your own home along with tons of additional content!

Bonus features include:

The Director and the Jedi – Go deep behind the scenes with writer-director Rian Johnson on an intimate and personal journey through the production of the movie—and experience what it’s like to helm a global franchise and cultural phenomenon.

Balance of the Force – Explore the mythology of the Force and why Rian Johnson chose to interpret its role in such a unique way.

Scene Breakdowns

  • Lighting the Spark: Creating the Space Battle – Get a close-up look at the epic space battle, from the sounds that help propel the action, through the practical and visual effects, to the characters who bring it all to life.
  • Snoke and Mirrors – Motion capture and Star Wars collide as the filmmakers take us through the detailed process of creating the movie’s malevolent master villain.
  • Showdown on Crait – Break down everything that went into creating the stunning world seen in the movie’s final confrontation, including the interplay between real-word locations and visual effects, reimagining the walkers, designing the crystal foxes, and much more.

Andy Serkis Live! (One Night Only) – Writer-director Rian Johnson presents two exclusive sequences from the movie featuring Andy Serkis’ riveting, raw on-set performance before his digital makeover into Snoke.

Deleted Scenes – With an introduction and optional commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson.

Audio Commentary – View the movie with in-depth feature audio commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson.

 

Movie Review: “Certain Women” is a Beautifully Shot Snoozefest

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There is beauty in simplicity, but there is also simply boring. I may come off a little harsh with Kelly Reichardt’s latest film, “Certain Women”, but unfortunately it’s hard to get captivated by the slow pace of each story-line and the dull main characters.

The film is essentially broken up into three parts as we follow three women whose lives intersect. They are adapted from several short stories by Montana writer Maile Meloy.

In the first story we meet Laura Wells (Laura Dern), a small town lawyer who’s having an affair with a married man. She is dealing with a frustrating client (Jared Harris), who was injured on the job and wants to pursue a case against his employer.

After that we are introduced to Gina (Michelle Williams) and her husband (James Le Gros), who was seen in the previous segment. The two have just finished a camping trip with their teenage daughter Guthrie (Sara Rodier). They visit their elderly neighbor, Albert (Rene Auberjonois) to purchase a pile of sandstone that’s been sitting in his front yard for years. Gina wants to use it for a getaway cottage she plans to build. This is by far, the most uninteresting part of the film.

Finally, the more intriguing moment of the movie is when we see Jamie (Lily Gladstone), a rancher; randomly walk into a night class she’s not registered for. The class is intended to teach the history of public education policy in the U.S. But it’s not the subject that fascinates Jamie; it’s the nervous young lawyer, Beth (Kristen Stewart), who’s the unfortunate instructor. Basically, she is forced to teach the class and has to endure a four hour commute. Soon enough, she befriends Jamie and after class they routinely go to a local diner for a quick dinner as Jamie just watches her eat. For Jamie, seeing Beth is the highlight of her week, however, Beth does not value their time together nearly as much.

By the time the film concludes, we have seen the very minor ways these three women’s lives intertwine. Ultimately, Reichardt does a good job of portraying the overdone, general theme of isolation and the difficulty of communication. But it’s the actual stories that don’t give you enough meat to bite into. Hardly anything pulls you in; with the exception of Jamie’s borderline stalking of Beth (maybe a full story on her might have been more satisfying).

On the positive side, the performances are strong and Christopher Blauvelt’s cinematography is about the only thing that truly shines in “Certain Women”.

Rating: 2/5

Certain Women opens in theaters October 28.

“Certain Women” Official Trailer HD

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