2023 was the year “Barbenheimer” revived cinema attendance around the world. But despite leading the box office, Barbie received only one Oscar, for best song, while Oppenheimer dominated this years Awards, taking home seven statuettes. Oppenheimer took best picture, best director for Christopher Nolan, and best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr. (amazingly his first … Continue reading “And the Oscar Goes to”
Although he is most famous for his children’s stories, Roald Dahl wrote intriguing short stories for adults too. Director Wes Anderson, who already adapted Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox as an animated film, has now made four short films for Netflix based on four of the adult short stories. The first to be released, on 27 … Continue reading “Roald Dahl’s Henry Sugar on Film”
Wes Anderson’s new film is about a 1950s space cadet convention in a tiny desert town famous for its asteroid crater. After an alien sighting, the government puts the town into lockdown with a media blackout. But the ingenious cadets want to get out. Or… it’s about some Actor’s Studio actors on the East Coast … Continue reading “Asteroid City: Seeing Stars”
Wes Anderson’s latest film The French Dispatch is a homage both to his adopted country and to the amazing writers nurtured by The New Yorker magazine, of which Anderson is an avid reader. As with his earlier films like The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom, he has assembled an amazing cast. The conceit of … Continue reading “Love Letter to France”
Fingers crossed, the two major Anglophone film festivals in France are set to go ahead. The Deauville American Film Festival on 3-12 September and the Dinard British Film Festival from 29 September to 3 October. The chances are that there will be fewer Hollywood stars on the boardwalks than usual at Deauville but there will … Continue reading “Deauville and Dinard Film Festivals”
Yes, that is legendary American director Spike Lee peering out of the poster for the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. He is the president of the jury for the 74th festival. Two months later than usual, and with cinema releases having been largely suspended for a year, it will be an unusual edition. Filmlovers everywhere will … Continue reading “Cannes is Back!”
