1917 : Artistic, Stylistic, but Not Universal

Let’s be honest – being nominated for many awards doesn’t mean that everyone is going to enjoy a movie. Sometimes it’s exactly the opposite, because what usually gets a movie nominated for awards is more for critics who understand the facets of film, rather than the casual moviegoer who is generally looking for an enjoyable evening. But I do think that even the movies that focus on artistry, style and technique can have something for casual viewers, if they are willing to have an open mind. And the flip side of the coin is that if you truly want your movie to stand the test of time, you need to find the balance between style and story, to create something that can be both awarded and enjoyed. 1917 sometimes struggles to find that path, because they devote a great deal of their time to creating an atmosphere. While that is a great start, it doesn’t always pay off, because it builds up to a story that never quite reaches the same level of greatness. But does this mean that it’s not a film worth watching? I wouldn’t say so, but that’s up to each person, because style and story preferences make or break the experience.

Oscars Line-Up and Trivia 2020

It’s that time of year again – the movies have been chosen, complaints have been made, and ReelTalk is going to cover them one at a time.  Joker leads the pack with 11 nominations; The Irishman, 1917, and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood follow with 10 nominations apiece. 31% of the nominees are women (though this year’s lineup has once again mostly excluded women and nominees of color in the “major” categories), and Netflix has garnered 20 nominations, despite some claims that it is not entirely relevant cinema.

Frozen II: Growing Up

It is fitting that the last Disney film of the 2010s is the sequel to one of its biggest hits – in 2013, Frozen hit theaters amid snowstorms and became a menace to parents everywhere when the song Let It Go became all their toddlers could talk (or sing) about. As the decade draws to a close, I believe parents can breathe easy. While Frozen II is beautifully animated and the story is compelling with a good message, it hasn’t become the same phenomenon that its precursor was, and the songs aren’t being sung in the streets (somehow I doubt that would change even if “Into the Unknown” won an Oscar). I think a big part of this is because, despite being a favorite of children when it was released, Frozen II is not necessarily a movie meant for children. The story strays into darker territory than even the first one managed, some of the details of the movie may fly over the head of a younger audience, and while its message is worth hearing, it’s unlikely that children will understand the impact of it, at least not entirely. I wouldn’t be upset if they did – everything that the story wants to teach us is good to learn – and maybe I’m not giving kids enough credit. I just think that it’s not as likely to have the desired impact unless viewers are a little bit older. Frozen II is a good movie, but it’s not quite at the same level as the original, and that’s because its story has evolved beyond what the original wanted to be.