Fresh Fork

  The almost annual TOP 35 Actors and Actresses Under 35 Working Today is out, with me considering the performers' performances of 2016 also. We have a few changes since last year's list, with   Greta Gerwig   toping the list thanks to her last 3 great performances in   Mistress America ,   Maggie's Plan   and the Oscar buzzy acting turn in   20th Century Women .   Scarlett Johansson   comes second with her latest distinguished performance being in 2014 ( Under the Skin ), but she managed to be at the spotligh this year thanks to her fine turns in critically acclaimed movies:   Hail, Caesar! ,   Captain America: Civil War ,   The Jungle Book   (voice) and   Sing  (voice).   Emily Blunt   adds another great performance to her resume in The Girl on the Train and she comes third, while   Elle Fanning 's turning into one of the finest actresses and she's getting to play more adult and complex parts lik...

W ICKED While some odd cinematography choices and some caricature approach to supporting characters might prevent  Wicked  to achieve true cinematic greatness, there's no way to deny it has the heart in the right place and everything works thanks to that crucial detail. Sustained by a great Cynthia Erivo as the ostracized Elphaba and a splendid Ariana Grande (whose comedic timing and bright charisma earn her the title of "best in show") and fabulous musical numbers done flawlessly, Wicked is way more than just an eye-popping musical. "Defying Gravity" or the party dance scene will tear your heart apart, while "Popular" and Glinda's "toss toss" moments will put a smile on your face - in fact,  Wicked  is a complete cinematic experience that deftly balances the respect for the source stage material with the cinematic liberties - thanks to the assured directing vision of John M. Chu, who clearly loves the story he's telling on-screen. Na...

The Academy Awards nominations were announced January 22, 2025 - with some films to stand-out in terms of number of nominations!  Emilia Pérez  is the most nominated film (13 nods), followed by The Brutalist and Wicked (10 nominations each). Some unexpected snubs include Denis Villeneuve ( Dune: Part II ) and Edward Berger ( Conclave ) for Best Director, Marianne Jean-Baptiste ( Hard Truths ) in Best Actress, Clarence Maclin ( Sing Sing ) in Best Supporting Actor or  Challengers  in Best Original Score, but there are some pleasant surprises like  I'm Still Here  ( Ainda Estou Aqui ) in Best Picture and  A Complete Unknown  in Best Director (James Mangold). Here's the full list: BEST PICTURE “Anora” “The Brutalist” “A Complete Unknown” “Conclave” “Dune: Part Two” “Emilia Pérez” “I’m Still Here” “Nickel Boys” “The Substance” “Wicked” BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist” Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown” Colman Domingo, “S...

  wards season is ready to start and distributors are already lining their contenders. After the indie Winter & Spring and a lackluster Summer seasonl, it seems there aren't many contenders that had their releases outside of a film festival this year. Sure Thanksgiving and Christmas season always have a word to say concerning the Oscar potential of more commercial cinematic ventures, but I consider the biggest players have already screened in Cannes, Venice, Telluride and TIFF.  To understand the Oscar game, we have to have some points in mind: #1 - it kinda plays like a presidential election in the way your party (AKA distributor) needs to champion the movie and land a FYC campaign; #2 - Best Picture nominees are chosen through a preferential balloting system, which means the love towards a movie plays a big part in the game while not liking the movie does not (you can't "unvote" a movie or block the AMPAS members of picking it);  #3 - the first critics' awar...

  enre:  Horror; Drama; Comedy Director:  Coralie Fargeat Writer:  Coralie Fargeat Starring:  Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley  and  Dennis Quaid As a non-fan of horror flicks, I consider 2024 to be one of the most interesting years for the genre. For me,  The Substance  represents the genre peaking both in its style and in its utility: a movie that's both spellbiding but also makes you look away from its visual narrative; and a movie that comments society's obsession with beauty and perfection but also mocks it and offers a view of the ugly side of the coin. For its style and substance,  The Substance  might well be one of the most daring, smart and interesting movies I've seen in years! The movie starts with the star of Elizabeth Sparkle in Hollywood Walk of Fame, from its very beginning and going through time, losing interest from those who pass by, starting to crack and being covered in ketchup. It all plays like a brief summary of...

  WISTERS It's not original... I mean, we have seen this film before... but  Twisters  puts a lot of effort in character development and in the search of the movie's heart, which it ultimately finds in Daisy Edgar-Jones. Glen Powell steals the scene with his movie star charisma for sure, but the movie belongs to the female lead: she can do both the acting and exude the leading lady quality in a way that reminds me of a young Julia Roberts here. I liked the approach Lee Isaac Chung had with the material, pulling sensibility from a script full of clichè blockbuster lines and scenes. The visual effects are outstanding. An entertaining entry for the disaster movie catalogue that never amazes me, but it's good enough to never be bad no matter what. Not a force of nature but a windy cinematic moment. RATING: 5,5/10 TRAP It really traps the audience in almost 2 hours of a manhunt that feels sterile thanks to an unsensitive approach that doesn't allow you to feel sympathy for i...

  Genre:  Romance; Comedy. Director:  Greg Berlanti Writer:  Rose Gilroy Starring:  Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Ray Romano, Anna Garcia, Jim Rash  and  Woody Harrelson The rom-com genre isn't properly alive these days, specially during Summer season considering the amount of sci-fi/adventure, squels, animated and super-hero movies that usually get released at this time of the year, but Fly Me to the Moon cracks the blockbuster-busy schedule at movie theatres. But  Fly Me to the Moon  is movie with a big production budget that was meant to streaming service, but... is it any good? The answer is: yes, it is very good and I am glad Apple decided to give it a theatrical run! It's pure entertainment, elevated by an interesting premise and graced by a charismatic performance by Scarlett Johansson. The movie starts with the ups and downs (mostly the downs) of the Apollo 11 pre-mission in the aftermath of a series of unsuccessful previous ate...