Cinema and Popcorn

Genre: Drama; Action. Director: Edward Berger Writers:   Ian Stokell,  Lesley Paterson &  Edward Berger , b ased on All Quiet on the Western Front   by Erich Maria Remarque Starring:  Felix Kammerer,  Albrecht Schuch,  Daniel Brühl &  Sebastian Hülk  All Quiet on the Western Front may draw instant comparisons to the Sam Mendes’ 2019’s title 1917 (which was a great box-office success and it received 10 Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture), but Edward Berger’s movie feels like a far more grounded tribute to the lives changed (and lost) because of WWI. In fact, All Quiet on the Western Front is no “one mission movie” - there’s no message to deliver, no one to rescue – it is a far more complex take, a piece of anti-war manifesto, a critic to nationalism, a lullaby to an entire generation of young men who “didn’t come back” from the trenches. Based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque, this source...

Another one from the Portuguese shortlist. Just like Pedro Costa's visual masterpiece Vitalina Varela , Ana Rocha de Sousa's Listen also made an impression in this year's film festival circuit - Venice Film Festival, to be more specific.  Have a look at Ana Rocha de Sousa's Listen : " In the London suburbs, Bela and Jota face serious difficulties when "social services" raise concerns about the safety of their three children. The 7-year-old daughter's deafness triggers a process in the system that seems to go on forever. " FLASH REVIEW: Ana Rocha de Sousa makes her directorial debut with Listen . As you watch it, you can see it does feel like a directorial debut, but what might lack in refined directing or personal style, it overcomes with honesty and a raw emotional punch in key scenes. In fact, the director doesn't lack an assured hand - she can be really heavy-handed in a couple of scenes. But you know what? It works! The movie is about a ...

The Portuguese Academy of Cinema (Academia Portuguesa de Cinema) has announced the finalists shortlist of Portuguese movies to be submitted for the Best International Film Oscar category: Pedro Costa's Vitalina Varela ; Ana Rocha de Sousa's Listen ; João Nuno Pinto's Mosquito ; and Gonçalo Waddington's Patrick . One of them will be the official submission. Four very different movies and I still have one left to watch - Patrick - but I consider 2020 to be one of the strongest years (if not the strongest) in terms of Portuguese final shortlist. Let's have a look at Pedro Costa's Vitalina Varela : A Cape Verdean woman navigates her way through Lisbon, following the scanty physical traces her deceased husband left behind and discovering his secret, illicit life . (source IMDb) FLASH REVIEW: Pedro Costa seems to be back to his previous film Horse Money 's universe - our lead's (Vitalina Varela) fate crosses Ventura's as she discovers about the life of h...

As we know, there are some categories the Academy releases a shortlist after excluding some submissions or eligible contenders and this year is no exception. So, have a look at each category's finalists for your Oscar consideration: DOCUMENTARY FEATURE IMAGE 1 -  Honeyland From the 159 eligible films, the Academy released the shorltist of 15 that made the final step before the noms: Advocate American Factory The Apollo Apollo 11 Aquarela The Biggest Little Farm The Cave The Edge of Democracy For Sama The Great Hack Honeyland Knock Down the House Maiden Midnight Family One Child Nation BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM IMAGE 2 -  The Painted Bird There were 91 official submissions considered "eligible". The Academy has now released the 10 movies that made the final shortlist so members can now vote for the nominations: Czech Republic, The Painted Bird Estonia, Truth and Justice France, Les Misérables Hungary, Those Who Remaine...