All posts in category Movies

Best of 2017: “Baby Driver” & “Lady Bird” Offer a Fresh Take on Old Tropes

Image courtesy of people.com.

Film Review: “Baby Driver,” directed by Edgar Wright, 2017; “Lady Bird,” directed by Greta Gerwig, 2017

In 2017, two films featuring young protagonists broke the mold to give same old same old tropes a fresh take. In “Baby Driver,” the creative use of music made it an extraordinary heist film, while the unlikely focus of “Lady Bird” on mother-daughter relationship set it apart from other coming-of-age movies. The two films are among the best and most original of last year’s crop of films. (more…)

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by cindyfazzi on January 31, 2018  •  Permalink
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Posted by cindyfazzi on January 31, 2018

https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2018/01/31/best-of-2017-baby-driver-lady-bird-offer-a-fresh-take-on-old-tropes/

38 Lines from Novels and Movies You Won’t Soon Forget

Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” (1972.)

Whether it’s your kid offering a slice of pizza to his sibling or your friend volunteering to babysit, the person might say, “I’m gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse.” Many people know the line though they have never seen Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 movie, “The Godfather.” The dialogue has taken on a life of its own. There are many movies and novels like that; they are famous for zingers and memorable dialogues. (more…)

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by cindyfazzi on August 2, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in Books, Lists, Movies
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Posted by cindyfazzi on August 2, 2017

https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/08/02/38-lines-from-novels-and-movies-you-wont-soon-forget/

14 Lessons for Writers from 3 Classic Foreign Films

Photo credit: popturfdotcom via VisualHunt / CC BY

Film is a universal art form. Those of us who write novels can learn a lot from the storytelling techniques of filmmakers, especially masters like Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, and François Truffaut. Their films defied Hollywood norms and yet found a global audience. (more…)

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by cindyfazzi on June 14, 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by cindyfazzi on June 14, 2017

https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/06/14/14-lessons-for-writers-from-3-classic-foreign-films/

15 Most Memorable Lines from Movies

movienightsign-cindyfazziNot all great movies have memorable lines, and not all memorable lines come from great movies. But the latter stand the test of time because the quotes themselves live on.   (more…)

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by cindyfazzi on March 1, 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by cindyfazzi on March 1, 2017

https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/03/01/15-most-memorable-lines-from-movies/

Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone’s “La La Land”: Perfect Antidote to Gloom of 2016

Photo courtesy of IMDB.

Photo courtesy of IMDB.

Film Review: “La La Land,” directed by Damien Chazelle, 2016; winner of seven Golden Globe awards.

“La La Land,” released at the end of 2016, was the right movie at the right time for many Americans like me in want of hope and inspiration, no matter how fleeting. Only the truly cynical and jaded heart would remain untouched by Damien Chazelle’s beautiful film. (more…)

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by cindyfazzi on January 11, 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by cindyfazzi on January 11, 2017

https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2017/01/11/ryan-gosling-emma-stones-la-la-land-perfect-antidote-to-gloom-of-2016/

Top 5 Film Reviews: Tribute to Robin Williams is Number One

Photo credit: bob in swamp via Visualhunt.com / CC BY

Photo credit: bob in swamp via Visualhunt.com / CC BY

It’s that time of the year again—a time for roundups. In this article, I’m highlighting the five most popular film reviews posted on this blog. (more…)

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by cindyfazzi on December 28, 2016  •  Permalink
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Posted by cindyfazzi on December 28, 2016

https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2016/12/28/top-5-film-reviews-tribute-to-robin-williams-is-number-one/

Brie Larson’s “Room” Captures the Novel’s Extraordinary Voice

Room Movie PosterFilm Review: “Room,” directed by Lenny Abrahamson, 2015

When I read Emma Donoghue’s brilliant novel a few years ago, I thought its claustrophobic setting and 5-year-old narrator made the book impossible to turn into a movie. Thank goodness, I was wrong. Lenny Abrahamson’s film succeeds in capturing the book’s positive spirit and the young protagonist’s sense of wonder. (more…)

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by cindyfazzi on March 16, 2016  •  Permalink
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Posted by cindyfazzi on March 16, 2016

https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2016/03/16/brie-larsons-room-captures-the-novels-extraordinary-voice/

Natalie Portman’s Feminist Western Deserves More Attention

JGAG PosterFilm Review: “Jane Got a Gun,” directed by Gavin O’Connor, 2015

The Hollywood western is the ultimate American film genre, full of maverick heroes and brutish villains amid a sprawling frontier landscape. “Jane Got a Gun” delivers all of that—from the perspective of a young woman protecting her family and home. (more…)

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by cindyfazzi on February 10, 2016  •  Permalink
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Posted by cindyfazzi on February 10, 2016

https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/natalie-portmans-feminist-western-deserves-more-attention/

“The Martian” Makes Science Fiction Fun with its Huge Dose of Humor

MartianBookCover-CindyFazziPicFilm Review: “The Martian,” directed by Ridley Scott, 2015

Ridley Scott’s “The Martian” opens with a real downer. Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is left behind on Mars by his crew, believing he’d died in a storm. I almost expected a gross scenario to follow in the style of “Alien” and “Prometheus,” the other science-fiction films by Scott. But, no, happily this movie is a lot more fun than those two films combined. (more…)

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by cindyfazzi on December 18, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by cindyfazzi on December 18, 2015

https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2015/12/18/the-martian-makes-science-fiction-fun-with-its-huge-dose-of-humor/

Jake Gyllenhaal Matures as an Actor in “Southpaw”

SouthpawFilm Review: “Southpaw,” directed by Antoine Fuqua, 2015

There’s nothing more conventional than a boxing movie. From “Rocky” to “The Fighter,” we know what we’re going to get: a good fight. “Southpaw” delivers exactly that. It’s tough and comforting at the same time. (more…)

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by cindyfazzi on December 14, 2015  •  Permalink
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Posted by cindyfazzi on December 14, 2015

https://cindyfazzi.wordpress.com/2015/12/14/jake-gyllenhaal-matures-as-an-actor-in-southpaw/

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