jessica chastain

And the Oscar for Best Actor Goes To....

Forrest Hartman

In a new video, Highbrow Magazine Chief Film Critic Forrest Hartman discusses the 2022 Oscars race, and which actor/actress and supporting actor/actress deserve to win the gold. It's a tight race this year, given a number of noteworthy performances: from Andrew Garfield in Tick, tick...Boom! to Jessica Chastain's riveting turn as Tammy Faye Baker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The Academy Awards ceremony airs on March 27 on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/5p.m. PT.

‘Belfast,’ ‘West Side Story’ Are Lead Contenders in Critics Choice Award Nominations

Forrest Hartman

Belfast, which tells the story of an Irish family living amidst the turmoil of the Troubles, received nominations for Best Picture, Best Acting Ensemble and Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Branagh. The film also received numerous individual acting and technical awards. Likewise, West Side Story was nominated for Best Picture, Best Acting Ensemble, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director.

‘A Most Violent Year,’ ‘The Immigrant’ Arrive on Home Video

Forrest Hartman

Set in 1981 New York, “A Most Violent Year” tells the story of a hard-working businessman determined to grow his heating-oil company despite intense competition and a crime spree highlighted by the hijacking of several of his trucks. Chandor paints Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) as a decent man struggling to do the right thing in an industry overrun by corruption. 

‘Jack Reacher,’ ‘Mama’ Arrive on DVD, Blu-ray

Forrest Hartman

“Jack Reacher” has a lot of things going for it, but a nuanced script and reasonable character development aren’t among them. The movie – based on the Lee Child novel “One Shot” – revolves around its title character, a former military police officer who plays by his own rules. Set in Pittsburgh, the film starts with a mass shooting where a trained sniper methodically assassinates five people, then drives away unnoticed. 

‘Zero Dark Thirty,’ Les Miserables’ Arrive on DVD, Blu-ray

Forrest Hartman

Director Kathryn Bigelow may have won both of her Oscars for the 2008 film “The Hurt Locker,” but “Zero Dark Thirty” is her best project to date. The high praise for Bigelow’s newest feature isn’t meant to disparage “Hurt Locker,” which is a great film in its own right, but to underscore how powerful and affecting “Zero Dark Thirty” is. The movie is not only great, it’s a reminder that Oscar voters don’t always get it right.

From ‘Homeland’ to ‘Zero Dark Thirty’: A Look at Women Who Hunt Terrorists

Maggie Hennefeld

While strong female protagonists have been all but invisible in conventional war genre films (Jarhead, Hurt Locker, Black Hawk Down, Restrepo), a new sub-genre has cropped up that puts women at the center of military defense politics. From Alias and Salt to Homeland and the Oscar-nominated Zero Dark Thirty, we have witnessed the emergence of a contemporary screen obsession with watching ass-kicking female CIA agents hunting the world’s most elusive political terrorists. 

Golden Globes 2013: Snubs, Surprises, and Spoilers

Loren DiBlasi

Some deserving films were left out of the drama category, but thankfully, many deserving actors were awarded their due. The few exceptions most definitely include Best Actress contender Quvenzhane` Wallis, the pint-sized wonder who enchanted in the emotional and profound Beasts of the Southern Wild, as well as Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master for Best Picture. Perhaps the film was a bit beyond its time, or perhaps star Joaquin Phoenix’s flippant comments hurt The Master’s chances. Let’s hope it wasn’t the latter, because Phoenix gives a gut-wrenching, career-best performance in the film (and thankfully he was nominated for Best Actor.) Let’s also hope that the Oscars wise up and learn from the Globes’ mistake.

Subscribe to RSS - jessica chastain