My top ten favorite film & tv directors Ava DuVernay Barry Jenkins Benjamin Caron Christopher Nolan Damien Chazelle Greta Gerwig Jean-Marc Vallée Jeff Nichols Sofia Coppola Julie Taymor

Judas & The Black Messiah will be released on HBO Max on Friday February 12th In the highly anticipated 2021 Sundance released film, Judas and the Black Messiah directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Shaka King, follows the life of Fred Hampton as the leader of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. … More Film Review: Judas and the Black Messiah

Personal Favorite TV Series Personal Favorite Films

Auteur Theory: Julie Taymor In the 2002 biographical drama film Frida, the life of surrealist and feminist artist Frida Khalo is brought to live in the portrayal of Khalo’s life and legacy. Director Julie Taymor uses cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene and sound to accurately romanticize surreal highlights of her career, political affiliation and marriage to Artist … More Film Review: Frida (2002)

Auteur Theory: Wes Anderson Wes Anderson’s author and aesthetic directing style allows The Grand Budapest Hotel to uniquely fit in well within the independent film market. I would describe this film as being non-linear since it doesn’t follow a typical narrative structure. The film subtly manipulates space and time as the story takes place at … More Film Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Sound I would like to review the 2019 film Booksmart, directed by  Olivia Wilde, because  it is a highly rated comedy about two young women graduating from high school which seems easily relatable. I believe the use of sound in this film focuses on bringing the viewer’s own adolescent experiences to life thus making the film … More Film Review: Booksmart (2019)

Cinematography In the 2014 film Birdman (also known as The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Michael Keaton plays Riggan Thomson, a wash up actor best known for his glory days of portraying the superhero “Birdman”, who struggles to adapt to his latest Broadway play.  Camera Position suggests how the scene is viewed or interpreted. POV (point of … More Film Review: Birdman (2014)

Cinematography In the 2017 sequel, Blade Runner 2049 film, directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, the use of cinematography is innovative through its breathtaking imagery. Cinematographer Roger Deakinsrecreated the aesthetic of the original 1982 Blade Runner while also articulately manifesting the use of framing, light and color in each particular shot. The scene I found the most profound … More Film Review: Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Mise-en-Scene In the 2015 romantic drama film Carol, the story depicts the forbidden love between Carol (portrayed by Cate Blanchett), a wealthy, married and sophisticated woman and Therese (portrayed by Rooney Mara), a quiet naive young woman in New York of 1952. The scene that I found the most profound was the scene in which … More Film Review: Carol (2015)

Credit: Hollywood Report & Black Media Minute