Kathryn Bigelow's 'Zero Dark Thirty' tells it straight, to varying effect

Posted by · 4:53 pm · November 25th, 2012

When Kathryn Bigelow walked away with honors for Best Picture and Best Director at the 2009 Academy Awards, she was the little guy. The narrative was David vs. Goliath as James Cameron’s “Avatar” was the big dog on campus, the money-guzzler, “the future.” This year things are a little different.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

The Long Shot: Big enough for the both of us

Posted by · 3:48 pm · November 9th, 2011

“The Help” star Jessica Chastain is just one of 2011’s strong Oscar hopefuls needing to wrestle attention away from a more heavily hyped co-star: an annual dilemma in the awards race.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Alfredson's 'Tinker, Tailor' smolders on screen

Posted by · 5:00 am · September 19th, 2011

“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” is an impeccably made, satisfyingly dense piece of work from director Tomas Alfredson. It’s the rare film that is a slow burn but nevertheless moves along at a clip, with a very well-honed editorial sense.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention