LilliHouse Presents:

  " Why does love - the absence of love, the end of love, the need for love - result in so much violence?"     From the very first frame of Women Talking, there is a clear dichotomy between beauty and violence that permeates throughout the rest of the film. For a film that is based on a book that is based on a real life events in Bolivia, it is purely cinematic. The visuals and sequences that writer/director Sarah Polley is able to pull from this story is truly impressive.  The story itself is simple, women in an isolated colony closed off from the outside world have to decide whether they will stay and fight against the men that have done horrible things to them and their children, or leave. Although the concept is straight forward and the look of the film is minimal, there is a clear sense of purpose in every moment. Even the way that this film is colored is full of intentionality, as if Polley herself washed out all of the color in each image.    ...

  "The stench will remain on us forever."      All Quiet on the Western Front is a film that has stuck with me days after first watching it. Just like the 1929 novel that it is based on, the film follows the young solider Paul Bäumer as he and his friends eagerly enlist in the German Army during World War 1. The horrors that greet them on the front lines make the boys quickly regret their life choices.      Aside from being very intense through most of its run time, the craft on display is nothing short of amazing. The battle sequences here are the embodiment of controlled chaos. The cinematography holds nothing back from the audience, putting much of the violence and gore at the forefront of the frame. Just like the soldiers, the audience is forced to stare directly at the darkness with each gun shot and grenade explosion. The production design is amazingly dirty, staining everything on screen until the camera itself starts to bleed. It is in these sc...

      After much anticipation all across the film industry, the nominees for the 95th Academy Awards were finally announced this morning. As with any nominations announcement, it was a roller coaster of highs and lows. For anyone who is looking for a gateway into the awards race so far, here are some key takeaways from today's livestream:  After a sudden surge of online support from celebrities like Edward Norton and Charlize Theron, Andrea Riseborough has earned a nomination for Best Actress for her performance in "To Leslie". The film was a quiet independent production, which has made this nomination one of the first in history to come about specifically as a result of social media campaigning. This is a big deal because in the past, campaigns mainly just centered around in-person events or parties.  Paul Mescal earned himself a surprise nomination for Best Actor in a Lead Role for his role in "Aftersun". Although this was another independent film, it garnered...

Damien Chazelle seems more fascinated with the silent era of Hollywood than truly capable of picking a perspective in   a movie that feels as if it is consistently trying to be aimless. While this seems like a flaw, it is actually what makes "Babylon" one of the most memorable movie-going experiences in recent years.    We see through the eyes of Manny, (played by Diego Calva in a break-out role for the young actor) an employee of big-shot producer Don Mallach whose house parties are full of debauchery. In the midst of a golden shower, public intercourse and a live elephant, Manny meets Nellie (played by Margot Robbie in an unsurprising dynamic performance) where they share their hopes and dreams for the Hollywood industry. In these moments, characters get big monologues filled with heavy-handed sentiments about the magic of films. With Chazelle’s touch of whimsical flair, these scenes find a place in the heart to bear some emotional merit within the sprawling three-hour ...

  "I will never stop fighting for this life."               When the original Shrek bursted onto the scene, one of the strongest attributes of the film was its subtle world building. Some of the references to classic fairy tales may have gone under the radar at the time, but the series (and subsequent spin-offs) has expanded far, far, away from its original roots. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the newest entry in DreamWorks Animation's Shrek universe and it has proven to be one of the best entries so far.      There is undoubtedly great voiceover work being done all across the board on this film. Some voices take a bit of time to get used to, like Antonio Banderas' raspier older voice for Puss in Boots or John Mulaney's oddly specific mannerisms behind the voice of Jack Horner. Other supporting cast members are wonderfully expressive and bring a whole other dimension to their characters. For example,  Harvey Guillén's...

  "Don't you ever feel like... you've just done a whole amazing day and then you come home and feel tired and down and... it feels like your organs don't work, they're just tired, and everything is tired. Like you're sinking. I don't know, it's weird."     Aftersun is a slow, meditative, beautiful film that encompasses so much of the human experience in very few words.   It's clear that the writer/director, Charlotte Wells, put so much of herself and her family into this feature film debut. There are so many distinct details throughout the story. So much so that the more I think about the film, the stronger each moment becomes.      The chemistry between the impressive Paul Mescal and newcomer Frankie Corio is the beating heart of this film from beginning to end. Mescal is such an emotive actor, whether he is openly weeping or laughing with a huge smile on his face. Corio has the tall task of matching Mescal's range, and adding an additiona...

  "You don't think Chef is mad at me, do you?"     Over the course of the year, The Menu became one of the more anticipated films of the fall. The trailer for the movie showed before seemingly every movie that was shown in theaters this year. Plus, the cast includes longtime greats like Ralph Fiennes and John Leguizamo, and newer favorites like Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult. All of the marketing capitalized on the mystery of this plot: what happens at this dinner gone wrong? How many ingredients of horror or comedy is there in this five course meal?  While the directing is strong and the lead performances shine, The Menu is as overcomplicated as some of the dishes that it showcases. This is a shame given the brisk pacing and short run time.      Without getting into spoiler filled territory, many of the characters in this film have one note personalities. In a film with so many principle characters, that wouldn't normally be a problem, but this fi...

         " Music, you know, true music - not just rock 'n' roll - it chooses you."     Almost Famous embodies the highs and lows of stardom in a way that few others do. Superstars are fragile, and most of them are only looking out for themselves. Even the managers steal in secret and insert themselves among the elite whenever possible. And then there are the uncool, the regular people who see art from a distance. For some like Frances McDormand's character Elaine, rock 'n' roll music is just a platform for debauchery without substance. For Zooey Deschanel's character Anita, music holds meaning and helps explain inexplicable moments in life. In between these extremes, there is Patrick Fugit's William Miller, the protagonist of this story. He is intoxicated by the music and the world that his heroes have created. So much so, that his goal is to make a living off of it.     Where this film truly excels is the humanity that Cameron Crowe brings t...