JoeMama's Movie Reviews

94th Academy Awards Predictions The time has come for my favorite night of the year when it comes to cinema - the 94th Academy Awards, which honors the best of the best in film in the last year. While it's not a hugely popular show, it's still something I never miss and make sure to check out as many films nominated as possible before the big night in order to make my own predictions. BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM Affairs of the Art Bestia Boxballet Robin Robin The Windshield Wiper The only one I've seen here is "Robin Robin," so I'll go with that. SHOULD WIN: Robin Robin WILL WIN: Robin Robin LIVE ACTION SHORT Ala Kachuu - Take and Run The Dress The Long Goodbye On My Mind Please Hold The only thing I know about any of these is that last year's Best Actor nominee Riz Ahmed is in "The Long Goodbye," so I'll go with that. SHOULD WIN: The Long Goodbye WILL WIN: The Long Goodbye DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT Audible Lead Me Home The Queen of Basketball T...

  Worst2First: My Top Ten Pictures Who Should've Been Oscar Nominated Every year the Academy Awards honors the best films of the year, and every year without question there's questionable choices and shocking snubs, but with only five (or in the case of Best Picture, ten) nominees, you're bound to leave out some tremendous performances. In the lead-up to the 2022 Oscars, I'll take a look at ten performers (or films) that should've been nominated - not that those who are nominated aren't deserving of it, but so were these performances (or films) as well. This final week will look at my personal top ten films that should've been Oscar nominated... **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #10 Pig When we first heard that Nicolas Cage would star in a movie called "Pig" about a reclusive man seeking out his beloved truffle pig that was stolen from him, we all pretty much expected it to be a classic modern Nicolas Cage-led crazy film filled with "John W...

The Adam Project Starring Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Jennifer Garner, Catherine Keener Directed by Shawn Levy The 1980s was an amazing decade for cinema, especially when it came to sci-fi family-friendly action epics. Movies like "Back to the Future," "E.T.," "Star Wars Episodes V and VI," "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," and many more blanketed the big screen and allowed families to enjoy the cinema together. Nowadays it seems almost impossible to find a decent family-friendly action film without gratuitous moments that take away from the wholesomeness of the project, but "The Adam Project" is one of those rare films that hearkens back to that bygone era, a film that the family can enjoy together that also focuses on the importance of family and appreciating them while you still can. In 2050, Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds) is on the run from the evil Maya Sorian (Catherine Keener) - one half of the duo who invented time trave...

  Worst2First: My Top Ten Lead Actresses Who Should've Been Oscar Nominated Every year the Academy Awards honors the best films of the year, and every year without question there's questionable choices and shocking snubs, but with only five (or in the case of Best Picture, ten) nominees, you're bound to leave out some tremendous performances. In the lead-up to the 2022 Oscars, I'll take a look at ten performers (or films) that should've been nominated - not that those who are nominated aren't deserving of it, but so were these performances (or films) as well. This third week will look at my personal top ten lead actresses who should've been Oscar nominated... **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #10 Jodie Comer The Last Duel Jodie Comer is a Primetime Emmy Award winner for her epic work on the hit series "Killing Eve," and 2021 she figuratively killed it in the box office, starring in the crowd-pleasing action blockbuster "Free Guy" as w...

  Parallel Mothers Starring Penelope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Eleialde, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon Directed by Pedro Almodovar There's several directors who work with specific actors for a number of films, and it's through this trust that you get the best performances. Tim Burton/Johnny Depp, Wes Anderson/Bill Murray, Martin Scorsese/Robert De Niro - there's a special connection between director and actor when they've worked together multiple times, and it's this trust that brings out the best in both in a creative aspect. The actor isn't afraid to "go there" for a specific film because their trust in the director is absolute, and it's this bond that deeply connects not just the actor and director, but the film with the audience as well. One of the most well-known and well-respected Spanish directors is Pedro Almodovar, and he's worked with two actors for several films: Antonio Banderas (with eight films), and Penelope Cruz (with six), and through t...

  Turning Red Starring Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Directed by Domee Shi There are times where I admit I'm wrong about something, and I was wrong about "Turning Red." When I saw the first trailer, my response was a nonchalant shrug, and it seemed to me that it wasn't very interesting and the animation seemed off to me compared to other Pixar works. Even the second trailer didn't get me hyped in any sense of the word, and then I learned that Disney pulled the film from a wide theatrical release and put it straight to Disney+ (even for no additional fee, unlike "Black Widow" or "Mulan"), further solidifying my growing dread for eventually watching it, since I tend to watch all the major films every year no matter the genre. Then I heard from friends online how much they loved it, and how it's become one of their favorite Pixar films, and my curiosity grew. Then I read an onslaught of negative reviews from overl...

Worst2First: My Top Ten Lead Actors Who Should've Been Oscar Nominated Every year the Academy Awards honors the best films of the year, and every year without question there's questionable choices and shocking snubs, but with only five (or in the case of Best Picture, ten) nominees, you're bound to leave out some tremendous performances. In the lead-up to the 2022 Oscars, I'll take a look at ten performers (or films) that should've been nominated - not that those who are nominated aren't deserving of it, but so were these performances (or films) as well. This second week will look at my personal top ten lead actors who should've been Oscar nominated... **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** #10 Oscar Isaac The Card Counter Paul Schrader manages to write and direct characters that are intensely dramatic and yet deeply nuanced, providing the viewer with an all-encompassing character. Oscar Isaac gives his best performance to date as William Tell - a gambler with...