Tag Archives: Benedict Cumberbatch

2022 Oscar Thoughts and Predictions

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Mark DuPré

Rumor has it we’re “back to normal” this year with everyone gathered in an auditorium, and with three—count ‘em!—hosts. The film world is still recovering from both COVID and the rise of streaming services with good films. This will likely … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Academy Awards, Andrew Garfield, Ariana DeBose, Aunjanue Ellis, Being the Ricardos, Belfast, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciaran Hinds, CODA, Denzel Washington, Dos Oruguitas, Drive My Car, Dune, Encanto, Flee, Four Good Days, Green Book, Hans Zimmer, J.K. Simmons, Jane Campion, Javier Bardem, Jesse Plemmons, Jessie Buckley, Jonny Greenwood, Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, King Richard, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kristen Stewart, Let it Go, Licorice Pizza, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, Nicole Kidman, Nightmare Alley, Olivia Colman, Oscars, Parallel Mothers, Paul Thomas Anderson, Penelope Cruz, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Somehow You Do, Spencer, Steven Spielbert, Summer of Soul, The Academy Award Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, The Hand of God, The Lost Daughter, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, The Power of the Dog, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Tick Tick...Boom, Troy Kotsur, We Don't Talk About Bruno, West Side Story, Will Smith | Leave a comment

The Power of the Dog

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Mark DuPré

The Power of the Dog isn’t for everyone. It certainly isn’t for children, the squeamish, or those bothered by a constant state of dread and anticipation. For the rest, it’s a dark revisionist Western that doesn’t go where you think … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Benedict Cumberbatch, Bright Star, Daniel Day-Lewis, Daniel Plainview, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Days of Heaven, Forrest Gump, Holly Hunter, Jane Campion, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Phantom Thread, The Master, The Piano, The Power of the Dog, The Road, The Tree of Life, There Will be Blood, X-Men: Apocalypse | Leave a comment

The Father

Posted on May 2, 2021 by Mark DuPré

I was wrong. Not having been able to see The Father in the theater until recently, I went with the current wisdom that the award for Best Actor would of course go to Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Anthony Hopkins, Ben Smithard, Benedict Cumberbatch, Downton Abbey, Florian Zeller, Man in the High Castle, Mark Gatiss, Olivia Coleman, Olivia Williams, Rufus Sewell, Sherlock Holmes, The Father, The Favourite, The Sixth Sense, Victoria | Leave a comment

The Three to See: The Birth of a Nation, Gone with the Wind, and 12 Years a Slave

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Mark DuPré

The Three to See: Birth of a Nation, Gone with the Wind, and 12 Years Slave As I wade into where angels fear to tread, I want to make it clear that I am stepping outside the current social discussion … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films, Older Films | Tagged 12 Years a Slave, Benedict Cumberbatch, Broken Blossoms, Butterfly McQueen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Civil War, D.W. Griffith, Dark Victory, Dodge City, Gigi, Gone with the Wind, Green Book, Gunga Din, Hattie McDaniel, HBO Max, Hollywood, Intolerance, Jacqueline Stewart, Ku Klux Klan, Lillian Gish, Love Affair, Lupita Nyong'o, Max Steiner, Michael Fassbender, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, NAACP, Netflix, Ninotcha, Of Mice and Men, Olivia De Havilland, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood, Oscars, Prissy, Reconstructionists, Sarah Paulson, Solomon Northup, Stagecoach, TCM, The Birth of a Nation, The Cheat, The Clansman, The Wizard of Oz, The Women, Viven Leigh, William Cameron Menzies, Woodrow Wilson, Wuthering Heights, YouTube | Leave a comment

1917

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Mark DuPré

What recent film reminded me of Psycho, Gravity, Million Dollar Baby, Birdman, Rope, The Revenant, True Grit, All Quiet on the Western Front, Paths of Glory, The Searchers, Deuteronomy 20:19-21, and Psalm 1:3 (the last two being Bible references)? Why, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged 1917, All Quiet on the Western Front, Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Birdman, Colin Firth, Deuteronomy, George MacKay, Gravity, Mark Strong, Marriage Story, Million Dollar Baby, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood, Parasite, Paths of Glory, Psalms, Psycho, Richard Madden, Roger Deakins, Rope, Sam Mendes, The Irishman, The Revenant, The Searchers, True Grit | Leave a comment

Avengers: Infinity War

Posted on May 16, 2018 by Mark DuPré

In the “old days,” some films, for various reasons, were called critic-proof. That could mean that it didn’t matter what the critics would say, it would still be financially successful. It also meant that some films seemed impervious to any … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Avengers Infinity War, Benedict Cumberbatch, Gamora, Josh Brolin, LOTR, Milk, Peter Dinklage, Peter Quill, Robert Downey Jr., Star Wars, Thor: Ragnarok, Wakanda | Leave a comment

The Imitation Game

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Mark DuPré

The Imitation Game is lovely to look at, features two excellent performances and several good ones, and is something of a mess. That’s not all the film’s fault, as Alan Turing’s life doesn’t fall easily into a three-act structure. Turing … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged 12 Years a Slave, A.O. Scott, Alan Turing, Allen Leech, Atonement, August: Osage County, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bleak House, Bletchley Park, Charles Dance, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Hobbit, Joan Clark, Keira Knightley, Lincoln, New York Times, Pride and Prejudice, Selma, Sherlock, Smaug, The Imitation Game | Leave a comment

August: Osage County

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Mark DuPré

August: Osage County, a terribly named film based on the slightly less poorly named play of the same name, recalls American Hustle. It overflows with talented actors acting up a storm in a cinematic structure that can’t contain them. Except … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged August: Osage County, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Cooper, Dermot Mulroney, Ewan McGregor, Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci | Leave a comment

12 Years a Slave

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Mark DuPré

Simply put, 12 Years a Slave is the best film of the year, for a myriad of reasons. I’m even more impressed after the second viewing. It’s beautifully shot, with nearly pitch-perfect acting, and a rhythm all its own. Perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged 12 Years a Slave, Amazing Grace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Hans Zimmer, John Newton, John Ridley, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Sean Bobbitt, Solomon Northrup, Steve McQueen | Leave a comment

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Mark DuPré

The good news is that this middle film of the trilogy is a great improvement over The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Director Peter Jackson has forsaken, thankfully, his use of 48-frames-per-second, which created a plastic, video look to the sets, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Benedict Cumberbatch, Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Peter Jackson, Richard Armitage, Sherlock, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | 1 Comment