A Star is Born: Cooper and Gaga Truly are “Stars”

Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut is undoubtedly one of 2018’s best films, earning 7 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. This beautifully captivating, yet devastatingly real and tragically authentic story follows the world-famous musician Jackson Maine (Cooper) and his relationship with Ally (Lady Gaga), a restaurant employee/nightclub performer who finally realizes her true dream of becoming a […]

BlacKkKlansman: Eye-Opening and Challenging, with a Theme of Dark Hilarity

As expected from Spike Lee, this film is provocative, convicting, and incendiary. Loosely based on an outrageously improbable true story, BlacKkKlansman portrays social commentary on US race relations during the 1970s in the most inflammatory fashion possible. Strong performances from John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Ryan Eggold, and Topher Grace, among others, drove […]

Exploring Film Criticism with a New Perspective

As we wrap up the semester and look back to our experiences over the past few months, it is astounding to recognize how much my knowledge of film criticism as grown. Prior to taking this class, I of course had an appreciation for the cinema and its features. However, I realize now the narrowness of […]