kevin muller

Review – Memory (2023)

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by Kevin Muller

From May to December, the Oscar race heats up with nominations becoming the main topic of conversation amongst film geeks. In recent years, the winner of the coveted Palm D’Ore, or Best Picture, at Cannes Film Festival, it will solidify a Best Picture nomination. In 2023, Peter Sarsgaard won the Best Actor prize at the Venice Film Festival, which made him the frontrunner to be nominated for an Oscar.   Unfortunately, by the time Oscar season came around, his win became a memory, no pun intended, in the minds of the academy. This isn’t the first time that a great performance has gotten overlooked. Plus, not only do we get to see his work, but the effort of Jessica Chastain. This was the first film, post her Oscar win, that she starred in. How good are they here? Was Sarsgaard robbed? Is the film any good?

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Review – What Happens Later (2023)

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by Kevin Muller

Before streaming came along, it wasn’t unheard of that a romantic comedy would make over 100 million dollars. People flocked to the films of two people, usually at odds with one another, before slowly falling in love. Recently, Anyone But You, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell, gave hope that films like these aren’t finished. Back in the 90’s, the Queen of this genre was Meg Ryan. Ask your mom, Aunt, or Grandmother, what they think of her, and you will probably be greeted with a warm smile and some kind words. Ryan had a monopoly on being the cute girl who just can’t find love. After the decade ended, her star power faded. She tried to dip her toes in different genres, but she never saw the same success as did in those films. Now, she is back in the genre that made her a star. Not only does she headline the new film What Happens Later, but she also co-wrote the script and directed it.

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Review – The Marsh King’s Daughter (2024)

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By Kevin Muller

The chance to be the lead in a big budget film, like the ones in the Star Wars franchise, is any actor’s dream. In 2015, we were introduced to Daisy Ridley, who was Rey in Episodes 7-9. The young actress had Hollywood in her hands. While filming the trilogy, she popped up in some popular films like Murder on the Orient Express and Peter Rabbit.  Unfortunately, as a lead actress, she hasn’t found that much success. Now, she is taking a stab at an adaptation of the popular novel The Marsh King’s Daughter. Has the actress found the right project to showcase her talents?

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Review – The Adults & Corner Office (2023)

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by Kevin Muller

For some actors, they can have an on-screen persona that, if they play their cards right, could provide them with a lucrative career. Both Michael Cera and Jon Hamm gained notoriety through television roles that you couldn’t imagine anyone else playing. In the 2003 classic comedy show Arrested Development, Cera played the awkward George Michael. His performance comprised of making a situation more uncomfortable by attempting jokes that weren’t funny, delivered with no confidence, or at worst, a combination of the two. Despite that, the character was lovably weird. As the mysterious and magnetic Don Draper, Jon Hamm turned up the charisma and charm up to 100. As the show moved forward, the performance then became a mix tragedy and self-pity.

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