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The Film Experience™ was created by Nathaniel R. All material herein is written by our team. (This site is not for profit but for an expression of love for cinema & adjacent artforms.)

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Wednesday
Jul032024

Nicole Kidman Tribute: Lion (2016)

by Cláudio Alves

The late 2000s saw Nicole Kidman's reputation suffer under the strain of bad reviews and a perceived rejection by mainstream audiences. Jokes about plastic surgery were a dime a dozen, and not even a couple of brilliant turns could dissuade the naysaying masses. But then came Rabbit Hole and a third Oscar nomination, a new chance at proving herself. As usual, she took the opportunity and ran with it, kickstarting one of the most productive phases of her career. From 2010 to 2016, the actress amassed an astounding sixteen screen credits and appeared in the award-winning West End production of Photograph 51. It was also then, as Kidman settled into her 40s and came nearer to the half-century mark, that she started playing more supporting roles. 

Make no mistake, Kidman is a Hollywood leading lady, a confirmed A-lister to this day. But that doesn't preclude her from trying her hand at smaller parts. Coupled with revitalized prestige, a return to Oscar glory in a new category felt near inevitable. And so it was, with the star receiving her first Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination, for Lion

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Tuesday
Jul022024

Nicole Kidman Tribute: Paddington (2014)

by Nick Taylor

I’m going to tell you a secret: I think the first Paddington movie is better than its more critically-adored sequel. Not in every way is this one better: There’s a couple instances of harsh overlighting that take out some shots at the knees, like a key character emerging from a phone booth as a one-sided meet-cute. You could also say that both films - but maybe especially this one - are leaning into Wes Anderson-type confectionaries, especially with the score. But Paddington’s got a lot of buoyant, colorful entertainment to recommend it, and I can’t help but feel Nicole Kidman’s delightful, icy villainess has been overlooked as one of this series’ most notable achievements, alongside the children’s-book palette, Hugh Grant’s more lauded performance in Paddington 2, and fumbling the bag on Sally Hawkins for the upcoming trip to Peru...

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Monday
Jul012024

Almost There: Emma Stone in "Battle of the Sexes"

by Cláudio Alves

Our most recent two-time Best Actress champion is back in theaters with Yorgos Lanthimos' Kinds of Kindness, a black-hearted tryptic that allows Emma Stone to experiment with three distinctly realized characters. To mark the occasion and the success of another tennis-related movie – Guadagnino's Challengers – let's think back to one of the few times this Academy favorite was in the race but didn't land a nomination. In 2017, right after her first Oscar win, Stone played Billie Jean King in Battle of the Sexes. Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the biopic was made in parallel with a Presidential election that saw a very different outcome than its titular match. Looking back, Battle of the Sexes reached for the zeitgeist yet failed to predict where the world was headed.

As for Stone, the project signaled her most outward flirtation with traditional prestige before her career went into another direction altogether…

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Sunday
Jun302024

"The Queen of Spades" @75: Faustian Bargains with a Gothic Twist

by Cláudio Alves

Some would sell their soul for riches beyond compare, fame and the immortality that comes with it, or perchance beauty, wisdom, and other such treasures. The Faust of Teutonic legend yearned for all the knowledge in the world and pleasure to go with it. When Goethe re-imagined him as a dissatisfied scholar, Faust sought to trick Mephistopheles by asking for transcendence. Compared to these bargains, the protagonist of The Queen of Spades seems modest in his ambitions. For Captain Herman Suvorin of the Russian army, the immortal soul is an appropriate price to pay for the secret of winning at cards.

Starring Anton Walbrook and envisioned by director Thorold Dickinson, Suvorin's story becomes the basis for an oft-forgotten gem of Gothic Horror that's also one of Martin Scorsese's favorite movies…

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Sunday
Jun302024

Dorian TV Awards: Horny Vampires, Queer Comedians, Fellow Travellers, and Baby Reindeers

by Nathaniel R

Fellow Travelers © Showtime

The Society for LGBTQ Entertainment Journalists have released the Dorian Award nominations for the 2023-2024 TV season in twenty-four categories. As per our usual disclaimer, multiple members of TFE are in the 500-wide membership of GALECA. It's a four way tie for the leading show between AMC's interpretation of Interview with the Vampire, perennial Emmy favourites Max's Hacks and FX/Hulu's The Bear, and Netflix sensation Baby Reindeer all grabbing six nods each. FX/Hulu's remake of classic period epic Shōgun and Showtime's thrilling romantic drama Fellow Travellers were not far behind with five nods each. 

After the list, the full nominations and a few scattered comments...

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