The Honoraries: Liv Ullmann in "Persona"

We're celebrating each of the upcoming Honorary Oscar winners with a few pieces on their careers.

by Cláudio Alves

Sometimes, a film is so great that it robs you of words, leaves you speechless, struck dumb with awe. It's been a bit over two years since I've started writing for The Film Experience and, in that time, it's been a privilege to write about some of the best works of cinema I've ever seen. Ingmar Bergman's Persona tops them all and, when facing its wonder, it's hard to articulate anything. Perhaps no other film has been as tirelessly examined in the history of criticism, making it impossible to bring anything new to the discussion. And yet, it remains mysterious, as beguilingly unknowable as when it premiered in 1966. To try and write about it is a maddening exercise.

Even so, a celebration of Liv Ullmann wouldn't be complete without mentioning the first work in the artistic collaboration that forged her legend, that's at the center of her legacy…

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SXSW: Life as Dolly Parton in ‘Seriously Red’

By Abe Friedtanzer

Just as Patton Oswalt was a draw for another SXSW film, I Love My Dad, actress Rose Byrne getting top billing in a movie about a Dolly Parton impersonator was also an appeal. Seeing a photo of Byrne as Elvis only made it more intriguing. But this is a classic example of a bait-and-switch, albeit a productive and satisfying one, since Byrne has almost no lines and barely even appears in the film. Instead, this is a story of an Australian woman yearning to find herself who does so through her undying love for the popular country star… 

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Oscar Volley: Best Cinematography could make History

Team Experience is discussing the various Oscar categories. Here's Cláudio Alves, Nick Davis, Ben Miller, and Eurocheese discussing the Best Cinematography race.

CLÁUDIO ALVES: From an aged future that looks like the ancient past to a black-and-white nightmare of Expressionistic Shakespeare, from digital polish to a rainbow of 35mm lens flares, the Best Cinematography Oscar race presents a cornucopia of varied visual strategies. However, to celebrate this category for variety feels somewhat disingenuous this year. For the first time since the color and black-and-white categories merged in 1967, the Cinematography ballot looks identical to the Production Design one. Even though voted on by separate branches, these lineups' sameness speaks to a broader problem – how the Academy feels increasingly resistant to expand its interest beyond a select group of pictures each season…

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Review: The 2022 Oscar Nominated Short Films

By: Christopher James

Yes, we agree that this should be known as the 2021 Oscars (film year). However, Shorts TV has a different stance on their naming convention.Anyone who has filled out an Oscar office pool knows that the shorts can make or break your chances at winning. Often, the short films nominated are little seen, unless they play before a Pixar film. Thanks to Shorts TV, the nominees for Documentary (Short Subject), Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film play in theaters and are available for rental ahead of the Oscars. Watching the short film can not only help you win your Oscar pool, but it can also introduce you to new and exciting filmmakers.

This year’s nominees break some conventions, while also keeping to some of the tropes one expects. The live action short films, once again, are aggressively depressing. Meanwhile, the animated short films are decidedly not kid friendly (adhere to the warning label, most of the shorts are firmly R-rated). Still, the fifteen nominated films were on the whole enjoyable.

So what were the best shorts of the bunch? Which will win the Oscar? Read to find out...

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SXSW: Andrea Riseborough Shines in ‘To Leslie’

By Abe Friedtanzer

 

It's an unwritten rule that every festival must include at least one movie starring Andrea Riseborough, sometimes as many as four (that was Sundance 2018). While I’ll note that I haven’t seen one of her more recent entries – Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor – most of her turns in the past few years have been very subdued in lackluster films like Nancy, Luxor, and Here Before. I fondly remember her standout performances even with minimal roles in Birdman and The Death of Stalin, and I’m pleased to report that her latest effort, To Leslie, gives her a superb platform again in a leading part…

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