Renée Zellweger is SAG's Favorite Film Actress

by Murtada Elfadl

Last night's win by Renée Zellweger for her performance in Judy marks her third individual SAG award. She has won previously for Chicago (2002) and Cold Mountain (2003). On the film side she matches Daniel Day Lewis as the two most lauded actors by the Screen Actors Guild. Day Lewis won his awards for Gangs of New York (2002), There Will Be Blood (2007) and Lincoln (2012).

There are five other actresses who are right behind Zellweger with two individual film awards. And none of them are called Meryl Streep. Steeep has two as well though one is for TV. She won for Doubt (2008) and Angels in America (2003). These are the actresses who could match or leapfrog Zellweger soon...

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Juries Juries Juries: Sundance and Venice

by Murtada Elfadl

Garcia, Rees and Hawke

It seems like there's a festival jury annoucement everyday!

The Sundance Film Festival has chosen 25 celebrated and revered expert voices across film, art, culture and science to review the films among their different programs. The 2020 Sundance Film Festival Jury members are... 

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Tis the Season; Carol-mas

Today we celebrate the anniversary of Carol and Therese's first date. That fraught with desire and longing first date. That rudely interupted by Harge first date. That beautiful trip from NY to NJ that felt like a lifetime and looked as dreamy and gorgeous as a water color painting come to life.

I'm celebrating by going to a screening of Carol (2015) at Metrograph in NY, introduced by master cinematographer Ed Lachman. How are you celebrating Carol day?

20 Appropriate Ways to Celebrate "The Talented Mr Ripley"

by Murtada Elfadl

1999 is considered by many to be one of the best years for cinema. The Matrix, Eyes Wide Shut, Fight Club, Election, Magnolia, All About My Mother, Run Lola Run, Go, Boys Don't Cry, The Sixth Sense, American Pie, Three Kings and Being John Malkovich. It is also the year that The Talented Mr Ripley was released. Ripley was well reviewed at the time if not ecstatically so. Perhaps that was because it came after the juggernaut that was The English Patient -- Anthony Minghella’s previous film was a big hit and won 9 Oscars. Since then Ripley has elevated in estimation in large part because of the subsequent huge careers of the then young actors who starred: Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Cate Blanchett. Aesthetics have also stood the test of time; the clothes, the attitudes, sun soaked Italy. The story still resonates with its undertones of queer identity and its thriller framework. Today Ripley is rightly considered a classic and beloved by many cinephiles.

Released 20 years ago this week, here are 20 ways you can celebrate this fabulous film...

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Five Things I Learned Podcasting About Cate Blanchett

by Murtada Elfadl

As you may know I recently started a podcast series about the films of Cate Blanchett, my favorite actor. Seven episodes in I thought I'd share with you some observations that I discovered talking with my guests - who include critics you know and like from this site - about her career...

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