With Eyes Unclouded

By Sarah Jester Ennio : 2.5/4 stars 4 years after Ennio Morricone’s passing and 3 years after its European festival run, Guiseppe Tornatore’s Ennio finally hit American screens. Yes, Tornatore of Cinema Paradiso fame. It’s a sprawling homage and unrelenting tribute to one of the most prolific and talented film composers that ever lived. Ennio Morricone. Credit: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Let’s backtrack for a moment. Prolific is perhaps the greatest understatement of the century. Morricone scored over 400 films and television shows, not to mention more than 100 classical pieces. His musical impact is equal to his output. Ennio boasts glowing soundbites from the likes of silver screen superstars Clint Eastwood, Dario Argento, and Wong Kar-wai; legendary musicians Quincy Jones (RIP), Bruce Springsteen, and Joan Baez; and fellow lauded composers John Williams and Hans Zimmer. Morricone passed in 2020 at 91 years old. I’m grateful to Tornatore for his heavenly timing in capturing these ...

By Sarah Jester It’s been an interesting year! It’s been an interesting year. Some might say that it’s been an interesting year. The most consistent part of my year was the act of sitting down to watch a movie. In January, I told myself that I would watch 200 films by December 31, 2024, and I’m well on my way to surpassing that number. Today is Monday, November 25, 2024, and I’ve watched 191 movies this year. I have several roommates and I know they’re thanking their lucky stars that they have their own TVs in their rooms, ‘cause I hogged the living room screen.  What's the point of embarking on such a mission? Movies make my world go around. This has not always been the case. I have a Kaufman father and an equal parts Hitchcock/Hallmark mother. We would watch Vertigo , Raising Arizona , and The Sound of Music on a regular basis every year. And I hated it. When I was around ten years old, my papa gave me an old Star Wars box set that included a "making-of" doc. And that ...

  By Sarah Jester Twisters (2024) 3.5 stars Most of the nation would agree that Twisters was a delight. Boasting Tom Cruise-anointed Hollywood darling Glen Powell and a fresh Daisy Edgar-Jones as its leads, the sequel to the 1996 classic took tornado-busting tech a step further. Glen Powell and Brandon Perea’s comedic chemistry was undeniable, and almost successful in distracting me from Anthony Ramos’ flatness. He’s brought charm and likeability to other recent supporting roles, namely A Star is Born (2018), so I found his portrayal disappointing. Luckily, I noted a great sophomore performance from Katy O’Brian following 2024’s queer hit Love Lies Bleeding, who plays marvelously alongside A24 darling and American Honey lead Sasha Lane. Both deliver compelling and memorable performances as idiosyncratic hobbyist storm chasers. Some of the  Twisters cast. Source I can certainly understand Lee Isaac Chung’s desire to position Twisters for a sequel ( 2wisters , TwIIsters , 2 H...