In 2013, Lee Daniels tried to capture the spirit and heart of the civil rights movement in his biopic, The Butler. Daniels decided to span three generations within that story and the movie suffered some due to that. It was tough to connect with the characters in their experiences because we were so quickly moved onto the next trial. With Selma, Ava DuVernay focuses her lens on a specific event in the life of Martin Luther King Jr.; the march from Selma, AL to Montgomery, AL in 1965. Honing in on this event allowed her to explore the depths of the people themselves, and succeed where The Butler fell short.
Biopic
Review by Nate
The story of Stephen Hawking’s life is so fascinating that I am quite surprised it has not been cinematically told before. Even despite earlier protestations from the iconic physicist himself, his story is one of triumph over disability and should absolutely be told.
Review by Gene
Few movies in this years crop of Oscar nominees have generated the strong opinions that American Sniper has. From tree-hugging liberals bent on demonizing the war in Iraq, to gun-toting conservatives because, ‘Merica! But is it deserving of all the attention?