Pastel-Plastered ‘BARBIE’ A Hilarious and Incisive Indictment of Modernity, Gender Roles

July 18, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Most Popular, Out in Theaters Tagged Alexandra Shipp, Ana Cruz Kayne, Barbie, Dua Lipa, Emma Mackey, Greta Gerwig, Hari Nef, Issa Rae, John Cena, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Margot Robbie, Ncuti Gatwa, Nicola Coughlan, Noah Baumbach, Ritu Arya, Ryan Gosling, Scott Evans, Sharon Rooney, Simu Liu 2 Comments

When Mattel recently announced that they would be launching their own extended cinematic universe (the Mattel Cinematic Universe, or MCU2), the internet groaned in exhausted unison. After all, what could be more unappealing in our era of modern moviemaking than yet another corporate attempt to coalesce blatant brand synergy and Hollywood’s necrotic trend of interconnectiveness, all to satisfy a company’s stakeholders and their own bottom line? From my very anecdotal research, this is simply not a thing that the movie-going public is clambering for. No one is demanding a theatrical showcase where Hot Wheels, Sock ‘Em Robots, and Barbie team up in some kind of Avengers-style plot to take down the dastardly Hungry Hungry Hippos. And yet, Mattel is currently in some stage of development on a vast number of feature films based on just that with Hot Wheels, Magic 8 Ball, He-Man, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Polly Pocket, View-Master, American Girl, and the card game Uno all in some form of gestational pre-production. Theirs is a gloomy future that presupposes that Hollywood hits come purely from brand recognition – a future that forecasts the further sidelining of anything truly original, championing nostalgia and brand dominance over the creation of the new. Read More

‘MARRIAGE STORY’ Is a Heartbreaking Depiction of Love Ending (That’s Especially Traumatic for Divorce Kids)

November 8, 2019 by Matt Oakes Posted in Most Popular, Out in Theaters Tagged Adam Driver, Marriage Story, Netflix, Noah Baumbach, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Scarlett Johansson Leave a comment

“What’s the opposite of a fiancée?” Scarlett Johansson’s Nicole muses, trying to find the right word to describe her soon-to-be ex-husband Charlie (Adam Driver). She doesn’t really want to still call him her husband, because that ship has clearly sailed. But nor is he an ex yet either. There’s a lack of finality to their relationship. Unsigned paperwork. Unfought legal battles. Unclaimed wreckage from what was once a marriage. Read More

Talking With Greta Gerwig of MISTRESS AMERICA

August 14, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Interviews Tagged Frances Ha, Greta Gerwig, Interviews, Mistress America, Noah Baumbach 3 Comments

Greta Gerwig first appeared in film in 2006 with a supporting role in Joe Swanberg‘s LOL (not to be confused with the Miley Cyrus film of the same name). Today, her name is synonymous with a strong independent, feminist voice, her presence, one that cannot be ignored. Though Gerwig’s mainstream debut could be traced back to No Strings Attached, most probably know her from her eponymous role in Noah Baumbach‘s Frances Ha in which she was nominated for many accolades, including Best Actress in Motion Picture Comedy or Musical at the 2013 Golden Globes. (If you don’t know Frances Ha, make it the next thing you see.) Read More

Out in Theaters: MISTRESS AMERICA

August 14, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke, Mistress America, Noah Baumbach, Out in Theaters, Reviews Leave a comment

Noah Baumbach again arrives in auspicious fashion, delivering a fast-talking farcical bumblebee of a film whose honey is sweet and sting is bruising. It’s as much a diatribe about the fickle nature of youth as it is a pure slapstick comedy, featuring a humdinger of a hipster prophet in the form of a footloose Greta Gerwig. Baumbach’s latest is also decidedly his lightest, opting for a kind of 21st century update to the surrealist verisimilitude of “I Love Lucy” or a feminist take on “The Three Stooges” – that is, it’s his brand of “But ours goes to 11” absurd. Everything he and his characters touch upon is based in reality – on someone, on something, on somewhere – but is forcefully exaggerated in its screwy presentation. As such, Mistress America has allowed Baumbach and Gerwig to craft modern day archetypes – the awkwardly desirable nerd, the college-bound tabula rasa, the hipster goddess – and mock them to high heavens in pure unapologetically absurdist manner. Read More

2015 Indie Summer Release Guide

July 1, 2015 by Lillian Angelle Posted in Lists Tagged Creep, Duplass Brothers, Hungry Hearts, Lists, Manglehorn, Mark Duplass, Mistress America, Noah Baumbach, Tangerine, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, The End of the Tour, The Midnight Swim, What Happened Miss Simone? Leave a comment

While this summer has been thoroughly epic with the release of Jurassic World, Magic Mike: XXL and Mad Max: Fury Road, let us not forget our humble independent cinema either going straight to VOD or perhaps gracing arthouse cinemas this summer. It’s a strong season for independent film, with new releases from indie champs James Ponsoldt (The End of the Tour) and Noah Baumbach (Mistress America) as well as a few directing debuts by Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) and Sarah Adina Smith (Midnight Swim). Get your fill of indie cinema below with a gateway guide. Read More

Out in Theaters: WHILE WE’RE YOUNG

April 7, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried, Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Noah Baumbach, Out in Theaters, Reviews, While We're Young

Most men buy a cherry red Corvette when they hit their midlife crisis. They dye their hair back to black (speaking of, how has AC/DC never done a Clairol commercial?) and date 20-year old models (here’s looking at you Anthony Keidis). But not Noah Baumbach. The 46-year old independent filmmaker who hails from Brooklyn is all about taking his halfway point in the old game of life with a modest dose of thoughtful reflection. In his now trilogy of brusque analyses on postmodern youth, he has come to terms with the train of aging rather than running down the tracks from it.