The Dog Stars delivers a bleak yet hopeful take on the post-apocalyptic genre, using compelling performances, emotional character dynamics, and meaningful themes of survival, trust, companionship, and purpose.
We are entertained, even if only slightly!
When we think of a Western, several images come to mind.
A tumbleweed rolling through a dusty town. The hero has to be the first to draw his gun. John Wayne rides off on his horse into the great wide somewhere. These stories tend to have one thing in common: a man in his natural habitat. The Old West towns, the wide open plains, the badlands are all considered to be rightfully possessed by the hero who roams them—and that hero is always a man.
Then Callie Khouri’s screenplay for Thelma & Louise flipped the script on the genre forever.
In lieu of the Western genre’s signature cowboy, Thelma & Louise featured two anti-heroes cursed by their femininity. Instead of a horse, audiences got a blue 1966 Ford Thunderbird. The scenery of mountains, oil rigs, deserts, and canyons were deserving of the genre—but served the purpose of being their escape instead of their domain.
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Ridley Scott delivers one of the more interesting thrillers you’ll see this year.
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Luke Scott takes after his father, but the result is a generic and all too predictable piece of AI fiction.
For 106 years, the National Board of Review has dedicated its efforts to the support of domestic and foreign cinema as both art and entertainment. This year, over 250 films (studio, independent, foreign-language, animated, and documentary) were viewed by this select group of film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics, and students. These screenings were frequently followed by in-depth discussions with directors, actors, producers, and screenwriters.
The National Board of Review honors diverse members of the film community at their annual Awards Gala, which also acts as a fundraiser for student grant philanthropy. The group’s 2015 Gala was held on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at Cipriani.
Matt Damon, Ridley Scott, George Miller, Sylvester Stallone, Brie Larson, Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Robert De Niro, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Stewart, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Nicholas Hoult, Tessa Thompson, Jason Segel, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lewis Black, Jason Mitchell, O’Shea Jackson, Ryan Coogler, Malcolm Gladwell, Abraham Attah, Jacob Tremblay, Drew Goddard, Cary Joji Fukanaga, Adam McKay, Bill Nye, Rafe Spall, Adepero Oduye, Hamish Linklater, Jeremy Strong, Finn Wittrock, John Magaro, Asif Kapadia, Denis Villeneuve, Roger Deakins, Joe Walker, Pete Docter, Lenny Abrahamson, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Laszlo Nemes, Cecilia De Mille Presley, and Willie Geist were in attendance.
[slideshow]
Below is a full list of the awards given by the National Board of Review:
Best Film: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Director: Ridley Scott – The Martian
Best Actor: Matt Damon – The Martian
Best Actress: Brie Larson – Room
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone – Creed
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino – The Hateful Eight
Best Adapted Screenplay: Drew Goddard – The Martian
Best Animated Feature: Inside Out
Breakthrough Performance: Abraham Attah – Beasts of No Nation & Jacob Tremblay – Room
Best Directorial Debut: Jonas Carpignano – Mediterranea
Best Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul
Best Documentary: Amy
William K. Everson Film History Award: Cecilia De Mille Presley
Best Ensemble: The Big Short
Spotlight Award: Sicario, for Outstanding Collaborative Vision
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Beasts of No Nation & Mustang
Top Films
Bridge of Spies
Creed
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
The Martian
Room
Sicario
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Top 5 Foreign Language Films
Goodnight Mommy
Mediterranea
Phoenix
The Second Mother
The Tribe
Top 5 Documentaries
Best of Enemies
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
The Diplomat
Listen to Me Marlon
The Look of Silence
Top 10 Independent Films
’71
45 Years
Cop Car
Ex Machina
Grandma
It Follows
James White
Mississippi Grind
Welcome to Me
While We’re Young
NBR President Annie Schulhof said, “2015 has been a banner year for popular cinema. We are thrilled to be awarding George Miller and Ridley Scott, two iconic filmmakers at the top of their game, while also celebrating the next generation of talent.”
Photo Credit: Starpix
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