Lights, Camera, Action

  PART IV (70-61) 70) Eternals Director: Chloé Zhao ( Nomadland , The Rider )  Cast: Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Ma Dong-seok, Kit Harrington, Gemma Chan, Barry Keoghan, and Haaz Sleiman. First off, I know what some of you must be thinking: How shocking it is that I would select a Marvel film to be in my list, and furthermore, place it above films directed by the likes of Ridley Scott, David O. Russell, and Steven Spielberg.  Anyone who is familiar with my posts on social media knows I give Marvel a tough time because of how repetitive and empty their formula has become.  However, Eternals - the upcoming superhero film from Chloé Zhao and her debut blockbuster- does not look to be like a typical offering from the MCU.  The story, which follows a group of immortal extraterrestrial beings who have shaped Earth's history and civilizations, will introduce audiences to a new group of her...

  PART III (80-71) 80) Untitled David O. Russell Project Director: David O. Russell ( American Hustle , The Fighter )  Cast: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Zoe Saldana, Rami Malek, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Robert De Niro, Timothy Olyphant, Michael Shannon, Andrea Riseborough, Mike Myers, Matthias Schoenaerts, Alessandro Nivola, and Leland Orser. It's been five years since David O. Russell's last movie, Joy , the inspiring-true-story, Oscar-hopeful about the "Miracle Mop" lady that nobody had asked for.  The film was an encapsulation of everything that was starting to feel wearisome about David O. Russell's work- the familiarity of the top-billed stars he would repeatedly use, the familiarity of the characters he would constantly cast them as, his growing emphasis of style and artifice over substance (especially in terms of dialogue, which felt more artificial with each new film)- so perhaps it was good that he went on a break when he did...