Tag Archives: Barbie

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Song of the Day #5,717: ‘What Was I Made For?’ – Billie Eilish

Continuing my countdown of last year’s best films…

Best Films of 2023
#7. Barbie

All hail Greta Gerwig, queen of the coming-of-age film!

The writer-director’s first two movies explored young women finding their place in the world, in early 2000s Sacramento (Lady Bird) and Civil War-era Massachusetts (Little Women). Both are masterpieces, and both are on my list of the ten best films of the previous decade.

Now, with Barbie, Gerwig has tackled her favorite subject matter in a far different context: a big-budget blockbuster produced by a toy company. And somehow she still manages to deliver a touching look at a character discovering what it means to be a woman and a human being.

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Song of the Day #5,704: “Pink’ – Lizzo

Concluding my rundown of personal 2023 Oscar nominations, today I’ll look at the Best Director category.

Great movie direction is even harder to assess than great movie acting. How do you weigh the wide range of skill sets needed to successfully helm a movie, whether it’s working with the actors, deciding where to put the camera and when to move it, or setting the overall tone of the piece?

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Song of the Day #5,693: ‘I’m Just Ken’ – Ryan Gosling

As February approaches, it’s time for my blog to shift into movie mode and recap my 2023 film year. Over the next several weeks I will give out my personal Oscars for acting and direction and count down my favorite films of the year.

But first, I’m dedicating a week to five of my favorite musical moments in last year’s films.

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