THE WHALE
The ‘Brenaissance’ is here! The return and rise of Brendan Fraser’s acting is in full display in The Whale. This film does have other areas to praise; like the interesting social commentary on the importance of feeling and spreading love and director Darren Aronofsky’s ability to keep the audience engaged given its one cramped and drab location, but the real powerhouse of this film is Fraser’s performance. Almost unrecognisable under all the convincing, Oscar nominated, make-up, Fraser deserves all the acclaim he has received. It truly is the favourite and most deserved winner of the Best Actor Oscar. Take the tissues if you see this film, you will have a wail of a time. EO
TÁR
After a long break from directing, Todd Field returns with this slow moving, yet riveting and intimate look into the mind of a determined musician. You may find yourself hating the titular character at times, but there’s no denying that you’ll love Cate Blanchetts performance of Lydia Tar. All of the awards our Aussie girl has won in the build up to the Oscars are absolutely warranted given her powerhouse of an orchestral performance. It would be disappointing if she was to lose the Academy Award. On a technical side of things, Tar’s cinematography is second to none. The angles aren’t too elaborate and the set ups aren’t too flashy, but it’s documentary like nature allows to feel fully invested in its slow moving build of a film. If you get the chance to conduct yourself to see this on the big screen, you must! EO
