Coco Is Alive On Arrival

In terms of comparing it to past PIXAR productions, Coco is most evocative to me of Ratatouille and not just because both are PIXAR films taking place in non-U.S. territories in the modern era and both are the only features in the studio's canon to depict characters drinking alcohol on-screen.  Both are animated family movies heavily reliant on dialogue, with little in the way of big chase scenes or explosions (which, of course, are not inherently bad elements to have around) and both explore the concept of chasing your dream in a nuanced realistic fashion while still utilizing heavily fantastical elements. Plus, Coco, like Ratatouille, is a pretty great movie and is easily one of the studios strongest creations from this decade.

Rosewater Review

A Rose By Any Other Name

When progressing to the world of directing, one has to wonder what one is trying to accomplish in this endeavor. Do you want to entertain? Do you want to say something profound? For Jon Stewart, his first directorial effort in the world of feature length cinema is Rosewater (a movie he also wrote), a feature centering around a story that does seem like it would particularly resonate with Stewart, considering his investment in not only politics matters but also journalism as a whole.