Federico Luis’ debut feature SIMON OF THE MOUNTAIN, which just won the Grand Prix at Cannes’ Critics Week, has an interesting starting point and appears to have a lot to say about disability, but it left me puzzled. Lorenzo Ferro, who was excellent in Luis Ortega’s 2018 Cannes selection El Angel, shows his versatility here […]
Holy Cow – Cannes 2024
Louise Courvoisier’s debut feature HOLY COW, which screened at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, is a tender coming-of-age film set in the French countryside. Its pleasurable story with themes of family, friendship, and infatuation is enhanced by natural performances from the non-professional actors, a vivid color palette, and some […]
When The Light Breaks – Cannes 2024
What a gorgeous and poignant film Rúnar Rúnarsson’s WHEN THE LIGHT BREAKS is! I don’t think anything else I have seen got under my skin this way since Aftersun. Taking place over the course of a single day, Cannes Un Certain Regard opening film follows Una as she tries to cope with an unexpected tragedy […]
Universal Language – Cannes 2024
Quirky comedy meets Iranian cinema in Matthew Rankin’s delightfully absurd Universal Language. Setting his film in a fictional Canada, where the national language is Farsi, Rankin combines elements from a variety of his influences, the most obvious ones being Kiarostami, Tati, and Wes Anderson, into something that is his own. In this Winnipeg, there are […]
The Story of Souleymane – Cannes 2024
The Story of Souleymane is a heartbreaking one. Boris Lojkine’s social realist thriller from Un Certain Regard lineup at Cannes is anxiety-inducing and not for the faint of heart. It chronicles two nights and two days in the life of an undocumented Guinean immigrant in Paris, who has a grueling job doing food deliveries on […]
The Other Way Around – Cannes 2024
In Jonas Trueba’s separation dramedy, Ale, a director, and Alex, an actor, decide to throw a party to commemorate the occasion. The talkative film was co-written by Trueba and his two leads and is clearly influenced by Bergman and Allen. Bergman and Liv Ullmann’s personal and artistic relationship might have actually been an inspiration for […]
Seattle International Film Festival Streaming Week
Streaming week of Seattle International Film Festival is here! They have a great selection of films from around the world. Marija Kavtaradze’s Slow, one of my favorites from the past year, is one of them. Other highlights include Victor Erice’s Close Your Eyes, Jeanne Herry’s All Your Faces, Ari Folman’s animated feature Where Is Anne […]
Didi
It is not surprising Seattle International Film Festival Closing Night selection DIDI had won the Audience Award at Sundance. Sean Wang’s feature debut is a raw, bold, and often hilarious depiction of growing up as an insufferable teenager in the heyday of MySpace. Izaac Wang and Joan Chen are both wonderful. It will make you […]
We Strangers
Seattle International Film Festival selection We Strangers from director Anu Valia is a gratifying experience thanks to its strong visuals and talented cast led by Kirby. It left me with more questions than answers and if you are the kind of viewer, who is usually fine with that, you can give this American indie a […]
Resynator
Alison Tavel’s SXSW Audience Award winner RESYNATOR is a synthesizer documentary that is also deeply personal. Her quest to get to know her deceased father adds dramatic flair to what would otherwise have been a film only for music enthusiasts. The engaging and moving film is screening in-person and online as part of Seattle International […]