Irish period dramedy THE MIRACLE CLUB is a perfect fit for Sony Pictures Classics, which is releasing it in theaters this weekend. If the trailer interests you, go see it. It is funny and, as you can expect from that cast, well-acted. Especially Kathy Bates is a joy to watch.
Theater Camp
Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman’s THEATER CAMP is like a Christopher Guest mockumentary for theater people and they will love it. There are many inside jokes, which might prevent it from having universal appeal, but it definitely entertained me. It had premiered at this year’s Sundance and it is in theaters now.
Earth Mama
Olympic athlete and director Savanah Leaf’s powerful and confident feature debut EARTH MAMA will be in additional theaters this weekend via A24. Film at Lincoln Center will host Q&A’s with Leaf. The photos below are from New Directors New Films Opening Night screening.
Biosphere
Mark Duplass and Sterling K. brown at the IFC Center Q&A for Biosphere, a single location, two character sci-fi that is one of the most original films I have seen all year. It was surprisingly entertaining thanks in large part to the two leads. Watch it without reading a lot about it beforehand.
Afire is in theaters
Christian Petzold’s latest, Afire, reunites him one more time with the magnetic Paula Beer. Thomas Schubert is perfect as the grumpy Leon. Emotional and romantic with a strong Eric Rohmer influence, it is easily one of the best films of the year! In theaters now.
Favorites of 2023 so far
My personal favorites among the films I have watched in the first half of 2023: Past Lives Afire Slow Suitable Flesh Blue Jean Totem Scrapper Tori & Lokita Beyond Utopia John Wick: Chapter 4 Full Time Fair Play Last Night of Amore The Beasts Burning Days Blackberry
May December – NYFF Opening Night
Todd Haynes’ MAY DECEMBER with Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore will open the New York Film Festival on September 29th. Can’t imagine a better way welcome the fall!
Amanda
Director Carolina Cavalli at the IFC Center Q&A for AMANDA, a comedy about desperate longing for companionship. The film’s editor is Babak Jalali, who wrote his Sundance 2023 film Fremont with Cavalli. They both have a knack for dry humor and the two films would make a great double feature. There will be another Q&A […]
Fantasia Festival 2023 Curtain Raiser
Fantasia’s 27th edition is currently in session and will continue until August 9, 2023. The beloved film festival focuses on genre films, but there are always some great dramas to be discovered alongside the horror and sci-fi standouts that people will be talking about in coming months. I will be covering the festival remotely this year […]
Nimona
Netflix’s new animated film NIMONA is action-filled, side-splittingly funny, affecting, and wonderfully animated. Chloë Grace Moretz and Riz Ahmed give two of the best voice acting performances in recent memory as Nimona and Ballister. It delivers its message of inclusion in a simple, but effective manner. The screening I have attended at NYC’s Paris Theater […]