Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison’s directorial debut gives you the inspirational sports biopic and also a less conventional aftermath of success we don’t often get to see, thanks to Barry Jenkins’ compassionate script. Ryan Destiny is fierce as Olympic boxer Claressa Shields and Brian Tyree Henry gives his best performance since Causeway as her coach. There’s […]
Babygirl
Halina Reijn’s Babygirl is juicy and entertaining. Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson are both sensational. Even though it is a very different film than Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies, one similarity is their use of music to great effect including a montage set to Never Tear Us Apart by Inxs and a hotel room scene with […]
Nightbitch
Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch does not quite reach the heights of her 2018 film Can You Ever Forgive Me?, but Amy Adams’ committed performance and its unique take on the struggles of motherhood makes it a pleasurable watch. Despite the unusual premise, the script feels authentic and full of empathy all the way through. In a […]
Queer
Nothing better than a prolific director who doesn’t disappoint. Luca Guadagnino continues his streak of exceptional films with QUEER. Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, and Lesley Manville slay their parts. In a year full of visually striking films, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom’s cinematography still stands out. The film features another intense score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and […]
Lake George
Give me a good neo-noir any day and I’ll eat it up. In Jeffrey Reiner’s LAKE GEORGE, now in theaters, ex-convict Shea Whigham has to kill his boss’ girlfriend Carrie Coon if he wants to stay alive. Together they make for a very entertaining duo and Coon especially shines as this firecracker of a character. […]
My Eternal Summer – San Sebastián 2024
Sylvia Le Fanu’s debut feature My Eternal Summer, which had its premiere at the San Sebastian Film Festival, is a delicate portrayal of 15-year old Fanny and her parents spending one last summer together when her mother is battling a terminal illness. Based on Le Fanu’s own experiences, its simplicity and lighter moments make the […]
Omni Loop
Omni Loop, which had its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival earlier this year, takes its name from a train line in Miami. It is also a time loop movie. Faced with her impending death due to a black hole growing inside of her body, scientist Zoya Lowe, played by Mary-Louise Parker, keeps taking a […]
They Will Be Dust (Polvo serán) – Toronto 2024
Carlos Marqués-Marcet’s They Will Be Dust (Polvo serán) is the euthanasia musical I did not know I needed. Ángela Molina and Alfredo Castro are brilliant as the elderly couple who cannot imagine living without one another. The vocal and percussion driven music and the modern dance choreography are out of this world. Lively, yet heartbreaking, […]
U Are the Universe – Toronto 2024
U Are the Universe from director Pavlo Ostrikov is one of the most romantic sci-fi movies you’ll ever see. Shot partly under the Russian occupation of Ukraine, the space scenes look as good as any Hollywood blockbuster despite having a fraction of their budgets. It is about longing for human connection and finding love under the most […]
Seven Days – Toronto 2024
Ali Samadi Ahadi’s SEVEN DAYS is the heart-rending journey of human rights activist Maryam from Tehran to the Turkish border in an attempt to reunite with her family. It is written by The Seed of the Sacred Fig director Mohammad Rasoulof. While it has similarities to his own story, it is inspired by Nobel Peace […]