Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value is the most compelling drama of the year so far. He is able to bring out career-best performances from the talented ensemble cast of Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning. He and his writing partner Eskil Vogt have crafted a tight, pitch-perfect script, containing little details such […]
Blue Moon – NYFF 2025
In a career full of noteworthy performances, Ethan Hawke’s turn as lyricist Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon still stands out. It is one of his most remarkable yet. The single location narrative by Robert Kaplow is something you’d expect to see on stage, but Linklater transforms it into a talky, funny, and melancholic […]
Jay Kelly – NYFF 2025
Jay Kelly will likely be Noah Baumbach’s most widely appealing film to date. It is full of laughs and is often touching without being overly sentimental. George Clooney and Adam Sandler’s characters fit them like a glove, with Sandler impressing once again in a role that deviates from his broadly comedic onscreen persona. The traditional […]
The Secret Agent – NYFF 2025
Kleber Mendonça Filho directs The Secret Agent as if he’s conducting a symphony. There are numerous moving parts that blend together perfectly. Wagner Moura is charming and spellbinding and stands out among a cast of many remarkable characters. At a time when stories of oppression under dictatorships are as relevant as ever, KMF constructs one of […]
One Battle After Another
Others were not exaggerating. With its impeccable script, humor, performances, and visuals, One Battle After Another is easily the best film I have seen this year. Chase Infiniti, Sean Penn, DiCaprio, and Teyana Taylor stand out among an all-around exceptional cast. It’s hard to overstate Jonny Greenwood’s contribution to the film through his incredible score. […]
Six Days in Spring – San Sebastián 2025
Winner of the Best Director and Screenplay awards at this year’s San Sebastián Film Festival, Joachim Lafosse’s SIX DAYS IN SPRING is a breezy drama capturing divorced mother Sana (Eye Haïdara) and her two sons on vacation in Saint-Tropez. After her original plan of staying with her boyfriend Jules (Jules Waringo) falls apart and she […]
To the Victory! – Toronto 2025
Valentyn Vasyanovych’s To the Victory!, which won the Platform Award at TIFF 2025, looks at the war in Ukraine from a perspective that is not often talked about. It envisions a near future in which, despite the war’s end, the women and children who fled at the conflict’s onset do not return to their war-ravaged […]
Lovely Day – Toronto 2025
Philippe Falardeau’s Lovely Day (Mille Secrets Mille Dangers) is a coming-of-age drama disguised as a wedding movie. Neil Elias delivers a layered performance as Alain, who experiences a crisis of anxiety on his wedding day. The non-linear narrative tells his story effectively, alternating between different periods of his youth and the present day. However, the […]
Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t – Venice 2025
Gianni Di Gregorio co-wrote, directed, and stars in Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t, a distinctly European comedy/drama about aging, family, and companionship. After her husband Helmut cheats on her with one of his students, Sofia takes her children Olga and Tommaso to Rome to live with her retired father, affectionately called Professore […]
Songs of Forgotten Trees – Venice 2025
Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy follows in Payal Kapadia’s footsteps with her feminist debut feature Songs of Forgotten Trees, a beautiful film that portrays the bond between two women sharing an apartment in Mumbai. Thooya is an aspiring actress supporting herself with sex work. Swetha is in IT sales and has hopes of getting married. The […]