I’m happy to report that I actually liked Julia Ducournau‘s Alpha after making the long trip to AMC Bay Plaza in The Bronx, where it is having its awards qualifying run this week. At least some of the mixed reviews out of Cannes must have been due to the sky-high expectations after Titane. This is […]
Left-Handed Girl
Shih-Ching Tsou’s delightful Left-Handed Girl instantly became a favorite. If you’re a fan of co-writer Sean Baker, you can pinpoint the parts that are likely his contribution, but this is a women’s story and distinctly Tsou’s own film. Janel Tsai, Ma Shih-yuan, and the adorable young actress Nina Yeh portray these three-dimensional characters brilliantly. It […]
Christy – NewFest 2025
David Michôd’s Christy is one of the strongest conventional dramas I’ve seen this year. There’s nothing conventional about boxer Christy Martin however, a trailblazer in female boxing. Sydney Sweeney and Ben Foster transform into Martin and her coach Jim, a genuinely abhorrent character that would rival any other screen villain in recent memory. Merritt Wever […]
The Chronology of Water – NewFest 2025
Kristen Stewart goes for the poetic in the harrowing The Chronology of Water with mixed results. The highly fragmented non-linear editing used in depicting the deeply traumatic upbringing of the teenage character and her resulting toxic behavior towards others made the first half of the film a tough sit for me. It later finds its […]
Is This Thing On? – NYFF 2025
Is This Thing On? is dramatically satisfying while providing plenty of laughs, some of which come from the standup material. Bradley Cooper is working on a smaller scale than his previous two films, achieving excellent results. Will Arnett and Laura Dern complement one another wonderfully as a couple on the rocks. It is strange to have […]
Urchin
Urchin is a very impressive feature directorial debut with a brilliant central performance from Frank Dillane. Harris Dickinson and his team make excellent use of colors, light, and zoom all the while telling a compelling story of poverty and self destruction with surreal touches. It was nice to hear Desireless’ Voyage Voyage again after Compartment […]
Marty Supreme – NYFF 2025
Marty Supreme is a loud, wild, and chaotic hustler story that is a distant relative of Uncut Gems with shocking, stressful, and riotously funny Safdie moments throughout. Timothée Chalamet continues his streak of performances where he completely inhabits his character. Odessa A’zion is exceptional, and Abel Ferrara has a couple of insane scenes. The way […]
Sentimental Value – NYFF 2025
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 […]