There is a lot to like in Joel Potrykus’ VULCANIZADORA if you’re a fan of the offbeat. Two middle aged friends go hiking in a Michigan forest to carry out a pact and not surprisingly things don’t go as planned. Potrykus is a polarizing director and if you like his films, you’re likely to love […]
La Cocina – Tribeca 2024
Alonso Ruizpalacios’ LA COCINA with Raúl Briones, Rooney Mara, and an all-around first-rate cast takes place in the kitchen of a Times Square restaurant. Chaotic by design with long takes and splendid black and white photography, it’s a film about hierarchy and just plain anger. I feel like I got to know quite a few […]
Hunters on a White Field – Tribeca 2024
In HUNTERS ON A WHITE FIELD, three alpha males take a weekend hunting trip to a cabin in the woods. When all the animals disappear, the trip turns into a battle royale. First time director Sarah Gyllenstierna builds up the tension slowly with strong imagery and an unsettling score by frequent Joachim Trier collaborator Ola […]
Era Oculta – Tribeca 2024
Colombian director Carlos Vargas’ debut ERA OCULTA – HIDDEN ERA is a snapshot of the lives of Phambi, a struggling Rastafari painter, and his two feminist friends in Mozambique. We observe him creating and trying to sell his paintings in order to put together the money for his son’s school. We also follow sisters Paula […]
Kinds of Kindness
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness is three deliciously strange and darkly funny films rolled into one. The whole cast is top notch, but the film mostly belongs to Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone. Happy to see Lanthimos going back to his roots after several grand scale projects. The photos are from the AMC Lincoln Square […]
The Bikeriders
Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders is a sort of Goodfellas with bikers and a good dose of toxic masculinity. I loved the performances, soundtrack, and the overall feel. Comer shines and her accent is brilliant. Butler and Tom Hardy channel James Dean and Brando. The photos are from the Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn Q&A with Austin Butler […]
Swimming Home – Tribeca 2024
Even though director Justin Anderson is British, SWIMMING HOME with Christopher Abbott, Mackenzie Davis, and Ariane Labed is set in Greece and has clearly been influenced by the Greek Weird Wave. It is a hard to decipher film that will linger in your mind due to its attractive setting and the vast amount of nudity […]
Boys Go To Jupiter – Tribeca 2024
Julian Glander’s colorful 3D-animated musical BOYS GO TO JUPITER about a Florida teenager hustling to make $5,000 will appeal to those with an appetite for quirk. I found it pleasant and amusing for the most part despite the comedy and the songs being hit or miss. Julio Torres, Elsie Fisher, Sarah Sherman, Janeane Garofalo, Tavi […]
Daddio – Tribeca 2024
Christy Hall’s Daddio is a very candid, revelatory, and surprisingly enthralling conversation between a passenger and a cab driver on a ride from JFK to Manhattan. It has a lot of laughs and some tears. Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn are both superb. Sony Pictures Classics is releasing it in theaters on June 28. Photos […]
Skywalkers: A Live Story – Tribeca 2024
I don’t like heights, but love watching films about them like Man On Wire, The Walk, and Free Solo. SKYWALKERS: A LOVE STORY is another nerve-racking one that made me shout multiple times. It is gorgeously filmed and has a lovely romance at its center. It will be in IMAX theaters on July 12 and will […]