“Please Define” (2022)
Boasting endorsements from Mindy Kaling (Executive Producer) and Ava DuVernay (distributed by their company, Array), this tender and tough comedy-drama marks the arrival of a major new talent. Sujata Day wrote, directed, and starred in She Monica, who won the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the age of eight. Now in her mid-twenties, she increasingly feels that her accomplishments will never be surpassed. What began as a fairly conventional coming-of-age story takes a surprisingly moving turn seriously as Day focuses on Monica’s tumultuous relationship with her estranged brother (Ritesh Rajan). make it something Avoid short answers and putt solutions. It’s a deeply felt and personal film, and Day (who appeared in several episodes of “Unsafe”) is a warm and likable screen presence.
“Petit Maman” (2022)
Celine Sciamma, writer and director of the heartbreaking epic Portrait of a Lady on Fire, continues with a much smaller but emotionally devastating film. Josephine Sanz stars as her 8-year-old Nellie, an independent and charming girl who entertains herself while her parents pack up to her recently deceased grandmother’s remote home. Wandering through the woods near her, she befriends and plays with another young girl (played by Joséphine’s real-life twin sister, Gabriel Sands). …actually, to reveal more than that would be to strip this touching tale of its subtle power, a short but fascinating film from one of our master filmmakers. It is a work.
The prolific Duplass brothers in this low-budget (but expensive for them!) story of an ordinary man (John C. Reilly) whose burgeoning relationship with the woman of his dreams (Marisa Tomei) becomes stifling. , made its first play to mainstream acclaim. With the interference of her intimidating, attention-hungry adult son (Jonah Hill). But Duplass uses his background in character-driven indie to keep the narrative anchored. He welcomes emotional truth.
“Dirty Weekend” (2015)
“This turned out to be one crazy layover,” Les (Matthew Broderick) says to colleague Natalie (Alice Eve), which is a bit of an understatement. During stops, he wandered downtown looking for…well, he has a secret.In the course of Neil LaBute’s understated drama, he enlists the help of his colleagues to explore and interpret the secret. LaBute attempted neither the emotional brutality of his signature films (In the Company of Men, Your Friends and Neighbors) nor the gentle approach of his more mainstream work. , instead choosing to carefully dig into areas where he could easily imagine exploding. Broderick finds her own take on style and dialogue, and Eve once again proves (after “Some Velvet Morning”) that she’s the ideal lead lady for her LaBute.
Playing a solo piano concerto at my first concert in years is nerve-wracking enough. Now imagine opening your score to find a promise to pay her one false note in your life. This is the premise of Hitchcock’s meeting with the ingenious “speed” of this early script by Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”). It’s so serious it’s ridiculous. Too wide a playing area and no stakes. But both Elijah Wood (as the pianist) and John Cusack (who stalks him as the sniper) find the right balance between rambunctious and pulpy, and Eugenio Mira directs with raucous momentum. To do.
“The Skin I Live In” (2011)
Hulu recently added a slew of Pedro Almodóvar’s best movies, including “All About My Mother,” “Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown,” “Volver,” and “Broken Embraces,” but this is witty science. is an immersion in the world of -fi and body horror are rarely placed in the same company. Still, it’s a fascinating experiment, merging Almodóvar’s usual obsessions and genre tropes in a funny and unsettling way, and from his frequent collaborator and avatar Antonio Banderas Banderas is a wealthy orthopedic surgeon who reveals himself as something close to a mad scientist over the course of a twisty, labyrinthine narrative. Vera (the unforgettable Elena Anaya) is his “monster” and his obsession.
“Tekken and Kung Fu Kick” (2019)
Serge Ou’s Crackerjack documentary is a fast-paced but in-depth exploration of martial arts cinema, from the genre’s roots in Hong Kong and its superstar origins to its crossover (and mutation) to America in the 1970s and beyond. . Also, that “Iron Fist” is deeply involved in both cinematic and world history, I would like to thank leading figures (Samo Hung, Don Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock) and experts in the field (including historian Grady Hendricks). shown in an interview with A film about both production and ratings, it delves into the political and cultural movements that made these films so popular. The clips are explosive, the editing is breathtaking, and they capture the relentless energy and Gonzo spirit of the best kung fu movies.
“Run with Beto” (2019)
With Beto O’Rourke hotly contested in the Texas governor’s office, it’s a good time to check out director David Modigliani’s portrait of O’Rourke’s groundbreaking grassroots US Senate campaign. – Red State and nearly ousted incumbent Ted Cruz. That “almost” is the movie hitch. After going through all the story beats of Underdog Triumph, it feels like the filmmakers are struggling to give the movie the happy ending it desperately needs. But this is an energetic and entertaining documentary, with hilarious supporting characters and a glimpse into what it takes to run a modern campaign.