In the Shadow of Beirut
This beautifully made documentary takes place is what must be the most desolate slum in all of Lebanon, a country itself teetering on the edge of economic and political ruin.…
The Room Next Door
It's probably one of our worst fears: dying alone. I didn't particularly like The Room Next Door though it sure it did resonate. It's the story of two old friends…
Emilia Pérez
Emilia Pérez is a jumble of genres, yet somehow it works. Part crime drama, part musical, part arty, part mainstream, part weird. It's really hard to explain without messing up…
The Brutalist
The Brutalist is my favorite film of the year, hands down! It's a big film. A commanding film. Yes, it's long (3h 35m), but unlike so many of the long…
A Real Pain
A Real Pain is a dramedy written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg. David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) are cousins. They've always had a close relationship. But Benji has had…
Black Box Diaries
I happened to watch Black Box Diaries on the same day that dozens of guilty verdicts came down in a high-profile drugging-and-rape trial in France. The victim, Gisele Pelicot, had…
All We Imagine As Light
Set in the hectic city of Mumbai, All We Imagine as Light is a story of sisterhood. Head nurse Prabha (Kani Kusruti) lives with younger, recently hired nurse Anu (Divya…
A Complete Unknown
Without a doubt one of the most influential American musicians of the twentieth century, Bob Dylan is the focus of A Complete Unknown, from his arrival in New York in…
September 5
As a control room producer in a previous life, September 5 left me feeling nostalgic for the adrenaline rush that comes with bearing witness to history in real time while…
The Fire Inside
I was in the mood for something uplifting, not too arty or intense, and under two hours. The Fire Inside fit the bill. Plus, I had no clue about the…
The Last Showgirl
I guess most of us know Pamela Anderson as either a Playboy pinup or as one of the Baywatch babes. Not a lot of depth, just a lot of sex…
Heretic
Hugh Grant is one of my favorite actors. Charming, curmudgeonly, silly, sometimes all three at once. Turning those attributes on their heads in the psychological horror flick Heretic he invites…
Blitz
Academy Award winning director Steve McQueen who burst onto the scene with 12 Years a Slave and continued to shine with the wonderful "Small Axe" series has returned with a…
Wicked
I’ll refrain from calling the film ’wicked good,’ as the hype may drive expectations a bit too far. But it is fair to say that Wicked is faithful to the…
Thelma
I’m late to the party on this nonagenarian action-comedy, but better late than never! June Squibb (Nebraska) is an absolute gem as Thelma Post, a feisty 93-year-old grandmother who falls…