La Chimera: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 130 minutes Writer/director: Alice Rohrwacher Actors: Josh O’Connor, Isabella Rossellini, Carol Duarte, Vincenzo Nemolato By Sarah Manvel This is a movie about noses. That is meant literally – there hasn’t been this glorious a collection of schnozzes together on film since the Marx Brothers – as well as figuratively. The group of friends at the center of the story are grave robbers, … Continue reading La Chimera: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

May December: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 113 minutes Writers: Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik Director: Todd Haynes Actors: Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, Charles Melton, Gabriel Chung, Elizabeth Tu, Cory Michael Smith, D. W. Moffett, Piper Curda By Sarah Manvel In the end credits of “May December” there’s the standard disclaimer about how the characters in this film resemble no persons living or dead, which is hilarious. Anyone who was … Continue reading May December: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

Anatomy of a Fall: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 150 minutes Writers: Justine Trier, Arthur Harari Director: Justine Trier Actors: Sandra Hüller, Milo Machado Graner, Samuel Theis, Camille Rutherford, Swann Arlaud, Jehnny Beth By Sarah Manvel Justine Trier is only the third woman in 76 years to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival; “Anatomy of a Fall” also won the Palme d’Og, the semi-serious award given by critics for … Continue reading Anatomy of a Fall: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

The Lineup: The Films We’re Eyeing this June

By Tom Moore and Valerie Kalfrin The summer movie season is finally here and while there aren’t a lot of big blockbusters on our list, there are plenty of films worth checking out. From some breakout directorial debuts with plenty of awards potential to streaming service films starring some notable talents, there’s plenty of big films worth looking at in June. Not to mention, a … Continue reading The Lineup: The Films We’re Eyeing this June

The Mother of All Lies / Kadib Abyad: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 86 minutes Writer/director: Asmae El Moudir By Sarah Manvel In the clips of all the “Un Certain Regard” films that ran in the opening and closing ceremonies at the Cannes Film Festival, the one from “The Mother of All Lies”(2023) was of the director, hiding behind a lace curtain, her makeup smeared, as she argued with her grandmother Zahra as to whether … Continue reading The Mother of All Lies / Kadib Abyad: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

L’été dernier/Last Summer: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 104 minutes Director: Catherine Breillat Writers: Catherine Breillat, Maren Louise Käehne, May el-Toukhy Actors: Léa Drucker, Samuel Kircher, Olivier Rabourdin, Clotilde Courau, Angela Chen, Serena Hu By Sarah Manvel Is it ever a good idea to sleep with your teenage stepson? You would think not but in Catherine Breillat‘s new movie this is a lesson learnt the hard way. The need of that lesson … Continue reading L’été dernier/Last Summer: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

Club Zero: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 110 minutes Director: Jessica Hausner Writers: Jessica Hausner,  Géraldine Bajard Actors: Mia Wasikowska, Ksenia Devriendt, Gwen Currant, Florence Baker, Luke Barker, Samuel D. Anderson, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Amir El Masry By Sarah Manvel Would you like to see a movie in which a teenage girl forces herself to vomit, then eats it back up, as her parents stare in horror? Then you’ll … Continue reading Club Zero: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

How to Have Sex: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 98 minutes Writer/director: Molly Manning Walker Actors: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Lara Peake, Enva Lewis, Shaun Thomas, Samuel Bottomley, Laura Ambler, Eilidh Loan By Sarah Manvel It’s very normal in the UK for kids to be allowed to travel with their friends to go celebrate the exams taken when they are sixteen. These trips generally involve going someplace cheap and sunny, where there’s plentiful … Continue reading How to Have Sex: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

Egghead & Twinkie: SIFF Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 87 minutes Director/Writer: Sarah Kambe Holland Actors: Sabrina Jieafa, Louis Tomeo, Asahi Hirano, J. Scott Browning, Roger Greco, Kelley Mauro, Ayden Lee By Joan Amenn Kicking off my coverage of the Seattle International Film Festival with this film was honestly one of my best choices of the last week. I initially thought that with a title like “Egghead & Twinkie” I should … Continue reading Egghead & Twinkie: SIFF Review

Banel & Adama: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review

Year: 2023 Runtime: 87 minutes Writer/Director: Ramata-Toulaye Sy Actors: Khady Mane, Mamadou Diallo, Binta Racine Sy, Moussa Sow By Sarah Manvel First-time director Ramata-Toulaye Sy has struck gold with her first feature, “Banel & Adama,” and has also made history as the first French woman (and only the second black woman; she is also Senegalese) to have her debut film be selected for the main … Continue reading Banel & Adama: Cannes Film Festival 2023 Review