What It’s About
Fortyish and single high-school teacher Rachel (Efira) meets and falls for divorced car designer Ali (Zem) in a Paris guitar class. As their relationship deepens, Rachel forms an attachment to Ali’s adorable four-year-old daughter, Leila (Ferreira-Goncalves). She also meets Alice (Mastroianni), Ali’s -ex and Leila’s mom. Rachel’s love for Leila makes her yearn even more for a child of her own, recognizing that her biological clock will be running out soon.
Why We Love It
Zlotowski’s warm, touching film hits all the right notes, but really soars on Efirie’s winning turn as Rachel, a strong, caring woman who finds herself in an awkward situation, feeling vulnerable. The rest of the cast delivers as well, including young Ferreira-Goncalves as Leila. The film, which could easily have turned mawkish in lesser hands, comes off as achingly relatable and true. Those lovely shots of Paris don’t hurt either. Catch this tender, beautifully rendered gem, and bring Kleenex!
What It’s About
“Nocturnes” follows ecologist Mansi and her small team as they count and catalogue various moth species, particularly the hawk moth, in the Eastern Himalayas. Illuminating a white sheet at night draws thousands of these creatures in different colors and sizes. The study tracks the makeup of moths at different elevations, testing the hypothesis that with climate change, hawk moths are moving to higher, cooler places, potentially throwing a fragile ecosystem out of balance.
Why We Love It
This mesmerizing doc is not just for science nerds. Those whose only exposure to moths is a hole in their sweater will be astonished at the sheer variety of the species, and the fact they inhabited the earth before the dinosaurs. The film portrays the unglamorous, painstaking process of conducting Mansi’s study at night, in remote terrain, often in inclement weather. At the same time it showcases the beauty of this much-maligned insect, and the lush, untamed region where they’re concentrated. Via its immersive sound design we hear the full chorus of nocturnal creatures as the team does its work, to mind-blowing effect. Winner of a Special Jury Award at Cannes, “Nocturnes” is kind of trippy, but it’s a trip worth taking.
What It’s About
In twelfth-century feudal Japan, samurai Morito (Hasegawa) helps quell a rebellion against the established rulers, partly by using the noble and beautiful Lady Kesa (Kyo) as a decoy. When asked to name his reward, Morito picks the good lady. When informed Kesa is already married to Lord Wataru (Yamagata), Morito is undeterred in his pursuit of her, to everyone’s shock. This can’t end well!
Why We Love It
Kinugasa’s juicy, riveting tale of romantic obsession stands as one of the most gorgeous color films ever made, winning the Grand Prize at Cannes, along with Oscars for best foreign film and its inspired, eye-popping costume design. Clocking in at just under 90 minutes, the film moves fast, but even with a samurai character at the center of the action, there’s not much bloodshed. This vivid portrait of a proud, determined warrior whose all-consuming desire for a woman threatens to destroy him is a must-see classic.
What It’s About
“Compensation” presents two stories involving a relationship between a deaf woman and a hearing man, both black and settled in Chicago. In 1910, seamstress Malindy Brown (Banks) meets Arthur Jones (Jelks), who works in the stockyards, and a deep connection forms. Fast-forward to present day, as librarian Nico Jones (Jelks) falls hard for graphic artist Malaika Brown (Banks). Alternating between couples and periods, we witness the profound challenge they face of bridging deaf and hearing worlds, even as they experience prejudice and other hurdles.
Why We Love It
Even as it presents two couples persevering against stiff odds, Davis’s brilliant film manages to be uplifting and life-affirming. In the face of inequality and injustice, these characters remain decent, solid human beings, particularly Malindy and Malaiko, whose inner strength and pride help overcome three inherent “disadvantages”: being deaf, African American and a woman. An independent film shot on a tiny budget, Davis makes miracles, paying tribute to silent film with black-and-white photography, intertitles, and an evocative piano score by Reginald Robinson. Shot in 1993, it’s a crime this unique, unforgettable film didn’t receive a theatrical release until 2025. Better late than never – see it now!
What It’s About
At a drug-fueled rave in the Moroccan desert, Luis (Lopez) searches for his missing teenage daughter with twelve-year-old son Estaban (Arjona). They’re so focused they scarcely hear the loud, propulsive techno beats the crowd moves to. They meet a scruffy, eccentric group of ravers who clearly live off the grid (Janvier, Oukid, Gadia, Herderson, Bellamy), who inform Luis they’re headed to another rave across the desert where his daughter might be. Even with military activity in the area, Luis decides to follow them and gradually descends into a living nightmare.
Why We Love It
Utterly fresh and distinctive, Oliver Laxe’s freakout of a movie reminds us just how powerful cinema can be. Much like 2019’s “Parasite”, “Sirāt” contains a surprise punch midway through that causes a dramatic shift in tone. The film’s outsize impact comes from its documentary-style realism (with a mostly non-professional cast), some jaw-dropping cinematography, and Kangding Ray’s haunting score. More sensitive souls should likely steer clear, but if you’re open to being truly rocked by a film, delve into the mind-blowing “Sirāt”.
What It’s About
Pavel “Pasha” Talankin is a dedicated teacher at the school he once attended in the blighted Russian town of Karabash, where his mother still serves as librarian. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the school changes overnight, as the regime orders changes to curriculum and procedures, integrating pro-war propaganda, training and drills. As the school’s videographer, Talankin captures the school’s frightening transformation from within, while recording his own disillusionment. Sasha soon becomes vulnerable in a society that crushes dissent.
Why WE Love It
Talankin’s anti-war stance eventually necessitated his sudden departure from Russia, when he smuggled out the shocking footage he’d shot over his final year at the school. From that raw material, co-director Borenstein crafts a potent expose of how the authoritarian Russian state uses disinformation to glorify war and keep even its youngest citizens in line. This revealing, unnerving film won both the Oscar and the BAFTA for Best Documentary, along with the Special Jury Prize at Sundance. “Mr. Nobody” is actually somebody, and you should meet him.
What It’s About
Angie (Ga Man) and Pat (Li Lin Lin) are a devoted same-sex couple who’ve lived together in Pat’s Hong Kong apartment for four decades. They’re close with Pat’s brother Shing (Bo) and sister-in-law Mei (Ying), serving as second parents to their grown children, Victor (Hang) and Fanny (Yu). When Pat dies suddenly, a devastated Angie learns that since her partner had put off signing a will, her whole estate goes to her brother, who’s next of kin. Expecting Shing will let her stay, Angie’s in for a rude surprise.
Why I Love It
This intimate drama about family ties broken over money unfolds in such a subtle, restrained way that you’re almost surprised by the intense emotions it creates. As survivor of a lesbian couple in China, Angie (a fabulous Ga Man) finds herself with no rights, at the mercy of Shing, a decent but misguided underachiever. Angie’s predicament is heartrending, but a late-breaking revelation provides a measure of solace. Don’t miss this touching, perceptive meditation on love, loss, and acceptance.
What It’s About
Once a promising young poet, now the middle-aged Oscar Restrepo (Rios) is disheveled and broke, struggling with a serious drinking problem and living with his mother (Soto). He lands a temporary gig teaching high school and discovers Yurlady (Andrade), a poor, unassuming girl who writes lovely poetry. Perhaps Oscar can redeem his life, and the love of estranged daughter Daniela (Corea), by helping Yurlady achieve what he couldn’t. Via old colleague Efrain (Cardona), Oscar enrolls Yurlady in a poetry festival, hoping she’ll take top prize. But nothing goes as planned.
Why We Love It
Soto’s remarkable “A Poet” has been called a black comedy, and while there are humorous moments, they’re outweighed by the pathos running throughout, mostly thanks to Rios’s fearless performance (in his first acting role). His Oscar is a poster boy for unmet potential: he speaks passionately about art but can’t actually make it. He annoys us (and everyone else), but you can’t help feeling for him. The calm, naïve Yurlady (first-timer Andrade), living in poverty and scarcely aware of her own gift, becomes his last chance to gain some self-respect. It’s easy to root for this “Poet”.
What It’s About
In 1977, with Brazil under a brutal military dictatorship, political refugee Armando (Moura) arrives in the town of Recife, moving into a safe house operated by Dona Sebastiana (Maria). Still mourning the untimely death of his wife (Carvalho) and looking for an escape route, he takes an anonymous job in an information center. He also reconnects with his former father-in-law, cinema operator Alexandre (Francisco), who’s raising Armando’s young son Fernando (Nunes). Will Armando/Marcelo ever make it out of Brazil?
Why We Love It
Filho’s offbeat, at times surreal thriller has characters and atmosphere to burn, and its 160 minute runtime speeds by. The Oscar-nominated Moura is sensational as a man vaguely aware that certain government-connected interests may want him dead. Trying to blend in, he’s also watchful, and an underlying dread permeates the film. Evocative set and costume design bring the period alive, and the whole cast delivers compelling performances, with Maria a standout as Dona Sebastiana. Udo Kier is also memorable in his final role. Don’t keep this “Agent” a secret.
What It’s About
Born into a Belgian family living in Japan in the 1960s, Amelie (Charpentier) starts life unresponsive until a series of events awakens her to the world. Suddenly precocious, she drinks in her surroundings with devoted nanny Nishio-san (Grosbois). She experiences life’s darker side in cold landlady Kashima-san (Fujimori), whose grim war experience makes her dislike Westerners. Amelie also learns about impermanence when she experiences a death in the family, and confronts the prospect of one day leaving Japan.
Why We Love It
Rendered in vibrant, pastel-hued 2D animation, “Little Amelie” owes more to the meticulous, hand-drawn work of Hayao Miyazaki than to Pixar. This sensitive, deeply felt story of one small child’s voyage of discovery will transport viewers of all ages, weaving in serious elements like war and death with a light, deft touch. Oscar-nominated for Best Animated Feature, “Amelie” combines stunning visual beauty with a warm humanity that will leave you smiling.