What It’s About
When family man Eghbal (Azizi) has car trouble, he wanders in to a garage, giving mechanic Vahid (Mobasseri) a shock. His new customer walks and sounds just like the sadistic guard who tortured him in prison years ago. His thirst for vengeance awakened, Vahid kidnaps Eghbal, who claims he’s not the man in question. A sliver of doubt planted, Vahid seeks out other victims to corroborate Eghbal’s true identity, including photographer Shiva (Afshari) and feisty bride-to-be Golvokh (Pakbaten). Even if this rag-tag group manages to identify him, what then?
Why We Love It
Master director Panahi’s riveting drama explores whether an act of righteous revenge can lessen the trauma of dissidents brutally punished for opposing Iran’s regime. Can it be justified? The unexpected odyssey these former activists take to get at the truth-and the right course of action- is by turns comical and grimly serious. Panahi makes the whole adventure as colorful as it is revealing. Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, this absorbing “Accident” is a must-see.
What It’s About
Months before his death in November 1943, famed lyricist Lorenz Hart (Hawke) swallows his pride to attend opening night of the landmark Broadway musical, “Oklahoma!”, his former partner Richard Rodgers’ first collaboration with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II (Delaney). Sitting at Sardi’s, Hart reminisces with bartender Eddie (Cannavale) and gushes over his platonic romance with beguiling Yale student Elizabeth Weiland (Qualley). His health and career broken by alcoholism, Hart clings to the idea of a Rodgers and Hart reunion. Later, when Rodgers (Scott) shows up, he keeps Hart at arm’s length, alternating between affection and frustration.
Why We Love It
In “Blue Moon”, Linklater delivers a sad, affecting tribute to a brilliant but broken man. He films this almost like a one-act play, over one fateful night at Sardi’s. The whole cast delivers, particularly Cannavale and Qualley, but the unrecognizable Hawke is the whole show, making us see the loneliness underneath the clever repartee. Both exceedingly short and a closeted gay, Hart’s famous wit could never offset his feeling of being apart and alone, fueling his need to drink. With touches of humor and heartbreak, “Blue Moon” does this legend full justice.
What It’s About
Between 2019 and 2023, occupying Israeli forces implemented a plan to force Palestinian residents off their land in the West Bank settlement of Masafer Yatta to make room for a military training ground. No provision is made for families who’ve lived there for generations; they’re forced to gather what belongings they can and move into nearby caves. Palestinian activist Adora and Israeli journalist Abraham cover the story and form an unlikely partnership, tempered by the reality that only one of them is free.
Why We Love It
This shocking documentary puts us right on the ground as longtime Palestinian residents are unceremoniously evicted from their homes with no recourse and nowhere to go. There is indeed “no other land” for them, and the sheer inhumanity of it really hits home. The film is dynamite, so powerful that the filmmakers could not find a U.S. distributor; they had to self-distribute. It paid off with an Oscar win for Best Documentary. Regardless of your politics, “No Other Land” is essential viewing.
What It’s About
Nora Borg (Reinsve) is a theater actress in Oslo who’s in a fragile state after the recent death of her mother. Her childhood home, in the Borg family for generations, is now occupied by sister Agnes (Lilleaas), but owned by their father Gustav (Skarsgard), a famous film director who abruptly left the family years before. Gustav now wants to shoot his new movie in the house, and hopefully re-establish relations with his daughters. When the embittered Nora refuses his offer to star, Gustav turns to American actress Rachel Kemp (Fanning). Will his film get made, and will this fractured family heal?
Why We Love It
Writer/director Trier’s “Sentimental Value” is a perceptive, penetrating drama of family dysfunction, elevated by two unforgettable performances: the luminous Reinsve as the chronically depressed daughter with unresolved anger, and Skarsgard as the narcissistic father, past his prime and looking back with a dawning sense of guilt and regret. Winner of the Grand Prize at Cannes, this unforgettable film will always hold its “value”. It’s a must-see.
What It’s About
Explosives expert Bob Ferguson (Di Caprio) commits sabotage against an authoritarian government with his foxy, fearless partner, Perfidia (Taylor). Perfidia also has a memorable encounter with the military man who’s been chasing them, the bizarre Captain Steven Lockjaw (Penn). Bob and Perfidia have a daughter, but she doesn’t take to motherhood. Fast forward sixteen years, and daughter Willa (Infiniti) now lives with her paranoid, perpetually stoned dad. When Lockjaw resumes his hunt for Bob and (now) Willa, Bob must snap out of his haze to protect his daughter’s life, and his own.
Why We Love It
Anderson’s sprawling, propulsive film clocks in at 160 minutes, but flies by. Packed with so much incident and such distinctive characters, “Battle” is a wild, colorful thrill ride, with some Kubrickian satire thrown in with villain Lockjaw, played with gusto by Penn. DiCaprio also scores as Bob, a mess we still want to root for, and Del Toro nearly steals it as Sensei Sergio, the ever-mellow martial arts instructor who helps Bob and Willa. This astonishing movie begs to be seen more than once.
What It’s About
Neither charismatic nor telegenic, former columnist Ed Sullivan was the unlikely host of a one-of-a-kind program in the early days of television. The Ed Sullivan Show lasted two decades and became appointment viewing for millions of Americans on Sunday nights. Beyond launching acts like Elvis and the Beatles, Sullivan defied southern CBS affiliates by inviting top African American artists to perform, including Louis Armstrong, Harry Belafonte, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Ike and Tina Turner, and many more.
Why We Love It
Jenkins’ fascinating, nostalgic doc brings back the glory days of television and the hugely influential show hosted by the stone-faced Sullivan, who we learn fought engrained prejudice to showcase emerging black artists in jazz, rock and soul. Growing up the child of Irish immigrants in New York, he’d experienced discrimination first-hand, and fought back. Beyond being color blind, Sullivan also had a keen eye for talent. “Sunday Best” combines archival footage with current day interviews (Belafonte’s a highlight) to bring back a special time in America, and the show that helped define it.
What It’s About
In the rural Ganza province of China, struggling, middle-aged itinerant farmer Youtie (Wu) and sickly spinster Guiyang (Hai) are an ongoing burden on their respective families, so the two are hastily united in an arranged marriage. What initially appears a dubious union gradually morphs into something wholly unexpected. As together they struggle and undergo back-breaking labor to (barely) survive in a rapidly transforming China, these two miscasts forge a bond of trust, respect, and affection.
Why We Love It
China did its best to suppress release of this affecting film, as it portrays how the country has turned its back on the plight of rural farmers, threatening a whole way of life and causing many workers in rural provinces to migrate to urban areas. There’s even a move to displace residents and bulldoze houses in farming communities. Through all the indignities and injustice, Youtie and Guiyang draw comfort and solidarity in working the land, even as their own country marginalizes them. Director Ruijun Lee tells his story with finesse and restraint, so “Return” avoids sentimentality or the need for an obvious political statement. Just observing the simple dignity of this couple as they toil each day speaks volumes.
What It’s About
Middle aged immigrant Cheung (Kang-sheng) works construction in New York City, but feels lonely and disconnected. He still supports his wife and daughter in Taiwan, but a dark event from his past prevents his returning. He takes comfort in the companionship of Didi (Haipeng), a masseuse who counts Cheung as a special friend and client. At the Queens massage parlor where she works with her best friend Amy (Wu), the two ladies dream of moving to Baltimore and opening a restaurant. When tragedy strikes, Cheung and Amy find themselves drawn together by grief.
Why We Love It
Tsang’s impressive feature debut evokes the singular experience of Asian immigrants forced to adjust to uncertain new lives in New York City. Since they can’t fully assimilate into the broader society, they exist within their own small, constricted world, marking time and trying to make the best of it. Cheung and Didi share a lovely rapport, but could they sustain any kind of future together? This subtle, observational film takes us places we’d never otherwise go, and it’s a memorable, affecting trip.
What It’s About
Chatila (Bakri) and Reda (Sabbah) are Palestinian refugees who resort to petty thievery to survive in Athens. Chatila has dreams of getting to Germany and opening a café, but Reda’s dope habit gets in the way. Chatila befriends Malik (Alsurafa), a teenage orphan trying to reach his aunt in Italy, then meets Tatiana (Papoulia), a lonely Greek woman. Using his two new friends, he concocts a daring scheme that could solve all his problems.
Why We Love It
Palestinian/Danish director Fleifel scores a bullseye with this, her first narrative feature. With worldwide migration exploding, “Unknown” feels highly specific to our moment. Yet it also tells a timeless human story about male friendship, with shades of “Mean Streets”. Chatila is smart, motivated and desperate – but also protective of the weak, vulnerable Reda, even as he hampers his own progress. The whole cast is superb, making us feel the pain and frustration of these displaced souls, who, we are reminded by this excellent and timely film, are fellow human beings.
What It’s About
In Ocala, Florida, a dispute between reclusive Lorincz (who’s white) and her African American neighbors imperceptibly escalates, leading to tragedy. Lorincz has lodged multiple police complaints about local kids playing too loudly, too near her home. Eventually, Owens, mother of four, makes the mistake of pounding on Lorincz’s door to confront her, whereupon Lorincz shoots through it and kills her. Will the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law get Lorincz off the hook?
Why We Love It
Gandbhir’s unnerving documentary makes generous use of police bodycam and interview footage, with no recreations whatever. Starting with the senseless murder that captured the nation’s attention and working back, we get to know Ms. Lorincz through her recurring calls to police. Even as she tries to sound reasonable, the police can tell there’s something off, an undercurrent of racism. They try to make peace and reinforce the ground rules, but in the moment, these feel like nuisance calls. No one anticipates the danger that’s building. A heartbreaking human story and devastating indictment of the law which allowed Lorincz to claim self-defense, this “Neighbor” bears close scrutiny.