Berlin International Film Festival Review: Meryam Joobeur’s ‘Who Do I Belong To’
“‘Who Do I Belong To’ is social realist cinema at its stodgiest and most self-serious.”
Berlin International Film Festival Reviews: ‘Betânia’ and ‘Dormir De Olhos Abertos’
“On their own, ‘Betânia’ and ‘Dormir De Olhos Abertos’ represent excellent achievements — but taken together, the two productions provide an excellent account of gentrification and globalization in the northeast of Brazil.”
Review: Jessamyn Ansary and Joyce Mishaan’s ‘Lee Fields: Faithful Man’
“Shifting timelines in ‘Lee Fields: Faithful Man’ spotlight the subject’s fighter mentality and relevance in 2020s pop culture.”
Review: Abhilash Shetty’s ‘Koli Taal’
“It’s amazing what an emerging writer-director can accomplish by staying true to the basic elements of filmmaking and then building upon the foundation by applying a creative vision to a relatively simple yet regionally specific story.”
Know the Cast: ‘Through My Window: Looking at You’
‘Through My Window: Looking at You’ Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every actor and character in Marçal Forés’ 2024 Netflix movie.
Review: Bertrand Mandico’s ‘She Is Conann’
“The main issue with a film as defiantly arthouse as ‘She Is Conann’ is that if the story isn’t engaging in its own right, everything else that’s wrong becomes increasingly more obvious.”
Berlin International Film Festival Review: Roman Bondarchuk’s ‘The Editorial Office’
“I hope the future of Ukrainian cinema looks like ‘The Editorial Office.'”
Review: Matteo Garrone’s ‘Io Capitano’
“‘Io Capitano’ feels carefully researched in its subject matter, while the narrative itself is constructed with an intensity far more characteristic of Garrone’s genre work.”
Know the Cast: ‘Fallen Leaves’
‘Fallen Leaves’ Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every actor and character in Aki Kaurismäki’s 2023 movie.
Know the Cast: ‘Players’
‘Players’ Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every actor and character in Trish Sie’s 2024 Netflix movie.
Review: James Bamford’s ‘Air Force One Down’
“‘Air Force One Down’ stalls during the middle act but ultimately finds it groove, choppy as the writing may be overall.”
That Building Had It Coming: Distance and Disgust in the Anti-Comedy Playground
“In Alverson’s hands, anti-comedy becomes a new kind of gothic — it is the world viewed through a warped, sinister lens; a fresh excavation of the unspeakable through outsized comedic strategies.”
Know the Cast: ‘Upgraded’
‘Upgraded’ Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every actor and character in Carlson Young’s 2024 Amazon movie.
Review: Michael Lukk Litwak’s ‘Molli and Max in the Future’
“Despite the hollow philosophizing, ‘Molli and Max in the Future’ offers a surrealistic blend of popcorn entertainment and classic Hollywood appeal.”
Know the Cast: ‘Anatomy of a Fall’
‘Anatomy of a Fall’ Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every actor and character in Justine Triet’s 2023 movie.
Review: Keir O’Donnell’s ‘Marmalade’
“‘Marmalade’ isn’t a great film, and many high-brow critics will presumably dismiss it as ‘rotten’ nonsense, but there’s something special within the overall approach that suggests a bright filmmaking future for O’Donnell.”
Review: Amjad Al Rasheed’s ‘Inshallah a Boy’
“Al Rasheed’s feature directorial debut succeeds through its cultural specificities, enlightening cinematography and authentic performances.”
Know the Cast: ‘Se7en’
‘Seven’ Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every actor and character in David Fincher’s 1995 movie.
Know the Cast: ‘Eileen’
‘Eileen’ Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every actor and character in William Oldroyd’s 2023 movie.
Know the Cast: ‘The Vow’
‘The Vow’ Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every actor and character in Michael Sucsy’s 2012 movie.