EIFF 2025 Review: Mas Bouzidi’s ‘Concessions’
“‘Concessions’ is essentially a collage, taking bits of other films and sticking them together to make something pretty. But it struggles when it comes to time to say something of its own.”
“‘Concessions’ is essentially a collage, taking bits of other films and sticking them together to make something pretty. But it struggles when it comes to time to say something of its own.”
“Sadly, ‘Two Neighbors’ turns out to be one of those parties where the people don’t really mix and the event seems to drag on forever.”
“‘Islands’ smoothly makes the transition from a romantic drama to an understated thriller, and it’s utterly intoxicating.”
“Using striking, elemental images, ‘The Return’ taps into the ancient power of Homer’s epic story.”
“‘Tornado’ is thoroughly gripping, often gorgeous and altogether unique…”
“Emma Westenberg’s father-daughter drama ‘Bleeding Love’ is a travel movie that sticks closely to previous genre routes.”
“The prickly, nuanced performances from Chernick and Canning help drive The Burning Season’s mystery.”
“As a pure piece of genre filmmaking, ‘Propriedade’ is highly successful.”
“‘Joram’ is effectively a new version of ‘The Fugitive’ (and a rather good one at that).”
“Thanks to some sharp, propulsive editing and a highly intriguing set of speakers, ‘Cassius X: Becoming Ali’ makes for an easily entertaining watch.”
“‘Therapy Dogs’ skitters around far too freely to be restrained by any sort of conventional coming-of-age narrative.”
“Denis drenches every scene in ‘Fire’ with such a sultry sadness; the film stays captivating even as a drastic turn never seems to arrive.”
“In ‘Nitram,’ even the simplest domestic scenes inside the Bryant family home seem to have had the light and life sucked from them. And even in the film’s gentlest moments, Kurzel never lets the audience forget the film’s hopeless destination.”
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“Both emotionally and narratively, ‘The Man Standing Next’ is an easy story to get lost in.”
“Rather than using the violence itself as a punchline, ‘Voice of Silence’ builds a comedy of manners out of Chang-bok and his colleagues’ sensibilities.”
“Rowland’s direction throughout is clean and deliberate, rarely showy. He evokes the kind of barren small town where there is almost nothing to fight over, although some still find a way. There’s a bleakness to all of it, a greyness.”
“‘Miss & Mrs. Cops’ is a genuinely light-hearted movie which never strays into the emotional register of real life or real pain.”
“From the moment Ramona first appears, ‘Hustlers’ announces itself as a new addition to the neo-noir cannon — a film about bright lights in dark places.”