Angelina Jolie Becomes an Oscar Favorite in 'Maria'

         At the 2024 Venice Film Festival, Angelina Jolie established herself as an early Oscar contender in 'Maria', which has garnered predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding at 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "The tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest female opera singer, relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris." The ensemble cast includes Pierfrancesco Favino, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alba Rohrwacher, and Haluk Bilginer. But what did the critics say?

  

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        Joey Magidson of Awards Radar says, "Between Jackie and Spencer, Pablo Larraín has become a filmmaker closely associated with tragic women. He returns once again to that subject matter for Maria, a look at the final days in the life of opera legend Maria Callas. In some ways, this is familiar territory to be trafficking in, but in other ways, it’s a far different work. Playing at the Telluride Film Festival, the movie is deeply sad, hauntingly beautiful, and features a career best performance from Angelina Jolie. Maria is a neater work than Jackie and Spencer in some ways, while in others, it’s a much sadder film, which is saying something. Jolie is incredible, as were Natalie Portman and Kristen Stewart before her, with Larraín capturing her perfectly. The investment in the character and the role pay off, as this is once again a chilly work, potentially keeping some at even more of a distance due to Callas being less well known to some audience members than Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana." Adding, "Maria features Angelina Jolie's best work in Pablo Larraín's latest tragic biopic."

       Scott Menzel of We Live Entertainment writes, "Jolie disappears into the role thanks to her committed performance as well as the remarkable costume and hair & makeup team that worked alongside her." Continuing, "Pablo Larraín has slowly started to build an impressive body of work. His films have a distinct look, and his vision as a filmmaker is entirely on display with each new project. Larraín clearly has a passion for history and loves to blur the line between reality and fiction. Maria, like all of his previous outings, is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The cinematography by Edward Lachman is superb, as each frame looks and feels like a work of art. While the subject matter of Larraín’s films have limited appeal, it’s hard to argue that he knows how to get incredible performances out of all his actors, no matter how big or small their role might be. This is one thing that has consistently blown me away about Larraín. He is an actor’s director and has proven that time and time again."

       Stephanie Zacharek of TIME Magazine was less impressed, stating, "Maria may burnish her legend. But it also snuffs out her spark." Continuing, "Meanwhile, too many times to count, Jolie’s Maria gazes into the middle distance, mourning the person, the presence, the artist she used to be, reflecting aloud on her one true love, the “ugly and dead”—as she puts it—Aristotle Onassis. (When he appears in the movie's flashback scenes, a wily gnome in evening dress, he’s played by Turkish actor Haluk Bilginer.) Every gesture Jolie makes is tragic and quivering; when she smiles, it’s the wan, magnanimous kind, as if she really couldn’t be bothered. This is a performance from the “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful” school, a great artist’s final days rendered with a self-conscious sheen that has nothing to do with the inherent grandness, or sadness, of Callas’s life."

       Nicholas Barber of BBC praises the film, stating, "Knight has written countless lines of spikily witty, quotable dialogue, and it's never a chore to watch a beautiful actor wearing beautiful outfits in beautiful Paris locations." Adding, "We all know from the opening scene that Callas's week is not going to end with a miraculous comeback, so her physical and mental wanderings don't have any tension or momentum. The film is also too adoring and reverential to let us sympathise with its supposedly fragile heroine. Unusually for someone who is drug-addled and terminally ill, Jolie's Callas never looks anything less than magnificent, and she is always supremely dignified, poised and confident, out-quipping everyone who crosses her path. "What did you take," asks her butler, after his boss has been to her well-stocked medicine cabinet. "I took liberties all my life," she replies, "and the world took liberties with me"."

'Hoard' Reviews: "special, just as singular, and just as magical"

         On September 6, 2024, Sunrise Films releases 'Hoard', which has received predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "Seven-year-old Maria and her mother live in their own loving world built on sorting through bins and collecting shiny rubbish. One night, their world falls apart, and we join Maria a decade later, living with her foster mother." The ensemble cast includes Joseph Quinn, Samantha Spiro, Hayley Squires, Cathy Tyson, Lily-Beau Leach, and Saura Lightfoot-Leon. But what did the critics say?

        Alexandra Heller-Nicholas of AWFJ.org says, "Luna Carmoon is such a unique, strong filmmaker and Hoard feels like it is just a small peek into the kinds of stories she is capable of sharing with us – all, no doubt, just as special, just as singular, and just as magical." Adding, "Hoard is certainly a masterfully directed and intimate coming of age story, but it is also so much more. The film’s opening in particular stands as a veritable masterclass in world building the likes of which I have not seen in years; it is compassionate, immersive, and – yes – so very very magical. As the child of a working-class hoarder myself, as the kids say with Hoard I felt so very, very seen: to have this kind of experience granted the kind of wonder and magic that I too remember feels so incredibly rare and incredibly precious, and a whole universe apart from the typical kind of tut-tutting poverty porn that characters like this are far too often governed by."

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        Andrew Murray of The Upcoming notes, "Whether it’s the cathartic screams of Maria and her mother while playing together, the feverish cinematic language that transforms some moments into bizarre dreamlike sequences or the absurd metaphors used to express Maria’s burgeoning womanhood, there’s an irresistible giddy energy running throughout Carmoon’s movie that gives it the feel of a surrealist comedy. However, some of these quirkier moments are exaggerated to the point of garish excess, especially a scene reminiscent of The Tin Drum that revolves around spitting on sherbet. The director doesn’t hold back in her approach to the subject matter as she confronts viewers with an array of weird and disturbing imagery. As unhinged as events become, it’s this feature’s heartfelt depictions of loss and grief that ground the unbridled insanity. Making everything all the better is Leon’s stellar performance and a striking visual presentation, which sprinkles in an element of the fantastical to this profoundly human story."

     Kat Hughes of THN praises the film, stating, "Hoard is a film that feels deeply personal throughout, to the point where it almost feels wrong to be watching. This level of connection between viewer and material usually takes filmmakers years to achieve, and yet Carmoon has managed it with her debut." Continuing, "Accompanying Maria on her spiritual quest is binman Michael, played by Stranger Things’ sensation, Joseph Quinn. Since his appearance as Eddie on the hit Netflix show, Quinn has amassed a dedicated and near-rabid fanbase. His devout followers will no doubt form a big chunk of Hoard’s viewing public, but expectations of a similarly likeable character will go unfulfilled. That is not to say that Michael is a ‘bad’ character, he is just one that is more layered than Eddie. Michael himself is in a state of transition, and as he and Maria meet, both engage their self-destruction buttons. All Hell then begins to unfold. The chemistry between Quinn and Lightfoot-Leon is combustible; watching Michael and Maria succumb to their questionable desires is nothing short of compelling."

       Jack Martin of Film Feeder writes, "Hoard is a bold and provocative debut for filmmaker Luna Carmoon, who almost indulgently flaunts a style that leans into its unique flavour of anarchic absurdism, but often at the risk of alienating an audience with weaker stomachs." 

'Nobody Wants This' Wows the Critics

         On September 26, 2024, Netflix released 'Nobody Wants This', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the series, "An agnostic sex podcaster and a newly single rabbi fall in love; discovering if their relationship survive their wildly different lives and meddling families." The ensemble cast includes Adam Brody, Kristen Bell, Emily Arlook, and Sherry Cola. But what did the critics say?

       Alison Herman of Variety says, "If Nobody Wants This can’t make Joanne and Noah a lived-in partnership, it at least gives us Bell, Brody and a pleasant-enough time." Adding, "Yet “Nobody Wants This” is to “Transparent,” “You’re the Worst” and their ilk what the so-called “indie sleaze” revival is to The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem: a faint echo that’s content to echo the aesthetics of its influence without much in the way of substance. (Bring in the heavyweights of TV-as-extended-rom-com, like “Catastrophe” and “Fleabag,” and the comparison is even more unflattering.) I suspect this will be more of a boon than an impediment to its success. Netflix has made megahits of shows as shiny and frictionless as “Nobody Wants This” in the past; after downing 10 episodes in two sittings, I entered a thought-free state of mind I’ve come to think of as “Emily in Paris” Syndrome. The sugar high nonetheless wears off. Despite the name, plenty of people will want to watch “Nobody Wants This.” I just doubt they’ll have lasting memories of it."

       Whitney Friedlander of Paste Magazine was less impressed, stating, "Those projects are also built on the tenet that the central couple is a couple worthy of the fight... But Nobody Wants This hasn’t convinced me that Joanne and Noah are a couple worth the fight."

       Proma Khosla of indieWire notes, "The series asks if a rabbi can date someone who isn’t Jewish, and the answer is pretty straightforward. Everything outside of that question, however, is what makes the series worth watching." Concluding, "Brody and Bell are irresistible together, and the ease of their dynamic quickly forgives the series’ other shortcomings. It’s also the reason that Joanne and Noah together is infinitely more compelling than if they’re not, and Foster’s team recognizes that. The ensemble is endearing even when their characters are inconsistently so (Lupe, and a criminally underused Sherry Cola), and when they’re not-so-secret MVPs (Timothy Simons as Noah’s “loser sibling” gets a particularly charming Girl Dad B story). Unlike most romances, “Nobody Wants This” spares empathy for Rebecca, and for how it feels to watch her ex dive into something new and serious and emphatically in-her-face — and for Sasha’s (Simons) wife Esther (Jackie Tohn) caught in the middle."

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       Joel Keller of Decider praises the series, stating, "Normally, we’re in the tank for Bell, playing her usual smart, quippy, down-to-earth and flawed characters. Joanna is certainly flawed and quippy, but much cooler in temperament than what we’ve seen from Bell in recent years. Brody’s Noah feels like he has the perfect line in response to everything Joanna says. He’s too smooth by half, despite Brody being able to provide the right level of vulnerability as a guy who is trying to open himself up." Continuing, "There wasn’t that instant spark between Bell and Brody that we might have expected in a rom-com like this. However, by the end of the second episode, Bell and Brody had us believing in the two of them being together. It took some slight conflict, with Joanna having her doubts right at the start. Perhaps that’s better, given the fact that we have an entire season — perhaps multiple seasons — to see their relationship go through ups and downs. What we do appreciate is that Foster doesn’t try to weigh Noah or his family down in stereotypes. There are a few nods to American Judaism here and there, especially in the person of Noah’s mom, who is fiercely protective of her younger son. But for the most part, the comedy coming from the Roklovs is more about who they are individually than what their culture or religion is."

You Do Not Have to be Psychic to See that Critics Love 'Look Into My Eyes'

         On September 6, 2024, A24 releases 'Look Into My Eyes', which has earned rave reviews from critics, currently holding at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the documentary, "A group of New York City psychics conduct deeply intimate readings for their clients, revealing a kaleidoscope of loneliness, connection, and healing." Read the full review round-up below.

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        Tomris Laffly of Harper's Bazaar praises the film, stating, "Perceptive documentarian Lana Wilson has an intellectually inquisitive touch regardless of whom she’s filming—courageous late-term abortion doctors (After Tiller) or Taylor Swift (Miss Americana). In her latest, she turns her reflective lens on an unexpected cluster: psychics across New York City, an artistic, sensitive group not especially concerned with making accurate prophetic claims, but motivated by a desire to provide a therapeutic service to their customers. With a cozy but respectful camera, a considerate tone that never compromises the film’s idiosyncratic subject, and a profound understanding of urban alienation, Wilson puts forth something that will make every New Yorker—or anyone who’s ever sat with unprocessed grief and suffering—feel a little less alone, a little more seen."

        Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com writes, "Wilson reframes psychic readings as acts of joint therapy, revealing how these intimate sessions are often as emotionally powerful for the psychic as the client. And while Wilson avoids some of the dicey issues like profiting off grief, there’s no denying these people are finding closure and managing pain through these readings. Why are they inherently deemed lesser than the therapeutic or pharmaceutical industries that profit off misery? Wilson doesn’t need you to believe, but she will make you understand." Adding, "Wilson follows seven NYC psychics through their lives, intercutting sessions with personal details about each. They all have interesting stories. Most of them are adjacent to theatre or acting, which should give the skeptics some fuel. Wilson even asks one bluntly how different what she does is from stage improvisation. The answer is not much, but isn’t great improv sort of feeding off the energy of a partner too? It’s truly fascinating how many of them struggle with tragic loss of their own. It’s as if their efforts to contact the other side and prove that the dead can find peace there is also to manage their own grief. If they can contact a client’s loved one who has found comfort in the afterlife, that means theirs has too."

        Jake Kring-Schreifels of The Film Stage notes, "In this deeply moving, compassionate exploration, determining whether this small and goofy group actually has real powers is beside the point." Concluding, "There is a real beauty in the way all of this is portrayed. Wilson knows the intimacy and effectiveness of these appointments require no distractions, no sense of outside noise. Thus her camera never feels like it interferes, framing both sides of the table in darkness and with a stillness that allows each person’s stories, tears, and smiles to come through. Look Into My Eyes‘ first half highlights these emotional exchanges for extended periods, hopping between psychics and clients before Wilson unravels the inner lives, techniques, and philosophies of her subjects. After spending time with Taylor Swift and Brooke Shields (for last year’s doc Pretty Baby) and implementing a more traditional, biographical chronology with archival footage, she seems to relish creating her own narrative structure that deepens the more she spends time with each individual. "

       David Ehrlich of indieWire says, "I was a little awed by the discipline and control with which Wilson gradually zooms out on her subjects over the course of the movie, as the ever-widening scope of her documentary makes room for us to find our own truth in all of this fiction."

Fourth Season of 'Slow Horses' is "Superb"

         On September 4, 2024, Apple TV+ premiered the fourth season of the Emmy nominated hit 'Slow Horses, which has received rave reviews from critics, currently holding at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes alongside a Critics Consensus that reads, "The stakes get more more personal than ever before in Slow Horses' superb fourth season, proving that this spy series is saddled up for the long haul with no signs of fatigue." The ensemble cast includes Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves, and Rosalind Eleazar. But what did the critics say? 

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        Claire Fulton of Loud and Clear Reviews writes, "Despite the cold open hinting at terror threats and mass panic, season 4 is in fact a lot more intimate, narratively speaking. It’s not quite at ‘the call is coming from inside the house’ levels, but the personal stakes feel even greater for the Slough House team this time around. There’s a poignancy and an emotional complexity to this season’s narrative, with some genuinely sombre moments coming in the latter half, but it doesn’t ever feel mawkish or trite. Slow Horses continues to strike the tonal balance that has worked so well throughout the entire series, balancing serious and not-so-serious moments with a deftness that might not work on a show that isn’t as confident it can pull it off successfully. (And with a good dose of humour thrown in.)"

        Kaitlin Thomas of Paste Magazine praises the series, stating, "One of the joys of Slow Horses is its ability to balance an inherently dramatic narrative with a wry sense of humor. That still exists, but Season 4 is more personal, and, thus, feels more consequential than its predecessors." Continuing, "You can probably argue Apple should have launched Season 4 during the second phase of Emmy voting for Season 3 to put it in front of voters and remind them of the show’s many strengths (Lowden and Pryce, in particular, are exceptional here). But no matter what happens come Emmys night, if Slow Horses keeps operating at this level for the rest of its run (it’s been renewed through Season 5 thus far, though there are more novels in the series), it won’t just be a serious awards contender, but potentially one of the best shows of the decade."

       James Dyer of Empire Magazine says, "Darkly funny and tighter than the buttons on Lamb's sauce-stained shirt, this is yet another outstanding season for Apple’s brilliantly unconventional spy series."

       Nick Clark of London Evening Standard notes, "It’s one of the great shows to come out of Britain full stop. And series four delivers more of the same: a fully realised world, superb script, a stellar cast all at the top of their game and a lot of great action." Adding, "The returning cast is superb, from Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves and Price to Rosalind Eleazar and Kadiff Kirwin. And there are some fantastic additions to the cast including Matrix and Lord of the Rings alum Hugo Weaving, Joanna Scanlan, a busybody who tries to tidy up Slough House (good luck) and James Callis, as the secret Service’s new ‘First Desk’ who is way out of his dept."

'Across the River and Into the Trees' Reviews: "a career-best" for Liev Schreiber

         On August 30, 2024, Level 33 Entertainment released 'Across the River and Into the Trees', which has received predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "American Army Col. Richard Cantwell, is a bona fide war hero who faces news of his terminal illness with stoic disregard. Determined to spend his weekend in quiet solitude, he commandeers a military driver to facilitate what is likely a final duck hunting trip and visit to his old haunts in Venice. As Cantwell's plans begin to unravel, a chance encounter with a young countess begins to kindle in him the hope of renewal. Based on the last full-length novel Hemingway published in his lifetime, Across The River and Into The Trees captures a fleeting moment of immortality where time stands still. The story contains the great Hemingway themes of love, war, youth and age." The ensemble cast includes Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Enzo Cilenti, Josh Hutcherson, Matilda De Angelis, and Sabrina Impacciatore. Read the full review round-up below.

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        Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru writes, "In Across the River and Into the Trees,  Richard Cantwell (Liev Schreiber), an American army colonel, learns that he's terminally ill. He embarks on a trip to Venice with  Sergeant Jackson (Josh Hutcherson) as his driver and flirts with Renata Contarini (Matilda de Angelis), the daughter of a countess (Laura Morante), who's about to marry Antonio (Giulio Berruti). Little does Renata or her mother know that Richard will be dying imminently. The screenplay by Peter Flannery bites off more than it could chew with a mildly engaging story set during WWII. It juggles many topics including love, death and war, but fails to pack an emotional punch. There are a few moments of melancholy which feel tender and understated, especially when it comes to the nuanced performance of Liev Schreiber. The poetic imagery enriches the film, but they're quite heavy-handed. Perhaps Across the River and Into the Trees's issues stem from the source material, the novel by Ernest Hemmingway which isn't as powerful or haunting as his other novels. To be fair, condensing the novel into a film that's under 2 hours is no easy task, but it's easier to get inside Richard's heart, mind and soul in the novel than in the film. In an underdeveloped subplot, he's grieving the death of his son who was killed in a concentration camp. The film has a lot of potential to be more dark and unflinching, but it squanders those opportunities more often than not. The cinematography is superb, though, while making the most out of the picturesque setting in Venice."

       Dan Mecca of The Film Stage notes, "Here is a handsome film that is decidedly modest in its endeavor. The best thing going for it is Liev Schreiber as Colonel Richard Cantwell, the lead of the picture." Continuing, "All of this being said, the central relationship and the on-off conversation between the two leads is the reason to watch this movie, much as it is the highlight of Hemingway’s novel. Everything else is deeply secondary. Laura Morante puts in good work as Contessa Contarini (Renata’s mother) and cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe does incredible work. Across the River and into the Trees played film festivals two years ago and is finally seeing a very limited release late in the summer of 2024. This is a film worth discovering, ideally after immersing yourself in the underrated novel."

        Maggie Lovitt of Collider praises the film, stating, "Whether it’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a Wes Anderson film, or Ray Donovan, Liev Schreiber always gives 110% in whatever role he is playing, but Across the River and Into the Trees may be a career-best for him. There’s a certain level of nuance required to portray the Colonel as Hemingway wrote him, coupled with having the ability to play into the inherent duality of man. Richard is a man who has killed his fellow man while engaged in the theater of war, and yet he’s still able to be this gentle man. His bloodstained and scarred hands are able to hold Renata’s unblemished hands. He and De Angelis have electric chemistry, and are both able to play Richard and Renata’s relationship with a level of reverence for each other that elevates their performances. It feels like a tour de force for Schreiber, who beautifully inhabits this tragic hero as he reckons with life, death, and the inevitability of both ruin and heal us all. Together they turn Across the River and Into the Trees into more than just a tragic tale, but a tragic romance as well."

       Valerie Kalfrin of AWFJ.org says, "Building to a cleansing if wrenching denouement, Across the River and Into the Trees is a thoughtful journey of absolution. ... Liev Schreiber delivers an achingly poignant performance."

'The Order' Impresses at the Venice Film Festival

        On December 6, 2024, after an impressive showing at the Venice Film Festival, Vertical releases 'The Order', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics, currently holding at 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "For over a year, a series of bold daylight bank robberies and armored car heists leaves law enforcement baffled and the public panicked throughout the Pacific Northwest. As the attacks become increasingly violent, FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) becomes convinced that the robberies are the work of a domestic terrorist gang that plan to use the loot to finance an armed uprising against the U.S. government. Based on a true story, The Order follows Husk and his team into the tangled world of white supremacists to try to head off a violent uprising that could shatter the nation. As the militia builds a war chest of over $4 million, Husk pursues the malevolent racist Bob Mathews to a final bloody standoff that will go down in U.S. history." The ensemble cast includes Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Jurnee Smollett, Alison Oliver, Marc Maron, and George Tchortov. But what did the critics say?

        Gregory Ellwood of The Playlist notes, "Despite a subject matter that feels shockingly contemporary, a plethora of fine performances, and true-life events that are a gift to any screenwriter, the movie ends, for lack of a better word, with a complete thud. And that’s not hyperbole. In all fairness, we cannot remember the last time we screened a movie that closed with such a dramatic whimper. There is nothing to spoil. Nothing is shocking. It just comes to a disjointed conclusion. And completely takes out the emotional sails of everything that preceded it. So much so that you leave the theater wondering, “How on earth did that happen?” We can’t wait for an answer."

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        Alonso Duralde of The Film Verdict says, "The relevant can still feel depressingly familiar, which keeps The Order from registering as anything but a slightly more competent tale of FBI agents circling in on bomb-throwing racists." 

        Jonathan Romney of Guardian praises the film, stating, "Visually though, the film means business, with the desaturated, almost tawdry pallor of Adam Arkapaw’s photography evoking a weary early 80s America, in contrast with the richly tactile panoramas of the film’s northwestern forests, rivers and sweeps of rockface. As for Law – sporting a bristling moustache and some girth that evoke the weariness that Husk must fight in himself – he gives a sometimes warm, sometimes commandingly irascible performance that shows this actor moving confidently into middle-career authority. He and Hoult’s icy-eyed adversary combine to somewhat mythical resonance; a wrestle-with-the-demon duo that actually fits the political context to pointed effect."

        Ema Sasic of Next Best Picture writes, "Kurzel, who previously examined the life and behaviors of a mentally distressed young man in “Nitram,” based on the Australian mass shooter Martin Bryant, delivers this gripping and intense police procedural that doesn’t let up until the very end."