I’ll admit that I haven’t been this impressed by a character’s entrance since Henry Fonda appeared in Sergio Leone’s ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ and managed to go against everything we had come to expect from the blue eyed superstar. And that’s just talking about the first scene of the upcoming FX drama series ‘The Beauty’.
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Adam Bakri in a still from ‘All That’s Left of You’, courtesy of T A P E Collective
'All That's Left of You' review: Remembrances of things distant
The latest film by Palestinian-American helmer and actress Cherien Dabis is an ode to a land she’s never really known, having grown up in the diaspora, to which more and more Palestinians belong each day.
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A still from Chloé Zhao’s ‘Hamnet’ courtesy of Universal Pictures UK
Witnessing the magical reinvention of Shakespeare's own story in Chloé Zhao's must watch film 'Hamnet'
Reinventing Shakespeare, to make his plays and own story more actual and better understood by contemporary audiences, is the key to keeping him alive. And the Chinese-American indie filmmaker turned big budget director finds that balance, perfectly, in her latest film.
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From left, Kritika Kamra, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Juhi Babbar, in a still from Anusha Rizvi’s ‘The Great Shamsuddin Family’
Why Anusha Rizvi's 'The Great Shamsuddin Family' should be a required must-watch for all women
In short, the film not only passes the Bechdel test with flying colors, and showcases a cast of extraordinary actresses playing members of one fabulous family, but it should also be credited with creating a new kind of “Rizvi test”, one which can be used for showing Muslim women characters which finally break down all stereotypes created so far in movies.
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Kate Winslet and Toni Collette in a still from ‘Goodbye June’ courtesy of Netflix
It's a family affair: Kate Winslet's directorial debut 'Goodbye June' was penned by her son Joe Anders
And somehow, coming from such illustrious parents, it should be no surprise Anders came up with such a touching, beautiful script — yet incredible talent at such a young age still remains the stuff of legends for me.
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Jeremy Xido's 'Sons of Detroit' shines the light on our own preconceptions about race and the American dream
When people say, or write, things like “what has become of America?” pointing to our current leadership and our contemporary USA, I always think, we’ve been there all along — because America was built on slavery, and the kind of human/civil rights abuses that never let up.
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Fiona Shaw and Katherine Waterston in a still from ‘Park Avenue’, used with permission
Gaby Dellal's latest film 'Park Avenue' starring Fiona Shaw is a feast for the senses
With its heart clearly in the right place, Dellal’s film mixes what I love most in life — fashion and cinema.
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When truth is courage: Argentinian Oscar submission 'Belén' is a serious Oscar contender
Why is it that films like Dolores Fonzi’s wondrous directorial venture always remind us about the forgotten history, and how condemned we remain as a human race to repeat our mistakes in the future if we don’t come to terms with our past?
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Why Jafar Panahi's 'It Was Just an Accident' is a serious awards contender this year
While the Iranian helmer’s latest film may not be his best, it has turned out to be his most crucial to date — all because Panahi is finally able to promote it.
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Bradley Cooper's 'Is This Thing On?' is that delicious adult romcom you didn't know you needed!
Turns out you do. And Cooper is both funny in it, and wondrous behind the camera. In a few words, it’s a film you won’t want to miss.
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Dhafer L’Abidine and Yasmine Al Massri in a still from ‘Palestine 36’ courtesy of Philistine Films
The most important film you'll watch this year: Annemarie Jacir's Oscar submission 'Palestine 36'
Why, you ask? Because if we are ever to understand the Palestinian/Israeli issues of the present, we need to go back nearly a century and wrap our heads around the crimes, struggles and mistakes of the past.
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Tessa Thompson in ‘Hedda’ by Nia DaCosta, photo courtesy of Amazon
Phenomenally wicked woman: Tessa Thompson blows it out of the water with her performance in 'Hedda'
The film, directed and written by Nia DaCosta based on the play by Henrik Ibsen, transports the story to 1950s England, with all its class issues and gender bias, and adds into the mix an LGBTQ twist that transforms what could be a dated narrative into one for the here and now.
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Banin Ahmad Nayef in a still from ‘The President’s Cake’ courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Review: Iraqi Oscar hopeful 'The President's Cake' by Hasan Hadi at BFI London Film Festival
The Iraqi helmer’s film premiered in Cannes this year and suddenly, I couldn’t imagine a world without its presence. But it was as if one day, Hasan Hadi’s presence and talent exploded onto our consciousness, ready to take his place in the world of cinema greats.
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Úrsula Corberó Delgado and Nahuel Pérez Biscayart in a still from ‘Kill the Jockey’, used with permission
Why we awarded 'Kill the Jockey' Best Film at the London Spanish Film Festival
While Luis Ortega’s stunning 2024 film may be primarily an Argentinian title, as a Spanish co-production jury members Vincent Jaskowski-Prowse, Leigh Singer and I were able to celebrate the title in style at this year’s festival. And, in the process, we discovered a film that has filled our dreams ever since.
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'Broken English' in Venice: The unjust unmaking of Marianne Faithfull will be undone!
Two wondrous filmmakers, two outstanding actors and one musical legend come together to recount an icon and set the record straight. In more ways than one.
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A still from ‘Cotton Queen’, courtesy of Strange Bird
The rebel queen who conquered my heart: Suzannah Mirghani's 'Cotton Queen' review
Behind what could be a simple tale of a young girl coming of age in Sudan, filmmaker Suzannah Mirghani’s debut feature weaves an extraordinary and cautionary tale of respect for one’s self and for the environment around us, which are always crucially, and importantly intertwined.
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A still from ‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ courtesy of Focus Features
Why 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' is the perfect way to end (and maybe begin again?)
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes a perfect “franchise” film and the Simon Curtis-directed 2025 gem, in theaters on Friday, September 12th, may just end up winning the prize.
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Yile Vianello in a still from ‘AGON’ by Giulio Bertelli, photo courtesy of The Match Factory
Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be champions: Giulio Bertelli's 'AGON' gives an unprecedented insight into women's sport
This stunning film, which packs a punch and relentlessly holds on to the viewer, until you realize you may have just run out of breath, world premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival in the 40th edition of Critics’ Week, one of the festival’s parallel section.
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Toni Servillo in Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘La Grazia’, image courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia
The sign of a great man is elegance, and grace: a review of Paolo Sorrentino's 'La Grazia'
The Neapolitan Maestro’s perfect, awards-worthy Venice opener sees Toni Servillo playing an out-going Italian President of the Republic who, faced with several life-changing choices, allows us, the audience, to discover through him the true meaning of the word “grace”.
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Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in Ari Aster’s ‘Eddington’ now in theaters
Must-Watch: Ari Aster's 'Eddington' is a Western farce with a message, a very strong message
In spreading his message of lives often lived in shades of grey — not just good vs. bad — the American filmmaker enlists a quartet of actors who are redefining cinema as we know it.
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