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TIFF 50: The cranes are flying in "The Tale of Silyan"
by Cláudio Alves According to Macedonian legend, there was once a boy called Silyan who wished to go far away, leave his village behind, and spread his wings into the world beyond. But when he told his...
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Halfway done with the Best International Film list?
by Nathaniel R Behind the scenes I've been updating the Best International Film submission charts daily. At this writing we have 43 titles, which means we're about halfway done. We still haven't heard...
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TIFF 50: Xin Zhilei earns the Volpi Cup in "The Sun Rises on Us All"
by Cláudio Alves Every year, folks think they can predict the wiles and ways of festival juries, forgetting that the smallness of such groups often privileges idiosyncratic tastes and produces shocking...
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"The History of Sound" Hits Highs and Lows
by Eurocheese Josh O'Connor and Paul Mescal in THE HISTORY OF SOUND Memories, like music, can take on new meaning as we sit with them over time. The History of Sound opens on beautiful, panoramic shots...
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Venice: Oscar Contender "The Voice of Hind Rajab"
by Elisa Giudici THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB © Venice Film Festival Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania has always worked at the intersection of personal tragedy and political urgency. From The Man Who...
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"Hamnet" wins the People's Choice at TIFF. Can it win Best Picture?
by Nathaniel R HAMNET © Focus Features With TIFF wrapping up today, it's time to update the Oscar charts (which we will be doing soon). Chloe Zhao's adaptation of the acclaimed novel Hamnet, historical...
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TIFF 50: "Hamnet" is Chloé Zhao's best film to date
by Cláudio Alves Another year, another TIFF coverage extended far past the festival's end. When one watches as many films as I try to at such events, I guess this is inevitable. Getting sick just as I...
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TIFF 50: "Frankenstein" has great gowns, beautiful gowns
by Cláudio Alves Last year, Emilia Pérez finished in second place for TIFF's People's Choice Award, and, while not as bad, this year's runner-up left me similarly displeased. You can deduce that the...
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TIFF 50: "Mārama" serves Gothic horror with an anticolonial twist
by Cláudio Alves Before even its company credits unfold on screen, Mārama hits the audience with a smash of historical context. A short text positions the narrative to come within the legacy of...
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NEON out there trying to hog the entire Best International Feature Film...
by Nathaniel R Dear reader, every time I've attempted to write anything regarding the Best International Feature Film race, another film was announced. Can't keep up! We're now up to 64 official...
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TIFF 50: "Steve" and "The Ugly" waste no time
by Cláudio Alves Following festival coverages can be a frustrating business for the common cinephile. As someone who's often on the other side of this dynamic, reading about films that are months or...
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TIFF 50: “Couture” reflects on fashion, bodies and mortality
by Cláudio Alves In Alice Winocour's Couture, Angeline Jolie enters the film in a rush, already late and running. She plays Maxine Walker, an American director famous for her work in horror, who has...
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TIFF 50: Musical mayhem in "The Testament of Ann Lee"
by Cláudio Alves Why do we make musicals? What compels us to sing and dance our emotions, our spirits, our many meanings? Is it the communion of making yourself heard and seen by others? Is it the need...
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TIFF 50: Colombia's "A Poet" and Japan's "Kokuho"
by Cláudio Alves It's easy to understand why artists would be drawn to stories about artists. Self-reflection is a powerful siren call, and the particularities of another creative's tale can help you...
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TIFF 50: Lucía Aleñar Iglesias wins the FIPRESCI Prize for "Forastera"
by Cláudio Alves Light has character. In Lucía Aleñar Iglesias's feature debut, Forastera, it also has a soul, manifesting spirits intangible and far away. Through variable brightness and mysterious...
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TIFF 50: Between Spain and the Sahara in "Nomad Shadow," "Sirât" and "Calle...
by Cláudio Alves Histories of colonialism were omnipresent at TIFF, even in films that, at first glance, might not seem to be in dialogue with these imperial pasts and legacies. Consider the matter of...
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TIFF 50: A star is born in "The Little Sister"
by Cláudio Alves Like The Sun Rises on Us All in Venice, The Little Sister suffered quite a bit of backlash after its lead actress won Cannes' highest honor. And like Xin Zhilei, Nadia Melliti is an...
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Artist Tribute: Regina Hall in the Scary Movie Franchise
by Nick Taylor We are ringing in the opening weekend for Paul Thomas Anderson’s new American epic One Battle After Another by celebrating a legend. While early reviews suggest an impressive performance...
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NYFF 63: "Peter Hujar's Day" ponders portraiture
by Cláudio Alves The subject of many recent retrospectives, republishing projects, biographical and speculative analyses, Peter Hujar was among the queer creatives who, in the second half of the 20th...
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Review: P.T. Anderson's Glorious "One Battle After Another"
by Eric Blume If you’re a regular site reader, you’ve probably been following all the film blogs discussing the new Paul Thomas Anderson epic, One Battle After Another. So we don’t need to discuss...
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