A Cop Movie (2021)

Direction: Alonso Ruizpalacios
Country: Mexico 

Alonso Ruizpalacios’s A Cop Movie is a didactic docufiction that brings to the center two Mexican police officers from Mexico City. The film doesn’t play with stereotypes, preferring an experimental approach that, blurring the line between reality and fiction, leaves the viewers questioning what’s to be a “true" cop and what’s their role in the society.

By making a clever use of structure and employing an artful narrative, Ruizpalacios (Gueros, 2014; Museo, 2018) offers a raw, sometimes funny glimpse into the discredited Mexican police force, stressing their (de)motivations and daily struggles in the performance of their jobs. 

Teresa (Monica del Carmen), whose apparently dismissive father was also a cop, is 34 and spent half of her life as a police officer. Her partner in life and at work, Montoya (Raul Briones), is unsmiling while on duty and only joined the law enforcement unit because of his brother. In addition to depict them in several difficult situations in the streets - including a stagey arrest, a strained childbirth, an altercation with a big shot, and dealing with bribery - the film also addresses their family problems, emphasizing the joys and the pathos of living and working together.

The first two acts are competently mounted and astutely joined; the third - about the couple - is the most redundant; while the last two - when the actors reveal themselves and the real-life officers speak truth to power - are precious. 

There’s a clunkiness to A Cop Movie, which, nonetheless, delivers a unique 107-minute distraction.

7 Prisoners (2021)

Direction: Alexandre Moratto
Country: Brazil

Following his debut with the Brazilian writer-director Alexandre Moratto in Socrates (2018), the young actor Christian Malheiros stars again in the latter’s sophomore feature, 7 Prisoners, a realistic hostage thriller about modern slavery, human trafficking and corruption. The film co-stars Rodrigo Santoro (Carandiru; 300) as the antagonist. 

Leaving the audience with a bitter aftertaste, this disquieting and harrowing tale follows Mateus (Malheiros), an 18-year-old from a small village in the countryside who gladly accepts a job in a junkyard of São Paulo to provide a better life for his poor family. He and three other teenagers will work under the supervision of Luca (Santoro), becoming victims of an exploitative work system. With their IDs and phones confiscated and their families threatened, the prisoners try but fail to escape. 

Mateus, the cleverest of the boys, has to find other ways to guarantee he’s comfortable and make his family proud of him. How far can he go? The line between victim and accomplice can be very thin, raising complex moral dilemmas. 

It's not great filmmaking from Moratto, but this horrific rite of passage touches crucial points, so one can have the idea on how these exploitation schemes work, often headed by greedy politicians and linked to a corrupt police force. The denouement gets an extra half-star for its surprising implications.

Freeland (2021)

Direction: Mario Furloni, Kate McLean
Country: USA

Filmmakers Mario Furloni and Kate McLean have been sharing writing and directorial efforts since 2011, the year they released the short documentary Pot Country. Ten years after, inspired by that short, they expand the idea into a fictional feature film - their debut - which stars Krisha Fairchild as an aging weed farmer from Humboldt Country, California, who sees her work and daily bread threatened by progress.

Devi (Fairchild) has been in the business for 32 years with no major problems, but from the moment that a nuisance abatement notice was issued by the local authorities, the open air of the surroundings gradually becomes oppressive and Devi’s life goes from sunny to intolerably burdensome. The legalization of cannabis farms is an extremely expensive process with no guarantee of approval. In a minute, Devi’s sales end abruptly, her name is on the newspaper as an illegal dealer and the money dissipates quickly.

She's forced to renegotiate with the three employees hired for the ongoing harvesting season - college student Mara (Lily Gladstone), the cunning Josh (Frank Mosley), and the low-keyed Casey (Cameron James Matthews) - and nostalgically bids farewell to Ray (John Craven), a long-time partner from the times she belonged to a hippie commune.

Skillfully shot (kudos to Furloni’s cinematography), Freeland is lyrically scenic, handling the subject with a muffled cry of despair and a raw, natural methodology that recalls Kelly Reichardt’s filmmaking style. This is a totally convincing ride in which the magnetic performance by Fairchild doesn’t need words to convey what’s in her mind and chest. You feel it just by looking at her. 

The film’s patient progress is driven and tensed, and seeing those solitary roads wiggling through the woods at the sound of William Ryan Fritch’s apt score, only increases one sense of loneliness and despair. It’s painful what we see; memories of a happy past, the acute awareness of a dark present and the fear of an unknown future.

Beans (2021)

Direction: Tracey Deer
Country: Canada

Beans is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama set in 1990 Quebec, during an over two-month standoff between Mohawk protesters and the Canadian authorities. The debut feature of Mohawk writer-director Tracey Deer is motivated by her personal experiences, and she chronicles this piece of history through the eyes of Tekehentahkhwa (a.k.a. Beans), a 12-year-old girl living in the Kahnawake reserve with her parents (Rainbow Dickerson and Joel Montgrand) and younger sister (Violah Beauvais).

While a land dispute escalates into an armed conflict in a neighboring reserve, Beans (first appearance and central role in a feature for the young actress Kiawentiio) figures out a way to become tougher as she bonds with April (Paulina Alexis), whom she considers a brave warrior. Within a short period of time, she shifts from laid-back and obedient to an angry and rebellious teen.

Interspersed with TV footage, the shots eschew poeticism, telling the story through a frame of reference shared by harmed communities turned combatants and activists. It's a shame that Deer’s noble intentions got so obstructed by a patchy narrative, overdramatic acting - especially during the freaking moments - and a banal score. In my perspective, she missed the opportunity to make this story appealing on the screen, making instead a film too fragile to carry its own weight on its shoulders. 

The director has all my respect for what she went through and for trying to do something with it, but there’s so much room to improve here in terms of filmmaking and storytelling.

King Richard (2021)

Direction: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Country: USA

Will Smith gives a tremendous performance in a plainly told biopic documenting the ascension to stardom of tennis-playing sisters Venus and Serena Williams through the eyes of their controversial father and mentor, Richard Williams (Smith).

Scripted by Zach Baylin and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men, 2018; Joe Bell, 2020), King Richard is basically the movie you except to be, although slightly elevated by strong performances. Smith couldn’t be more convincing as an obstinate man, whose commitment in turning two of his five daughters into tennis world champions is no less than extraordinary. The rigid discipline he demands of them is often mistaken for abuse by a neighbor, but that's nothing when compared, for instance, with the story revealed in I, Tonya (2017), where Craig Gillespie limns the toxic relationship between the American skater Tonya Harding and her mother. 

In this case, he’s just a super protective father who wants to keep their children out of Compton's rough streets, refusing to make them pro without being kids first. This is an unrelenting man with a plan, who, having never played tennis in his life, was able not only to predict but also to help building a brilliant future for his daughters. 

Despite inordinately familiar in tone and structure, this crowd-pleaser is not a bad Hollywood biopic. The family arguments, especially between Richard and his wife Brandy (Aunjanue Ellis), are the most genuine moments of the film, while much of the fun lies in Richard’s personality - how he thinks and reacts to every situation and detail. 

King Richard is no classic but rather a respectable entry in the sports movie genre. This stupendous story deserves to be told.

Nine Days (2021)

Direction: Edson Oda
Country: USA

Have you ever thought about the possibility of a psychological evaluation in a pre-life state? Well, the Brazilian-born writer-director Edson Oda did. 

His feature debut, Nine Days, was executive produced by Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich; Her) and tells about a nine-day selection process - including behavioral assessment, interviews and tasks - of several unborn souls considered to fill a vacancy to become a living person. All procedures and evaluations take place in a house located in a desolate place, and the judge of everything is Will (Winston Duke), whose painful past as a human being suddenly surfaces because of a distinctive, positive and free-spirited candidate named Emma (Zazie Beetz). This very perceptive woman never answers his questions but has a special chemistry with and the support of Will’s assistant, Kyo (Benedict Wong), a soul who had never experienced human life.

The international cast is very strong from top to bottom and the plot’s interesting concept takes a route that goes from intriguingly spiritual to deliberately theatrical. This last part, however, is when the film loses some strength. Yet, even getting a little tiresome and hokey toward the end, the ride is not that bad if this is the kind of psychological unearthly mysteries you are after. 

Everything feels very human and surprisingly artistic in this simplistic depiction of ‘life’ before life. We shall all agree in the end that to live is a blessing, but can be painful too.

Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (2021)

Direction: Radu Jude
Country: Romania 

Romanian writer-director Radu Jude (Aferim!, 2015) fabricates a subversive parody adapted to the pandemic era and peppered with explicit sex. Following an atypical narrative structure, the film comprises three distinct parts with situations that are not particularly comic but rather wrapped in furious criticism and objection of the country’s social and political states. 

A tepid first part, pelted with unattractive images of Bucharest, discloses that Emi (Katia Pascariu), a dedicated History teacher, has her job in jeopardy due to a sex tape leaked on the Internet after her computer was taken to a repair shop. Part two puts the main story on halt, presenting a sequence of ironic sketches that doesn’t spare the country with observations and considerations about politics, culture, family, sexual assault, and even global warming and social distancing.

Things heat up a bit during the third chapter, when the protagonist argues back fiercely in the presence of wrathful parents who demand her dismissal. This teacher-parents interaction is deliberately silly, navigating through a zillion of topics such as personal privacy, kids accessing adult websites, the definition of fellatio, bribery at school, conservative hypocrisy, conspiracy theories about the Holocaust, homophobia, and many more. In her turbulent defense, Emi even recites one of Eminescu’s erotic poems.

When the film was feeling already too long, we are presented with three possible endings, the last of which offering deplorable derision. 

Unapologetically, Jude gives the middle finger to the Romanian administration and hypocrite society, sending a wave of mutilation to engulf the crooked system they have created. But on the other hand, the way he found to get attention to his cause was with an excessive anarchy that brings nothing smart in it. Purposely beyond the good taste, this is one of those cases where the satiric catharsis is too severe to be likable.

Last Night in Soho (2021)

Direction: Edgar Wright
Country: UK 

British writer-director Edgar Wright, known for his penchant for genre hybridity, delivers a ghostly, psychological horror film with the indomitable energy, fast pacing and dark tones that characterized some of his memorable comedies (Shaun of the Dead; The World’s End). 

You might choose to go with his beat here, which, by the way, is from the 60s in terms of soundtrack and looks - but the plot is purposely convoluted with occasionally forced twists and false hints that only serve to mystify the audiences. Last Night in Soho, his seventh fictional film, has an auspicious start but is later turned into repetition, just to definitely trip and get lost in the unfathomable, obscure last third, where the narrative is sacrificed for hasty sensationalist tactics.

The story follows the young Eloise Turner (Thomasin McKenzie), who leaves the English countryside to go to London and pursue her dream of becoming a fashion designer. Eloise possesses a sixth sense, often seeing her late mother, who died when she was seven. In London, she first stays in the school’s dorm but falls victim to the derisive commentaries and late parties of her roommate. Wishing peace and quiet, she rents a room for herself in an old house owned by Ms. Collins (the late Diana Rigg). That’s when she starts having vivid dreams with Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), an aspiring singer in the 60s, as well as creepy visions of that time. Figures from the past and present get often blurred in her head. 

This flawed horror-movie pastiche with references to the zombie and giallo canons is no novelty but can still provide some fun for those in the right mood.

Finch (2021)

Direction: Miguel Sapochnik
Country: USA 

A dying engineer (Tom Hanks as the title character), a spirited robot (Caleb Landry Jones) and a sympathetic dog make the peculiar team at the center of Finch, an average post-apocalyptic sci-fi road trip that straddles between pitiful dramatics and comedic manners. 

Repo Man-director Miguel Sapochnik crafted the film with the help of some striking imagery and sterling effects, and his screenwriters - Ivor Powell (also producer, who worked with Ridley Scott) and Craig Luck - even got the robot right, with a sharp tongue, funny movements and often risky initiative. However, the core of the story is too flimsy and the result a tad predictable. 

As one of the few survivors of a cataclysmic solar phenomenon, Finch Weinberg doesn’t trust people at all, preferring the company of his faithful dog, Goodyear. He roves about in desolated places, where the temperature and the level of radiation are extremely high, to get the supplies that will keep them alive -  superstorms can last weeks when they hit. But Finch becomes sicker everyday that passes. He needs someone to take care of the dog when he’s gone, so he creates a robot, who calls himself Jeff, for that task. Teaching this metallic fellow the ways of the world and making that he and Goodyear become buddies are his next challenges.

A lot of data is missing from the powerless script. Many questions are kept unanswered; many situations are unexplained; and we get the impression that this film only wants its audience pleased at all times. Despite the sweetness and affection demonstrated in the relationships, the film lacks twists and - just like the chatty robot - feels artificial.

Passing (2021)

Direction: Rebecca Hall
Country: USA

Rebecca Hall, a British actress most known for her roles in Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008), Christine (2016) and the recent The Night House (2021), deserves praise for her directorial debut. Passing is a remarkably poignant drama based on the novel of the same name by Nella Larsen. She adapted this meaty story with a slow-burn intensity, building it with cleverness and elegance to a shattering conclusion.

The story, set in the 20s, hits the stride when two mixed-race childhood friends bump into each other in New York after 12 years with no contact. Irene (Tessa Thompson) and Claire (Ruth Negga) apparently managed to have the life they’ve ever wanted, even taking opposite directions. The former is responsible, transparent and reserved, and still lives in Harlem as an upper-middle-class black woman with her doctor husband, Brian (André Holland). The latter, ambitious and outgoing, “passes” for white, and moved to Chicago after marrying John (Alexander Skarsgård), a wealthy white businessman with racist inclinations. This unexpected reconnection brings rapture and adversity in different proportions.

The film raises the flag on racial discrimination and class differences, but adds something more; something about the true nature of a person. The cast is faultless, with Thompson and Nagga at their best, while Hall reveals a surprising maturity behind the camera. The shots, consistently ravishing, are perfected with the beautiful tonal contrasts of Eduard Grau’s black-and-white photography. Together with the emotional strength and quality of the story, they make Passing an unshowy, instant classic not to be missed.

Yara (2021)

Direction: Marco Tulio Giordana
Country: Italy

Italian director Marco Tulio Giordana is most known for an epic historical drama film called The Best of Youth (2003). Now, working from a crippled script by Graziano Diana, the filmmaker delivers an unthrilling film based on a true crime/investigation that took place in a small town in the province of Bergamo, north of Italy, in 2010. 

Around 6:30 AM, 13-year-old gymnast Yara Gambirasio (Chiara Bono) vanishes without a trace when walking the short route (less than half a mile) that takes her from the local sport center to her home. The case gets wide media attention, and several possibilities are considered: did she run away from home? Was she kidnapped? Maybe a possible vendetta against her father? A lift from someone she knew?

Three months after, her body was found in a grassy field in an advanced state of decay. The public prosecutor, Letitia Ruggeri (Isabella Ragonese), only has some DNA traces to help her reach the murderer.

Apart from scattered pointed commentary about how the Italian authorities deal with this kind of cases, or the silly dispute between the police forces and the Carabinieri (Italy’s gendarmerie), the film is marked by predictability and ennui, barely scratching the surface of other mystery-crime thrillers with a similar topic. The uncharismatic actors don’t make a strong impression either, and nothing but a big yawn is elicited from this flat, heavy-handed TV-like movie.

The Souvenir Part II (2021)

Direction: Joanna Hogg
Country: UK

The sequel of the critically acclaimed The Souvenir picks up exactly where the first one left off. Set in 1980s London, the film finds Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) trying to come to terms with the death of her boyfriend while working on a graduation film whose topic inevitably shifts toward her loss. This option brings a therapeutic effect that is fundamental for the strong-willed Julie be able to move on with her life.

Hence, the British writer-director Joanna Hogg, who wrote the script based on her real-life experiences, makes a film about grief but also delves into the world of filmmaking and filmmakers with wit and grace. 

Depicted with subtle optimism and real humanist heft, The Souvenir Part II presents a delicate balance between grief-induced reminders and reserved comedic moments. It’s certainly more cheering and funnier than the first part but also less engrossing, despite the intimacy and artistically bold concepts behind it.

Tilda Swinton is efficiently low-key; Richard Ayoade stands out during the short time he’s on screen; and Byrne - Swinton’s real daughter - acts with emotional enlightenment as she impersonates Julie with assurance. This determined character knows exactly which path to take despite the adversities that might come her way, like when her teachers questioned the quality of her work, or people didn’t understand her script, or when a cameraman showed his frustration with several last-minute changes.

Maybe the most admirable aspect in this self-portrait of the young artist is that it doesn’t shy from feelings. Hogg’s meticulous direction manages to bring all the emotions, certainties and hesitations to the fore.

The Harder They Fall (2021)

Direction: Jeymes Samuel
Country: USA 

Boasting an African-American cast in its vast majority, The Harder They Fall is a very musical if unadventurous contemporary western that presents physical and gunned showdowns at the sound of hip-hop, reggae, R&B and funk. If the soundtrack is absolutely gorgeous and the execution qualified, then the narrative reveals problems of its own, following excessively caricatured characters. 

British filmmaker and singer/songwriter Jeymes Samuel (known in the music field as The Bullitts) had already probed the western genre in his unnoticed debut feature, They Die by Dawn (2013). Curiously, his new effort, places the same historical characters at the center of a fictional story orchestrated with flamboyance. His grasp of the rhythms and the accented notes of the Western idiom is undeniable. However, the plot is invested in so many components that becomes wobbly in its intentions. Although there's enough action, the film is clearly in need of a judicious editing and a bit more of sobriety. It’s a messy vengeful affair that only sporadically works; a wild fun that feels exasperatingly two-dimensional.

The extremely feared criminal Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) is set free by his terrorizing gang while transferred from one prison to another. On the rampage, he re-conquers Redwood but his intentions are thwarted by the notorious outlaw Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) who wants to take revenge on him for the death of his parents.

More showy than effective, The Harder They Fall dives into far-fetched shootouts before a dramatic finale with an added twist. Putting all things in perspective, it has nothing particularly engaging worth recommending.

Spencer (2021)

Direction: Pablo Larraín
Country: UK / USA / other

The ever-inventive Chilean director Pablo Larraín (The Club, 2015; Neruda, 2016; Ema, 2020) returns to the psychological biographical drama with Spencer, a “fable based on a true tragedy” that fictionalizes the moment when Diana, the late princess of Wales, decided to end her marriage with the unfaithful Prince Charles. If in Jackie (2016), Natalie Portman was cast to play Jackie Onassis with a glare, then Kristen Stewart impersonates Lady Di here with class. The role suits her very well and the resemblance is quite successful. 

The year is 1991, and Diana, fed up with the monarchic British traditions and eager to gain her freedom, drives herself to Sandringham Estate to celebrate Christmas with the Royal Family for the last time. A complete misfit, this rule-breaker feels like drowning in cold cynicism, strict etiquette and ceremonial rituals that show that no one is above tradition. There are these hushed, boring meals during which she struggles to hide her bulimia, as well as some dazzling, suffocating moments - recalling Cassavetes - when everything seems to fall apart. 

Although there’s an exaggerated buoyancy at times, giving a few scenes a somewhat foolish aspect, the film is not without imagination. Still, Steven Knight’s script hits a few bumps, and Larraín seems undecided now and then if he should emphasize the drama or the comedy, compromising the results with an unbalanced mix of the two. 

This artful, well-acted alienation is both clean-cut and oblique, as well as frivolous and amusing in spots. A celebration of freedom after all, arranged with majestic settings and dazzlingly filmed with arresting cinematography by Claire Mathon (Portrait of a Lady on Fire; Atlantics).

Mass (2021)

Direction: Fran Kranz
Country: USA 

Mass, the directorial debut feature from actor turned director Fran Kranz, is a tear-jerking chamber drama, whose tension doesn’t come from action but rather from edgy dialogue and human expression related to a painful irreversible situation.

The film stars Martha Plimpton, Jason Isaacs, Reed Birney and Ann Dowd, as two married couples in mourning. The former two lost a son in a vicious school shooting perpetrated by the latter couple's son, a depressed and bullied boy who ended up taking his own life. In the aftermath of this tragedy, they agree to a face-to-face conversation in a church meeting room. 

Playing like a therapy session, the discussion is filled with emotional ebbs and flows. It’s a heartbreaking situation for both couples who attempt to turn their grief and negative emotions into forgiveness and heal. On one hand, we have an unbearable sense of injustice, resentment and anger; on the other, there’s self blame, confusion and disillusion. 

The dynamism of the camera, whether through medium shots or closeups, captures the characters’ sorrows with clarity. However the dialogue is not always convincing, feeling calculated or contrived in many spots. This film is provocative for the strength of the script and its topics, not so much for how it was conducted, regardless the dedicated performances of the four leads. With that said, the finale is brutally relieving, but not without a shocking disclosure.

Dramarama (2021)

Direction: Jonathan Wysocki
Country: USA

The refreshing if somewhat obvious comedy-drama Dramarama takes the coming-of-age topic to a positive payoff, going from silly at the kick-off to genuinely affecting, without ever seek sentimental manipulation. The feature debut by Jonathan Wysocki, who demonstrates a gentle sensibility and firm hand in making movies, chisels away the cynicism and goes directly at the heart while depicting a group of Californian theater students gathered for a murder mystery slumber party before departing to college. None of these persons dated anyone in the last four years of high school.

The sensitive Gene (Nick Pugliese) has important confessions to make that may upset his Catholic buddies; the whimsical Rose (Anna Grace Barlow) debates with the observant Amy (Danielle Kay) the uncomfortable situations that weakened their relationship; the puritanical Claire (Megan Suri) has a secret crush on one of her buddies; and the lively Oscar (Nico Greetham) seems to be hiding something that embarrasses him.Their game is interrupted by JD (Zak Henri), a presumptuous and judgmental colleague who appear unexpectedly to deliver pizzas. 

The movie captures the youngsters’ childish side but also their ability to deal with obstacles and insecurities. It will appeal to teens because it understands, sympathizes and ultimately attenuates their problems by valuing true friendship. In the end, I was not blown away but was satisfied enough with the outcomes of a film made appealing by the charm of its story and the sensitive talents of its actors.

Lamb (2021)

Direction: Valdimar Jóhannsson
Country: Iceland 

Blending Icelandic folk and family drama, Lamb doesn't measure up to the best of psychological thriller/horror films. 

In his feature-length directorial debut, co-writer and director Valdimar Jóhannsson focuses on a married couple of farmers - Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guðnason) and Maria (Noomi Rapace) - living in an isolated mountainous region in Iceland. Apparently, they live in peace and quiet, but an unseeable turmoil afflicts their souls - they are unable to have children. That pain ceases when they adopt this bizarre newborn creature - half-lamb, half-human - as their own child. The hybrid living thing fulfills their lives in a freakish way, but their happiness is disturbed not only by the arrival of Ingvar’s sly brother, Pétur (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson), but also by the ewe that gave birth to the creature.

As the absurdist story unfolds, you'll more likely to shrug than gasp with awe. The surreal elements set against the realism of the environment soon collapses and never rises above its premise. The only aspect I was truly impressed with was the arresting cinematography by Eli Arenson. 

At the heart of the film's failure are the shortage of interesting twists, a lazy storytelling, the lack of allegorical energy, and a ludicrous conclusion. To me, this was an emotionally obtuse experience, ridiculous enough in its very existence. 

Even showing signs that he may one day make a rich film combining key ingredients from Yorgos Lanthimos and Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s universes, Jóhannsson wastes the chance of turning Lamb into something actually creepy or substantial.

The French Dispatch (2021)

Direction: Wes Anderson
Country: USA

The cinematic world of Wes Anderson remains fascinating, abundant in detail and eccentrically rich. All of these factors contribute to make The French Dispatch, a literary avant-garde anthology comedy whose skillfully constructed stories form a love letter to journalists, one of his best film in recent years. 

From an insane cast to a spectacular staging and dynamic backgrounds, Anderson gives us a slice of journalistic life of other times with his peculiar comic touch. It’s a keenly affecting and visually ravishing homage to the weekly American magazine The New Yorker, in particular to its co-founder and lifelong editor-in-chief Harold Ross and the journalists that followed him.

The film is structured with four stories, the first of them linking to the other three via Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray), an indefatigable editor-in-chief who gathered a group of expatriate journalists to bring news from the fictional French metropolis Ennui-sur-Blasé to Kansas via The French Dispatch, the magazine he founded when he was a college freshman. Each of the other three stories feature a journalist and one of his/her highlighted article.

The first of these, an unhinged account about a genius painter and dangerous psychotic inmate (Benicio Del Toro) who uses a sculptural female guard (Léa Seydoux) as his artistic muse, is narrated by writer J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton) during a talk. The painter is made famous by another inmate (Adrien Brody) with an eye for the modern art business.

Simultaneously romantic and tragic, the following story connects the respected journalist Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) to a revolutionary student (Timothée Chalamet), while the last article is described by the reporter Rombuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) during a TV interview. It features an animated sequence as climax and involves two policemen - a lieutenant/chef (Stephen Park) and a commissaire (Mathieu Amalric) whose son is kidnapped.

Curiously, the antique visuals lead to a contemporary greatness, and Anderson’s filmmaking accuracy leads to a charming film that works pretty well in French and English.

The Beta Test (2021)

Direction: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe
Country: USA / UK 

This labyrinthine comedy thriller written, directed and starred by Jim Cummings (Thunder Road, 2018; The Wolf of Snow Hollow, 2020) and PJ McCabe (in his directorial debut) may not provide an abundant share of nail-biting moments but the often amusing, occasionally annoying central character is something to go for.

The talented Cummings gives a wild 'n' crazy performance of rancid single-mindedness as a soon-to-be-married Hollywood agent who receives an anonymous invitation for a sex encounter that leads him to a hotel room, blindfolded. After the experience, he looks happier and energetic, yet recognizing that something is wrong. Paranoia and suspicion make him a moody fellow who can’t help but embarrassing himself.

Played with wit to match its conviction, this film is as sly as it is discerning, but falters when it goes for too much manipulation. Significantly stronger during the first half, this satire is so awesomely far-fetched you'd have to be in the right mood to enjoy it.

There are lots of new wrinkles to ponder about scams and technology today but The Beta Test works better as a mystery than a mystery solve. When it works, it really works, and those strong moments overcome the so-so ones.

Anne at 13,000 Ft. (2021)

Direction: Kazik Radwanski
Country: Canada

In this winningly assembled account directed and co-written by Canadian Kazik Radwanski, an overburdened 27-year-old daycare worker finds an uncommon way to release the daily pressure caused by a challenging work environment, personal social discomfort and continuous emotional tension.

Co-writer and leading actress Deragh Campbell is excellent as the intriguing Anne who became addicted to skydiving immediately after experiencing it for the first time. Like magic, this liberating practice alleviated considerably all her constraints in life, and she even starts a new relationship with Matt (Matt Johnson of The Dirties), whom she met at her best friend’s wedding party. 

What begins as a dispassionate look at a young woman's erratic mood and behavior against her professional life and close relationships (including her mother) soon becomes something far more stirring and emotional. Genuine moments are captured through numerous close-ups and handheld camera, and the story develops intimately like a documentary, with Campbell channeling that typically controlled sense of not-belonging that can explode any time.

Anne at 13,000 Ft. is a smartly written, keenly observant, occasionally hilarious and ultimately moving indie drama that arrives with a refreshing energy, leaving a trail of realistic experiences behind. Having Radwanski and Campbell cramming impressive amounts of characterization and awkward situations into 75 minutes, the film may be small, but I felt it as both emotionally honest and meaningful.