The Promised Land (2024)

Direction: Nikolaj Arcel
Country: Denmark / Germany / Sweden

Mads Mikkelsen stars in The Promised Land, the best possible send-off for the actor as a low-key but tenacious protagonist. In this historical period drama set in 1755 Denmark, he portrays Captain Ludvig Kahlen, a tenacious former officer seeking permission from the Danish court to establish a colony on Jutland, a barren moorland. However, he faces opposition from the sadistic Fredrik de Schinkel (played by Simon Bennebjerg), who lays claim to the land.

The film, based on 2020 book The Captain and Ann Barbara by Ida Jessen, counts on the strong supporting roles of Amanda Collin as a brave housekeeper and Kahlen’s lover, and Melina Hagberg as an orphan girl traveling with a group of Romani gypsies. What the director Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair, 2012) has in spades is the ability to find lyricism amid squalor. Certainly, the film is grim in many ways, but the true story is made irrefutably cinematic in its lavish, painterly visual detail.

Still, there are self-indulgences and an occasional excess of sentimental expression, especially in its latter third, leading to an awkward ending. The truth is: it didn’t move me in the end, but it’s guaranteed to give you the chills, reminding you of the ruthless deeds of those driven by greed and power. Laced with the emotional heft of the epic classics, the film is sure to satisfy movie-going audiences looking for tension-filled historical dramas.

The Taste of Things (2024)

Direction: Tran Anh Hung
Country: France

Under the direction of Viatnamese-born French director Tran Anh Hung (The Scent of Green Papaya, 1993; Cyclo, 1995), Juliette Binoche and Benoit Magimel deliver stellar performances, showcasing an almost transcendental chemistry in The Taste of Things, a meticulously crafted historical romance suffused with gastronomical delights. Adapted from The Passionate Epicure by Swiss author Marcel Rouff, the film unfolds within the walls of a castle in Anjou, centering on the intimate relationship between gourmet restaurant owner Dodin Bouffant (loosely based on Anthelme Brillat-Savarin) and his cherished chef Eugénie, who serves him devotedly for two decades.

Slowly cooked, this bittersweet cinematic offering invites moments of profound empathy through its well-drawn characters. Delicate, understated, and occasionally poignant, each scene is captured with constant care and refinement, resembling colorful, realistic paintings. The dishes  tantalize the palate but, despite the passion of cooking and love, the film is laid-back, occasionally feeling overly staged and lacking intrigue, risking monotony across its 134-minute duration. However, Hung balances these potential shortcomings with narrative simplicity and visual splendor.

The Taste of Things may not move mountains, but all in there is grace and melancholic bliss, making it a sensory experience worth savoring.

How to Have Sex (2023)

Direction: Molly Manning Walker
Country: UK / Greece

In this conventional coming-of-age drama film, written and directed by debutant English filmmaker Molly Manning Walker, the narrative subtly questions consent and explores the emptiness of youths rushing to embrace adulthood. The film delves into sexual and emotional disillusion, unreliable friendships, and ultimately hope. It starts as a lascivious, energetic romp with quick editing but evolves into a hard-nosed, somewhat schematized summer adventure before the too easy ending. 

The plot revolves around three British friends - Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce), Em (Enva Lewis), and Skye (Lara Peake) - who embarks on a trip to a party resort in Malia, located on the Greek island of Crete, with the intention of having fun. Tara, in particular, feels the societal pressure of still being a virgin, and the film explores how the 'dream' surrounding a first sexual experience often falls short of expectations.

While the initial segment may not be particularly surprising, the film gains more depth as the real problem emerges, exposing those gray areas associated with the topic with realistic perception. What you thought would happen, does... with no less traumatizing nuance that, for moments, takes the form of a sun-and-sea-kissed nightmare. Despite moments where the plot feels like a rough draft, the tension simmering beneath the surface is undeniable. The way the 16-year-old protagonist is tempted and entrapped is portrayed with authenticity, and McKenna-Bruce capably conveys the emotional tumult associated with such a transformative experience.

Ferrari (2023)

Direction: Michael Mann
Country: USA

The accomplished director Michael Mann, known for films like The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Collateral (2004), and Ali (2001), brings his expertise to this biographical sports drama centered around Enzo Ferrari, the renowned Italian entrepreneur and founder of the Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team. Written by Troy Kennedy Martin, based on the biopic Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine by journalist Brock Yates, the film delves into Enzo’s business challenges, his tumultuous relationship with wife and business associate Laura Domenica Garello, his solace found in mistress Lina Lardi and their son, and his drivers of choice - in particular Alfonso de Portago. 

Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz give a pair of excellent performances as husband and wife, contributing considerably to the relative success of a film that revealed to be less exciting than initially expected. There are some spectacular racing sequences but the film misses greater opportunities to shine and ultimately wobbles in its struggle to hold our interest. Essentially, the emotions are subdued, compromising the film’s provocative intents. Having said that, and despite some occasional dragging pace, the narrative follows logically, and the facts are delivered with no major flaws or startles.

As a result, half the audience will gasp at the drama, while the the other half - the auto racing enthusiasts - may seize the moment to deepen their historic background on Ferrari team and its founder.

Priscilla (2023)

Direction: Sofia Copolla
Country: USA

Filmmaker Sofia Coppola has consistently impressed audiences with her unique perspectives and depictions in films like The Virgin Suicides (1999), Lost in Translation (2003), and Marie Antoinette (2006). In her latest work, Priscilla, a biographical drama based on Priscilla Presley’s memoir Elvis and Me, Coppola explores the turbulent journey and controversial relationship between the title character and the king of rock 'n' roll. 

The story begins when 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu is invited to a party in Germany and meets 24-year-old Elvis at the peak of his fame during military service. The initial fascination gradually fades over the years, marked by Elvis' aggressive reactions, addiction, and possessively toxic behavior. Priscilla goes from being a teen muse to a discarded wife.

Coppola, with the executive production assistance of Priscilla herself, creates an anti-fairy tale with sophisticated visuals. The film exudes earnest charm, and Cailee Spaeny, in a compelling performance, shines with incandescence. However, Jacob Elordi's portrayal of Elvis is unconvincing. While the film may lack a substantial plot or astounding revelations, and its tone becomes somewhat static, it is a gutsy, can’t-look-away work that captures the emptiness of a crumbling relationship.

Priscilla, painted with a filter of candor and maintaining its drive and passion, ultimately comes together nicely, more in the form of a dramatic whisper than a shout of affirmation.

Fast Charlie (2023)

Direction: Phillip Noyce
Country: USA 

Directed by Phillip Noyce, known for films like Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) and The Quiet American (2002), Fast Charlie is an old-school action crime thriller that incorporates elements of romance, creating a contrast with its unremittingly violent scenes. Adapted from Victor Gischler’s novel Gun Monkeys, the film maintains a straightforward narrative, offering instant firmness and watchability. And there’s this sly humor that venomously assesses the lack of morality in the Southern mob lands.

Pierce Brosnan takes on the role of Charlie Swift, a hitman loyal to Stan (James Caan in his last role), an aging mob boss in Biloxi, Mississippi, for over 40 years. When a rival boss (Gbenga Akinnagbe) from New Orleans arrives, leaving a trail of death, Charlie is tasked with avenging the losses. He ends up teaming up with his crush, Marcie Kramer (Morena Baccarin), whose ex-husband was targeted by Charlie.

Sometimes ferocious, sometimes funny, occasionally feeling routine, Fast Charlie is an ambitious adaptation by Richard Wenk, offering a taste of 1980s action flicks, where a hero like Charlie could be played by Charles Bronson or Chuck Norris. 

Noyce's no-frills approach to the story is an asset, eschewing sensationalist tactics. Still, you may find yourself wishing less obvious, more demanding situations and a more substantial result. It could use a lot more discipline in key moments, but the nature of the story naturally supplies the required energy to keep us engaged regardless the predictability of the plot. For all that, Fast Charlie is a mildly entertaining little crime thumper that sufficiently delivers on its genre expectations.

The Crime is Mine (2023)

Direction: François Ozon
Country: France

In François Ozon’s latest film, The Crime is Mine, the narrative follows Madeleine Verdier (Nadia Tereszkiewicz), a struggling young actress accused of murdering a renowned producer who had sexually assaulted her during an interview. Defended in court by her best friend and roommate, the unemployed lawyer Pauline (Rebecca Marder), they initially bask in fame until the iconic silent cinema actress, Odette Chaumette (a scene-stealing performance by Isabelle Huppert), claims responsibility for the crime.

Ozon, infusing the jazzy vibes of the 1930s, adapts a play from that era, creating a whimsical, feminist period farce filled with droll humor and a touch of charm. The film takes a lighthearted approach to murder, capturing the era's spirit through an abundance of color and a joyful atmosphere conveyed in briskly-paced, effortlessly chaotic scenes.

This stylized fusion of theater and cinema, infused with social satire, sarcasm, plenty of lies, and a blend of wacky and goofy moments, explores the burlesque side of screwball comedies. Drawing inspiration from the works of Ernst Lubitsch, Frank Capra, and Sacha Guitry, Ozon mounts the film with a refreshingly old-fashioned flair that doesn't come off as an ironic throwback or shameless nostalgia pandering. The production design is lavish and detailed, complemented by outstanding supporting performances from Fabrice Luchini and André Dussollier.

Less brilliant than 8 Women (2002), The Crime is Mine is performed with an impressive suppression of passion, but never losing sight of more serious aspects akin to today’s world. The elements may feel familiar, even hokum, but Ozon approaches the material with enthusiasm. The film ultimately rewards those seeking a light, feel-good piece of entertainment. 

The Old Oak (2023)

Direction: Ken Loach
Country: UK

Ken Loach is an English director whose work we respected in full. His new drama, The Old Oak, is realism pushed to tears, a minor opus that deals with two topics: impoverishment in former mining towns and the arrival of Syrian refugees. How finely Loach has woven these thematic threads? 

While not packing the same punch as I, Daniel Blake (2016) or Sorry We Missed You (2019), the film intersperses lukewarm and powerful moments, evincing a softness that occasionally leans on pathos and sentimentality, diluting the impact of the narrative. Set in Durham, the story introduces Yara (Ebla Mari), a Syrian refugee with a passion for photography, who arrives in town just to be unconsoled with a broken camera and a less-than-welcoming reception. Already underwhelmed by crisis, some locals develop an unfounded xenophobia that translates into hate, lies, and betrayal. But there’s also kindness and compassion, which especially apply to TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner), the broken yet goodhearted owner of The Old Oak, the sole pub in town, in urgent need of repairs. 

Paul Laverty’s screenplay doesn’t come with major surprises, while Loach’s direction is quietly effective as if the camera wasn’t there. Although navigating predictable territory, they keep tackling social issues deeply rooted in our time and transporting them to the screen with a naturalistic Emile Zola-like approach. It’s a lucid film that, hitting where is necessary, ends up uneven. The optimistic path may touch the viewers’ hearts, but the full complexity of the subject is not there. Yara is reduced to a functional role, her words of lament feeling more superficial than deep. Our hearts go to TJ, not Yara, a consequence of the film’s vulnerabilities.

The pair Loach / Laverty, who has been working together since 1996, leaves us at the doorstep of an intercultural consolidation one can only dream of. The intentions are noble but The Old Oak doesn’t really come off despite the painful dramas behind each character.

The Pigeon Tunnel (2023)

Direction: Errol Morris
Country: UK 

The Pigeon Tunnel lifts the veil on the life of David Cornwell, better known as John le Carré, the renowned author of espionage classics such as The Spy Who Came From the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and The Constant Gardener. Weaving together sparse archival footage, newspaper articles, and re-enactments of Cornwell’s life episodes, this documentary frames a singular portrait of a man of mystery whose life inspired his literary masterpieces.

The notable documentarian Errol Morris, who excelled with The Thin Blue Line (1988) and Gates of Heaven (1978), takes on the role of interrogator and interviewer in a competent manner. However, despite an imposing score and enigmatic imagery, the film lacks a certain tension that one might expect from a spy-related narrative. Yet, the film compensates with interesting revelations and intimate details that will probably make fans and newcomers care.

The documentary delves into le Carré's complex relationship with his con artist father, Ronny, and mentions Kim Philby, a notorious spy for the Soviet Union and betrayer of the Queen, who held a deep admiration for le Carré's work. Its main strength lies in le Carré's secret life, shedding light on themes of betrayal, deception, duty, and morality. The eternal dance between manipulators and the subjugated is vividly portrayed, adding depth to the narrative. 

Although Morris' direction may be criticized for feeling somewhat static, there is a certain fascination in witnessing how le Carré, often labeled the ‘poet of self-hatred’, crafted novels that seamlessly blended imagination and personal experiences with unparalleled competency. The author died in 2020 at the age of 89.

Totem (2023)

Direction: Lila Aviléz
Country: Mexico 

Tótem is the sophomore feature by Mexican writer-director Lila Aviléz, whose debut feature happened in 2018 with The Chambermaid. It’s an unsentimental and deeply personal family drama seen through the eyes of Sol (Naíma Sentíes), a 7-year-old girl who is psychologically preparing to bid farewell to her father, Tonatiuh (Mateo García Elizondo), who is battling cancer. The story revolves around the emotions surrounding Tonatiuh's 27th birthday party, a significant event during this challenging period of their lives. Despite the seemingly grim backdrop, there are many touching details to be discovered within this narrative, thanks to well-developed characters, pitch-perfect performances, and a tactful direction.

The birthday celebration occurs at the house of Sol’s undemonstrative grandfather, organized by her aunts Alejandra (Marisol Gasé), who hires a mystic woman to cleanse the house from negative energies, and Nuria (Montserrat Marañón), a single mother grappling with alcohol issues. Despite aggravating financial problems, the family decides to keep Cruz (Teresita Sánchez), Tonatiuh’s tireless caretaker. 

Tótem provides a grounded, well-rounded insight into the value of life before it changes irrevocably. It belongs to the category of small choral films that, having something to say, are all the more engaging because they're rooted in truth. However, despite its keen observations and insight, it might not leave you completely floored.

Compact and modest in its storytelling, this film can be both heartwarming and heart-wrenching in equal measure. It feels good to see the tensions and conflicts within the family being engulfed by tenderness and love. The film's restraint, brought up by a refined cinematic language, often communicates more through silence than words. Yet, its tenuousness and temperance might limit its reach to a broader audience.

Kidnapped (2023)

Direction: Marco Bellocchio
Country: Italy

From Marco Bellocchio, the director of Fists in the Pocket (1965), Vincere (2009), and The Traitor (2019), comes Kidnapped, an exposé of a period in history when the Church wielded moral violence without responsibility or accountability to any authority.  In this film, Bellocchio, without exceptional brilliance but with the socio-political edge that characterizes his works, portrays the true story of Edgardo Mortara (Enea Sala), a six-year-old Jewish boy who was forcibly taken from his family by Pope Pius IX (Paolo Pierobon) after rumors of a secret baptism. The film is set in 1858, and Edgardo's parents, Momolo (Fausto Russo Alesi) and Marianna (Barbara Ronchi), wage an inglorious battle to reclaim him. Even with the scandal of several such abductions becoming public and Rome being liberated, it's difficult to erase a lifetime of brainwashing. 

There isn’t a moment that is not watchable but those moments could have added much more to the whole if better planned and executed. Despite needing a darker ambiance and more polished dialogue, the film is visually striking and well scored by the dramatic sounds of Fabio Massimo Capogrosso.

Kidnapped may require some patience from the audience as not offers a narrative that only dazzles intermittently. It’s a film centered on unanswered prayers, life-altering religious conversions, and soul-damaging submissions and humiliations, once again placing the Catholic Church at the center of criticism. Despite the formless ramble of its structure and the emotional distance that impairs some its scenes, the film tackles an interesting topic and features reasonably solid performances.

Amerikatsi (2023)

Direction: Michael A. Goorjian
Country: Armenia

American actor, director and writer Michael A. Goorjian gazes at the tough fate of Charlie (played by the director), a survivor of the Armenian genocide who, having lived in the US since the age of four, returns to Armenia decades later to help rebuild a country that fell under Soviet sovereignty. His good intentions are defeated after bumping into a sympathetic woman, Sona (Nelli Uvarova), whose jealous husband Dmitry (Mikhail Trukhin) - a high-ranking Russian officer - sends him to prison on false accusations of religious propaganda, cosmopolitanism and capitalism.

As a child, Charlie was encouraged by his grandmother to never lose his smile no matter what life brings to him, and he takes that advice literally. When everything seems lost, from his cell window, he finds amusement in peeking a loving couple in a neighboring apartment. The man is Tigran (Hovik Keuchkerian), Sona’s brother and a censored artist turned prison tower guard. 

Filmed with warmth, the film doesn’t leave behind much of a climax but is gorgeously photographed, with Goorjian making the most of the material with a quiet candor that, well anchored in emotion, is never excessively sentimental. Despite the harsh story, he’s able to leave the audience with a smile on their faces by handling serious matters in funny ways. He follows the same positivity that Roberto Benigni adopted in Life is Beautiful (1997). 

Amerkatsi doesn't transcend drama or comedy conventions, but uses the steep contrast between injustice and human values to bolster its narrative; all with the help of a full-blooded direction, a gently satirical tone, and fine performances. The bittersweet ending will leave you reflecting on life after liberation.

Joyland (2023)

Direction: Saim Sadiq
Country: Pakistan

Co-written and directed by Saim Sadiq, the semi-autobiographical social drama Joyland confronts change and forbidden desires in the ultra-conservative, patriarchal-centered Pakistani society. Although unrefined in the visual treatment, it’s a tragic tale of despair with important aspects to be absorbed.

The film stars Ali Junejo and Rasti Farooq as Haider and Mumtaz, respectively. Their marriage was arranged and their sexual life is unfulfilling, but they are good friends and support each other. Despite the constant pressure of his family, with whom they live in Lahore, the couple is not interested in having kids. Also not well tolerated is the fact that he remains unemployed, helping with the home chores, while she is the breadwinner, working in a beauty salon. Their situation will change drastically when the meek Haider accepts a job at the Erotic Dance Theater and meets Biba (Alina Khan), an impetuous, outspoken transgender who tries to survive on her own terms. 

Sadiq signs a controlled film; a personal statement that embraces all aspects of its humanity, from vulnerability to strength and everything in between. The loneliness of the characters and misunderstood desires are explicitly painful, contributing to a heavy atmosphere where the portrait of masculinity doesn't conform with the established rules. 

The realistic depiction, clarity of purpose, occasional gallows humor, and crucial message - with equality and freedom of choice at the center - are the reasons for the movie’s success, but the execution is a bit tacky, when it could have been aesthetically cinematic. Joyland was the first Pakistani feature to be shown at Cannes, where it won the Queer Palm and the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize.

How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023)

Direction: Daniel Goldhaber
Country: USA 

Marked by radical activism, the action thriller How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a relatively successful adaptation of the book of the same name by Swedish author/researcher Andreas Malm. For the screenplay of his sophomore feature, director Daniel Goldhaber teamed up with Ariela Barer, who also stars, and Jordan Sjol, opting for a handheld camera to intensify the most stressful scenes. 

The plot follows a group of extreme environmental activists who decide to sabotage an oil pipeline in Western Texas, causing severe damage without harming people. All members of this group have their own motives and beliefs, which are further clarified by flashbacks. Their grounds for protesting are strong, but the question persists: is it justifiable to fight back with violence? Moral consciousness opens the debate on the acceptable limits of ecological activism. 

Blending French new wave and Hollywood elements of the ’80s, the film, shot in 16mm, puts on airs while drawing from western and heist film genres. You kind of know how it will play out, but it's an elucidative close-up of destructive behavior in the name of a good cause. Terrorists or saviors of the world? 

Regardless the answer, the film would need more narrative development, a stronger staging, and deeper character insight to fully satisfy. The tension builds up right from the start, and the story flies at full speed, electrifying everything around its path. And yet, this subversive audacity gives way to different feelings as the events unfold in a low-key manner. In the end, it falls short of the expectations, getting a few holes below Kelly Reichardt’s Night Moves (2013), which tackles the same topic with a higher level of competence.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Direction: Christopher McQuarrie
Country: USA

Awesomely scripted, the seventh installment of Mission Impossible franchise, is neither unworthy nor mind-blowing. It features its star, Tom Cruise, in top form, as super-spy Ethan Hunt, who, this time around, fights a ghost from his past - the terrorist Gabriel (Esai Morales) - and a metaphysical Entity that, as a destructive AI parasite, undermines digital communications and threats humanity. The secret to avoiding its propagation is to find the other half of a cruciform key with the help of old IMF teammates, Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), and an unexpected new partner and incorrigible thief, Grace (Hayley Atwell).

Director Christopher McQuarrie directs this well-calibrated, fast-paced action romp with panache, taking in typical car and motorcycle chases, and extending them to an uncontrolled train - the famous Orient Express - crammed with enemies. Although every threatening occurrence is solved last minute with an excess of coincidence and implausibility, the good outweighs the bad via its sense of adventure, ranging motion and thrilling tone. It is escapist entertainment with no fainting spells. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Meeting the canons of the saga while taking the form of an artful spectacle, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One was the most expensive and longest film of the series, but is far from being an extraordinary achievement. Fans can expect Part Two to arrive in 2024.

Love Life (2023)

Direction: Koji Fukada
Country: Japan 

Shot with the intimacy and formality that is many times associated with Japanese cinema, Love Life is an emotionally complex melodrama rooted in grief, trauma and patriarchy, but branching out into insecurities, reconnections and family subtleties.

Writer, director and editor Koji Fukada (Harmonium, 2016; The Real Thing, 2020) brings us the story of Taeko (Fumino Kimura), and her husband Jiro (Kento Nagayama). The couple works together at the local social service center and is happily married despite Jiro’s father has never approved of their relationship. Taeko has a bright six-year-old son, Keita, from a previous marriage. A shocking tragedy suddenly shakes this family without warning. All of them will have to adapt to the new reality. Keita’s estranged biological father, a homeless Korean man (Atom Sunada), resurfaces shortly after Taeko finds out that Jiro had a fiancée before her, who happens to be their coworker.

Coping with grief and the role of women in the patriarchal Japanese society are not the only central topics here. Loneliness is also very present, clashing with the constant communication - in three different languages - that occurs among the characters. These people are wounded inside and vacillate in several ways when disoriented. We feel them as they breathe the discomfort of their lives in search of love and resilience. 

Melancholy infiltrates an acerbic story that employs too much composure for a plot that, even fairly unpredictable, is meandering and not as moving as the director would have intended it to be. Yet, the beautiful image composition comes with extraordinary sharpness and is to be praised - director of photography Hideo Yamamoto worked extensively with Takashi Miike and contributed to Takeshi Kitano’s Fireworks look great.

Fukada signs a drama punctuated with strong sequences of muted disenchantment and discreet humanism. They warn us about the impossibility of controlling life as well as the time required to overcome difficult phases.

Barbie (2023)

Direction: Greta Gerwig
Country: USA

The pink bubble surrounding the world-famous 11-inch plastic doll Barbie, which made its first appearance in 1959 in New York by the hand of creator and Mattel co-founder Ruth Handel, is hard to recreate, even in modern cinema. Yet, and despite the dominant sense of goofiness, the talented filmmaker Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, 2017; Little Women, 2019) demonstrates she’s capable of surprising the viewer with clever takes on several important topics - from patriarchy to identity to consumerism and capitalism. Fresh ideas co-orchestrated with partner Noah Baumbach transpire throughout a film that jolts with jubilant humor, music, dance, and a few truths about real-world men and women.

In this artificial Hollywood fantasy, Barbie (Margot Robbie, who also produced) struggles with thoughts of death, and inexplicably gets flat feet and cellulite. These malfunctions prompt her to see Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) for advice. The latter urges her to leave Barbieland and go to the real world where she will connect with the unsatisfied Mattel-designer Gloria (America Ferrera), and her brash daughter, Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt). Whereas Barbie becomes aware of her depressive state, her forever boyfriend, Beach Ken (Ryan Gosling), makes a move to transform Barbieland into a patriarchal Kenland by brainwashing the remaining versions of Barbie. A pink revolution, not devoid of sweet reasonableness, is needed to reestablish peace and justice.

Benefitting from Helen Mirren’s effective narration, this feminist film hovers over the topics with wittiness, enjoyment and critical thinking. The result is cheerily upbeat. Great energy and creativity went into the construction, production and direction of this movie, which, as good as it is at times, still misses the heart. With that said, that final scene was simply brilliant, leaving me no other option than surrender myself to Gerwig’s intelligent humor. This Barbie movie might be too candied and flamboyant but is certainly not silly.

Lola (2023)

Direction: Andrew Legge
Country: Ireland, UK

Nobody can deny that Lola, an avant-garde sci-fi drama in the style of a docu-fiction, is inventive and bold. This experimental Guy Maddin-esque effort by first-time director Andrew Legge is invested in an enigmatic world of found footage, the ability to see the future, controversial decisions in wartime, and a bit of self-discovery. It plays like a feverish funhouse with eclectic music - from art-rock to electronic to the classical music of Elgar - and retro visuals that authenticate the power of film as a medium. 

Shot with several cameras and period lenses, and dreamt in black and white, Lola is the story of two orphaned sisters, Thomasina (Emma Appleton) and Martha (Stefanie Martini), who created LOLA, an advanced machine that can see into the future and intercept its messages. The year is 1949, but the sisters are already enthusiastic fans of David Bowie and Bob Dylan (the music of the future). Almost without notice, they became the secret weapon of the British military intelligence in the war against Germany, but not without a few predicaments that could change the course of history as we know it. 

Story-wise, there’s not much to be happy about it, but even self-indulgent at times, the film has a strange appeal, developing with imagination at an irregular rhythm. These emphatic montages can be very artistic but also gimmicky in its dramatic time travel hallucination. Lola is an unusual picture, insanely evocative and hard to predict.

The Starling Girl (2023)

Direction: Laura Parmet
Country: USA 

The Starling Girl focuses on the negative impact of fanatic religious communities on young women's lives who are still searching for an identity. The drama, written and directed by debutant Laura Parmet, stars Australian-born actress Eliza Scanlen (Babyteeth, 2019), who, strong in her role, oscillates between uncontrollable desire and intense guilt.

In an ultra-conservative Christian small-town in Kentucky, the 17-year old Jem Starling (Scanlen) slowly  awakes to sexuality and love when the local pastor’s elder son, Owen Taylor (Lewis Pullman), 28, returns from Puerto Rico. But Owen, a youth pastor himself, is married, and it’s his tedious brother, Ben (Austin Abrams), who asks her family permission to court her (a community tradition), with a clear intention to marry her in the future.

Although the film seems more likable than incisive or original, the patchy romance at the center is not stale. There’s also family problems, oodles of hypocrisy and public humiliation, while the slowness of the staging is commensurate with the labor of a story that overwhelms. But, in the end, does the film reach the depth expected? Just about. Disregarding the flat, unsatisfying ending, there are a few disturbing and dramatic moments of quiet power.

The themes, emphasizing the clash between feelings and values, will resonate with free spirited individuals as much as it will upset fanatical religious devotees.

Last Night of Amore (2023)

Direction: Andrea Di Stefano
Country: Italy

Embracing gritty neo-noir flavors, Last Night of Amore is the latest film by Italian writer-director Andrea Di Stefano, whose previous works include Escobar: Paradise Lost (2014) and The Informer (2019).

This is the story of Milan police lieutenant Franco Amore (played with charisma by Pierfrancesco Favino), known not only for his adamantine honesty but also for never having shot a gun over the course of his 35-year career. On the eve of his retirement, his life is turned upside down after an on-the-side security job goes wrong. Unexpectedly, it’s his super ambitious wife, Viviana (Linda Caridi), who pulls him out of a deep, dark hole. 

Shot in 35mm, this cop thriller mounted with a mix of plausible and beyond-belief scenarios, has its narrative set against the backdrop of a heated, disturbing Milan where the Italian and Chinese mafias cooperate with cynicism. Di Stefano knows his way around the genre and provides the adequate classic structure and the desperate, nocturnal atmosphere to make it noir. Even so, stalling moments found in the loopy middle part of the film weaken a tale that is only lifted up again by an amusing epilogue. Moreover, the Chinese characters are depicted as caricatures of themselves and never really look scary or even serious. 

Not even close to mind-blowing, Last Night of Amore still comes shrouded in an acceptable aura of obscurity that triggers curiosity.