The close of this year's Venice Film Festival brought an awards ceremony with the winner of the Golden Lion was given to the latest from Jim Jarmusch, "Father Mother Sister Brother". The drama-comedy, with a starry cast led by Cate Blanchett and Adam Driver, is about the complicated relationships between parents and their children involving three sets of families. The runner-up Grand Jury prize of the Silver Lion went to "The Voice of Hind Rajab", a political docudrama from Kaouther Ben Hania that details the killing of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was trapped in a car during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip last year.
For his first feature film without his brother, Josh, Benny Safdie received the Silver Lion Best Director prize for his sports biopic "The Smashing Machine" based on the life of mixed-martial arts fighter, Mark Kerr. Best Screenplay went to the director, Valérie Donzelli for her drama, "At Work (À pied d'œuvre)" and shares the prize with co-writer, Gilles Marchand. Based on a true story, a successful photographer at the peak of his career decides to pursue writing but he faces financial hardship and personal struggles during this dubious transition.
Here are the winners in the Main Competition of the 2025 Venice Film Festival:
Golden Lion: "Father Mother Sister Brother"
Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize: "صوت هند رجب (The Voice of Hind Rajab)"
Silver Lion Best Director: Benny Safdie, "The Smashing Machine"
Best Screenplay: Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand, "A Pied d’oeuvre (At Work)"
Best Actress: Xin Zhilei, "日掛中天 (The Sun Rises on Us All)"
Best Actor: Toni Servillo, "La Grazia (The Pardon)"
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress: Luna Wedler, "Silent Friend"
Lion of the Future – Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film: Nastia Korkia, "Short Summer"
Special Jury Prize: Gianfranco Rosi, "Sotte le Nuvole (Below the Clouds)"
"Wuthering Heights", the only novel by the British author, Emily Brontë, has captivated readers since it's publication back in 1847 and has endured as true classic of English language literature. This story about the passionate relationship between Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a poor orphan taken in by her family and the destruction he causes after she chooses to marry a wealthy neighbor instead of him has been adapted for film and television numerous times since the very beginning of cinema.
The latest version of "Wuthering Heights" is from the provocative filmmaker, Emerald Fennell who was behind the controversial and polarizing dramas, "Promising Young Woman" and "Saltburn". The just released teaser trailer of Fennell's interpretation, that will feature Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Cathy, makes it clear that this will not be a tradtional rendition of Brontë's acclaimed story. With a bold, experimental style and surreal imagery, this film is almost certain to stir intense debate over what the director has done with this timeless narrative.
"Wuthering Heights" is due in US theaters on February 14, 2026
As we move from steamy hot weather into a brisk cooler season, this is reflected in the upcoming movie slate. We had a summer filled with box-office hits of largely sequels, reboots and lighter fare. And now it's time for a shift with movies involving more serious, dramatic subjects and prize-seeking projects. There is a lot of intriguing movies on the horizon over the next four months and here are a few I'm really looking forward in seeing:
"THE HISTORY OF SOUND"
Release date: September 12, 2025
"The History of Sound", based on short stories by Ben Shattuck (who wrote the screenplay), deals with the romantic relationship between two men, Lionel (Paul Mescal) and David (Josh O'Connor) after meeting while attending a music conservatory in Boston. Separated due to World War I , they are reunited and, to make up for their lost time together, begin traveling to record traditional folk songs throughout rural Maine. Oliver Hermanus directs.
"KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN"
Release date: October 10, 2025
"Kiss of the Spider Woman" began as a drama in 1985 from director, Héctor Babenco that was set in a Brazilian prison during the military dictatorship and centers on two very different cellmates; a rigid leftist revolutionary (Raul Julia) and an apolitical gay man (William Hurt who would win the Oscar for Best Actor). Seven years later, this film was adapted into a popular Broadway musical by Terrence McNally, John Kander and Fred Ebb, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. Now this musical of "Kiss of the Spider Woman" will be brought to the big screen by Bill Condon who has had great success previously with the stage-to-screen transfers of "Chicago" and "Dreamgirls". Here Diego Luna will play the revolutionary, Valentin, Tonatiuh is Molina, the gay cellmate and in her first screen musical, Jennifer Lopez appears as Ingrid Luna, Molina's favorite movie star.
"BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER"
Release date: October 15, 2025
The Swiss/Austrian filmmaker, Edward Berger, who made a major splash with his first English-language film, the papal drama, "Conclave" which was nominated for eight Academy Awards last year, is back with another film in English. "Ballad of a Small Player" is set in the high stakes world of gambling with Colin Farrell playing a troubled man deeply in debt and trying to lay low in the Chinese city of Macau. But he can't keep away from the lure of the tables and hopes to be saved by an employee of the casino (Fala Chen) before it's too late. Tilda Swinton also stars.
"GOOD FORTUNE"
Release date: October 17, 2025
After the attempt for his directorial debut was cancelled back in 2022 due to star Bill Murray's alleged inappropriate behavior on set, stand-up comedian, Aziz Ansari went to work on his next project. The comedy, "Good Fortune" tells the story of Arj (Ansari), a man struggling to make ends meet while working for Jeff, a wealthy mogul (Seth Rogen). A "budget" guardian angel (Keanu Reeves) enters Arj's life to help by proving that if he swapped places with Jeff his life wouldn't be any better. But Arj is actually very happy with his newly acquired opulent lifestyle, causing the angel to lose his wings and forced to live back on Earth. Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh also star.
"THE SECRET AGENT"
Release date: November 26, 2025
"The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto)" made it's world premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival where it received the Best Director prize for Kleber Mendonça Filho and Wagner Moura won Best Actor. Moura (his first role in his native Portuguese in eight years) plays a teacher caught in the political turmoil during the final years of the Brazilian military dictatorship while desperately trying to escape persecution.
"FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER"
Release date: December 24, 2025
Jim Jarmusch, a major force in independent cinema since the 1980s, is back with his latest offbeat comedy-drama. "Father Mother Sister Brother" is an anthology film involving three stories with each concerning the complicated relationships between adult children and their parents. Set in present day and in different countries, Jarmusch offers a series of character studies that features an impressive cast that includes Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps.
"MARTY SUPREME"
Release date: December 25, 2025
Josh and Benny Safdie began as an indie filmmaking team, making their mark with the compelling crime thrillers, "Good Time" and "Uncut Gems". But like the Coen Brothers, the Safdie siblings have decided to go their separate ways as filmmakers. Josh's first solo directorial venture will be "Marty Supreme", a sports drama based on the life of professional table tennis player, Marty Reisman. Timothée Chalamet will play Reisman in this film which apparently is not an accurate biopic but a more fictionalized version of his life and career. Safdie continues the family tradition of eclectic casting with fellow filmmaker, Abel Ferrara; comedian, Sandra Bernhard; sitcom star, Fran Drescher; "Shark Tank" businessman, Kevin O'Leary and Oscar-winner-turned-lifestyle-guru, Gwyneth Paltrow appearing in the film.
(And Benny Safdie will also be making his solo directorial debut this fall with his own sports biopic, "The Smashing Machine" with Dwayne Johnson as MMA fighter, Mark Kerr, premiering during this year's Venice Film Festival and reaching US theaters on October 3rd).
The 2025 Venice International Film Festival will be held from August 27th to September 6th at the Venice Lido in Italy. For its eighty-second year, "La grazia (TheGrace)", from the acclaimed Italian filmmaker, Paolo Sorrentino, has been selected to open the fest. Little has been revealed about this drama making it's world premiere but Toni Servillo, who starred in the director's Oscar-winning film, "The Great Beauty", appears in what has been described as the final days of a fictional Italian presidency.
The American filmmaker, Alexander Payne will be this year's Jury President to select the prize winners in the Main Competition with French filmmaker, Stéphane Brizé; Italian filmmaker, Maura Delpero; Romanian filmmaker, Cristian Mungiu; Iranian filmmaker, Mohammad Rasoulof; Brazilian actress, Fernanda Torres and Chinese actress, Zhao Tao filling out the rest of the jury.
Some of the films selected for the main competition includes the latest works by an impressive collection of international filmmakers: Yorgos Lanthimos ("Bugonia"), Jim Jarmusch ("Father Mother Sister Brother"), Guillermo del Toro ("Frankenstein"), Kathryn Bigelow ("A House of Dynamite"), Noah Baumbach ("Jay Kelly"), Park Chan-wook ("No Other Choice"), Benny Safdie ("The Smashing Machine"), Ildikó Enyedi ("Silent Friend"), François Ozon ("L'Étranger (The Stranger)") and Olivier Assayas ("The Wizard of the Kremlin").
The Closing Night film will be "Chien 51 (Dog 51)" by French director, Cédric Jimenez. This sci-fi thriller set in a future society where their leader is assassinated with a top agent (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and a jaded cop (Gilles Lellouche) are forced to work together to solve the murder.
The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement will be given this year to the provocative German filmmaker, Werner Herzog and legendary American actress, Kim Novak. Herzog's new documentary, "Ghost Elephants", which follows a mysterious herd of ghost elephants in the jungles of Angola, will make its premiere out of competition. And The Glory to the Filmmaker, an award dedicated to personalities who have made a significant contribution to contemporary cinema, will be given to American painter and filmmaker, Julian Schnabel with his latest film, "In the Hand of Dante" (starring Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler) screening at Venice out of competition.
Terence Stamp, the handsome British actor who broke through with his first film, "Billy Budd" and went on to have significant career including appearances in "Superman" and "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", has died on August 17th at the age of eight-seven.
Born and raised in East London, Stamp became enamored with acting when he was a child after seeing Hollywood movies. Growing up during World War II, he enduring the constant blitz in London which did leave a traumatizing effect upon him. Stamp won a scholarship to study acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and performed in many theatrical productions. During this time, he became friendly with fellow aspiring actors, Peter O'Toole and Michael Caine, who Stamp would later share a flat.
Stamp got his first major break in 1962 with actor, Peter Ustinov's fifth feature as a director, "Billy Budd" which he also wrote the screenplay and co-starred. This British historical adventure, based on the novella by Herman Melville, has Stamp playing Budd, a young sailor who is falsely accused of attempting a mutiny by the cruel master-at-arms and accidently kills him, leading to his court-martial. The film was not a big hit but did earn Stamp a Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and winning him a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer (Male).
He would go on to work with several notable filmmakers throughout the rest of the '60's: William Wyler with "The Collector"; John Schlesinger's adaptation of Thomas Hardy's "Far from the Madding Crowd"; Ken Loach in "Poor Cow"; Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Teorema" and co-starred in the spy comedy, "Modesty Blaise" with Monica Vitti. Stamp was even considered for replacing Sean Connery as James Bond after his departure from the role but apparently his ideas for the dashing spy character made the producers uncomfortable.
During this time, Stamp became a popular fixture of the swinging London party scene and renowned for his high-profile romances with two of the celebrated women of that era; supermodel, Jean Shrimpton and actress, Julie Christie who co-starred with Stamp in "Far from the Madding Crowd".
Stamp would make his mark again by appearing in the 1978 big-screen version of "Superman" playing the Kryptonian villain, General Zod and would play the character again in the sequel. He would also been seen in a variety of films throughout the '80's like "The Hit", "The Sicilian", "Legal Eagles", "Young Guns", and "Wall Street".
Stamp would surprise viewers with his sensitive yet hilarious turn as a transgender woman in the 1994 Aussie indie, "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" by director, Stephan Elliott. This road-trip comedy on a tour bus across the Australian Outback along with their two drag-queen friends (played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce) would win the Oscar for the outrageous costumes and this campy farce has gone on to become a popular cult classic. Three years later, Steven Soderbergh (a fan of the actor) gave Stamp a lead role in his crime drama, "The Limey". This critically acclaimed film did poorly at the box-office upon it's initial release but has since been found by more appreciative modern audiences. Stamp's last screen appearance was in Edgar Wright's (another big fan of the actor) psychological horror drama, "Last Night in Soho" in 2021.
Stamp also found some success as a writer, having written three memoirs, a novel and co-writing a cookbook that featured alternative recipes for those who are lactose-intolerant.
Written by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand and Akiva Schaffer
Directed by Akiva Schaffer
Where & When: TCL Chinese Theatres, Hollywood, CA. August 3, 2025 5:10 PM
After David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker had incredible success with "Airplane!", their wacky spoof on aerial disaster movies back in 1980, they moved to television with a parody on police procedurals. With Leslie Nielsen (who had a long career as a dramatic actor before his gift for deadpan comedy was revealed in "Airplane!") as Detective Frank Drebin, "Police Squad!" premiered two years later but was cancelled after only six episodes. But the comedy team still had faith in the concept and transferred the idea to the big screen. Reaching theaters in 1988, "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" became a huge box-office hit and spawned two equally successful sequels.
Now "The Naked Gun" has been rebooted for a continuation of the movie series directed by Akiva Schaffer, one third of the musical comedy outfit, The Lonely Island which features his childhood buddies, Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. Liam Neeson, the Irish actor best known for his brooding and deadly serious performances in many popular action films, is on board to let loose and make us chuckle as the son of Frank Drebin. This version certainly has the uproarious looney spirit of the previous films and there are plenty of laughs to be found. But this "Naked Gun" feels somewhat restrained compared to the other movies, too timid to really go all the way in with jokes that some might consider too outrageous and potentially offensive.
Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. (Neeson) may have single-handedly stopped a violent bank robbery while disguised as a little girl but his unorthodox methods puts him in hot water with the police chief (CCH Pounder) who reassigns him to less public duty. During an investigation of a fatal car crash involving a software engineer, Drebin decides it was a suicide. But Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson), a crime novelist who is the sister of the victim, visits Drebin at the station trying to convince him that her brother was actually murdered.
This leads Drebin to Edentech, the tech company Davenport worked with and the billionaire owner, Richard Cane (Danny Huston). Connecting over the hip-hop group, the Black Eyed Peas, the two men get on well enough that Cane even gives Drebin a self-driving electric car. However, Cane is behind a secret sinister plot involving a device, P.L.O.T. (get it?) which will convert the average man back into wild, primitive state while the wealthy will be unaffected to rule over them.
What we have in between this basic plot are rapid fire jokes, comical sight gags and hilarious puns. There are moments I found myself laughing out loud, particularly during an oddball romantic interlude between Frank, Beth and an amorous snowman. But some of the jokes land with a thud and running gags (Anderson's goofy jazz scatting at a club and Drebin trapped in the racing EV that Cane uses in an attempt to kill him comes quickly to mind) go on far too long. And as the film progresses to reach the conclusion of Drebin trying to defeat Cane's plan, the pacing becomes more slack and the humor feels more forced.
Neeson and Anderson may not be fully comfortable (or skilled) with performing the broad comedy in the film yet they give it their all with exuberance and gusto. We know that what was considered funny has changed considerably since the original movie was made and there is now a much stronger desire not to offend anybody. But this film pushes just enough to create a sense of outrageously silly fun. "Naked Gun" is a very welcome return of the big-screen comedy and hopefully will spark a much needed revival of the genre.
Where & When: AMC The Americana at Brand 18, Glendale, CA. July 13, 2025 1:30 PM
Since his creation by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster eighty-seven years ago, Superman has endured as an iconic, super-powered, crime-fighting character that helped popularize the comic-book genre. Since 1940, he has appeared in numerous radio serials, novels, films, television shows, theater, and video games.
Now the latest film reboot, simply titled "Superman", has James Gunn behind it, the writer and director who boldly shook-up the formula of the genre (somewhat) with the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy by taking us on a weird, wild ride with off-the-wall heroes and some unexpected dark humor. With this film, Gunn does mess around with our expectations of these very familiar characters. Some of these changes feels inspired while other transitions comes across as painfully awkward. But what this "Superman" has done successfully is brought a fresh excitement to this legendary hero's story and taking us on a thrilling, offbeat adventure we hadn't anticipated at all.
Assuming we are all well familiar with his backstory, the film begins with Superman (now played by David Corenswet), badly hurt and unable to make it on his own to his secret ice fortress in Antarctica, whistling. This calls for his super-powered dog, Krypto to race through the snow to help his master. We learn that Superman had lost his battle against a metahuman called the "Hammer of Boravia", who is under control by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), a wealthy tech wizard whose prime focus is to destroy the Man of Steel. After recovering with the help of his team of robotic helpers, Superman returns to Metropolis under his secret guise as Clark Kent, an unassuming reporter for the news organization, The Daily Planet. Clark might spar with his fellow reporter, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) at work but after hours, they are privately having a romantic affair with her fully aware of his true identity. Lois cares for her Superman but unsure if this relationship is really such a great idea.
Luthor is still determined to finish off Superman. After having another metahuman collaborator, The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) break into Superman's fortress, she discovers a message from our hero's parents (Bradley Cooper and Angela Sarafyan) that was with him when he was sent to Earth as an infant from his doomed home planet, Krypton. The end of the communication had been damaged during the journey and Luthor uses his technology to repair the message, discovering that the parents had requested a malevolent plan for their son. Luthor broadcasts this disturbing recording to the world with the public quickly turning against Superman and the government demanding that he be locked up for questioning.
After being unceremoniously dropped from Marvel/Disney over some controversial jokes he had made in the past, Gunn was hired to breathe fresh new life into the DC Universe. The recent films over the last five years ("The Suicide Squad", "Black Adam", "The Flash", "Blue Beetle", "Shazam! Fury of the Gods") have all struggled at the box-office. "Superman" is the first big step and Gunn has certainly succeeded in launching an intriguing new direction for the comic-book series. The film is a visual wonder with a spectacular-looking Metropolis and riveting battles against odd looking creatures and mutated super-beings. I was very surprised to learn that the dog, Krypto was completely a CGI creation, leaving me impressed (and a little disturbed) over the endless possibilities of this technology.
In the previous movies, there was clear distinction between good and evil with Superman being a powerfully stoic, near-perfect figure that fought against sinister forces while representing solid American values. With "Superman", the spirit here is more shades of nonpartisan gray. The heroes of the Justice Gang, Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), who help Superman in his battle against Luthor, have no issues with killing anybody in their way when they feel necessary. But the noticeable difference about this Superman is that he's motivated by the unshakable belief of decency and that all life is valuable. Even that dirty squirrel deserves to be saved from a certain death.
As our latest "Superman", Corenswet, who had made supporting appearances in several films and television programs before Gunn had noticed him in Ryan Murphy's overripe Netflix series, "Hollywood", perfectly captures the classic image of our hero but his take features him as more vulnerable than he's appeared in the past. Superman is still a brave and amiable protector with midwestern values yet somewhat very naive to the self-involved mindset of this modern world. He's made to constantly question his beliefs by friend and foe, which in turn weakens him psychologically and causes him to lose in battle more than once. Luthor, Superman's longtime arch-nemesis, has been given a slight makeover that makes him an attractive, compelling presence than previously seen. Curiously modeled after Elon Musk, Hoult brings an oily charm to the vile billionaire inventor who seethes with irrational rage over the universal praise Superman receives from the public. Brosnahan's Lois Lane fares less well here. Many of the recent screen versions of Lane has made her a shrewd, fearlessly independent reporter. Brosnahan has a few opportunities to display some of this resourcefulness but she's basically on the sidelines here, given perfunctory chores to do during the attempts to save her man. And there's not much of a persuasive spark happening between this couple on screen either.
Considering the politically volatile times we're currently living in, "Superman" has managed to stir up accusations of being "woke". There is no doubt that Superman might be perceived as left-leaning yet there is no political agenda in this film beyond simply presenting this alien hero from Krypton in our present day and how he most likely would be received in it. The world has grown far less trusting of people who are considered to be "different" and the idea of a super-powered being from another planet making decisions for this entire planet would have the minds of conspiracy theorists going into manic overdrive.
But "Superman" has a warm, vibrant energy generating throughout this stylish, entertaining adventure. This is helped by Gunn effectively sticking to the core of what has made this classic comic-book star still appealing; a noble, kind-hearted hero with a strong sense of morality and justice. This is the kind of super-hero that we really need right now and anyone from any political affiliation should be able to get behind.
The latest from Paul Thomas Anderson, "One Battle After Another" has Leonardo DiCaprio starring in a black comedy thriller, taking inspiration from the novel, "Vineland" by Thomas Pynchon. This is Anderson's second adaptation of a book by Pynchon ("Inherent Vice" was first back in 2014) and the story hasn't been fully revealed but we know that DiCaprio plays a hard-living revolutionary who is trying to rescue his kidnapped daughter (played by Chase Infiniti who last appeared in the series, "Presumed Innocent"). But he struggles to remember the password that is needed to assemble his fellow radical revolutionaries to assist him in rescuing her due to his many years of substance abuse. Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Alana Haim and Benicio del Toro also star.
I have to say that I was not a fan at all of Anderson's last feature, "Licorice Pizza". Yet I remain very optimistic about this upcoming film as I believe strongly that PTA is still one of our greatest contemporary filmmakers. "Punch-Drunk Love", "There Will Be Blood", "The Master" and "Phantom Thread" all appear on the recent NYT's "100 Best Movies of the 21st Century" (making him tied with Alfonso Cuarón and the Coen brothers for the second most films of this list at four and Christopher Nolan leading with five), revealing his outstanding ability in creating enduring, modern classics.
"One Battle After Another" is due in US theaters on September 26, 2025
The New York Times decided to make a list of the one hundred best movies from this current century. As there have only been twenty-five years to date, this task might not appear to be all that daunting. Yet when you consider such an extensive range and vast assortment of cinema created over this period, this project might be more of a challenge then it would seem. So to help decide which films were selected and ranked, five hundred filmmakers, actors, influential insiders and fans were asked to each vote for their personal top-ten favorites that were released since January 1, 2000. Then these votes were complied to create this listing of best movies which were revealed twenty at a time over five days that began on June 23rd.
Please click below for the complete list of films selected as the best of this current century:
I have seen ninety-three films from the list and below are the trailers of my ten favorites from this selection of one hundred best movies of the twenty-first century (not in ranking order). This was extremely difficult to narrow down and I never would have been able to finish if I had added some great movies that didn't actually make it on this list:
Where & When: AMC The Grove, Los Angeles, CA. June 14, 2025 3:30 PM
The filmmaker, Celine Song dazzled us with her debut feature, "Past Lives", a compelling drama lightly inspired by real events in her life which went on to be critically acclaimed and awarded, receiving two Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.
With her follow-up, "Materialists", Song has once again focused on a love triangle, this time involving a woman who struggles between the familiar comfort of her financially struggling, former boyfriend and the enticing qualities of a handsome, extremely wealthy financier. This dramatic romance offers enlightened observations on the complications in trying to find love and intimacy in today's money-driven world. Yet "Materialists" is strangely designed like a romantic-comedy without actually using the formula, leaving us puzzled by what exactly is this film trying to be?
Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a professional matchmaker who works for the dating service, Adore. And while she's very good at her job, Lucy is perfectly content being single herself with no interest in a relationship, having decided that if she ever marries, it will be to a man with a lot of money. During the wedding of her ninth successful match, Lucy meets Harry (Pedro Pascal), the groom's brother. Rich, attractive and captivating yet still single, Lucy only sees a potential new client. But Harry wants to go on a date with her which she promptly declines. After managing to get Lucy to go out with him, Harry seduces her with his considerable charm and financial assets that leads them to a romantic connection.
Also at the wedding, Lucy runs into her ex-boyfriend, John (Chris Evans), a struggling actor who is working as a caterer at the reception. They hadn't seen each other in some time since they broke-up and as they reconnect, the attraction is still quite palpable. During their five years together, Lucy and John were both trying to be actors yet she gave up on that profession and the relationship, deciding she no longer wanted to struggle and fight about money. And while this still remains true for Lucy, she begins to consider that money might not be the only solution to a perfect partnership.
I have heard some refer to "Materialists" as a romantic-comedy yet there's not a single joke nor comedic moment to be found in the film. What I think might lead people to believe this drama could be labeled as a rom-com is "Materialists" delivers the familiar trappings of the genre; ridiculously attractive people with a vast amount of wealth who are unable to find love with the ideal match, living in a New York presented with a glossy sheen (shot by Shabier Kirchner who also filmed Song's debut feature) that anyone who has ever been to the city knows does not exist. In fact, Carrie Bradshaw and her pals would fit quite comfortably in this world. This film would have actually benefited with a few pointed laughs and greater sense of fun, with the story at times becoming overwrought and far too somber. There is one disturbing, traumatic moment that happens to one of Lucy's clients, shifting the tone enough that nearly derails the film. But "Materialists" manages to recover enough to get us back on track to it's main objective with a stern yet light-hearted examination of love connections.
I have previously expressed my thoughts on the performative abilities of Ms. Johnson but I will just say that while the actress does deliver a serviceable performance here, she does not display the magnetic presence required that would have us believe that these two men would do almost anything to win her over. Evans and Pascal have built their careers as actors who captivate with their considerable charms and they do not disappoint here, creating some sense of chemistry with the woman in the middle.
"Materialists" might be a somewhat, dark drama in rom-com clothing yet still captures the difficulties of dating and relationships in these modern times with a light hearted touch. The film offers thoughtful and thought-provoking views about the contractual nature of marriage and calling out the silly notion that monetary comfort is not that important in a relationship as long as you have love. It reveals that because men don't want to marry a woman over thirty and a woman won't even consider dating a man under six feet tall is exactly why there's so many lonely, single people out there misguided in feeling that the use a matchmaker will actually help them find a potential partner.
Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà have teamed-up for a special presentation to bring long overdue recognition to one of the great performers of Italian films and world cinema: Monica Vitti. A striking beauty with a magnetic presence, Vitti has been hailed as an actor who transformed the screen with a modern sensibility as film shifted from glossy spectacle to gritty realism during the 1960's.
Born in Rome in 1931 as Maria Luisa Ceciarelli, she took her mother's maiden name when deciding to become an actress, getting bit parts on stage and in films before earning a significant role in "Le dritte", directed by Mario Amendola in 1958. Two years later, Vitti met filmmaker, Michelangelo Antonioni who cast her in "L'Avventura". This film about the disappearance of a young woman during a boating trip in the Mediterranean with the woman's lover and her best friend (played by Vitti) coming together to search for her went on to win the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and would make Vitti an international movie star. From this notable success, an artistic partnership began between Antonioni and Vitti with them going on to make three more groundbreaking films together: "La Notte", "L'Eclisse" and "Il deserto rosso (Red Desert)".
This is the first North American retrospective dedicated to the remarkable career of Vitti with fourteen of her essential films to be screened, several with new 4K restorations.
Please click below for the complete list of films, to purchase tickets and additional information:
Claire Denis, the distinguished French filmmaker, will be honored with a celebration of her work and career with an American Cinematheque retrospective beginning on June 4th through 7th which is also part of the Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair film festival.
While she was born in Paris, Denis was raised during her formative years in colonial West Africa as her father was a civil servant which he moved the family around every two years across the area. This experience would have a profound influence on her future career as a filmmaker as well as the old American films she would watch as a child.
By the time she returned to France as a teenager, Denis felt disconnected to her birth country. As as young woman, she searched for direction. She was briefly married to a photographer and studied various subjects before attending the prestigious film school, IDHEC (which is now La Fémis). After graduating in 1971, Denis would go on to be the assistant director for many acclaimed filmmakers which included Wim Wenders with Denis traveling to the US with the German director to film "Paris, Texas" and his return to Germany to make "Wings of Desire".
At this point, Denis was ready to call her own shots behind the camera and made "Chocolat" in 1988. This semi-autobiographical drama looks at a French woman reflecting on her childhood in Cameroon and her relationship with her family's African servant. This film, nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, brought her immediate acclaim.
Denis would go to have an extraordinary career with the now seventy-nine year old director having made sixteen feature films to date as well as numerous short films and documentaries. American Cinematheque will spotlight six of her movies which includes Denis' most acclaimed film, "Beau Travail", a 1999 drama loosely based on
Herman Melville's novella, "Billy Budd". The other films featured are "35 Rhums (35 Shots of Rum)"; the erotic-horror drama, "Trouble Every Day"; "Les Salauds (Bastards)", an homage to film noir starring Vincent Lindon and Chiara Mastroianni; her first English-language film, "High Life", a sci-fi horror with Robert Pattinson and "White Material" which has Denis returning to Africa with Isabelle Huppert as the owner of a struggling coffee plantation trying to hold on to it during the eruption of a civil war.
Please click below for the complete list of films, to purchase tickets and additional information:
The Juliette Binoche-led Main Competition jury has selected Jafar Panahi's "It Was Just an Accident" for the top prize of the Palme d'Or at the close of the2025 Cannes Film Festival. The Iranian filmmaker is currently in exile from his home country and has used his cinema to bring voice to opposition to the Islamic Republic. This, in turn, has effectively gotten him "banned" from making films in Iran and previously imprisoned several times. This thriller, shot in secret, tells the story of five Iranian protestors who deal with a moral dilemma about whether or not to murder their former torturer. Following winning the Golden Bear at Berlin for "Taxi" in 2015 and the Golden Lion at Venice for "The Circle" in 2000, Pahahi becomes only the fourth filmmaker to win top honors at all three festivals (the previous three are Henri-Georges Clouzot, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Robert Altman). And the film distributer, Neon has won bragging rights with Panahi's win as they will release the film and have acquired the Palme d’Or winners for six years in a row.
The runner-up winner or Grand Prix went to the latest from Joachim Trier, "Affeksjonsverdi (Sentimental Value)". The last time the Norwegian director was at the fest, he had won the Palme d'Or for "Verdens verste menneske (The Worst Person in the World)" back in 2021. Renate Reinsve (who won Best Actress for her role in the 2021 film) stars in this family drama centered on the estranged relationship between a father and his two daughters. The Jury Prize was a tie with "Sirât", Óliver Coro's drama about a father's search for his missing daughter in the deserts of southern Morocco and "Sound of Falling" from Mascha Schilinski with this German-set drama following four girls from different historical periods whose lives are interconnected, sharing the award.
The Brazilian filmmaker, Kleber Mendonça Filho received Best Director for his film, "The Secret Agent" and the star of this drama, Wagner Moura won Best Actor. Set in 1977, a teacher is caught in the political turmoil of the final years of the Brazilian military dictatorship.
Here are the winners of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival:
Palme d'Or: "یک تصادف ساده (It Was Just an Accident)"
Grand Prix: "Affeksjonsverdi (Sentimental Value)"
Jury Prize: (TIE) "Sirât" and "In die Sonne schauen (Sound of Falling)"
Best Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho, "O Agente Secreto (The Secret Agent)"
Best Screenplay: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, "Jeunes Mères (Young Mothers)"
Best Actress: Nadia Melliti, "La Petite Dernière (The Little Sister)"
Best Actor: Wagner Moura, "O Agente Secreto (The Secret Agent)"
Camera d’Or: Hasan Hadi, "The President’s Cake"
Camera d’Or (Special Mention): Akinola Davies Jr., "My Father’s Shadow"
Special Award: Bi Gan, "狂野时代 (Resurrection)"
I can't believe we are already approaching June which means the summer movie season is just around the corner. These next three months are the most important for the film industry as it tends to account for about 40% of the annual box-office totals in the US. The first quarter of the year has been down significantly but there is optimism due to the recent successes of "A Minecraft Movie", "Sinners" and even "Thunderbolts" which has helped the box-office regain some lost ground by 16%.
This upcoming line-up of summer films appears, for the most part, overly cautious with Hollywood seeming to rely even more heavily on remakes, sequels and live-action versions of popular animated films to try and lure audiences back into theaters. But despite this safe, unadventurous slate, there are a few films that has managed to catch my attention that I am anticipating:
"ELIO"
Release date: June 20, 2025
With "Elio", Pixar/Disney will be releasing their first original animated movie since "Elemental" three years ago. This tells the story of an eleven-year-old boy named Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) who is convinced there is extraterrestrial life somewhere out there in the galaxy. After being beamed up to an alien communiverse, Elio accidentally becomes the ambassador of Earth where he must help divert an intergalactic crisis.
"F1"
Release date: June 27, 2025
Brad Pitt lends his star power to Formula One racing in "F1", a sports action drama from director, Joseph Kosinski who last brought us "Top Gun: Maverick". Pitt plays a successful Formula One driver who has a horrible crash, forcing him to retire. Years later, a team owner and friend (Javier Bardem) contacts him to mentor a promising young driver (Damson Idris) for the Apex Grand Prix team.
"THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS"
Release date: July 25, 2025
The Fantastic Four, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1961, were the first superhero team by Marvel Comics. But Marvel has struggled to get a decent cinematic version of this group to make it to the big screen. With "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" (the third attempt of these characters in a feature film), this version looks very promising. The story is set in a 1960s-inspired, parallel Earth with highly intelligent scientist, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), his wife, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), her brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and Reed's best friend, former astronaut, Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) making up the Fantastic Four who were transformed into Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Human Torch and the Thing respectively, who gained their superpowers after exposure to cosmic rays during a scientific mission into space. They must stop the planet-devouring cosmic being, Galactus (Ralph Ineson) in order to save Earth.
"WEAPONS"
Release date: August 8, 2025
"Weapons" is a disturbing, horror mystery from Zach Cregger, a performer who found great critical and commercial success his first time as a writer/director with another horror film, "Barbarian" three years ago. One night, all of the children but one child from the same classroom mysteriously vanish at exactly the same time. The community is left frightened and confused by who or what could be behind the disappearance of their children. But they soon begin to look suspiciously at the teacher of the classroom, played by Julia Garner. Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan also star.
"AMERICANA"
Release date: August 22, 2025
"Americana", the feature debut by writer/director Tony Tost, made it's premiere at South by Southwest back in 2023 and is now finally getting it's theatrical release. Originally titled, "National Anthem", this brutal, dark comedy thriller revolves around numerous people who become connected through a fight to the death over a priceless, Native American ghost shirt that is believed to have spiritual powers. Sydney Sweeney and Paul Walter Hauser headline a cast that also features Simon Rex, Eric Dane and pop singer, Halsey.
"THE ROSES"
Release date: August 29, 2025
Way back in 1989, Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner starred in a pitch-black marital comedy, "The War of the Roses" which was directed by Danny DeVito who also co-starred. Now this popular hit has been remade as "The Roses" and directed by Jay Roach (the "Austin Powers" film series; "Meet the Parents"). We have the inspired pairing of Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as Theo and Ivy Rose, a long-time married couple whose relationship quickly comes apart, progressively leading to more violent behavior. And while the film appears to be still quite dark, the comedy feels raunchier and more edgy which makes this version come across as a completely different movie than the original. SNL vets, Kate McKinnon and Andy Samberg and Oscar-winner, Allison Janney are also along for the ride.
The 78th annual Cannes Film Festival, the first of the major fests to premiere important new works of cinema by some of the world's most prestigious filmmakers, will be held this year on May 13th through 24th. Cannes will open this year with "Leave One Day", a comedy by French filmmaker, Amelie Bonnin. This is the first time a debut feature film has been selected to open the festival. "Leave One Day" tells the story of a young woman who leaves behind her hometown to start a new life but must return due to a family emergency.
The Oscar-winning, French actress Juliette Binoche will serve as this year's President of the Jury who will select the winners of various prizes. Her fellow jurors are American actress, Halle Berry; Congolese filmmaker, Dieudo Hamadi; South Korean filmmaker, Hong Sang-soo; Indian filmmaker, Payal Kapadia; Mexican filmmaker, Carlos Reygadas; Italian actress, Alba Rohrwacher; Moroccan writer, Leïla Slimani and American actor, Jeremy Strong. Some of the films in the Main Competition include new works by acclaimed international filmmakers: Wes Anderson ("The Phoenician Scheme"); Richard Linklater ("Nouvelle Vague"); Ari Aster ("Eddington"); Jochim Trier ("Affeksjonsverdi (Sentimental Value)"); Kelly Reichardt ("The Mastermind"); Dominik Moll ("Dossier 137"); Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne ("Jeunes mères (The Young Mothers Home)"); Mario Martone ("Fuori"); Jafar Panahi ("It Was Just an Accident"); Lynne Ramsay ("Die, My Love") and Julia Ducournau ("Alpha").
Some highlights playing out of competition are Spike Lee's latest, "Highest 2 Lowest", which will make it's world premiere, and stars Denzel Washington (his fifth cinematic collaboration with Lee) in a revision of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller "High and Low". Tom Cruise and his possible last time as IMF agent, Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" will also screen at Cannes. Ethan Coen's second feature as a solo filmmaker, "Honey Don't!" will screen during the fest and the latest from Rebecca Zlotowski, "Vie privée (A Private Life)", a French psychological thriller which is notable for starring American actress, Jodie Foster who will appear only speaking the language. There is also a special screening of "Bono: Stories of Surrender", a documentary by Andrew Dominik about the lead vocalist of the Irish rock band, U2.
In Cannes Classics, which will screen restored prints, world cinema, tributes and documentaries on cinema, a restored 4K version of Charlie Chaplin's classic silent comedy, "The Gold Rush" will open this section, celebrating one hundred years since its release, while Stanley Kubrick's 1974 historical epic drama, "Barry Lyndon", also restored in 4K, will close.
The official double poster for the festival features Anouk Aimée on one and Jean-Louis Trintignant on the other from the movie, "A Man and a Woman" by Claude Lelouch, the winner of the Palme d'Or at the 19th Cannes Film Festival in 1966. And Robert De Niro will receive the festival’s Honorary Palme d’Or during the opening-night ceremony.
Where & When: AMC The Grove 14, Los Angeles, CA. April 12, 2025 10:00 PM
On the surface, "The Amateur" might appear to be your standard-issue, espionage action-thriller. Yet this rousing, fast-paced film, directed by James Hawes, best known for his work in British television, offers more emotional elements than are usually found in this genre. Rami Malek, the Oscar-winner for his strutting turn as rock star, Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody", stars as a highly intelligent CIA decoder who suffers an unimaginable tragedy and when he feels not enough is being done to capture the perpetrators, he's determined to take matters in his own hands.
Charlie Heller (Malek) is seeing his wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) off on a business trip to London before he heads to work at the CIA. As a meticulous cryptographer, he discovers that his boss, Deputy Director Alex Moore (Holt McCallany) has been secretly involved in covering up planned drone strikes as suicide bombings. When he's called in to the office of the CIA Director (Julianne Nicholson), assuming it's regarding his restricted investigation, Charlie is informed that Sarah has been killed by a terrorist group.
Devastated and barely able to function, the grieving Charlie soon becomes consumed with vengeance. After doing his own investigation, narrowing down the suspects who were involved in his wife's murder, he presents his findings to Moore and his deputy, Caleb Horowitz (Danny Sapani). Telling him they're going to wait in order to take down their entire network, Charlie threatens to reveal the information he discovered unless Moore helps him train to hunt down these terrorists. He's reluctantly sent off to a CIA facility to train with Col. Robert Henderson (Laurence Fishburne) while they search Charlie's home trying to track down the classified files he's hidden. Henderson determines that Charlie might be highly skilled with intel but he's no killer. But Charlie doesn't let that stop him, heading to Europe alone with the goal to find the people responsible and create his own version of revenge.
This is not the first time "The Amateur", based on a novel by Robert Littell, has been made as a film. It was first adapted back in 1981 as a Canadian feature directed by Charles Jarrott and starring John Savage, Christopher Plummer, and Marthe Keller. This modestly budgeted production received mediocre reviews and didn't make much of an impression at the box-office.
The new version of "The Amateur" is a pumped-up, Hollywood affair, taking us on an international scenic trip throughout several European cities, expertly shot by German cinematographer, Martin Ruhe. The detailed intrigue and exhilarating action sequences might be the driving force of the film but it is the strong character development and deeper human connections that help elevate this thriller beyond the expected beats of this style of film. Far from anybody's idea of an action star, Malek comes across believably as just an average tech guy, distraught, angry and ready to take matters into his own hands, knowing he's in way over his head yet remains determined to use his wits to see his preposterous mission through to the end.
While the plot might be formulaic and a bit overcooked, "The Amateur" is a well-crafted, thrilling adventure that keeps you fully engaged throughout the mind-boggling twists and turns. Between the shootings and explosions, the film gets extra points for creating heartfelt moments by characters you actually care about.
Val Kilmer, a gifted yet volatile performer who appeared in "Top Gun", "The Doors", "Heat" and "Batman Forever", has passed away on April 1st at the age of sixty-five. Kilmer had been struggling with throat cancer since 2015 and died from complications from pneumonia.
Born in Los Angeles, Kilmer was accepted into Juilliard School in drama and later appeared Off-Broadway in 1983. The following year he broke through after being cast as the lead in the latest comedy spoof by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker (the men behind "Airplane!") with "Top Secret!". Kilmer followed this up with "Real Genius", another comedy set in the world of science, directed by Martha Coolidge in 1985.
Kilmer shifted gears by appearing in "Top Gun", the military action-drama that help cement Tom Cruise as a movie star, in a supporting role that displayed the actor's dramatic intensity. The film was a huge success, helping Kilmer land other interesting roles. He starred in Ron Howard's fantasy-adventure, "Willow" where he co-starred with his future wife, Joanne Whalley in 1989 and then in the following year, Oliver Stone would have him portray the rock musician, Jim Morrison in the biopic, "The Doors" with the actor impressively singing the band's music. Other noteworthy films he appeared include "Thunderheart", "True Romance", the western, "Tombstone" (where he played Doc Holliday and received critical acclaim) and a supporting role in "Heat", the Michael Mann crime drama which paired Robert De Niro and Al Pacino for the first time on screen.
After Michael Keaton, who played the role for two films, dropped out of playing Batman, Kilmer was cast for the next adventure, "Batman Forever" with Joel Schumacher as the new director in 1995. The actor and the director clashed during the making of the film which began Kilmer's a reputation as "difficult". The reviews of "Batman Forever" (which also starred Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones and Nicole Kidman) were mixed but was still a box-office hit. Unhappy with the direction of film, Kilmer did not reprise his role in the follow-up feature (with George Clooney putting on the Bat-suit) although it doesn't seem he was encouraged since Schumacher was returning as director. He went on to star in "The Saint", "The Ghost and the Darkness", "At First Sight" and a remake of "The Island of Dr. Moreau" with Marlon Brando. This film was a very difficult production with the actors having personal issues, problems with each other and the original director, Richard Stanley who was fired and replaced with John Frankenheimer. Not surprisingly, the film would turn out to become a critical and box-office failure.
Kilmer would continue to do great work in film and on stage, creating a one-man show on writer, Mark Twain called "Citizen Twain" he began in 2012. During his treatment for cancer, he underwent chemotherapy and two tracheotomies which left him with a very raspy voice. For the long-awaited sequel to "Top Gun" released in 2022, Cruise insisted that Kilmer appear in the film as his character, Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky although his voice would need to be enhanced somewhat with AI. Kilmer was married to Whalley for nine years, divorcing in 1996 and they had two children, Mercedes and Jack who are both working actors.
Where & When: TCL Chinese Theatres, Hollywood, CA. March 10, 2025 3:40 PM
For the follow-up to his Best Picture Oscar-winning film, "Parasite, the South Korean filmmaker, Bong Joon Ho has continued exploring social themes involving class and politics with "Mickey 17". But this dark comedy travels deep into the future and set in an English-language, new-fashioned world. Since this is an absurdist fantasy, although with a heavy critique on our current political landscape, Bong lets his imagination run wild, creating a bleak, chaotic and wacky environment that remains thoroughly entertaining.
When we first met the seventeenth "reprinted" version of Mickey (played by a game Robert Pattinson), he prepares to meet his end once again after falling in an ice cave and about to be devoured by alien creature. Explaining how he ended up in this predicament, Mickey had signed up to leave an increasingly uninhabitable Earth as crewmember for a spaceship traveling to colonize the planet, Niflheim. But he also had another reason to get off the planet quickly as he and his friend, Timo (Steven Yeun) made a bad business deal and owe some nefarious men a lot of money they are unable to pay back.
While Timo is brought on board as a crew pilot, Mickey, failing to read the fine print, signed on as an "expendable worker". What this entails is that Mickey is essentially used as a human Guinea pig to test how the body will react to the foreign pathogens found on this new planet which will help doctors create cures and vaccines. This will also lead to a lethal demise for Mickey. But he is continuously regenerated as a photocopy of himself yet with memories of his former lives still firmly intact.
Since his first feature, "플란다스의 개 (Barking Dogs Never Bite)", released over twenty-five years ago, Bong has always injected his wickedly perverse yet playfully offbeat sense of humor throughout his films. Based on the novel, "Mickey7" by Edward Ashton, Bong freely strays from that writer's narrative, exploring deeper into the cost of capitalism while keeping the tone of "Mickey 17" tense yet hilariously silly. There is a jumble of genres at play here and the clashing of sci-fi, horror and slapstick comedy isn't always effective. Yet Bong is a gifted visionary with a provocative style, managing to keep this discordant tale engaging much of the time.
The last time we saw Pattinson on screen, he was playing the grim, costumed crime-fighter in "The Batman. With "Mickey 17", the actor reveals his less-seen, comedic gifts as the sweet yet incredibly dim, slack-jawed lab rat, reminding us once again of Pattinson's impressive range as a performer. It turns out that the planet's creatures in the cave had no interest in bringing harm to Mickey, actually helping him out of the icy cavern. He manages to make it back to the space station but since it was assumed that he was a goner, a Mickey 18 has been created. Yet while this new Mickey might look the same, he is far more astute and aggressive than the previous version. Since the rule is that there cannot not be multiples of any "expendable" existing at the same time, "18" tries to kill "17" but the former Mickey manages to convince the new clone that they would be better off working together and sharing duties. And Mickey's girlfriend, Nasha (Naomi Ackie), who also happens to be one of the ship's security agents, is thrilled to enjoy the benefits of having two variants of the same man.
Even in a new ecosystem, there is always someone who wants to grab hold on to power, forcing their will and use it for their own self-serving needs while convincing the population that it's for their best interest. Here we have Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), an ego-fueled, failed politician along with his Lady Macbeth, Ylfa (Toni Collette) clinging closely as a bug in his ear to guide her less sharp husband.
Their plan involves eliminating all of the native species on the planet (with Ylfa considering their tails a delicacy to be used for special sauces she's creating), calling them "creepers" and assuming they are nothing more than brainless creatures. However Mickey is aware they are far from unintelligent, with each alien being able to communicate with each other cerebrally. The two Mickeys are discovered following 18's attempt to assassinate the fascist Marshall. As punishment, they are forced out (with bombs strapped to their bodies to make sure they comply) to collect more creatures for their tails while the creatures are swarming the space station trying to rescue two held captive.
"Mickey 17" might not be considered one of Bong's masterworks, it's far too broad and unwieldy narratively speaking. But with striking camerawork by the great Darius Khondji (who also shot Bong's 2017 sci-fi fantasy, "Okja"), captivating visual effects and impressive performances, the film succeeds in taking us on weird, wild thrilling adventure.
