‘Last Breath (Le Dernier Souffle)’ directed by Costa-Gavras was a cinematic tour-the-force in the Official Competition of the 72nd San Sebastian International Film Festival circuit. This was truly a marvelous film that dissects and reflects philosophically on death, palliative care and illness. With precision, skill and care, Director Costa-Gavras investigates different medical cases and gives the audience therapeutic…
Premiering at the San Sebastian Film Festival, ‘Modi – Three Days on the Wings of Madness’ features the chronicles of three chaotic days in the life of Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani. Johnny Depp hasn’t taken a directorial credit on a feature since The Brave in 1997, but when Al Pacino came to Depp…
“I Saw the TV Glow” is a film by director Jane Schoenbrun, known for their exploration of themes surrounding identity, technology, and the unsettling aspects of human connection. The film follows two outcast teenagers, played by Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine, who bond over their shared obsession with a mysterious TV show. Their fascination with…
‘Megalopolis’ is a cinematic tour de force that precisely deconstructs and dissects the parallelism between the past and the future – the decline of the Roman Empire and the future of America. The mind-bending film explores the future of the world through themes, allegories and symbols (greed, power, inequality) that leads to societal collapse and…
The explicit body horror film ‘The Substance’ is totally surreal – the film is symbolic with body metamorphism. ‘The Substance’ is about an ageing actress who gets booted from Hollywood by chauvinistic male executives and resorts to a black-market medical technology to restore her youth. This movie is a fantastically shocking, grotesque and satirically horrifying …
‘The Last Showgirl,’ directed by Gia Coppola, is a poignant drama that delves into the life of Shelly, a veteran Las Vegas dancer confronting the end of her long-standing career. Coppola’s sensitivity to character development shines through as she delves into the complexities of Shelly Gardner’s life, played by Pamela Anderson. Anderson’s portrayal of Shelly…
‘Afternoons of Solitude’ (Tardes de Soledad) is an observational documentary film directed by Albert Serra that highlights the world of bullfighting from a showmanship’s standpoint and the rituals surrounding this tradition. The film obviously contains violent content however the movie itself gives meditative and poetic insight into bullfighting. ‘Afternoons of Solitude’ is an intense portrait…
‘The Room Next Door’ offers a unique approach to exploring themes of mortality, friendship, and the complexities of human connections. Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, this English-language debut delves into the nuanced relationship between two women, Ingrid (Julianne Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton), as Martha prepares to end her life on her own terms due to…
‘Back to Black’ is a 2024 drama based on the legacy of Amy Winehouse. The film tells the story of her music, career, challenges, and relationships – it was tastefully done. The movie features beautiful live music that highlights themes of romance, fame, and personal struggles. Marisa Abela did a great job in her portrayal…
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is a 2024 political thriller directed by Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof. The film delves into the oppressive dynamics within an Iranian middle-class family during a period of political unrest following the death of Mahsa Amini. The narrative centers on Iman, a lawyer promoted to the position of investigating judge…