Cinema and Popcorn

June not only marks the post-Cannes awards talk and the Summer blockbuster season, but it also means most buzzy projects have already prospects of a release date and others are in talks to premiere in Venice, TIFF, Telluride or NYFF: crucial points for the awards season. While some might complain it is too early since most buzzy projects have only landed in European film festivals and American audiences and critics are different than the European ones, I believe the reception some project have received and which distributor picked it might already say a lot. Plus, it's always fun when we see which of our early picks materializes during awards season. While some questions still haunt me: Is Malick's The Way of the Wind being released, finally? Is digger another Birdman or will it be another Bardo ? Which movie or movies will get Sandra Hüller another Oscar nod (since she's destined to rule this year)? Will The Odyssey be a contender in acting and writing fields? Can the Aca...

MOTHER MARY  Anne Hathaway and, specially, Michaela Coel shine in a movie that feels really about... nothing! Stellar cinematography and inspired set pieces with some pretty smart and fluid transitions make Mother Mary impressive to look at at times, but feels like a sterile piece of filmmaking full of empty dialogue and music sequences I wish they were longer. Yes, it's the best Anne Hathaway performance since Rachel Getting Married and seeing her taking on a darker character sure is enough reason to watch it, but this film transported me to a cinematic void that didn't ignite a single emotion from me. It's a cinematic painting and maybe it's my problem that I didn't find the meaning behind it. R: 4/10 MICHAEL It's not as bad as some reactions made me believe, but it's not good either. It's a convential fan-friendly cash grabber biopic that never really explores the real Michael Jackson but makes it a Wikipedia-check cinematic journey. Jaafar Jackson s...

Genre: Horror; Comedy. Director: Curry Barker Writer: Curry Barker Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless and Andy Richter I went to Obsession totally blind besides seeing a released dinner date scene and the movie caught me completely off guard: I loved it!  It's a simple yet well-executed concept that depicts the terror of toxic relationships from the extreme perspective of the horror genre - which is a quite smart concept and a much needed satire about toxic relationships people often endure. It's an unexpected future classic and I believe we will be talking about this flick not only all year long, but also for years to come!  At its core, Obsession is about "careful what you wish for", but it turns into a movie with a much deeper meaning many might see at surface. Curry Barker writes an ambiguous leading man - perfectly brought to life by Michael Johnston - as Bear gains the audiences' sympathy as the boy next door who...

The Cannes Film Festival jury cannot award the Palme d'Or in combination with other prizes. However, acting and screenplay prizes can be combined with the Jury Prize, which can have more than one honoree - something that has already happened four times since 2019 (considering there was no Cannes Film Festival edtition in 2020) - and with the Grand Prix (despite being less common with this one because of the high level of prestige of winning the Grand Prix itself). I think in order to try to predict, it's important to have in mind who are part of the jury: Park Chan-wook, South Korean filmmaker (Jury President). Diego Céspedes, Chilean filmmaker. Isaach de Bankolé, Ivorian actor. Paul Laverty, Irish-Scottish screenwriter. Demi Moore, American actress. Ruth Negga, Ethiopian-Irish actress. Stellan Skarsgård, Swedish actor. Laura Wandel, Belgian filmmaker. Chloé Zhao, Chinese filmmaker. So, it's a mostly European jury, with some fresh voices, like Céspedes or Wandel, but it...

GENRE: Comedy; Drama. DIRECTOR: David Frankel WRITER: Aline Brosh McKenna STARRING: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Kenneth Branagh, Justin Theroux and Lucy Liu Some movies are all about aesthetics that are able to sell tickets due to marketing campaigns that highlight the visual beauty of the movie and the high caliber of its lead(s) but offer a "chicken & rice" plot. The Devil Wears Prada 2 might follow the exact same formula of the 2006's classic, but it does offer substance. In fact it's one of the few cases of "substance over style", but not even the awful streaming-friendly cinematography or the uninspired costume design can take the crown away from the incredible Hathaway & Streep duo or its commentary about nowadays state of printed press, fashion and how masses consume content. This sequel might not add anything to Andy or Miranda's archs, but it does offer the audience a perspective about how much has changed...

GENRE: Comedy; Drama; DIRECTOR:  Kristoffer Borgli WRITER:  Kristoffer Borgli STARRING: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie, Hailey Gates and Zoe Winters The thing about The Drama is that it has some big execution issues, but it still succeeds at building a rewarding cinematic experience due to the commitment of stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson: they save this movie, which could go wrong with less capable actors. It's solid but it didn't live up to the hype it was able to build during the marketing campaign - which would make it a letdown, but it isn't since the whole third act excceed my expectations. Actually, The Drama has tea. Borgli starts the film with what (for me) might be his biggest directing mistake: he doesn't make the audience spend enough time with Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Pattinson) before the needle dropping moment Emma reveals her secret - something that is supposed to completely change the perspective about Emma. Since we don...

BEST PICTURE BEST DIRECTOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Amy Madigan is actually the frontrunner after winning the Actor Award (formely SAG) and the Critics’ Choices besides a big couple of critics prizes, but Weapons is a horror movie and it didn’t land any other nomination across the board - the last actress to achieve a Best Supporting Actress win as the sole nominee of her movie was Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) and that win happened because Kate Winslet was placed in Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Reader (and she spent the whole awards season taking Best Supporting Actress prizes for that performance)… That’s why I am predicting Teyana Taylor  to win for the Best Picture buzzy One Battle After Another - she has only won the Golden Globe (she’s actually the only nominee to have been nominated for all the precursors) but she dominates the very beginning of OBAA as the fiery, complex and seductiv...

GENRE: Drama DIRECTOR: Emerald Fennell WRITER: Emerald Fennell STARRING:  Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, Ewan Mitchell, Owen Cooper and Charlotte Mellington "Wuthering Heights" might well be one of my favorite novels of all time, not only because it features a dark yet beautiful narrative, but also two of the most depicable characters in literary history - but Emerald Fennell's take on the classic only covers the first half (Cathy and Heathcliff's story) and she twists things a little (a lot) bit! I don't consider myself a book puritan when it comes to novel-film adaptations and while I appreaciated the audacity of Fennell's vision, the final result felt more lukewarm than daring actually. Don't take me wrong: there's plenty to praise in Wuthering Heights , but there's also plenty to criticize. Emerald Fennell has always showed a crave for an edgy approaches about human nature (from thirst for r...

GENRE: Drama DIRECTOR: Chloé Zhao WRITER: Chloé Zhao & Maggie O'Farrell STARRING:   Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Jacobi Jupe, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn and Noah Jupe Thanks to an excellent source material, a sensitive direction and a commited ensemble cast, Hamnet is one of those rare literary adaptations done right for which the final result reaches the caliber of the novel. It's not a perfect film, but it's a film that embraces those imperfections and highlights what it has best: a pulsating heart! Might well be the most romantic and subtle movie of the year with the most visceral impact as it explores very powerful feelings with a rare audience-engaging effect. Hamnet starts with the promise of a romantic drama but as soon as the narrative starts developing you understand it goes well beyond a love story. Agnes and Will relationship is fueled by love, but it's imperfect and thorny at times - still, love speaks louder and the fact they know they are very different ...

SORRY, BABY An auspicious directorial debut by Eva Victor who goes triple duty here (director, writer and actress) and the result is a film that understands itself, with a core, a soul and a heart. There are two secret ingredients here: a sharp and sensitive script that builds a narrative based on an event without overexploring it; and a pitch perfect comedic tone in a vibrant blend of being dramatic with the right amount of being light and funny. Victor is perfect in the leading role and Naomi Ackie makes for a great scene partner - both have great chemistry and they do sell a true and honest friendship on-screen. A simple execution, yet an extremely effective (and affecting) one. A pleasant surprise! RATING: 8/10 SENTIMENTAL VALUE A film about old wounds that still need stitches, Joachim Trier's film is handled in such an introspective way that you can't help but notice you thinking about this movie at some random part of your day. It's a movie about feeling miscast in li...