Sabina Dana Plasse

At its core, Come Closer is an unexpected reality check in a coming-of-age story about handling loss. Israeli writer-director Tom Nesher’s debut feature pushes emotions and reveals the underside of life, delivering a universal snapshot set in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Veiel not only provides details of letters and images throughout Riefenstahl but also constructs a story of filmmaking through his own film. He conveys the emotion of “how could she” using selective footage and placement, timed interviews, behind-the-scenes actions, and subtle narration, allowing imagery to tell a story for the viewer to decide their side.

What is clear in the overall message is that women worldwide have something to say about how they are being treated. Merlant makes this theme comedic yet scary. The film is fun-filled with great angles, set décor, acting, and timing.

Kandhari delivers a story one might never expect, lingering with you long after it ends, which is long-winded. He captures many details from set to screen with honest conviction, making them memorable within a very unusual but novel story.

A well-edited and rhythmically moving documentary, SPEAK. communicates with us and will continue to hold its own for many years to come.

The Last Showgirl is a grand moment for Coppola, which she does well, especially with Anderson and Curtis, who are fully committed to their characters and well-studied for their roles.

The intense and fascinating vision and lens through which Guan Hu observes everything makes Black Dog unforgettable and haunting long after watching.

The music is excellent, the direction is clear, and the story does not disappoint, even though it is true and sadly tragic. The acting makes sense and carries the film until the end. Perhaps what makes Girl You Know It’s True success is that you can’t believe it happened and is true.

Well-acted and primarily believable, especially in the ins and outs of London, where most of the film takes place, Midnight Taxi is encapsulating and intriguing. Although it moves steadily for suspense, maybe a bit slow at times, the end is worth the wait.

The excellent sound effects and editing build up the suspense. The well-placed visual cues — I especially enjoyed seeing a public phone — and cinematography add to the tense atmosphere. Yet, Cannon has more important themes at work.

The director creates a very candid and understandable story, offering an in-depth experience of the evolution of the artists with a great deal of artwork and amusing anecdotes. This goes well with archival materials and flurry of imagery, as well as the fun reenactments.

Modernism, Inc: The Eliot Noyes Design Story is well-crafted and educational. Its deep dive into corporate culture design is fascinating.

Gaucho Gaucho is a celebration of a community of Argentine cowboys and cowgirls who live beyond the boundaries of the modern world.

The acting and direction in Lonesome Soldier should appeal to a broad audience, not just those familiar with PTSD and military life and outcomes. In addition, the film is well-shot and scripted, and Jackson Harlow has great screen appeal in every version of himself, along with the film’s supporting cast.

The art direction and attention to detail in The Boys in the Boat are beautiful and well done, especially capturing the feathering of the rowing, the splashing and pools of water, and the creek of the rigging as the team of eight turns the oars with muscle and unison.

Portman delivers a compelling and unabashed performance, one that is award-deserving.

Connecting to humanity as a whole through reading ancient prose and writings and trying to decipher them, Mishory parallels the idea of immigration as not only progress but also survival.

Quirky and uncomfortable but hard to turn away from, Club Zero is reminiscent of Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Lobster, especially because it has a tone of below-average existence masked in contemporary and forward-thinking superficialities.

Each personality comes across with honesty and humility as they encounter age, death, and performance without compromise and on their terms or stage of choice.

Plan C presents how, within a concise timeline that includes before, during, and after a pandemic and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a determined group of women, veteran public health advocates, researchers, social justice activists, and digital strategists fight to increase access to abortion pills in the United States outside of a clinical setting.

Bender’s film never really leaves one’s thoughts even well after it’s over.

A biopic like Oppenheimer allows viewers to take pause and understand how the human mind has powers that propel life and change the world forever.

The film works best on a subconscious level.

It’s a moving drama with an excellent central performance.

Although the main narrative thrust may seem redundant for the genre, this perspective makes this well worth watching. This is especially true thanks to good humor, interesting family and community dynamics, and the lead’s convictions which have been decently constructed.

Although Passion concludes with hasty acts of passion and emotion, it does connect to a more significant issue of how love is fleeting and that commitment is the foundation for moving forward in a life worth living with someone.

All the well-directed decision-making made by Affleck to present a known story reveals how screenwriter Alex Convery crafted a script where actors had the freedom to embrace their characters to the core. And adding the Affleck-Damon recipe makes it even better.

Gilford’s National Anthem offers a sense of beauty to behold and accept. It is visually stunning and a complete story everyone can understand, with great drag performances and other spectacles that make this film memorable.