• Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros

    Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros

    ★★★★

    Another Wiseman banger... I was locked in from the moment the Troisgros men (a multi-generational family of chefs) started planning their menu, discussing julienned rhubarb and the specifics of their almond purée. The son, César, proposes soy sauce in the purée; his father, Michel, is hesitant about that flavor; funny to learn, hours later into the film, that Michel was an outlier in French cooking due to his early Japanese culinary influence.

    I expected the kitchen behind-the-scenes to be more…

  • A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon

    A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon

    ★★★½

    One year after Bullet in the Head…

    16mm.

  • The Eunuch

    The Eunuch

    ★★★★

    Heart wrenching — when the one who has your heart can’t have your body; and the one who has your body will never have your heart. Beautifully, dramatically lit with closeups of anguished faces and my goodness all that sweat at the end. 

    Feel privileged to have seen this film. Also, flawless soft-titling done by my husband :’)

    35mm.

  • Jawan

    Jawan

    ★★★½

    daddy’s a hot girl with wired headphones

  • Moolaadé

    Moolaadé

    ★★★★

    WASSA!!

    35mm.

  • Poolman

    Poolman

    ★½

    I had to force my body to shut down…

    35mm.

  • Mimang

    Mimang

    ★★★

    Very much my speed (lots of walking and talking, very dialogue-driven à la Hong, with ruminations on the past, present, romance), and loved the street shots of Seoul through the telephoto lens. When the woman is on her way to the Seoul Cinema to moderate a panel in the film’s opening I was like “wow she’s so me-coded.” A lovely little debut that kind of feels like the Before trilogy condensed into a single movie but there weren’t enough big,…

  • Shadow of Fire

    Shadow of Fire

    ★★★

    Why does Mirai Moriyama look like Mike Faist to me

  • El Sabor de la Navidad

    El Sabor de la Navidad

    ★★½

    Christmas episode of a mid CW show

  • Monster

    Monster

    ★★★½

    Went into it blind, was surprised at each narrative reveal. A nice bounce back from Kore-eda after a couple flops (The Truth, Broker). Had me like 🥺

  • Seven Veils

    Seven Veils

    ★★★

    It’s no Chloe (for better or worse)

  • The Holdovers

    The Holdovers

    ★★★½

    I am charmed—but not compleeeetely. I think it often feels like a movie designed to melt your cold heart or whatever, and it’s a little too precious in its novelty and nostalgia (the old credits, for starters). But it’s got a good, funny script, looks great and feels very much set in the ’70s, and Paul Giamatti is unsurprisingly wonderful. I think the other thing is I find Dominic Sessa so off-putting even though he is often good in the role; but what a balm whenever Da’Vine Joy Randolph is on screen.