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The Very Best

The Seed of the Sacred Fig 2024

8.5/10
In this masterful Iranian drama, tyranny starts at home

The Seed of the Sacred Fig bravely takes on the increasingly violent patriarchy and theocracy in modern-day Iran. It follows a family of four—Iman, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani), Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami), and Sana (Setareh Maleki)—and reveals how the political can creep into the personal. Iman, the father, has just been promoted at work (he’s one step closer to being a judge), while his two daughters are budding revolutionaries. The educated girls see through the lies of state television and challenge their conservative parents’ ideas on government and religion. It sounds straightforward, but director Mohammad Rasoulof lets everything unfold subtly and sharply. By the second half, the film transforms into a slow-burn thriller as the family home becomes a microcosm of Iran itself. It’s a brave film helmed by even braver people. Rasoulof and his cast, who filmed in secret to avoid the film ban in Iran, had to escape to Europe after they were interrogated and sentenced in their home country. The Seed of the Sacred Fig can’t encapsulate the entirety of Iran’s troubles, nor does it try, but it’s a good place to start.

Synopsis

Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.

Storyline

A promotion at the Islamic Revolutionary Court compels Iman (Misagh Zare) to act more carefully in public, but despite his dutiful wife’s best efforts, his headstrong daughters threaten his position.

TLDR

It’s a brave political film that doubles as commentary on tense family dynamics.

What stands out

Plenty of memorable, haunting images here but the parallel between how the mother uses tweezers twice in the film is particularly gut-punching.

The Very Best

Hard Truths 2024

8.2/10
Pain and anger are two sides of the same coin in this hard-hitting but still sensitive study of grief in present-day London

Hurt people hurt people, the saying goes, and nowhere is that more evident than in Hard Truths. Directed by Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky), Hard Truths follows two sisters who couldn’t be more different. One is Chantelle, a cheerful hairdresser who has raised equally ebullient daughters, and the other is Pansy, a hardened woman who lashes out at everyone from her family to the people queuing up in the grocery. Pansy is brutal, the sort of person you’d roll your eyes at if you were unlucky enough to encounter her in public. But Leigh gives us a glimpse into her internal struggle; nothing too obvious, as is the naturalistic director’s style, but we feel her pain whenever she goes out of her way to avoid the people closest to her, or when she savors a moment alone and hides her tears. There is no linear plot in Hard Truths; instead, it’s a collection of lived moments and ordinary joys and sorrows. It’s also a welcome reflection of our fractured reality. Loneliness, grief, anger, anxiety—these feelings are often inexplicable, and they come out of us in ways that are never immediately understandable or direct. So why should Pansy be? The film is an exercise in sympathy as well as a mirror to our own complicated and invisible hurt.

Synopsis

Pansy, angry and depressed, lashes out at family and strangers. Her constant criticism isolates her, except from her cheerful sister Chantal, who remains sympathetic despite their differences.

Storyline

London, present-day. As the death anniversary of their mother approaches, sisters Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) and Chantelle (Michele Austin) cope and remember her in different ways.

TLDR

The derogatory “angry Black woman” is finally subverted in this moving and nuanced picture.

What stands out

Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Period.

The Very Best

Nickel Boys 2024

8.3/10
An intimate, immersive, and incredibly inventive look into the racial abuse of a Jim Crow-era reform school

The first things that grab your attention in Nickel Boys are its beauty and technicality. Director RaMell Ross, a large-format photographer, ensures every frame relays something deep, intimate, and moving. Then there’s how he takes these shots: we see things unfold through the POV of Elwood and Turner, students at an abusive reform school in Tallahassee, Florida. The year is 1962, and even though the civil rights movement inspires Elwood and his peers to stand up for themselves, the political climate is as skewed and violent as ever. Nickel Boys tells the unfortunately common story of how Black men, in particular, had to endure unimaginable abuse during the Jim Crow era in the South. What is uncommon, though, is the sensitivity and boundless inventiveness with which Ross tells this story. Yes, violence is unavoidable in a story like this, but Ross swaps trauma porn with something more effective and chilling—a mixture of silence, archival photographs, time jumps, and that immersive POV, which forces you to be in Elwood and Turner’s shoes. The world before them may be brutal, but inside, they hold space for beauty, fun, relationships, and wonder, manifested in the film in dreamy visual sequences. What Ross does is art in the highest form, an unforgettable balance between style and substance.

Synopsis

Chronicles the powerful friendship between two young Black teenagers navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida.

Storyline

1962, Florida. Sixteen-year-old Elwood (Ethan Herisse) is unjustly sent to the reform school Nickel Academy, where he befriends Turner (Brandon Wilson). In between hard labor and violent reprimands, the two bond and dream of a better life.

TLDR

Though mostly snubbed during the awards race, The Academy can’t help but nominate it for the highest honor—the Best Picture Oscar—because it’s simply too good of a film to be ignored.

What stands out

Shooting purely in POV can be jarring at times, but there’s no doubt that this is a technical feat.

The Very Best

Sing Sing 2024

8.8/10
Devastating and delightful, Sing Sing offers a glimpse into the life of incarcerated men rehabilitating with art

“Art heals” is a cliche at this point, but if you want a rich example of how that aphorism is true, look no further than prison rehabilitation programs. And if you want an example of that, Sing Sing is a delicate yet gut-punching film about inmates participating in a theater program. We mainly follow Divine G, a seasoned thespian who truly believes that art heals, and Divine Eyes, a newcomer who is skeptical about the idea of it. Their relationship starts rocky—as Divine Eyes says, theater “doesn’t change the fact that [he’s] a gangster”—but they eventually help each other both in the play and their personal lives. Through their real-life stories, we learn about wrongful convictions, as well as the dehumanizing treatment and suffocating negligence inmates go through. But unlike most prison films, there’s a softness to Sing Sing that’s partly caused by the use of a 16mm camera and natural lighting (the facility is surprisingly open, with large glass windows reminding inmates, painfully, of what they’re missing out on) and by the film’s willingness to show characters in their most vulnerable state. Without sacrificing veracity, they open up about their feelings, hopes, and dreams, chucking preconceived notions of masculine toughness. It’s fascinating too how the film can elicit such powerful emotions without resorting to melodrama. A simple look from Divine G’s eyes is enough to devastate you. Whether art can fix a person is debatable, but Sing Sing proves it’s a question worth exploring for a lifetime.

Synopsis

Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.

Storyline

In the notorious maximum security prison Sing Sing, a handful of inmates participate in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, which stages a play every six months. There, unspoken leader Divine G (Colman Domingo) strikes a friendship with newcomer Clarence Maclin (who plays himself).

TLDR

Don’t let the playfulness fool you, this is a solid tearjerker. Prepare the tissues.

What stands out

The real crime here is snubbing Clarence Maclin for the major acting awards. Also, the parole scene will also have you bawling in no time.

The Very Best

Insiang 1976

8.2/10
The furious neo-realist masterpiece of a society abandoned to poverty

Insiang is not an easy film to watch. It’s hard to look at, not because the sprawling slums of Manila itself are ugly– the scenes are excellently blocked, shot, and edited, actually– but because of the way poverty has further degraded the status of women in the area, with the lack of resources keeping them vulnerable to violence. It’s unrelenting. From the casual jokes made in the background, to the physical harm actually wielded against the title character, director Lino Brocka systematically outlines the way poverty has cut off Insiang’s options, being forced to rely on a resentful mother and lustful men. It makes for an unflattering, claustrophobic depiction of the capital, which is why it was temporarily banned from screening, but Insiang was a necessary, ugly portrait of what the then-administration allowed to flourish.

Synopsis

A story about the life of a young girl living with her mother in the slums of Manila, which becomes unbearable when her mother's young boyfriend moves in with them.

Storyline

After her father left them in Tondo, young laundrywoman Insiang has not been treated well, bearing the resentment of her mother Tonya in silence, and hoping to escape by marrying her boyfriend Bebot. However, life becomes unbearable when Tonya starts dating Dado, the strong and violent village butcher.

TLDR

Sad to see how relevant it still is nearly half a century later.

What stands out

It’s a harrowing watch, but Insiang doesn’t revel in the pain that the women face– instead, the physical violence are mostly depicted off-screen, except of course that second-to-the-last moment that was quite cathartic.

The Very Best

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles 1976

8/10
This film challenges audiences with its silence and stillness, and rewards them with a meaningful and unforgettable turn of events

When the film publication Sight and Sound dubbed it “the greatest film of all time,” movie fans were quick to give their opinion. Those opposed complained about its simplicity, while those favoring the film praised the same trait. It’s true the film is simple—the camera is static and far away, and all it does is follow the titular Jeanne as she goes through the strict routines of her life. But nothing about it is plain or easy. You could mine a thousand things from a single scene alone, to say nothing about the woman at the center of it all. As Jeanne juggles her duties as a homekeeper, mother, and breadwinner, she eventually unravels, and the film rewards us with one of the most memorable climaxes of all time. There’s complexity in the ordinary, Akerman reminds us in her mundane epic, and there’s always something political motivating our choices, no matter how normal they seem.

Synopsis

A lonely widowed housewife does her daily chores and takes care of her apartment where she lives with her teenage son, and turns the occasional trick to make ends meet. Slowly, her ritualized daily routines begin to fall apart.

Storyline

A single mother (Delphine Seyrig) tends to the needs of her teenage son, but while he’s away at school, she makes ends meets by servicing men in her home.

TLDR

Director Chantal Akerman has said about her films “You're aware of every second passing through your body,” and that remains very true in this case.

What stands out

The mundanity. Before reality shows and indie films made the everyday mainstream, there was Akerman experimenting with ordinariness, projecting it on the fancy and flashy silver screen.

The Very Best

Peeping Tom 1960

8/10
A cameraman goes on the quest to photograph fear in the controversial first slasher film ever made

You know how many films depict the magic and wonder of cinema in such gorgeous, magnificent scenes? Peeping Tom does the opposite. Sure, it has director Michael Powell’s signature flair, with excellently framed and colored shots, but he takes a much more violent route here, swapping spectacular fantasy with the psychological terror of how the act of filming and watching can be. Given the title, it won’t be a surprise that the film involves voyeurism, but rather than of the sexual kind, Powell hones into the morbidity of the camera gaze, the twisted pleasure that’s felt when the audience sees someone terrified, despite the violence done upon them. It’s because of this that the film was so controversial, but eventually, Peeping Tom garnered critical acclaim for breaking ground as the first slasher film ever made.

Synopsis

Loner Mark Lewis works at a film studio during the day and, at night, takes racy photographs of women. Also he's making a documentary on fear, which involves recording the reactions of victims as he murders them. He befriends Helen, the daughter of the family living in the apartment below his, and he tells her vaguely about the movie he is making.

Storyline

Shy, reclusive cameraman Mark Lewis lives a double life. In the daytime, he works at a film studio, with pin-up photos on the side. At night, he’s pursuing a terrifying passion project: a documentary on fear, recording the reactions of victims as he murders them.

TLDR

Very scary. Really influential. Interesting novel idea. Now take that, and consider that we’re all currently living in a world that’s constantly surveilled through the lens of social media.

What stands out

We can talk about the direction and the then-original point-of-view shots that have become popular in horror films, but I think it’s important to mention how Carl Boehm’s performance and Leo Marks’ screenwriting made the protagonist feel compelling. It’s not just that Lewis is a voyeur– he’s made into one, and it’s only until Helen’s kindness that he even starts to question his life– and it’s why the film is so memorable.

The Very Best

Network 1976

8.5/10
Featuring compelling performances and a biting script, this award-winning film offers an unflinching look at the cutthroat industry that’s broadcast news

Directed by Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon), The Network is often referred to as a satire, but as someone who has worked in the broadcast news industry, I hesitate to call it one. Sure it’s amped up the rage and ridiculousness, but the desire for ratings at all costs? The power-hungry executives who don’t give a damn about ethics or public service? The nonstop onslaught of bad news turning people from concerned to desensitized? Those are real and rampant, even now almost 50 years later, Network remains a relevant cautionary tale against the corporatization of humans and the exploitation of tragedy. The whipsmart script is performed by an excellent cast (the leads of which went on to win Academy Awards) and has given us solid, lasting lines like “Even the news needs showmanship,” and “You’re television incarnate, Diana.” Aaron Sorkin can only hope to pen those words.

Synopsis

When veteran anchorman Howard Beale is forced to retire his 25-year post because of his age, he announces to viewers that he will kill himself during his farewell broadcast. Network executives rethink their decision when his fanatical tirade results in a spike in ratings.

Storyline

Desperate to increase the ratings of her network, ambitious executive Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) decides to take over the nightly news and take advantage of its angry anchor (Peter Finch) and his impassioned rambles.

TLDR

I love how everyone’s angry, 24/7, no exception.

What stands out

Just thinking about the monologue about “corporate cosmology” sends chills down my spine. But also, the way they built up Howard to be a “TV prophet,” with no regard for harm (on truth, the public, and himself) is scarily prescient. It may or may not have predicted the rise of the podcast.

The Very Best

Hiroshima Mon Amour 1959

8.3/10
Memory tears love across past and present in this landmark French New Wave drama

While initially commissioned to be an atomic bomb documentary, Hiroshima Mon Amour became something entirely different. For starters, it’s not a documentary, with director Alain Resnais recruiting author Marguerite Duras to write the screenplay, but it was pretty unusual for a narrative film at the time. It’s a love story, yes, but with such a poetic introduction of the two lovers going back and forth about what they know and don’t know about the bomb, pairing their discussion with archival footage and captivating scoring, Resnais created a new, non-linear cryptic style to capture how memory, grief, and loss irrevocably shaped a generation. Hiroshima Mon Amour was an unexpected shift, eventually becoming one of the most influential films of the French New Wave movement.

Synopsis

The deep conversation between a Japanese architect and a French actress forms the basis of this celebrated French film, considered one of the vanguard productions of the French New Wave. Set in Hiroshima after the end of World War II, the couple -- lovers turned friends -- recount, over many hours, previous romances and life experiences. The two intertwine their stories about the past with pondering the devastation wrought by the atomic bomb dropped on the city.

Storyline

Hiroshima, after World War II. Filming an anti-war film in the city, a French actress has an affair with a Japanese architect, sharing one last night in the city by remembering the devastation of the atomic bomb.

TLDR

Still pretty heartbreaking years later.

What stands out

If there was one thing that detracts from the film, it’s that the film primarily focuses on the past life of the French actress. Obviously, given the French director and screenwriter, it made sense. But given the Japan-French co-production, it would have been interesting to see the Japanese architect’s past as well.

The Very Best

High Sierra 1941

8/10
A gangster returns for one last heist in this thrilling cliffside caper

Nearly a decade after the Hays Code, the time for glorified gangsters was over. However, before Hollywood shifted their gaze to the European-inspired, shadowy film noir, the gangster bid one last adieu in High Sierra. It was this very concept that was the foundation of the story– bringing back a robber for one more heist– but with an excellent Humphrey Bogart and John Huston’s riveting script, the film was something else. It pushed the gangster genre into a different place, as Bogart’s thief reveals a sensitivity that was then uncommon in the genre, and Huston takes advantage of the Code to build up suspense and sympathy as his farm boy-turned-mobster tries to climb his way to freedom. Being their breakthrough moment, it’s no wonder then that Bogart and Huston continued their partnership in brooding, anti-hero film noir dramas, but High Sierra still holds up to this day, cementing some of the tropes that future crime thrillers draw inspiration from.

Synopsis

Given a pardon from jail, Roy Earle gets back into the swing of things as he robs a swanky resort.

Storyline

After being released from prison, notorious Indiana bank robber Roy Earle is hired by aging mobster Big Mac to pull off one more heist of a California casino.

TLDR

Thank you, High Sierra, for bringing together Humphrey Bogart and John Huston, the quintessential brooding filmmaking match made in heaven.

What stands out

Did we mention Bogart and Huston? No? Well, Bogart and Huston, if it still isn’t clear yet.