film reviews
Explore a range of experiences, from Hollywood blockbusters to art and indie films. We offer thoughtful insights, in-depth analysis, and suggestions to help you discover both new favorites and timeless classics.
Review by Aaron Jones | May 28, 2025
Set in the small, mountainous village of Vermiglio during the waning days of WWII, a series of dramatic, consequential events unfold after the arrival of a taciturn Sicilian soldier, who hides out in town after deserting the army. While there, the soldier develops a romance with a provincial family’s eldest daughter. The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize.
Review by James Carneiro | May 18, 2025
Starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, the film consists of three tales of very different women using their sexuality as a means to getting what they want. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 37th Academy Awards, as well as the Top Foreign Film prize from the National Board of Review.
Review by James Carneiro | May 09, 2025
The film is based on John Osborne's play about a love triangle involving an intelligent but disaffected working-class young man (Jimmy Porter), his upper-middle-class, impassive wife (Alison) and her haughty best friend (Helena Charles). The film and play are classic examples of the British cultural movement known as kitchen sink realism and one of the first works of the British New Wave.
Review by Aaron Jones | Apr 30, 2025
Bailey lives with her brother Hunter and her father Bug, who raises them alone in a squat in northern Kent. Bug doesn't have much time to devote to them. Bailey looks for attention and adventure elsewhere. The film had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. It received positive reviews from critics and was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2024 by the National Board of Review.
Review by James Carneiro | Apr 21, 2025
A photographer and her best friend are roommates. She is stuck with small-change shooting jobs and dreams of success. When her roommate decides to get married and leave, she feels hurt and has to learn how to deal with living alone. Although the film began shooting in November 1975, it took almost three years to complete because the initial budget of $80,000 ran out. In 2019, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Review by Aaron Jones | Apr 12, 2025
When I saw Soderbergh's last film Presence I was surprised how amateur it felt and with little to no substance, its wooden acting and bad writing and overall flat approach. It was unfortunately one of the worst films I have seen this year. Having no interest in seeing Black Bag because Presence just felt failed on so many levels for me, I slowly began to perk up to its potential after reading and hearing so much praise for his rapidly approaching follow-up.
Review by James Carneiro | Apr 03, 2025
The story follows a teenage girl (Lyonne) struggling to grow up in 1976 in a lower-middle-class nomadic Jewish family that relocates every few months. The film is loosely based on writer-director Tamara Jenkins' experiences as a youth moving around different apartments in the Beverly Hills area with her lower-middle-class family. Many reviewers have praised the 1970s production design, the humor, and the acting as "dead-on".
Review by James Carneiro | Mar 24, 2025
The film is set in the Broward and Dade Counties of Florida, between Miami and the Everglades (nicknamed "the River of Grass"). The story concerns a local couple who attempt to flee South Florida after their involvement in a shooting incident, but lack the money to get away. It was selected for the Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival, and was nominated for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and four Independent Spirit Awards.
Review by Aaron Jones | Mar 12, 2025
William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts with other members of the small American community. His encounter with Eugene Allerton, an expat former soldier, new to the city, shows him, for the first time, that it might be finally possible to establish an intimate connection with somebody. The film has received generally positive reviews from critics and was named one of the Top Ten Films of 2024 by the National Board of Review.
Review by James Carneiro | Mar 01, 2025
Set in Turin at the end of the 19th century, it stars Marcello Mastroianni as a labor activist who becomes involved with a group of textile factory workers who go on strike. The film had its premiere at the 35th Congress of the Italian Socialist Party. The script was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 37th Academy Awards.
Review by James Carneiro | Feb 23, 2025
When Isabelle and Theo invite Matthew to stay with them, what begins as a casual friendship ripens into a sensual voyage of discovery and desire in which nothing is off limits and everything is possible. It is set against the backdrop of the 1968 Paris student riots. The film makes several references to various movies of classical and French New Wave cinema, incorporating clips from films that are often imitated by the actors in particular scenes.