Leon (Thomas Schubert), a writer, and his friend, Felix (Langston Uibel), a photographer, spend their summer holiday at a remote cottage near the Baltic Sea. Nadja (Paula Beer) also lives in the cottage and introduces Leon and Felix to her lover, Devid (Enno Trebs).

      Afire has many shades of Eric Rohmer's romantic films running throughout it. Like Rohmer, writer/director Christian Petzold sees and treats his characters as human beings, warts and all. He focuses on the relationships between his characters, each of whom has their own personality, flaws, desires, dreams and regrets. Leon is the most flawed character among the group. He's arrogant, but also has a sweet, tender and sensitive side. He may seem strong on the outside; on the inside, though, he's insecure and vulnerable. Case in point: he can't handle negative criticism of his manuscript when Nadja asks to read it. Initially, he's reluctant to even let her read it, but he soon caves in and changes his mind. He takes her dislike of his manuscript personally and invalidates her feelings. The fact that he puts so much weight on validation from others isn't a good sign. His publisher, Helmut (Matthias Brandt), soon arrives and reads the manuscript aloud. Helmut isn't just a plot device, though. He bonds with Felix, Nadja and Devid in the meantime. There's a slightly undercooked subplot involving Felix and Devid having a sex-charged love affair. There's also a wildfire blazing in the distance which may or may not spread to the cottage. So, Afire does somewhat bite off more than it could chew, but that's a minor, forgivable flaw.  Like Rohmer, though, Petzold has a knack for natural dialogue without any clunkiness, schmaltz or over-explaining. He excels at incorporating just the right of exposition and comic relief, i.e. the silly title of Leon's second novel which won't be spoiled here. Most importantly, he also manages to find plenty of Spectacle within the evolving dynamics between his complex characters which makes the film engrossing and captivating.

      Thomas Schubert, Langston Uibel, Paula Beer and Enno Trebs are all very well-cast and sink their teeth naturally into their roles without any hamming or under-acting. In other words, you don't feel the wheels of their performances turning just like you don't feel the wheels of the screenplay turning here either. Paula Beer is both charismatic and radiant just like she is in Undine and Don't Look Away. The pace moves slowly, but not too slowly, so Petzold trusts the audience's patience. He also adds some symbolism through the wildfire which can be seen as a thought-provoking metaphor. Fortunately, he doesn't dumb the film down by explaining the metaphor. This isn't the kind of movie where the director holds your hands and spoon-feeds you everything that you need to know.  You don't even have to see the wildfire as a metaphor if you choose not to, so Petzold does an effective job of leaving enough room for interpretation. At a running time of 1 hour and 43 minutes, Afire is engrossing, provocative, captivating and refreshingly un-Hollywood.
  

      Carlos: The Santana Journey is a heartfelt, captivating, warts-and-all documentary biopic about the iconic musician Carlos Santana. Through candid interviews with Carlos himself, interviews with his family and colleagues, archival footage and concert footage, director Rudy Valdez captures what he's like behind-the-curtain, so-to-speak. You'll learn about his rise to fame, his struggles with him, the first time he tried drugs, and the inspiration for his music. Beyond that, though, this documentary allows him to talk about his emotional pain from his traumatic childhood which included sexual abuse. Valdez saves that darker part of his life for later on in the film, but avoids dwelling on it or prying too much into the private details. Carlos is very brave for talking about it in front of the camera. By the end of the documentary, you won't look at his music the same way again and will feel like you've met someone who's not only talented, but very warm, intelligent, emotionally mature and flawed which makes him all the more relatable. Bravo to director Rudy Valdez for avoiding hagiography and for humanizing a music icon. At a running time of 1 hour and 27 minutes, Carlos: The Santana Journey opens in select theaters on September 29th, 2023 via Sony Pictures Classics.

      Narrated by Laura Dern, Woody Harrelson, Jason Momoa, Rosario Dawson, Danny Glover and Ian Somerhalder, Common Ground persuasively argues that regenerative agriculture, a type of farming that focuses on the health of the soil, is superior to conventional agriculture. Regenerative farming uses no pesticides, herbicide or tilling. It uses cover crops to protect other crops as well as the soil. Also, animals graze the soil which also helps to improve the soil's health. Co-directors Joshua and Rebecca Harrell Tickell do an effective job of presenting the information about regenerative farming in a way that's clear, concise and engaging. They don't bombard the audience with a bunch of graphs and statistics or talking heads; they actually go to farms and talk to farmers who provide valuable insights about regenerative farming while showing you clear-cut evidence of its benefits by comparing their farms to conventional industrial farms. The ways that they contrast are undeniable and shocking.

      Common Ground briefly sheds light on the harmful effects of herbicides, namely, Roundup which has been linked to Cancer and led to lawsuits against Monsanto, now known has Bayer. It's enraging that the same company that produces the cancer-causing herbicide is also invested in producing the medicine that treats that very same cancer. The documentary doesn't dwell on that topic though. Instead, it provides the audience with sustainable, environmentally-friendly solutions through regenerative farming. Admittedly, though, the filmmakers make regenerative farming seem like it's a perfect solution. You learn about its many advantages, but what about its disadvantages? It's not as black-and-white nor as simple as it seems, so with different perspectives, this doc would've been more balanced. After all, there's more than just 2 sides to a coin: there's the sides, the ridges, the sides of the ridges, etc. Nonetheless, those are minor issues. Common Ground is ultimately a step in the right direction for the sake of the environment, human rights, public welfare and, above all, evolution. It's also well-edited and exquisitely shot in a way that highlights the majestic quality of nature. Co-directors Joshua and Rebecca Harrell Tickell find just the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking them emotionally as well as intellectually. At a running time of 1 hour and 45 minutes, Common Ground is one of the most powerful, illuminating and vital wake-up calls since Food, Inc. It opens at Village East by Angelika on September 29th, 2023 via Big Picture Ranch.

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Deep Sea
Directed by Tian Xiaopeng

     Shenxiu (voice of Wang Tingwen), a young girl, goes on a cruise with her father, brother and stepmother. When the ship goes through a storm, she ends up in a magical world under the sea with a mythical creature, Hijinx, and Nanhe (voice of Su Xin) the chef of an underwater restaurant.

      Writer/director Tian Xiaopeng blends fantasy, thrills and drama together in a genuinely heartfelt story. Shenxiu goes on a journey beneath the sea that's filled with wonder and surrealism as she meets bizarre characters like Nanhe. She also undergoes an emotional journey as she recalls her memories with her mother. Xiaopeng does a great job of "world-building" without confusing the audience. Although, to be fair, once Shenxiu enters the undersea world, a lot happens and it doesn't always make sense at first. However, eventually, with more exposition, it becomes clearer what's going on. Despite the many fantasy elements, Deep Sea tackles a wide range of topics like sadness, hope and dreams, among others, which makes it all the more human and relatable. It's unafraid to go into darker territory and to move the audience to tears without being too maudling. The ending, which won't be spoiled here, brims with poignancy, tenderness and profound wisdom that will nourish your heart, mind and soul. Writer/director Tian Xiaopeng should be commended for providing a warm heartbeat beneath Deep Sea's surface.

      One of Deep Sea's major strengths is its dazzling 3D animation which adds plenty of visual poetry. Some scenes are awe-inspiring and transcendent beyond words. Images speak louder than words, after all. Clearly, a lot of passion and talent can be found in the animation. The voice actors and actresses are terrific, and the well-chosen music score adds both style and substance. The film's story serves as a powerful, lyrical allegory, so it's much more than the sum of its parts. Deep Sea's ultimate triumph, though, is that it finds the right balance between Truth, or humanism, and Spectacle. At a running time of 1 hour 52 minutes, Deep Sea is an exhilarating, genuinely poignant and profound emotional journey. It's one of the best animated films of the year.
  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1 Released by Viva Pictures. Opens November 24th, 2023 in select theaters.

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Elemental
Directed by Peter Sohn

Centerpiece Film

      Ember (voice of Leah Lewis) lives in Element City with her mother, Cinder (Shila Ommi), and father, Bernie (Ronnie Del Carmen). They moved to Element City, where fire, air and water residents co-exist, from Fireland when Ember was little and own a family shop that Ember takes over when she's older. Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a city inspector who's a water guy, ends up at the shop one day and gives Ember a ticket for multiple violations when he discovers pipe leaks. Ember has a few days to fix the leaks otherwise the shop will be shut down for good. Meanwhile, she develops a romance with him despite that her parents forbid her to have a relationship with water because fire and water don't mix.

      The screenplay by John Hoberg, Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh doesn't score points for originality or surprises, but it does have a tender story that doesn't pander too often to younger audiences. If you compare Elemental to Inside Out you'll be disappointed because it's not as witty, exhilarating or profound. There's not much that's funny except for some sight gags that get repeated too often and go on for too long, i.e. when Wade swallows something hot that makes him boil or when he and his family play a crying game to try not to cry when told a sad story, but they end up crying anyway. Of course, that game becomes an important detail in the third act, so it's there as a plot device, too. The film avoids taking any risks or taking its "world building" far enough. Even A Bug's Life has better "world building" with more attention to small details that make it worth watching over and over. There are no supporting characters who are memorable or provide much-needed comic relief. Moreover, the ending feels rushed and a bit corny. That said, Elemental wears its heart on its sleeve and leaves you feeling uplifted with a positive message about integration and following your feet to the beat of your heart.

      Elemental's greatest strength is its CGI animation which looks bright, colorful and dazzling. The character designs are also terrific. Some of it even looks photorealistic, so clearly a lot of attention and money was spent on the animation that provides plenty of eye candy. The pace moves quickly--to be fair, too quickly at times, especially during the last ten minutes. The ending feels slightly abrupt. Fortunately, director Peter Sohn keeps the running time to 90 minutes before the end credits start rolling, so the film doesn't overstay its welcome. And, surprisingly, there's no scene after the end credits. Elemental is ultimately a mildly engaging and uninspired, but uplifting, tender and sweet diversion.
  

Number of times I checked my watch: 2 Released by Walt Disney Pictures.Opens June 16th, 2023 nationwide.

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The Blackening
Directed by Tim Story

      A group of college friends, Lisa (Antoinette Robertston), Dewayne (Dwayne Pekins), Nnamdi (Sinqua Walls), Allison (Grace Byers), Shanika (X Mayo), King (Melvin Gregg) and Clifton (Jermaine Fowler), arrive at an isolated cabin to celebrate Juneteenth. Little do they know that their hosts, Shawn (Jay Pharoah) and Morgan (Yvonne Orji) died there while playing The Blackening, a mysterious board game that they'll also end playing.

      The screenplay by co-writers Dewayne Perkins and Tracy Oliver spoofs the horror genre like Scary Movie does, but it only manages to be sporadically funny. The plot structure is similar to Scream while the titular board game is similar to Saw. There's a prologue that introduces the masked killer and the board game before the group of friends arrive at the cottage. The rules of the game are simple: each player has to answer a question related to blackness correctly or else they will die. They're asked serious questions like, "What are the 5 black actors who were on the show Friends?" Is that question supposed to be funny because it's not. If anything, it's sad and revealing about how there were too few black actors on the show. The Blackening doesn't seem very interested in exploring its themes of racism or lack of integration with any depth or wit for that matter. Of course, there's a white park ranger (Diedrich Bader) who may or may not be the killer. Unfortunately, The Blackening runs out of steam early on and doesn't regain any of its momentum at any point afterward. It also isn't bold or zany enough nor does it push the envelope, so it becomes increasingly dull. The attempts to generate laughs with dark humor fall flat more often than not. At least screenwriter Tracy Oliver doesn't have a character peeing on a crowd like in the painfully unfunny and lowbrow Girls Trip which she also co-wrote. The third act has a twist, but by then it's too little, too late. The twist, which won't be revealed here, is more silly and preposterous than funny or surprising. If you can imagine Tyler Perry's Boo! A Madea Halloween without Madea to invigorate the film, you'll get an idea of what it's like to watch The Blackening.

      Unfortunately, no one in the cast except for Diedrich Bader manages to rise above the stale, witless screenplay. They don't have enough comedic chops and some of their performances are either evry bland or so over-the-top that they're just annoying, i.e. Jermaine Fowler. A better example of a horror spoof that's more audacious, outrageously funny and delightful is the recent Summoning Sylvia which also has a musical scene and other surprises while also trying to be a little provocative and campy. The Blackening also suffers from poor lighting and camera work, choppy editing ,and a very rushed third act with an ending that's very abrupt. At a running time of 1 hour and 36 minutes, which feels more like 2 hours, The Blackening is sporadically funny, but mostly repetitive, choppily edited and dull without being zany, hilarious, campy or bold enough. It’s like Boo! A Madea Halloween without Madea to invigorate it.

  

Number of times I checked my watch: 4 Released by Lionsgate.Opens on June 16th, 2023 nationwide.

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Final Cut
Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

      Rémi (Romain Duris), a filmmaker, shoots a zombie film in one take inside an abandoned factory while being tough on his actors including Raphael (Finnegan Oldfield), who plays a zombie, and the film's star, Ava (Matilda Lutz).

      To spoil the plot of Final Cut any further wouldn't be fair to audience who haven't previously watched One Cut of the Dead, the recent Japanese dark comedy that become a cult classic. Writer/director Michel Hazanavicius dutifully follows the plot of One Cut of the Dead without making any major changes. So, the same twists are here and happen around the same time, too, which means that if you've seen the Japanese original, there's nothing to shock or surprise you in terms of the plot alone. The characters, though, are often annoying like nails on a chalkboard or just plain over-the-top without actually being funny. The first 30 minutes are tough to sit through---much more so than in One Cut of the Dead--because the beats often don't land. Nor do they land when Final Cut flashes back to how the zombie film became financed by Mrs Matsuda, (Yoshiko Takehara), or when Nadia (Bérénice Bejo), the make-up artist is introduced. The rest of the film suffers from dullness with small bursts of dark humor that gets repetitive. There's also gross-out toilet humor that's painfully unfunny, lazy and on top of being disgusting. While One Cut of the Dead is as wildly entertaining and wickedly funny as Shaun of the Dead, Final Cut doesn't even come close. It's just as disappointing as Fool's Paradise.

      Unfortunately, none of the actors in Final Cut have good comedic timing here because they're trying too hard to be funny and you can feel the wheels of their performances turning every step of the way. That would've been forgivable if the screenplay were witty and funny instead of being so asinine and juvenile. Scatalogical humor can be funny in moderation, but here the poop and vomit scenes overstay their welcome. Tighter editing would've allowed the film to flow much smoother and prevented the last 30 minutes from dragging on and on. It's not a good sign when you can feel the weight of a film's running time and when the actors seem to be having more onscreen fun than the audience is having. At 1 hour and 51 minutes, Final Cut is a repetitive, dull and painfully unfunny misfire that pales compared to the far superior One Cut of the Dead.
  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3 Released by Kino Lorber.Opens July 14th, 2023 at Angelika Film Center.

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The Good Half
Directed by Robert Schwartzman

     
  

Number of times I checked my watch: 2 No distributor, yet.

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The Last Night of Amore
Directed by Andrea Di Stefano

     
  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1 No distributor, yet.

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The Lesson
Directed by Alice Troughton

      Liam (Daryl McCormack), an aspiring writer, accepts a job as a tutor for Bertie (Stephen McMillan), the son of a famous author, J.M. Sinclair (Richard E. Grant). He moves into their home, signs an NDA, and flirts with Sinclair's wife, Hélène (Julie Delpy), who's stuck in an unhappy marriage.

      Despite being a movie about someone who's a great writer, The Lesson, ironically, suffers from an overwrought and contrived screenplay and clunky dialogue. Not a single character in Alex MacKeith's screenplay comes to life, especially Sinclair who comes across as a tyrant with a huge ego. Sinclair is rude, inconsiderate, arrogant and self-centered with no redeeming qualities in his personality. Right from the very first minute that you meet him and Liam sits down for dinner with him, his wife and Bertie, he's unlikable and very, very toxic because of how he speaks to Liam so condescendingly. Nuance isn't among The Lesson's strengths as the rest of the film just confirms over and over just how awful Sinclair is as a human being, as a father and a husband. Oh, and he also sucks with technology, as it turns out. In one of the many undercooked subplots, Hélène has a sexually-charged affair with Liam. Is this some kind of Skinemax movie? What does Liam even see in Hélène? The choices that Liam makes turns him into a toxic person as well. Does he not realise that he's a homewrecker? Does he have a conscience? How introspective is he? Does he really think it's a good idea to sign an NDA without reading what's in it? It's difficult to root for him. Screenwriter Alex MacKeith fails to provide enough of a window into Liam's heart, mind and soul so that the audience can understand what's going on inside him emotionally and psychologically. Sinclair remains a one-note, over-the-top cartoonish villain from start to finish. He's still grieving from the death of his other son, but that backstory and exposition is poorly handled. To be fair, MacKeith deserves credit for not being afraid to go into dark territory in the twisty third act. However, all of the twists throw plausibility and logic right out the window. It's too bad that the only comic relief comes in the form of unintentional humor, although it's not nearly enough to turn The Lesson into a guilty pleasure.

      Daryl McCormack, Julie Delpy and Richard E. Grant are all terrific actors who deserve better material than this. Unfortunately, none of them manages to breathe life into their roles no matter how hard they try. They've all been in far more intriguing and moving films with more organic dialogue. The cinematography is fine and there are even some poetic shots of the lake behind Sinclair's house which adds a modicum of style, albeit not enough to compensate for the film's lack of substance. At a running time of 1 hour and 42 minutes, The Lesson is an undercooked, clunky, overwrought and contrived slow-burning thriller despite a solid cast. In a double feature with François Ozon's Swimming Pool, it would be the inferior B-movie.
  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3 Released by Bleecker Street.Opens July 7th, 2023 at Angelika Film Center.

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Maggie Moore(s)
Directed by John Slattery

      Jordan Sanders (Jon Hamm), a police chief, investigates the murders of two women who happen to share the same name in a small town The investigation leads him to one of the women's husbands, Jay Moore (Micah Stock), and to a neighbor, Rita Grace (Tina Fey), who witnessed Maggie and her husband fighting.

      Based on the premise alone, Maggie Moore(s) sounds like it could be a funny and zany dark comedy with shades of the Coen brothers' or Martin McDonagh's humor. The screenplay by Paul Bernbaum blends dark comedy, suspense and romance with mixed results. What could go wrong? Unfortunately, the dialogue lacks wit and the comedic beats rarely land. Bernbaum plays it too safe without pushing the envelope in any direction as though he were afraid to be unconventional or subvert the audience's expectations. Jordan has a partner (Nick Mohammed) who tags along with him, but they're not given any banter. The dialogue ranges from clunky to just plain dull.Hell or High Water is a better example of a crime thriller that has just the right balance of humor, heart and suspense with engaging banter to boot. Bernbaum tries to humanize Jordan by making him a lonely, broken-hearted guy who has yet to find the love of his life. In a contrived and cheesy subplot, he finds romance with Rita who invited him over for dinner after he questions her about the murder. The fact that he agrees to the dinner shows that he's not a very professional police chief or investigator. What if Rita were the killer? Maggie Moore(s) doesn't even toy around that possibility. She seems decent, charming and innocent, but it could all be a ruse which would explain why she flirts with him. You also barely get to know either of the two Maggie Moores before they die, so they're just there to move the plot forward which is dehumanizing. The murder mystery becomes less and less interesting as it unfolds. It's never boring per se, but doesn't amount to anything that's palpably exciting, surprising or thrilling.

      Jon Hamm gives a charismatic performance. He barely rises above the bland screenplay, though. Tina Fey, despite her comedic talents, isn't given much to do in terms of comedy here which is disappointing. She has a few mildly amusing lines, but her comedic skills here remain wasted. She deserves better. There's nothing exceptional about the cinematography, editing, music or anything else to enliven the film with style. Fortunately, director John Slattery doesn't rely on violence, gore or excessive profanity to entertain the audience. This isn't a Quentin Tarantino film, after all. At a running time of 1 hour and 39 minutes, Maggie Moore(s) is a harmless and mildly engaging dark comedy, but often witless, toothless and tonally uneven.
  

Number of times I checked my watch: 2 Released by Screen Media.Opens June 16th, 2023 at Quad Cinema.

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The Miracle Club
Directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan

      Three friends, Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates), and Dolly (Agnes O'Casey), go on a pilgrimage from Dublin to Lourdes. They hope to find miracles there and to bathe in the healing waters found in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Another friend, Chrissie (Laura Linney), arrives from the US to attend her mother's funeral in Dublin before joining them on their pilgrimage.  

       Co-screenwriters Jimmy Smallhorne, Timothy Prager and Joshua D. Maurer do a decent job of incorporating exposition. The first act briefly introduces the audience to Lily, Eileen and Dolly's home life and the reasons why they need miracles. Eileen has breast cancer, Dolly has a son who hasn't spoken yet, and Lily wants to cross Lourdes off of her bucket list before it's too late. Chrissie has childhood trauma that's not revealed until the third act. Lily also has traumatic memories that she needs to overcome. This is the kind of film where you can feel the wheels of the screenplay turning with nearly everything being telegraphed and over-explained to you without much room for interpretation. There are some attempts at comic relief, but they're far and few between and not laugh-out-loud funny or witty per se. Even The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has more humor to balance the many dramatic moments. The third act feels contrived and the characters arcs don't feel authentic enough for you to believe that these women truly changed by the end of their pilgrimage.  Unfortunately, by the time the end credits roll, The Miracle Club remains somewhat shallow without exploring its themes of friendship, forgiveness, and hope profoundly enough.

      The tender and charismatic performances by Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates, Agnes O'Casey and Laura Linney help to breathe life into the shallow screenplay and to provide their characters with small hint of their inner life. The film's poignancy comes from their performances, not from the screenplay. It's too bad that the screenplay neglects to open enough of a window into the characters' heart, mind and soul, though. You learn just enough about them to see them as human, but there's so much that's underdeveloped which makes you wish you could spend more time to get to know them or how the pilgrimage affected them. The editing feels choppy at times and there are pacing issues, especially during the third act that moves too quickly. These women clearly had epiphanies at Lourdes, but you barely get the chance to see how they've innately grown once they return home from the trip. At a running time of just 1 hour and 91 minutes, The Miracle Club suffers from the same systemic issue as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel suffers from: it's a heartwarming story with clunkiness, preachiness and schmaltz. 

Number of times I checked my watch: 2 Released by Sony Pictures Classics.Opens July 14th, 2023 in select theaters. br>
 

      A Revolution on Canvas is an illuminating and engaging, but unfocused and overstuffed documentary co-directed by Sara Nodjoumi and her husband, Till Schauder. There are essentially three documentaries within the film: one is a biopic on Sara Nodjoumi's father, Nikzad (Nicky) Nodjoumi, an Iranian artist who protested the Shah regime through his paintings which he exhibited at the Tehran Museum of Modern Art back in 1980. Shah supporters protested the exhibit . Afterward, Nodjoumi fled Iran. His paintings have not been returned to him since then. The second is his quest to get his paintings back. Contacting the museum's director, Masud Shafie Monfared, turns out to be futile because he claims that he doesn't remember the exhibit. The third and least necessary part of the film sheds light on his private life with his wife Nahid Hagigat whom he ended up divorcing. The co-directors deserve credit for trying to cover a lot of ground, but they bite off more than they could chew. Perhaps someone with more distance from the subject, Nikzad (Nicky) Nodjoumi, to allow for more perspective, focus, and better structure, especially through the editing process. At a running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes, A Revolution on Canvas opens December 1st, 2023 at Cinema Village via HBO Documentary Films.

      Ben (Grant Rosenmeyer) copes with the recent death of his wife by reading a self-help book that teaches him how to fly. The mysterious self-help guru, who just goes by the name of Mealworm (Paul Raci), arrives in front of Ben's house in his motorhome. Meanwhile, a police detective (Rosa Arredodo) investigates the death of Ben's wife to make sure there was no foul play. The Secret Art of Human Flight is a witty, breezy and quirky comedy that embraces its offbeat humor and bizarre premise. Screenwriter Jesse Orenshein grasps the concept that comedy is often rooted in tragedy. Fortunately, he finds just the right tone within the first few minutes and maintains that balance throughout without going over-the-top or too deeply into its darker elements. It knows when to takes itself seriously and when not to. Admittedly, the scenes with the police detective are very contrived because she doesn't behave like a professional police detective would, so that subplot falls a bit flat. The surreal elements of the film can be seen as a metaphor which is left open to interpretation. Paul Raci gives a charismatic performance as the eccentric, enigmatic and somewhat creepy Mealworm. He and Grant Rosenmeyer are both very well cast. The ending won't be spoiled here, but it's worth mentioning that it's equally delightful and thought-provoking. The Art of Human Flight is currently seeking distribution.
  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

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Shortcomings
Directed by Randall Park

      Ben (Justin H. Min) lives with his girlfriend, Miko (Ally Maki), and works as the manager of a local movie theater in Berkeley, California. With their relationship on the rocks, Miko gets hired as an intern in NYC and moves there leaving Ben alone with his best friend, Alice (Sherry Cola), who's queer.

      Shortcomings works as a light comedy with some tongue-in-cheek humor and provocative issues regarding race. It doesn't explore those themes profoundly, though, nor does it have a lot to say about love and friendship like Past Lives does. However, screenwriter Adrian Tomine and director Randall Park display their grasp of human nature by treating Ben as a human being without villainizing him. Yes, Ben does become increasingly unlikable and even creepy at tims, but the un-Hollywood ending gives him what he deserves based on his narcissistic personality. The filmmakers clearly understand what narcissism is as well as the consequences without sugar-coated anything. They also avoid schmaltz and preachiness. A less sensitive screenplay would've turned Shortcomings into a contrived, cheesy and clunky melodrama instead of one that feels like a perceptive slice-of-life.

      Sherry Cola's lively and charismatic breakthrough performance as Alice stands out the most in Shortcomings. She's just as magnetic as Stephanie Hsu is in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Debby Ryan is also superb in a supporting role as Sasha, a young woman who flirts with Ben. The underrated Jacob Batalon is wasted here, though, in a small role as an employee at the movie theater. More scenes with Ally Maki as Miko would've been great, too, and turned the film into a full ensemble. That said, the pacing moves at just the right speed without any scenes that drag. It's also refreshing to see a film that doesn't rely on violence, low brow humor, or over-the-top zaniness to entertain the audience. At a running time of 1 hour and 32 minutes, Shortcomings is a witty, funny and honest portrait of a toxic relationship.
  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1 Released Sony Pictures Classics. Opens in select theaters on August 4th, 2023.

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A Strange Path
Directed by Guto Parente

     
  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1 No distributor, yet.

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Suitable Flesh
Directed by Joe Lynch

      Dr. Elizabeth Derby (Heather Graham), a psychiatrist, treats a patient, Asa Waite (Judah Lewis), with multiple personality disorder who claims that his father (Bruce Davidson) wants to involve him in body-swapping.

      Based on the story "The Thing on the Doorstep" by H.P. Lovecraft, the screenplay by Dennis Paoli deftly blends sci-fi, horror and dark comedy without any tonal unevenness. The first few minutes hook the audience with a lot of mystery and intrigue as Dr. Derby is in the psych ward of a hospital while her colleague, Dr. Daniella Upton (Barbara Crampton), tries to find out why she murdered Asa's father. The film then flashes back to how Dr. Derby first met Asa and how she ended up killing his father. So, Suitable Flesh isn't a whodunit per se, but rather a question "Why did she do it?". The answer to that is better left unanswered here to not ruin any of the surprises, some of which are unpredictable. Keep in mind, though, that Paoli allows the plot to go bonkers with a sprinkle of macabre and outrageously humor. Case in point: a sex scene with Dr. Derby and her husband, Ed (Johnathon Schaech), that's among the most unexpectedly bold and terrifying scenes. Fortunately, Suitable Flesh doesn't take itself too seriously and has a lot of fun with its B-movie plot even though it doesn't leave much room for interpretation. It's the kind of movie that you'll enjoy much more if you check your brain at the door, sit back and enjoy some mindless entertainment that's a guilty pleasure from start to finish.

      Heather Graham gives a lively, invigorating performance as the increasingly unhinged Dr. Derby. It's one of her most interesting and memorable roles in recent years. Judah Lewis, Bruce Davidso, Johnathon Schaech and Barbara Crampton are also terrific while making the most out of their roles. There's some blood and gore, but nothing excessive that pushes the envelope. Director Joe Lynch opts for a creepy and foreboding atmosphere with lighting, camerawork and an effective music score that adds plenty of style. An example of style use of camerawork is when the camera rotates over and over creating a palpably dizzying sense of chaos and disorder. The pace moves briskly and the flashbacks are well-integrated through the smooth and slick editing. At a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, Suitable Flesh is a wickedly funny, twisted, creepy and exhilarating B-movie. It would be a great double feature with Poor Things.

  

Number of times I checked my watch: 2 Released by RLJE Entertainment. Opens Octobebr 27th, 2023 at Alamo Drafthouse in Manhattan and on VOD.

Documentary Round-Up

      Every Body is an emotionally engrossing and illuminating documentary about a lesser known human rights issue: the struggles of people born intersex. Director Julie Cohen mainly focuses on the experiences of three intersex people, namely, Alicia Roth Weigel, River Gallo, and Sean Saifa Wall who candidly and generously share their thoughts and feelings so that you can get a sense of what they've been going through and to empathise with them. Cohen grasps that it's not only important to put a human face on their struggles, but also to broaden the scope by looking at systemic issues that are part of the larger, macroscopic picture. For example, there's a hospital, Weill Cornell, that's still legally performing gender reassignment surgery to turn babies born intersex into either male or female. The segment that shed light on that particular issue will make you justifiably indignant.

      Every Body also doesn't shy away from going darker by telling the tragic story of David Reimer who was born as a male, but underwent surgery that reassigned his gender as a female. The surgery didn't go well and, when he discovered the horrifying truth about the surgery, he went on a downhill spiral pyschologically and ended up committing suicide. To counterbalance the heavier elements, Cohen includes some surprisingly funny and witty moments which provide much-needed comic relief. She doesn't merely inform and anger the audience--this isn't a Michael Moore film, after all. Within despair, there's hope.  Within darkness, there's a tiny light. She manages to find that light while also accomplishing what every documentary filmmaker out to do: finding just the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking them emotionally as well as intellectually. That's a testament to her skills as a director and to how well-edited the film is. It's also worth mentioning the amusing end credits sequence that ends the film on a light note. At an ideal running time of 92 minutes, Every Body opens in select theaters on June 30th, 2023.

      Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field is lucky to have Patricia Field as a documentary subject because her charisma, panache and wit keep help to make the film mildly entertaining. As a documentary biopic, it barely scratches the surface of an iconic costume designer. Director Michael Selditch interviews Patricia Field and famous people she's worked with to design the costumes for their film or show. You'll learn how the costumes of Michael Urie from the show "Ugly Betty" were much better when Field was the costume designer on the show before the production moved to Los Angeles. Field refused to relocate to Los Angeles. Why? The director doesn't allow her to explain the reason which is too bad because it might've resulted in an interesting answer. Happy Clothes follows a conventional approach with many talking-head interviews that have interesting anecdotes about Field or a light conversation between Field and actress Kim Cattrall from "Sex and the City." There's not much depth to this hagiographic, over-edited and underwhelming doc that suffers from style over substance. By the end of the doc, you learn alot about Patricia Field as a costume designer, but not nearly enough as a human being---"behind the curtain." It currently doesn't have a distributor, yet.

      A few music-related-related documentaries can also be found at Tribeca Festival. In Maestra follows four female orchestra conductors participating in the La Maestra competition in 2022. The documentary's structure is pretty conventional as it provides a "behind the scenes" glimpse of how the four conductors prepare for the competition. Director Maggie Contreras does a decent job of showing their determination, diligence, struggles and, above all, their passion. Although Contreras squanders her opportunity to add suspense like what Spellbound does for spelling bees or Science Fair does science projects, Maestra at least manages to humanize its subjects and to illuminate what it's like emotionally, physically and psychologically to be a female orchestra conductor. It's also very well-edited and doesn't have any scenes that feel dull or repetitive. Another doc, Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive similarly shows the passion and struggles of its subject, but it's not as well-edited because it overstays its welcome and suffers from being repetitive. Tighter editing, especially during the focus on Gloria Gaynor's health issues and her spine surgery, could've allowed the film to flow more smoothly. Nonetheless, director Betsy Schechter is fortunate to have such a warm, candid and charismatic musician as her subject because those qualities in particular help to enliven the documentary and to make it an emotionally engrossing journey. Moreover, the concert footage of Gloria Gaynor feels exhilarating. You'll learn about Gaynor not only as an artist, but also as a human being, warts and all. You'll grasp her strength, humility and vulnerability which makes her all the more relatable. So, kudos to Schechter for not turning the film into a hagiographic documentary biopic like too many filmmakers tend to do. Both Maestra and Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive are currently seeking distribution.

Other Documentaries (reviews coming soon)
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