Sirát

Movie Name: Sirát
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Oliver Laxe
Starring: Sergi Lopez, Bruno Nunez Arjona, Stefania Gadda, Joshua Liam Herderson, Richard Bellamy, Tonin Janvier, Jade Oukid, Ahmed Abbou
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"Sirát" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival of 2025 to great reviews and eventually won the Jury Prize of that year. The narrative follows Luis who is seeking for his daughter in the company of his young son Esteban. He is seeking for her in the desert around Morocco, specifically on this massive rave that draws people from all over. Luis shows the photo of his daughter all over, but no one has seen her. He is informed there is another rave taking place, further into the desert, and that it may possibly be her destination. The rave in Morocco is disbanded when soldiers show up and the European ravers have to be evacuated. There's an armed conflict taking place, and they want everyone to go back to their own countries. Luis decides to take Esteban and Pipa, their dog, in a minivan alongside a group of ravers who are driving across the area in two massive trucks. They try unsuccessfully to dissuade Luis from coming, claiming his car isn't ready for the journey, the same thing for him and Esteban who is but a child. As they go across Northern Africa the group grows closer, sharing food and fuel, with the ravers even helping Luis cross a river in his car. Things take a darker turn when going across a mountain, the group faces mechanical issues, which escalate to a tragic situation.

This film tracks a journey of a father looking for his daughter, but it also strangely brings to mind the world of George Miller's "Mad Max". Mr. Laxe creates a narrative and a world that is very akin to a demise of civilization, one where violence is everywhere, and the kindness and empathy of humans is the only thing left when it comes to identifying humanity itself. The ravers aren't necessarily brainless hedonists, who are pursuing a hippie like existence, as it turns out, they're individuals with dreams just like everyone else, they simply choose to live an existence that isn't conforming with what everyone might deem acceptable. Their ability to understand Luis' plight, and subsequently his grief and pain, demonstrates how humans can create a bonded community, but also how ultimately we are all a collective, who experience life events very similarly, even if how we expose our emotions can be quite unique and different. This is a film that details a journey inward for all these individuals, geographically but also emotionally, only for them to come out at the other side of this journey bruised and battered, but also with a different view on what it means to be alive. It's a film that flows seamlessly, where Mr. Laxe gives the impression that not much is happening, but that notion is quickly dispelled, not solely for the tragic third act, but also for the tapestry he slowly creates between all these individuals. There are no heroes, no villains, just individuals going their way, helping when needed, smiling, and mourning. The cast is solid, particularly the always excellent Sergi Lopez who makes Luis a kind, funny, and focused man, whose life takes a dramatic turn, and yet has to learn how to continue living. The cinematography from Mauro Herce and score from Kangding Ray are fantastic. It's a unique film worth watching and savoring. 

Parenthood

Movie Name: Parenthood
Year of Release: 1989
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Jason Robards, Tom Hulce, Rick Moranis, Harley Jane Kozak, Keanu Reeves, Martha Plimpton, Dennis Dugan, Eileen Ryan, Alisan Porter, Ivyann Schwan
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Director Ron Howard cemented his directorial career in the 1980s, with a string of big commercial hits, including "Splash", "Cocoon", "Gung Ho", "Willow", and "Parenthood". His usual collaborators, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (who wrote "Splash" and "Gung Ho", and who would reunite with him again on "Ed TV") are responsible for the script. The narrative focuses on the life of Gil Buckman, a hard working married man, with a large family, including his siblings Helen, Susan, and the troublesome Larry, his parents Frank and Marilyn, and an array of children. Gil is trying to be supportive to one of his kids who has learning disabilities and suddenly realizes he and his wife have another child on the way, which added to the 3 they already have, creates more money woes on their part. Gil's sister Helen, recently divorced, is trying to do her best with her children. Julie is a rebellious teenager, already dating a young man by the name of Tod, who seems adrift, while her son Garry is going through puberty, is missing his father, and eventually comes to the realization that his father has moved on with his life, has a new family, and doesn't care about him or his sister. Susan is married to Nathan, who is domineering and is creating a sterile childhood for their daughter, while also alienating her in the process. She wants another child, but Nathan disagrees, which creates a massive rift between them. Larry shows up after being astray from the family for quite some time, always involved in quick rich schemes, and suddenly reappears, once again asking for money and with a small child. Gil's parents, Frank and Marilyn, have always bailed Larry out of all situations, much to the dismay of the other siblings. As the family navigates life, more unexpected challenges keep appearing.

If "Parenthood" appears to be a description for a TV Drama, well it eventually did become one (the TV Show lasted between 2010 and 2015). It's a film that illustrates the family dynamics of all these characters quite well, demonstrating the bonds that bring them all together, even if these characters feel at times in very different narratives. They all come across as somewhat stiff stereotypes, though some of these characters have more dimension than others. Steve Martin's Gil gets the lion share of character development, and Mr. Howard manages to give him enough of a stage for him to be both the charismatically funny entertainer, but also the parental figure who is torn between providing for his family and figuring out what his next professional step can be. The character that ends up having some actual depth, in the middle of all the noise created by this soap opera, is actually Dianne Wiest's Helen. She's having to deal with a daughter who is growing too fast, a son who is trying to figure out who he is, and an ex-husband who has no character or regard for his children. She's the one who is also the most humane, attempting to safeguard her children while also realizing that she's not hitting all the right notes. She also is plainly aware that her own personal life and feelings have been put on hold for her children. The film is watchable and plays smoothly like a Pilot for a TV Show - there's nothing particularly dark, even if Tom Hulce's character, Larry, walks closely in that direction. However this script doesn't go into unexpected territories, staying within the confines of the sanitized and acceptable family view. The cast is stacked and features solid performances from Steve Martin, Dianne Wiest, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Robards, Tom Hulce, Joaquin Phoenix, and Keanu Reeves. The production team is competent, including Randy Newman's score, Donald McAlpine's cinematography, and Todd Hallowell's production design. It's watchable and light in content as a feather, but a good opportunity to watch very talented actors working harmoniously.

Personal Shopper

Movie Name: Personal Shopper
Year of Release: 2016
Director: Olivier Assayas
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Lars Eidinger, Sigrid Bouaziz, Anders Danielsen Lie, Ty Olwin, Nora Waldstätten, Hammou Graïa, Benjamin Biolay, Audrey Bonnet, Pascal Rambert, Aurelia Petit
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

After their successful partnership with "Clouds of Sils Maria", writer/director Olivier Assayas and actress Kristen Stewart reunited once again for "Personal Shopper", which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival of 2016 to solid reviews. The film follows the story of Maureen, a 20 something woman living in Paris. She works as a personal shopper for a high profile woman, but also believes herself to be a medium. She's reeling from the recent death of her twin brother, and has stayed in Paris waiting to get a "connection" from his ghost. Her boyfriend is also working abroad, in Muscat, Oman, and invites her come visit him, so she can distance herself from all the pain that Paris sparks in her. While trying to feel or catch any signs of her lost sibling in the house he and his girlfriend shared, Maureen does come across a spirit, but that of a female, which scares her. She also starts getting text messages from an unknown sender who seems to know a lot about her. Her life is thrown into further disarray when her employer is brutally murdered, and Maureen is questioned on how she found her, and the role she played in her life. 

One of the most interesting aspects of "Personal Shopper" is the sentiment of initial disbelief that the writer/director creates towards what is happening in the lead character's life. The film isn't your typical ghost story, nor is it this deambulatory chronicle of a young woman's life in Paris. It marries both those aspects in a way that feels organic and eventually sensical. Yes, Maureen is a personal shopper for someone who is wealthy and lives an opulent lifestyle, but she's also someone who firmly believes her dead twin brother will communicate with her from the after life, and that her "abilities"/sensitivity, will be able to hone in when he does so. These aspects coexist in this narrative, but as the director keeps adding more events, including the anonymous text messages, the death of her employer, all of these aspects while creating a sense of dread, also murky the journey Maureen has been experiencing. What was initially an exploration of grief, and how people at times dehumanize themselves while serving others, becomes a bit more trivial when the writer/director layers them across the narrative (that didn't really need it). Maureen is a bit puzzling herself: she's very sure of herself when performing her tasks, but less assured when addressing her own path in life. And this duality makes her an interesting character, even if we never know much more about who she actually is, and what her ambitions are. This film lives from all these aspects that the audience has to build for themselves, as they witness the story unfold, and where Maureen's experiences lead her. Mr. Assayas does create a vivid universe for these characters to live in, but doesn't really know where to take them, which seems to be a perpetual issue in many of his films. Kristen Stewart does a solid job playing Maureen, and the film lies squarely on her shoulders. The production team is equally solid, particularly Yorick Le Saux's cinematography and François-Renaud Labarthe's production design. It's not an entirely successful film, but one that is enigmatic and well performed to hold one's attention. 

Kimi

Movie Name: Kimi
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Zoe Kravitz, Byron Bowers, Rita Wilson, Devin Ratray, Jacob Vargas, Derek DelGaudio, Sarai Koo, Jaime Camil, George Evans, Robin Givens, India de Beaufort, Charles Halford, David Wain
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following the well received "No Good Deed", the prolifically talented Steven Soderbergh quickly came back with another release, marking his first collaboration with screenwriter David Koepp (a long time collaborator of Steven Spielberg, for whom he wrote "Jurassic Park", "Lost World", "War of the Worlds", "Indiana Jones 4", and "Disclosure Day"). "Kimi" follows the story of Angela Childs, an agoraphobic tech worker, who has been having troubles going outside for quite some time (a result from an assault she previously experienced), an issue that got substantially worse with the advent of Covid-19. She monitors incoming data streams from the Kimi devices, built and sold by a company that is about to go through an IPO process. She's been dating a neighbor who lives in the building across from her, a lawyer by the name of Terry. Terry has been attempting to get her outside, starting with something as simple as enjoying food from a local food truck, something that is unable to tackle. While going through the daily streams she detects what appears to be a woman being subjected to a violent assault. With the help of a coworker she is able to trace the identity back to a user whose name is Samantha. She uncovers more of that user's recordings, and is horrified to realize that her additional recordings indicate she might have been murdered. She reports the issue to her company, and she's eventually told to come into the office so they can call the FBI and clarify the whole situation. However and while she's waiting, she realizes two individuals are coming to get her, upon which she decides to leave the offices and go to the local FBI offices herself.

David Koepp's scripts are at times hit or miss. His latest collaboration with Steven Soderbergh, the wonderful and criminally underrated "Black Bag" was a perfectly executed thriller, with enough sophistication and character development to warrant multiple viewings. Some of his scripts, including "Secret Window" or even "Premium Rush", which he also directed, just don't work quite as successfully. They are genre films where characters are presented as sketches, and the narrative feels rushed and underdeveloped. Some of those traits are also noticeable on "Kimi", however this film benefits from having Steven Soderbergh at the helm. Mr. Soderbergh has always been able to illustrate the central heroes of his narratives as individuals who have found a unique place for themselves in the world, even if they may come across as borderline anti-conventional (that was the case of James Spader's Graham in "sex, lies, and videotape", Jesse Bradford's Aaron Kurlander in "King of the Hill", or even Julia Roberts' Erin Brockovich, in the film with the same title). Angela may seem at first glance as a modern heroine from a Hitchcock film, or even a distant relation to Sigourney Weaver's Dr. Helen Hudson from Jon Amiel's "Copycat", but as the narrative develops, we get to learn more about what motivates her specific behavior, including her emotional barriers, her relationships with others, and even why is she so intent on reporting what she just captured. The best part of this feature is indeed the way this character comes to life as the narrative develops, even if some of her tribulations with her pursuers diminish the power of his storyline. It would have been interesting if David Koepp had written this film like an updated version of Brian De Palma's "Blow Out", but sadly this script lacks that ambition, and falls a bit too easily into the trappings of a more conventional thriller. Still, even with its script limitations, Steven Soderbergh works his magic defining the claustrophobia of Angela's apartment, as well as the fears she faces when she goes outside. The cast is solid, though it would be interesting to see what Naomi Scott or Jessica Henwick could have done with this part. The production team is solid, since as usual Steven Soderbergh also works as cinematographer, editor, with the addition of the stupendous Cliff Martinez on score (they've been regular collaborators since "sex, lies, and videotape"), and Philip Messina's production design. It's an entertaining and worth watching feature from a very talented film maker. 

Dust Bunny

Movie Name: Dust Bunny
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Bryan Fuller 
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Sophie Sloan, Sigourney Weaver, David Dastmalchian, Sheila Atim, Rebecca Henderson, Line Kruse, Caspar Phillipson, Armond Willis, Rea Milla, Tibor Szauervein, Sute Zhao, Tao Jia, Hisham Omer
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"Dust Bunny" is the feature directorial debut for celebrated writer/producer Bryan Fuller, who has created iconic tv shows in the past including "Wonderfalls", "Dead Like Me", "Pushing Daisies", and more recently "Hannibal". The film had its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in 2025 where it was greeted with solid reviews. The narrative follows the story of Aurora, an 8 year old girl who lives with her foster parents in NY. One night she follows her neighbor from unit 5B to Chinatown, where she witnesses him killing what appears to be an immense dragon (but in reality he kills an entire gang who is hidden under the guise of a dragon dance puppet). Aurora is terrified of the place where she lives, since as she explains to her foster parents, there is an enormous monster underneath her bed (and floor). They don't believe her until one night she hears immense rubble in the place, and the following day her parents are gone and their bedroom is torn to pieces. She decides to hire her neighbor to help her get rid of the monster, and with that in mind she steals the donation tray of the nearest church. When she recounts her story and her purpose to her neighbor, he believes that her parents were mistakenly killed by people trying to kill him. He informs his handler Laverne of the matter. Laverne advises him to get rid of Aurora. That evening two assassins arrive at Aurora's apartment, and while the neighbor tackles one of them, the other mysteriously disappears.

The stylistic world of Bryan Fuller is an immensely enjoyable one. One aspect that has been very evident across all the creative endeavors he has originated, is how thoroughly detailed, and stylistically dazzling they all are. "Dust Bunny" is an interesting film that at first glance may be a marriage of Luc Besson's "The Professional/Leon", with Juan Antonio Bayona's "A Monster Calls", but it eventually goes in the direction and tone that is very much coherent with everything that Bryan Fuller has created thus far. His heroes (and anti-heroes) are always characters who inhabit fairly conventional realities, ones that can tilt to the horrifying and violent, but they always have the ability to view the world in their own special way. They're not outcasts by any means, they live just enough outside of the conventional, and they have a special ability which enables them to see beyond what is typical and commonplace. They're outsiders who can blend in, but still very much special in their own manner, characters who carve their own path no matter the situation in which they find themselves in. Such is the case with Aurora, her neighbor, and even Laverne. It's a universe that is always colorful, with characters that are at times under-developed, but never conventional nor pretentious. "Dust Bunny" which starts with a dose of surreality and as it progresses thrives on it, is a film that may seem like a child-like narrative of a young girl living with fear, but it evolves into something quite different, a narrative about thriving, making connections, and controlling her own destiny. The cast is superb, with Mads Mikkelsen, Sophie Sloan, and the always great Sigourney Weaver all creating indelible characters. The production team is equally fantastic, particularly Isabella Summers' score, Nicole Hirsch Whitaker's cinematography, Jeremy Reed's production design, and Olivier Beriot and Catherine Leterrier's costumes. It's a film that deserves to find a bigger audience, and one that reveals Bryan Fuller's solid ability to work on a bigger canvas. 

Black Phone 2

Movie Name: Black Phone 2
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Scott Derrickson 
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Demian Bechir, Jeremy Davies, Miguel Mora, Arianna Rivas, Maev Beaty, Graham Abbey, James Ransone, Anna Lore, Simon Webster, Shepherd Munroe, Chase B. Robertson, Dexter Bolduc, Jazlyn Wong-lee, Julien Norman, Jacob Moran
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following the success of "Black Phone", co-writer/producer/director Scott Derrickson has returned with a sequel which further establishes the mystique of the main villain, while also clarifying some key points of the past of some of the characters (coincidentally 2025 also saw the release of his Apple produced film, "The Gorge", which featured Anya Taylor-Joy, Miles Teller, and Sigourney Weaver). The narrative takes place in 1982, four years after the events of the first film. Finney is now 17 and is in high school, still experiencing issues relating to others, but protecting those who are bullied. His sister Gwen starts having dreams where she witnesses murders that have happened in a lake camp in 1957. Gwen and Finney's mother also had similar dreams, since she too had similar abilities to Gwen. Gwen convinces Finney and Ernesto, the latter the brother of one of the boys who got killed by the Grabber, to travel to that camp to investigate further. They get stuck at the camp due to a harsh snow storm. The camp is run by Armando and his niece Mustang, alongside two employees Kenneth and Barbara. Finney receives a phone call on the camp's dead payphone from the Grabber. He is intent on seeking revenge and starts doing so by attacking Gwen in her dreams. Everyone in the camp realizes they have to find the bodies from the additional victims of the Grabber, in order for him to lose his powers over the dream world. They realize the bodies are beneath the frozen lake. Armando, Hope (Finney and Gwen's mother), and the Grabber, all knew each other at the camp when they were younger. As it turns out, Hope's death wasn't a suicide after all. Finney and Gwen decide to fight back.

The first "Black Phone" was an interesting ghost story that managed to capture the spirit of the 1970s rather colorfully, even if the characters that populated that story had very little substance. This sequel, once again succeeds in establishing the mood and recreating the time period (kudos to the production design team), but as the nods to Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street" become more pronounced (the killer that attacks you in your dreams, that can lead to lethal consequences), the characters and what makes them more unique falls to the wayside. The film's creative team is more concerned about tone and setting a mood, more so than bringing these characters to life, beyond the bare minimum of what would be passable for them to register as individuals (they let the costumes do much of that work for them, namely with the character named Mustang). Finney spends most of the film answering supernatural calls, whereas Gwen is perpetually falling asleep and either being targeted by the Grabber or witnessing past killings perpetrated by him. The film is not without its good points: Demian Bechir's Armando brings some humanity and intensity to an underwritten role, Ethan Hawke has fun playing a different version of Freddy Kruger, and placing the action in an isolated campground brings to mind all the horror films of the early 1980s (and this is a worthy homage). The cast is solid, led by Ethan Hawke and Demian Bechir, while Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw don't really do much with their characters. The production team is top notch, including Atticus Derrickson's score, Par M. Ekberg's cinematography, and Patti Podesta's production design. Ultimately it's a watchable film, but also one that is slight and unmemorable.

Shadow of the Vampire

Movie Name: Shadow of the Vampire
Year of Release: 2000
Director: E. Elias Merhige
Starring: John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Udo Kier, Cary Elwes, Catherine McCormack, Eddie Izzard, Aden Gillett, Nicholas Elliott, Ronan Vibert, Sophie Langevin
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

"Shadow of the Vampire" was critically well received when it made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival of 2000. The film is the sophomore directorial effort of E. Elias Merhige, who at the time was well known for directing music videos for the rock band Marilyn Manson. The film follows the narrative of the events behind the shooting of F. W. Murnau's "Nosferatu" in the early 1920s. Murnau who wasn't able to secure the rights to adapt Bram Stoker's Dracula, writes a variation of that novel, and alongside his creative team starts shooting the film. He tells his team he has found an obscure actor by the name of Max Schreck to play the role of the vampire, Count Orlok. He forewarns them all that Schreck stays in character all the time, and that he will only appear alongside the crew when in full makeup and also all his scenes will be shot at night. After filming scenes in a studio with his lead actress, Murnau takes the rest of the cast and crew to Czechoslovakia, to a a remote inn where he removes all crucifixes from the space. Certain episodes with the cameraman Wolfgang Muller start happening, but no one takes them very seriously. Schrek finally makes his appearance, impressing and disturbing everyone. As the shooting continues and Wolfgang's health deteriorates, Murnau threatens Schreck since he's aware that the latter is the one responsible for Wolfgang's poor health. A new cameraman is brought in, Fritz Arno Wagner. Murnau in the meantime goes back to Berlin to appease the financiers of the film, while Schreck's lust for blood continues, something that members of the crew assume to be due to his role immersion. Production moves to the island of Heligoland, difficult to access. Murnau admits to the team that Schrek is an actual vampire, and that he made a deal to give him Greta, the lead actress, in exchange for his performance in the film. However, they all realize they're trapped in a remote island with a bloodthirsty vampire.

There's much to savor in this film that is an ode/homage to F.W. Murnau's classic vampire tale, "Nosferatu". E. Elias Merhige and his creative team were able to bring to life the process of shooting that film in the 1920s, while introducing this subversive character of Max Schreck, who for the sake of this feature is an actual vampire. While the film could have easily fallen into the trappings of something solemn or gratuitously violent, the director manages to leverage the script to both celebrate the art of film making (with some of its clichés), peppered with dark humor, something that Willem Dafoe who is portraying Schreck, mines for all the good that it offers. There isn't much in terms of character definition in this film, they're more postcards than portraits, but Max Schreck in particular comes across as someone who is at odds with the modern world, someone who is puzzled by it, and who questions his own sense of immortality. That role both elevates what is taking place in the film, but also renders most of the supporting narrative as somewhat lackluster - F. W. Murnau in particular doesn't get much in terms of illustrating his geniality and uniqueness. This is indeed a film that lives from that great nugget at the core of the narrative: what if Schreck was an actual Nosferatu/Vampire, and was suddenly in the middle of shooting a film in the 1920s. It's a great premise, one that sadly doesn't go very far, but that does manage to keep one's attention courtesy of Willem Dafoe's great central performance. He makes the character menacing, but also quizzical, and at times quite comical. He gets good support from John Malkovich, Cary Elwes, Catherine McCormack, Eddie Izzard, and of the always wonderful Udo Kier. The production team is solid, particularly Dan Jones' score, Lou Bogue's cinematography, and Assheton Gorton's production design. While it doesn't hit all the right notes, it's still an interesting film worth watching, featuring a great performance from the always fantastic Willem Dafoe. 

Apex

Movie Name: Apex
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Starring: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana, Matt Whelan, Aaron Pedersen
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Another Netflix production to emerge, once again featuring Charlize Theron, who has been working with the streaming platform for quite some time now (their first joint collaboration was "The Old Guard", which premiered in 2020). "Apex" focuses on the story of Sasha, a woman whom we first encounter alongside her husband attempting to climb the Troll Wall. That attempt has dramatic results, when severe weather impacts their progression, and Tommy dies as a result of an avalanche. Five months later Sasha is in Australia, driving towards Wandarra National Park. She stops at a ranger station and learns of a series of disappearances in the area. She also gets approached by a few men, though the situation is quickly defused when a stranger by the name of Ben intervenes. She continues her journey, and at night while setting up camp notices the same men appear once again. She dismisses the situation, and the following morning she takes her kayak down the rapids. She eventually encounters Ben again, who offers her some food. He quickly reveals that he knows more about her than he led her to believe, and threatens her with a crossbow. He states he will give her a head start, but then he will start hunting her. Sasha desperately tries to evade him, but he seems to know where she is at all times. Ben eventually captures her, and she's horrified by what she discovers.

It's perplexing that an actress with the range and ability of Charlize Theron has spent the last 7 years working with material that can be considered mediocre at best. Sadly "Apex" does not improve her track record, as it is another tepid film that while attempting to marry Curtis Hanson's "The River Wild" with Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity", with some splashes of Danny Boyle's "127 Hours" (I mention "Gravity" because it's a female centric narrative of a survivor trying to escape insurmountable odds), it ends up being a film that lacks any character depth, originality, or even a sense of adventure. For the duration of the film all characters are an enigma, with very little insight into what they do, what their ambitions are, and ultimately who they are as fully rounded individuals. While the film initially suggests some subtlety or something in the neighborhood of what Coralie Fargeat did with "Revenge", who essentially flipped the revenge film on its head, and progressively revealed the darkness behind the characters, Baltasar Kormakur and the screenwriter Jeremy Robbins don't have the skill or interest to subvert anything. "Apex" tries to create the impression of being a "survival thriller", where a serial killer in the woods attempts to capture a traumatized woman who has skills that enable her to be far more resourceful than his typical victims. Sadly the script goes for the shock (or schlock if that is more believable), never demonstrating any particular motivation for Ben, whereas Sasha has considerable financial resources, no family demands, no job to speak of, and miraculous healing powers. Kudos to the creative team behind this film who believed this dreck of a script was actually salvageable. It's a film that has very little to offer, including something for its actors to do, and for the audience who has to sit through something that is so forgettable and poorly written. The production team is competent, particularly Lawrence Sher's cinematography. Hopefully Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton realize they can do better, and start choosing their film roles a bit better. This is nearly the nadir for their careers. Avoid and watch Coralie Fargeat's "Revenge" instead.

Lovely and Amazing

Movie Name: Lovely & Amazing
Year of Release: 2001
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Starring: Catherine Keener, Brenda Blethyn, Emily Mortimer, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Le Gros, Dermot Mulroney, Raven Goodwin, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Clark Gregg, Michael Nouri, Lee Garlington, Spencer Garrett
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

After making a name for herself with her feature directorial debut, "Walking and Talking" (which also featured her usual collaborator, Catherine Keener), writer/director Nicole Holofcener tackled a few TV directorial gigs (such as a few episodes of Darren Star's "Sex and the City" show), before releasing "Lovely & Amazing" her sophomore directorial endeavor. The film follows the story of the Marks family, specifically the matriarch Jane, and her three daughters, Michelle and Elizabeth who are adult, and the youngest Annie, still a child, whom she adopted later in life. Jane feels insecure about her looks, and decides to try a liposuction procedure. What is apparently a routine procedure turns out to be something more serious, as complications arise, resulting in a prolonged hospital stay. Michelle, who is married, focuses her time on crafting different art pieces which she then tries to sell to small businesses, most of the times without much success. This puts a strain on her marriage. Her husband in the meantime, while pretending to be supportive of her choices, is having an affair with her friend Donna. She eventually decides to take a job at a one-hour photo lab, working alongside a 17 year old named Jordan, who is smitten with her. Elizabeth is an aspiring actress, currently in a frustrating relationship. She goes for an audition with a sex symbol, and while they have great chemistry, she is not chosen for the part. She gets feedback that she's not sexy enough, which leaves her very insecure about herself. She starts a tryst with the movie star she auditioned with. Annie in the meantime is having a difficult time adjusting to the fact her mom is in the hospital, and that she's so different than her sisters. 

I admit that I always leave Nicole Holofcener's films feeling a bit underwhelmed. Not because the reviews over-hyper her films, but because I always have the sensation that the narratives she illustrates are wafer thin and eventually the films just run out of potency. It's not that she doesn't have a point of view, the more blatant issue seems to be the fact that the point of view feels too generic to resonate deeper with the audiences (and myself in particular). Of all her films the one that resonated with me the most was actually "Enough Said" with James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, since it tackled the challenges individuals face with attempting a romantic relationship at a certain age in their lives. "Lovely & Amazing" illustrates the lives and challenges of these women in this family unit, in a context that feels very Los Angeles based, meaning everyone is very privileged, comfortable, and experience life in a way that seems quite sheltered. One can say that you don't watch Nicole Holofcener, or Nancy Myers, or even Woody Allen's films for the depiction of the challenges the working class suffers or the pulsating heartbeat of romance: their universes, though quite different from each other, always exists in this bubble of Los Angeles ennui, HGTV middle age porn, and Manhattan intellectual malaise respectively. Meaning: there's nothing necessarily wrong with "Lovely & Amazing", but it's a film that feels vapid and innocuous, where there isn't a strong point being made, where the narrative just captures the lives of these individuals in this moment in time, and that just has to suffice. These characters, whatever we understand of them, don't experience epiphanies, don't become a better version of themselves, and don't necessarily represent an archetype: they're just slight, living in a world that seems neighboring a TV show (not HBO), and by the time the narrative ends, their storyline and the film itself is instantly forgettable. The cast tries their best, particularly Catherine Keener and Emily Mortimer, and it's nice to know that they both went on to do better and more memorable work with other film makers. There's nothing wrong with this film, but there's nothing necessarily great about it either. 

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Movie Name: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Year of Release: 2026
Director: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, Chi Lewis-Parry, Mirren Mack, Gordon Alexander, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, David Sterne, Elliot Benn, Connor Newall, Maura Bird, Ghazi Al Ruffai, Robert Rhodes, Emma Laird
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

The "28 Days Later" series continues, this time around with a sequel to 2025's "28 Years Later" which reunited director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland in the series which they started in 2002. Following the events of the prior film, Spike finds himself in the midst of the gang Fingers, led by the murderous Jimmy Crystal. In order to stay with the gang, he has to fight one of its members. He accidentally manages to do so, and gets access to the gang, getting a new name in the process (Jimmy). In the interim, Dr. Kelson continues his daily habits, building upon the ossuary, an homage for those who have died from the Rage Virus epidemic. The colossal alpha that is infected, and that he has named Samson, starts visiting him regularly as Dr. Kelson has shot morphine darts into him (to prevent Samson from killing him), and in the process has made him addicted to it. As Samson keeps coming back, his humanity starts shining through, demonstrating glimpses of memory and even regaining other normal functions. The gang in the meantime also continue their carnage, attacking a farm with survivors, killing them in a bloody and horrific sacrifice. Jimmy Crystal who is sensing a low morale amongst his dwindling hordes, decides to visit Dr. Kelson, as he assumes him to be someone else, and they come to an agreement to further convince his group of Crystal's "higher purpose". However not everything goes according to what Crystal had envisioned.

When "28 Days Later" premiered, it was a memorable take on what was the zombie genre, taking a different approach to the rules that still define that genre. It was also a very smart reflection on international politics, and even on the dismantling of society, all with succinctly defined characters, which made the film work on multiple levels (it also was a great showcase for Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, and Brendan Gleeson). If the first sequel took the film in a slightly different direction, the sadly maligned "28 Weeks Later" from director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, the take Alex Garland and Danny Boyle built with "28 Years Later" stripped much of the horror aspects of the series to focus on this post-apocalyptic scenario, one where people have learnt to survive with obstacles generated by a virus that won't go away. If this seems close to what we have experience with Covid 19, that's not very far off indeed. This additional sequel, veers even further off from the original premise, focusing on two characters and how they're coping with the aftermath of this virus. The young Spike, is confronted with the worst of humanity, represented by a gang where its leader uses rhetoric to persuade its members, who then torture and steal from survivors, in essence, stripping away everything that is humane. Dr. Kelson in the meantime, holds on to a semblance of what his life used to be, listening to music, looking through his books, trying to make sense of all the loss. At the same time, he's trying to comprehend what the virus is about, holding a glimmer of hope that even the creatures ravaged by the virus can still have a spark of humanity in them. These opposite experiences clash into each other with painful outcomes, but they solidify the fact & statement that humans are at their best when trying to care for each other, as opposed to exploiting each other. The film successfully brings all these topics together, in a visually compelling manner. The cast is impeccable, with highlights going to the superb Ralph Fiennes (quite possibly one of the best actors working these days), Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Chi Lewis-Parry, and Erin Kellyman. The production team is equally solid, particularly Sean Bobbitt's cinematography and Carson McColl and Gareth Pugh's production design. While some of these characters could benefit from additional attention and detail, this is a solid (and brutal) film worth watching.

The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy

Movie Name: The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy
Year of Release: 2000
Director: Greg Berlanti
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Zach Braff, Andrew Keegan, John Mahoney, Ben Weber, Dean Cain, Matt McGrath, Justin Theroux, Billy Porter, Nia Long, Mary McCormack, Chris Payne Gilbert, Jennifer Coolidge, Kerr Smith
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

These days Greg Berlanti is an omnipresent name on TV, since he's a producer on so many successful shows, and has been the creator of so many shows himself, including "Everwood", "Eli Stone", and even mini-series such as "Political Animals", not to mention all the superhero DC shows that Warner Bros. which had his stamp, namely "Arrow", "The Flash", "Supergirl", and "Superman & Lois". "The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy" is Mr. Berlanti's feature directorial debut and follows the story of a group of gay friends in Los Angeles. The anchor element of the group is Dennis, a photographer, who is roommates with Cole, a struggling actor, who leverages his good looks to date multiple men. Benji the youngest of the group is still trying to find his own path, but is dazzled by the chiseled and buff men at the gym. There's also Taylor who is navigating a recent break up, Patrick who is disenchanted with the gay scene and always volunteers a razor sharp criticism about everyone's lives to his friends, Howie who is a psychology student who keeps dangling the possibility of a reconnection with his ex-boyfriend, and Kevin, a recent addition to the group, following a tryst with Cole. All of them are also united by Jack who owns a local restaurant, where some of them work, and who always gets them to play softball against a variety of teams in the area. All of them are trying to make sense of their professional next steps, while also navigating the dating world, which at times creates some challenges even within the group itself. When tragedy hits, it leads them all to reevaluate their priorities and what they want to do in life. 

Much like Jim Fall's "Trick", this feature by Mr. Berlanti comes at the tail end of what constituted the New Queer Cinema movement of the 1990s. However, and unlike Gregg Araki, Tom Kalin, and Todd Hayne's features, Mr. Berlanti's "The Broken Hearts Club" isn't a high concept examination on the lives of gay men in West Hollywood. It plays out like a pilot for a TV show about a bunch of gay male friends, whom we know very little of, and who are growing from their 20s into their 30s and need to figure out where they want to go, both professionally and emotionally. This film plays like a blueprint for what the show "Queer as Folk" would develop much further when it started in the same year this film was released (though the original "Queer as Folk" came out in 1999). The problem with this film in particular, lies with the fact that by wanting to make these gay characters palatable and relatable, they have lost any trace of uniqueness and distinctiveness. There's not much depth to any of these characters, and even the archetypes they fit into, much like William Friedkin's "The Boys in the Band", are rather shallow. What does this ultimately mean for the film: it simply means the film doesn't create an impact, it lives in a reality where everyone is a eunuch or close to it, and ultimately renders all these characters as neutered as the gay characters of "Will and Grace" for instance. This was always a problem at the time (still is to a great extent), where gay characters fall into two brackets: the lead gay character who is typically filled with angst and devoid of any sexual longing, or the supporting gay character who is a collection of clichés, much like the ones illustrated by Rupert Everett in "My Best Friend's Wedding", Roger Bart in "The Stepford Wives" or even Wanda Sykes in "Monster in Law" for instance (the latter doesn't even get to have an identifiable sexual orientation). There are films that break through these clichés, such as Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" or Todd Haynes' stunning "Carol", but those are far in between. The cast is a bit all over the place on this one, but Justin Theroux manages to create a memorable supporting role. The production team is adequate but not particularly memorable. There isn't anything offensive about this film, it's simply forgettable. 

Singles

Movie Name: Singles
Year of Release: 1992
Director: Cameron Crowe
Starring: Kyra Sedgwick, Campbell Scott, Bridget Fonda, Matt Dillon, Sheila Kelley, Jim True-Frost, Bill Pullman, James Le Gros, Ally Walker, Eric Stoltz, Jeremy Piven, Tom Skerritt, Peter Horton, Devon Raymond, Camilo Gallardo
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

"Singles" is the sophomore directorial endeavor for writer/director Cameron Crowe, following his debut with "Say Anything" (though he made a name for himself earlier with the script for Amy Heckerling's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"). The narrative focuses on a series of friends/acquaintances in the Seattle area, all living in the same apartment complex in the early 1990s. We follow the romantic challenges facing Linda, who meets a foreign student, and falls deeply in love with him, only to realize he played a swindle on her and moved on to someone else. She meets Steve at a concert, and they slowly start to get acquainted with each other, and eventually fall in love, however navigating through unexpected events life throws at you turns out to be a challenge for them. Janet also lives in that apartment complex, and is smitten with Cliff Poncier, the lead vocalist for a grunge band named Citizen Dick. He continuously dismisses her while engaging in flirtation with other women, and doesn't want to have anything serious with Janet. Another woman in the complex that is also facing some dating challenges is Debbie Hunt, who has a roommate, but can't seem to find the right person, no matter how much she tries. 

Upon reading the premise of this film, one would be tempted to think this is a prequel to Darren Star's "Melrose Place". Alas, it is not. I personally had some difficulty reconciling the tone and character development of this film, with what Mr. Crowe went on to do with "Jerry Maguire" and particularly with "Almost Famous", which remains to this day his best feature. "Singles" isn't the precursor to the grunge scene that took over the world in the early 1990s, though the soundtrack is solid, nor is it the romantic staple that Nora Ephron illustrated with far more humor and warmth in "Sleepless in Seattle". What we're left with is a film that attempts to capture the life (emotional and professional) of a few twenty-something individuals, who are trying to navigate the dating scene, never demonstrating much about what makes these characters particularly appealing, or for that matter, different from each other. Linda, Janet, Debbie, aside from the cast who plays them, and the superficial professions they are assigned to, seem copycats of each other, which undermines both their authenticity, and the level of interest they're able to create. This film ultimately feels like a TV pilot that lacks personality to elevate it to something more memorable. What makes it watchable is solely the cast, with Kyra Sedgwick, Campbell Scott, and Matt Dillon getting away with the most interesting and distinctive performances, whereas Bridget Fonda, Sheila Kelley, and Bill Pullman are completely wasted in barely there characters. The production team is solid, including Tak Fujimoto and Ueli Steiger's cinematography, Paul Westerberg's score, and Stephen J. Lineweaver's production design. Though this film has become representative of the grunge scene of the 1990s, it fails to resonate as a romantic film or even a comedy for that matter (the comedy moments lie solely on Matt Dillon's shoulders). It's watchable and forgettable, something that can be said for some of the films from this writer/director. 

Mother and Child

Movie Name: Mother and Child
Year of Release: 2009
Director: Rodrigo Garcia
Starring: Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Eileen Ryan, David Ramsey, Cherry Jones, Jimmy Smits, Elpidia Carrillo, David Morse, Marc Blucas, Carla Gallo, S. Epatha Merkerson, Michael Warren, Shareeka Epps, Amy Brenneman, Elizabeth Peña, Britt Robertson, LisaGay Hamilton, 
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following the release of "Nine Lives", writer/director Rodrigo Garcia returned to prestige television, directing episodes of "Big Love" and "In Treatment", before tackling the Anne Hathaway vehicle "Passengers", which was met with tepid reviews. He quickly bounced back with "Mother and Child" a film he wrote and directed, and that much like his more personal films, "Nine Lives" and "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her", are comprised of multiple vignettes, some of which intersect with each other. The film introduces us to Karen, a nurse whom we initially witness as a teenager, having her first sexual experience, which results in a pregnancy and a child, who is given for adoption. Now in her late 40s, Karen takes care of her mother, and carries with her the notion her young daughter is somewhere out there without knowing that she's still around and without understanding of why she was given for adoption. As it turns out, this young woman turns out to be Elizabeth, a highly skilled, ambitious, and with no emotional ties to anyone lawyer, who embarks on a new job with a high prestige law firm owned by Paul, a widower, in the LA area. Elizabeth and Paul have a lot of chemistry, and while Elizabeth never ties herself to anyone, following a traumatic childhood which saw her living in foster homes, and never being cherished as part of a loving family, they eventually start a romantic relationship. Elizabeth however, and owning to her fear of emotional intimacy in any relationship, also starts a casual sexual tryst with her neighbor, who is married and is expecting a child with his wife. Another woman that is part of this narrative is Lucy, who after years of trying to get pregnant with her husband Joseph, have both decided to embark on the adoption path. While they seem to be equally invested, and even start the process of meeting a young woman who is about to give birth, Joseph is having second thoughts. Elizabeth's perfectly structured life suffers an unexpected derailment when she discovers she's pregnant, even though she has had a procedure when she was younger to prevent that from ever happening. She quickly leaves Paul's firm, cuts ties with everyone, and embarks on a journey of her own to have the child.

"Mother and Child" is, of all vignette inspired films that dominated the first part of Rodrigo Garcia's career, the most interesting feature of all three. While the film, which unlike the first two didn't premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, but instead premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, has indeed multiple storylines all of which eventually intersect with each other, and have at their core central female characters, this is the one feature where these characters act, behave, and interact as fully realized individuals. Elizabeth, Karen, Lucy, all of them are impacted by motherhood, they all experience it at different times in their lives, and motherhood has very different impacts in what their subsequent life journey actually is. While Karen lives shackled to a decision that was forced upon her to give her baby up for adoption, something that has hardened her to a certain extent, Elizabeth on the other hand, has created an emotional wall which prevents anyone from ever knowing her and even truly loving her. Lucy lives with the eternal longing of being a mother, and while she's rather immature to realize what that implies, she also stops at nothing to pursue it, even if that sacrifices her marital relationship. These vignettes are far more entwined with each other than any of Mr. Garcia's prior films, and there are some traces of Alan Ball's "Six Feet Under" in this narrative, but the superb work of the cast elevates this narrative beyond what might suggest something very trivial. Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Samuel L. Jackson, Eileen Ryan, Shareeka Epps, and Britt Robertson, all create indelible characters, with Ms. Watts and Mr. Jackson in particular having great chemistry with each other, therefore creating a very believable relationship, even if it turns out to be a brief one. It's a film that allows these characters to be flawed, to be multi-faceted, and ultimately, that allows them to grow during the duration of the narrative. The production team is solid, including Edward Shearmur's score, Xavier Perez Grobet's cinematography, and Christopher Tandon's subtle production design. It's a solid, revelatory film, from a talented storyteller. 

Ready or Not

Movie Name: Ready or Not
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Starring: Samara Weaving, Andie MacDowell, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Henry Czerny, Melanie Scrofano, Kristian Bruun, Elyse Levesque, Nicky Guadagni, John Ralston, Liam McDonald, Ethan Tavares, Hanneke Talbot, Celine Tsai
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Hulu

Synopsis and Review

"Ready or Not" is Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's sophomore directorial endeavor, following their debut with "Devil's Due". This film opened the doors for them to tackle two episodes of the "Scream" franchise (episodes 5 and 6). The film follows the story of Grace MacCaullay, who is about to marry Alex Le Domas, who is part of a wealthy family, one that has made their money on what started as board games business but eventually grew up to a much larger financial empire. Alex has been estranged from his family, but comes back to the fold and to the estate to have his wedding ceremony with Grace. Grace is a former foster child, and has no family of her own, but loves Alex and is happy to be along for the journey. She meets Alex's brother and sister and their spouses, Alex's parents and his aunt. After the ceremony, Alex's father Tony  explains that his great-grandfather Victor Le Domas made a deal with someone named "Le Bail" to build the family fortune. In exchange for doing so, a peculiar and unique tradition must be observed: at midnight of their wedding day, every new member who joins the family must draw a game card from Le Bail's puzzle box and then everyone must play that game accordingly. What Tony failed to reveal, is that whatever game is chosen, the family will then play it and kill the person who chose that game, or they will die themselves (the whole Le Domas family). Grace is surprised when she hears of the tradition, but decides to play along. She chooses "Hide and Seek", and while she goes off to hide from everyone, they all arm up with various killing devices, while Alex is kept in a room to avoid disrupting the game. However soon enough things start going askew.

"Ready or Not" is one of those films that promises a lot more than what it eventually delivers. While the film may initially promise a cat and mouse deadly game, with the hunted turning the tables on the hunters, the truth is, this isn't "First Blood", nor is it a feminist empowering statement. What we end up having is a rather anemic take on a powerful family with secrets, who must do horrible things, mostly with gusto, in order to stay in power. The film sadly never truly embraces the satire of the rich with little scruples who take a literal bite from those who serve them, nor does it ever embrace the savagery of the oppressed who decide to turn the tables and wreak havoc (and destruction) on the oppressors. What we end up getting in the end is a rather generic tale of a family with a dark secret, who is rather inept and playing the game, and a woman (always a woman as a victim) as the target who eventually escapes, but who never takes solid decisions of her own, even if those involve saving herself. The film never reaches the satire of Craig Zobel's "The Hunt", nor does it capture the blood drenched mayhem of Coralie Fargeat's "Revenge" for instance. Grace is in victim mode for the most part of the film, and while the character has some evolution, for the most part her characterization, much like all the characters of the film, are quite flat and ultimately one-dimensional. The cast tries their best to bring this film to life, but Andie MacDowell is ultimately the one having all the fun, with good support also coming from Henry Czerny and Kristian Bruun. Samara Weaving, herself such a talented performer, and a queen of these polished B-movies, deserves a better vehicle for her talents. The production team is unremarkable, which ultimately is a very suitable definition for this film: unremarkable and forgettable. 

Nine Lives

Movie Name: Nine Lives
Year of Release: 2005
Director: Rodrigo Garcia
Starring: Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Sissy Spacek, Robin Wright, Amy Brenneman, Amanda Seyfried, LisaGay Hamilton, Kathy Baker, Mary Kay Place, Jason Isaacs, Stephen Dillane, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Miguel Sandoval, Elpidia Carrillo, William Fichtner, Aidan Quinn, Joe Mantegna, Dakota Fanning
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Tubi

Synopsis and Review

After making his directorial feature debut with "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her", writer/director Rodrigo Garcia tackled a series of interesting projects, including directing episodes for HBO's "Six Feet Under", "The Sopranos", and "Carnivale". He also directed "Ten Tiny Love Stories" before releasing "Nine Lives", which once again premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, on its way to being nominated for a few Independent Spirit Awards. Much like his debut, the narrative of the film centers on 9 different stories/vignettes. The first one focuses on Sandra, who is in prison, and has a meltdown upon not being able to communicate with her daughter. The second vignette tracks Diana and Damian, who used to be in a relationship and connect once again while at the supermarket. Their connection is still very much alive, even though they've moved on and have other partners in their lives, and Diana is pregnant. The following vignette tracks the life of Holly who is unexpectedly visiting the home where she grew up, meeting her sister there. That house is triggering for her, since it's where her sexually abusive stepfather still lives. Another vignette has a couple, Sonia and Martin, visiting their friends Lisa and Damian in their new apartment. The tension between them is palpable and keeps escalating right in front of their friends. Another segment follows Samantha, a teenager living with her parents, who don't communicate much with each other. Her parents Ruth and Larry love her terribly, but her mother is going through a tryst with a widower, as Larry is wheelchair-bound. Another vignette focuses on Lorna, who is attending a funeral with her parents. It is the funeral of her ex-husband's wife, and he admits to his desire for her when they connect at the church. The final two vignettes also deal with mortality, firstly with Camille who is facing breast cancer surgery, and secondly with Maggie who is doing a picnic at the cemetery and talking to her young daughter, whom we suddenly realize has already passed away. 

I've mentioned it before, and will do so again. Creating films with mosaic-like narratives isn't the easiest task. Mostly because the more characters these writers (and in this case, also director) try to bring to life, the more challenging it is to capture one's attention. These characters end up having a very limited amount of screen time in which they have to create a connection with the audience, but also in that limited screen time illustrate an inner life, and whatever conflict/desire/ambition, they're currently going through. Paul Thomas Anderson was able to do so very efficiently and with a profound emotional connection in "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia". He focused on a set of characters, and took us on a journey with all them, peppering the events with humor, drama, thrills, and even ridicule. Rodrigo Garcia instead creates vignettes, which can be occurring all in the same time frame, and they may not, since some of these characters crossover to some vignettes, whereas others do not. What some of these vignettes come across however, in terms of perspective at least and some more than others, is at times very stage like. These vignettes and sequences feel very similar to short plays that are being put on to illustrate a topic, and not so much a character. Because every single narrative is so boxed-in, these lives that are illustrated in this feature, feel both enigmatic, but also artificial, since they ultimately leave more unsaid about who these characters are, more so than the topic they aim to illustrate/bring to life. The most theatrical of the vignettes is quite possible the one with Robin Wright and Jason Isaacs, whereas the most successful is the one featuring Glenn Close and Dakota Fanning, precisely because it feels authentic, lived in, of a mother living with the absence of a daughter taken too soon. How do you live with absence - you let memories envelop you and play a pillar of support as you keep living. It's an interesting film with solid performances, particularly by Glenn Close, Dakota Fanning, Kathy Baker, Joe Mantegna, Robin Wright, Sissy Spacek, and Mary Kay Place. The production team is solid, particularly Xavier Grobet's cinematography, Edward Shearmur's score, and Courtney Jackson's production design. It may not hit all the buttons, but it's definitely worth watching.