Film Festival Today - The Business of Film and Entertainment - Part 2

“The President’s Wife” Mostly Shines

April 17, 2025

“The Shrouds” Veils Best Features

April 17, 2025

“Drop” Proves Stressful

April 10, 2025

“Freaky Tales” Is a Fun Bay Area Cult Film

April 4, 2025

“The Penguin Lessons” Proves Poignant

March 27, 2025

“Bloat” Is Full of Hot Air

March 6, 2025

“Stockade” Offers Taut Thrills

February 21, 2025

Berlinale Review: “Lesbian Space Princess”

February 20, 2025

“Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse” Goes by the Numbers

February 20, 2025

“Armand” Needs Discipline

February 13, 2025

“Captain America: Brave New World” Struggles with New Status Quo

February 13, 2025

“Paddington in Peru” Embraces Adventure

February 13, 2025

“My Husband the Cyborg” Needs New Algorithm

February 13, 2025

Sundance Review: “Deaf President Now!”

February 11, 2025

“One Night in Tokyo” Delivers Romance

February 11, 2025

“The President’s Wife” Mostly Shines
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
April 17, 2025
The President’s Wife (Léa Domenach, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars Born in 1932, Jacques Chirac was elected to the French presidency in 1995, serving two terms, the second one ending in 2007. A conservative lawmaker, he followed the socialist François Mitterand, whose prime minister he had been under a divided “cohabitation” government between from 1986 to 1988, after his center-right party had won legislative elections. The movie I am about to review ... >>
“Freaky Tales” Is a Fun Bay Area Cult Film
By George W. Campbell
April 4, 2025
Freaky Tales (Anna Boden/Ryan Fleck, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Full disclosure: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s new feature Freaky Tales feels made for me, as someone who grew up watching 1980s movies. Narrated by Bay Area rapper Too $hort, Freaky Tales is an anthology film set in Oakland, California, during the summer of 1987. It follows four different stories occurring on the same day: teenage punks Tina (Ji-young Yoo, Smoking Tigers) and Lucid ... >>
“Cannibal Mukbang” Appetizes
By Matt Patti
March 24, 2025
Cannibal Mukbang (Aimee Kuge, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars The “mukbang”—also known as an “eating broadcast”—originated in South Korea in the late 2000s. The concept features a host eating large quantities of food on video and chatting with their audience at the same time. Most of these are live-streamed, with the viewer watching the content creator eat in real time. ... >>
Interview with “Who by Fire” Director Philippe Lesage
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
March 13, 2025
Québécois director Philippe Lesage’s Who by Fire offers a “coming-of-age tale in which the adults are as much in need of growth as the youth (if not more so),” as I write in my review. Set in the northern wilderness, the film features as much hiking, hunting, and canoeing through rapids as it does conversation and wine. Starring an engaging ensemble of francophone actors, it never fails to hold interest I had a chance to speak with Lesage ... >>
“Who by Fire” Offers Urgent Truths
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
March 13, 2025
Who by Fire (Philippe Lesage, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars A sprawling (but almost never excessive) coming-of-age tale in which the adults are as much in need of growth as the youth (if not more so), Who by Fire, from Québécois director Philippe Lesage (Genesis), examines inter- and intragenerational relationships with sensitivity and not a little panache. Set on a remote lake in the vast northern wilderness, the film offers stunning scenery on top of ... >>

Our Coverage of 2025 Oscar Nominees
January 25, 2025
Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and ...>>
10 Films to Watch at Sundance 2025
January 21, 2025
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival runs in-person January ...>>
Chris Reed’s Top 10 Films of 2024
December 31, 2024
This was another good year for movies, though perhaps ...>>
Matt Patti’s Top 10 Films of 2024
December 30, 2024
2024 will be a year remembered for many reasons. There ...>>
Hannah Tran’s Top 10 Films of 2024
December 29, 2024
I have never wrestled so much over what was going to ...>>