In recent years, films about aging and death have taken on an unflinchingly bleak and frightening tone, particularly in awards shows like “Amour,” “Vortex” and “The Father.” What Holland prefers is a less bleak approach to her international Oscar nomination this year. Director Jilli de Jong’s “Memory Lane” is a sometimes raucous, ultimately serious comedy … Read more
Inasmuch as ceasefire that the United States helped negotiate between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group took effect Wednesday, President Biden said his administration would quickly launch “another push” with international partners to reach an agreement to end the conflict even further murderer. war in the Gaza Strip. Mr. Biden, who has less than two … Read more
Good intentions lead to not-so-great places in Heaven at a Mother’s Feet, a beautiful but ultimately arduous road movie that tells the story of a Kyrgyz mother and son setting out to reach Mecca in a mother’s final days. When the Bible insists that salvation lies in making a pilgrimage on foot, the steps that … Read more
Most films want their audience to suspend disbelief. “About the Hero” prefers to keep it close at hand. “Viewers are advised to exercise caution when trusting its visual and audio components,” reads an on-screen disclaimer near the beginning of Polish director Piotr Viniewicz’s irreverent exercise in AI-powered storytelling — a deliberately controversial opening film to … Read more