Hanna B.

The Teachers’ Lounge flows very well, and the story is quite effective, leaving viewers intrigued, engaged, and as eager as its protagonist to find the truth and answers to what is happening at the school.

Midwives partially plays like a feature film, especially in its second half, when it takes a more contemplative approach with emotional “slice of life sequences” and moves swiftly across years with touches of humour.

While the narrative features magical realism, it lacks levity, which will probably make it less appealing to a select few. Nonetheless, this is something uniquely special and a perfect, alluring example of all that is wrong with the world we’re living in.

This touching film will undoubtedly make you sympathize with its protagonist, wonderfully interpreted with gentle poise and nuance by Diop.

Heartfelt and genuine sentiments abound, making Petite Maman one of the finest titles of the year, one that can appeal to the (weird) kid in all of us.

In the end, I’m not sure if thriller, drama, or action would be best suited to describe Lakewood. Maybe it is not quite the edge-of-the-seat movie one might expect, but it is entertaining enough to keep one fully engaged.

While listening to all the admirative, warm-hearted yet poignant dancers’ testimonies, it is difficult not to think of the man as a tyrant who made people afraid that he would destroy their bodies! Yet Balanchine’s psychopathic techniques proved to work, as many of his students found success in their field.

The New Bauhaus tells a fascinating story, as Moholy-Nagy’s art and life are worthy of being told. But, Nahmias tells it in a largely pedestrian fashion.

Ultimately, the filmmakers manage to sustain the public’s attention at all times while painting an informative, entertaining, and emotional picture of a choreographer, his friends and colleagues, and his most important work; and that might be enough for now.

One cannot deny that the director provides all the clues possible, while still leaving it to the viewers to decide if this is a film, as one of the many lawyers featured mentioned, about “people being paranoid or is the system really out there to get them.”

There might have been time for some plot-holes to be fixed, characters to be developed deeper, or some such, but Undergods manages to mesmerize and captivate every minute of the way with a bewitching visual palette and an appropriately fitting electronic score

Although, like its main character, Hive is more on the low-key and pensive side, it is nonetheless a gut-punching and measured film. It is about the consequences of warfare and the many wounds those who survive have to tend to in order to create a new normal after years of utter tragedy, such as the genocide and massacres that happened in many villages like Krusha during the Kosovo War.

In the end, there is no denying An Elephant in the Room is a very earnest project and it is the kind of documentary that has a subject so strong and primordial to its existence that “appearances and effects” might bear little consequences to its overall appreciation.

Mikkelsen is at his best, but all the actors convey a range of emotions masterfully and share real chemistry. Add in Vinterberg’s careful direction of the wry screenplay he wrote alongside Tobias Lindholm, and you have a great dramatic comedy.

Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness, might start softly, leaving viewers unsure what it is, but very quickly, it becomes fascinating and engaging akin to watching a game where we have to discern the truth. It is actually strange, though quite disturbing in hindsight, to think of it this way, considering real events inspire the story.

Rocks’ moments of brutal realism depicting the seriousness of its protagonist’s real-life drama will hit you hard or make you wonder why life is so unfair.

Tenet is a film that will stay with you forever from its first scene, one that will tempt you to revisit it in part or as a whole, and that really tells you what it is: a masterpiece.

Because of Little Women‘s grandeur, opulence, and density, it is impossible to deny that the cast was not greatly directed.

The film is an important one, but above all, it is an exceptionally pleasing and easy one to watch despite its density. This is partly due to Bartosz’s fantastic performance showing great acting range by going through a whole spectrum of emotions very convincingly and subtly.

Atlantics can be seen as telling a haunting, tragic story. Despite its ethereal style, and a semblance of magical-realism, it is mostly grounded in the drama of reality.