Movie with Abe: Oslo

I wasn't completely sold on “Oslo,” which is now streaming on HBO Max, but I thought it presented interesting and worthwhile content. I reviewed the film for Cinema Daily US - head over there to read my review.

Movie with Abe: Plan B

I really liked “Plan B,” which features fantastic performances from young actresses Kuhoo Verma and Victoria Moroles and is now available on Hulu. I reviewed the film for Cinema Daily US - head over there to read my review.

Movie with Abe: Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog

Courtesy of JDOG FILMS
Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog
Directed by Lynn Roth
Released May 28, 2021

There is a bond that exists between humans and animals that can’t really be replicated by anything else. The comfort that comes from having someone by your side who doesn’t question your motives and wants – and gives – only affection is sincere and valuable. Their presence also brings back memories of formative moments that were shared and may no longer be represented in reality. The power of that connection shouldn’t be underestimated, and especially in cinema, can be even more transformative as a continued reminder of love in a dark world seemingly devoid of any hope.

Joshua (August Maturo) is ten years old and living in Germany in the 1930s. His parents (Ádám Porogi and Ayelet Zurer) have more puppies than they can handle in their small home, and try to find new owners for all but Kaleb, the beloved German Shepherd that Joshua and his sister Rachel (Viktória Stefanovszky) so adore. When the Nuremberg Laws make it illegal for Jews to own pets, Joshua and Kaleb are separated. After a disastrous stay with a local couple, Kaleb’s energy proves boundless, leading him to a Nazi concentration camp where he serves as a loyal dog for an SS officer (Ken Duken) and encounters his young former owner, now a prisoner, who is rejuvenated by the chance to be reunited with the dog that meant so much to him.

This film’s title conveys its focus, which is on a dog who identifies strongly with the family that raised him and, as can only be the case in movies, does everything possible to stay connected with them regardless of what’s going on in the world. The best comparison for this film might be “War Horse” since there is a very real and disturbing showcase of the horrors of the Holocaust, beginning with the stripping of privileges away from Jewish people before they are moved to concentration camps. Given that this is a film classified primarily as “family,” not much is actually shown, but, to be clear, this is not a lighthearted dog film that will merely make audiences melt with joy.

Those who have personal connections to the Holocaust or merely an aversion to seeing such content portrayed in a somewhat frivolous way may find this experience off-putting since, however uplifting Kaleb’s desire to be with his owner may be, it can’t possibly succeed against the backdrop of a truly awful period of history. Finding moments of hope and wonder in tragedy, however, does have its value, and dog lovers will find plenty of opportunities to celebrate the buoyancy and elation that can be found in this entirely expected film specifically targeted to those with a true and sincere affinity for man’s best friend.

B-

Weekend Movie Recommendations with Abe

Every Friday, I'll be uploading a Minute with Abe: Weekend Movie Recommendations Edition, surveying new releases on DVD, and on streaming services. Check it out, and subscribe to the movieswithabe channel!

New to Theaters: Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog
New to DVD: The August Virgin, The Sound of Silence
New to Hulu: Plan B
New to HBO and HBO Max: Oslo

Human Rights Watch Film Festival Spotlight: Daughter of a Lost Bird

Daughter of a Lost Bird
Directed by Brooke Pepion Swaney
Screening Information

Identity can be a complicated thing for any person, and for someone who belongs to multiple communities, it can be all the more challenging. There are often conflicting values and aspects of different cultures, and someone may find resonance in contradictory notions that speak to various parts of themselves. Adoption often involves transplanting someone from one type of existence to another, and, try as they may to ensure a preservation of a child’s birth heritage, those new parents cannot fully replicate the experience of growing up in a place that speaks to who they are. This documentary offers a mesmerizing and enlightening examination of how new relationships and people can inform the trajectory of a person’s whole life.

This film spotlights Kendra, who is only now as an adult connecting to her Native American background after being raised by loving white parents. Her self-exploration is compounded by meeting her birth mother April, who was also adopted. Kendra’s desire to belong and connect clashes with her lack of knowledge about a culture she doesn’t actually know much about, and watching her work through that with April is enormously rewarding. The focus on the 1958 Indian Adoption Project that sought to actively remove Native children from their families is particularly unsettling, and this film serves as compelling and irrefutable evidence that harm has been inflicted by such policies that, throughout this country’s history, have been all too common and enthusiastically endorsed.

B+

Human Rights Watch Film Festival Spotlight: A Once and Future Peace

A Once and Future Peace
Directed by Eric Daniel Metzgar
Screening Information

There are multiple functions of the prison system, and the primary aim is to keep those deemed dangerous or likely to commit crimes away from society. Yet the time spent behind bars can have long-lasting implications on a person’s psyche and behavior, and simply removing them from normal life may not actually create a more well-rounded and better-prepared person to reenter civilization upon release, if such a fate is even a possibility. Ensuring that steps are taken to teach those serving time about the values they should emphasize in order to enrich their lives and acknowledge the consequences of their actions are rarely the priority of prison programs, but this film highlights how a Seattle-based community utilizes the framework of Indigenous peace-making circles to do just that.

This documentary makes use of creative cinematic techniques to showcase its topic, including animation to shield its characters’ identities and imagine moments of conversation that may not have happened exactly as they do onscreen for audiences to better unpack them. It offers a compelling portrait of a teenager, given the name Andy, who is facing both felony changes and doubts from his family about his desire for any sort of rehabilitation, and a former gang leader, Saroeum, actively working to keep others from following his path and instead confront their own instincts and futures. It serves as a productive and affecting case study for the power of conversation and the weight of treating everyone as if they have untapped potential if given the right attention and proper approach.

B+

Human Rights Watch Film Festival Spotlight: 200 Meters

200 Meters
Directed by Ameen Nayfeh
Screening Information

Distance is an often subjective concept, dependent almost entirely on the ease of travel between points and the freedom of movement. If a person is able to get back and forth to see friends or relatives without any difficulty, the time it takes or the miles in between may not matter. But when people are not free to move as they wish and must take extraordinary measures to reach even an incredibly close destination, any type of separation can be unbearable. Such distance invariably affects relationships and shapes a person’s attitude towards the world and particularly towards the people or entity they blame for its existence.

This film is the only narrative selection among the ten films showing as part of this year’s festival, and surely one that has attracted more attention given the violence and unrest in Israel and Gaza in recent weeks. This story of a Palestinian man, Mustafa (Ali Suliman), who lives in a village only 200 meters from his wife Salwa (Lana Zreik) and their children on the other side of the West Bank barrier wall, is one that focuses primarily on one man and what he is willing to do for his family. While it clearly advocates for Palestinian self-determination and the rights of citizens who cannot move freely, it goes beyond casting the Israeli government and military as the only bad actors, showcasing how many seize on opportunity to take advantage of others in a miserable situation. Mustafa’s humanity is what shines through most in this thought-provoking and affecting drama.

B

Human Rights Watch Film Festival Spotlight: Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not
Directed by Olivier Bernier
Screening Information

The notion of equality in America is, unfortunately, becoming less and less defensible as even those who still cling to the idea of its existence have their eyes opened to how those who look different are not in fact given the same opportunities. Appearance is merely one aspect of discrimination, as expectations are often set for all to perform at the same level, failing to take into account disabilities or other conditions and setting up no realistic alternatives for accommodation. While some options do exist, there are far too many cases in which minimal effort is taken to reach an acceptable solution. In this documentary made by two parents, they chronicle their own journey through the process of finding a suitable path for their three-year-old son Emilio.

This film does an enormously effective job of translating a struggle many face for acceptance into a relatable story of advocacy and endurance. Using the power of the camera that they have, Olivier Bernier and his wife Hilda share every step of their story, recording conversations with education representatives and social workers to fully capture the arduous steps that even they must take to assure some basic level of opportunity for their son that isn’t merely determining that he must be separated from any experience of mainstream learning. While some filmmakers may caution against becoming part of your own film, their involvement and passion in it is what makes it unforgettable.

B+

Human Rights Watch Film Festival Spotlight: Bajo Fuego

Bajo Fuego
Directed by Sjoerd van Grootheest and Irene Vélez-Torres
Screening Information

It is much simpler to identify problems that to actually conceive of solutions. The United States has seen this with the current state of systemic racism and how law enforcement has evolved in a way that disproportionately targets people of color. Outside of this country, other issues are prominent with equally unresolved complexities. In Colombia, widespread drug usage led to a proclamation by President Juan Manuel Santos that peace would be created by the eradication of the substances which had led to long-raging conflicts. Yet the missing piece is the large population of farmers for whom the coca crop represented their entire livelihoods.

This film’s title translates to “under siege,” and documents the continually tumultuous situations in which these families of farmers have found themselves through no fault of their own, threatened by war and now by other armed groups seeking to make sense of an uncertain new society, one that has found no place for those who have been told they can no longer do what they have done for generations. In addition to a searing and affecting portrait of individuals who have been affected by this, this film offers an indictment of sweeping promises that fail to take into account the shortcomings of future guarantees that will cause irreparable harm until a permanent solution can be conceived and fully implemented.

B+

Human Rights Watch Film Festival Spotlight: Apart

Apart
Directed by Jennifer Redfearn
Screening Information

The idea of being separated from one’s children is a very difficult concept, one that can affect relationships tremendously and alter the trajectories of the lives of all involved. A proven inability to proper care for someone can result in the removal of that privilege, something many might argue should not be the role of government or law enforcement since no one can truly know or understand the bond between a parent and a child other than those two people. This heartfelt, poignant documentary focuses on three mothers, Tomika, Lydia, and Amanda, who have been incarcerated as a result of their opioid use and are preparing for release and the opportunity to be reunited with their families.

This film takes a distinctly personal approach to a nationwide issue, addressing both the prevalence of addictive drugs and the problematic nature of the system created to temper it that ends up punishing people in a far more lasting way than they perhaps deserve. It doesn’t pretend to offer easy, neat solutions, but instead shows the very real process of rehabilitation and the extraordinary work being done by Malika, an advocate who herself was once incarcerated, to help others cope and develop as they begin their re-entry into the world. It should be challenging for anyone to watch this film and not reexamine their own beliefs about what accountability and self-development are supposed to look like, and how the unintended consequences of criminal justice can be far-reaching and irreversible.

B+

Weekend Movie Recommendations with Abe

Every Friday, I'll be uploading a Minute with Abe: Weekend Movie Recommendations Edition, surveying new releases on DVD, and on streaming services. Check it out, and subscribe to the movieswithabe channel!

New to Theaters: Dream Horse, New Order
New to Theaters and VOD: Blast Beat
New to DVD: Minari, The Father, S#!&house, Jumbo, The Nest
New to DVD and Hulu: Supernova

Movie with Abe: Spring Blossom

Spring Blossom
Directed by Suzanne Lindon
Released May 21, 2021

There are many descriptors that, throughout history, have defined people and have more recently been categorized as social constructs. Chief among them are gender and race, two elements that tend to separate more than they do to unify, and though both do serve crucial functions in identifying who people are and how they behave, they often do more harm than good. There are other features that some define as equally irrelevant yet can seem more problematic when they are ignored, like the age difference between two romantic partners. Those who see a sixteen-year-old girl and a thirty-five-year-old man together and find it perfectly acceptable may not be calculating the vastly disparate life experiences they’ve both had and the potential for emotional damage that exists.

Suzanne (Suzanne Lindon), like many teenagers, is not satisfied with people her own age. She finds little pleasure in being at school and surrounded by those like her, and seeks out other distractions to keep herself interested and engaged. She meets Raphaël (Arnaud Valois) at a theater where he is starring in a play and is immediately entranced. As they begin to spend time in one another’s company, they realize that there is a shared beauty in the world that they see, something others might not understand and which enables time to move at a certain speed when they are alone and immersed in their own dynamic.

This film’s title is indicative of a change in Suzanne as she meets Raphaël, and its original French title actually translates to “sixteen spring.” For Suzanne, there is little else that matters in the world than discovering herself, which in this case happens through the art and introspection of this alluring older man. The acceptability of the romance speaks more to European culture where such an affair might not seem as stark or uncouth, but there is also a sophistication to the nature of their relationship that is far more emotional than it is physical.

This film, more than anything, is an astounding debut from writer-director-star Lindon, who in real life is twenty-one years old. The daughter of actor parents, Lindon brings a maturity to this film and her approach that is wildly impressive, creating a cinematic experience that is deeply captivating, allowing the audience to be just as involved and drawn in as Suzanne is. At just 73 minutes long and without a clear endpoint in mind, this film doesn’t manage to be positively emphatic or fully memorable, but it serves as a strong indicator of a very productive and worthwhile future for Lindon both behind and in front of the camera.

B+

Interview with Abe: David Cross

It was a lot to fun to interview actor David Cross for Cinema Daily US about his role in the film The Dark Divide. Watch our entertaining conversation in full below:

Weekend Movie Recommendations with Abe

Every Friday, I'll be uploading a Minute with Abe: Weekend Movie Recommendations Edition, surveying new releases on DVD, and on streaming services. Check it out, and subscribe to the movieswithabe channel!

New to Theaters: The Perfect Candidate, Georgetown
New to Theaters and VOD: The Killing of Two Lovers
New to VOD: Together Together
New to DVD: The Mauritanian, Senior Moment, The Marksman, Land
New to Netflix: Oxygen, Layer Cake
New to Hulu: MLK/FBI, Wander Darkly

Interview with Abe: The Killing of Two Lovers

It was great to be able to speak with actor Clayne Crawford and director Robert Machoian about one of the best films I saw at Sundance in 2020 and which is coming out this Friday in theaters and on demand, “The Killing of Two Lovers.” Check out my great conversation with them at Cinema Daily US. Read my review of the film here and watch my video review from Sundance here!

Movie with Abe: Oxygen

Coming to Netflix tomorrow is “Oxygen,” starring Mélanie Laurent as a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic pod with no memory of who she is. I reviewed the film for Cinema Daily US - head over there to read my review.

Video Review: Wrath of Man

I was thrilled to be able to participate in a video review with fellow critic Matthew Schuchman for Cinema Daily US as part of the site's Above the Line vs Below the Line series. Check out our discussion of the new film “Wrath of Man” below:

Interview with Abe: The Human Factor

I was very privileged to be able to speak with director Dror Moreh, who I interviewed back in 2013 for the Oscar-nominated documentary “The Gatekeepers,” about his new project, “The Human Factor.” Check out my great conversation with him at Cinema Daily US. Read my review of the film here!

Weekend Movie Recommendations with Abe

Every Friday, I'll be uploading a Minute with Abe: Weekend Movie Recommendations Edition, surveying new releases on DVD, and on streaming services. Check it out, and subscribe to the movieswithabe channel!

New to Theaters: The Human Factor, Wrath of Man
New to DVD: Judas and the Black Messiah, The Little Things, Rocks in My Pockets
New to Netflix: Monster
New to Amazon Prime Video: Alien3
New to Hulu: Burning, Cyrus, Little Fish, Once Upon a Time in the West, Shadow in the Cloud

Interview with Abe: Pink Skies Ahead

I had the chance to speak with star Jessica Barden and writer-director Kelly Oxford about their new film “Pink Skies Ahead,” which premieres on Saturday, May 8th at 9pm on MTV. Check out the conversation below!

AFT Awards: Best Director

This is the twentieth and final category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’m drawing only from films that were either released or playing at a film festival in the 2020 calendar year. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order):
George C. Wolfe (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), Regina King (One Night in Miami), Darius Marder (Sound of Metal), Carlos López Estrada (Summertime), Radha Blank (The 40-Year-Old Version)

Runners-up:
Heidi Ewing (I Carry You with Me)
Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
Lawrence Michael Levine (Black Bear)
Edson Oda (Nine Days)
Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings)

The winner:
David Fincher (Mank) guided a marvelously invested and deeply compelling portrait of young Hollywood and all of its complex elements.

Other nominees:
Benh Zeitlin (Wendy)
Robert Machoian (The Killing of Two Lovers)
Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)
Jan Komasa (Corpus Christi)

AFT Awards: Best Ensemble Cast

This is the nineteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’m drawing only from films that were either released or playing at a film festival in the 2020 calendar year. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order):
Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie’s Dead Aunt), Herself, Pink Skies Ahead

Runners-up:
The King of Staten Island
Summertime
Wendy
Nine Days
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

The winner:
The Trial of the Chicago 7 assembled a stunning array of talent to bring to life a stirring story of activism made even more electric by all of its contained performances.

Other nominees:
The Best Years
Mank
One Night in Miami
Blast Beat

AFT Awards: Best Foreign Film

This is the eighteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’m drawing only from films that were either released or playing at a film festival in the 2020 calendar year. For this category, I consider eligible only films that were released or played at film festivals in the United States within the past year. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Honorable mentions:
Collective (Romania), Les Miserables (France), And Then We Danced (Sweden), Ema (Chile), Honeymood (Israel), Sky Raiders (Israel), Welcome to the USA (Kazakhstan), The Art of Waiting (Israel), Asia (Israel)

The winner:
Corpus Christi (Poland) conveyed the story of a man so enraptured by

Other nominees:
Alice Junior (Brazil)
A Thousand Cuts (Philippines)
Once Upon a Time in Venezuela (Venezuela)
The Best Years (Italy)

AFT Awards: Best Documentary

This is the seventeenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’m drawing only from films that were either released or playing at a film festival in the 2020 calendar year. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Runners-up:
The Prophet, A Common Goal, A Crime on the Bayou, Beautiful Something Left Behind, Blue Code of Silence, Boys State, Calendar Girl, Coded Bias, Dick Johnson Is Dead

Finalists:
Welcome to Chechnya
Time
Collective
The Dilemma of Desire
Crip Camp

The winner:
A Thousand Cuts told a vital story of intellectual resistance to a totalitarian regime and the continued defense of the freedom of the press.

Other nominees:
Francesco
Once Upon a Time in Venezuela
Whirlybird
#Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump

AFT Awards: Best Animated Feature

This is the sixteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’m drawing only from films that were either released or playing at a film festival in the 2020 calendar year. Nominees are pictured in the order in which I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Honorable mentions:
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, Onward

The winner: 

Weathering with You told a wonderful and magical story of the power of friendship and belief in the extraordinary.

Other nominees: 

Wolfwalkers
Over the Moon
Soul
Lupin III: The First

AFT Awards: Best Visual Effects

This is the fifteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’m drawing only from films that were either released or playing at a film festival in the 2020 calendar year. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

The winner:
Greyhound fascinatingly constructed a treacherous adventure at sea without the use of any water and made it feel frighteningly real.

Other nominees:
Tenet
The Midnight Sky (read my interview)

Sky Raiders
The Call of the Wild

AFT Awards: Best Makeup and Hairstyling

This is the fourteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’m drawing only from films that were either released or playing at a film festival in the 2020 calendar year. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Honorable mentions:
The Prom, The Glorias, The Personal History of David Copperfield, Ammonite

The winner:
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom matched its time period and carefully made each of its characters look and feel exactly as they should. Read my interview with the Oscar-winning team!

Other nominees:
Pinocchio (read my interview)
Mank
Promising Young Woman
The Trial of the Chicago 7

AFT Awards: Best Sound

This is the thirteenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’m drawing only from films that were either released or playing at a film festival in the 2020 calendar year. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Like the Oscars, I’m combining the sound and sound editing races this year. Click to see previous years of these two categories.

Honorable mentions:
Mank, News of the World, The Midnight Sky, Sky Raiders, Run

The winner:
Greyhound calibrated a captivating audial experience that amplified its isolated setting.

Other nominees:
Sound of Metal
Tenet
Ema
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’ve embedded the nominated songs below. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Runner-up:
Wuhan Flu (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)

The winner:

Other nominees:

AFT Awards: Best Original Score

This is the eleventh category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’ve embedded a sample track from each finalist and nominee for your listening pleasure. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Finalists:
Weathering with You
Soul
News of the World
Mank
Minari

The winner:
Nomadland (Ludovico Einaudi) may not have had original music composed specifically for the film, but it was beautiful, haunting, and perfectly suited.

Other nominees:
Wendy (Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin)
Tenet (Ludwig Göransson)
Ammonite (Dustin O'Halloran and Volker Bertelmann) 

Summerland (Volker Bertelmann)

AFT Awards: Best Film Editing

This is the tenth category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’m drawing only from films that were either released or playing at a film festival in the 2020 calendar year. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Honorable mentions:
Black Bear, Corpus Christi

Runners-up:
Charm City Kings
Alice Junior
Greyhound
I Carry You with Me
Mank

The winner:
Promising Young Woman (Frédéric Thoraval) tied together a series of memorable moments into an outrageously effective and wildly thrilling rollercoaster ride.

Other nominees:
Ema (Sebastián Sepúlveda)
Time (Gabriel Rhodes)
The Killing of Two Lovers (Robert Machoian)
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Alan Baumgarten)

AFT Awards: Best Costume Design

This is the ninth category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’m drawing only from films that were either released or playing at a film festival in the 2020 calendar year. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Runners-up:
Mank
One Night in Miami
The Personal History of David Copperfield
Ema
Kajillioinaire

The winner:
Sylvie's Love (Phoenix Mellow) clothed its lovers and those in their orbit with vivid, colorful outfits that added layers to their personalities and dynamics.

Other nominees:
I'm Your Woman (Natalie O'Brien) – my interview with Natalie
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Ann Roth)
Promising Young Woman (Nancy Steiner)
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Susan Lyall)

Movie with Abe: Cliff Walkers

Out in theaters this week is “Cliff Walkers,” from acclaimed director Zhang Yimou. It's a stylized spy thriller that I had the privilege to cover for Cinema Daily US. Head over there to read my review.

Movie with Abe: Mortal Kombat

It's been out for over a week already, but I neglected to share my review of “Mortal Kombat” earlier. There's a whole lot of action, which is mainly what it needs, as I covered in my write-up for Cinema Daily US. Head over there to read my review.