Fall has come, and while it feels like summer outside still in Southern California, it brings a overabundance of new films hitting theaters and streaming. November and December are typically awards months, which means a ramped up slate and packed calendars in tandem with the last minute festivals completing their runs. Even with the strikes and plenty of those contenders being pushed to 2024, there are simply too many films in too short of time to cover them all individually. I genuinely enjoy writing about film, so being so far behind in my films seen vs review pieces legitimately pains me. Being forced into quick reviews and capsule pieces for some stellar films that deserve far more words and praise is disheartening, but alas, there just isn’t enough time for me to give all of these their proper due. Sure, I probably should’ve written all of these pieces in January and/or September when I saw them, but I didn’t and now I am a writer filled with regret and cheating some great films out more robust reviews.
But hey, that’s show business baby! Maybe as some of these start to show their awards contender potential down the stretch I’ll come back to them and give them their proper due. For now, let’s take a look at 5 current and upcoming films that I highly recommend.
“The Persian Version” – In Select Theaters
Winner of the Sundance Audience Award, “The Persian Version” is a bold, vivacious look at cultural and generational gaps within a very specified and traditional culture. It ranked in the top 5 favorite films from Sundance this year, and brilliantly blends the comedy and familial drama with poise and purpose. The film follows Leila, a young Iranian-American girl set on breaking all the rules of her traditional family as she navigates her own life struggles. With her father in the hospital recovering from a heart transplant and her mother desperately trying to put her daughter on the straight and narrow, Leila’s recent life mistakes help her dig deeper into the family’s past and set her on a path of self reflection and appreciation for all parts of her, the rebel and the dutiful daughter. “The Persian Version” stars newcomer Layla Mohammadi, who is electric and captivating in her fourth wall breaking narration and serves as the perfect guide through her complicated life. It is written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz, who clearly draws from her own life experience with confidence and assuredness.
Anyone from an immigrant family will instantly relate to “The Persian Version,” whose specific themes about Iranian-American struggles resonant across all culture clashes of young and old generations navigating the ever changing world around them. Keshavarz’s script is both deeply personal and wonderfully universal, and is crafted smartly to inject just the right amount of humor amidst the drama without ever undercutting the emotionality. “The Persian Version” is a well balanced affair, one that will most certainly make you laugh but also tug at your heart strings and make you want to hug your mom afterwards. Well written and crafted, vibrant and affecting, and a star making performance from Layla Mohammadi, “The Persian Version” is a hidden gem I implore you to seek out when you get the chance. It’s one of the best films of the year no one is really talking about, and I genuinely hope it gains more traction over time.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“Anatomy of a Fall” – In Select Theaters
Anyone that knows me knows that I have a fondness for French cinema. And I’m here to tell you they’ve done it again with another absolute knockout. It simply doesn’t get better than “Anatomy of a Fall,” one of the most riveting courtroom dramas I’ve seen in a very long time. This is one of those films I wish I had more time to write about, because “Anatomy of a Fall” is easily one of the top 10 best films of the year and is sure to carry that praise all the way into the height of awards season. What makes this particular courtroom drama so fascinating and dare I say, transcendent, is that the mystery surrounding the case is secondary the film’s real central theme, which is a crumbling marriage. Justine Triet’s razor sharp script merely uses the court and crime as a framing device to explore the depths of a relationship that has been deteriorating for a long time and culminates in events shrouded in mystery and competing perspectives. “Anatomy of a Fall” puts the audience in the jury box as opposed to allowing us to be an omnipotent observer, constantly playing into our need for answers but never giving them to us fully. We are left to decide for ourselves what actually happened, and take all we learn about these people to sit with our own truth.
“Anatomy of a Fall” is so well crafted and engaging that even as you sit there trying to figure out the mystery that led us to the courtroom in the first place, the more information we’re given the less clear everything becomes. Triet brilliantly interweaves the court proceedings and testimony with interwoven moments in this couple’s life, all of which cloud our judgement and force us to decide the same way the characters we follow must also. Sandra Hueller gives a career best performance, one that I believe will land her a frontrunner for Best Actress Nominee this year. She is THAT good, and carries “Anatomy of a Fall” on her shoulders with material that helps carry the weight with her and lets her chew through scenery with poise and verocity. She’s clearly the emotional lead with the most screen time, but it’s newcomer Milo Machado-Graner as her son Daniel that steals the emotional resonance in the end. Easily one of the best child performances I’ve seen in years, Machado-Graner is captivating and devastating at the same time.
I seriously can’t say enough about this film. “Anatomy of a Fall” is can’t miss cinema, and works best when you go in as blind as possible, hence the reason I didn’t mention anything about its actual plot. It also sports the BEST use of 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P” you will ever here in a film. Yes, really. See this movie.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“Fingernails” – Select Theaters, Apple TV+ Nov 3rd
You had me at Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White and a dash of Luke Wilson. I don’t know what else you really need to know about “Fingernails” with a stacked cast like that, which is why it was high on my must watch list heading into TIFF completely sight unseen. And while the cast most certainly delivers, I was not prepared for how much I needed to sit with “Fingernails” and its themes. Even a month and half removed from my first screening, I am still wrestling with the films themes. Christo Nikou explores the idea of love and romance as a concept and juxtaposes it against our reliance on technology to tell us who we are and what we want. What is perhaps most intriguing about “Fingernails” is that is does all of this with a quiet, quirky, measured approach that is sure to be divisive. Nikou creates a sort of dystopian world that feels real but only kind of like ours; one that feels like it could exist and probably does but is just slightly askew from ours.
That makes “Fingernails” sound like a science fiction film, and while it does have some of those elements in there, I need to stress how patient and reserved Nikou chooses to convey his themes. He is so interested in allowing themes like relationships, loneliness, love, technology, and identity sit in discomfort and strangeness that it is sure to be difficult for some to see beyond the affronting world building he’s created around his ideas. Thankfully, that powerhouse cast is up to the challenge, with Buckley and Ahmed’s muted chemistry skyrocketing off the charts. They are every bit as good as you would expect them to be, and their longing and constant doubt of their own feelings pitted against their undeterred belief in controversial systems is conveyed so well through their immense talent. White and Wilson and terrific too, and though pivotal to the story are often pushed to sidelines to bring Buckley and Ahmed front and center. It is yet another film I feel works best when you go in blind and know as little about it as possible. I know “Fingernails” won’t be for everyone, and admittedly it takes some work to tap into its wavelength. But if you can, you will be treated to deeply affecting and emotionally rich film that will stay with you for a while.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“The Holdovers” – In theaters Nov 10th
Sometimes the best cure for the holiday blues is finding comfort in the familiar, and “The Holdovers” delivers that kind of feel good holiday spirit in spades. A perfect throwback to 70s cinema both in narrative and cinematography, “The Holdovers” is your dad’s new favorite holiday movie. That’s not a slight either; films that can instantly transport you into the nostalgia and longing for a lost time are often cherished for decades after their initial run. Alexander Payne delivers his best film in years, one that is packed with familiar beats but a feel good core, capturing the magic of misfit toys coming together under the most unlikely circumstances to discover the true meaning of human connection of friendship. “The Holdovers” overcomes its extended runtime and slow pacing with sharp hilarity and charming characters that feel impossible not to root for. Giamatti has never been better, and the lead trio deliver emotionally layered and nuanced performance that beg emotional investment. Payne has made something special for the lonely and the broken, and the characters are so personal and resonate through their self discovery and togetherness. This is the feel good movie of the year, one that will surely win over audiences and harken them back to that 70s style cinema.
The film stars Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa, all of whom power the familiar story to feel fresh and resonant. As stated, this is some of Giamatti’s best work, channeling everything that makes him such a captivating performer as a disgruntled professor. Randolph is the heart and soul of “The Holdovers,” delivering the film’s most emotionally charged performance despite being kind of the third wheel in the trio. If there was ever a performance worthy of awards, it belongs to Randolph. And that’s not discounting the incredible work from Giamatti and newcomer Sessa, who explodes onto the screen with such poise and confidence you’d think he’d been acting along side the greats for decades. The fact that “The Holdovers” is Sessa’s first film is astounding, and will remain one of Payne’s greatest discoveries. Don’t sleep on this film. This is the holiday movie you’ve been waiting for, and “The Holdovers” actually has one of my favorite quotes of the year: “History is not just the study of the past, it is an explanation of the present.”
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
“Beyond Utopia” – In Select Theaters
You simply won’t find a better documentary this year than “Beyond Utopia.” Easily one of the most riveting, heartbreaking, thrilling pieces of cinema I’ve seen in a long time. Much like “Navalny” last year, this Sundance darling has been making huge waves among critics circles and has dazzled anyone who has seen it. I can’t even describe the nail biting experience I had watching “Beyond Utopia.” Never in my life have been so invested and shocked and blown away by the footage captured and story being told. It honestly can’t be put into the words. It provides first hand accounts of North Korean defectors as well as one of the most extensive and in depth look at the multi-country network that helps family flee the oppressive regime. What set’s “Beyond Utopia” apart is that this is not your typical Netflix piece that gives you stock footage of satillite images and the same military march we’ve seen every time CNN does a piece of the country. No, “Beyond Utopia” features never before seen, real life footage of ACTUAL life in North Korea. Footage so real you can’t believe they were even able to capture it, let alone get it out of the country without being murdered instantly.
This is new territory for documentaries, one in which the film crew risks their lives to take the impossible journey with a family attempting to flee. The journey is long and harrowing, one that has danger at every turn and requires crossing unforgiving terrain and passing through allied countries who are actively looking for you to send you back to North Korea to die. “Beyond Utopia” is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, and one that needs to be seen to be believed. You will instantly be invested in this family and their journey, and it will grip you so much you’ll find yourself holding your breath for its entirety. “Beyond Utopia” is my pick for best documentary of the year, and if you see it playing in a theater near you, make it a point to check it out. This is a perfect documentary, and I don’t say that lightly.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
There are so many more incredible films to check out before the year ends. I highly recommend finding some time to check these ones out!
