The 35th Marvel Cinematic Universe film mixes Tom Clancy style espionage with the increasingly complicated trappings of serialized superheroism, and the whole hulking smash-up faces an identity and creativity crisis. Julius Onah’s Captain America: Brave New World (C) chronicles two characters in the honeymoon periods of newfound careers: Harrison Ford as newly elected and problematic U.S. President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross and Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson who assumes the mantle of the Captain America persona with a touch of imposter syndrome. A proposed team-up between commander-in-chief and the newly coronated Cap is quickly jeopardized by a series of meddling menaces plus raiders of a lost “adamantium” element that proves to be a MacGuffin most mid. The story fails to transport viewers to interesting places despite the fact that one location is intriguingly titled Celestial Island and then not developed in the slightest. Conversely the production devotes multiple minutes to a junkyard fight and one single row of cherry blossom trees shot from various angles. A presidential security advisor played by Shira Haas is furnished limited lines when there could have been a smart political subtext unfolding. Danny Ramirez coasts on charisma as Joaquin Torres/Falcon, a sidekick who’s both silly and sentimental and generally the most genuinely entertaining part of the movie. The action sequences move fast, largely masking any real momentum, while generally the film’s pace crawls. Much of this installment plays out like a chore with phoned-in performances, despite the participation of multiple past Oscar nominees. Ford and Mackie are game for the drama, but the temperamental POTUS and the bearer of the shield can only wield so much life out of this flimsy episode.
My “FilmThirt” persona reviews this movie on TikTok:
A genre defying film that’s part romance, part satire, part horror, part fantasy, part whodunit and parts unknown, Drew Hancock’s Companion (B+) confronts the dynamics of modern relationships in fierce and twisty ways. Set in a lavish weekend getaway mountain home, the gathered ensemble is game for the occasion: Sophie Thatcher as a troubled companion to everyman Jack Quaid; Lukas Gage and Harvey Guillen as blissful gay partners; and Megan Suri as unconventional gangster moll to a mysterious and married Rupert Friend. Some secrets and blood are spilled in a story that will keep people guessing. The narrative gleefully continues to reframe itself as more layers are revealed. Viewers also discover a technology component capable of shifting the characters’ destinies. Hancock has a good deal of creativity up his sleeve as gender and power dynamics unfurl in his wily wilderness. Thatcher is a natural as a character getting a strange feeling about her vacation mates, and Quaid gives off an effortless affable quality. The film is not so terribly bloody or scary as to keep away the casually curious. It does, however, lose a little steam toward the end. Overall this unassuming and brisk movie will reward those seeking a mainstream film with some thematic travels down some surprising paths.
Here’s some spoiler-free fan art I made with the Leonardo.AI app after contemplating the movie a while:
I spoke with the Academy Awards class taught by Dr. Amber Hutchins at Kennesaw State University this week to discuss a variety of topics about the very volatile 2025 Oscars!
High school speechmakers demonstrate the power of the podium in Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman’s moving documentary Speak. (A). By telling the behind-the-scenes stories of a quintet of top-ranked students in the national speech and debate category called “original oratory” in which they deliver the teenage equivalent of TED Talks, viewers get an insider look at the purpose and passions of the next generation. Chronicling nearly a year of one of the world’s largest and most intense public speaking competitions also means a fascinating glimpse into the family dynamics, lives and loves and heartland hobbies driving these talented young people. Snippets of some of the subjects’ best original works prove very inspiring. The race to the championship may not match the pace or profit of high school sports, but the impact proves undeniable after watching these kids in action.
In the grand cinematic tradition of voyeurs becoming involved with their subjects, two unlikely men assume the archetypal roles in Carmen Emmi’s Plainclothes (B). Set in ‘90s New York, a working-class undercover officer (Tom Blyth) is tasked with entrapping and apprehending gay men, only to find himself drawn to one of his targets, portrayed by Russell Tovey. The acts of surveillance – especially footage in VHS and CCTV forms – add texture to Emmi’s creative and intimate camera work. Blyth is the fascinating find here; he’s absorbing to observe when both stoic and displaying utter yearning. There are lovely set pieces ranging from a matinee movie palace to a botanical garden greenhouse adding atmosphere to the furtive romance. Despite good performances, some plot elements feel routine, and the central leads’ familial stakes are largely given short shrift. Overall it’s a good watch.
The honey and apples fall fabulously far from the family tree as 39th generation ex-Orthodox Jew Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie radically reinvents religion and ritual in Sandi DuBowski’s Sabbath Queen (B+). Spanning more than two decades, with animation filling in some of the ancestral details, this entertaining and insightful documentary chronicles the nonconforming descendent of the Chief Rabbis of Israel as he questions conventions at every stage of his journey. Sampling elements from all walks of life, faith and identity, Amichai leverages his drag queen persona, life as a queer bio-dad and his role as a crusader for human rights in his quest to keep faith fresh and relevant. The thesis includes notions that sacred prayers for peace and protection and entreaties to “Preach, gurl!” all have worth on a walk of faith, but the film often pierces deeply into long-standing norms. At first the protagonist’s bucking of tradition seems to ruffle the feathers of the elders, and soon the doc showcases encounters in Israel with people who deeply disapprove of him and don’t hold back about their disdain for his lifestyle and approach. Viewers won’t agree with every nuance of the subject’s iterative approach to identity and inclusiveness, but tracing his path proves fruitful and fascinating.
SEE IT: This recommended documentary makes its Atlanta premiere at Atlanta Jewish Film Festival February 23 at 4:45pm at Plaza Theatre Atlanta:
Many of the best moms in the movies tend to carry a tune (Mamma Mia!, The Sound of Music), pack a punch or a wallop (The Terminator, Aliens) or be played by Sally Field. Joining this hallowed pantheon is Fernanda Torres as Eunice Paiva, the matriarch who keeps a brave face despite her dissident husband’s forced disappearance during the military dictatorship regime of 1970 Brazil in the Walter Salles film I’m Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui) (B+). The film does a masterful job setting up the idyllic seaside metropolitan life of its real-life family, with ominous foreshadowing of imminent dangers. Torres is towering as the woman who finds her agency and strength especially when the walls of her world come crashing. Her character’s dignity makes for one of the awards season’s best performances. Selton Mello deftly portrays the loving husband and father and former politician whose actions appear furtive to the ruling class. Salles mixes panoramic shots, home movie style camera storytelling and chilly claustrophobic interiors as the family gets systematically expelled from their Eden of Rio. Beyond the central couple, it’s a bit harder for viewers to get to know all of the family’s joyous offspring, played by multiple actors over the decades, but everyone is roundly committed to the narrative. The cautionary tale of censorship and watch lists and jailing one’s enemy and stoking the embers of resistance are all resonant in this gripping story. But it’s Torres as the mama chameleon commanding the screen who emerges as the film’s VIP.
You won’t want to miss a thing in this pop song filled documentary ode to one of the world’s most successful hit-makers. Director Bess Kargman’s documentary Diane Warren: Relentless (A-) depicts a fascinating woman who was born to be a songwriting phenomenon. Famously talked about during nearly every Oscars season including this one for her record number of Best Song nominations without a category win — although she recently won the Lifetime Achievement Award statuette — Warren is known publicly for her melodic missives of uplift but authentically opens up about the challenges of her own life which are sometimes far from the stuff of a love ballad. Cher, Jennifer Hudson, Gloria Estefan, Beyoncé, Clive Owen and LeAnn Times are among those who describe the origins of Warren’s breakout early hits like “Rhythm of the Night,” “Nothing’s Gonna Stop us Now,” “I Get Weak,” “Un-break My Heart” and “If I Could Turn Back Time.” But it’s Warren’s own words about her childhood and her L.A. upbringing as a bullied Jewish girl who becomes an outcast, juvenile delinquent and runaway but always finds solace packing a punch through music-making that are the beating heart of the film. Hers is a fascinating chronicle she tells with gallows humor and the wisdom of years, with rituals and proclivities both amusing and beguiling to her celebrity clientele. Her lifelong friendship with now executive assistant Cindy Wiener is a fun foil to the song queen’s droll depiction of some off her own idiosyncrasies, from her refusal to fall in love in real life to her unconventional relationships with a disapproving mother and a doting father. Viewers will play armchair psychologists even if sometimes kept at arm’s length from some of the mysteries of this genius, but the glimpses into her cat-filled halls of inspiration, bathtub guitar sessions and episodes of overcoming emotional impulses to always transcend as a breakthrough balladeer is a wonder to behold. There’s a poignant series of sequences with Lady Gaga ([Diane] “is insane…ly talented,” says the rock star) about pouring one’s soul into a song with unexpected results which gives a singular lens into the subject’s life and ambitions. Her collaboration with Kesha on a new song “Dear Me” feels destined to be the next lauded Oscars darling, incidentally, adding to the meta-narrative. It’s fascinating to watch the writer of “Because I Loved You” and “How Do I Live” still hustle like she has something to prove. In a time of many dramatized behind-the-scenes biopics about musicians, this doc really gets under the surface at why and how its titular subject does what she does so fabulously.
SEE IT: This highly recommended documentary makes its Atlanta premiere at Atlanta Jewish Film Festival on Oscars Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 1:50pm at Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center:
Oscar nominations are tomorrow morning. Here are my predictions for what will make the Academy’s nomination list in all categories for 2024 movies being honored March 2, 2025. Can’t wait to be wrong on some choices! Then phase two of voting will commence!
THE BEST PICTURE TEN All We Imagine is Light
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
September 5
The Substance
Wicked
BEST DIRECTOR Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker, Anora
Edward Berger, Conclave
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
BEST ACTOR Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Michele Austin, Hard Truths
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Stanley Tucci, Conclave
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Wicked
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Anora
The Brutalist
Hard Truths
A Real Pain
The Substance
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
BEST COSTUME DESIGN Conclave
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked
BEST FILM EDITING
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) will present 50 films celebrating the diversity of Jewish experiences around the globe for its 25th year. From curated feature films with unexpected titles such as Guns & Moses and Sabbath Queen to documentaries about the likes of controversial German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl and Oscars original song favorite Diane Warren, there are movies of a variety of genres in this year’s lineup.
The festival’s opening night event includes the Atlanta premiere of the NYC-set ensemble screwball comedy Bad Shabbos at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Special guests include stars Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Bass, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Milayna Vayntrub, Meghan Leathers and Theo Taplitz along with director and writer Daniel Robbins and producer Adam Mitchell.
This year’s lineup includes the worldpremiere of Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause and the North American premiere of Eid, the critically-acclaimed first major dramatic feature by a Bedouin-Israeli filmmaker. Highlighting themes such as LGBTQIA+ stories, women’s empowerment, world conflicts and intersectionality, the festival explores the global Jewish experience and its connections to diverse communities, welcoming audiences from all backgrounds.
The AJFF Closing Night & Awards Show March 5 at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center will include Jury Award presentations, noshing over a dessert reception and the Atlanta premiere of Brazil’s life-affirming road trip movie Cheers to Life with director Cris D’Amato and producer Julio Uchoa in attendance.
The 2025 festival also celebrates iconic star Jerry Lewis with screenings showcasing his artistic range: the Southeast premiere of the documentary From Darkness to Light,which explores the troubled production of The Day the Clown Cried, the notorious lost Holocaust movie that haunted him for years; and a digital restoration of 1960’s The Bellboy. Jerry’s son, Christopher J. Lewis, will join Q&As and book signings, offering a personal glimpse into his father’s life and lasting influence.
The festival will return to venues across Atlanta, also including Springs Cinema & Taphouse Georgia Theatre Company Merchants Walk, the historic Plaza and the Tara Theatre. An additional 10-day streaming window from March 7-16, 2025 offers access to 21 features and 14 short films, extending reach to all Georgia residents.
Founded in 2000, the AJFF is one of the largest cultural events of its kind in the world, celebrating the power of film to foster understanding, dialogue and collaboration.
Tickets are now on sale to AJFF members and available to the general public Feb. 5. Visit AJFF.org or call the box office at 678-701-6104 for details on all the movies, talk-backs, events and guests planned for the festival.
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, consisting of over 500 entertainment critics, journalists and media icons (including yours truly), announced the group’s democratically chosen nominees for its 16th Dorian Film Awards. The Dorians go to both mainstream and LGBTQ-themed content, celebrating what the group calls “the expert Q+ eye on entertainment.”
Leading with an impressive nine nominations is writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s thought-provoking horror tale I Saw the TV Glow, a film overlooked by many other kudos groups considering 2024’s theatrical and digital releases. Star Demi Moore’s thriller of a comeback The Substance is a close second, with 8 Dorian nods.
From there, the genre-defying trans mobster musical Emilia Pérez and tense ménage-à-trois dramaChallengers each hold six nominations, and Dorian-nominated director Brady Corbet’s artful epic The Brutalist makes more than good with five. Other movies GALECA anointed with multi-nominations: Anora, Nickel Boys and Wicked all with four nods each, and Problemista and Queer with three apiece.
In the per-studio counts, A24 has a whopping 25 nominations. Other outfits posting impressive scores: Amazon MGM with 13 nominations, Netflix: (11) and Mubi (10).
Some notable titles in the group’s trademark races include the inventive slapstick comedy Hundreds of Beavers vying for Unsung Film of the Year, Madame Web and Trap looking at Campiest Flick honors, and The Brutalist, Nosferatu and Dune: Part Two among the cinematic dazzlers aiming for Visually Striking Film.
The group’s Timeless Star career achievement honoree will be named when the winners are announced Thursday Feb. 13. GALECA’s members are tentatively scheduled to toast winners and nominees in a brunch the following Sunday.
Along with its film nominations, GALECA announced it is donating $1000 to The Los Angeles Press Club’s emergency relief fund, the amount earmarked for entertainment journalists directly affected by the historically devastating wildfires that have destroyed vast swaths LA, leaving thousands of residents homeless. Professional journalists whose main livelihood involves entertainment criticism, editing and/or reportage can apply for help at lapressclub.org. Additional donations may be made there as well.
GALECA: THE SOCIETY OF LGBTQ ENTERTAINMENT CRITICS 16TH DORIAN FILM AWARDS LIST OF NOMINEES
FILM OF THE YEAR
Anora (Neon) Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios) The Substance (Mubi)
LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) Emilia Pérez (Netflix) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Love Lies Bleeding (A24) Queer (A24)
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist (A24) Coralie Fargeat, The Substance (Mubi) Luca Guadagnino, Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios) Jane Schoenbrun, I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR (Original or adapted)
Anora (Neon) Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) Conclave (Focus Features) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) The Substance (Mubi)
LGBTQ SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR
Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Love Lies Bleeding (A24) Problemista (A24) Queer (A24)
NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
All We Imagine as Light (Sideshow / Janus Films) Emilia Pérez (Netflix) Flow (Sideshow / Janus Films) I’m Still Here (Sony Pictures Classics) The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Neon)
LGBTQ NON-ENGLISH FILM OF THE YEAR
Crossing (Mubi) Emilia Pérez (Netflix) Queendom (Greenwich Entertainment) Vermiglio (Sideshow / Janus Films) All Shall Be Well (Strand Releasing)
UNSUNG FILM OF THE YEAR —To an exceptional movie worthy of greater attention
Didi (Focus Features) Hundreds of Beavers (Cineverse, Vinegar Syndrome) My Old Ass (Amazon MGM Studios) Problemista (A24) Thelma (Magnolia)
UNSUNG LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
Femme (Utopia) My Old Ass (Amazon MGM Studios) National Anthem (Variance, LD Entertainment) The People’s Joker (Altered Innocence) Problemista (A24)
FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist (A24) Daniel Craig, Queer (A24) Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (A24) Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez (Netflix) Cynthia Erivo, Wicked (Universal) Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths (Bleecker Street) Nicole Kidman, Babygirl (A24) Mikey Madison, Anora (Neon) Demi Moore, The Substance (Mubi) Justice Smith, I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
SUPPORTING FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Michele Austin, Hard Truths (Bleecker Street) Yura Borisov, Anora (Neon) Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (Searchlight Pictures) Ariana Grande, Wicked (Universal) Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios) Brigette Lundy-Paine, I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (A24) Guy Pearce, The Brutalist (A24) Margaret Qualley, The Substance (Mubi) Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez (Netflix)
DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Dahomey (Mubi) Daughters (Netflix) The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix) Sugarcane (National Geographic) Will & Harper (Netflix)
Flow (Sideshow / Janus Films) Inside Out 2 (Disney) Memoir of a Snail (IFC Films) Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Netflix) The Wild Robot (Universal, DreamWorks)
GENRE FILM OF THE YEAR For excellence in science fiction, fantasy and horror
Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros.) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Nosferatu (Focus Features) The Substance (Mubi) Wicked (Universal)
FILM MUSIC OF THE YEAR
The Brutalist (A24) Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) Emilia Pérez (Netflix) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Wicked (Universal)
VISUALLY STRIKING FILM OF THE YEAR
The Brutalist (A24) Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros.) Nosferatu (Focus Features) Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios) The Substance (Mubi)
CAMPIEST FLICK
Hundreds of Beavers (Cineverse, Vinegar Syndrome) Madame Web (Sony) Megalopolis (Lionsgate) The Substance (Mubi) Trap (Warner Bros.)
“WE’RE WILDE ABOUT YOU!” RISING STAR AWARD
Jonathan Bailey Vera Drew Karla Sofía Gascón Brigette Lundy-Paine Mikey Madison Katy O’Brian Drew Starkey
WILDE ARTIST AWARD To a truly groundbreaking force in entertainment
Colman Domingo Luca Guadagnino Coralie Fargeat Jane Schoenbrun Tilda Swinton
GALECA LGBTQIA+ FILM TRAILBLAZER For creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity
Vera Drew Cynthia Erivo Luca Guadagnino Jane Schoenbrun Julio Torres
Formed in 2009, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics honors the best in film, television and Broadway/Off Broadway, mainstream to LGBTQIA+, via the Dorian Awards. A 501 c 6 nonprofit, GALECA serves to remind bigots, bullies and our own beleaguered communities that the world looks to the informed Q+ eye on entertainment. The organization also advocates for better pay, access and respect for its members, especially those in our most underrepresented and vulnerable segments. GALECA’s efforts also include the Crimson Honors, a college film/TV criticism contest for LGBTQ women or nonbinary students of color. See members’ latest reviews, commentary and interviews, along with looks at entertainment’s past, on Bluesky and elsewhere @DorianAwards. GALECA’s YouTube channel features the group’s past Dorians film and TV Toast awards specials, video chats with filmmakers and performers, plus talks with members about their latest books and more. Find out more at GALECA.org. GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment journalists is a core member of CGEM: Critics Groups for Equality in Media, an alliance of underrepresented entertainment journalists organizations.
Outreach director Jim Farmer and Silver Screen Capture’s Stephen Michael Brown among panelists discussing queer cinema of 2024:
Similar stylistically to the way the under-seen Saturday Night movie chronicled the manic real-time energy and high-stakes high jinks of the first SNL telecast circa 1975, Tim Fehlbaum’s authentic historical drama September 5 (B+) showcases pivotal broadcast news events with panache and expert detail; and in this case the stakes aren’t laughs but lives. This sturdy thriller transports viewers to the titular day in 1972 Munich, Germany, when an ABC Sports crew found itself the makeshift coverage team for a terrorism act in progress as Palestinian militant group Black September kidnaps and threatens the lives of Israeli athletes in Olympic Village. Peter Sarsgaard, equipped with the rapier wit and studied precision he leverages for many of his film characters, artfully plays the president of the TV network’s sports division; he’s at the center of the ensemble, but there are at least three others who make a big impact in their roles. John Magaro is a standout as the head of the control room. Leonie Benesch is authentic and dialed in as the intrepid translator for the crew who singularly understands both German and Hebrew. And Ben Chaplin as the wily head of ABC operations is such a cantankerous chameleon in his role he’s fairly unrecognizable from his bumper crop of ’90s performances. Every detail in the movie feels lived-in: the rows of rotary phones, the coveted “bird” for satellite feeds, the darkroom for printing photos, block letters applied by hand to identify talking heads on the newscasts and lots of black coffee and cigarettes. Real footage is wisely integrated when appropriate for the you-are-there vibe. The film’s topics deeply resonate today as many of the geopolitical conflicts presented certainly still loom large. It’s also an instructive showcase of news judgment; as each imperfect executive, segment producer, camera person or anchor makes tough calls in real time, viewers see the consequences play out before their eyes. The drawback to this format is that you’re not in the room where the real events are happening; but Fehlbaum makes a case for the thrill of the race to go live and to “follow the story where it goes” via the voyeurism of live cameras and a feed to the world. For a film largely set in rooms with men talking and outcomes many will know from real life, Spielberg’s 2005 Munich or the 1999 documentary One Day in September, it’s an engrossing crackerjack production.
